2IO SUGGESTIONS FOR REDUCING THE LOSS BY FIRE ON VESSELS. 



ships; particularly ships plying between here and Europe and other parts of this 

 country? What have you done toward installing apparatus and equipment for the 

 men who go to sea in charge of these ships. Oftimes carrying 2000 people on board 

 loaded with cotton, lumber, and rosin? Such combinations are coming to this port 

 and leaving it every day. Can you tell me of the installation of any apparatus for 

 extinguishing a fire on these ships? I know of none except the steam jet. 



We have been called upon to extinguish fires on steamers plying between 

 southern ports and European ports where the only means they had of holding the 

 fire in check, and some very dangerous fires too, was the steam jet. 



I see the gentleman who prepared this paper says it is a very excellent means 

 of extinguishing fires. Well I am sorry to differ with him. To my mind it is a very 

 poor means of extinguishing fires. 



Permit me to make a suggestion. It occurred to me while sitting back there look- 

 ing over that paper that a system of piping could be installed reaching into each 

 hold and deck that would be connected with a perforated pipe or sprinkler system. 

 Water pumped directly through such pipes would be a better means of extin- 

 guishing a fire than steam ; the pipes would also be a good means of locating the fire. 

 At present it is very difficult to locate. 



I have in mind a case of a steamship that left this port some time ago with a 

 large crew and 2000 passengers ; she caught fire on the passage to Europe ; steam 

 was poured into the hold on the fire for 3 days ; notwithstanding this the temperature 

 got so high that there was danger of the plates buckling; the captain fortunately 

 thought of drilling through the tunnel and forcing the contents of 5 or 6 cyUnders 

 of carbonic acid gas into the compartment; this so reduced the temperature that 

 the ship safely reached port ; when the hatches were removed however flames shot 

 up 75 feet. Now I am not an alarmist — this is not said to frighten people. 



The Chairman: — We have a great many miUtary members you know who 

 are not afraid of anything. 



ChiEP Kenlon: — They might be afraid of a dangerous fire. 



Mr. W. I. Babcock, Member of Council: — Mr. Chairman, there are certaia 

 passenger boats on the Lakes — those of the Goodrich Line operating on Lake Michigan 

 from Chicago, for instance — that are fitted with a very complete installation of auto- 

 matic sprinklers, both in the freight spaces and the passenger spaces, and the latest 

 built steamers of that line are also fitted with fireproof bulkheads, extending right 

 up to the first passenger deck, all openings in which can be closed tight in case the 

 necessity arises, Mr. A. W. Goodrich, the presidentof the Company, and an esteemed 

 member of this Society, is very much interested in the subject and has made 

 a thorough study of it for many years. This matter is of so much importance and 

 interest, not only to the members of this Society, but to every owner and manager 



