LIFE-SAVING APPLIANCES ON WARSHIPS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2343, 28 December 1914, Page 6

LIFE-SAVING APPLIANCES ON WARSHIPS

A cablegram the other day stated ■ that the llubber Growers' Association had presented 4000 life-saving rubber collars to the Australian Navy in recognition 'of the exploit of the Sydney, in destroying the Emdon. These collars have only recently been invented, and they were promptly taken up by the Admiralty and distributed throughout the.fleet.; The loss of lifo 'that attended the disasters to our ships in the North Sea emphasised the necessity for some ■ better means of saving life from drowning than formerly existed, and eince the Amphioh. went down every practical measure suggested .has .been adopted. Before the inflatable colla'rs were .ordered,' all. the dockyards were directed to construct largo numbers of rafts. These areof'quite simpje design, consisting merely of half-a-dozen poles alxrat 5 feet long, with thick planks of the'same length secured across them, ropes.by which, men in. the water can keep themselves afloat being, attached to the sides. On board British ships only two boats are available in case of disaster, the reason being that- the. others are 'filled with water 60 that, when struck by shot, and shell, splintera shall not fly around and cause as much dtimago among the ship's company aa ihe projectiles.themselves.- Thus the need for extra life-saving appliances can be appreciated, and bo also can be understood the possibilities for good in the new inflatable collar, which every man is supposed to carry on his pereon. . .• • ■ -,■ • .-■.■"' ,