country, to coordinate the coastal survey and provide a framework for mapping and other engineering work; (3) the study of tides and currents, to furnish datum planes to engineers and tide and current tables to mariners; (4) the compilation of aeronautical charts, to meet the needs of the pilots of aircraft; (5) observations of the earth's magnetism in all parts of the country, to furnish magnetic information essential to the mariner, aviator, land surveyor, radio engineer and others; and (6) seismological observations and investigations to supply data required in designing structures to reduce the earthquake hazard.

The results of these surveys and studies are analyzed in the Washington office and published as nautical and aeronautical charts; annual tables of predicted tides and currents; coast pilots; charts showing magnetic declination; annual lists of United States earthquakes; publications of geographic positions and elevations; Notice to Mariners (jointly with the Lighthouse Service); and other publications.

A Coast and Geodetic Survey field station is located at 601 Federal Office Building, First Avenue and Madison Street, Seattle, Wash. Files of charts, coast pilots, and other publications are maintained for the use of mariners, who are invited to avail themselves of the facilities afforded.

Charts, coast pilots, current tables, and tide tables are kept for sale. Mariners observing any changes affecting charts or coast pilots are requested to notify the inspector in charge of the field station.

Chart agencies.-Chart agencies where charts and publications of the Coast and Geodetic Survey are kept for sale are located in the following towns: Valdez, Cordova, Seward, Anchorage, and Kodiak. Reporting of dangers, shoals, changes in channel depths, etc.-Mariners are especially requested to immediately inform the Coast and Geodetic Survey of all important facts relating to changes in the coast pilots and charts that may come to their attention. Reports of an urgent character should be sent by radio, see page 14.

The Coast and Geodetic Survey must depend in a great measure upon outside sources of information pending a complete revision of a coast pilot volume. Mariners and others will therefore realize the importance and great desirability of cooperation in this work and are urgently requested to forward to the Director, United States Coast and Geodetic Survey, Washington, D. C., directly or through a field station (p. 14), any information affecting the coast pilots or charts that may come to their notice, as well as any suggestions that they may have for increasing the value of these publications.

The wire drags used by the Coast and Geodetic Survey in sweeping for dangers to navigation may be crossed by vessels without danger of fouling at any point except between the towing launches and the large buoys near them, where the towline approaches the surface of the water. Steamers passing over the drag are requested to change course so as to cross it approximately at right angles, as a diagonal course may cause the propeller to foul the supporting buoys and attached wires.

No attempt should be made to pass between the wire drag launches while the wire is being set out or taken in, unless it would endanger a vessel to do otherwise. In setting out or taking up the wire drag, the

tension on the bottom wire is released and the floats at each 100-foot section may cause the wire to be held near the surface. At the time the launches are usually headed either directly toward or away from each other and the operation of taking up or setting out may usually be clearly seen.

Special signals for surveying vessels. The following signals have been prescribed for vessels of the United States engaged in hydrographic surveying:

By day a surveying vessel of the Coast and Geodetic Survey, under way and employed in hydrographic surveying, may carry in a vertical line, one over the other not less than 6 feet apart where they can best be seen, three shapes not less than 2 feet in diameter of which the highest and lowest shall be globular in shape and green in color and the middle one diamond in shape and white. Vessels of the Coast and Geodetic Survey shall carry the above-described marks while actually engaged in hydrographic surveying and under way, including drag work. Launches and other boats shall carry the prescribed marks when necessary.

It must be distinctly understood that these special signals serve only to indicate the nature of the work upon which the vessel is engaged and in no way give the surveying vessel the right-of-way over the other vessels or obviate the necessity for a strict observance of the rules for preventing collisions of vessels.

By night a surveying vessel of the Coast and Geodetic Survey, under way and employed in hydrographic surveying, shall carry the regular lights prescribed by The Rules of the Road.

A vessel of the Coast and Geodetic Survey, when at anchor in a fairway on surveying operations, shall display from the mast during the daytime two black balls in a vertical line and 6 feet apart. At night two red lights shall be displayed in the same manner. In the case of a small vessel the distance between the balls and between the lights may be reduced to 3 feet if necessary. Such vessels, when at anchor in a fairway on surveying operations, shall have at hand and show if necessary in order to attract attention a flare-up light in addition to the lights which are, by this regulation, required to be carried.

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 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, 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.

Coast Guard assistance facilities.-Vessels of the Coast Guard are stationed at the following ports: Ketchikan, Cordova, Seward, Juneau. Additional vessels patrol the waters of the Bering Sea from April to September. During the patrol season, information on the movements of the vessels of the Bering Sea Patrol Force may

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be obtained by communicating with the Commander, Bering Sea Patrol Force, at Unalaska through the communication facilities of the Army, Navy, or the Coast Guard.

Assistance or distress procedure.-Small craft or planes off the coast of Alaska may obtain the assistance of the Coast Guard by the following means:

Make the international or inland distress signal, if in sight of a vessel, lighthouse, or a Coast Guard station (only one Coast Guard station in Alaska at Nome). Passing vessels will inform the Coast Guard by radio.

Persons on shore may communicate with the commander, Seattle Division, United States Coast Guard, Seattle, Wash., to whom facilities are available for communicating with any or all Coast Guard assistance facilities in Alaska.

If equipped with radio, call NCU "Any Coast Guard Unit" by key or in case of extreme emergency call SOS by key (or Mayday by voice) transmitting on 500 kilocycles (600 meters). General radio procedure for vessels requesting assistance by radio is given on pages 15 to 18, inclusive.

Coast Guard administrative offices are located at Federal Building, Seattle, Wash., and at Customhouse, San Francisco, Calif. The telegraphic and radio addresses are "Coast Guard, Seattle" and "Coast Guard, San Francisco."

UNITED STATES BUREAU OF MARINE INSPECTION AND NAVIGATION. The waters of Alaska are included in the bureau's Pacific Coast District (No. 7). The supervising inspector's office is at (514 Customhouse) San Francisco, Calif.; local inspection district headquarters are located at St. Michael, Alaska (Northern Commercial Co. Hotel. Open from May to September. During winter months in the Seattle office), and Juneau, Alaska (Federal Building), and at Seattle, Wash. (625 Federal Bldg.).

The pilot rules for "Certain Inland Waters of the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts and of the Coast of the Gulf of Mexico" (Form 804), apply to the inland waters of Alaska. Boundary lines separating the high seas from inland waters in Alaska have not been established (1937).

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 HYDROGRAPHIC OFFICE of the United States Navy exists for the improvement of the means for navigating safely the vessels of the United States Navy and of the mercantile marine by providing accurate and cheap nautical charts, sailing directions, navigators, and manuals of instruction for the use of all vessels of the United States, and for the benefit and use of navigators generally.

The Hydrographic Office publishes nautical charts, light lists and sailing directions (pilots) for the navigable waters of foreign countries including British Columbia; it also publishes numerous special charts, books, manuals, tables of interest to navigators and aviators, and Notice to Mariners (weekly) for correction of charts and publications.

The charts and coast pilots pertaining to the territorial waters of the United States and its possessions are published by the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey.

Among the publications of the Hydrographic Office are monthly pilot charts for the various oceans (one for the North Pacific Ocean), a weekly hydrographic bulletin and a daily memorandum of information of interest to navigators. These publications can be secured by mariners who cooperate with the bureau by furnishing certain desired marine data.

The Hydrographic Office prepares navigational warnings for the Hydrographic radio broadcasts. The Hydrographic Office Publication No. 205, Radio Aids to Navigation (p. 26) contains comprehensive information regarding radio service of value to navigation throughout the world. An abstract of United States Naval Radio Stations broadcasting schedules is also published from time to time in the Hydrographic Bulletin, in a form convenient for posting in the ship radio room.

A branch Hydrographic Office is maintained at room 453, Federal Office Building, Seattle, Wash. In this office, bulletins are posted giving information of value to mariners who can also avail themselves of publications pertaining to navigation and facilities for correcting their charts from standards. No charge is made for this service.

Shipmasters are especially requested to inform the Hydrographic Office immediately by radio of all navigational information, which includes reports on ice, derelicts, wreckage, floating obstructions, and changes or defects in aids to navigation.

A report of any buoys adrift or any deficiencies noted in lighted aids to navigation affecting United States (including Alaska) waters should also be forwarded to the superintendent of the nearest lighthouse district (as given in Light Lists). Reports affecting United States Coast Pilots and charts should be made to the Director, Coast and Geodetic Survey, Washington, D. C. (p. 10).

RADIO (Marine Services).-The following pages on this subject are designed principally to acquaint the mariner with the various radio services available pertaining to weather, navigational warnings, direction finding, time signals, medical advice, etc.; also, the procedure for radio distress traffic; and to call attention to certain duties required of the shipmaster in connection with radio equipment and communication. Nothing herein relieves shipmasters and radio operators of their responsibility to comply with any laws, rules, or regulations which have been or may be made by authorities controlling radio communication.

Regulations.-No transmitting station may be established or operated without the authorization of the Government of the country concerned.

The radio communications in the United States and its possessions, except the Philippine Islands and the Panama Canal Zone, are controlled by the Federal Communications Commission, Washington, D. C. The Commission is charged with the enforcement of the general radio regulations in force as annexed to the International Telecommunication Convention; that part of the International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea, London, 1929, applying to radio; and the Communications Act of 1934 (United States federal statute) as amended. Violations of the Act may result in the application of heavy penalties and forfeitures. (In this connection shipmasters should see section 362 and title 5 of the Communications Act.)

The attention of masters is called to Rule 289 (a) and (b) of the Commission which states the conditions under which a vessel may use its radio transmitter when in territorial or inland waters of the United States or when alongside a wharf or at anchor in a harbor of the United States.

Service Document.-When a radio telegraphic installation is compulsory equipment on board a ship, the latter must be provided with the following service documents:

1. The radio license.

2. The operator (s)' certificate.

3. Register (radio service log) in which shall be mentioned, at the time they occur, service incidents of all kinds, as well as the communications exchanged with land stations or mobile stations and relating to reports of disaster. If the regulations on board permit, the position of the vehicle shall be indicated once a day in the said register.

*4. Alphabetical list of call signals.

*5. List of coast and ship stations.

*6. List of stations performing special services.

*7. The Convention and Regulations annexed thereto.

*8. The telegraph rates of the countries for which the station (ship) most frequently accepts radiotelegrams.

Reporting of dangers.-The master of every ship of the United States equipped with radio transmitting apparatus on meeting with a tropical or other severe storm, dangerous ice, derelicts, or any other direct danger to navigation, is required to cause to be transmitted a report of these dangers, to ships in the vicinity and to the appropriate Government agencies.

When practicable, these reports should be sent through Government facilities; however, any commercial radio station in the mobile service will forward the message without charge.

When in the North Pacific, special observations when encountering severe storms should be sent by radio to "Observer San Francisco," preferably in the International Meteorological Code, preceded by the ship's name, unsigned and checked collect. A copy of the code is contained in Radio Aids to Navigation (H. O. 205), and in "Distribution of Weather Information by Radio." (See p. 27.) sage may be sent in plain language, giving the ship's position, Greenwich time of observation, direction and force of wind, state weather and barometer reading.

The mes

Radio reports on ice, derelicts, wreckage, floating obstructions, and changes or defects in aids to navigation in the Pacific should be addressed "Hydro San Francisco." Reports of any buoys adrift or any deficiency noted in lighted aids to navigation affecting United

*See List of Radio Publications, p. 26.