18 SAFETY OF LIFE AT SEA. APPLICATION OF SUBDIVISION 



and that such deck forms a watertight flat from the afterpeak bulkhead to the 

 stern, and also provided that the degree of safety of the vessel as regards subdivi- 

 sion is not thereby diminished. 



Article XXI. — Double Bottoms. 



1. In vessels 200 feet and under 249 feet in length, a double bottom shall be 

 fitted at least from the machinery space to the forepeak bulkhead, or as near 

 thereto as practicable. 



2. In vessels 249 feet and under 300 feet in length, a double bottom shall be 

 fitted at least outside of the machinery space and shall extend to the fore and after- 

 peak bulkheads respectively, or as near thereto as practicable. 



3. In vessels 300 feet and over in length, a double bottom shall be fitted amid- 

 ships and shall extend to the fore and afterpeak bulkheads respectively, or as near 

 thereto as practicable. 



4. In vessels over 300 feet in length, the inner bottom shall be continued out 

 to the vessel's side in such manner as to protect the bilges. 



5. In vessels over 699 feet in length, the double bottom, for at least half the 

 vessel's length amidships and forward to the forepeak bulkhead, shall extend up 

 the vessel's sides to a height above the top of the keel not less than 10 per cent of 

 the vessel's molded breadth. 



6. Wells constructed in the double bottom in connection with the drainage 

 arrangements shall not extend downwards from the inner bottom more than half 

 the depth of the double bottom at that point. A well extending to the outer skin 

 is, however, permitted at the after end of the shaft tunnels of screw vessels. 



REMARKS ON CONSTRUCTION. 



Referring to the above Convention Rules it may be interesting to know how they 

 would affect coastwise vessels if these rules were applied to such vessels. Your 

 attention is therefore called to the rules mentioned herewith and to the remarks 

 appended thereto. 



Load Line. — Referring to Regulation V, Paragraph i : — 



"The load waterline is the waterline used in determining the subdivision of 

 the vessel." 



As there is no statutory load line or freeboard in the Navigation Laws of the 

 United States and as there is no reference in Senate Document No. 463, in the 

 Convention Articles, the Regulation Articles, nor in the Report of the Commis- 

 sioners of the United States of America to the President of the United States as 

 regards any statutory load line or freeboard it seems absolutely necessary that the 

 United States should adopt some load line regulation before enforcing the new sub- 

 division of vessels. 



