DISASTER AT SEA.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 89, 15 December 1913, Page 4

DISASTER AT SEA.

Discussing the provision made for getting passengers away from big ships in ease of disaster at sea, a writer in the "Nautical Magazine" observes that the voice of the seaman is hardly beard in these matters and that it is the seamen who has had actual experience with boats in a seaway who knows that in spite of the legislation after the loss, of the Titanic, and in spite of the deliberations of the Boats and Davits Committee, the position is not at all bettered. The cry of "boats foi all" is a mere parrot cry, and undei circumstances that might easily arist

in any shipwreck it would really he boats for about half the people on board the ship. For instance,, if a

vessel should get lost, a certain number of iioats and rafts on one side of her could not lie got out at all. It is contended that to give reasonable security to all on board big liners, there should he boats enough to carry all the people on board and to do away with the necessity for crowding people into them so that they often become, entirely unmanageable in a heavy sea. .It is also said that there ought to be efficient crews to manage these boats and arrangements made so that nil'could be launched from tinside of the vessel within a reasonable time, no matter what the conditions might be. But this is simply impossible, for it is pointed out that a ship carrying three thousand-persons would want no less than seventy-five boats. .Such a number could not be placed on any ship so as to be launched from either side in any reasonable time, say, three hours. It is suggested that what is wanted is a system by winch ample floatable contrivances can be quickly launched from the lee side of the ship, the people placed on board, and kept afloat for three hours. if they get a little wet never mind, and with this in view if seems to us that the'only quick and effective means would be to have large 'rafts as well as boats, and, for launching-, wires* worked front power winches in place of the ■ old-fashioned cuinben-'omc three and four-fold hand Possibly fight steel rafts each to' ciit't'y about three hundred souD- might be nearly a solution of the problem. 1' . ':' : . i , :i< I .1 i