The times., 1898-08-12
FATAL FORGETFULNEsS.
The Misuse or Neglect of Life Belts
in Ocean Disasters


The forgetfulness of people in great
emergency has had many illustrations. In
the fire that destroyed the Newhall House
at Milwaukee, middle aged man and his
wife leaped from the window of their
room and We're killed by the fall, although
right at hnfd was a fire esca"e. Thev
had often told their friends that in case
of fire they could easily go down this es-
cape, but at the moment it was needed it
was forgotten. The same happens in the
matter of life preservers at sea. The
westminster Gazette, commenting on the
Bourgogne horror, says that many pas
sengers forgottthe belts and others ''al-
lowed them to- slip down to their legs.
with the result that their heads were
forced under the water In reference to
this melancholy incident, representative
OF the Gazette had a conversation
with Mr.. Dibdin, the secretary of the
National Lifeboat Institution. Mr. Dib-
din stated that the life-belt must be Sc
cured firmly TO the body. or it was very
likely to slip dtwn to the legs. And when
this had occurred the life-belt must be
got rid of as quickly as possible, or it
would force the head of the strongest
swimmer under the water If. however,
the belt Is confined very closely round
the bouy, the pressure materially af-
ieciS the free action of the lungs, and
lmpedes the muscular movement of the
chest and arms
In the case of life-boat men, who al
ways undergo their severe exertions with
Aie-pelts around them, this matter is of
great Importance. To meet this difficulty,
the National Lifeboat Institution has con-
structed belt in two zones. an upper
anu lower. Between these two zones
Is leather girdle, exerting the same
pressure on the body as a cricket or
mountaineering belt, which suffices to
Keep the whole life-belt in position with
out greatly interfering with respiration or
muscular movement. For the good lady
VINO during every night of a voyage to
Australia insisted on wearing her life
Deit. Tor fear of a wreck such freedom
as this would be considerable boon It
Is stated TO be common thing for peo-
PIE In the excitement of shipwreck TO
leave their life-belts behind them in their
mad rush for the deck While this re-
mains the case. even the ingenious belt
or the National Lifeboat Institution will
be OF no avail
IN connection with the question of
Hie-belts. correspondent writes: ON n
Observation-Disclosures night in the middle
OF the indian Ocean-one of those still
and sitting nights of the tropics. when
the sea looks like glass and every hatch
way and scuttle of a ship is open TO
the heavy air-an Indian steamer was
pioWing its way toward the west
Down below the passengers were tossing
In their hunks, and indolently on the
bridge officers were navigating in cricket
hannels; while in all the clear night no
vessels light could be deserted nor any
sound beard but the great throbbing of
the engine and the ripple of the sea
Then suddenly in tire path of this ship
terrible danger appeared. Just ahead
OF her, without warning, the ocean
opened. the ship fell into the gulf and
the waters covered her. From stem TO
stern the ship trembled; mighty flood
poured into the cabins; for a moment
there was great struggle with the sea
but then, with bound. the vessel came
again 10 the surface.
-" There were wild screams from
mothers and children; there was mad
rush made up the gangway: and then.
like frightened sheep, the passengers
were gathered on the deck-haying pass
ed safely through the midst of a sea
quake" But the curious thing is, they
had all left their life-belts behind. These
were still hanging uselessly below. And
herein lies a problem: How is peoples
forgetfullness to be dealt with? Keep
all the belts on the deck" is a natural
answer. And though GOO is large num-
Der TO have hanging round the bulwarks.
yet il would seem that either this must
be done or else we must decide that
those who cannot remember 70 save
themselves had better not be saved -