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ried directly under davits it is doubt- ful that they can be gotten away from the ship in time. Boats carried elsewhere than under davits on ships which have taken a heavy list before going down, have seriously hindered the work of getting passengers afloat in those boats that were available. Experience has also shown that it is important, in ships carrying a large number of passengers, to dis- tribute the life boats over the great- est possible length of the ship. In the light of experience since the 1914 conference the rule then made of, boats for all was reaffirmed by the present conference, but in addition the importance of ready availability was recognized by pro- viding that, “the life boats and buoy- ant apparatus must comply with the following conditions; (a). they must be capable of being got into the water safely and rapidly even under unfavorable conditions of list and trim; (b). it must be possible to em- bark the passengers in the boats rapidly and in good order; (c). the arrangement of each boat and article of buoyant apparatus must be such that it will not interfere with the op- eration of other boats and buoyant apparatus.” Regulations were worked out in detail and embodied in the convention covering the practical op- eration of these recommendations. It was reaffirmed that on board every ocean going ship carrying pas- sengers there must be enough men holding certificates showing that they are trained in the launching of life boats, the use of oars and the prac- tical handling of the boats themselves. So that on passenger ships carrying a large number of boats all may be used to best advantage, one or more of such life boats is to be a motor life boat fitted with a wireless installa- tion and searchlight. Any individual nation may substitute life rafts of an approved type for life boats car- ried inboard, but not for boats car- ried under the davits, if in the opin- ion of such a nation, rafts of this type will be, in the case of emergency, more readily available and otherwise more satisfactory than boats. All ocean going passenger ships it was decided shall carry, over and above life preservers for all, addi- tional light buoyant apparatus for 25 per cent the number of such per- sons. Light buoyant rafts easily man handled and thrown from the ship’s deck have proved of great valu@ where rapidity of the disaster has made it impossible to get away in boats. It was found that special arrange- ments are necessary for passenger ships of restricted length engaged on 20 short international voyages. On such ships it was decided that all the boats that can be made available are to be carried, together with the type of buoyant apparatus called for in the regulations, to provide for all on board. Further buoyant apparatus is to be provided on ships of this type sufficient for 10 per cent of the num- ber of persons on board. All details with reference to types of davits launching devices, lifeboats and their equipment as worked out by the 1914 convention were carefully gone over and brought up to date. Other Details of Construction ULES were worked out con- trolling means of access to and escape from different compartments and decks, also how they should be PTTUOVUTTCUCUTTTTUUCUUETAELTUETTATLCUUGALCCUUAA LLCO LLUGGA LLCO LUCCA American Delegates and Technical Assistants To International Conference on Safety at Sea, Convened at London April 16—May 31, 1929 Chairman Hon. Wallace H. White, Member of Congress Vice Chairman Arthur J. Tyrer, Commissioner of Navigation Delegates Charles M. Barnes, State Department Rear Admiral G. H. Rock, Construction Corp. Capt. C. S. Kempff, Hydrographic, U. S. N. D. N. Hoover, Supervising Inspector General, Steamboat Inspection Service W. D. Terrell, Radio Division, Dept. of Commerce H. B. Walker, American Steamship Owners’ Association H. G. Smith, National Council of American Shipbuilders Capt. C. A. McAllister, American Bureau of Shipping Technical Assistants Lieut. Commander E. L. Cochrane, U. S. N. J. C. Niedermair, Navy Department J. F. Macmillan, American Steamship Owners’ Association David Arnott, American Bureau of Shipping Capt. W. E. abate eae States Shipping oar A. J. Smith, Marine Office of America Capt. N. B. Nelson, Steamboat Inspection Service Lieut. E. M. Webster, United States Coast Guard Commander C. M. Austin, United States Navy E. B. Calvert, United States Weather Bureau Secretary to Delegation Vinton Chapin, Foreign Service Officer UUDUUOUAUUAQUALAUUEONUADUUUUTEEEAUUOQUOUODEONOALEOUO OD EDUTANT TEED AUU ETT lighted. Drills and musters of the crew and the distribution of duties are specified in regard to such operations for instance, as the closing of water tight doors, the equipment of boats and other life saving equipment, the launching of the boats, the mustering of passengers, and action to be taken in case of fire. The regulations state that in passenger ships engaged on voyages exceeding one week in length, practice musters of passengers shall be held at an early period of each voyage; members of the stewards de- partment have special duties at a time of emergency including the warn- MARINE REVIEW—July, 1929 ing of passengers, seeing that the pas- sengers are assembled at appointed muster stations, and general direction and control of passengers from such station to the boats. The new rules are strict in the matter of carrying dangerous goods in passenger ships. Definite pro- vision is made for carrying fire ex- tinguishing appliances. In ships burn- ing oil the new rules call for the use of froth, foam, carbon dioxide, ete., for blanketing fires. All passenger ships are also required to carry an approved type of line throwing ap- pliance in order to establish com- munication between ship and ship or between ship and shore. In certain trades where large num- bers of unberthed passengers are carried, for instance, as in the pil- grim trade, each nation may exempt its own ships from these requirements, if convinced that it is impracticable to enforce the rules and regulations of the convention. When this is done life saving appliances to the fullest extent which the circumstances of the trade permit must be fitted. The convention also requires that steps be taken to prepare general rules ap- plicable to these special trades, in co- operation with such other nations as may be interested in carrying such passengers. Radio Requirements eee? 1914 the great importance of radiotelegraphy in promoting safety of life at sea has been fully demonstrated. Even in 1914 many ships belonging to passenger carrying lines had been equipped with means of radio communication but this was not true of merchant ships generally. In this respect there has been a remarkable development in the last fifteen years so that out of 11,000 merchant ships and motor ships of 1600 tons gross and upward owned by the maritime countries of the world, no less than 10,000 are now so equipped. Ocean going ships, both passenger and cargo, are now carrying wireless installation. It is not sufficient how- ever, for life saving purposes that a ship in distress shall be able to send out calls for assistance. It is necessary to provide for the reception of such calls by other ships in a position to render aid. A _ great deal of time was devoted by the con- ference to the organization of “watch keeping” on all vessels carrying the equipment. The annual cost of pres- ent equipment, its maintenance and the services of an operator is esti- mated to be not less than $1500 per ship or a total of $15,000,000 for the 10,000 ships so equipped. If all of