ページの画像
PDF
ePub

tonnage dues or wharfage and dock rates. Some permissive powers enabling dock authorities to do this, might perhaps be introduced into the new bill with advantage. The Act of 1863 contained a clause to the effect that "any body corporate or persons having power to levy tonnage rates on ships, may, with the consent of the Board of Trade, levy such tonnage rates upon the registered tonnage of the ships as determined by the rules for the measurement of tonnage for the time being in force under the principal Act, notwithstanding that the local Act or Acts under which such rates are levied provides for levying the same upon some different system of tonnage measurement."

It is possible that if the new bill were to contain a permissive clause applicable to gross tonnage somewhat similar, something might be eventually effected. But the whole question is beset with difficulties and with points that cannot as yet be specifically dealt with by Parliament. The writer of these remarks merely throws out the above hint for consideration, in hopes that it may lead to some suggestion of value.

There is, perhaps, another way of settling the difficulty. If the steam shipping interest will not now give up the deduction allowed for engine-room space, but should again succeed in obtaining legislative authority for its continuance, then the sailing ship interest will probably, on what they believe to be equitable grounds, also claim further exemptions. Seeing that it will, in such a state of things, be impossible to return to the true tonnage-viz., the gross register tonnage of steam ships as the tonnage for taxation, the question then is, might not the true tonnage both for sailing and steam ships be reduced alike. What is really wanted to bring about an equitable arrangement, is to bring the tonnage of all ships back from the net to the whole true tonnage, so that the whole tonnage of each ship shall afford a safe figure for taxation; but if it be impossible to revert to the whole true tonnage in the case of steam ships, why should not the desired result be attained by a reduction in the true tonnage of sailing ships equal in amount to the reduction from the true tonnage of steam ships. The tonnage of all ships would then be alike; but instead of all being alike as regards gross register or true tonnage, they would all be alike as regards another tonnage, viz., the net register tonnage, which would be half the true tonnage in all cases.

Suppose, for example, that if every steam ship be hereafter allowed fifty per cent. as a deduction from her tonnage, then let every sailing ship have a deduction of a like amount. Dock owners would alter their rates quickly, and would probably find an equit

able method for alteration. As regards returns of trade and navigation, seeing that the two tonnages of a ship and all the deductions are recorded in the official registers, the tonnage returns and other statistics could be so arranged, whenever necessary, that they could continue to give information on the present basis, and without making any violent change, and without shewing any decrease in the actual tonnage of the Empire. In making any change all interests would have to be considered, so that the holders of shares in the docks, the owners of steam ships, and the owners of sailing ships may participate equitably.

International Tonnage.-Most maritime countries and states have adopted the principles of the British system of measurements for gross tonnage, but they hesitate to adopt a system of net register tonnage open to such inconsistencies and capable of inflicting such injustice as the British system. In settling the future system of British net register tonnage, the question must be treated on broad and intelligible grounds, in the hope that a system may be devised that can and will be adopted by the whole world.

Administration of Tonnage Laws.-This paper would scarcely be complete, without some reference to existing arrangements for the survey of ships for tonnage and other purposes. At the present moment, no less than three departments have a staff of surveyors of ships. The Emigration Board for Passenger Ships; The Board of Trade for Passenger Steam ships, and for the crew spaces, and lights, and fog-signals of all ships; and the Board of Customs for the measurement previous to registry of all ships. The shipowner reasonably complains of this state of things, for it sometimes happens that the action of the Board of Trade and Board of Customs, as regards tonnage, unexpectedly brings the ship into a different class as regards the Emigration Board, and requires the engagement of extra hands for whom, the shipowner says, he can find no employment. The nomenclature of decks should also be re-settled. All sorts of new names have come into existence, such as awning decks, weather decks, promenade decks, hurricane decks, covering decks, etc., often used without distinction for the same thing. There are also the main deck, the spar deck, the tonnage deck, and the upper and lower passenger decks, and sometimes the orlop deck. The present tonnage law only calls two decks by name, viz., the tonnage deck, and the spar deck. And as under the tonnage law the spar deck is always the third deck from below, it some

times has a deck and deck-houses above it. It is not always as is supposed, the uppermost deck. Perhaps the best way would be to number all decks from below upwards, as in the present tonnage

law, and to call them the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth decks, as the case may be. These are easy matters, and will no doubt be satisfactorily settled when the New Bill is under discussion in Parliament. We now dismiss the subject of tonnage admeasurement, in the hope that what we have written may be of some use at the present moment. In our next number we propose to consider the question of manning. In doing so we propose to touch on the compulsory apprenticeship system, the register ticket, foreign seamen in British ships, and the training of boys before entry into the merchant service.

THE ELECTRIC LIGHT AT SOUTER POINT.

WE are glad to welcome the appearance of another brilliant luminary on our seaboard. Souter Point, on the coast of Durham, between the entrances of the rivers Wear and Tyne, has recently had a bright star bound on its brow. It will be remembered by many of our readers that a few years back considerable agitation was caused by vague reports of misleading lights at Whitburn, and numerous wrecks in the immediate neighbourhood of Souter Point. A strict investigation, however, dispelled the misleading lights theory, corroborated the reports as to the numerous wrecks, and brought to public notice sundry lurking dangers, which threatened mariners on that particular part of the coast, and which were, no doubt, the real causes of the many disasters which had occurred.

The Trinity House, therefore, after much consideration as to the best mode of indicating these dangers to navigators, determined to place a lighthouse on Souter Point, and to discontinue that at Tynemouth Castle. But we understand that some of our north country friends were not altogether favourable to the disestablishment of their old friend the Castle Yard Light, which had done good service for more than 240 years, and that, in deference to this feeling, the original intention of the Trinity House has not been carried out, the Tynemouth light being merely altered from a white revolving to a red revolving light.

And we must confess our satisfaction at this arrangement, not only for the sake of "Auld Lang Syne," but because navigation is so much benefited by it. While the old light is kept up to guide

vessels into the Tyne, and so continues to be very useful as a local light, the new light at Souter stands out as a bold coast light, marking with well devised arrangements the dangers of Whitburn Steel, Mill Rock, Hendon Rock, and the White Stones, and stretching its light far out on to the sea hailing the passing ships, and cheering many a seaman's heart with its bright beams.

But after all, it may be said, the establishment of a new lighthouse on the coast is nothing so very wonderful. All lighthouses are very much alike, and probably the same pretty or fine sayings have been said over and over again, as each light was lit up for the first time. Whether this be so or not, we do not care to enquire; certainly, if we took every thing as a matter of course and never gave expression to feelings of admiration and gratitude on occasions when such feelings might be appropriate, it would seem that we were insensible of the many blessings of life, and consequently were hardly worthy of them. But with this question we have no concern just now. We have an unusually good reason for devoting some space to an account of this new light, because it is a remarkable instance of the recent development of what may almost claim a place among the sciences and the ologies,-we allude to lighthouse science, or pharology as it is called.

This new light is a revolving electric white light of great brilliancy -the second, and we hope not the last, electric light which has been shewn permanently from an English lighthouse-; the flashes are of five seconds duration, with dark intervals of twenty-five seconds. There is no waxing and waning as in many revolving lights, simply a wonderfully vivid flash lasting five seconds, and then "pitchy night" follows for twenty-five seconds. The apparatus to produce this effect consists of a portion of a dioptric apparatus of the third order for fixed lights. Around this is rotated an octagonal drum of glass, consisting of panels of eight vertical lenses; by these lenses the divergent and continuous sheet of light from the fixed portion of the apparatus is gathered up so as to form distinct beams, which successively reach the observer as the panels pass in succession before him. It is a remarkable piece of optical skill, requiring the utmost care, both in mathematical calculation and manufacture; the perfection in both are due to the scientific attainments of Mr. James Chance, of Birmingham. The electricity for the production of the spark is generated by one of Professor Holmes' magneto-electric machines, worked by a steam engine of six and a half indicated horse-power. The magneto-electric machine contains fifty-six compound permanent steel magnets, and is driven at a speed of four hundred revolutions per minute. The steam engine,

boiler, and magneto-electric machine are all duplicated in case of accident or want of repair to any part. In thick weather both magneto-electric machines will be worked, thus doubling the power of the current of electricity, and consequently the intensity of light. As a further precaution against accident, an oil lamp is placed in position, and is always in readiness to take the place of the electric light at any moment.

A very remarkable feature is a lower light shewn from the same tower twenty-two feet below the upper light. This light is, in truth, the back or waste light of the electric spark above. The back rays are gathered up and condensed into a small cylindrical beam of great intensity, which by reflection is sent down the centre of the tower twenty-two feet; it is there received on to another reflector composed of reflecting prisms and sent out on to the sea. This is the ingenious plan of Mr. Douglass, the Trinity House Engineer, to whom we are indebted for much of our present information. We understand that this reflected light may be just as easily sent upwards, or indeed in any other direction. Perhaps the time may come when many of our ordinary lights will be just as unsubstantial as this lower light at Souter Point, and though many lights may be visible, yet it will be most difficult to find the real flame or spark.

Tender hearted or nervous housekeepers, we have a small piece of information for you. At this lower window the outside glass can be cleaned in all states of the weather without opening the window or the keeper going outside. It is strange, but nevertheless true. Thinking upon the many men servants and maid servants who daily imperil their precious lives, who run the dreadful risk of impalement on area railings, we earnestly hope this arrangement may soon become generally known and adopted.

Another very noteworthy feature is the fog-horn blown by steam power. It is a monster horn, and is so arranged that in foggy weather its sound may be sent to all parts of the adjacent sea. It is arranged that the number of blasts be two per minute, the duration of each blast being five seconds, with an interval of twenty-five seconds, corresponding with the flashes and intervals of the light. It is rather a joke to think that the light and the horn are to be made to work harmoniously (save the mark!); we are to have "sweetness and light" together-the music of the horn and electric flashes. Joking aside, however, this is really something in the way of introducing distinctive sound signals, which are sadly wanted on our foggy shores.

We think now we have told much that is worth telling about

« 前へ次へ »