New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-10
PLENTY or LIFEBOATS.
LA BOURGOGNE SUPPLIED IN EXCESS
OF LEGAL REQUIREMENTS.


FIRE DRILLS REQUIRED ONCE 4 WEEK-Dls-
c1p1ISE THE ONLY THING THAT COUNTS.
The Bourgogne disaster has caused much discus
sion on the subject of llfe-savng appliances on
board ocean going vessels. and the fact that nun
dreds Of lives were lost, although the vessel re-
/ manned aNoat nearly an hour after the coiI'sloh
took place caused many people to believe tha' sne
was insuficienty provided with ifeboa;s Hte-pre-
/ servers and liferafts
Jnnurv at the Office OF the United States In
| snector OF Steam Vessels discloses the fact mat
! the Inflated ship was adequately furnished with
! nfe-sav!ng paraphernalia, and Tor that 'e"soi'
| many people believe that n proper use had been
made of The boats. RATS belts and rings the as
I aster would have been less serious
The law provides tina, every ocean-going pas
senrer s,ef mer shall carry as many prescrvers
ne II carries passengers. and shall have HfeOoa's
/ and RATS sufficient to accommodate all passengers
/ and the crew In cases OF emergency one oil Inc
/ ufeboats must be made OF metal The law reads:
The total capacity OF lfeboas or OF hieooa's h1n
uforafts on steamers navigating the ocedh 'hd u
no, he less than the capacity given ACCORDING 10
I tonnage.
The carrying capacity OF all lifeboats IS deter
mined hv the following rule: Multiply the outside
length outside width and inside depth together
and the product by :. and divide the last product
by 100 thus: A boat 20 feet long. feet "lde anu
feet deep will carry fourteen persons: 2p&5<- 700
! 200x7=l.4e): 400 5lc)-H.
Liferafts and collapsibe lifcboats are used *
,enslveiy but according to the law. not more than
one-thrd OF the boat capacity required on ocean
steamers may be represented 10y these equivalents
The boats must all have at least lS cubic feet
capacity
As to Mfe-preservers. the law states
Every life-preserver adjustable 70 the body o.
person shall De made Of good sound cork DOCKS OF
othcr .uitable materiai WIZ 6e' nS ana
so as to place the cork underneath the shoulders
and around he body Of The person weHi.hf j" I IhG
/ inches apart on the back OF Tho prcserNer. and
boSy and must have also strap across the breast
from one shoulder stra? 20 the other sewcd las az
! one end and with a huttonhoe IN the other. with
/ a button shoulder strap. 10 which the cross
Servers Shall be no, less than nfty-four inches N
| length measurement from end 10 cnd around t,e
body And II shall be the duty OF the inspectors
/ 10 see by actual examination that every sucA ne
preserver contains at least six pounds "i @ooi cok
/ which shall have buoyancy OF at 'asl iouI
pounds 10 each pound Of cork inspectors are
further required 10 direct sueh fepres.tV,!s 20 .e
/ distributed throughout the cabins; s'a'tI"oi"s
berths and other places convenient ior pa7sr,s
I on such steamer: and mere shan D" PHI PHI H.
notice posted In every cabin and stdieIoon ana ~
| conspicuous places about IN" decks informing pas
ufr+saing appliances and Of Inc mode OF apply Ing
/ or adjusting the same. Cork cushions. "h'n con
able material with belts and shoulder straps prop
/ erly attached. said cushions 10 contain not less
spectors may be used in lieu Of he-preseryers on
{ small pleasure steamers
BOurgCgne
States authorities on March %. lsas. and pro-
nounced by Captain Peter c. Petrie IN hrst-class
! condition The record Of that examination In cap
tain Petres Office shows that she was OF 1875 gross
tons burden. had ten watcrtight bukheads. ll'
! nrst-cIass staterooms and %l sccond-closs bcrths
There accommodations for 81 nrst cabin
passengers. &C second cabin passengers and Gi2
/ stecrage passengers. which, together with Of
GERS and crew. numbering 2lA made "A total OF 20
| For these there were on hand and properly lis
posed 1870 perfect Ife-preservers. 1914 NOR" than
required by law twelve atwood lfeboats and four
! Nferaf,s The lfeboats were fully and thoroughly
equipped. each having cask Of fresh water and a
7 quantity OF bread. The l!fcboat and nferaii
capacity was go, cubic feet about 1900 cubic feet
/ In excess Of the amount required by law.
In addition to all this the Inspector found thirty
Ave auxiliary fe-saving apparatuses IN the shape
/ of cork rings. There compasses for each
boat together with such articles as are prescribed
| for use in these small but necessary craft
On the whole. it seems that there was no lack OF
Hfe-saving paraphernalla and that in that respect
! the French ship was all that could be desired.
nc-vr Sav ,ha; Ifeboats and life-nr,scryors are Of
little avail when they not backed up 10y good
discipline aboard the snip. FOR that rea.on the
Steamship Inspection Department requires that fire
| drills ana similar exercises shall tax" pace on
board ocean vessels at Least once every week In
these drills the officers and men composing the
crew take their places and perform he dnli'a to
that when accident takes place. and the drll
means more than practice. they VIII respond At
than lie saving.
Every man knows 20 which boat he belongs In
II has TO he lowered. He knows also who
/ VIII be the commander Of the boat after II has
| been lowered away. and me part which he must
I take IN helping passengers to get aboard NOt 4
detail IS forgotten and the ships commander, as
/ ne watches the dri. compels those sub-crews or
to repeat their parts VINO have failed - per
form th2'n properly. One ships captain said that
he called his crew to fire drill every day and mat
no board. except he and his ars officer,
eyer knew AT what hour tho drill would take d ace
! 1t "a the duty Of some Of the men 20 close the
wateriisht compartments. Of others to simply
| stand by while others attend TO hose. IRE
| buckets. lifeboats and lifelines.
! 'The waiertght cOnpaIt ments are not only 10
prevent The spread Of fire. said the captain. but
fear Of fire. but his dread OF fog is great IL
| was and what j. known as fire drill mieht
! well be called fog drill"
In port because a fire drill a. would cause d
| panic. Even in port the drl takes place VITA
little noise. and all orders are given by signal
! avoid unnecessary excitement.
One Of the steamship companies added a
ship 10 It's fleet some time ago. and few days
America a number OF people were asked 10 dine
aboard the great floating hotel. Just the guests
| were about TO begin their dinner there sounds
from whistles electric bells steam whistles and
in instant the crew. from first Off 'or 10 the
grmy stokers were rushing TO their several posts.
/ Boats swung from the davits and manned,
and then the signal came to 30 back.
! One OF the guests. in describing the drill said
that IN the space OF ten minutes the ship had been
/ turned inside out and back again" As spertacu-
lar exhibitions these drills doubtless
terestng. but the catastrophe on La Boufgogno
leaves doubts In the minds OF many people as 10
! their value as h'e-saving precautions
FOUGHT WITH SAILOR OF LA BOURGOCNE.
Joseph Ro!leri. twenty years old who lives with
I a ed eie Gum