SAVINO LIVES IN CASE OF SHIPWRECK. ^^J 



i^xed thereto, by whicli a raft may be successively drawn to 

 and from the vessel either by the person3 on board the ves- 

 sel, or those (on shore. 



Observations made hy Lieutenant Bell, upon throwing a Line 

 on Shore in Case of a Ship being stranded. 



. 1st. Frora the proposed construction of the piece of ord- Weight of the 

 i>aace, intended to throw *be shot and line on shore, I sup- '"°"^''' 

 pose it will be between five and six hundred weight. 



The chamber is to contain one pound of powder, and the Dimensions. 

 bore to admit a leaden ball of sixty pounds or upwards; the 

 length of range, or distance, will depend upon the size of 

 the line made use of; I suppose it will carry a deepsea-line 

 between three and four hundred yards distance. 



2d, All ships that have iron ballast may use this piece May be used 

 as a part of it, and then there would be only the trifling ^^ ballast. 

 diifference of casting so much of the ballast into the form 

 of the piece ; the leaden balls may likewise be used as bal- 

 last. 



3d. I am of opinion, there are various ways, on board of May be used 

 a ship, that the mortar may be placed in a proper position "'•t'^ou'^ '^c^- 

 for tiring without a carriage expressly made for it ; it may 

 be placed upon a coil of rope, or its trunnions rested upon 

 coins, or any thing else, whereby the muzzle can be raised 

 so high, that the groove upon the trunnion appears vertical, 

 as ihe piece in that position would be elevated nearly 45 

 degrees. 



4th. As I imagine all ships carry deepsea-lines,. on that Line. 

 account I made use of it in the experiment-; at Woolwich; 

 but if it should be thongbt too short for the distance, any 

 other light line may be added to the length of it. 



5th. Supposing a ship's owner to purcl.ase such a piece Cost, 

 of ordnance with the leaden balls, and a b ock carriage ; I 

 do not think the whole would amount to more tliau ten or 

 eleven pounds expense. 



(>lh. Where a ship is driving or unmanageable near the Tha line to be 

 shore, it would be proper to have the piece loaded, the line coiled on pols.. 

 ieekd upon handspikes or poles^ and laid upon the deck 



ready 



