a total number of persons greater than that for whom accommodation is provided in the lifeboats on board. The number and types of such boats shall be determined by regulations of the Board of Supervising Inspectors approved by the Secretary of Commerce.

The number, types, and capacity of lifeboats and life rafts, together with the proportion of such accommodation to the number of persons on board which shall be carried on steam vessels on the Great Lakes, on routes three miles or less offshore or over waters whose depth is not sufficient to submerge all the decks of the vessel, and on all other lakes, and on rivers, bays, and sounds, shall be determined by regulations of the Board of Supervising Inspectors, approved by the Secretary of Commerce.

All regulations by the Board of Supervising Inspectors, approved by the Secretary of Commerce, authorized by this Act, shall be transmitted to Congress as soon as practicable after they are made.

The Secretary of Commerce is authorized in specific cases to exempt existing vessels from the requirements of this section that the davits shall be of such strength and shall be fitted with a gear of sufficient power to insure that the boats can be lowered with their full complement of persons and equipment, the vessel being assumed to have a list of fifteen degrees, where their strict application would not be practicable or reasonable.

CERTIFICATED LIFEBOAT MEN-MANNING OF THE BOATS. There shall be for each boat or raft a number of lifeboat men at least equal to that specified as follows: If the boat or raft carries twenty-five persons or less, the minimum number of certificated lifeboat men shall be one; if the boat or raft carries twenty-six persons and less than forty-one persons the minimum number of certificated lifeboat men shall be two; if the boat or raft carries forty-one persons and less than sixty-one persons the minimum number of certificated lifeboat men shall be three; if the boat or raft carries from sixty-one to eightyfive persons, the minimum number of certificated lifeboat men shall be four; if the boat or raft carries from eightysix to one hundred and ten persons, the minimum number of certificated lifeboat men shall be five; if the boat or raft carries from one hundred and eleven to one hundred and sixty persons, the minimum number of certificated lifeboat men shall be six; if the boat or raft carries from one hundred and sixty-one to two hundred and ten persons, the minimum number of certificated lifeboat men shall be seven; and, thereafter, one additional certificated lifeboat man for each additional fifty persons: Provided, That if the raft carries fifteen persons or less a licensed officer or able seaman need not be placed in charge of such raft: Provided further, That one-half the number of rafts carried shall have a capacity of exceeding fifteen persons.

The allocation of the certificated lifeboat men to each boat and raft remains within the discretion of the master, according to the circumstances.

By "certificated lifeboat man" is meant any member of the crew who holds a certificate of efficiency issued under the authority of the Secretary of Commerce, who is hereby directed to provide for the issue of such certificates.

In order to obtain the special lifeboat man's certificate the applicant must prove to the satisfaction of an officer designated by the Secretary of Commerce that he has been trained in all the operations connected with launching lifeboats and the use of oars; that he is acquainted with the practical handling of the boats themselves; and, further, that he is capable of understanding and answering the orders relative to lifeboat service.

Section forty-four hundred and sixty-three of the Revised Statutes as amended is hereby amended by adding the words "including certificated lifeboat men, separately stated," to the word "crew" wherever it occurs.

MANNING OF BOATS.

A licensed officer or able seaman shall be placed in charge of each boat or pontoon raft; he shall have a list of its lifeboat men, and other members of its crew which shall be sufficient for her safe management, and shall see that the men placed under his orders are acquainted with their several duties and stations.

A man capable of working the motor shall be assigned to each motor boat.

The duty of seeing that the boats, pontoon rafts, and other life-saving appliances are at all times ready for use shall be assigned to one or more officers.

MUSTER ROLL AND DRILLS.

Special duties for the event of an emergency shall be allotted to each member of the crew.

The muster list shows all these special duties, and indicates, in particular, the station to which each man must go, and the duties that he has to perform.

Before the vessel sails the muster list shall be drawn up and exhibited, and the proper authority, to be designated by the Secretary of Commerce, shall be satisfied that the muster list has been prepared for the vessel. It shall be posted in several parts of the vessel, and in particular in the crew's quarters.

MUSTER LIST.

The muster list shall assign duties to the different members of the crew in connection with

(a) The closing of the water-tight doors, valves, and so forth.

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(b) The equipment of the boats and rafts generally. (c) The launching of the boats attached to davits. (d) The general preparation of the other boats and the pontoon rafts.

(e) The muster of the passengers.

(f) The extinction of fire.

The muster list shall assign to the members of the stewards' department their several duties in relation to the passengers at a time of emergency. These duties shall include

(a) Warning the passengers.

(b) Seeing that they are dressed and have put on their life jackets in a proper manner.

(c) Assembling the passengers.

(d) Keeping order in the passages and on the stairways, and, generally, controlling the movements of the passengers.

The muster list shall specify definite alarm signals for calling all the crew to the boat and fire stations, and shall give full particulars of these signals.

MUSTERS AND DRILLS.

Musters of the crews at their boat and fire stations, followed by boat and fire drills, respectively, shall be held at least once a week, either in port or at sea. An entry shall be made in the official log book of these drills, or of the reason why they could not be held.

Different groups of boats shall be used in turn at successive boat drills. The drills and inspections shall be so arranged that the crew thoroughly understand and are practiced in the duties they have to perform, and that all the boats and pontoon rafts on the ship with the gear appertaining to them are always ready for immediate use.

LIFE JACKETS AND LIFE BUOYS.

A life jacket of an approved type, or other appliance of equal buoyancy and capable of being fitted on the body, shall be carried for every person on board, and, in addition, a sufficient number of life jackets, or other equivalent appliances, suitable for children.

First. A life jacket shall satisfy the following conditions:

(a) It shall be of approved material and construction. (b) It shall be capable of supporting in fresh water for twenty-four hours fifteen pounds avoirdupois cf iron. Life jackets the buoyancy of which depends on air compartments are prohibited.

Second: A life buoy shall satisfy the following conditions:

(a) It shall be of solid cork or any other equivalent material.

(b) It shall be capable of supporting in fresh water for twenty-four hours at least thirty-one pounds avoirdupois of iron.

Life buoys filled with rushes, cork shavings, or granulated cork, or any other loose granulated material, or whose buoyancy depends upon air compartments which require to be inflated, are prohibited.

Third. The minimum number of life buoys with which vessels are to be provided is fixed as follows:

Length of the vessel under four hundred feet, minimum number of buoys, twelve; length of the vessel, four hundred and under six hundred feet, minimum number of buoys, eighteen; length of the vessel, six hundred and under eight hundred feet, minimum number of buoys, twenty-four; length of the vessel, eight hundred feet and over, minimum number of buoys, thirty.

Fourth. All the buoys shall be fitted with beckets securely seized. At least one buoy on each side shall be fitted with a life line of at least fifteen fathoms in length. The number of luminous buoys shall not be less than one-half of the total number of life buoys, and in no case less than six. The lights shall be efficient self-igniting lights which can not be extinguished in water, and they shall be kept near the buoys to which they belong, with the necessary means of attachment.

Fifth. All the life buoys and life jackets shall be so placed as to be readily accessible to the persons on board; their position shall be plainly indicated so as to be known to the persons concerned.

The life buoys shall always be capable of being rapidly cast loose, and shall not be permanently secured in any way. The owner of any vessel who neglects or refuses to provide and equip his vessel with such lifeboats, floats, rafts, life preservers, line-carrying projectiles, and the means of propelling them, drags, pumps, or other appliances, as are required under the provisions of this section, or under the regulations of the Board of Supervising Inspectors, approved by the Secretary of Commerce, authorized by and made pursuant hereto, shall be fined not less than $500, nor more than $5,000, and every master of a vessel who shall fail to comply with the requirements of this section, and the regulations of the Board of Supervising Inspectors, approved by the Secretary of Commerce, authorized by and made pursuant hereto, shall upon conviction be fined not less than $50, nor more than $500.

142. Stairways and deck room.

Every such steam-vessel carrying passengers on the R. S., 4484. main-deck shall be provided with permanent stairways and other sufficient means, convenient to the passengers, for their escape to their upper deck, in case of the vessel sinking or of other accident endangering life; and in the stowage of freight upon such deck, where passengers are

R. S., 4485.

R. S., 4486.

R. S., 4480.
Mar. 3, 1905.
Sec. 2.

R. S., 4470.
Mar. 3, 1905.
Sec. 7.

R. S., 4471.

carried, gangways or passages, sufficiently large to allow persons to pass freely through them, shall be left open both fore and aft of the vessel, and also to and along the guards on each side.

The captain or mate of every such steam-vessel carrying passengers upon the main-deck shall assign to all deck-passengers, when taking passage, the space on deck they may occupy during the voyage, and such space shall not thereafter be occupied by freight, nor overcrowded by other persons, nor shall freight be stowed about the boilers or machinery, in such a manner as to obstruct or prevent the engineer from readily attending to his duties.

For every violation of the provisions of the two preceding sections the owners of the vessel shall be punished by a fine of three hundred dollars.

143. Wire tiller ropes.

Every steamer carrying passengers shall be provided with such tiller ropes, tiller rods, or chains for the purpose of steering and navigating the vessel, and such bellpulls for signalizing the engineer from the pilot house, and such tubes or other arrangement to repeat back the signal to the pilot house, as may be prescribed_by_the board of supervising inspectors, with the approval of the Secretary of Commerce.

144. Protection against fire.

Every steamer carrying passengers or freight shall be provided with suitable pipes and valves attached to the boiler to convey steam into the hold and to the different compartments thereof to extinguish fire, or such other suitable apparatus as may be prescribed by the regulations of the board of supervising inspectors, with the approval of the Secretary of Commerce, for extinguishing fire in the hold and compartments thereof by the introduction through pipes into such hold and compartments of carbonic acid gas or other fire-extinguishing gas or vapor; and every stove used on board of any such vessel shall be well and securely fastened, so as to prevent it from being moved or overthrown, and all woodwork or other ignitible substances about the boilers, chimneys, cook houses, and stovepipes, exposed to ignition shall be thoroughly shielded by some incombustible material in such a manner as to leave the air to circulate freely between such material and woodwork or other ignitible substance; and before granting a certificate of inspection the inspector shall require all other necessary provisions to be made throughout such vessels to guard against loss or danger from fire.

Every steamer permitted by her certificate of inspection to carry as many as fifty passengers, or upward, and every steamer carrying passengers, which also carries cotton, hay, or hemp, shall be provided with a good double-acting steam fire-pump, or other equivalent appa