CONTRIVANCES TO SAVE PEOPLE FROM DROWNING. 339 



taeans of these rings the lantern will remain in a vertical 

 position, independent of the boat's motion. 



On the first alarm of a man falling overboard in the Its application. 

 night, the candle is to be lighted, and the machine lowered 

 into the sea by the rope ; if the man should be at a small 

 distance from the ship, he may, by means of the rope, be 

 taken on board immediately on his reaching the machine, 

 if not, the rope may be secured on the iron reel, to prevent 

 its unwinding, and cast off, and the light will direct the 

 man where to find it, and holding fast by the two handles 

 it will support him in the water. 



Fig. 6, A, is a rope ladder, having a lantern attached to 

 it, as well to direct the person in the water to the rope lad- 

 der, as to enable the persons who lower the ladder to let it 

 down till the cross-bar k reaches the water ; / is i hook to 

 hang the floating light upon. Fig. 7, m, is the reel for the 

 line, by which the floating-light is to be lowered. 



It is proposed, in order to make this float useful, that it The lamp al- 

 be placed every night under the care of the officers on J^ ]^^j.*°j_^^[^g° 

 watch; that its lamp be frequently trimmed and supplied 

 with fresh oil, and its wick moistened with oil of turpentine, 

 in order that it may take fire with the least touch of a lamp Directions for 

 or candle ; and whenever the alarm is given of any of the ^^^ "^^' 

 sailors falling overboard in the night, the officer on watch 

 may light the lamp in the lantern belonging to the float as 

 expeditiously as possible, and let the float down by a small 

 cord, wound upon an iron reel, into the water, till it has 

 floated about one second of time, and the float is a little 

 way out of the perpendicular of the small cord. He is thea 

 to secure the cord on the reel, to prevent its unwinding, and 

 toss it overboard. The reel will sink down, and pull the 

 line almost perpendicular, and thus it will not be liable to 

 entangle the person when he swims to the float, who, when 

 he has got hold of the handles of it, may move it very fast 

 which way he will, only by striking his legs in the same 

 manner as he does when he swims; and as the light of the 

 lamp will be a certain guide for the person fallen overboard 

 to find the float, so it will also direct them in the ship to 

 6nd the man and float : And when the ship has tacked about, 

 Z2 and 



