A LEAK-STOPPER.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LVI, Issue 6503, 30 December 1881, Page 3

A LEAK-STOPPER.

Mr James M, Shaw, of the Bqyal Kavy, has invented a leak-stopper. It appears to be b meet ingenious contrivance, and is thus described by the Cape Timet of Sept. 6

We all know that a vessel has ere this been kept afloat by means of an ordinary sail passed under the leak. The present contrivance it founded on the same principle, but rendered more easy of adoption by the means employed in its construction. ihe recent disaster to the Teuton renders everything which tends to minimise the danger of leak* age both interesting and important, but in order to give that which relates to ships in seaman’s language, we will allow the Inventor to apeak for himself as follows :--“This contrivance will remind ihe experienced mariner of the ease with which a sail may he unrolled down the after-shrouds for the purpose of keeping the resse ’s bow to the tea during a storm when no canvas set in the ordinary way will stand j and the unrolling (topper is the application of this principle to a part of the Teasel beneath instead of above the water-line, to prevent the continuance of a sudden in* rush of the sea, such as may be caused by a collision or other serious accident. Briefly, it consists of stout canvas, six cloths wide and about six yards deep for large vessels, with eyelet holes at frequent intervals down the sides and along the ends; there is a thimble in each corner, and the whole is roped round. Guys, long enough to retch from the waterline well inboard, are spliced in the upper thimbles, and similar ropes, termed bilge-ropes, about as much longer as the ddi'th of the stopper, scoured in the same manner to the lower one*. In addition to these there are two light slip-ropes for the purpose of lowering the stopper horisontally, in its roUed-up state, to tne water-line or below it, near tne damaged part, and a light iron roller, similar to a cabin stove funnel, slightly longer than the breadth of the ■topper, and about five inches in diameter. From this description it will be seen that the stopper is not a very costly contrivance, and it is painful to reflect on the frequent destruction of life and property afloat which might have been prevented had soma suitable contrivance been at hand and promptly applied to stop the sudden inrush of the sea. Ihe stopper oeiog spread on the deck, and the bilge-ropes and roller-line faked over, the roller, with its line spliced into it, is laid across the lower part, and the whole rolled up like a chart., and placed on crutches against the bulwark. In the event of a collision or other serious occurrence involving the sudden inrush of water, the stopper would be lifted from its crutches and carried to the neighbourhood of the leak, where it would be pasted over the bulwark and lowered horisontally to the water-line. The guvs would then be hauled taut, the ends of toe bilge-ropes attended, a turn taken with the roller-line, and the slip-ropes cost from the s de, when the stopper, being thus released, would unroll itself over tho aperture." Several further particulars are given, but the foregoing are sufficient to indicate the comparative ease with which the stopper can be applied, and its utility in meat cases of leakage from collision.