ANNUAL REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF THE BUREAU OF COAST BUREAU OF COAST GUARD AND TRANSPORTATION, The SECRETARY OF COMMERCE AND POLICE, Manila, P. I. SIR: I have the honor to forward the following report for the bureau of coast guard and transportation for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1903: At the beginning of the year the bureau consisted of three divisions, namely, division of light-house construction, division of light-house maintenance, and division of construction, maintenance, and operation of vessels. The chief of the bureau was also captain of the port of Manila. The harbor master, inspector of hulls, and inspector of boilers were under the captain of the port. On February 28, 1903, the position of captain of the port was abolished, and the harbor master, inspector of hulls, and inspector of boilers were transferred to the custom-house. At the beginning of the year the personnel consisted of: A. Marix, commander, U. S. Navy, chief of bureau; Henry Jervey, captain of Engineer Corps, U. S. Army, superintendent of division of light-house construction; J. M. Helm, lieutenant-commander, U. S. Navy, superintendent of division of light-house maintenance; J. C. Fremont, lieutenant-commander, U. S. Navy, superintendent of division of construction, maintenance, and operation of vessels; 1 clerk, class 5; 1 clerk, class 6; 3 clerks, class 8; 2 clerks, class 9; 2 clerks, class A; 1 clerk, class F; 1 employee, at $180 per annum; 5 employees, at $150 per annum; 1 storekeeper, class A; 1 assistant storekeeper, class F. On April 1, 1903, Mr. D. D. Wilson was appointed inspector of machinery. On May 1, 1903, two clerks, classes 8 and 9, respectively, were added by executive order. On October 22, 1902, Lieut. Commander J. C. Fremont was succeeded by Lieut. A. L. Key, U. S. Navy. On December 1, 1902, Lieut. A. L. Key was detached by order of the Navy Department and he was succeeded on February 22, 1903, by Mr. William Howe as superintendent of the division of vessels. On March 1, 1903, Commander A. Marix was detached by order of the Navy Department and was succeeded by the present incumbent. On March 10, 1903, Mr. Alexander Franklyn was appointed superintendent of the division of light-house maintenance. OFFICE BUILDING. The bureau occupies the whole of the building formerly known as the "capitania del puerto.' ENGINEER ISLAND. By Act No. 788 of the Philippine Commission, dated June 30, 1903, Engineer Island, at the mouth of the Pasig River, was assigned to the bureau of coast guard and transportation and an expenditure of $140,000 was authorized for the purpose of building a marine railway and the purchase of tools for a machine shop thereon. The act also reserved what is known as the inner basin for the anchorage of coast guard vessels. It is intended to build warehouses for the division of vessels and the light-house establishment on this island and make it headquarters for the coast guard fleet. COALING STATIONS. Coaling stations for the coast guard as well as other Philippine Island government vessels have been established by the insular purchasing agent at San Fernando, Manila, Lucena, Puerto Galera, Masbate, Romblom, Tacloban, Surigao, Cebu, Dumaguete, Iloilo, Jolo, and Puerto Princesa. POSTAL CLERKS. Experience has proven that there is sufficient work connected with mails and freight to warrant placing on board each of the cutters engaged in general service a special man who is to combine the duties of postal and freight clerk. These men are to be bonded and thus facilitate the transportation of public funds. CAPTAINS COMMISSIONED TO ACT AS CUSTOMS OFFICERS. The captains of all cutters and sea-going launches have been commissioned by the collector of customs for the Philippine Islands to act as customs officers in cases of search, seizure, etc. LAUNCHES TRANSFERRED FROM THE QUARTERMASTER'S DEPARTMENT OF UNITED STATES ARMY TO THE CIVIL GOVERNMENT. The following launches were received from the Quartermaster's Department of the United States Army after March 1, 1903, repaired, cared for, and transferred to other branches of the government, as directed by the civil governor: VESSEL REPAIRS AT CAVITE NAVY-YARD, ETC. By request of the secretary of commerce and police, the commandant of the United States navy-yard at Cavite has very kindly consented to allow our boats to go to that yard and be repaired at cost price, when it will not interfere with the work of the Navy. The Masbate was hauled out on their ways and repairs made at a very moderate cost, and the Basilan, Corregidor, Busuanga, Polillo, and Luzon have had their bottoms examined and a few sheets of copper replaced by the navy-yard divers. It was discovered that for some reason the copper had come off the sternpost and rudder to a considerable extent on all vessels. In this connection the Tablas has been examined by divers on her station at Jolo and some copper sheets replaced there. It is intended to send the remainder of the ten Shanghai cutters to the navy-yard for the aforementioned purpose, one at a time, as rapidly as practicable. DIVISION OF VESSELS. SEAGOING, BAY, AND RIVER LAUNCHES. At the beginning of the fiscal year there were under control of the bureau the seagoing launches Ranger, Rover, and Scout, all maintained for the use of the constabulary, the harbor launch George Tilly, and the small river launches Pepe and Tender. They are still in the service, with the addition of the launches Suerte and Julia, which are held on memorandum receipts from the Quartermaster's Department. The Ranger was originally known as the Lung Kiang. She was bought from the firm of Castle Bros., Wolf & Son for $40,000 Mexican. This vessel is the largest of the seagoing 1 unches and measures, over all, 110 feet, is 23 feet wide, and 10 feet deep. The Rover was originally known as the Chit Kong. She was bought from Leung Mok Son for $27,000 Mexican. She was built at Hongkong in 1900 and is 99 feet long, 17 feet wide, and 9 feet deep. The Scout was originally the Ching Poo. She was bought from S. W. Moore for $31,500 Mexican. Her dimensions are about the same as those of the Rover. Each of these launches has a complement of 19 men, with a yearly salary as follows: Master, $1,200; mate, $600; chief engineer, $720; first assistant engineer, $360; second assistant engineer, $210; 3 firemen (each), $132; 3 quartermasters (each), $150; 6 sailors (each), $120; cook, $180; boy, $96. There is also a subsistence allowance of 30 cents per day each for officers and 10 cents per day each for petty officers and crew. This is to be increased, commencing July 1, 1903. STERN-WHEEL RIVER BOAT SENTINEL. The Sentinel is a stern-wheel river boat, flat-bottomed, bought from Farnham, Boyd & Co., Shanghai, China, and sent down in pieces and set up at Aparri. She has been used on the Cagayan River. On March 17 last she was invoiced by this bureau to the constabulary department. CUTTERS BUILT AT SHANGHAI, CHINA. At the beginning of the year there were being built by the firm of Farnham, Boyd & Co., Shanghai, China, for the coast guard bureau, 10 cutters, about 148 feet over all, 25 feet wide, 11 feet deep, composite hull, single screw, compound engines, 1 boiler, maximum draft 9 feet, coal capacity 75 tons, speed 10 knots. They were received at Manila on the following dates: Negros, September 13, 1902; Luzon, September 20, 1902; Polillo, November 4, 1902; Masbate, November 5, 1902; Corregidor," November 12, 1902; Busuanga, December 4, 1902; Balabac, December 11, 1902; Palawan, December 22, 1902; Basilan, January 19, 1903; Tablas, January 28, 1903. Each of these 9 cutters remaining with the division of vessels carries a crew of 36 men, with a yearly salary as follows: Captain, $1,800; first officer, $900; second officer, $720; chief engineer, $1,600; first assistant engineer, $900; 2 machinists (each), $420; 3 oilers (each), $240; 3 firemen (each), $180; 3 coal passers (each), $132; boatswain, $240; 3 quartermasters (each), $150; 2 coxswains (each), $132; 8 sailors (each), $120; steward, $240; first cook, $240; second cook, $150; 2 mess boys (each), $96; carpenter, $240. Officers receive 30 cents per day allowance for subsistence and petty officers and men 10 cents per day each. This is to be increased. These 10 vessels cost $58,890 each, delivered in Manila Bay. This includes contract price and delivery charge, $3,000. There are being built for the bureau at Shanghai 5 more cutters similar to those already received. The contract calls for their completion by October 11, 1903. The latest information indicates that the first of them will leave Shanghai August 15. They have been named the Mindanao, Mindoro, Panay, Leyte, and Samar. The contract price at Shanghai for each is $55,600, to be paid in five equal installments. On two of the boats $33,360 each has already been paid and on the remainder $22,240 each. The cutters received from Shanghai, generally speaking, have proven satisfactory, but they were sheathed with very thin copper, which will have to be entirely renewed within a comparatively short time. The windlasses of the first five boats were very poor. They had no friction brakes. The electric wiring on all of these boats is bad. The present chief of bureau has called the attention of the inspector at Shanghai to these defects with the hope that improvement will be made on the boats building. CUTTERS BUILT AT URAGA. At the beginning of the year there were being built for the bureau by the Uraga Dock Company, of Japan, five twin-screw cutters. Of these the Romblon arrived at Manila January 19, 1903, and the Marinduque April 18, 1903. The specifications called for the following dimensions: Length over all, 140 feet; breadth, 23 feet; maximum draft, 8 feet; coal capacity, 75 tons, and speed, 10 knots. As the Romblon had been accepted by the bureau's agent at Uraga, full payment of 135,347.29 yen was made for her as per agreement. This includes contract price, delivery charge, spare gear, stores brought from Shanghai, etc. The Romblon was found to have an excessive draft over what was required by the specifications by from a foot to a foot and a half, and a The Corregidor was fitted up as a light-house tender and given over to the division of light-house maintenance immediately after arrival in Manila. when ready for sea, with coal and water on board, she was excessively down by the head. In addition it was soon found that the material and workmanship on hull, boilers, and engine were very poor and the ship lacking in speed and sea qualities. After considerable correspondence the civil governor directed that the Marinduque be allowed to come to Manila, but subject to a reduction in price for failure to agree with the specifications. It was found that as far as the draft and speed were concerned the Marinduque was practically the same as the Romblon. Minor details, such as could be remedied in a short time after attention had been called to the Romblon, were improved somewhat in the Marinduque, but the workmanship and material in this boat also were very poor. Payments aggregating 74,378.36 yen have been made on the Marinduque. The Bohol, Cebu, and Jolo still remain at Uraga, Japan, in statu quo and probably will not be accepted by the Philippine government. Upon the Bohol and Cebu 74,357.52 yen each has been paid, and on the Jolo 49,493.60 yen. As a guarantee fund the Uraga Dock Company placed in the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank, Manila, a certified check for 62,000 yen, which is subject to the demand of the Philippine government. Mr. A. G. Rose, inspector at Uraga, was discharged for neglect of duty March 4, 1903. Since the arrival of the Marinduque the negotiations for the acceptance of the Japanese boats have been carried on between Mr. S. Sakurai, constructor and director of the Uraga Dock Company, and Gen. Luke E. Wright, secretary of commerce and police. The Romblon and Marinduque carry the same complement as the Shanghai cutters, with one machinist additional to each boat. ARMAMENT OF VESSELS. Rapid-fire guns have been ordered from the United States for all the cutters and are expected within a short time. COMPOSITION OF VESSEL CREWS. Captains, first and second officers, chief engineers and first assistant engineers of cutters, and masters, mates, and chief engineers of seagoing launches are Americans, or Europeans who have taken the oath of allegiance. All petty officers and men forming crews are Filipinos. On the small launches used for harbor work all employees are Filipinos. VESSEL ROUTES. Since the arrival of cutters they have all been regularly employed carrying Philippine Island officials, mail, freight, constabulary, and sometimes soldiers of the Regular Army when acting with the civil government. Prior to June 30, 1903, routes had been decided upon about as shown in attached schedule, and to most of them a boat had been assigned at that time. To the remainder boats will be assigned at an early date. Since March, 1903, the Tablas has been kept steadily on route No. 8, the Balabac on No. 3, and the Negros or some other cutter on No. 2 most of the time, but up to June 30 it was impossible to keep vessels |