New-York tribune., 1912-04-18
SAYS PUBLIC CAN FORCE
AMPLE uFEBOAT OUTFIT
Prominent Man in Business
Urges Less Luxury Through
Deck Space CurtaIlment.
ENOUGH NOW, SAYS ANOTHER
North German Lloyd Official Ad.
vocates an International
Agreement OH Subject
Navy S System.

that any ono of its steamships is equipped
with enough lifeboats to keep afioat at one
time the maximum number OF passengers
and crew Will have that ship booked %
capacity east and vest bound throughout
the year This was the observation of a
prominent steamship man yesterday, when
asked If the Titanic disaster would compel
steamship lines TO provide lfebost room for
every passenger carried 10 sea.
What is more lac declared that the uav-
elIina public had II within its power 10
force the steamship lines 20 this degree
of equipment by refusing 10 cross III" At
Iantic on any steamship not so equipped.
There have been hundreds Of obstacles
IN the way o( successful transportation by
steam. he SAID. and the companies have
met them Overcoming them has cost many
millions Of dollars Int they were overcome
purely from the cold. hard point Of view ot
business Putting on more lifeooatS than
is required nv Jaw will hc an item OF eX-
pense and an almost deploraole curtah-
ment OF deck space, but human NE u
worth more than q week ~ luXur! ~ sea
and this imperative demand must be met
II necessary passenger capacity must te
If Hfeboat equipment cannot he
provided
Not three hundred Yards from where this
sentiment was expressed another steamship
official talked in diametrically Opposite
vein concerning life protection in the tuture
OF steamships.
There is an exaggerated and distorted
impression in the public mind just no"'
said the other man. regarding -.-e-pre-
serving equipment and stability Of huih-
heads caused by the concentrated loss OF
human life on the Titanic. This Is onl!
natural But when the high tension OF gen
eral alarm has subsidized those who cross
the Atlantic on ocean steamships will travel
with as little concern over lifeboat equip
ment as they always have done. ] doubt II
ANYTHING will be done or can be done that
will guarantee that every soul on board
steamsfip will be saved should vessel ma
herself in predicament like that Of the
Titanic
The safest place In the world Is at sea
on board modern liner This is not mere
or belief; Il is fact. and has
been stated as such BY sctuaries ~ the big
insurance companies OF course. there is q
risk which one taxes every day Of his IRE.
There ls more danger 10 life In walking the
streets OF a big city than there Is on board
steemship ar sea I believe that all pre-
should be thrown around travellers
taken across the ocean By those Nho own
the steamships. but I maintain that This
precaution is more than mot on all modern
steamships
"Msr Could Not Prevent ~"
1t was met on the Titanic when she LETT
England The circumstances Of her sink
ing and the loss OF life we're something
which man could not prevent. The same
protest that Is being made to-day about
the Titanic's lack OF boats would be raised
TO- morrow II ship OF her class should 60
10 the bottom in. say an hour, with loss
of life, even though she had boats enough
for twice the number Of souls on board
The best and only wsv for persons 10 be
protected against death at sea Is to st9y ~
home These views may seem radical, nut
they are based without prejudice, on IN
experience of thirty-1ye years in the steam
ship business
Although the meagrc wireless news that
disaster indicates that she has hlt an Ice
berg head-on. there are few men In the
steamship business familiar with ship con
struction who believe that the great liner
could have been sunk I'm such manner.
Throughout the day ship owners and agents
maintained faith in the steel bulkheads Of
modern steamships.
Notwithstanding the strange domonstra-
ton that the unsinkable boat sank, opin-
ions were expressed yesterday that the
Cunarders Mauretania and Lusitania were
un nsinks bic. y The bulkheads of these flyers,
according to the local agents, are different
from those of any vessel coming to this
port. 1t was explained that both these
steamships are constructed with twelve
main transverse bulkheads, such as are
used on the British cruisers. and that, no
matter what trle vessel might hit at sea,
ehe would float indefinitely.
The Two Big Cunarders. \
In the companys private records Of the
tania are two elevations of the bulkhead
LAYOUT. With the drawings Is the follow
ing reference 10 construction: In the de
sign Of the ship the subdivision Of the hull
was A. matter which received the most care
ful consideration, and the very conservs tive
regulations Of the Board Of Trade COM
mittee which investigated this question and
prepared rules have been more than mat I'm
order 10 insure safety There are twelve
main transvetse bulkhesds as shown on
the elevation and plan, and intermediate
wing bulkheads are fitted in the buukers.
dividing them into spaces about 10 feet
long. There are thus II5 watertight com
partments."
The first steamship official 10 come forth
with statement that Immediate and Joint
action Should be taken by all steamship
lines for better lifesavne equipment on
board ocean steamships was Charles Won
Helmot. the general manager I'm this ooun-
try for the North German Lloyd Line.
lie said yesterday that the matter should
be taken UP al once and discussed al the
Hague Tribunal and that the steamship
companies OF every maritime nation In the
world should be compelled 10 operate I'm
accordance with regulations adopted BY
such conference.
1T is matter" said Mr. Won Hemolt,
which demands international agreement.
Take, for Instance. company like the
North German Iloyd II must conform 10
the maritime laws and regulations OF no
less than four countries IN carrying pas
sengers between New York and Germany.
Our steamers have Bremen as homo port
and are under the jurisdiction OF Germany:
By touching at Southampton they come
within the regulation and laws OF England ;
at Cberbourg. where passengers from Paris
come ABOARD the French maritime laws
apply, and by finally landing In New York
there are the American laws to he com
plted with
mo company is more anxious 10 see
absolute safety assured all passengers than
ie the North German Iloyd This rom pa n y