Evening star., 1905-08-22
TO MAKE SHIPS SAFE.
Electrical Contrivance Installed in
New War Vessel.
From the World Today.

From the World Today.
A new system by which the flooding of
whole ship or any vital part of it as a re-
suit of the puncture of the hull can be pre-
vented by an electrical device is described
by Daniel T. Pierce. The first opportunity
to see this new system in full working or
der occurred when the flag was hoisted
over the armored cruiser Colorado at the
League Island navy yard. 'In the pilot
house of the vessel" says Mr. Pierce "far
above deck in place safe from any dan
ger that might threaten the hull is the
central emergency station, two water
tight steel boxes, with a rim of GLASGOW
cred disks around the edge, wheel in the
center and button just under the rim of
the wheel where it could not be pressed ac-
cidentally. From these boxes run cleo
trical conductors to fifty watertight bulk
head doors and armor hatch gears OF
course, there are many more openings than
this in the bulkheads of the Colorado but
the doors and hatchways controlled from
the emergency station are those which arc
vital to the safety of the ship in case of
skin puncture, the doors to the steering
room, engine and fire rooms, and the am
muntion rooms.
THE first of the power doors under con-
troll of the emergency station s found at
the foot Of ladder leading to the ammu-
milton rooms. 1t Is ponderous affair of
steel plate, but the interesting thing about
1t is not Its weight: 1t Is the mechanism by
which 1t is opened and closed by the long
arm system-a very good name, by the
way considering the reach of those wires
running from the pilot house to every part
of the ship. For what it is expected to do
this mechanism Is simple enough and takes
up very little room. 1t is merely a one
horse power electric motor perched above
the door, along with a fuse box and small
lever Suppose that the Colorado is ram
med some time and tons of water begin to
pour through a hole below her water line.
1t would be impossible to close the bulk
head doors by hand against this thrush.
But up above the deck some one would
have seen the approaching danger, would
have turned the wheel of the emergency
station, straightway fifty door motors
would have begun their work. and in less
than minute and half the doors of
fifty buikhead openings would have BEEN
moved into their watertight grooves Moth
ing could stop them; official tests show
that the doors can be closed against al
most any pressure or obstruction short of
a bulky mass intervening between them
and the door frame.
This is what the long-arm' system
does. There is another feature of the sys-
tenn that ought TO be mentioned This Is
the means provided for the release ot men
who may be imprisoned in compart-
ment when the door is closed from the
central station. The hand lever, a part
of the door mechanism, Is duplicated un
the inside of the bulkhead. and when II Is
pulled from either side while the emer
gency current Is ON, the door VIII slide
backward upward, allow time for pls-
sage. and then close again, thus avoiding
the possibility that man might open the
door. and, in his Eush to escape from
dangerous position, fail to close II behind
him. Electricity has at last made II posi-
BILE to secure complete central control In
combination with perfect local control. The
American navy rcaps the first benefits Of
a system that is probably destined in time
to find place on every warship and pas
senger steamer.