The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-05-20

Illustrated, Of New York, emphasize a
point OF view which, in the criticism
OF the White Star line and the Brit.
fish Board of Trade, which has gone
up from the other side Of the line, has
been overlooked. The article, after
rcmarking that the effect OF the II
tanic disaster in the United States,
by reason of the faxed accounts in
the yellow press, has been to destroy
the sense of common understand
ing and cause a state Of hystera
which finds no echo in Washington,
continues:
For instance at the present time,
nothing in our laws calls for steam
er to have a double bottom. In the
matter of bulkheads our law calls for
three, no matter how small or how
large the ship is, and in a ship of two
or more decks the bulkheads need not
come to the main decks, thereby leav-
ing the tween decks without bulk
head, SO that in the event of vessel
listing, the water may flow into any
Fart of the ship. No provision is
made for scantlings, so that a large
ship, If merely built to comply with
cur laws, is no better than brown pa.
PER No provision is made for a load
line, while as to compasses, chronoma-
ter ratings and other aids to naviga-
ton, our laws exhibit the greatest un.
concern. No large ship, carrying up
ward of 1000 souls, was ever given
lifeboat equipment to take care of
everyone. No country demands it,,
and with the present system of large
deck spaces for passengers uses such
an equipment could never be installed
within the space left vacant. Steam
ship companies have Wed with eacn
other in excelling the most stringent
requirements of the law as regards
life-saving appliances and it is to the
credit of our American companies es-
pecially, that given the power to op-
crate vessels no better than floating
death traps, they have provided YES
sells comparing structurally with the
finest products of foreign shipyards
except in one respect.
"At the risk of hurting the suscepti
bilities of many of our readers, strict
regard for the truth compels us to
state that the lifeboats of most Amer
lean steamers are far inferior to
those of European vessels. In Great
Britain especially, specifications for
lifeboats are drawn as carefully as
those of the ship which is to carry
them. Here, per contra, certain
number of boats are specified, the
shipbuilders buy them from boat
Iuilders, fit them on board, and the
matter ends there. So poorly design
ed are some of these boats, bought in
Job lots from manufacturers, th1t
they could not be used in any kin'l
of sea imposing a tax upon the'I
strength.
ut is conceded that the life-savin%
appliances of big liners could he
much improved upon by international
agreement, 1t is a question whether
boat accommodation could be provid-
ed for all on board-and we, of course
irclude the crew-when large liners
of the leviathan type are crowded
full. Few people, outside shipping
circles, realize that seldom does any
steamship arriving at or leaving New
York, carry it's maximum number Of
passengers.
THE lifeboat and life raft equip
lnent had been considered by the
American, German, French and Eng
lish governments as ample. In most
cases the steamship companies have
even exceeded the rigid requirements
of the various governments, but if It
is considered that even this is made
quate, all companies would stop az
nc end to more fully safeguard their
passengers as far as practicable. Ger
tainly the safety of human life is vast
ly more important than the settle
ment of sealing rights or of boun-
dairy disputes, which subjects are so
skilfully handled at the Dutch CAPT
tai The Hague Tribunal is peculiar
~ fitted to deal with this situation. .
SUGAR ON KAUAI.
Purser Akau of the Kinau reports
the following sugar awaiting shipment
on Kauai: X. S. NJ $50, X. K. B. $500,
Max. 57,9O2, X. S. Co. 400, L. p.
2S,S51, V. X. $50, G. & R. $3.50, McR.
1878, K. P. 1850, C. F. $3.50.
SIERRA MEETS GALE.
SAN FRANCISCO, May S.-The ST.
ezra experienced ideal weather con,