Sound signals, 1462. Speed slackened, 1463. Steering and sailing rules

Sailing vessels approaching one an-
other, 1464.

Steam vessels meeting end on, 1465.
Steam vessels crossing, 1466.

Steam and sailing vessels meeting,
1467.

Which vessel to keep her course and
speed, 1468.

Which vessel to slacken speed, 1469.
Overtaking vessel, 1470.

Whistle signals, 1471.

Right of way in narrow channels and rivers, 1472.

Steam vessels, 1473.

Steam vessel refusing to pass, 1474. Obedience and construction, 1475. Negligence, 1476.

Penalty for violation of rules, 1477. Regulations by Secretary of Treasury and Board of Supervising Inspectors, 1478.

Towage of seagoing barges within inland waters, 1506.

Lights on sailing vessels required by offcers of the customs, 1507.

Rules for preventing collisions extended to
harbors, 1508.

High seas defined, 1509.
Inland waters defined, 1510.
Pilots:

State regulation, 1511.

On boundaries between States, 1512.
Rates, 1513

HISTORICAL NOTE.

By direction of the Secretary of War, Apr. 26, 1918, an Admiralty and Maritime Section was constituted, in the office of the Judge Advocate General, to have charge of all claims arising in connection with the operation of vessels and vessel property under the War Department.

The original rules for the prevention of collisions on the water were contained in R. S. 4233, which consisted of 26 rules, R. S. 4412, which authorized the board of supervising inspectors to establish such regulations to be observed by all steam vessels in

passing each other, as they should from time to time deem necessary for safety, and provided that copies of such regulations should be furnished to all of such vessels, to be kept posted up in conspicuous places in such vessels, and R. S. 4413, which prescribed a penalty for neglecting or willfully refusing to observe the regulations established pursuant to said R. S. 4412.

The rules prescribed by said R. S. 4233 were superseded as to navigation on the high seas and in all coast waters of the United States, except such as were otherwise provided for, by the adoption of the "Revised International Regulations by act of Mar. 3, 1885 (23 Stat. 438), which said rules were superseded by the passage and adoption of act of Aug. 19, 1890 (26 Stat. 320), sec. 1 of which enacted a set of regulations for preventing collisions at sea to be followed by all public and private vessels of the United States upon the high seas and in all waters connected therewith, navigable by seagoing vessels.

Said act of Aug. 19, 1890 consisted of 31 articles. Sec. 2 of said act of Aug. 19, 1890, repealed all laws and parts of laws inconsistent with the regulations for preventing collisions at sea for the navigation of all public and private vessels of the United States upon the high seas, and in all waters connected therewith navigable by seagoing vessels, prescribed by sec. 1 of said act.

Sec. 3 of said act provided that the act should take effect at a time to be fixed by the President by proclamation issued for that purpose. Accordingly the President, on July 13, 1894, issued his proclamation (28 Stat. 1250), fixing Mar. 1, 1895, as the date on which the act should take effect; but the taking effect of the act at that time was postponed, and the President was authorized to fix a subsequent time when it should take effect by act of Feb. 23, 1895 (28 Stat. 680); and the President on Feb. 25, 1895, issued his proclamation that the act would not go into effect on Mar. 1 following, but on such future date as might be designated in a subsequent proclamation. The act was amended by sec. 1, act of June 10, 1896, and sec. 2 of said amendatory act (29 Stat. 382), provided that this act should take effect at a time to be fixed by the President. The President, on Dec. 31, 1896, issued his proclamation (29 Stat. 885) fixing July 1, 1897, as the date on which the act should take effect.

The rules prescribed by said R. S. 4233 were further superseded as to navigation on the Great Lakes and their connecting and tributary waters as far east as Montreal by act of Feb. 8, 1895 (28 Stat. 645), sec. 1 of which enacted rules for preventing collisions to be followed in the navigation of all public and private vessels of the United States upon the Great Lakes and their connecting and tributary waters as far east as Montreal. Said sec. 1 contained 28 articles. Sec. 2 of said act of Feb. 8, 1895 (28 Stat. 649), prescribed a fine for violations of the act. Sec. 3 of said act of Feb. 8, 1895 (28 Stat. 649), gave the Secretary of the Treasury authority to establish all necessary regulations, not inconsistent with the act, necessary to carry the act into effect, and gave the board of supervising inspectors of the United States authority to establish such regulations to be observed by all steam vessels in passing each other, not inconsistent with the act, as they should from time to time deem necessary, and provided that the regulations so adopted, when approved by the Secretary of the Treasury, should have the force of law. Sec. 4 of said act of Feb. 8, 1895 (28 Stat. 650), repealed all laws or parts of laws, so far as applicable to the navigation of the Great Lakes and their connecting and tributary waters as far east as Montreal, inconsistent with the rules promulgated by the act.

The rules prescribed by said R. S. 4233, and by said R. S. 4412, 4414, and the regulations pursuant thereto, were required to be followed on the harbors, rivers, and inland waters of the United States, and the provisions of said sections were made special rules, duly made by local authority, relative to the navigation of harbors, rivers, and inland waters, as provided for by art. 30 of said act of Aug. 19, 1890, by sec. 1, act of Feb. 19, 1895 (28 Stat. 672). Sec. 2 of said act of Feb. 19, 1895, authorized the Secretary of the Treasury to designate and define by suitable bearing or range with lighthouses, light vessels, buoys, or coast objects, the lines dividing the high seas from rivers, harbors, and inland waters. Sec. 3 of said act of Feb. 19, 1895, required collectors or other chief officers of the customs to require sail vessels to be furnished with proper signal lights and prescribed a penalty to be assessed against vessels navigated without complying with the statutes of the United States or the regulations lawfully made thereunder. Sec. 4 of said act of Feb. 19, 1895, provided that the words "inland waters" should not be held to include the Great Lakes and their connecting and tributary waters as far east as Montreal, and provided that the act should not modify or affect the provisions of act of Feb. 8, 1895 (28 Stat. 645), which was the act prescribing rules for preventing collisions to be followed in the navigation of all public and private vessels upon the Great Lakes and their connecting and tributary waters as far east as Montreal.

The rules prescribed by said R. S. 4233 were further superseded as to the navigation of all harbors, rivers, and inland waters of the United States, except the Great Lakes and their connecting and tributary waters as far east as Montreal and the Red River of the North and rivers emptying into the Gulf of Mexico and their tributaries, by act of June 7, 1897 (30 Stat. 96), sec. 1 of which enacted a set of regulations for preventing collisions, to be followed by all vessels navigating all harbors, rivers, and inland waters of the United States, except the Great Lakes and their connecting and tributary waters as far east as Montreal and the Red River of the North and rivers emptying into the Gulf of Mexico and their tributaries. Said sec. 1 consisted of 31 articles. Sec. 2 of said act of June 7, 1897 (30 Stat. 102), authorized the supervising inspectors of steam-vessels and the Supervising Inspector General to establish rules to be observed by steam vessels in passing each other and as to the lights to be carried by ferryboats and by barges and canal-boats when in tow of steam vessels not inconsistent with the provisions of the act, such rules, when approved by the Secretary of the Treasury, to be special rules duly made by local authority, as provided for by art. 30, sec. 1, of said act of Aug. 19, 1890, which said article provided that nothing in the rules contained in said act should interfere with the operation of special rules duly made by local authority relative to the navigation of any harbor, river, or inland waters. Sec. 3 of said act of June 7, 1897, prescribed a penalty for violations of the provisions of the act or the regulations established pursuant to said sec. 2. Sec. 4 of said act of June 7, 1897, also prescribed a penalty to be assessed against vessels navigated without compliance with the provisions of the act. Sec. 5 of said act of June 7, 1897, repealed R. S. 4233, 4412 (with the regulations made in pursuance thereof, except the rules and regulations for the government of pilots of steamers navigating the Red River of the North and rivers emptying into the Gulf of Mexico and their tributaries, and except the rules for the Great Lakes and their connecting and tributary waters as far east as Montreal), 4413, act of Mar. 3, 1893 (27 Stat. 557), which amended R. S. 4233, secs. 1 and 3, act of Feb. 19, 1895, and secs. 5, 12, 13, aet of Mar. 3, 1897 (29 Stat. 689), and all amendments thereto in so far as the harbors, rivers, and inland waters of the United States (except the Great Lakes and their connecting and tributary waters as far east as Montreal and the Red River of the North and rivers emptying into the Gulf of Mexico and their tributaries) were concerned.

This legislation resulted in the following situation: Navigation on the high seas is governed by act of Aug. 19, 1890, with its amendatory and supplementary acts, set forth 1374-1409, post; navigation on all harbors, rivers, and inland waters of the United States, except the Great Lakes and their connecting and tributary waters as far east as Montreal and the Red River of the North and rivers emptying into the Gulf of Mexico and their tributaries, is governed by act of June 7, 1897, as amended, set forth 1410-1438, post; and navigation on the Red River of the North and rivers amended and supplemented, set forth 1479-1510, post.

1374. Observance of international rules for preventing collisions at sea.That the following regulations for preventing collisions at sea shall be followed by all public and private vessels of the United States upon the high seas and in all waters collected therewith, navigable by sea-going vessels. Sec. 1, act of Aug. 19, 1890 (26 Stat. 320).

That all laws or parts of laws inconsistent with the foregoing regulations for preventing collisions at sea for the navigation of all public and private vessels of the United States upon the high seas, and in all waters connected therewith navigable by sea-going vessels, are hereby repealed. Sec. 2, act of Aug. 19, 1890 (26 Stat. 328).

See "Historical Note" at the head of this chapter.
See also notes to 1401, 1447, 1479.

Notes of Decisions.

For decisions prior to enactment of rules see 1479, post.

Decisions under international rules of 1885, in general.-See The Aurania (D. C. 1886) 29 Fed. 98; [C. S. p. 8286].

Applicability of rules.-The rules of navigation established in the British orders

in council Jan. 9, 1863, prescribing the kinds of lights to be used on British vessels, and substantially reenacted by the act of Apr. 29, 1864 (13 Stat. 58), and accepted as obligatory by more than 30 of the principal commercial states of the world, are to be regarded, so far as relates