PRESERVATION OF LIFE AT SEA.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 432, 2 October 1869, Page 3

PRESERVATION OF LIFE AT SEA.

♦ (From the Daily News, July 15). Early one morning last week the fleet at Portsmouth was signalled by the Commander-in-Chief to the effect that "Experiments with life-buoys would take place at 1.30 p.m. in the Steam-basin ;" and accordingly at that hour a numerous concourse of naval men and dockyard officials assembled to witness the trials. Amongst others there were present — Vice-Admiral Sir James Hope, G.C.8., Com-mander-in-Chief; Rear - Admiral Astley I Cooper Key, CM., Captains Henderson, Watson, Wells, Tumour, Commerell, V.C., and Hood ; Stnff-Couimander3 Paul and Johnstone ; Mr W. B. Rjbinson, master shipwright of the dockyard ; and Mr Ward, engineer of the steam factory. The life-buoys tried were five in number, one being that at present in use in the Royal Navy, which consists of two rods of metal, arranged in the form of a cross, with a copper sphere at the extremity of each of the shorter arms ; another, the cork ring buoy, as it is called, bub too often found, alas,! to consist of nothing but straw and shavings, notwithstanding which it is extensively used in the merchant service on account of its comparative cheapness ; the remaining three were buoys of a new pat'.ern, invented by Messrs Welch and Bourchier. Seven men took to the water for the purpose of testing the relative capabilities of these life-preserving apparatus, and oh 026 cf-tkf^-SJideavouring to cling to the present " service" buoy^iS-eapsized^-and it was only witbggreat difficulty that he coiil3 obtain a hold of it, although the water was perfectly smooth. The cork ring buoy also supported one man, but this was the utmost that it could do. It was found, however, that one of the new buoys was capable of sustaining the whole of the seven men without difficulty, and two more might even have been added to this number. Before going i further, it may be as well to give a rough j description of this new buoy, as the value of the experiments will then be better appreciated. It consists of an airtight metal casing, with the central portion open from top to bottom for the reception of the peTson or valuables to be saved. The interior of the casing is divided into two parts by a metal partition, the upper division beiog intended as a reservoir of fresh water for the usoof the person saved from drowning. Below the central open space is fitted a gi*ating,on which the mau stands, and as it is some three feet from the top of the buoy, it keeps his vital organs out of the water, a point of the utmost importance; while an open framework of iron or steel protects his legs from the attacks of sharks, to which he is exposed when clinging lo the buoys now in use. The apparatus is further provided with two stationary hollow tubes, or sockets, each containing a signalstaff for the purpose of indicating the position of the buoy to the man in the water, and to facilitate its recovery by the ship to which it belongs. These signal-staffs are telescopic, and have attached to them fuses or portfires, to serve as signal lights— one being ignited by the operation of " letting-go," while the other is at the service of the man in the buoy, to indicate his position on a dark night. Corks or other floats are attached to the iron framework of the buoy by cords of sufficient length to go round a man's body, so as to afford a means of support in the water for several persons at a time. As already stated, the whole seven men were sustained by a buoy of this description, one being supported on the grating inside, and the remaining six hanging on outside, all with their vital and respiratory organs out of the water. Nothing could be more satisfactory than the behaviour of these new buoys,

, and it was quite possible for a man to sit on one of them with head, chest, and legs out of the water, while the ease and celerity with 1 which the seamen got in and out of them was something marvellous. The experiments which have hitherto been made with them have been so satisfactory that the Peninsular and Oriental Company have ordered them to be fitted to certain of their ships for further tria', and it is worthy of remark that while the Admiralty authorities seem to be undecided as to their general adoption, the Egyptian Navy is likely to be fully provided with them. Every one who has heard that • agonising cry of " Man overboard ! " is weil aware how seldom it is under the present system that life is saved, and we require no better proof of this than the recent circular issued by the Board of Admiralty with reference to swimming being made to occupy a more prominent part in a sailor's education. But although a knowledge of swimming is most important, it is all but useless if we do not give a man a good means of support when he has reachei the life-preserving apparatus. A life-buoy can only be theoretically perfect when on arriving at it a man is relieved from further physical exertion in retaining his hold, as in Messrs Welch and Bourehier'a apparatus, aud this is a quality in which the present buoy is utterly deficient. The fresh water provided, too, is a great boon, and at a pinch would prolong life for several days. Captain Watson, of her Majesty's ship Crocodile, states that when he had one of those buoys fitted to his vessel, he could see it at least two miles off, while the "service" buoy was barely perceptibe at the disfcauce of half a mile. In fact, the experiments made with it from the Crocodile when at sea were so successful, that the new frigttc Inconstant, and the Serapis, one of the Indian troopships, are both to be fitted with them, and it is to be hoped that this is only a prelude to tlieir being supplied to every vessel in the navy.