Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-14
DANGER AT SEA.
Robbing the Deep of Its Olden Ter.
rors-Fog, Fire and Collision.

rors-Fog, Fire and Collision.
From the Van Norden Magazine.
The seas toll of death through ship
wreck and fire is heavy one, and an
nually life and property are offered up as
tribute to old Neptune, which, when con-
sidered in the aggregate, seems almost
beyond conception. Yet we have abun-
dant statistics to show that the risk at
sea has steadily declined in the past quar-
ter of century, and safeguards are pro-
vided by science which all but eliminate
the danger except in a few particular To-
calities and under circumstances which
cannot be helped. Our modern ocean
steamers are not only floating palaces of
delight, but eminently safe homes for
those who circumnavigate the globe. and
casualties on them are growing extremely
rare.
disaster at sea-" remarked q marine
insurance underwriter glancing bitterly
over long list of losses, lis so unneces-
Sary today that it seems almost criminal
to permit it. Every steamer that leaves
port could be equipped with safeguards
which would protect the crew and passen-
gers from death and make property al
most as safe as on land 1t is only the
laXity of ship-owners and commanders
that keeps up the great annual losses
Millions of dollars are paid out every year
In marine insurance risks which are I'M
called for and l suppose they will con-
tinue to be paid until laws are made and
enforced requiring the adoption of all
practical safety appliances"
This comprehensive accusation places
the blame upon the shipping interests
rather than upon science Like the rail-
road. which refuses to adopt the best
safety appliances to guard against acct
dents. the steamship company which for
economy's sake fails to use every possible
precaution invites risks to life and prop
erty which are nothing but criminal We
cannot control the storms and blast the
rocks from the seas, nor disspate the fogs
which hang so menacingly over shifting
sand banks; but we can chart the oceans
issue weather information, ny danger sig
nails and even rob the fogs of their fer
ror. We cannot totally eliminate the dan
ger of fire or drive back the tidal wave
but we can surround the ship with fire
alarms and safeguards so that the risk of
extensive conf1agration is reduced to a
minimum, and we can even render the
huge tidal waves of the ocean ineffective
in operation.
The two specters at sea which science
has sought to rob OF all danger are fire
and collision and how well these have
been overcome may be Judged from a
study of the equipments of a first-cla ss
ocean steamer which sails from any of
our ports. In former days d fire at sea
meant the inevitable loss OF life and prop
erty; The insurance underwriters re-
gard certain cargoes as great fire risks.
such. for instance as jute, cotton, hemp
and other fibers and coal. A fire in the
coal bunkers is the most di1ncult to con-
troll. 1t is the result of spontaneous COM
bustion, but the proximity of the fuel to
the boilers and furnaces first produces the
condition essential to the starting of such
a fire. Bunker fires in war vessels must
always be followed by flooCing of the
magazines to prevent an explosion but in
a merchant vessel the first step is to con-
troll and smother the fire or at least local
iZe it. A great many of the chemicals
used for eXtirgushing fires on land would
prove dangerous at sea in coal bunkers
for the explosive gases of the coal uniting
with the chemicals might send the shin TO
the bottom as though struck by torpedo.