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

ton Of the simplest rules Of naval designing 1t is
to be regretted however. for their own interest as
well as for the information Of the public. that the
chief engineer of the steamer of this company which
is in port. the Algeria refused. when approached
by HsnALD reporter to answer any Questions about
city office the latter had been told that he could
learn all that he desired on board.
THE POMAERANIA's CoSsoRTs.
Acting upon q hint conveyed in certain reports
which have reached this city from Europe about
suddenly after her collision in the English
Channel, the reporter has entered upon
tour OF inqnisition among the steamship oflcss
coincided with what had formerly been said about
the Vanguard and the Grosser Kurfhrstnamely, that
striking. and that they We're not closed soon enough
afterward Tor not at ally to prevent the entire hold
fore. made to the superintendent of the Hamburg
American Packet Company. at the Office OF Messrs.
hicnara ~ poas. ne espressea Urea. wihgness 10
care your vessels all provided with the iron water
tight bulkheadsy was asked.
"How many compartments were there in the
Pommerania?"
.Eght water tight COMPARTMENTS
Glow high were the bulkheads9'
''rhey reached to the spar deck"
chow were they distributed!"
There was one very near the stern and one close
to the bow. Then there just abaft of the
engine room. another forward OF it, fifth Just for
ward of the furnaces sixth just behind the mast and
q seventh midway between that and the stem
WAS there any communication between the ada
..There was between the furnace room aud the en-
CINE room, as a.Inatter OF course Access must he
continually had to the shaft tunnel too. the en-
gneer obliged by the rules of the company to
inspect it every two or three minutes"
'What is the custom on board your ships in regard
to the opening closing of the valves III the bulk
heads? Has the company any formal regulations
about that?"
Certainiy; the captains have strict orders that the
compartments must be kept closed at all times when
it is not necessary to let water pass through Them.
''This rule applies whether the ship is at in
eyes"
"Haye you ever had any reason to suppose that
this rule may sometimes be volatedY'
"No, SIR.
Not that the sluiSes may sometimes be left open
through oversight
II do not believe it has ever happened. The cap
tain is responsible"
How can you explain, then. the suddenness with
which the Pomlnerania and other large iron steam
ships have sunk after they have been struck? May
not the loss of many ocean seanshipslike the City
or Boston. for instance which set sail ana never
more are seen heard from-be attributed to o
neglect to keep the bulkhead valves closed. that
leak in one compartment regarded at first as trihing
has speedily filled the entire holdY
cot course, my dear sir, only make sur
misses in regard to the latter and the cause
causes WILL unfortunately, ever remain secret. But,
about the Pommerania. do not admit for moment
that your suppOsitiOn may be correct Her sudden
sinking was undoubtedly due to the fact that she
ceived her death blow in the very region where she
ana all other ships weakest. The immense space
in her middle was filed. and what could save her
ut is probable, suppose. that the communica-
ton between the engine and the furnace rooms was
open at the time Do you think that the filing of
compartment alone would be sufficient to sink
one OF your vessels 2?
If it were amidships think it would. The other
compartments, you know, would be full OF freight,
and consequently very little buoyancy could be de-
rived from the air which they would contain"
Is OCEAN PERIL LEssENED?
care you aware that certain large class of people
are becoming distrustful of iron ships -
81 doubt it very much. Iron ships are just safe
wooden ships.
sin collision p
swell. there ought not to be any collision. Statis-
tics would show that the number of lives lost since
the general of iron steamships is less in
portion to the amount Of travelling that is done than
it was in the same period of time beforeeir intro
duetion."
"How do you account for the lessening of the
peril %
I'm one way by the increased speed Of transit 1t
gives less opportunity for shipwreck or collision.
difficulty of avcrting collision when once it be-
comes imminent ~
mo; because with improved steering APP
paratus . steamship be turned very quickly.
The developments in the investigation of the
sinking OF the Pommerania, still progressing ut
Hamburg, show that her officers not at
all to blame. The English. you know.
proverbially arrogant, selfish and headstrong and
It is very difficult to avoid accidents anyhow when
sailing in the same waters with them. 1t also
proven, rs can show You i'll the German papers
just arrived, that the bundle of clothing which it
said sailor sefshly dropped into of the
boats in reality the dead body Of an infant
ger who made the accusation against the sailor has
not been found and do not believe that he had
an existence except in the imagination Of newspaper
reporter