SAFETY AT SEA.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2007, 14 March 1914, Page 2

SAFETY AT SEA.

ME LESSON OF 1 THE TITAMC,

INTERNATIONAL DECISIONS,

A<lries has already bei-ii'received in brief by cable of the decisions readied by ilie IntcHiatJojial Conference on Safety <f Life at Sea, which, lias recently been gittiitß in London. Tjjo findings c,l the CDufaicßee were una.ftiluous, so that it may te takfiii tlittt #eps will iinmediatety he taken, to put them into effect. The convention was sipnfid by representatives of tho United ICihgicloiWi Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United States, France, Germany, 'Au-s* trip., Hungary, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Holland, Jtielffiunt, and Bau* marij. Lo-rd Mck«.v, who presided both wcr this conference a(lc i ww |h 0 spj c i a j tribunal, appointed last .year to deal ii-itirthe Yitsnifi disaster, out of vhieii this, rate-HiatJenal Bothering ' directly arose, said in refer-ring to- the Mark of i tho conference, .ttiiit .eoiiaid.Brtttio.ii Jia'd been Riven to safety of navigation, safety of cMisti-uctioii) wjrelws telegraphy, lifc-saniin; ■ appliances and eortiiicates. .Ho then Kavo the Mlmving suinnisry of tho principal Conclusions reached. Safety of Navigation. An interriatiojiiil service is to tie. es' tablisliod at. tho oast of t.ho nations principally interested., for the purpose [ of jeo patrol, icft observation and flio : destruction of derelicts in tjie jiWtfl Atlantic, and it is proposed that Shis' service be placed Under tti.o .control of :.tlio'United States, fliis eer'yiee • wlfl ' take, eye)- nt.«{ eoutiirto fiio. work dono by the' vessels employed by the United States in W% and MS, hi locating tlie icq> aftd keeping in touch with jt> as it moves southward., in order that vessels ■ (Hi the routes nifty Tie lflrpis fully informed' bj" means of wireless mes.sag.e.S of the : position of tkii ice, It would aisq coil', tiulio tho ice observation, worlc started'] last year by tlio British Government, | and would be further enfrvsted V'itU tho ' inii' of dealing with' danßorOHs dotelicts on tbeftest wdfi of |he NortJ.i lantlC; I\> make the iiitorirtatiojial B<?,r-: viae more effective, , the duty, is imposed on tho masters of all fesse'b .of tepafting all dangerous ip<> and daiigerotfe deroiiets, met with o_u their-voyages, and' a code fti , faeiljtatinßtliis lias beeii :prepere4.

I'he nrio of jwtttlent seamanship laid ■down in tlie judgment fa the Uteipj' ■case lies been -eflinned hiteniatioualiy, namely, "that wlnwi ice is; r.e.ixirted in or near fto tack, the ship mti'St proceed cluriiig the night at a moderate speed, or alter its course so. as to eo well clear of the danger zone." The practice wider , which flw routes across thoNortli Atlantic- are used By fnt-cr-iiatiopal agreement beUVcon the passenger lines is left unaltered, and tho OovOrntoGiiV. undertake to impress 'on all MslajKnvnare the desirability of' M« Jctffeg, its far as jxjssible, thaso totites. The effective KRJrtJW -o.f beat .decks is provided; for, imd the Bsrrj Jug of Morse signal lamps is made compii-leory, An international c"o(Je for urgent and iraporta.nt signals, has been adopted."'SsfoJv of Cofistrujjtlon,

_ .The most'difficult and also tlie- in.o-s.t important question considered uudei: ."(iqjistruetion" fras tliat of ills'sub* .division of ships iitto-ait adequate liUrii.- ;. ber el main wtttflr-tight compaftpicnts, jio ,that. in. the., eyeni of-da.iriagei w.Jiich SuJglifei.dest-cpy .4he> iiitcgritytvolf ftiiQ tnore of these cemparfemeats'tho stiip ■ffw»M, so far a S m-ight bo .practicable, ■ liavo sufiicisiit fesei'vo feaoyaney an:d remaw aflqa-t, ' I'Jie- JiMetwai d<?gf.oe of this SubdjvisioH is. necessarily depend" ■6rit jrpeh the size bf. tho vessel and the *hioh.- slfe. is employed. The 'couveiitwa Srovittes .tliat po dtefeo of safety iJhpuW ih«fease in a. regiifsr alid cantiiitipus maiwoi' ivitli the fengtb. of ,tf)o ship., and that vessels .shaii.be ?s efficiently s-iibdivMed Aβ is poss-rbw, havjn.B.regMrd. to the: liattire vt '%>■ services for. wlriph tiiey. are intended.' It js ..also■ explicitly..stat-ed tliatihe lequireJileijts ifflposcij by tho ctinVoniio.ii are ;ffliniiiliiftt re-quiremeiits, and the re.quliffe. 'irients as'to s.iibdfyisio.ft'are laid da-sn W cstchso in tho qonventioii. Among ttther important subjects tinder tho'licad.iog "coftstriietioii," wliioh'ltavo befell cavered Uy the articles o.f this eiiapter- ; are-;*- '' . ' ' ' ■ *■

BitilkJigads for provent.iiig Siiread ; oF firo; suitable rn.eaiis of escape froni'all W.atcr4rglvt .«ampartiiiei)tEt; . -reduction to the u.nm.ber pitßcticahle , of apeujjigs, in water-tight bulkhead's; 6 : brict.ionS a-s.to thi> cbafaete, TOffiber, ana loeation of spellings in tho shm's oatej sfctu, ana, :;a£>piiaiices for" efosfeg Such Ope»ings; spceifie requirement as to the. fittiiigs ml extent of doiiblo bbl> toms-; periodical.dJKraijon and inSpflction of water-tigfet doofe, .scjitties,: Valvps, flad other a.pplinnees for etoeirjg' openings in Wilhtad-s. and the'liullV ■Strtiotufo requjr-eilseitts for adeq : bscjeing pyyret and ausiliary .paratus; provisions for tfifr jsiiiveyvaiid' inspection- of both no\v arid : ex-fstirtg. ve§sq|s in ril iuajtteis ttlatlng.;tb: ? : the. hull,, bojlei's., uiaiiij ;.n.nd . Qujiilm-ry,,tjia-ehme.ry and equJpWeii*/ '", '."", i"'- ,, .';■'. It m ridded iiafc ; "cveii. 'after tho VXQ.it earisM to all pjrtifiiijeabia. details ,pf : -design,, ivhieh .Mierc'aso tlie safety of, ; a,- iht Mici-e'siiiiH ri* mains f;up passlbility o'P ; .a. ;senßUs and even totftlly destriictiyii aecif}e;nt. There-. fore i : fc is ! iijipcrativo thai thxJse- charged 'With tho inaiiagcjiieijt of vessels should iipvcr- relax their vigilance- on tho Ijpsitioii taiat afly yessol is tinsfajlftbta On the contrary, they should .strive to edtl -to tho safety- profiled by tho >;el itself, that very groat, inercaso -Jn. &Mj Irtish results fropi f>f!id,en:t aiid skilful niirogeiiicnt O J«J 'liavigntion.' , ''

Wireless Telegraphy,

:r--The icOri-vcntiou nrewfe -frhat aiH tnfy--.oha-n-t Atossojs, of-1%6 ooMtrflcting States, iretcrnatjmiiil vofi. ligeSv'wJwtjMiKVsteiiiiiVs or saiKug reiflSj aiitl msaeugcrs i o F,^'? t SiW^, : ' l; '?^9 u !? i pfi< ll tireless--tetogritpji..nppsitatu;f: ih they , h.ttva <tij board 80 liersot.s.'ftScopt wlim'o the miinbef is'cscaptioHally and tehvpptitfiiy Bicrea-scil to; .SO tir m.ofe mrhm t<? 'eatiscs beyoiffl Ife C oi\-t-pictjiig States ,haVc pqWcr to grant cx-<?ini!-t|lohs'ifl.Se>%iii.ea:s;fiS, of wliidi the. most impof taijt is ifh|r<)>essei& , i« ih® cowrse-o| tjie. vqy^gp-do not go ittor* thanlyO. se.a. miles , &6m tlip nearest land. .... ■■' ' ,:

PtQ-visi-qn. is.iijado far cp.mpclliiig a bontiUilQus frateh to be kept for tfi.r.eless tetegfapliy pUqwses on all'firsMass shins, and. fof.R cevtnfn llunibor fif liou.rs daily in otljofs, as well as tlio Iβ niinlrtflS in eadli hour require*) by tie, Radio' Convention. A pcrietl is provkled ta cfttttto trireless''api , ■partus ta.fo fitted, and operators and watchers otameci,

Ltfo-SavJiig Appliances,

- The Oanwmtimi lays it dottii ilvnfc tjiere must, ho afieoliimofilatioji ill. Ijfe■lwats or ti» equivalents for all perssms an'board'. Epcsry ■vossoi lfmst te fitted with, iv mimiwini umnVr.of oluvits or ■f>qiMV(tli»nfc uiiptiances', • wfiieli Vary iii .■H«or<latiee with tl.i.e lotigUi of i!i« shipppinils aw ijicltidpd iii (lio ctrnvwilran ol' tli» Ijoats roiiuirpil v.m\ tiio equivalent. TJp In 2f> per rent. «f lf.ios:e o:» tourf Wybfttljo approviitl' "piji'toOJi literafis" tteviecd b,v tiro British JJpats toul ])avitft ConiMiteo last year, 'J'Jio cliSr> actor and ttumber of lifebuoys aiid Kffc : jaekets aro inetudod, . poriiiirssicjh heiirg "iiiiitli! also for Speckl lifc-jijokets foi' cliiidrcU. ' . ■ I'ho Coliifeiitj.oit also' 'feyis it <3qw.ii i'liaililpm tiiiisi. bfi A Mtuiiiiiiin nii'Hvbe-r of mein)jers of the crew cdmiWeji.fc to hiiiiilo lie boata and rafts, and. tliat all ship to wHs'h'tt apples must he .efij-

eieiitly and sufficiently niaiined from tic. point'of vie*- of sai'cty of life- at sea. I?he carriage of dangerous goods is forbiiiife.n, mid for the detecting of lin? m organised system of patrols is required, with adequate provision for extiiiguishiag fire. AH s.ltips arc.to have an adequate system of ligbtingj bo that in ail passengers limy eas.ilj - fi.id Llieir' way to the esits from the interior of tho ship, and tlto Iwat decks nwst bo well lighted. the" Ctaveufcioji provMes that tlieships rf. eouitrsQfes State*, wfeiijh *i»ply wits the regtiircinqnts pi tho \Jfl>i' vetitimi shrill have. fiafn%tej to them certifiqates of tiift fa#b, wMeft shall bo tesitpted: by all the §t»fes sis having the smew raiae as the certificates issued by tliGio to tfoir-own Snm> aiid as (joiystitvjttag prima 'facie evidence- of otimpuance with t.ho Converttiflii. It is previa■ed that, except as jgfSftviilpdj tinly oeean-gpiil.jj steaiffers carrying. ipOTC than 12 passengers fill! within the. provisions of tho Cunrcntkm. TMre- are, serertl exceptions.