areas under their jurisdiction may be obtained direct from the District Engineer Offices. The New Jersey Inland Waterway is under the jurisdiction of the State Board of Commerce and Navigation, Jersey City, and information concerning existing channel depths may be obtained from the Board. THE UNITED STATES BUREAU OF MARINE INSPECTION AND NAVIGATION The Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation under the Department of Commerce is charged with general superintendence of the commercial marine and merchant seamen of the United States, except so far as supervision is lodged with other offices of the Gov ernment. In addition to various other duties the Bureau is especially charged with the decision of all questions relating to the issuing of registers, enrollments, and licenses of vessels; investigates the operation of the laws relative to navigation; is charged with the enforcement and investigation of violations of the navigation and marine inspection laws; and is charged with the duty of inspecting vessels, the licensing of the officers of vessels, and the administration of the laws relating to such vessels and their officers for the protection of life and property. The Bureau certificates the able seamen who form the crew of merchant vessels, and the inspectors of the Service, also certificate the lifeboat men. For administrative purpose the Supervising Inspectors of the Service maintain 7 district offices, and Local Inspectors have offices in the more important cities having marítime interests. Offices of Local Inspectors of the Bureau, within the area covered by this volume, are maintained at New York City, Philadelphia, Pa., Baltimore, Md. and Norfolk, Va. New York and Norfolk also have Supervising Inspectors. Offices of U. S. Shipping Commissioners are maintained in the above cities as well as at Newport News, Va. These officials administer the laws for the protection of seamen, the maintenance of discipline on shipboard, maintain an employment agency for securing seafaring personnel for all ships of American registry and promote Americanization of crews. The licensed officer in command of any vessel shall report in writing and in person to the board of local inspectors nearest the port of first arrival any accident to said vessel involving loss of life, or damage to property to an approximate amount exceeding $500, and shall also report in like manner any casualty or loss of life from whatever cause of any person on board such vessel and any stranding or grounding, whether or not any damage has been sustained by the vessel. THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD The United States Coast Guard is a military branch of the Government maintained for the purpose of enforcing the navigation and other maritime laws under the jurisdiction of the United States, rendering of assistance to vessels in distress, saving life and property, destroying derelicts and removing obstructions and menaces to navigation. These duties include the International Ice Patrol (see p. 36), the Bering Sea Patrol, flood-relief work, patrol of regattas and marine parades, and rendering medical relief to deep-sea fishermen and to the natives of Alaska. The Coast Guard makes no charge for its services to vessels in distress, and will respond promptly to all proper requests for assistance so far as the distribution and condition of its facilities will permit. However, it is not the purpose of the Coast Guard to compete or interfere with commercial enterprise in ordinary towing and salvage operations, but to confine its assistance activities to cases of actual or potential distress. Instructions for obtaining the assistance of Coast Guard units are given on page 21 (without radio) and on page 26 (with radio). Coast Guard stations are maintained at the places named in the following table. The stations are fully manned, except as noted, throughout the year and are supplied with boats, wreck guns, beach apparatus, and other appliances for affording assistance in case of shipwreck. Instructions to enable marines to avail themselves fully of the assistance thus afforded will be found in the appendix, page 327; note caution paragraph. The Coast Guard stations are provided with the International Code Signals and are prepared to send or receive signals in that code or by means of the Semaphore Code, the Occulting or Flashing-light Code, or the International Morse Wigwag Code. Telephone facilities are available at the stations for the summoning of Coast Guard cutters, tugs, or other assistance, or for communicating with telegraph lines. The following Coast Guard Stations are in the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Districts, the commanders of which are stationed at Asbury Park, N. J., Chincoteague, Va. and Elizabeth City, N. C., respectively. Division commanders with administratice offices are stationed at New York City and Norfolk: Coast Guard stations-Sandy Hook to Cape Henry-Continued Other Coast Guard Assistance Facilities.-Floating units are stationed at the following ports with larger vessels at the points marked with an asterisk (*). *New York City *Cape May, N. J. Baltimore, Md. *Norfolk, Va. There is an aviation station at Cape May with facilities for rendering assistance by airplane. The amphibian planes are especially adapted for ambulance work. Assistance or Distress Procedure. Small craft or planes off the coasts of New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland or Virginia may obtain the assistance of the Coast Guard by making the international or inland distress signal, if in sight of a vessel, lighthouse, or Coast Guard station. Passing vessels will inform the Coast Guard by radio. Persons on shore telephone to "Coast Guard. Customhouse, New York City, Whitehall 4-2717," or "Coast Guard, Federal Building, Norfolk, Virginia, Norfolk 2-6638" or to any nearby Coast Guard vessel or station. See pages 339 and 345. In minor cases of distress or trouble, if equipped with radio, use the urgent signal (XXX) or the general call for Any Coast Guard Unit (NCU) by key (or the expression PAN on the radio-telephone). In case of extreme emergency call SOS by key or the spoken expression MAYDAY on the radio-telephone. Transmit on the International calling and distress frequency of 500 kilocycles (600 meters). General procedure for vessels requesting assistance by radio is given under Radio Services pages 24 to 27. RADIO SERVICES The supervision of radio communication in the United States, including the Hawaiian Islands, is controlled by the Federal Com munications Commission. Twice a month, the Commission issues a Radio Service bulletin, giving those current corrections to the international Berne publications that affect radio services of the United States. Interested parties can secure copies of this bulletin by addressing the Commission at Washington, D. C. At the present time this is the only publication of the Commission. The Rules and Regulations of the former Federal Radio Commission are remaining in effect until such time as superseding regulations are promulgated by the present Commission. Changes in these Rules and Regulations are included in the above Radio Service Bulletin. Radio information available from the Commission is incorporated into the publications of the Bureau of the International Telecommunication Union of Berne, Switzerland. They are published every 6 months; editions in English can be secured by sending remittance direct to the Bureau. The list of these publications is given below. These Berne publications show, name of station and owner or operator, geographical locations, call, frequencies, type of emission, power, hours of service, and rates. LIST OF BERNE PUBLICATIONS 1. List of Frequencies and Supplements, 40 Swiss gold francs, including postage. 2. List of Coast Stations and Ship Stations (includes Inland Rates tables), 3.60 Swiss gold francs, including postage. 3. List of Aeronautical and Aircraft Stations, 2.60 Swiss gold francs, including postage. 4. List of Broadcasting Stations and Supplements, 3.70 Swiss gold francs, including postage. 5. List of Stations Performing Special Services and Supplements, 5.50 Swiss gold francs, including postage. 6. List of Call Letters of Fixed, Land and Mobile Stations and Supplements, 9.30 Swiss gold francs, including postage. NOTE.-Remittances should be made by international money order to the International Bureau of the Telecommunication Union, Berne, Switzerland. Comprehensive information regarding navigational radio services can also be obtained from the Hydrographic Office Publication No. 205, Radio Aids to Navigation, which can be obtained from the Hydrographic Office, Navy Department, Washington, D. C., price $1.80. This publication lists radio stations throughout the world including U. S. coastal broadcasting stations which perform services of value to navigation upon the high seas and their adjacent waters. It includes details of radio time signals, radio direction-finder stations, radiobeacon stations, radio distance-finding stations, radio weather bulletins, storm and navigational warnings, medical advice by radio, distress, emergency and safety traffic, etc. Additions and changes to this publication are issued weekly in the Hydrographic Office Notice to Mariners and extracts affecting the publication will be mailed monthly to those not in receipt of the Notice to Mariners. Radio References.-There are listed herewith publications giving information regarding the various radio services available to mariners. (a) The Berne List of Publications (see above). (b) Hydrographic Office Publication No. 205, Radio Aids to Navigation (see above). |