Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-02-28
TO SAVE THE sHIPwRECKED.
The Life Raft Designed by Admiral Ammen
and How Il Works.

| The Life Raft Designed by Admiral Ammer
and How 1t Works.
'.In the heaviest weather when a vessel MAY
sink, says Rear Admiral Daniel Ammen in
letter to THE STAR, life RATS may be SO placed
as not to be caught by the rigging and furnish
means at least Of possible rescue. In Decem
Der, 1864. when troops were landed north Of
Fort Fisher at the first bombardment. forty
boats belonging to the navy were capsized, mer
drowned and ammunition wetted. TO meet
such contingencies . few months later l de-
| signed and built on board OF the Mohican wha,
has since been known az the 'Ammen Balsa
1t is catamaran, composed of two oval casks
eighteen feet long yoked together and sustain
ing platform on and between them.
Three years ago Mr.. Whitney, then Secretary
of the Navy, convened board to provide the
service with efficient life boats. At that time ]
wrote an official letter to the department., sug.
costing certain notifications of the balsa az
likely to make it more serviceable than any con.
structiOn known to me, but receiving no re-
| Spouse, designed what is herein described.
For European steamers propose RATS made
OF two floats male OF paper or metal twenty
five feet in length, bearing platform twenty
feet long by ten feet wide having a fotation
OF ll.000 pounds, to the top Of the fange on the
canoe section and half as much more in the
deck Or ellip,ical section, which is secured to
the canoe section tightly by means OF bolts and
straps. The deck section is fitted with scuttles
to put provisions within the middle body of the
floats, that are divided into three compartments
OF eight feet in length each.
The canoe section has horizontal diameter
at the center Of forty inches. tapering to the
ends, where the diameters are twenty inches.
The platform is built on yOkes, cased and &c
cured to the floats by means of bolts and double
taps and braced within the casing by the
thwarts.
"A life line around the casing, grommets put
on it to thrust the arm through, tenders dipped
In oil when the raft is launched, double paint
ers to bOwse the raft close up to the launching
trough, row locks. oars, boat hooks, small mast,
lug sail and a weather cloth compose the
OUTFIT. By means of simple leverage and the
use OF the oars and boat hooks it il intended to
raise the launching trough on to the platform
after the raft is slid down. A distinctive
feature. which promises q special advantage
in life saving al sea, is the launching trough.
This is 80 inches wide, 70 inches deep and
rs feet in length for vessels whose spar decks
are 16 or IL feet above the sea. 1t is built on
ribs, Slated lengthwise inside and out, we'll
traced and has a canvas chute within it to get
passengers on the raft after it has been pro-
visiOned and launched. Vessels with decks
not more than II feet above the sea level will
not require launching trough, as the raft can
readily be got over without it. An ordinary
chute fire escape will then suffice to transfer
would be over the Aern, where the bulwarks
should be fitted to let down, as is done in the
use of pivot guns. There being only one place
to launch. order could be maintained and pas
sengers got off the vessel in weather too rough
to lower boats without accident or get passen-
gers on them were they lowered. The weight
Of the launching trough, including a metallic
tank to sustain the water-borne part, is 600
pounds; Of the life raft, 1900 pounds; pro-
visions, 800 pounds, and fifty-four people,
estimated at 5. 500 pounds, leaving 5000 pounds
margin Of Aotation in the canoe section of the
floats. We're a vessel to sink through a COL
lision or other cause without giving time to
launch, we're the RATS 30 placed as not to be
fOuled by the rigging when the vessel went
down, they would not be liable to be swamped
or carried down by the vortex. which would
probably be the fate Of boats under the same
conditions"