LIFE BOAT INVENTIONS.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18410, 17 June 1925, Page 13

LIFE BOAT INVENTIONS.

EXHIBITION BY ROYAL HUMANE SOCIETY. i ' Some carious and interesting • exhibits will be ehewn at Wembley this year by tho Boyal Humane Society, consisting in part of models which wcro made for them well over 100 years ago, says an. exchange. The inventors of that period, wnlch' wd3 before the lifeboat era, were full of suggestions as to tho most suitable type of boate, _ and while some of them arc decidedly amusing, others are of quite a practical nature. Thus it is quite clear that Captain Marrya-t in 1820 anticipated tho uso of airtight compartments to keep a boat afloat. Onjh» other hand, the model of hfc boat, which is beautifully made, shows tho whole of the crew rowing in a form of top hats then affocted by the lower public employees of tho time. John Davison, of Bishopwearmouth, in 1818 supplied a model of a boat which was. actually in uee in the port of Sunderland. It ie* of course, different from the modern lifeboat, but it possesses all the characteristics of seaworthiness. Another interesting exhibit is by Lieutenant Rodger, of the Royal Navy, who evolved a type of raft in 1818 which was apparently tried out successfully by tho Navy at Shecrness. This was an elaborate invention, consisting of not merely au ordinary raft, but of airtight barrels which supported it on each side. It was doubtless effective, hut it occupied an immense amount of space. Still, in those'days they did- not mind overcrowding,' since Captain Marryat in his boat nlanned-to carry 128 people, although the structure 'was only 30ft long, Bft wide, a,nd 3ft dee?.

Colonel Moore-Brabazon, Parliamentary Secretary to the Transport Ministry," speaking at. Dovcrcourt recently, said he was the Minister chargeu with electricity. Tho Government were giving the cjHiestion serious consideration, and while not promising a land flowing with milk and honey, would do their best to make it a land flowing with volts and amperes. "There is* a great opportunity," he added, amid laughter, "for someone in this Government to* become Lord Kilowatt." Referring to the increase in motor traffic, he mentioned licenses current last quarter numbered 1,094,53-1, against 669,530 in the corresponding quarter in 19221