220 SOCIETY NAVAL ARCHITECTS AND MARINE ENGINEERS. 



Chapter IV. — Construction. 

 Article 16. 



NEW VESSELS AND EXISTING VESSELS. 



For the application of the Articles contained in this Chapter and in the corresponding 

 part of the Regulations annexed hereto, the vessels defined in Article 2 are divided into 

 "new vessels" and "existing vessels." 



New vessels are those the keel of which is laid after the 1st July, 1915. The following 

 Articles of this Chapter, namely. Articles 17 Lo 30, are applicable to them in full. 



Other vessels are considered as existing vessels. Existing arrangements on each of these 

 vessels shall be considered by the Administration of the State to which the vessel belongs, 

 with a view to improvements providing increased safety where practicable and reasonable. 



Article 17. 



SUBDIVISION OF VESSELS. 



Vessels shall be as efficiently subdivided as is possible having regard to the nature of the 

 service for which they are intended. The minimum requirements respecting subdivision 

 and arrangements affecting subdivision are given in the following articles and in the Regu- 

 lations annexed to this Convention. 



The degree of safety provided for by these minimum requirements varies in a regular 

 and continuous manner with the length of the vessel and with a certain "criterion of serv- 

 ice." The requirements of the annexed Regulations are such that the highest degree of 

 safety corresponds with the vessels of greatest length primarily engaged in the transporta- 

 tion of passengers. 



Articles V to IX of the annexed Regulations indicate the method to be followed in or- 

 der to determine the permissible length of compartments on the basis of the floodable length ; 

 prescribe a limit to the length of compartments ; and fix the conditions governing certain spe- 

 cial cases. 



When the watertight subdivision of a vessel is such as to provide for a degree of safety 

 greater than that provided by the rules prescribed by this Convention, the Administration 

 of the State to which the vessel belongs shall, if so requested by the owner, record this fact 

 on the Safety Certificate of the vessel to the extent and in the manner provided in Article X 

 of the annexed Regulations. 



Article 18. 



PEAK AND MACHINERY SPACE BULKHEADS. 



Vessels shall be fitted with forward and after peak bulkheads and bulkheads at the ex- 

 tremities of the machinery space in accordance with the provisions of Article XI of the 

 annexed Regulations. 



Article 19. 



FIREPROOF BULKHEADS. 



With a view to retarding the spread of fire, vessels shall be fitted with fireproof bulk- 

 heads in accordance with the provisions of Article XII of the annexed Regulations. 



