Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-28
LIFE PRESERVERS.
Granulated Cork is Worse Than
Worthless for Such Use.

~ Tue Euitor OF Inc Evening Star:
In the terrible holocaust on board the
steamer General Slocum the country is
once more reminded that men in some cases
care more either for official position or
money than they do for the lives of hui
| manity.
Durlng my long experience the country
mas not been under SO much excitement
since in the wreck of the United States
naval steamer Huron. off Mays Head, N.
c., October %, 1877, eighty-six sailors. in
Guiding two officers, persisted near and in
sight of life-saving station, which it was
illegal to open at that season of the wear
The ships boats were useless, except to
swamp at the ships side and drown ali who
had confided themselves to their sea-riding
qualities.
Except repeating the law or rule closing
the hfe-saving stations at any season, that
was all the benefit that came from this ter
rible lesson. Let us hope that this will not
be the case with the Slocum holocaust: that
it will not be allowed to pass away with
out action on the practical lessons it at
fords.
Hoping that 1 may be the means of
throwing some light on the matter of the
hfe-preserver question l will confne my
self to that alone, remarking at the same
time that there are other equipments on
these passenger steamers that when the
hour of trial comes will be found woefully
wanting.
When the present law for the protection
of life and property had been enacted and
the United States board of supervising in
spectors had been called in special session
at Washington to make rules and approve
of efficient equipments for use on the
steamers in compliance with the law | had
the honor to be invited to address the board
on the subject of Cork and Cork Life Pre-
sewers. L gave the history of cork and
cork life preservers from the time that
Romulus put cork jackets on his horses and
swan the river Tiber one stormy night and
captured Rome.
There was old rule of the board of
supervisors that required that leach life
preserver should consist of six pounds OF
cork" | presented life preserver which
had twenty-five pounds of cork, but that
would sink person, and another of four
pounds of cork that would easily support a
person. This showed the utter fallacy of
their rule | then claimed that there was
not life preserver on any steamboat I'M
der their jurisdiction that would save
person from drowning, and further agreed
to pay the expenses of bringing 600 alleged
life preservers to Washington If they
would direct their subinspectors to go on
board of that number of steamboats, and
select the best they could find and express
them to Washington. That was done, and
at trial at the foot of 9Th or 9TH street, in
the presence of a large number of people,
it was found that not one of the alleged
life preservers would support a person. /
was requested to prepare specifications for
an efficient life preserver. l showed sam
pie of a good piece of cork-which Is similar
to the fine cork used for bottle stoppers-
and also showed sample of the worthless
cheap cork from which my twenty-two-
pound worthless life preserver Was fabri
Gated; and which cork, by the way, the 600
life preservers which were taken from the
GOO steamers were also composed of. then
urged that each subinspector be supplied
with each of these samples, the good and
worthless cork, which would make him an
expert on cork to that extent at least; then
rl1la haf al ifa I,a
fabricated from six pounds of this good
cork, which must be. of four pounds buoy
ancy to the pound. the cork to be in blocks
pegged together in secure manner and
jacketed with first-class canvas, with holes
in the jackets, so that the inspector could
examine the cork.
This rule was adopted and all the old life
preservers were condemned
Charles A. Dana in his paper the New
York Sun, came out in bitter TRADES
against the new regulation; said a ring
had been formed to rob the steamboat own
ers. etc, etc. l was lampooned almost
daily, but paid attention. Finally he
sent and requested that l call on him and
explain the matter. l did. Finally l said:
Sir if you or any of your family had to
use any of those old alleged life preservers
they certainly would DROWN" and left him.
he not making any reply. but his opposition
ceased. and shortly thereafter the steamer
Mr.. Dana, who was on board, took to one
of the preServers with the holes in the
! jacket and was saved from drowning.
Since then the board has adopted the
pulverized cork, or swe 2pngs of cork, which
| have always condemned. From the price
| at which they are sold it is impossible to
| use cork of four pounds buoyancy to the
| pound.
The New York American, at my sugges-
| ton put man, June 10, in one of the
| Slocum's graduated alleged life preservers
| and published a photograph of the man
| sinking with it.
| Mr.. John Kitchner, one of the survivors
| of the Slocum. states: II put a life pre-
server on my daughter Elsie and dropped
| her overheard, thinking it would be perfect
| ~ safe. but the little one never appeared
| again"
| Could anything be more heartrendng?
| 1 think it is safe to say that very large
proportion of the life preservers in use on
| our passenger steamers today useless.
| If the press of the country, by river.
| sound. lake and ocean. would Immediately
| secure few samples of the life preservers
| now in use on the steamers and put good
| swimmers in them and publish photographs
| of the experiments, the tale would soon be
| told The men would sink with the alleged
life preServers on. =a.- 49, I: