Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-15
SAVING LIFE AT SEA
DEVICES THAT REDUCE DANGER
OF OCEAN TRAVEL.
Some of the New Ingenious Inventions
Floating Globe, Collapsible
Boat

In his great battle with the sea. q battle
which never ends man has displayed much
Ingenuity. While realizing that the foe will
always be too strong for him. he never re-
lakes his Efforts to make ocean voyaginK
free from danger "a possible. Capt j. NJ
Donvlg, Norwegian shipmaster, has In
vented a floating globe which has under
gone repeated tests successfully. This
globe. capable of holding sixteen persons.
may be amply provisioned. watered and
supplied with fresh air. II is claimed to be
absolutely non sinkable. floating on the sur
face Of the widest In his globe Capt
Donvig has utilized the principle OF the hol-
low ball that floats readily upon the water
The shell Is constructed of steel and is
braced sufficiently TO make Il strong enough
to withstand the battering of angry waves
or even pounding upon rocks or the shore.
IL is so constructed that the part intended
to be the top viii always float uppermost.
In part the ballast consists of two large
tanks, each capable OF holding 30 gallons
of fresh water. Seats for passengers that
cncircle the interior are built over lockers.
in which a considerable quantity of food
may be stored.
In the top of the globe is a twelve-inch
ventilating pipe, which may be raised to a
height of five feet or lowered so as to he
flush with the outer surface OF the globe.
There are three manholes by which a pas
senger may enter or leave the globe, and
tHiouSh sHldl! grass pprInOieS the outer sur
roundings OF the globe may be observed.
The interior contains toilet accommodation
ana cooking appliances. so that. with fresh
water. warm food and dry. II somewhat
cramped. quarters castaways may manage
to pass the time In more or less comfort
until rescued the globe drifts ashore
Completely fitted out and containing sixteen
persons, the life-saver draws twentythree
inches of water.
When caught in a collision. passengers
ana crew OF a ship have only to climb into
life saving globes. close the manholes and
without fear. wait for their vessel to sink
No matter how great the suction. Capt
Donvig asserts. the globes will bob to the
surface serenely and right side up.
Ely displaying flag by day and discharg-
ing rockets at night he would expect to be
picked up without great delay. unless the
wreck occurred far out of the usual lines of
sea travel
Collapsible Lifeboat
A marine engineer of a neighborlng ma
tion-Capt. Engelhardt OF Denmark-has
just invented a collapsible. non-snkable
lifeboat. which. when not in use. may be
folded and slowed away In much less space
than is required for the ordinary boats
aboard a ship. The operation of extending
or opening 1t Is very simple. requiring only
few moments. A boat of such a type.
twenty feet long. even when filled with
water. WILL it is asserted. sustain more than
1000 pounds. and one twenty-six feet long
will float 5000 pounds.
The great buoyancy of Capt. Englehardts
craft is due TO the fact that its bottom and
fender are filed with kapok, the product Of
plant that grows in Java and Sumatra.
1t will sustain from thirty to thirty-five
times its own weight In water-seven and
a half times the buoyancy of cork.
When not in use the superstructure OF
the boat may be folded down. When erect
the superstructure Is surrounded by
fender. also filed with kapok In water-tight
cushions. In extending the boat the oars
are released. N oval-shaped thwart sup
piled with cross-thwarts slides into posi-
ton and stanchions and other parts drop
into their places automatically. The mech
anism is simple and not easily put out OF
order.
1t is asserted that this boat would be
serviceable with Its sides torn. its
plugs lost and its bottom crushed. Being
less than foot in depth when folded. IL
may easily be slowed. Heavy seas not
likely to injure It. Furthermore. IL is al
ways ready. Should a vessel with such an
equipment sink suddenly. the lifeboats
would float as RATS and still support their
full complement of passengers.
Capt EngleEardts boat is very easy to
launch. If the davits damned II may
be thrown overheard bodily, and be
manned and extended later while in the
water. Its construction is such that II
cannot capsize, even If all the passengers
it will hold crowded against one rail.
An interesting development of the gaso-
line motor has taken place in this country.
a
the of regular life-saving stations.
The motor is intended to relieve the
crew from the arduous labor entaied In
approaching a wreck against heavy seas
and head winds. Sometimes life-saverS
and those whom they are endeavoring to
rescue meet death In the surf because the
men have been exhausted by the terrific
strain of battling with the seas.
Motor Driven Lifeboat.
An experimental motor-driven lifeboat
has been put into service at Newhaven for
this winter. 1t is expected that all the Inn
portant stations of the British coast will
soon be equipped with such craft.
Before adopting the gasoline motor into
the lifeboat service many difficulties were
surmounted. In the first place. IL was in
perative that the motor be adequately pro-
tected from the violence Of the waves that
are constantly shipped. To attain such an O.
end it found necessary to inc!ose the
engine in an absolute water-tight case.
Then again the motor had to be as nearly
automatic as possible But what was tar
more important that the lifeboat
should not lose its ability to right itself
because OF the weight and position of the
machinery and also that the motor should
stop automatically in the event OF the boat
being capszed. All these requirements. II
is asserted. have been met in the craft just
put into service at Newhaven.
NJ. Probst a native Of Geneva, has In
vented a new life-saving costume. Dressed
in it, he has remained fifteen days at sea.
There is no limit to the time this new life
saving apparatus may be worn.
1t is made of india rubber. and can easily
be put on. 1t is watertight. and covers all
but the hands and face So light is 1t that
nearly half the body remains above water.
Ingeniously made watertight pockets con-
tain the necessary provisions. implements
with which to repel the attacks of large fish,
and a trumpet with which to attract the
attention of passing ships. Francis g. Hall.
jr.. graduate of Yale University. has in
vented a modern breech-loading firearm
destined to materially increase the efficien-
cy of lfe-saving corps
1t Is considerably less than three feet in
length, and is built of steel and special
kind of bronze. unaffected by salt air. II
tapers from the breech, where the greatest
strain comes. to diameter of five inches
at the muzZe. A special sef-locking
mocha nism. believed to be the simplest and
to have the fewest working parts OF any
yet devised, closes the rear Of the bore In
such a way that any water finding its way
in will instantly drain out. The firing ham,
mer. with safety device, Is actuated by
lanyard and relies wholly on the pull OF
the gunner. all the springs and delicate
latches ordinarily used In army cannon ,
being entirely done away with.
Instead of having the powder charge IN
a loose woOnen bag. open to moisture, IL