The neighborhood is subject to tropical storms. sometimes of great violence, endangering life and property by tempest and inundation. Vessels of large size passing in the Gulf off the locality have sometimes been wrecked on the bar. The place is isolated from other places of any size and communication with the outside world is difficult and slow. The obtaining of assistance, therefore, in case of disaster is a matter involving a loss of time which may prove fatal. On the occasion of the stranding of the steamer Algiers off the bar in January last, with a crew of 20 men, the first news received of her distress from whence adequate assistance could be sent was brought by the first officer of the vessel, who reached the shore in a rowboat and made his way on foot through mud and mire for 25 miles to Harveys Canal, where he obtained a motorboat for New Orleans. An expedition was undertaken from there for the relief of the stranded vessel. The nearest Coast Guard station is at Sabine Pass, Tex., nearly 250 miles to the westward, and I am, therefore, of the opinion that the establishment of a Coast Guard station, as provided for in the bill under notice, is needed in the interest of commerce and humanity. Respectfully, B. R. NEWTON, Acting Secretary. LIFE-SAVING STATIONS ON THE COAST OF GEORGIA. APRIL 14, 1916.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed. Mr. DEWALT, from the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, submitted the following REPORT. [To accompany H. R. 6903.] The Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 6903) providing for the establishment of life-saving stations on Tybee Island, coast of Chatham County; on Warsaw Island, coast of Chatham County; on Ossabaw Island, coast of Bryan County; on St. Catherines Island, coast of Liberty County; on Blackbeard Island and on Sapelo Island, coasts of McIntosh County, Ga., having considered the same, report thereon with amendment, and as so amended recommend that it pass. Amend the bill as follows: Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert in lieu thereof the following: That the Secretary of the Treasury be, and he is hereby, authorized to establish a Coast Guard station on the coast of Georgia in the vicinity of Tybee Island, at such point as the Captain Commandant of the Coast Guard may recommend, and the station shall be manned during the entire year. Amend the title so as to read: A bill to to authorize the establishment of a Coast Guard station in the vicinity of Tybee Island, coast of Georgia. The bill as amended has the approval of the Treasury Department, as will appear by the letter attached and which is made a part of this report. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, The CHAIRMAN COMMITTEE ON INTERSTATE AND FOREIGN COMMERCE, House of Representatives. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 10th instant, transmitting bill H. R. 6903, Sixty-fourth Congress, first session, "Providing for the establishment of life-saving stations on Tybee Island, coast of Chatham County; on Warsaw Island, coast of Chatham County; on Ossabaw Island, coast of Bryan County; on Saint Catherines Island, coast of Liberty County; on Blackbeard Island and on Sapelo Island, coasts of McIntosh County; Georgia," and asking for the views of the department concerning the bill. The matter was referred to the Captain Commandant of the Coast Guard for report, which has been received and is herewith transmitted with my con SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your reference, for report, of the letter of the chairman of the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce of the House of Representatives, transmitting bill H. R. 6903, "Providing for the establishment of life-saving stations on Tybee Island, coast of Chatham County; on Warsaw Island, coast of Chatham County; on Ossabaw Island, coast of Bryan County; on Saint Catherines Island, coast of Liberty County; on Blackbeard Island, and on Sapelo Island, coasts of McIntosh County, Georgia," and asking for the views of the department concerning the bill. In reply I would state that I have caused an examination to be made of the records of marine disasters which have occurred upon the coast of Georgia, and it has been found that that coast has been remarkably free from casualties to shipping, and that the number of casualties in the past has not been such as would appear to justify the cost of establishing and maintaining a Coast Guard station at any of the places specified in the bill, except at Tybee Island, where the number of casualties that have occurred during the last 20 years exceeds those of all the other places combined. In view of this and the fact that Tybee Island lies at the mouth of the Savannah River, by which all vessels enter and leave Savannah, the principal shipping port of the State, it is believed a Coast Guard station should be established in that vicinity. In case the committee concludes to report a bill for that purpose, I would recommend that the following be substituted for the bill under consideration: "A BILL To authorize the establishment of a Coast Guard station in the vicinity of Tybee Island, coast of Georgia. "Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the Treasury be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to establish a Coast Guard station on the coast of Georgia in the vicinity of Tybee Island, at such a point as the Captain Commandant of the Coast Guard may recommend, and that the station shall be manned during the entire year." Respectfully, E. P. BERTHOLF, Captain Commandant. O 64TH CONGRESS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. REPORT 1st Session. No 548. REMOVAL OF SCHOONER LEDGE RANGE FRONT LIGHT, PENNSYLVANIA. APRIL 14, 1916.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed. Mr. COADY, from the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, submitted the following REPORT. [To accompany H. R. 13233.] The Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 13233) authorizing the Secretary of Commerce to exchange lands belonging to the United States at the mouth of Crum River, Pa., for other lands adjacent thereto, for the purpose of removing thereto the Schooner Ledge Range Front Light, so that it may be on the range of the channel of the Delaware River, and further authorizing the Secretary of Commerce to remove said range light from its present location to the property acquired by the exchange, having considered the same, report thereon with amendment and as so amended recommend that it pass. Amend the bill as follows: Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert in lieu thereof the following: That the Secretary of Commerce be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to grant and convey to Alba B. Johnson and Samuel M. Vauclain all that certain lot or piece or parcel of land granted and conveyed to the United States of America by the president and company of the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Company by deed dated December twenty-ninth, eighteen hundred and seventy-nine, situated in Tinicum Township, in the county of Delaware and State of Pennsylvania, described according to a recent survey as follows: Beginning at a point in the south side of the entrance gate to the basin (for the storage of canal boats in winter) on the upper side of the mouth of Crum Creek and running thence along the cross bank dividing said basin from the meadow at the mouth of Crum Creek south four degrees west one hundred and fifty-seven feet; thence south thirteen degrees fifty-five minutes east one hundred feet; thence south twenty-six degrees east three hundred and nineteen feet, more or less, to low-water line in the Delaware River; thence by the lowwater line of the Delaware River and Crum Creek to the place of beginning, containing five acres, more or less, being part of a certain larger tract or parcel of land which the president, managers, and company of the Schuylkill Navigation Company, by a certain indenture dated the twelfth day of July, anno Domini eighteen hundred and seventy, recorded, and so forth, granted and conveyed unto the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Company, their successors and assigns, together with the free and uninterrupted use, right, liberty, and privilege of passage in and along a certain roadway sixteen feet wide next to the line of Crum Creek and upon the bank extending along and following the course of the said creek from the railroad of the Philadelphia and Wilmington Railroad Company to the herein described premises as now in use; for and in consideration of the said Alba B. Johnson and Samuel M. Vauclain granting and conveying to the United States in fee simple the following described premises and rights of way situated on Crum Creek after its course shall have been changed, in the county of Delaware, State of Pennsylvania, now belonging to them, to wit: A certain piece or parcel of land whose boundaries shall form a parallelogram containing one acre, more or less, with two hundred feet frontage on the east side of the new course of Crúm Creek, Pennsylvania, which frontage shall be intersected by the axis or center line of Chester Range at a point to be approved by the Secretary of Commerce, together with the full and uninerrupted use, right, liberty, and privilege of passage for persons and vehicles over an accessible, direct, and improved right of way sixteen feet wide wholly above high-water mark, from the premises above described to the right of way of the Chester Branch of the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Company, the said right of way to be used in common and wholly maintained by the said Alba B. Johnson and Samuel M. Vauclain, their heirs, executors, administrators, and assigns, and kept in passable condition at all times, also a suitable and sufficient right of way for beams of light on the Chester Range Line over all the property on said range line between the proposed permanent front and rear lights of Chester Range and to the southward and westward of said front light: Provided, That the Attorney General shall first examine the title of said Alba B. Johnson and Samuel M. Vauclain to said premises to be conveyed to the United States as aforesaid and shall furnish his written opinion in favor of the validity thereof: Provided further, That the said Alba B. Johnson and Samuel M. Vauclain, within such reasonable time after the passage of this act as may be determined by the Secretary of Commerce, shall deed to the United States the premises herein described to be conveyed by them: And provided further, That the conveyance of the herein described lot or parcel of land now owned by the United States of America shall not be made and the title thereto shall not pass to the said Alba B. Johnson and Samuel M. Vauclain until the following shall have been done by said persons without expense to the United States and to the satisfaction of the Secretary of Commerce: First. Erect a bulkhead of permanent construction on the easterly side of the new course of Crum Creek along the entire frontage of the premises to be conveyed to the United States of America, which shall consist of a timber pile foundation supporting a timber platform and a gravity section concrete retaining wall of the same construction, as approved by the United States Engineer Officer and now being erected on the southwest side of the mouth of Crum Creek. Second. Fill the entire plot of land to be conveyed to the United States with sand, earth, or other suitable material to an elevation of twelve feet above mean low water. Third. Dredge a channel from the premises to be conveyed to the United States to the main channel of the Delaware River having a depth of not less than six feet at mean low water. Fourth. Construct and make available for the purposes of the United States the improved right of way for the passage of persons and vehicles provided for herein And provided further, That the conveyance shall not be made by the United States and title shall not pass from the United States until the permanent tower and dwelling proposed to be built by it on the land to be conveyed to it shall be ready for occupancy nor until all valuable lighthouse property is removed by the United States from the site to be conveyed by it: And provided further, That the existing lights now in use shall continue, without interference by said Alba B. Johnson and Samuel M. Vauclain, until the establishment by the United States of permanent lights on Chester Range. That the said Alba B. Johnson and Samuel M. Vauclain, upon the passage of this act and after the rendition by the Attorney General of his opinion in favor |