LIFE-SAVING DEVICE

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1347, 26 January 1912, Page 4

LIFE-SAVING DEVICE

AUTOMATIC RELEASES FOR RAFTCHOCKS. Captain John Pearce, a son of Colonel IMward Pearce, of London, and .1 brother of Messrs. Edward, Charles and George Pearce, nf Levin and Co., Wellington, who is at present on a visit; to this city, has invented, a device which is likely to be.of material service in the saving of life in connection with steamer wrecks. This consists of patent chorkn with automatic releases, which act as soon as the raft is submerged, freeing it from the sinking vessel. A test of tho invention was given in Sydney harbour on January i. when a raft, held in position with the patent chocks, was submerged. As soon as this occurred tho automatic releases acted and tho raft floated up free of the object to which it was attached for the purpose of (he experiment. Though the patent chock and release has been patented in Australia and New inland, and protected all over the world, Captain P<?arcc was not inclined to give particulars about his invention.

Captain Pearce, who has travelled to all parts of the world in all manner of craft during the past sixteen years, was willing enough to chat on the incidents which led up to his invention. "After hearing the news of the loss of the Waratah, followed a little later by the mysterious never-explained disappearance of the Adelaide S.S. Company's steamer Yougala, with a loss of _ all hands, leaving no trace whatever behind; then of the loss of the steamer Rosedale. and the Maeleay—in' whose case two lives only were saved out of the entire crew, and that because there was no time tn swing the boat? clear or clear aivav the rafis. which were lashed as usual—l was set thinking of the manner in which such terrible disasters might be averted. As ,thc result. I was fortunate enough l-i slrike an idea, which I, and all others who have seen it, think a good one—that i«, (he automatic release for the chocks holding the raft, and if eventually steamers are compelled to use my device T think a great many lives may be saved. In all the instances quoted Ihe sinking of the vessel has been too sudden I o allow time for releasing boats or rafts by manual power. "Some people have asked me is a raft so held secure in rough weather. Mv answer is that it is as secure in its position as the mast."

Canlain Pearcc leaves for Auckland bv the Main Trunk express to-day, to ratch' the Macedonia for London. Re hopes that wc may hear something more about his invention later on.