The Washington herald., 1911-04-02
SEA VOYAGER SAFER
THAN WHEN AT HOME
HON. Modern Nautical Science Has Made
Ocean Travel Less Dangerous
- l~~~' Than Trolley Ride

I and in the face of the greatest opposi.
ton. Formerly when a collision &C.
, CURED or a ship struck rock the water
gained such Roadway through the rent
made in the vessels side that doors
could not be closed. Nowadays. cleo
trically operated doors are used. These
doors are. controlled by steam or COM
pressed air. In addition to the bulk
head divisions many of the modern YES
sells are equipped with double bottoms.
Thus, when a modern liner by any
chance strikes a rock. only the outer
bottom IS penetrated and the ship goes
on its way as II nothing had happened.
Powerful pumps that win lift 5000 tons
of water in few minutes are always
m readiness and connect with the space
between the two bottoms.
To warn the captain Of the approach
CT icebergs in foggy weather at night
when he could not see them. a sensi-
tive thermometer is attached to the side
of the vessel below the water line. On
approaching an iceberg there is always
an appreciable lowering of temperature.
Before the Introduction Of modern
safety appliances a fire was the most
terrible thing that could happen on
shipboard. Frequently flames would
make great Roadway before even boats
could be lowered and the unlucky pas
sengers had to choose between swim
ming for their lives or being burned to
death Now q fire is practically an i'm
possibility on an ocean liner.
Many Fire Devices.
The most effective fire services in the
world are on ships Extraordinary as
it may seem, an ingenious divice has
been put into use which rings an alarm
before the fire has actually started. The
fire alarm is a mechanical device. All
parts of the ship are wired and Their
mometers are located at various points
When the temperature in the vicinity of
one of these instruments gets so high
that ignition is likely to follow, the
wires fuse and create an electric cur
rent. Then bells ring throughout the
ship, while a red light on a dial in the
gives the alarm there.
Although the divices on ocean liners
for the prevention of danger are large
~ automatic, they are all dependent on
one man, the officer in the wheelhouse-
The present-day liner has been rightly
called a floating city, and the man who
is responsible for the safety of that
city is the man in the wheeIhouse. The
between New York and the ports OF
Europe, have elevators, bathrooms,
theaters, and libraries. If anything goes
wrong in any part of them the man in
the wheelhouse knows ii instantly. In
front of him are numerous diagrams,
charts, Thermometers. barometers. tele-
phones. and levers, all ready to sound the
alarm at the approach of danger.
Even the unlucky passenger who falls
overheard is protected. AS soon as the
cry Man overboardr' is heard, the Of
fcer in the wheelhouse presses a but
ton. Immediately life-preservers are re-
leased from the sides of the ship and
drop overheard AS they reach the water
red lights on them, touched of by a
chemical process. point out their pre-
sence to the passenger, who grasps the
If them dropped that one is almost sure
o come within reach-and hold on until
a boat is lowered and he is safely |
iroWn aboard. |