SAFETY AT SEA .

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2164, 1 June 1914, Page 8

SAFETY AT SEA .

AND * "UNSINICABLE ' SHIPS." The echoes o'f the appalling Titanic disaster have not\yct- died' away, for tlio Courts'aro.still.hearipg claims,';' TJiel'mag-/ nificeiit "Whitei "Star liner,"-■which' now'lies, at tho bottom of the Atla'ntic'.-walvwhe'ii' launched, considered to be practically ltnsinkable. The pathetic lesson of that disaster was learnt by the fact, that the Titanic had not sufficient'lifeboats to accommodate, the 2000 people,on board.. Immediately there was a cry for "boats for all," and the steamship companies hastened to meet the- demand with the ' result that to-day. practically • every ship afloat has Viio'rft' than' sufficient" boats to' carry her full complement ;of passengers and crew. It has been" recognised that tho unsinkablelship has yet to be built. The .Olympic, sister dliip to the Titanic, was laid up. for-, many, months after, the disaster, while a complete inner shell was built inside her-hull at a cost of a' quarter of r, million. £'hc Britannic, whose keel had been , laid, was held up •until the findings, of the Bulkheads Committeo of tho Board of Trade had put forth its conclusions and- shipbuilding experts had studied the ; problem. For many months an International Commission sat in session taking evidence on the question of ensuring the safety of life at Bea, and put forth important and farTeachling [recommendations. In every maritime country drastic regulations governing the equipment of 9hiips wpre framed and everything that the inventive gen-, ins of man, backed by the experience of shipbuilders,, owners, and masters, and the bitter lesson of the Titanic disaster could suggest, has been adopted in the mercantile fleets of the world, Gnd ships aTO infinitely better equipppd to-day than was tho oaso prior to the Titanic calamity. International Collision Regulations, Tho International Life-saving Conference completed its labours on December 10. In the light of tho present, disaster tho following points in its recommendations will bis read with interest;—_ It has not been possible to reviso tho International Collision Regulations, as many of tho States parties to those regulations wero not represented at tho conference, but the Convention binds tho contracting States to bring about the revision of. tho regulations on five points, and're-examinntion upon other-important points is recommended. Watertight Compartments. Tho most difficult and also tho most important question considered under

''Construction" was that of the subdivision of 6hips into an adequate number of main watertight compartments, so that ill fho event of, damage which might destroy tlho integrity of 0110 or lijoro of these compartments, the ship would, so far as might be practicable, have sufficient reserve buoyancy to remain afloat. Tho practicable degree of this subdivision is necessarily dependent upon the sizo of tho vessel and the service in which employed, and the Convention provides that the degree of safety should increaso in a regular and continuous manner with the length, of the vessel, and that "vessels shall be as Efficiently subdivided as 'is possible having regard to the nature'of the services for which they are intended." Other Requirements. Among the other important subjects under the heading' "Construction" which have been covered by the articles of this chapter may bo mentioned tho following:— ; (1) Bulkheads for preventing the spread "of fire.' ' (2) Suitable means of escape from all watertight compartments. (3) General requirements as to strength of watertight bulkheads and decks. (4) Reduction to the smallest number practicable of openings in watertight bulkheads; also restrictions upon the location, character, and' means of closing such openings. • •(5) Restrictions as to the character, '.:mimher, and location of openings in ' . .the; ship's outer skin, and appliances for closing such openings. (5) Specific requirements as to the fitting and extent of double bottoms (7) Periodical operation and inspection of' watertight doors, scuttles, valves, and other appliances for closing openings in bulkheads antf the hull structure below the bulkhead deck; also compulsory entries in tho official log : in relation to such drills and inspections. (8) Requirements for adequate backing power; also auxiliary steering apparatus. (9) Provision for the survey and inspec-. tion* of both "new" and "existing" . vessels in all matters relating to the hull, ■ boilers, main and auxiliary machinery, and equipment.

■ Need of Incessant Vigilance. | In its report tho Committee on Safety of Construction recognised the importance of making further study in certain im- I portant subjects whose consideration could not be undertaken or. completed at this time; also the desirability of exchanging freely all information in. regard to "Safety of Construction." The enforcement of the foregoing recommendations as to future research and exchange of information ' havo been fully provided for in the.Convention. In concluding this summary of. the provisions ;on safety .of construction, it is important to point out that, even after' the most careful attention to all practicable details of design which increase the safety of a vessel at sea, there still remains the possibility of aserious and even totally destructive accident.' There-, fore it is imperative that those charged 'withi the management of vessels should never relax their vigilance on the supposition that any vessel is unsinkablo. On the contrary, they should strive to add to the safety provided by the vessel itsalf that very great increase in safety which results from prudent and skilful management andi navigation. The/wireless installation must have a range, of at least 100 miles, and an emergency apparatus, placed in conditions of the greatest safety possible, must be provided unless the main installation is placed in tlhe highest part of the ship and in tho conditions of the greatest safety possible. The Convention provided that the master of a ship in distress shall ha,ve the right to call to his assistance, from amongst tho vessels which have answered his appeal for help, tlio vessels which 'he thinks can best render assistance, and the. other vessels which have received the call may then proceed. on their way. The Convention lays it down that thero must bo accommodation in lifeboats or 'their equivalents for all persons on board. Lifeboats are divided into two classes— ,(1) 'the ordinary open boat, or other boats i 'with' fixed sides, and (2) boats having the ! upper part of the sides collapsible. Tho | second class is rendered necessary by the consideration of stowage. Every vessel must be fitted with a minimum number of davits or equivalent appliances, whidhi varies in accordance with tho length of the ship. Each of these davits must have a lifeboat of Class I attached to it and thereafter additional lifeboats must be provided, until provision has been made either for a minimum capacity based upon'the assumption that a maximum number of boats will he placed under eacfa set of davits, or, alternatively, for accommodating 75 per cent, of the total number of persona on board, whichever is the greater. If any further accommodation is required, it may be provided either in lifeboats or in 'approved "pontoon life-rafts,", The. pontoon life-rafts referred to in the Convention are the im- |. proved appliances devised by the British Boats and Davits Committee which reported in May of last,year. The Convention lays down detailed regulations regarding the construction . and measurement of different types of boats, and of the pontoon raft,,their equipment, the stowage of boats and rafts, strength of davits, number and- construction of i lifebuoys .and.lifejackets. It .is. provided .that as large a number as possible of ithe -'bouts and rafts must bo capable of .beitfg; launched on. either side of the ship ! so- that as few as possible need bo .launched on the weather side. A surplus of lifejackets in the form of special 'lifejackets for children is required. While precise regulations are laid down for the types of life-/aving appliances described, provision has been made for the adoption of other types equally efficient which may. receive the sanction of individual who will inform the others., of thpir action. >The i , Convention further lays it down that there miist be a minimum number of members of the crew competent to ftandle tho boats and rafts. For a boat or raft of ordinary size carrying hot more than 00 ipersons- the minimum number is fixed at three,;- with additional' numbers for larger boats. in accordance with' a scale laid, down-in tho "Reglement." These men will ;hold a certificate of. competency issued' under Government authority. The Convention also provides that nil shins „to whichi.it applies must be efficiently .mailed,from the point of .'viow^of:-Safety of. life at; sea.-'■