BY DEMAND FOR INCREASED SAFETY. 37 



FIRE. 



While accidents by fire are more frequent on vessels at dock than while 

 under way, it would seem that further precautions could be taken to prevent the 

 starting and spread of fires than are taken on the average vessel. Completely 

 inclosing the freight spaces by steel, including steel covers for hatches and ven- 

 tilators, would seem proper on vessels carrying any considerable number of pas- 

 sengers. The elimination of a large quantity of wood and other combustible ma- 

 terial from passenger quarters can be made in many vessels at small first cost, 

 and in some vessels at a saving in cost. The traveling public which approves of 

 steel railroad coaches will probably offer no objection to greater simplicity on ves- 

 sels if it is accompanied by an assurance of increased safety. 



DISCUSSION. 



The Chairman: — Gentlemen, the subject of the safety of vessels at sea is now before 

 you, having these two excellent papers to suggest ideas in the discussion. We would like 

 to hear from Mr. Robinson. 



Mr. R. H. Robinson, Member of Council: — Mr. President and gentlemen, I have 

 little to say on the subject of these papers, except that in reading Mr. Dickie's paper I am 

 impressed with the idea that his watertight deck is very much the same thing as was pro- 

 posed by Mr. Marsden Niles, formerly a naval officer, who presented a paper before the 

 Senate Committee at the time of the Titanic investigation, the only difference being that 

 he wanted one of these decks to be on every deck level, and the result was very much ex- 

 aggerated. 



I cannot help but agree entirely with Mr. Gatewood in his belief that the amount of 

 protection to safety should be proportional to the number of lives involved. It seems to me 

 that the expense, for the safety of a ship, in a ship which carries only cargo, and in which 

 the crew must naturally assume the risk of the trade, should be quite a different thing from 

 the expense for protecting the lives of a large number of passengers. 



I suppose practically all the ideas in these papers have been taken up by the Interna- 

 tional Conference that is now sitting in London, and I imagine that as a result of that in- 

 ternational conference there will be certain laws proposed in America. It seems to me that 

 this Society should take a very active interest in the preparation of any laws that may be 

 proposed as affecting the building of ships, the design of ships, and the operation of ships. 

 I have no doubt that the Department of Commerce will probably be charged with the prep- 

 aration of these laws and will be glad of any suggestions from the Society, and I think 

 the Society should take it on itself to offer its services in connection with that matter, be- 

 cause any laws that may be passed will be of very great importance. 



