The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-04-18
HAGUE MAY SETTLE
SAFETY PROBLEM
Suggestion Made That Question
OF Liicboats BE Referred
to World Tribunal.
WHY THEY ARE so FEW
Steamship Companies Look at
Matter OF Expense ana
Room.

Especial To The Times D!spatchl
New York, April To- Whatever b.
the reasons for the nsuEiciency o
life boats on transatlantic liners. ant
that there is insuiiicieuCH was admit
ed by nearly every steamship mar
with whom your correspondent talkcl
TO-DAY, there seems to be !, certainty a
speedy reform. Congress already i:
considering Il bill forcing vessels tina
enter or clear from any port Of tn
United states 10 he equipped viii
ifeboats that Will accommodate. all tn,
passengers and all tho crow even ii
the boat is loaded TO capacity. Tu-dn )
specific suggestion WIS made 10y
Charles Won Hcimoli. general manager
for Ocrichs d Company agents OF The
North German LLOYD.
with the laws of every ma tion "a,
variance regarding the safety OF pas
senCers on steamships" Won hclmolt
said II believe the proper solution is
TO have The Hague tribunal take w
the matter Immediately and adori
SUCH point resolutions rs would in
sure as nearly absolute safety as pos
sible and under which all steamship
companies of every nation would he
compelled 10 operate"
Conform to Many Laws
He pointed out that II company like
the North German Lloyd must con
form 10 The laws of no less than four
countries IN carrying passengers be-
tween New Iark and Germany. In
explaining the habit of the steam-
ship companies OF not carrying enough
liieboais 70 take off all passengers IN
emergencies. Mr.. Non .Iytmolt said.
mere is seldom Il steamship ar
riNihE at or departing from New York
City that carries its maximum num-
- passengers. In the seasons
rusn business for Europe in Aprn,
May, June and July the cabin accom-
mediation is filled, but the s,.rr,.cs
are practically deserted. for IL g. a.,
ms time that the out door cors,rrc
ioil work Of the great companies 10
pelnG carried on. The foreign I;,rn,.
Element is then fully employed mis-
n"or comes over from Eurupe IN
me early months OF the year whcu
there is little or no cabin pHssnnr,,..
The steamship companies + -, :,
would gladly cooperate To liz f,i,a..,
chteht IN carrying out any ia, ~.
Pro!sct which would mako 10, ,.r".,o.
safety at sea" {
Noh Helmol; said that The steam
sHlp companies had believed ,bn -
on % saiety 10 be practically narfs,..
'he coming OF the wirclass
'sht compartments subinarinr
sShais, improved fire fiChtiur .,,,,', ~
years me past ten
he was asked why ships dom, ,,.r,.
more hfeDoats. lie said thern 49,.
tMo main reasons one reaeon
that the laws covering ,ha n,,,.a
were made many years ago bcrnrH ~
passenger Dreadnaugm was ,hornn,
o. ana did no; now compel the rn,,,H
49,, 70 nave adequate provisions for
60 s ihe other reason was that
80 COMPANY until the Titanic went
able 'hs "hsink-
He was asked If there WASH, room,
on the top deck of Tie vessels Tor mae
hiepoais He aAswered Yes .rbnro
was nothing on the deck, No said IL,
hiehoata and RATS, ana often ,hnv dii
not occupy Ill the space. lie era
Eested that the merchant vessels mirG,
aoopt the practice Of the navy NJ
nfstins ifebo2Ss .,h9t is. Of piling
uem up ole .withiti another. if II
re"1ty was matter Of lack OF room
VI course hoaA intended FOR most.
Ing" nave to 30 specially Nun, a.
fitting one into another.
Difficult 10 E.o~rr
The hydrographic ofice cNpcr. IN
this city said that the theorottr,l AZ
lection 10 the nesting Of ltfcbonts i.
that the merchant vessels do no; ,,rr,l
nearly as larfs crew in proportion
10 the!r tonnage rs the ships of tho
navy. ard that they do not stav, in
the service nearly as long lie ,boD.b,
IL wouii require an cxccptionaliy Vail
drilled lot Of ssamen 10 lower !lfcboa, &
which had been piloh on deck.
The hydrogrGnhia man Surmised tina,
one reason why the trans Atlantic
vessels carried so few liteboats is their
cost Most 81 rhem a made of metal
nowadays but whether Of wood or
metal. they cost aaout 81 pound.
which makes Inc Price q each hoat
between $4,000 ana $4,000. Tho life
boats ~ the United states Navy are
twsnty-tight feet long. e!gnt feet -four
inches beam and three feet seven
!nches drauEht
1T is rcroenizel fact" he said.
that nearly All coa4twisc vessels arc
fully equipped with lifehoa,s and
RATS, and the Transatlantic vessels
are Undetermined.
THE Titanic carried twenty life-
heats, although under the English
law which Eoy@rned her sine needed
but sixteen, They were capable OF
carrying 1876 persons, against the 75c
defandcd by The English law and 2,ss7
demanded by the American law 10,
Aferican vessels The reo5irencnis
Of the English rule trr one. th!rd those
OF the American I'll. cnitcd Stntes
regulations do no; sroc,fy the aetna
number OF boats but Insist on ac:ere.
gate ifenoat SPACE based on III.
cubic feet per person for rwo-third.
OF the snip,s COMPANY Tn" Englis'
law insists upon space FOR only one
quarter or the ahip's company Alley.
ender Carlisle. designer OF the Titnric
himself has said that the English law
was antiGuHtci"
r. A. 5. Franklin Of The whit.
star Line. reminding questioner ira
the Titanic had more llfeboats thar
were prescribed by the British Boar,
Of Trade, said You can rest ASSURE
that the necessary equipment viii b.
put in 70 make cvery person abso.
lutely safe"