New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-12-11
EsulShcadS in From ships.

From thc &aw York iu-rua. 1t Commerce
In the days before steamers were divided
by buikhcad> into wdter-tiCht compartments,
the loss Of 4 vessel Ike the VILE du lIavrc
would have been attributed to the want Of
those provisions against one kind of danger
| theoretically, the bulkhcads are considered
TO be \ sufficient safeguard against sinking
by collision. Massive doors, when closed
between the several compartments Of Tho
hull, make of each section a separate vessel.
Unless the cOlliding bow cuts clear through
the opposing hull, the craft that is struc,.
cannot lin thcOrv) sink. One Ot her com
partmcuts would bc partly filed with water
that is all-Hnd the vessel herself could pro
coed in comparative safety to her port Mt
reduced speed. Mark how poorly this theor,
was borne cut in practice in the collision
between the Loeb Fam and the Vile dU
( IIavrc! The steamer had no less than seven
compartments, supposed to be water-tQht-
if the doors between them were closed. The
ship Loeb Earn had but one bulkhead, divid-
ing her anIid-hps probably The ship .tlucs.
the steamer bow foremost square in the side
ripping Il hole in her l. feet deep and 30 feet
lOng-roughly estimated, Of course. Thr
| Loeb Earn was completely tUve III nj The
bow, and would have sunk but for her water
tight compartment, which not merely kept
her aiioat at the t,,ue, bu; Will, doubles,
bring her safely into Queenstown, TO which
port she was bound. How docs il lappcr.
that n magnificent steamer, the p..Gc o. he.
constructors and owners, the largest in The
world except the Great Eastern, built wit
every apparent security against loss, and With
the extraordinary safeguard OF six bu.khead
making seven distinct compartments LD"
does il chance that this monarch Of tho ocean
is sent 10 the bottom in II minutes, the -.t
being moderate az the time, while the IO.I.
Earn, not half as large n vessel. and VII.
only one bulkhrad, t;thc7 her terrible pun. B.
mcnt and stu floats ? TLi-, We think. is ;l.
principal qucs ton h. be settled by the FrcrrA
court Of inquiry which Ia, been ordered
French courts ate FToycTbiu.!y searching aut
thorough, and there !, 40 fear thlt the iuy,--
legation VIII De- o.! that poor, -h.'tlc,s sgrf IS.
nOtpriou-ly common on this side o.! the water
In anticipation OF The result q; this inqu.rr.
IL Viii bc laid that iron ship, are htr moro
liable than wooden ships t. sink from collision
The iron is not i.is,-clI when ut IN or o.
j. deccptyclr tim, 90 = becomes rotten is
long exposure - thr sen water. In mU.'
cases tho sharp hpH oi rD.liI.ay ycssc.
might piDw up or brcaE oH b. 80 OF loo let
Of the il.msy she'll, laying se~cra! coinrart-
mcuts bare and filling them all with watcr.
The first thiny 30 find out, then j. the curt
ton OF the iron work Of tho Vile du Ilayrc
no easy task, s.nce none ct i, remains l4I
inspection bat French cross cX1ruluat.nr
may extract the fact from ONE OF the sury..
ing Oiiicrr- or crew. We may assume wilh
safety that the iron she'll VAS not in a pcrfeC,
state. The original material was defective,
or the plates were not well put together, a.
they had become badly worn by the action o.
sea water. Any or all Of these cOu1 t!Ou,
have been found III iron vessels having a,
high reputation Tor mechanical! cEcel.eucr
as the VILE du Iiayrc. /, - possible that
the buGhead doors in The steamer we're a..
lett open through gross carr!c--uess. Il tia,
were 30, the responsible officers would deserve
punishment. II Is their business. % keep tie
compartments separate aud water lixh., -
much IL ~ SEQ that IL. fires are yD.uy, or the
cOmpa-scs In order. Thg, would be fu1s.
culpab.c stupidity which should neglect -
simple au exped.ent - enhance the safety o..
i vessel. With al. the confessed improve
ments which. ia rcccH, years, haze been made
10 shivSu.ll.ug, i ! .ug - inquire whether
The DANCE. ~ some directions hs. not besG
rather increased than !ss,euei. \ wooden
ship IS more exposed 10 ire than az lro1 one
but, on the other hand, wooden hui! would
not be ripped from quarter - a hall be-
length by cOllid!pg bow. We caunO. d.
guise the cony!ct!on that, hal the Vile du
iiayre been built Of woOd-prDyidel a!SaJ'
that her compartments we're properly closed
she would be atop Of the ocean today. lle
Loeh Earn was also an Iron structure, ~; he:
Injury was in the bow, where she azs s,rODsyf
than elsewhere aud then, too, she may have
been made o! better materials than the N..-s
du liavre. The French court can hardly "a.
10 clear up some Of the mystery, and shea
light TO q Certain extent on the comparative
merits " wooden and iron huii,.
Ii KINDS OF BOOK AND Hob