Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-04-25
BRITISH BOARD TO
CONDUCT INQUIRY
Titanic Not Subject to U. s. Laws
Damage Suits Must Be
Filed Abroad.

New York. April l9,-An admiralty law
yer says: The Titanic was under British
registry. The British Board OF Trade will
laccordinely conduct the only inquiry as to
blame for Titanic disaster.
Vessels under British registry are not
subject to United States inspection laws at
action can at present be taken to increase
their safety equipment. Congress could
take action barring such vessels from
American ports.
according to British laws. vessels of
over 1000 tons capacity must have a
minimum number of 6 davited lifeboats,
with minimum cubic feet capacity of $500
in all. II these are insufficient to carry
jnll persons. including passengers and
crew. at one time in case of accident. the
law requires minimum additional life
boats and RATS OF ~ per cent of this
capacity, or 1850. making strictly legal re-
Quirements of o5o cubic feet. British
| Board of Trade rules that each adult must
have ten cubic feet of space in the life
boat. so that the Titanic or any vessel
of over 10000 tons capacity was within the
law if hfeboats provided 9,75O cubic feet
Of room for 975 persons only. This ac-
| counts for the saving Of less than 100
of Ti'anc's passengers and crew
CAN PREVENT SUITS HERE
"Tho White Star line, by instltutlng
limited liability proceedings in this coun-
Try. can prevent recovery here of any
damages for loss of life or property,
: These proceedings limit the recovery TO a
| Certain percentage of the value Of the
vessel as saved. In case the vessel is to-
tally destroyed. recovery is barred.
Zone who wishes damages should retain
| counsel in New York. and forward his
| claim to England, provided validity OF
certain clauses in passenger tickets is not
established by judicial decision, maxi
mum of 100000 can he recovered from
the Titanic's owners. The law provides
| that maximum of cS per ton can be re
covered for property damage, and tlo per
| ton for property damage and loss OF ll1e'
| The Titanic. az 800 tons capacity would
| he liable for els for each ton, or t7o'Wh
the equivalent of $1,000" roughly II
the White Star line establishes the valid
! ity Of its passenger ticket clauses In court
! nothing can be recovered.
ROASTED SHE COULDN'T SINK.
II was the boast of the white Star peo-
| pie that the Titanic was unsuitable, not
Theoretically but really unsuitable
This they ba sed upon the number of
collision bulkheads and waterteht COM
partments which not only kept the water
out hut the air in and thus, In preventing
sinking. preserved huoyancy So ex-
Exaggerated did these claims become that
n serious motion was started not long
aeo 10 obtain from the British admiralty
permission to entirely give up lfehoatS
| ON the big ships on the plea that they
were never needed and We're only in the
| way
! The hull Of the Titanic was divided into
several watertiRht compartme through
big steel walls built latltudnally with
LONGITUDINAL walls encasing the engine
rooms. These walls extended from the
bottom TO the orlop deck From that deck
to the beginning of the superstructure
there We're other walls forming other
compartments.
These walls were all pierced by doors.
which could be operated by the pressure
of Il button from the bridge or shut
tight by the turning Of wheel which
releases hydraulic pressure The com
partments could he all sealed hermet.
cally In 10 seconds
HOW THE DOORS OPERATED
There We're IS transverse bulkheads on
the Titanic. The plant by which the doors
| We're closed consisted of hydraulic pres
sure main. running the whole length of
the ship, connected with an accumulation
| charged with compressed air and water,
at a pressure of 500 pounds to the square
| inch Then there was a pump which au-
J tomatically maintained this pressure and
| heavy cylinders which enclosed pistons
beside each bulkhead door.
simultaneously with the first movement
| from the bridge to release the controlling
device and close the doors, warning songs
sound continuously in all the machine and
| bunker rooms, in order that the engineer
| ing force may take their duty POSTS and
| that the coalpassers leave the bunkers
| Then, with the precision of guilotine
the half-ton steel doors descend, cleaVinl
| all in their path The great pressure
| forces the knite-lkc edges through foul
and five feet Of coal thai sometimes block