NAVIGATION-MEETING AND PASSING. 8. Whenever any vessel, whether a steam or sailing vessel, Rule as to proceeding in one direction, meets another vessel, whether a ships meeting steam or sailing vessel, proceeding in another direction, so that each other. if both vessels were to continue their respective courses they would pass so near as to involve any risk of a collision, the helms of both vessels shall be put to port so as to pass on the port side of each other;-And this rule shall be obeyed by all steam vessels, and by all sailing vessels whether on the port or starboard tack, and whether close-hauled or not,-unless the Exception. circumstances of the case are such as to render a departure from the rule necessary in order to avoid immediate danger, and subject also to the proviso that due regard shall be had to the dangers of navigation, and, as regards sailing vessels on the starboard tack close-hauled, to the keeping such vessels under command,-And except that vessels entering and leaving the Exception. harbour of Sorel, shall take the Port side, unless the Trinity House of Montreal shall otherwise direct. channels. 9. Every steam vessel, when navigating any narrow channel, Rule for shall, whenever it is safe and practicable, keep to that side of steamers in the fairway or mid-channel which lies on the starboard side of narrow such steam vessel,-except that when two steam vessels of unequal speed are pursuing the same course, the slower vessel, if ahead, shall draw towards the Port side, and the faster vessel shall pass on the Starboard side;—and except in entering and leaving the Port of Sorel as aforesaid. Vessels, &c., not to approach too 10. Whenever any Vessel or raft is going in the same direction with another which is ahead, the Vessel or raft first mentioned shall not be so navigated as to come within twenty near each yards of the other, nor shall such other be so navigated as to other. come within twenty yards of that first mentioned. contravention 11. The Master of Person in charge of any Steam Vessel, Penalty for Sailing Vessel or Raft, offending against any of the preceding of Rules. provisions of this Act, shall incur a penalty not exceeding fifty pounds nor less than five pounds. breach of the 12. If in any case of collision it appears to the court before If collision which the case is tried, that such collision was occasioned ensues from by the non-observance of any of the foregoing rules, the above rules, owner of the vessel by which such rule has been infringed shall owner not to not be entitled to recover any recompence whatever for any damage sustained by such ship in such collision, unless it is shown to the satisfaction of the court that the circumstances of the case made a departure from the rule necessary. be entitled to recover. 13. In case any damage to person or property arises from Breach of the non-observance by any vessel or raft of any of the foregoing such rules to imply wilful rules, such damage shall be deemed to have been occasioned default. by Liability. advisable. by the wilful default of the person in charge of such raft or of the deck of such vessel at the time, unless the contrary be proved, or it is shown to the satisfaction of the court that the circumstances of the case made a departure from the rule necessary; and the owner of the vessel or raft in all civil proceedings, and the master or person in charge as aforesaid in all proceedings, civil or criminal, shall be subject to the legal consequences of such default. INSPECTION OF STEAMBOATS, AND PROVISIONS FOR THE SAFETY Inspectors. Governor in 14. The Governor in Council shall, from time to time, appoint Council may at such places as he may find advisable, within the Province, appoint Inone or more skilled persons competent to inspect steamboats, spectors at such places as and the machinery and boilers employed in the same, who shall may be found not be interested in the manufacture of steam-engines, boilers or other machinery belonging to steamboats, and whose duty it shall be to make such inspection as hereinafter prescribed, and to give to the owner or master duplicate certificates of Inspectors to such inspection; and every such Inspector, before entering upon his duties as such, shall take and subscribe an oath, before any person duly authorized to administer an oath, well, faithfully and impartially to execute the duties assigned to him by this Act. be sworn. Inspectors to form a Board. Chairman- Quorum. Meetings of the board, to make Regulations, &c. Regulations not to be in force until approved by Governor in Council. 15. The Inspectors shall form a board to be called the Board of Steamboat Inspection," of whom the Governor shall name the Chairman; Three of the members shall form a quorum, and the Chairman shall have the right to vote, and in case of equal division he shall also have a casting vote, and the minutes of the proceedings of the board shall be kept by him. 16. The board shall meet at least once every year in the Cities of Quebec and Toronto, and at such other places as the Chairman may determine, to frame regulations for the uniform Inspection of Steamers, for the selection of Ports of Inspection, for granting Licenses to Engineers, and for such other purposes as may be necessary under this Act; and such regulations and selection shall come into force after they have been approved by the Governor in Council, but not before ;and copies of the minutes of the proceedings of the Board, certified by the Chairman, shall be transmitted to the Clerk of the Executive Council. Inspection. Hull, boilers 17. The Master or Owner of every Steamboat, shall cause and machinery the hull, boilers and machinery thereof to be inspected at least. once once every year, and shall deliver to the Collector of the Port to be inspectwhere such inspection is made, or at which such Steamboat ed once a shall arrive next after such inspection, where it has not been year :-and duplicate cermade in port, a duplicate certificate thereof, and for every tificate delineglect to cause such inspection to be made, and a duplicate vered to colthereof to be delivered to the proper Collector, such Master lector. or Owner shall incur a penalty of one hundred pounds, and Penalty for such Steamboat shall be liable for and chargeable therewith. default. thereof, con ditions. 18. The Inspector who inspects any Steamboat in the Inspection to manner required by this Act, shall, after thorough examination be thorough, of the Hull, Boilers and Machinery, make a certificate in which and certificate shall be stated the age of such Steamboat, when and where taining cer originally built, the length of time she has been running, tain partiwhether each Boiler is sound and fit for use, its age and the culars, to be given in duheaviest pressure of steam to which it may be safely subjected, plicate on as well when the Vessel is stationary as when running, thereby certain conestablishing a maximum rate of pressure in each of those cases, the period during which such inspection is to apply, whether the machinery is sound and fit for use and whether such steamboat is sound and in all respects seaworthy and fit for the transport of freight and passengers, and he shall not make such certificate unless such steamboat be provided with such steam-guage as is hereinafter required; And duplicates of Certificate to such certificates shall be delivered to the Owner or Master of be posted up the Steamboat, one of which such Master or Owner shall in the Steamdeliver to the Collector as aforesaid, and the other he shall keep and cause to be posted up in some conspicuous part of the Steamboat for the information of the public. boat. sure, &c. 19. Any Inspector may, whenever he deems it necessary so Boiler to be to do, and some one of them, shall at least once in every year, tested by hydrostatic pressubject the boiler of every steamboat to a test by hydrostatic pressure, the limit of which shall in no case exceed one hundred and fifty pounds to the square inch, and shall satisfy himself by examination and experimental trials, that such boiler is well made of good and suitable material; and the owner of the steamboat shall provide the necessary pump and apparatus for such test, to be worked by the crew of the vessel; and no Certificate not Inspector shall make or deliver to the owner or master of any without such to be given steamboat, any such duplicate certificate as is mentioned in test. the foregoing section of this Act, without having first subjected the boiler of such vessel to such test by hydrostatic pressure. observed in 20. In subjecting boilers to the hydrostatic test aforesaid, Rule to be the Inspectors shall assume one hundred pounds to the square such test. inch as the maximum pressure allowable as a working power for a new boiler forty-two inches in diameter, made of the best refined iron, at least one quarter of an inch thick, in the best manner and of the quality herein required, and Proportion of shall rate the working pressure of all boilers, whether of greater test pressure to working or less diameter, according to this standard; and in all cases the pressure. In what cases only exceptions may be allowed. the test applied shall exceed the working pressure allowed, in the ratio of one hundred and fifty pounds to one hundred, using the water in such tests at a temperature not exceeding sixty degrees, Fahrenheit; But if any such Inspector is of opinion that any boiler, by reason of its construction or material, will not safely allow so high a working pressure, he may, for reasons to be stated specifically in his certificate, fix the working pressure of such boiler at less than two thirds of the test pressure; And these rules shall be observed in all cases, unless the proportion between such boilers and the cylinders, or some other cause, renders it manifest that their application would be unjust, in which case the Inspector may depart from these rules, if it can be done with safety; but in no case shall the working pressure allowed exceed the proportion hereinValves not to before mentioned, as compared with the hydrostatic test; And no valve under any circumstances shall at any time be so loaded or so managed in any way as to subject a boiler to a greater pressure than that allowed by the Inspector at the then last inspection thereof; and no boiler or pipe shall be approved which is made in whole or in part of bad material, or is unsafe in its form, or dangerous from defective workmanship, age, use or any other cause :--And no boiler made after the passing of made of plate this Act, shall be made of boiler plate which has not been bearing maker's name. stamped or marked with the name of the maker thereof, nor shall a certificate be granted with respect to any boiler made wholly or in part of plate not so marked. be loaded beyond certified pres sure. Boilers to be Inspector may questions of persons on board any Steamer. Information to be given to Inspectors. 21. Any Inspector may at all times, when inspecting, visitask pertinent ing or examining the hull or the boiler and machinery of any steamboat, ask of any or all of the owners, officers or engineers of such vessel, or other person on board thereof and in charge, or appearing to be in charge of the same or of the boiler or machinery thereof, such pertinent questions concerning the same, or concerning any accident that may have happened thereto, as he may think fit; and every such person shall fully and truly answer every such question so put to him respectively, to the best of his knowledge and ability: And every person refusing to answer, or falsely answering any such question, or preventing any such inspection or obstructing any Inspector in the same, shall, by so acting, incur a penalty of ten pounds. Penalty for refusal to answer, &c. of expense. Inspectors to 22. Any Inspector shall be carried free of expense on every be carried free Vessel which he shall desire to inspect while under-way, and during such period as may be necessary for such inspection and for his return to the Port at which he may have embarked on such Vessel for such purpose, or for his disembarkation at any Port at which such Vessel touches on her voyage. Owner, &., 23. The Master or Owner of every Steamboat, or of the to report cer- person in charge thereof, shall, within forty-eight hours after the occurrence occurrence of any event whereby the same, or the boiler, or tain matters machinery thereof, or any part of the same is in any material affecting safety degree injured, strained or weakened, report such occurrence to Inspectors. to one of the said Inspectors; and in case of omission to give Penalty for such notice, the Owner of the Vessel shall forfeit to Her Ma- default. jesty fifty pounds for every day during which such omission continues. Precautions against Explosion, &c. in the boiler to be open to 21. In a conspicuous and easily accessible place in every A steam-guage Steamboat, there shall be a steam-guage properly constructed shewing the and open to the view of all passengers and others on board such true pressure vessel, and shewing at all times the true pressure of the steam in the boiler thereof; And whenever such steamboat shall be Passengers. stopped for any purpose, the master or person in charge of such Pressure to be steamboat shall open the safety valve, so as to keep the steam reduced when in the said boiler down to ten pounds below the pressure Boat stops. limited by the Inspector's certificate in high pressure engines, and five pounds below the pressure limited as aforesaid in low pressure engines, under the penalty of fifty pounds for every contravention of this provision; And if any master or engineer Penalty for of any steamboat at any time allows the pressure of steam to contravention which the boiler of such steamboat is subjected, to exceed that or for exceedlimited as aforesaid, or alters or conceals or otherwise deals ding the liwith the said steam guage, so as to prevent the real pressure of steam from being seen and ascertained by any passenger, he shall thereby incur a like penalty of fifty pounds for every such offence. censed pres sure. 25. The steam-guage required by this Act to be open to the Steam-guage view of all passengers and others on board any steamboat, shall to be approved be put in such places and positions, and be of such construction, by Inspector. as the Inspector inspecting, visiting or examining such steamboat, shall from time to time direct. 26. Each boiler of every steam vessel shall be provided with water guages. a suitable water guage, capable of showing the water level within each boiler at all times;-And all steam vessels navigating Blow off valves in brackish or salt water, shall be provided with surface blow in salt water. off valves such as are commonly used on board seagoing steamers. 27. Every Inspector, when inspecting, visiting or examining Safety valves the boiler and machinery of any steamboat, shall satisfy him- to be examined by Inself that the safety-valves attached thereto are of suitable dimen- spector. sions, sufficient in number, well managed and in good working order, and only loaded so as to open at or below the certified working pressure; and he may, if he thinks proper, order and He may order cause one of such safety-valves, of sufficient dimensions to one to be discharge all the steam the boiler can generate, and of such construction as he shall approve, to be locked up and taken wholly under lock. |