NEW FRENCH LINER

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 184, 2 May 1933, Page 9

NEW FRENCH LINER

Protection from Fire A new French liner, the President Doumer, was launched at La Ciotat on January 22. She is a sister ship of the Georges Phillppar of the Messageries Maritimes, which was burnt at sea. Another ship of the same type, the Marechal Joffre. lias also been completed at La Ciotat. M. Leon Meyer, the Minister of Merchant Marine, was prevented by influenza from presiding at tlie ceremony, but his speech was read by the Undersecretary of State. In it he promised that a new ship, to take the place of L’Atlantique, would be put into service as soon as possible on the South American route.

Directly after the loss’ of the Georges Philippar, M. Meyer recalled, the general manager of the Messageries Maritimes had assured him that the President Douinei would be equipped with eve-- device which experience could suggest for her protection against fire. Her navigating bridge and all service staircases would be entirely of metal; her wireless station would .be fireproof. and her lift-shafts would be so built as to prevent them from acting as ventilating-shafts in case of lire. All the furniture on board, as far as possible, would be metallic. Cabin panelling and ceilings and the conduits of the electric wiring would be of metal, tlie cabins would be isolated as far as possible from contact witli electrical conductors, aud the electric cables would bo fixed on metal brackets in contact with the hull. There would also be improved launching gear for the lifeboats, and all those precautions would be supplemented by the now official regulations.

A remarkable controversy Ims arisen at Cherbourg over the disposal of Hie burnt-out wreck of L’Atlantique. Tlie Cherbourg Chamber of Commerce, which is responsible for the building of the fine new marine station and the adjoining deep-water dock, had L’Atlantique brought into dock a fortnight ago to save her from breaking away from her tugs in the outer harbour. They are now unable to get rid of L’Atlantique. which is preventing the work on the deep-water dock from being completed in lime for the official ononing in May. fi’lio liner was intended to be moved into tlie worships' dry dock, but the naval authorities do not want iter there, and no shipbreaker seems anxious to take her away.