Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1889-05-06
BOATS MUSTER AT SEA.
The Fire and Boat Drill on Board OF
Transatlantic Steamers.

inventions it is ineXcusab1e If a ship be
sent to sea unfinished with the best OF
those life-saving appliances which
modern ingenuity has produced. New
erthelcss. it unfortunately does very
often happen that when shipwreck
occurs a score of contrivances for life
eaving which ought to be on board are
wanting. Sometimes it is the boats |
that arc at fault-perhaps they are
slowed bottom up, or hang in badly |
working dayits-and the ship sinks |
! before they can be cleared and got over !
the side.
Things are nowadays better ordered |
on the great Transatlantic liners, on the
! best of which the crews arc periodical
ly drilled in handling tho ships boats,
| in Watering and provisioning them,
| and in preserving their seaworthincss
as structures liable to be required at
any hour of the day or night for i'm
mediate use. In some lines the men
are mustered and sent through their
fire and boat drill OH the morning OF
the day before leaving England. Tho
ron assemble to the shrill cry OF the
boatswains whistle, the watches arc
called, and then all are told off TO
their respective stations. This is
called the captains muster. An hour
later the whole crew are again mus
tered, put through their drill, and
pipcd down. The ship is then in
,spcctcd and steam ordered. Then
there is fire and boat-drill once ut sea
during the voyage, when the chief
officer sees that the men arc at their
stations. and reports the fact to the
= captain. The pumps are tried, and the
third officer takes his station on tho
D main-decll and secs that the hands arc
c at their places there by the water
: tight doors. The crow are then told
# off to their respective boats, and after
the chief officer has noted that the men
are in their proper places, several OF
tho boats arc swung out and in. One
, can see, from the promptness with
- which each man springs to his post at
" the boats wain's hOarsc command, how
'e custom would be sure to prevail and
N form the decply-nccded discipline in
lie time Of danger.
Y In the distribution of the boats, IL
case of having to abandon the ship
20 the captain takes No. l starboard life
no boat, tho four mates have charge o
49, other boats and cutters, and the boat
swain, carpenter and quartcrmastcr
taIxc command of the remainder. Ever.
- body knows his own boat, for a regis
tcr OF boat-statiOns is kept, with tn
Vi names of tho crow Of each boat. Their
e- can be no confusion in that respect a
70 least. The instructions are exceeding
of w simple in case Of leaving the shil
Il is the duty of tho officers to sc
ms their respective boats ready for lower
Vt. ing, and to guard against any or
entering orattompting to lower Il boa
without the captains personal orde
Then the surgeon, chief steward, cook
chief waiter, baker and butcher e.
rst water and provisions ready, and sec TIL
n each boat is victualed. The duty
w procuring compusses, nautical instr
&c.,. mcnts, lamps, blue lights and rookie
b rests with the officers in command
WI the boats. The watcr-brealIors are ;
INC ways kept ready filled, each ofic
II d." seeing to his boat in this respect. II
the wafer is renewed at lcast once wee
he Tho lifo-boats arc all fitted with tN
air-tigbt galvanized iron tanks,
lsed which all necessary provisions may
stored. They generally pull ten Ga
ro- double banked, and under every maj
, seat there is hung q life~bclt formed
eom cork.
Ono who witnesses this drill at S
cnn not fail to be impressed by 1t.
IA. is not little reassuring whom the c
.: seeks the wide ocean. and the mi
thinks Of the crowds Of human boir
w. on board snip. to mark the man.
Jus wur-}ilke discipline that those pl
tiho merchant sailors fall 50 easily into,
pave observe the swiftncss with which I'll
have swing out each large and powerful Il
ANA boat over the side clear to its falls, ;
.u,o. to listen to tho furious gushing OF
,Ir thick streams Of water from the he
u ~ ready in breath to be pointed t
&c. flame the instant it is discovered
Harper's Weekly.