Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1889-05-19
epArs Mus1ER A1 So
r. -. ..a BE-, par :. go. /.

-
The Fire and Boat Drip on BoarA -
Transatlantic SteAAAn-
In these days oi ingenious marine
Inventions II Is inexcusable II a ship be
sent To seq unturnished with the best Of
those life-saving appliances which
modern ingenuity has produced. New
ertheless. it unfortunately does very
often happen that when y shipwrec!s
occurs a o Of ~contrivances for life.
saving which ought to be on board arc
wanting. Sometimes II Is the boats
that are ut iault-perhnps they ara
slowed bottom up. or hung In badly
working davits-and the ship sinks
before they can be cleared and got over
the side.
Things are nowadays better ordered
on tho great transatlantic liners. OH tho
best OF which tho crows AFRO periodical
ly drilled in handling the ships bouts,
In watering aud provisioning them,
aud In preserving their worlhlness
rs structures liable TO be required at
any hour OF the day or night for lm-
mediate use. In some lines the mon
nre mustered and SEM through their
fro and boat drill on tho morning OF
the day before leaving England. Tho
men assemble to the shrill cry Of the
boatswain's whistle. tho witches AFRO
called. and hon all are told of 10
their respective stations. This Is
called the captains muster. An hour
later tho whole Grey are again mus.
tered. put through their drill. and
piped down. Tho ship is then In
spected and steam ordered. Then
there is fire and boat-drill oncc at sea
during tho voyage. when tho chief
officer sees that tho men are ut thoir
stations. and reports the fact to tho
captain. The pumps IRE tried. and tho
third officer takes his station on tho
main-dccis aud sees that the hands arc
at their places there by the wnter-
tight doors. Tho crow nre then told
OF to their respective boats, and aiter
the chief officer has noted that the mon
are in thcir proper places, several OF
the boats nre swung out and In. Ono
can see, from the promptness with
which each man springs to his post at
the boats wain's hourse command, how
custom would be sure TO prevail and
form tho deeply-necded discipline In
time OF danger.
In tho distribution OF the boats, In
case OF having TO abandon tho ship,
the captain takes No. l s%tnrboard life
bont, tho four mates have charge of
other boats and cutters, and tho boat
swain, carpenter and quartcrmasters
take command OF the remainder. Every
body knows his own bont, for a rogls-
ter OF boat-stations is kept. with the
names OF tho crew OF each bont- Thero
Gun be- no confusion In that respect ut
least. The instructions arc exceeding
~ simple in cnse OF leaving the shin.
II Is tho duty OF the officers to SEQ
their respective bonts ready for lower
Ing, md to guard against my ono
entering or attempting to lower a boat
without the captains personal order.
Then the surgeon. chief steward. cooks.
chief waiter. baker and butcher yet
water and provisions ready, and see that
each boat is victualcd. Tho duty OF
procuring compagses, nautical instru-
mcnts. lamps. blue lights and rockets
rests with the officers in command OF
tho bont2. The water-breakors are nl-
ways kept ready filed. each officer
seeing to his boat In this respect Tho
wafer is renewed mt least once q weok.
Tho life-bonts are nil fitted with two
nir-tight galvanized iron tanks, In
which all necessary provisions may BIO
stored. They generally pull ten oars
double banked. and under every mans
soat thore ID hung q life-belt formed OF
cork.
One who witnosses this drill ut sea
not fail to DO impressed by it. II
Is not n littlo r%oassuriug when the eye
seeks the wide ocean. and tho mind
thinks OF the crowds OF human beings
on board snip. to mnrl1 the mnn-of-
war-iilto discipline that those plain
merchant sailors fall 80 easily into. 10
observe the swiftness with which they
swing out each large and powerful liie-
boat ovor the side clear 70 it's falls, and
to liston to tho furious gushing Of the
thick streams OF wntor from the hose,
ready In n breath to DO pointed to u
fame tho instant it Is discoverod.--
iiarpcr's Weekly.