Description of Francis' Patent Metallic Life Car Boats, Fig. 1, is a side elevation. Fig. 2, a vertical longitudinal section. Fig. 3, a plan, and Fig. 4, a cross section of this improved life boat, which may be about ten feet long, four feet wide, and one foot three inches deep in midships, the floor or bottom flat to give stability in the water and set upright on the beach; the ends sharp but buoyant and formed to move either end foremast, so as to form a car or vessel shaped like a boat. A, is the keel. B, the sides, air tight bulkheads; 11, are placed across about two feet from each end, so as to leave about six feet of space between them, these may be termed "reserve chambers." The collective quantity of water they displace, being more in weight than the weight of the car boat, she cannot sink even when filled by accident with water. Over this an arched deck, C, is placed rising from the gunwale towards the centre, both lengthwise and across. E, is a hatchway and hatch, made narrower at one end than the other, expressly that the hatch may not be put on wrong end first. 22, are two bow handles to move the hatch, and on each end is a hasp 3 taking the staples 4, in the deck, with pins that are secured to the hatch by a small chain. Beneath the hatch is a handle, 5; and on the opposite side of the hatchway, at 6, are air holes, for ventilating the boat when in use. F, is a chain, with a large ring to slide on the hawser G. h, is a ring to take a rope to a stranded vessel; and on the other end a rope to the shore. These car boats are to be used as follows: a hawser thrown by any competent means to reach from a stranded vessel to the shore, is to have the shore end attached by some secure means, after it is put through the larger rings on the car boat, and ropes from the shore to the vessel are to be attached to the smaller rings: one or two men now get into the car boat, the hatch e is put over them and they hold it down by the handle 5, the car boat is launched, the people on the stranded ship, hauling her to them. On coming alongside the wreck, the hawser raises the car to near the vessel's gunwale, the men inside move up the hatch and put the passengers and crew of the stranded vessels into the car boat, say four adults, or two or three adults with children. The hatch is then put on and pinned down, and the car boat hauled to and up on the shore, on the hawser by the small ropes; the inside freight permitted to quit by removing the hatch. This is then replaced and the operation repeated until all the human beings are saved, after which she can be used to land any portion of the cargo, that can be got at, and that she can contain. In any case the last person who quits a wreck, will place the hatch e over the hatchway and hold it over himself by the handle 5. Galvanized iron is preferred for the material to build these life cars as being lightest in proportion to strength, elastic and durable; copper or yellow metal can also be used. Fenders of cork or other light elastic material are used on the gunwale, and the size of the boat may be varied, though ten feet long is considered to combine portability, lightness, strength, and efficiency in an eminent degree. Boats of this description for landing cargo, dry and safely through surfs, can of course be built of much larger dimensions to suit particular trades. National Hotel, Washington, Dec. 14th, 1850. SIR. In answer to your inquiries as to my observations on the character and performances of your Metallic Boats on the coasts of California and Oregon, and of their general value as compared with wooden boats of like capacity, &c, &c., I have to state that, There is a very large number of your boats in use in California and Oregon, in every possible variety of employment to which a boat can be put, from the largest to the very smallest; and of their ability to endure hard service beyond that of a common boat, no one could doubt, after seeing the rough handling they get there. In no instance have 1 seen one out of repair. The two that I purchased of you have done all they were expected to perform, and both were so much in favor with others, that they were often stolen from their moorings, and for this reason they were sold to avoid the annoyance of seeking for them; they are still in use in the Bay of San Francisco. At the mouth of the Columbia the Pilots have one of your small size, which they keep as a safety boat-and in one of the same size, Major Hathaway, U.S.A., with a party of seven persons, crossed the North Breakers of the Columbia River Bar-accidentally going to sea in a dark night, and recrossed the Breakers the next day, without shipping water. This was a feat for a landsman to perform, of no ordinary character!!! The large boat which you furnished to my friends who went round the Cape, left the ship with a party of nine persons, when seventy miles distant from the Island of Juan Fernandez, and in a gale which, the same night, reduced the canvass of the ship to a close reefed top-sail, causing those on board the ship to despair of ever seeing them again, the little Metalic Boat rode it out in safety, and the whole party safely landed the next morning, while it blowed so hard the ship could not approach the shore. I have used your boats with great satisfaction. I know that in the Tropics, where there is a great shrinkage, and where boats of wood so soon become "nail sick," and where the worm is so des. tructive to wood, your boats are always ready for service, without the necessity of repair, while they will endure without injury an amount of thumping on rocks and beaches which will destroy an ordinary boat. The boat you supplied to the U.S. ship Vincennes, Capt. Hudson, was in daily use, and, for lightness, speed and safety, the favorite boat of the ship. The first Lieutenant stated to me that her performance was admirable-that she did all the work of the ship. Such a boat, where an economy of men is desirable, is of the first importance in the equipment of a ship. Having some years since seen your first essay in the construction of the Metallic Boat, both for ordinary use, and for Life Boats, I have, with no little interest, watched the progress you have made in overcoming prejudice and opposition, and consequently, wherever I have been, when meeting with "Francis' Metallic Boats," I have been particular to inquire into their performance, more especially among seamen; and I have found in the last two years, whether from actual trial, or the widely disseminated testimony of intelligent seamen, who have fully proved their merits, that there is now little opposition to them, in any quarter, their superiority for durability and safety being generally admitted. For my own part, in fitting out a vessel for any service, I would not fail to supply her with your Metallic Fire Proof Boats, both for safety and economy. (Signed) Yours, very truly, WASHINGTON A. Bartlett, Lieut. U.S. Navy, Ass't Coast Survey. To Joseph Francis, Esq., Washington. Extract from the Annual Report of the Secretary of the Treasury to Congress, 1850. "Measures have been taken promptly to execute the design of Congress in providing for the security of life and property on the sea coast. Metallic Life Boats with the usual fixtures, designed for five points on the coast of Florida, and three for the coast of Texas, have been contracted for. Like facilities, with the addition of mortars, shot rockets, and station houses, have been anthorised along the shores of Long Island, including a station at Watch Hill, in Rhode Island." The Metallic Boats referred to are to be similar to those now on the coast of New Jersey and Long Island, provided for by Congress under an appropriation in 1848. THE JUDGMENTS OF THE SEA, AND THE ISLE OF OLERON.-For the Regulation and Government of Merchants, Owners of Ships, Part-Owners, Masters of Ships, and common Mariners in all Maritime affairs. How sick Mariners are to be provided for. (Continued from page 48.) 7. If it so happens that sickness doth seize on any of the mariners of the ship, while he is in the service of the said ship, the master ought to set him on shore, and to let him have candle-light, and to provide him a lodging, as also to spare him one of the shipboyes to look to him; or hire a woman to attend him; likewise to afford him such diet as is usual in the ship, that is to say, so much as he had a ship board in his health and nothing more, unless it please the master to allow him more; and if he will have better diet, the master is not bound to provide it for him, unless it be at his own costs and charges. And if the vessel be ready for her departure, she ought not to stay for the said sick party; if he recover, he ought to have his full wages or competent hire, rebating or deducting only such have their full charges as the master hath been at for him; and if he dyes, his wife or next of kin ought to have it. The Ship not to stay for a sick mariner. Sick Mari ners ought to wages, deduct ing the charge of his sickness. In case of storm Skipper to use his discretion in cast ing goods over board to light en the vessel, and to preserve the same. 8. A vessel is laden to sail for Rouen, or some other place; it happens that a storm overtakes her at sea, and so violent that she cannot escape without casting some of her lading and the merchandize over board, for lightning the said vessel, and preserving the rest of the lading, as also of the vessel itself; in this case the master ought to say, Sirs, it is fit and expedient to cast over board some part of the lading to save the vessel; and if there be no merchant that answers his pleasure herein, or accords and approves thereof by his silence, then the master ought to use his discretion, and to do what in him lyes, and to cast part of the lading over board; and if this please not the merchants, but that they gainsay or contradict it, yet the master, notwithstanding this, ought not to forbear casting out so much goods as he shall see may be for the common good and safety; he and the third part of his mariners making oath on the Holy Evangelists, when they arrive at their right port of discharge, that he did it only for the preservation of the vessel, and the rest of the lading that remains yet in her. And the wines (or other goods) that were cast over board, ought to be valued and prized according to the just value of the other goods that arrive in safety. And when these shall be sold, the price or value thereof ought to be divided liver by liver among the merchants; and the master ought to make the division, and to compute the damage of the vessel, or the fraight at his own choice for the recovery thereof, and the mariners also ought to have one tun free, and another divided by cast of the dice according as it shall happen, if he make it appear he did the What the Law is in the case of Ave ridge. * Executors of a deceased mariner ought to receive the wages due to him. part of an able seaman. But if he make not this to appear, then he shall have nothing freely; and the merchants in this case may lawfully put the master to his oath. What the Law is in case of cutting Masts or Cables in a storm. 9. If it happen that by reason of much foul weather the master is like to be constrain'd to cut his masts, he ought first to call the merchants, if there be any aboard the ship, and such as have goods and merchandize in the vessel; and to say unto them, Sirs, It is requisite to cut down the masts, to save the ship and lading, it being in this case no more than becomes my duty; and oft-times it comes to pass that they also cut their moaring cables, leaving them their cables and anchors to save the ship and her lading. All these things are reckoned and computed liver by liver, as goods are, that were cast over-board; and when the vessel arrives in safety at her right port of discharge, the merchants ought to pay their shares or proportions without delay, or sell the goods and pledge the money thereof proceeding to satisfie the same before such time as the said goods may be unladen out of the said ship. And if the vessel be such as usually is let out for hire upon fraight, and there happen controversies and debates touching the premises, if the master observes collusion therein, he ought not to depart, but is to have his compleat fraight as if his tunnage were full. The ship-rope or slings to hoyout goods se 10. When a master arrives in safety at the right port of his discharge with his vessel, he ought to show his merchants the cordage, ropes, or slings, wherewith he intends to hoyse the goods over-board; and if they find that they need mending, he ought to mend the same: for if a pipe, hogshead, or other vessel, should happen by default of such cordage, or slings, to be spoyled or lost, the master and mariners ought to make satisfaction for the same to the merchants, so also if the ropes, or slings break, the master not foreshewing them to the merchants, he is obliged to make good the damage. But if the merchants say the cordage, ropes, or slings, are good and sufficient, and it notwithstanding happen that they break, in that case each of them ought to divide the damage, that is to say, the merchants to whom such goods belong, and the said master with his mariners. withal, to be viewed before used. 11. A vessel being laden with wines, or other goods, hoyses sail to transport the same to Brest, or some other place, but the masters and mariners turn not their sails so as they might or ought to have done, and it happens that ill weather overtakes them at sea, and so as that the main-yard shakes or strikes out the head of one of the pipes, or hogsheads of wine; this vessel being in safety arrived at her port of discharge, the merchant says to the Goods dam- master, that by reason of his main-yard his wine was lost; the master replying, says, it was not so. In this case if the master and his mariners will make oath (be it four or six, and such of them as the merchant hath no exception against) that the wine perished not by the main-yard, nor by them, or through their default, as the merchant charges them, they ought then to be acquitted thereof; but if they refuse to make oath the effect aforesaid, they are then obliged to make satisfaction for the same, for that they ought to have ordered their sails aright before they departed from the port, where they took in their lading. nified at sea whether by the ships tackle or not, to be purged and cleared by the Oath of the Skipper, & part of his company. case of the lye, 12. A master having hired his mariners, he ought to keep the peace betwixt them, and to be as their judge at sea; so that if there be any of them The law in that gives another the lye, whilst they have wine and bread on the table, he ought to pay four denieres; and if the master himself give any the lye, he ought to pay eight denieres; and if any of the mariners give the master the lye, he also ought to pay eight denieres, and if the master strike any of his mariNO. 2.-VOL. XX. or stroak given by or to the Skipper or his Mariners. The laws in case of difference between the Skipper & any of his Mariners. ners, he ought to bear with the first stroak, be it with the fist or open hand; but if the master doth fiercely assault him with more stroaks, the said mariner may defend himself; but, and if the said common mariner doth first assault the master, he ought to pay five solz, or lose his hand. 13. If a difference happen between the master of a ship, and any one of his mariners, the master ought three times to take away from him, or lift up before the said mariner the tawel, ere he turn him out of the ship, or discharge him thereof; but if the said mariner offer in the presence of the rest of the mariners to make the master satisfaction, and the master be so resolved that he will accept of no satisfaction from him, but notwithstanding such offer of satisfaction will put him out of the ship, in such case the said mariner may betake himself to follow the said vessel to her port of discharge, and ought to have as good hire or wages as if he had come in the ship, or as if he had made satisfaction for his fault in the sight and presence of the ship's company, and if the master take not another mariner into the ship in his stead as able as the other, and the ship or lading happen thereby to be through any misfortune damnified, the master is obliged to make good the same, if he hath wherewithal. Skipper to take an able mariner in the absence of another or to make good the damage if any there by. In case of collision, one ship against another, the damage to be in common, & equally divided 14. If a vessel lying at anchor be struck or grapled with by another vessel under sail, that is not very well steered, where by the vessel at anchor is prejudiced, as also wines, or other merchandize; in each of the said ships damnified; in this case the whole damage is to be in common, and to be equally divided, and apraized half by half; and the master and mariners of the vessel that struck or grapled with the other, are bound to swear on the Holy Evangelists that they did it not wittingly or wilfully. And the reason why this judgement was first given, was, that an old decayed vessel might not purposely be put in the way of a better, which will the rather be prevented when they know that the damage must be divided. yet so as they both (if used be) purge them selves of all wilfulness by oath. What the law is in placing of anchors in har bours specially 15. Suppose two or more vessels in a harbour, where there is but little water, so as that the anchor of one of the vessels lyes dry; the master of the other vessel ought in that case to say unto him whose anchor lyes dry, master, take up your anchor, for it is too nigh us, and may do us a prejudice; if neither the said master nor his mariners will take up the said anchor accordingly then may that other master and his mariners (who might be otherwise thereby damnified) take up the said anchor, and let it down again at a farther distance from them; and if the others oppose or withstand the taking up of their anchor, and there afterwards happen damage thereby, they are bound to give full satisfaction for the same, in like manner it is, if they neglect the placing of a boy to the anchor, and damage happen thereby, they are obliged to repair the same; and so also it is in case damage so happen in a haven at low water, for they ought to fasten such buoys or anchor marks, and such cables to their anchors, as may plainly appear and be seen at full sea. where there is but little water as also of boys to the said anchors. What the mariners immu 16. A vessel going to seek a fraight, arrives at her place of lading in England, or elsewhere; the master ought then to say to his company, sirs, will you fraight by yourselves, or be allowed at the fraight of the ship? They are to answer which of the two they intend, if they take as the fraight of the ship shall happen, they shall have proportionably as the ship hath, and if they will fraight by themselves, they ought to fraight so as that the ship be not impeded or hindred thereby, and if it so happen, that fraight may not be had, the master is blameless, and he ought to shew nity or priviledge anciently was in freight, which is now grown obsolete |