Sinking of the Titanic and Great Sea Disasters Part 43

Life-boats range from twenty-four to thirty feet in length and carry from thirty to sixty persons. The rafts carry from twenty to forty persons. The old-fas.h.i.+oned round bar davits can be got for $100 to $150 a set. The new style davits, quick launchers in type, come as low as $400 a set.

According to some naval constructors, an ocean steams.h.i.+p can carry in davits enough boats to take care of all the pa.s.sengers and crew, it being simply a question as to whether the steams.h.i.+p owners are willing to take up that much deck room which otherwise would be used for lounging chairs or for a promenade.

Nowadays all life-boats are equipped with air tanks to prevent sinking, with the result that metal boats are as unsinkable as wooden ones. The metal boats are considered in the United States Navy as superior to wooden ones, for several reasons: They do not break or collapse; they do not, in consequence of long storage on deck, open at the seams and thereby spring a leak; and they are not eaten by bugs, as is the case with wooden boats.

Comparatively few of the transatlantic steams.h.i.+ps have adopted metal life-boats. Most of the boats are of wood, according to the official United States Government record of inspection. The records show that a considerable proportion of the entire number of so-called "life-boats"

carried by Atlantic Ocean liners are not actually life-boats at all, but simply open boats, without air tanks or other special equipment or construction.

{ill.u.s.t. caption = CHAMBERS COLLAPSIBLE LIFE RAFT}

Life-rafts are of several kinds. They are commonly used on large pa.s.senger steamers where it is difficult to carry sufficient life-boats.

In most cases they consist of two or more hollow metal or inflated rubber floats which support a wooden deck. The small rafts are supplied with life-lines and oars, and the larger ones with life-lines only, or with life-lines and sails.

The collapsible feature of the Chambers raft consists of canvas-covered steel frames extending up twenty-five inches from the sides to prevent pa.s.sengers from being pitched off. When the rafts are not in use these side frames are folded down on the raft.

The collapsible rafts are favored by the s.h.i.+p-owners because such boats take up less room; they do not have to be carried in the davits, and they can be stowed to any number required. Some of the German lines stack their collapsible rafts one above another on deck.

NIXON'S PONTOON

Lewis Nixon, the well-known s.h.i.+p designer, suggests the construction of a pontoon to be carried on the after end of the vessel and to be made of sectional air-tight compartments. One compartment would accommodate the wireless outfit. Another compartment would hold drinking water, and still another would be filled with food.

The pontoon would follow the line of the s.h.i.+p and seem to be a part of it. The means for releasing it before the sinking of the vessel present no mechanical problem. It would be too large and too buoyant to be sucked down with the wreck.

The pontoon would accommodate, not comfortably but safely, all those who failed to find room in the life-boats.

It is Mr. Nixon's plan to instal a gas engine in one of the compartments. With this engine the wireless instrument would remain in commission and direct the rescuers after the s.h.i.+p itself had gone down.

LIFE PRESERVERS AND BUOYS

Life-preservers are chiefly of the belt or jacket type, made to fit about the body and rendered buoyant by slabs of cork sewed into the garment, or by rubber-lined air-bags. The use of cork is usually considered preferable, as the inflated articles are liable to injury, and jackets are preferable to belts as they can be put on more quickly.

Life-buoys are of several types, but those most common are of the ring type, varying in size from the small one designed to be thrown by hand to the large hollow metal buoy capable of supporting several people.

The latter are usually carried by sea-going vessels and are fitted with lamps which are automatically lighted when the buoy is dropped into the water.

ROCKETS

American ocean-going steamers are required to have some approved means of firing lines to the sh.o.r.e. Cunningham rockets and the Hunt gun are largely used. The inaccuracy of the rocket is of less importance when fired from a s.h.i.+p than when fired from sh.o.r.e.

CHAPTER XXVIII. TIME FOR REFLECTION AND REFORMS

SPEED AND LUXURY OVEREMPHASIZED--s.p.a.cE NEEDED FOR LIFE-BOATS DEVOTED TO SWIMMING POOLS AND SQUASH-COURTS--MANIA FOR SPEED RECORDS COMPELS USE OF DANGEROUS ROUTES AND PREVENTS PROPER CAUTION IN FOGGY WEATHER--LIFE MORE VALUABLE THAN LUXURY--SAFETY MORE IMPORTANT THAN SPEED--AN AROUSED PUBLIC OPINION NECESSARY--INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE RECOMMENDED--ADEQUATE LIFE-SAVING EQUIPMENT SHOULD BE COMPULSORY--SPEED REGULATIONS IN BAD WEATHER--COOPERATION IN ARRANGING SCHEDULES TO KEEP VESSELS WITHIN REACH OF EACH OTHER--LEGAL REGULATIONS

IT is a long time since any modern vessel of importance has gone down under Nature's attack, and in general the floating city of steel laughs at the wind and waves. She is not, however, proof against disaster. The danger lies in her own power--in the tens of thousands of horse power with which she may be driven into another s.h.i.+p or into an iceberg standing cold and unyielding as a wall of granite. In view of this fact it is of the utmost importance that present-day vessels should be thoroughly provided with the most efficient life-saving devices. These would seem more important than fireplaces, squash-courts and many other luxuries with which the t.i.tanic was provided. The comparatively few survivors of the ill-fated t.i.tanic were saved by the life-boats. The hundreds of others who went down with the vessel perished because there were no life-boats to carry them until rescue came.

SURVIVORS URGE REFORM

The survivors urge the need of reform. In a resolution drawn up after the disaster they said:

"We feel it our duty to call the attention of the public to what we consider the inadequate supply of life-saving appliances provided for the modern pa.s.senger steams.h.i.+ps and recommend that immediate steps be taken to compel pa.s.senger steamers to carry sufficient boats to accommodate the maximum number of people carried on board. The following facts were observed and should be considered in this connection: The insufficiency of life-boats, rafts, etc.; lack of trained seamen to man same (stokers, stewards, etc., are not efficient boat handlers); not enough officers to carry out emergency orders on the bridge and superintend the launching and control of life-boats; the absence of search lights.

"The Board of Trade allows for entirely too many people in each boat to permit the same to be properly handled. On the t.i.tanic the boat deck was about seventy-five feet from the water and consequently the pa.s.sengers were required to embark before lowering the boats, thus endangering the operation and preventing the taking on of the maximum number the boats would hold. Boats at all times should be properly equipped with provisions, water, lamps, compa.s.ses, lights, etc. Life-saving boat drills should be more frequent and thoroughly carried out and officers should be armed at both drills. There should be greater reduction of speed in fog and ice, as damage if collision actually occurs is liable to be less.

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE RECOMMENDED

"In conclusion we suggest that an international conference be called to recommend the pa.s.sage of identical laws providing for the safety of all at sea, and we urge the United States Government to take the initiative as soon as possible."

That ocean liners take chances with their pa.s.sengers, though known to the well informed, is newly revealed and comes with a shock of surprise and dismay to most people. If boats are unsinkable as well as fireproof there is no need of any life-boats at all. But no such steams.h.i.+p has ever been constructed.

That it is realized that life-boats may be necessary on the best and newest steams.h.i.+ps is proved by the fact that they carry them even beyond the law's requirements. But if life-boats for one-third of those on the s.h.i.+p are necessary, life-boats for all on board are equally necessary.

The law of the United States requires this, but the law and trade regulations of England do not, and these controlled the t.i.tanic and caused the death of over sixteen hundred people.

True, a steams.h.i.+p is rarely crowded to her capacity, and ordinarily accommodations in life-boats for a full list would not be needed. But that is no argument against maximum safety facilities, for when disaster comes it comes unexpectedly, and it might come when every berth was occupied. So there must be life-boats for use in every possible emergency. Places must be found for them and methods for handling them promptly.

Suppose a vessel to be thus equipped, would safety be insured? In calm weather such as the t.i.tanic had, yes, for all that would be needed would be to keep the small boats afloat until help came. The t.i.tanic could have saved everyone aboard. In heavy weather, no. As at present arranged, if a vessel has a list, or, in non-nautical language, has tipped over on one side, only the boats upon the lower side can be dropped, for they must be swung clear of the vessel to be lowered from the davits.

So there is a problem which it is the duty of marine designers to solve.

They have heretofore turned their attention to the invention of some new contrivance for comfort and luxury. Now let them grasp the far more important question of taking every soul from a sinking s.h.i.+p. They can do it, and while they are about it, it would be well to supplement life-boats with other methods.

We like to think and to say that nothing is impossible in these days of ceaseless and energetic progress. Certainly it is possible for the brains of marine designers to find a better way for rescue work.

Lewis Nixon, s.h.i.+p-builder and designer for years, is sure that we can revolutionize safety appliances. He has had a plan for a long time for the construction of a considerable section of deck that could be detached and floated off like an immense raft. He figures that such a deck-raft could be made to carry the bulk of the pa.s.sengers.

That may seem a bit chimerical to laymen, but Nixon is no layman. His ideas are worthy of every consideration. Certain it is that something radical must be done, and that the maritime nations must get together, not only in the way of providing more life-saving facilities, but in agreeing upon navigation routes and methods.

Captain William S. Sims, of the United States Navy, who is in a position to know what he is talking about, has made some very pointed comments on the subject. He says:

"The truth of the matter is that in case any large pa.s.senger steams.h.i.+p sinks, by reason of collision or other fatal damage to her flotability, more than half of her pa.s.sengers are doomed to death, even in fair weather, and in case there is a bit of a sea running none of the loaded boats can long remain afloat, even if they succeed in getting safely away from the side, and one more will be added to the long list of 'the s.h.i.+ps that never return.'

"Most people accept this condition as one of the inevitable perils of the sea, but I believe it can be shown that the terrible loss of life occasioned by such disasters as overtook the Bourgogne and the t.i.tanic and many other s.h.i.+ps can be avoided or at least greatly minimized.

Moreover, it can be shown that the steams.h.i.+p owners are fully aware of the danger to their pa.s.sengers; that the laws on the subject of life-saving appliances are wholly inadequate; that the steams.h.i.+p companies comply with the law, though they oppose any changes therein, and that they decline to adopt improved appliances; because there is no public demand for them, the demand being for high schedule speed and luxurious conditions of travel.

"In addition to installing efficient life-saving appliances, if the great steams.h.i.+p lines should come to an agreement to fix a maximum speed for their vessels of various cla.s.ses and fix their dates and hours of steaming so that they would cross the ocean in pairs within supporting distances of each other, on routes clear of ice, all danger of ocean travel would practically be eliminated.

"The shortest course between New York and the English Channel lies across Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. Consequently the shortest water route is over seas where navigation is dangerous by reason of fog and ice. It is a notorious fact that the transatlantic steams.h.i.+ps are not navigated with due regard to safety; that they steam at practically full speed in the densest fogs. But the companies cannot properly be blamed for this practice, because if the 'blue liners' slow down in a fog or take a safe route, clear of ice, the public will take pa.s.sage on the 'green liners,' which take the shortest route, and keep up their schedule time; regardless of the risks indicated."

PROMPT REFORMS

The terrible sacrifice of the t.i.tanic, however, is to have its fruit in safety for the future. The official announcement is