288 SOCIETY NAVAL ARCHITECTS AND MARINE ENGINEERS. 



ditions prevailing in different countries, is it possible to secure a uniform system of survey 

 at all ports? If not, will it be sufficient to lay down that the survey should be carried out, 

 either by Government surveyors or by surveyors specially appointed by the Government for 

 the purpose, so as to secure that in every case the Government concerned accepts full re- 

 sponsibility for the efficiency and completeness of the survey? 



"7. Principles which should govern the survey. — Is it possible or desirable for the con- 

 ference to lay down detailed rules governing the survey of passenger steamers in all respects; 

 and, if not, can the conference formulate some general principles which should govern the 

 survey of passenger steamers in the different countries as regards hull, boilers, machinery, 

 and equipments ? 



"8. Provision against breakdowns. — It has been suggested that, at least in the case of 

 new and large passenger steamers, it should be compulsory that certain portions of the ma- 

 chinery and of the equipments should be in duplicate or in two or more sections capable of 

 working independently, so as to provide against breakdowns. Is this a question which should 

 be left to the different administrations, or should it be dealt with by the conference; and, 

 if the latter, can the conference formulate some general rules or principles on the matter?" 



The above-noted terms of reference were unanimously adopted by the conference at 

 its second session, it being generally recognized that some general limitation in the scope 

 of the investigation was necessary in order that the conference might give satisfactory at- 

 tention during the time available to the most important subjects under consideration. 



The committee on Safety of Construction was composed of 32 members, representing 

 14 maritime countries. Of these 32 members, 17 were Government officials highly quali- 

 fied by training and experience to pass upon all matters relating to the construction of a 

 vessels; 2 were professors of naval architecture in royal universities; 3 were technical direc- 

 tors of national marine insurance and classification societies; 7 were managing directors, 

 directors, or technical directors of large steamship companies; and 3 were shipbuilders. 



The gentlemen composing this committee, practically without exception, were men 

 who held high positions in their respective countries and they brought to their work on this 

 international conference a comprehension of conditions which could only result from excel- 

 lent professional training and large and varied practical experience. The work devolving 

 upon this committee was especially difficult, since no previous attempt had been made to es- 

 tablish international regulations with respect to the principal subjects under consideration. 

 In fact, no country had established complete regulations with respect to the most important 

 of all subjects before the conference, viz., the subdivision of vessels into an adequate num- 

 ber of water-tight compartments. 



Great Britain, France, and Germany had undertaken extensive and most helpful pre- 

 liminary work concerning this important subj ect, but final conclusions had not been reached. 

 The United States had, through a committee organized under the jurisdiction of the De- 

 partment of Commerce and composed of officials of the Departments of the Navy and Com- 

 merce, submitted a preliminary report in general terms concerning some of the more im- 

 portant questions relating to the safety of construction. Several national classification so- 

 cieties, notably the Germanischer Lloyd, had done important research work and this last- 

 named society, utilizing previous researches of the British Bulkhead Committee, had devel- 

 oped and promulgated subdivision rules, but no country had enacted specific laws governing 

 the complete subdivision of various classes of vessels and the methods of maintaining the 

 water-tight integrity of these subdivisions so that a vessel under certain conditions of damage 

 would have a sufficient reserve of buoyancy to remain afloat. 



