THE TITANIC INQUIRY.

West Coast Times, 20 June 1912, Page 3

THE TITANIC INQUIRY.

OUR CABLED ITEMS

STILL COXSIDEIUNG BOATAGE,

Wee press association. —copyright.] LONDON, June 18. Sir Norman Hill, chairman of the Beard of Trade, addressing the Committee testified that the committee were still considering the question of additional considering the question of additional boats. He thought the tonnage basis was the best. It was impossible to carry sufficient boats ( ready for launching to accommodate 2000 people, but there should bo a substantial increase in the number. DANGER IN ICE ZONES. ‘ Sir Ernest Shackleton testified that it was dangerous to travel at full speed in ice zones. Ho did not approve of the look-out using binoculars. THE INVENTOR OF AVIRELESS. Mr. Marconi gave evidence that he was experimenting with an alarm bell for wireless danger calls and was hopeful of success. . LAUNCHING BOATS ON BIG LINERS. A member of the London County Council writes to the editor of the “Daily Chronicle’ as.follows: — Every ship’s designer is aware of the almost superhuman difficulties of launching boats from a great heighton a rolling ship, and yet, so far as I am aware, every ship designer continues to place the life-saving boats on the top-most deck ; and in all tho newspaper discussions which I have industriously tried to follow I have not seen any suggestion to alter or to do away with tho top-deck custom. While

ship’s decks were still only 10 to 20 feet above the water, the “boat-dock” system may have been justifiable, but in the big modern ship, reaching almost as high as the regulations allow for any London building, and‘where the passengers and crew form the population of a town crowded into 900 feet of length, one is driven to inquire whether the topmost deck is any longer a suitable place for life-saving boats.

And I therefore venture to ask this question:— Why should not the lifeboats bo launched straight out of a ship’s side at a reasonably safe height above the water ?

From war craft, boats are frequently launched, fully manned, into the heaviest seas from only 6 feet above the level. Indeed, the old Blenheim an 1 others have outside shelve decks for launching, say five foot out of water and these project from a slope like nothing at a ship’s side to the outer edge of a paddlebox. In many of my voyages of the last few years I have gone aboard my steamer from small tugs—not up the companions ladder of the liner, but straight out from the tender’s deck through a great double door opening into the ship’s hull. Then why not a life-boat launching compartment in the same position on both sides of the ship, or, rather, why not three compartments on both sides for the first, second, and third-class sections, especially third, since the proportion of the life-saving fro-« the steerage of the Titanic was lamentably low P Why not make three sides of these compartments watertight, to" allow of any wash of the sea in and out in bad weather, and the fourth, or water side, with a telescopic talfrail breast high for the protection of the crew ? Access to ;them, a boatload only at a time, could bo by the usual ladder or by the common basket sling, from each of the decks above. Why could not one end of the three watertight compartments be fitted with a sort of “traveller” to carry, say, a dozen seaworthy collapsible boats, the whole cradle on a pivot and check gear, to make it readily adjust itself, in spite of the ship’s lists, rollings,, or general movements ? In this way each boat could bo run into position as wanted, and launched from automatic-ally-adjustable davits. Navy drill allows about three minutes for unpacking and making ready for the launching of a collapsible boat; then it should bo compulsory for merchant vessels to provide equally export lifeboat crews.

BICI DEMAND FOR LIFEBOATS.

BUILDING THE GIGANTIC.

Notbwithstanding rumours to the contrary, up to the time the last mail left London very few alterations, struct ural or otherwise, had been decided on in connection with the building of the s.s. Gigantic. But that does not indicate that there will bo any, all the same; indeed, as a matter of fact, a great number of frames have not been placed in position, pending some definite decision. One writer of note in the ‘ Shipping World,’ however, states that shipbuilders should be made aware just- how they stand as regards fresh

legislation from the result of the Titanic disaster. At the present moment, there- are a number of vessels in Belfast being finished, and naturally neither owners nor builders are anxious to do work on these ships which in the ceiiise of the next few weeks bo found to be against the law. Of course, as be says, it is admitted that in some cases more life-boats will be required, and. this fact may delay the departure of several of the vessels for a few days. But. after all, it is only a trifle, and the sooner something definite comes out the better it will be for all con-

cerned. There has been an extraordinary demand for life-boats lately, it being clearly tho intention of all the owners who do business with tho Belfast yards to equip their vessels with sufficient boats to accommodate every coni on board. Messrs Harland and Woolf, Ltd., have despatched to Liverpool and Scutharapton within a week about 50 beats of the usual size—viz., 32 feet; while Messr Workman, Clark, and Co., ha\ e also shipped a large number. The demand, of course has sent up the price Formerly it was £1 per foot, but now it is on the way to 30s. To judge from tho orders on hand, every boatbuilder in the city will bo working at highest pe'ssible pressure for a long time to come. It is a significant fact that many owners still pin their faith to the oldfashioned wooden-boat, and will not have any other on their minds.