The experiments with life saving appliances which Mr. Copeman brought
before the delegates of the Colonial Conference, on the 13th April, at
the Westminster Aquarium, had a particular interest, due to the late and
lamentable accident which befell the Newhaven-Dieppe passenger steamer
Victoria. In many cases of this nature, loss of life must rather be
attributed to panic than to a want of life saving appliances; but, as a
general rule, an abundant supply of such apparatus will tend to give
passengers confidence, and prevent the outbreak of such discreditable
scenes on the part of passengers as took place on the Victoria.
[Illustration: FIG. 1.--COPEMAN & PINHEY'S LIFE RAFTS.]
Messrs. Copeman & Pinhey have, for some years past, done good work in
this direction, and at the recent meeting of the Institution of Naval
Architects, Mr. Copeman showed several models of the latest types of
their life saving apparatus, both for use on torpedo boats and passenger
steamers. Our illustration (Fig. 1) represents the kind of rafts supplied
to her Majesty's troop ships, while Figs. 2 and 3 show deck seats
convertible into rafts, which are intended for ordinary passenger
steamers. The raft shown in Fig. 1 consists of two pontoons, joined by
strong cross beams, and fitted with mast, sail, and oars. When not in
use, the pontoons form deck seats, covered by a wooden grating, which in
our illustration forms the middle part of the raft. Each pontoon has a
compartment for storing provisions, and when rigged as a raft, there is a
railing to prevent persons being washed overboard.
[Illustration: FIG. 2.]
[Illustration: FIG. 3.]
The seat life buoy, shown in Fig. 2, serves as an ordinary deck seat,
being about 8 ft. long, and it consists of two portions, hinged at the
back. When required for use as a life buoy, it is simply thrown forward,
the seat being at the same time lifted upward, so that the top rail of
the back engages with the two clips, shown at either end of the seat, and
the whole structure then forms a rigid raft, as will be seen from Fig. 3.
Several other appliances were shown at the Westminster Aquarium on April
13, but the two rafts we have selected for illustration will give a
sufficiently correct idea of the general principles upon which the
apparatus is based.--_Industries._
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