New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-02-22
sspld have wofully misrepresented his cOu,tit
SAFETY AT SEA.


The building of ships in compartments is an era
in naval architecture. The plan is carried to
great perfection in the new Cunsrd steamer Per-
STA which WAS visited by so macy thousands OF our
citizens on Monday and Tuesday. This improve
mint is an element OF strength. Ii prevents the
strain to which oil long and sharp vessels sub-
iected in heavy weather. Indeed, numerous solid
bulkhesds placed transversely in our clipperships
vould rreatl, tend to obyate the objections Of
de1wIiers to these ships, BY reducing their deGi-
bility. and so rendering them more tight and Sc
cure. But it is our steam and other passenger.
ships that more especially require the immediate
adaptation Of the new system. The additional Sc
ouiity which it affords TO passengers is such as to
bring il at once within the list Of necessary con.
ditors OF frstclass steamer The day is not
distant when the msjority of Atlantic passengers
will insist upon going in 10 other ships than those
built on the plan Of water-tight compartments.
The Persia is the most perfect specimen of such
a ship that has yet been launched. In the first
place she is an iron ship and all the bulk-heads or
partitions by which she is divided are also of plate
iron Thus these partitions can be easily made Sc
cure, and with very little waste Of room. Large as
sheis, the Persiai simply double decked ship with
her dining saloon on her upper deck, and with
narrow extension of its roof mldships to unite with
the sailors forecastle on the same deck forward,
the whole being flush, or on level with the waist
or outer rail of the steamer. Between the two
main decks are the cabins and staterOoms, which
with the accommodations for the crew occupy this
whole space Below the lower deck is the main
hold some twenty or twenty-five feet in depth. 1t
is in this part of the ship that the improvement has
its principal seat This immense cavity, of the
depth we mention, and a width of nearly double
the hight, and length of some three hundred and
fifty feet, is first subdvded by two transverse iron
partitions extending from the deck to the bottom
of the ship which divide the spaceinto three nearly
equal parts In the central apartment is the ma
chinery. which is nclosed within iron walls. With
in the space forward of the machinery in the CEN
ter of the ship, is the fore hold which is an obong
apartment of perpendicular sides, about twenty
feet in width and hight and eighty in length. A
like arrangement for the after hold These holds
thus within the body of the ship and divided from
each other by transverse partitions are of them
selves aertight and strengthened by interior iron
beams running from side to side. Thus secured
the ship may be stove in her bow or sides IN yar-
Gus places without at all endangering her safety.
The passenger is in fact on board seven or eight ves
sells. one incosed within the other, all of which
must be broken before be is in danger of sinking
This construction gives to the Persia superb
ority on the score OF safety over any ship now
afoat. We call attention to the fact not with
view of extolling this vessel particularly-thOugh
her construction can hardly receive too much
praise-but 10 enforce the necessity OF a similar
in provement in all our sea-gong steamers The
number of passengers now leaving this port by
steamsbips for California, the South, and Europe,
is very great. Yet of all our steamers scarce one
is more than a single shell which, being punctured
in sny one part would inevitably go to bottom.
What an assurance of safety would be felt to-day
were the Pacific made like the Persia We are
glad TO say that the new steamer Tor the Collins
line now being built by Mr.. Steers, is to be on
this plan and though she is a wooden ship, we
RELY on the skill OF her renowned architect 10 rem
der her subdivisions equally as secure as though
they were made of iron. But while this is the
with the Aurldtlc, III is NOT so, Us laI Us VIC
know, with any other of our steamers now build
ing, or about to be built. Even that new and
splendid vessel the Vanderbilt-built and owned
by one of cur most experienced men-is, to our
great surprise and greater regret, constructed
without reference to the new improvement. We
do not know that it is too late to make the atera
ton even now; and if it is not, we are sure Mr..
Vanderbilt would find his account in making it,
We certainly would not advise friend to go TO
sea in ship which had not this great improve
ment where it was possible to find one that had
Even to have nothing more than two watertight
bulk heads, crossing the ship before and abaft the
machinery. would be a great advantage, and be
sufficient, nine times in ten, 10 preserve a vessel
against the effects of collision like that which
sent the unfortunate Arctic TO the bottom. We
trust our ship constructors and owners will be
every where on the alert TO introduce this important
change in the method of building large vessels
s-
A TEMPEST IN TEAPOT.