The Sun.
London, England, 1852-01-21 00:00:00

HOW TO PREVENT VESSELS BEING

BURNED AT SEA.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sett,—The catastrophe of the loss of the
Amazon by fire may prove of some future benefit to
society, and be the means of saving many lives and much
property hereafter, if not too speedily forgotten by the
public.
I beg to throw out, for the consideration of ship-
owners, the following hints of a means by which I believe
such melancholy events would become impossible:—
I propose that along the side of every beam in the
vesselfshould be run a leaden pipe, of about one inch and
a-half bore; that these pipes should have a slit in the
lower part, about the one-eighth of an inch wide, and
that each pipe should be in ,connexion with an iron
tube, about 3 inches in the bore, which should
run from stem to - stern, on each side of the
vessel. These iron tubes, or feeders, should
be supplied with water from two forcing pumps, one at
the bow, the other at the stern. In the event of fire,
the forcing pumps would throw a continuous volume of
water from every beam in the ship upon the deck below,
with great force, nearly in the manner that we see water,
by its own weight, thrown from the tail of a water-cart
on the roads. I feel sure that in five minutes every part
of every deck would be inundated, and that no fire could
possibly get ahead while a powerful rushing stream of
water was thrown upon it from each beam over its
locality. The beam pipes should be fitted with stop-
cocks, to shut off the stream from those parts of the ship
where the fire was known not to be. If the ship were
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be if placed amidships. The expense of these fittings
would be very trifling.
In addition to this suggestion, I beg to add, that not
only should every vessel have a man stationed to look
out a-head for dangers, but that day and night there
should be a fire-watch; that is, a man parading the decks
ie and
whose first business should be to watch for symptoms
of that dreadful enemy, fire; and that man should be
provided with a gong, to be struck instantly on his even
suspecting fire, and on no other occasion whatever, so
that every soul, on hearing the fatal summons, would
know what was the matter, and the confusion occasioned
by cries of inquiry and alarm, at least, would be spared.
But the fire-pumps should be often tried, and kept in
perfect order; as, I may add, should the boats, each of
which should have a breaker, or small cask of water,
lashed in it, and, under the seats, a few tin canisters
(water-tight) of biscuits. Then it would be impossible
that the people escaping in them should perish from
hunger and thirst. The boats should noti3e hampered,
as were those of the ill-fated Amazon; but free to hoist
out instantly—the oars lashed in them. The beam-pipes
in the magazine would flood all the powder in three
minutes, and do away with the danger of an explosion.
W hen this plan is adopted people may go to sea with-
out fear of destruction by the raging element ; and ves-
sels may be insured from fire at a small expense.
Your obedient servant,
R. J. MORRISON, R.N.