The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-30

The Faults of Construction
in Iron Vessels.
SLUICE VALVES AND BULKHEAD DOORS
Their Regulation on Board the
Ocean Steamships.
MYSTERIOUS FATALITIES.

During the past ten years the frequency and fatality
of accidents to ocean steamships have caused grow
ing dstrust OF the present system of naval construc
ton. The employment of iron, which has almost
superseded that of wood in vessels of certain sze
has drawn public criticism to that particular ma
teral. But since the building of iron ships was
first attempted the question whether they possessed
In proportion to their size equal stanchness and
buoyancy with wooden ships has been earnestly de-
bated 1t to be established-at least it is so
acknowledged by many naval experts-that for the
immense hulks which now the ocean, either
laden with hundreds of travellers and valuable
goes or bearing ponderous ornaments and swarm
ing with and marines there is nothing which
serve the purpose SO well as either iron
or STEEL But it has also been demonstrated that the
former far fragile in proportion to the direct
strain which it will endure or, in other words,
susceptible to sudden shocks; that it has come to
be accepted general maxim Of experience that in
collision between ships the which is of
iron is in much greater danger than the wooden
one. The same is true of encounter with ice
berg, when the ship is at full speed, or in running
upon rocks. Such disasters the sinking Of the
Atlantic. the Amerque. the Vanguard. the Kurfurst
and the Pommerana point to some fault or def
cheney in their construction else to absence Of
proper regulations in regard to the of the safety
appliances which should form part Of the plan Of
every iron vessel The principal OF these arc de-
signed to strengthen the hull and at the same time
to give it greater buoyancy Both these objects
supposed to be attained by increasing the number Of
bulkheads in the interior and by making them water
tight. This idea first practically tested about
twenty-five years ago, but it seems that its applica
ton has not even yet been brought to perfection.
Bulkheads universally employed in iron vessels
at the present day. and tho professed design of the
builder is always to make them water tight.
Whether they not is another thing.
CONSTRUCTION OF BULgHEAps.
There are almost as many different plans pursued
in the construction Of the watertght compartments
there classes of iron ships. But the absolutely
safe bulkhead must be an unbrokens partition from
the keel to the main deck with the exception only of
. single valve in the bge This valve be properly
arranged should be supplied with lever or rod
reaching to either the main or the spar
deck, that it can be readily opened or
closed instant Of warning. From each
compartment Of the bilge there should be separate
suction pipe reaching to the engines. Besides this
there should also be q deck pump worked by the
donkey engine capable of being connected by
steam winches with the main engines, at the same
time that it is armed with means Of being worked by
hand. The valves between the compartments per-
NIT the water on occasion to run from one to an
other, and on if the vessel lie right. into the
well beneath the engines. whence it
which there direct suction pipes connecting
with the engines this is the regular custom. On
others the is thus collected unless the
deck pumps cannot be used or in the event of in
spccting the valves Should both the main and the
donkey engines be stopped the deck pumps could
still be worked by hand, and il one of them should
be out of order get broken the sluice could then
be opened and the water drawn through the adjoin-
ing compartment.