Page images
PDF
EPUB

R. S., 4407.

Whenever a supervising inspector ascertains to his satisfaction that any master, mate, engineer, pilot, or owner of any steam-vessel fails to perform his duties according to the provisions of this Title [R. S., 4399-4500], he shall report the facts in writing to the board of local inspectors in the district where the vessel was inspected or belongs; and, if need be, he shall cause the negligent or offending party to be prosecuted; and if the supervising inspector has good reason to believe there has been, through negligence or any other cause, a failure of the board which inspected the vessel to do its duty, he shall report the facts Feb. 14, 1903. in writing to the Secretary of Commerce and Labor who shall cause immediate investigation into the truth of the complaint, and, if he deems the cause sufficient, shall remove any officer found delinquent.

Sec. 10.

R. S., 4447.

R. S., 4448.

R. S., 4449.

R. S., 4450.

When any licensed officer is employed on a steamer in a district distant from any local board of inspectors, such inspectors, or the supervising inspector of the district, may grant a renewal of his license, without such licensed officer being personally present, under such regulations as the board of supervising inspectors shall prescribe.

All officers licensed under the provisions of this Title [R. S. 4399-4500] shall assist the inspectors in their examination of any vessel to which such licensed officers belong, and shall point out all defects and imperfections known to them in the hull, equipments, boilers, or machinery of such vessel, and also shall make known to the inspectors, at the earliest opportunity, all accidents or occurrences producing serious injury to the vessel, her boilers, her machinery; and in default thereof the license of any such officer so neglecting or refusing shall be revoked.

If any licensed officer shall, to the hindrance of commerce, wrongfully or unreasonably refuse to serve in his official capacity on any steamer, as authorized by the terms of his certificate of license, or shall fail to deliver to the applicant for such service at the time of such refusal, if the same shall be demanded, a statement in writing assigning good and sufficient reasons therefor, or if any pilot or engineer shall refuse to admit into the pilot-house or engine-room any person whom the master or owner of the vessel may desire to place there for the purpose of learning the profession, his license shall be revoked, upon the same proceedings as are provided in other cases of revocation of such licenses.

The local boards of inspectors shall investigate all acts of incompetency or misconduct committed by any licensed officer while acting under the authority of his license, and shall have power to summon before them any witnesses within their respective districts, and compel their attendance by a similar process as in the United States circuit or district courts; and they may administer all necessary oaths to any witnesses thus summoned before them; and after reasonable notice in writing, given to the alleged

delinquent, of the time and place of such investigation, such witnesses shall be examined, under oath, touching the performance of his duties by any such licensed officer; and if the board shall be satisfied that such licensed officer is incompetent, or has been guilty of misbehavior, negligence, or unskillfulness, or has endangered life, or willfully violated any provision of this Title [R. S., 4399–4500], they shall immediately suspend or revoke his license.

141. Liability for damage.

Whenever damage is sustained by any passenger, or his R. S., 4493. baggage, from explosion, fire, collision, or other cause, the master and the owner of such vessel, or either of them, and the vessel shall be liable to each and every person so injured, to the full amount of damage, if it happens through any neglect, or failure to comply with the provisions of this Title [R. S., 4399-4500], or through known defects, or imperfections of the steam apparatus or of the hull: and any person sustaining loss, or injury through the carelessness, negligence, or willful misconduct of any master, mate, engineer, or pilot, or his neglect or refusal to obey the laws governing the navigation of such steamers, may sue such master, mate, engineer, or pilot, and recover damages for any such injury caused by any such master, mate, engineer, or pilot.

142. Enforcement and penalty.

All collectors, or other chief officers of the customs and R. S., 4496. all inspectors within the several districts, shall enforce the provisions of this Title [R. S., 4399-4500] against all steamers arriving and departing.

Every collector, or other chief officer of the customs, R. S., 4497. or inspector, who negligently, or intentionally omits any duty under the preceding section, shall be liable to removal from office, and to a penalty of one hundred dollars for each offense, to be sued for in an action of debt.

If any vessel propelled in whole or in part by steam be R.S., 4499. navigated without complying with the terms of this Title [R. S., 4399-4500], the owner shall be liable to the United States in a penalty of five hundred dollars for each offense, one-half for the use of the informer, for which sum the vessel so navigated shall be liable, and may be seized and proceeded against by way of libel in any district court of the United States having jurisdiction of the offense.

The penalty for the violation of any provision of this R.S., 4500. Title [R. S., 4399-4500], not otherwise specially provided for, shall be a fine of five hundred dollars, recoverable one-half for the use of the informer.

PART IX.-IMMIGRANT SHIPS.

143. Accommodations.

144. Light and air.

145. Provisions.

146. Medical attendance.

147. Discipline and cleanliness.

148. Privacy of passengers.

Aug. 2, 1882.

143. Accommodations.

[blocks in formation]

It shall not be lawful for the master of a steamship or other vessel whereon emigrant passengers, or passengers other than cabin passengers, have been taken at any port or place in a foreign country or dominion (ports and places in foreign territory contiguous to the United States excepted) to bring such vessel and passengers to any port or place in the United States unless the compartments, spaces, and accommodations hereinafter mentioned have been provided, allotted, maintained, and used for and by such passengers during the entire voyage; that is to say, in a steamship, the compartments or spaces, unobstructed by cargo, stores, or goods, shall be of sufficient dimensions to allow for each and every passenger carried or brought therein one hundred cubic feet, if the compartment or space is located on the main deck or on the first deck next below the main deck of the vessel, and one hundred and twenty cubic feet for each passenger carried or brought therein if the compartment or space is located on the second deck below the main deck of the vessel; and it shall not be lawful to carry or bring passengers on any deck other than the decks above mentioned. And in sailing-vessels such passengers shall be carried or brought only on the deck (not being an orlop deck) that is next below the main deck of the vessel, or in a poop or deck-house constructed on the main deck; and the compartment or space, unobstructed by cargo, stores, or goods, shall be of sufficient dimensions to allow one hundred and ten cubic feet for each and every passenger brought therein. And such passengers shall not be carried or brought in any between-decks, nor in any compartment, space, poop, or deck-house, the height of which from deck to deck is less than six feet. In computing the number of such passengers carried or brought in any vessel, children under one year of age shall not be included, and two children between one and eight years of age shall be counted as one passenger; and any person brought in such vessel who

shall have been, during the voyage, taken from any other vessel wrecked or in distress on the high seas, or have been picked up at sea from any boat, raft, or otherwise, shall not be included in such computation. The master of a vessel coming to a port or place in the United States in violation of either of the provisions of this section shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor; and if the number of passengers other than cabin passengers carried or brought in the vessel, or in any compartment, space, poop, or deck-house thereof, is greater than the number allowed to be carried or brought therein, respectively, as herein before prescribed, the said master shall be fined fifty dollars for each and every passenger in excess of the proper number, and may also be imprisoned not exceeding six months.

In every such steamship or other vessel there shall be a Sec. 2. sufficient number of berths for the proper accommodation as hereinafter provided, of all such passengers. There shall not be on any deck nor in any compartment or space occupied by such passengers more than two tiers of berths. The berths shall be properly constructed, and be separated from each other by partitions, as berths ordinarily are separated, and each berth shall be at least two feet in width and six feet in length; and the interval between the floor or lowest part of the lower tier of berths and the deck beneath them shall not be less than six inches, nor the interval between each tier of berths, and the interval between the uppermost tier and the deck above it, less than two feet six inches; and each berth shall be occupied by not more than one passenger over eight years of age; but double berths of twice the above-mentioned width may be provided, each double berth to be occupied by no more and by none other than two women, or by one woman and two children under the age of eight years, or by husband and wife, or by a man and two of his own children under the age of eight years, or by two men personally acquainted with each other. All the male passengers upwards of fourteen years of age who do not occupy berths with their wives shall be berthed in the fore part of the vessel, in a compartment divided off from the space or spaces appropriated to the other passengers by a substantial and well-secured bulkhead; and unmarried female passengers shall be berthed in a compartment separated from the spaces occupied by other passengers by a substantial and well-constructed bulkhead, the opening or communication from which to an adjoining passenger space shall be so constructed that it can be closed and secured. Families, however, shall not be separated except with their consent. Each berth shall be numbered serially, on the outside berth-board, according to the number of passengers that may lawfully occupy the berth; and the berths occupied by such passengers shall not be removed or taken down until the expiration of twelve hours from the time of entry, unless previously inspected within a shorter period. For any violation of either of the provi14317--03-9

Aug. 2, 1882.
Sec. 3.

sions of this section the master of the vessel shall be liable to a fine of five dollars for each passenger carried or brought on the vessel.

144. Light and air.

Every such steamship or other vessel shall have adequate provisions for affording light and air to the passenger-decks and to the compartments and spaces occupied by such passengers, and with adequate means and appliances for ventilating the said compartments and spaces. To compartments having sufficient space for fifty or more of such passengers at least two ventilators, each not less than twelve inches in diameter, shall be provided, one of which ventilators shall be inserted in the forward part of the compartment, and the other in the after part thereof, and shall be so constructed as to ventilate the compartment; and additional ventilators shall be provided for each compartment in the proportion of two ventilators for each additional fifty of such passengers carried or brought in the compartment. All ventilators shall be carried at least six feet above the uppermost deck of the vessel, and shall be of the most approved form and construction. In any steamship the ventilating apparatus provided, or any method of ventilation adopted thereon, which has been approved by the proper emigration officers at the port or place from which said vessel was cleared, shall be deemed a compliance with the foregoing provisions; and in all vessels carrying or bringing such passengers there shall be properly-constructed hatchways over the compartments or spaces occupied by such passengers, which hatchway shall be properly covered with houses or booby hatches, and the combings or sills of which shall rise at least six inches above the deck; and there shall be proper companion-ways or ladders from each hatchway leading to the compartments or spaces occupied by such passengers; and the said companion-ways or ladders shall be securely constructed, and be provided with hand-rails or strong rope, and, when the weather will permit, such passengers shall have the use of each hatchway situated over the compartments or spaces appropriated to their use; and every vessel carrying or bringing such passengers shall have a properly located and constructed caboose and cooking-range, or other cooking apparatus, the dimensions and capacity of which shall be sufficient to provide for properly cooking and preparing the food of all such passengers. In every vessel carrying or bringing such passengers there shall be at least two water-closets or privies, and an additional water-closet or privy for every one hundred male passengers on board, for the exclusive use of such male passengers, and an additional water-closet or privy for every fifty female passengers on board, for the exclusive use of the female passengers and young children on board. The aforesaid waterclosets and privies shall be properly enclosed and located on each side of the vessel, and shall be separated from

« PreviousContinue »