_Life buoys._--Forty-eight, with beckets, were supplied, of pattern
approved by the board of trade. They were placed about the ship.
_Life belts._--Three thousand five hundred and sixty life belts, of the
latest improved overhead pattern, approved by the board of trade, were
supplied and placed on board the vessel and there inspected by the board
of trade. These were distributed throughout all the sleeping
accommodation.
_Lifeboats._--Twenty boats in all were fitted on the vessel, and were of
the following dimensions and capacities:
Fourteen wood lifeboats, each 30 feet long by 9 feet 1 inch broad
by 4 feet deep, with a cubic capacity of 655.2 cubic feet,
constructed to carry 65 persons each.
Emergency boats:
One wood cutter, 25 feet 2 inches long by 7 feet 2 inches broad by
3 feet deep, with a cubic capacity of 326.6 cubic feet, constructed
to carry 40 persons.
One wood cutter, 25 feet 2 inches long by 7 feet 1 inch broad by 3
feet deep, with a cubic capacity of 322.1 cubic feet, constructed
to carry 40 persons.
Four Engelhardt collapsible boats, 27 feet 5 inches long by 8 feet
broad by 3 feet deep, with a cubic capacity of 376.6 cubic feet,
constructed to carry 47 persons each.
Or a total of 11,327.9 cubic feet for 1,178 persons.
The lifeboats and cutters were constructed as follows:
The keels were of elm. The stems and stern posts were of oak. They were
all clinker built of yellow pine, double fastened with copper nails,
clinched over rooves. The timbers were of elm, spaced about 9 inches
apart, and the seats pitch pine, secured with galvanized-iron double
knees. The buoyancy tanks in the lifeboats were of 18 ounce copper, and
of capacity to meet the board of trade requirements.
The lifeboats were fitted with Murray's disengaging gear, with
arrangements for simultaneously freeing both ends if required. The gear
was fastened at a suitable distance from the forward and after ends of
the boats, to suit the davits. Life lines were fitted round the gunwales
of the lifeboats. The davit blocks were treble for the lifeboats and
double for the cutters. They were of elm, with lignum vitæ roller
sheaves, and were bound inside with iron, and had swivel eyes. There
were manila rope falls of sufficient length for lowering the boats to
the vessel's light draft, and when the boats were lowered, to be able to
reach the boat winches on the boat deck.
The lifeboats were stowed on hinged wood chocks on the boat deck, by
groups of three at the forward and four at the after ends. On each side
of the boat deck the cutters were arranged forward of the group of three
and fitted to lash outboard as emergency boats. They were immediately
abaft the navigating bridge.
The Engelhardt collapsible lifeboats were stowed abreast of the cutters,
one on each side of the ship, and the remaining two on top of the
officers' house, immediately abaft the navigating bridge.
The boat equipment was in accordance with the board of trade
requirements. Sails for each lifeboat and cutter were supplied and
stowed in painted bags. Covers were supplied for the lifeboats and
cutters, and a sea anchor for each boat. Every lifeboat was furnished
with a special spirit boat compass and fitting for holding it; these
compasses were carried in a locker on the boat deck. A provision tank
and water beaker were supplied to each boat.
_Compasses._--Compasses were supplied as follows:
One Kelvin standard compass, with azimuth mirror on compass platform.
One Kelvin steering compass inside of wheelhouse.
One Kelvin steering compass on captain's bridge.
One light card compass for docking bridge.
Fourteen spirit compasses for lifeboats.
All the ships' compasses were lighted with oil and electric lamps. They
were adjusted by Messrs. C. J. Smith, of Southampton, on the passage
from Belfast to Southampton and Southampton to Queenstown.
_Charts._--All the necessary charts were supplied.
_Distress signals._--These were supplied of number and pattern approved
by Board of Trade--i. e., 36 socket signals in lieu of guns, 12 ordinary
rockets, 2 Manwell Holmes deck flares, 12 blue lights, and 6 lifebuoy
lights.