The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-04-16
DID NOT BELIEVE
LINER WOULD SINK
steamship Experts Thought II
tanic Could Stay Afloat
Several Days.
EVERY DEVICE FOR SAFETY
Described as Combination Of
Floating Hotel and Private
Residence.
Especial to Tho Times.pisp,,,cb


New York, April IJ-Whcu IN, nr,,
news OF the accident TO the Titanic
wac reported containing tho Statement,
shc was sinking men acquainted
WIN the construction OF modern
steamships were not greatly concerned
Aof thcY fclt quite SATISFIED that M.
great vessel wuuld live up to her
'efutauon OF being practically I'M
ahhaplc' Even though she had r.
eeiVed au irrccovcrabic blow, they lie.
hsved she would be likely to noa, as
iohs as she would be required as a
""'eh Tor passengers ana crew, for
huch is the construction Of the Sreu,
modern ships that they can DC c,,t
almost In twain. or they .an hay.
ohe side almost torn away and they
VIII SUI noat for some time
ono WHO has looked into nol.rn
methods for safeguarding a ycssul OF
the iltahic type can hardy inaEln.
al aceiueht that cpuld nave caused
AtF 70 iounuer. No collision hlIcb az
mas been the tate OF any shin On rc-
cent years could have sent her dowu
IN reason FOR all this Is round IN
tue nouerH arTang einent OF watertight
steer compartments, into which all suip;
no" are divided. and of which the III,
thhiG had fifteen. 80 disposed that half
~ them. including the largest. coula
nave been iiooded withou, linpairlnE
TIE safety OF the vessel PROBABLY II
WAS thc working 'ot these Luikhyads
ana inc wateftiSht doors between. a.
iheE are supposed TO work, that saved
'Ie TITANIC from laundering at once
when she struck the iceberg.
Ihesc buikhcads were OF heavy sheet
steei. ana started at the very bottom
OF the snip and extended right M 10
the ,opaide. The openings in the bulk
heha5 we're Just about the size OF the
ordinary doorway. but tho doors dld
net SWING as In house. but fitted into
watertight grooves above the opening.
Held by Friction Clutches.
IN the Iitantc, as in other great
HeHefh ships, these doors We're held in
place above tho openings by friction
clutches. on the bridge WAS switcu
which connected With an clactr!c mag
net at the side OF the buikhead open
Ing The turning OF This switch would
cause the ma gnct 10 draw down heavy
weight. which instantly woulu relea Sc
the friction clutch, and the door would
Kan or slide down over tho opcninS In
second II. however. through acct
dent. tho bridge switch was rendered
useless. tho doors would close automat-
icaIly in = few seconds, This MAS ar
ranged by means OF larG. metal floats
Rt the side of the ioorways
II was said OF tho Titanic tia, her
compartments could be Hooded as far
back. OF as far forward as the engine
room and sha would float. though she
might take on a heavy list, or settle
considerably at one end. To provide
against Just such an accident as sine
Is said to have encountered she had
set back good distance from the
bows an extra heavy cross partition
known as tho collision bulkhead,
which owuld prevent water getting in
arnidshirs even though a good part OF
her bow should be torn away.
What ship can stand and still float
was shown few years ago when the
suevic, OF the White Star Line, went
on the rocks on tho British Coast
The wrcckers could not move the for
ward part of her. so they separated
her into two sections by the use Of
dynamite, and after putting in tenn
porary hulkhead hoated OFF the after
half of tho ship, puI il in dry-do
and built new forward part for her.
More recently the battleship Maine,
or what waB left of her. was lloated
out TO sea, kept on top of the water
only by her water-tight compart-
ments. Proba bly, II the two ships last
mentioned had been equipped with
Houctu phlhHedHS in inc manner IN
which modern ships are built they
never would have been sunk.
Devices az safety.
In the building of the Titanic, many
other devices were provided for tho
safety of passengers and crew There
was. Tor instance. the double bottom
On tho outside of the ship was a layer
OF mild steel plating. one and one
half inches thick. which. while no
match for iccberSs, was calculated to
withstand almost any other strain
that could be put on it. Within this
ehcll was another layer of plating not
so thick, but OF sufficient strength to
Withstand great stress. should the
outer plating be torn away.
Then there were submarine signals
TO tell of nearby vessels or shores.
This signal arrangement included a
small tank on either side Of the veE-
sci just below the waterline. Wi;ain
each was a microrhone with wires
leading TO the bridge. II the vessel
4.