New-York tribune., 1912-04-21
FRENCH SHIPS CARRY
RATS FOR ALL ABOARD
Law on Subject Most Severe IN
Europe-AdmiraI Urges More
Seamen on Flyers.
H3s
NEW LINER BOUND WEST
La France Has Passenger Ca.
pacity Of 1900 and Grew Of
500, with Boats and
Rats 30 Hold 900.
NEW LINER BOUND WEST
rRr Cable 70 Tho Tribune.

Paris. April 20.--A high official at ths
French Ministry OF Marine. discussing
to-day with. your correspondent The
Titanic disaster. said: ..s
1T would be premature and useless
until more explicit, technical informs
ton. reaches rs 10 attempt TO criticize
or deduce Lessons in regard 10 Efficacy
of bulkhesds. boats and lifesaving ap-
plances on the big Atlantic liners An
| / can now say Is that the French law
OF 1905 is the most severe and stringent
In Europe concerning lifebosts and RATS.
and a government inspector in every
French port is responsible for the regu.
J lations being complied with In Frencn
ships.
| mo two catastrcphes ever occur under
exactly similar circumstances. but In
France the technical naval opnior IS
! that large life RATS, such az are re.
ouired By the law OF lO0S, are much
more useful than lfcboats. which In
heavy sea are very precarious. More.
over, life RATS add less 10 the TOP ham,
per, any undue jncrease OF which makes
ship topheavv to the point Of danger.
~ naval commission IS now studying
to ascertain the best practice in water.
| tight compartment construction and the
problem whether or not wstertight bulk
heads discount the value OF boats and
RATS Authorities on naval construe-
ton are also considering the question
whether the building of enormous ships
to carry close upon three thousand pas
sengers necessarily reduces the margin
of safety The trend of opinion is that
these big ships are really safer than
those built fifteen years ago. provided
the lifesaving appliances increase con-
t, currently with and in proportion to the
size Of the ship"
| French ships are. in theory at least.
admirably equipped in regard TO safety
appliances. For instance, La France.
the new flyer OF the French Line. which
sailed to-day from Havre and which
was inspected on Thursday by your cor
respondent, has passenger capacity of
| 1900 OF which 535 Is first cabin and Az
Is second cabin. The crew numbers 500.
and there is raft and boat capacity to
float more than 1900 human beings.
A distinguished French admiral re-
marked to your correspondent: u put
my faith in good, commodious life RATS
rather than in boats or In bulkheads. 1t
is of vital Importance. however, to In
crease the number Of first class seamen
on all transatlantic liners, so that the
| RATS and boats can be properly handled
and commanded. Raft and boat drills.
too, should be more frequent. and, above
all, wireless operators should on all
ships, be on duty constantly day and
night"
Havre, April 2o-Ls France, the new a.
cotton French liner, sailed from Havre at
l o'clock this afternoon on her maiden
voyage to New York.
The passengers included Mr. and Mrs.
Robert Bacon, as well as the official French
delegation to the Champlain festivities.
j. Dal Piaz, the general manager OF the
French Line. who was also a passenger on
La France said before sailing that orders
had been given to the captain to take the
southern course and TO adopt every meas
The disaster TO the Titanic. except in very
few cases has not affected the passenger
list OF La France.