Life-saving Equipment
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Lifebuoys - 48
with beckets, conforming to the Board of Trade approval.
Lifebelts - 3,560 lifebelts of
the latest improved overhead pattern approved by the
Board of Trade. These were distributed throughout the
passenger accommodation and inspected by the Board of
Trade.
Lifeboats - 14 wooden lifeboats
30 feet long and 9feet 1inch broad, by 4 feet deep each
with a cubic capacity of 655.2 feet, constructed to
carry 65 persons
Emergency cutters - 2 wooden cutters,
25 feet 2 inches long, 7 feet 2 inches broad, and 3
feet deep with a cubic capacity of 322.1 cubic feet.
Constructed to hold 40 people.
4 Englehardt collapsible boats
- 27 feet 5 inches long, 8 feet broad, and 3 feet deep.
Had a cubic capacity of 376.6 cubic feet. Constructed
to hold 47 people each.
The lifeboats and cutters were
constructed as follows: The keels were elm, the stems
and stern posts were of oak. They were all clinker built
of yellow pine, double fastened with copper nails cinched
over rooves. The timbers 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 18oz. Copper, and of a 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. Lifelines were fitted
round the gunwales of the lifeboats. The davit blocks
were treble roller for the lifeboats and double for
the cutters. They were of elm and lignum vitae roller
sheaves, and were bound inside with iron, and had swivel
eyes. There were manilla rope falls of sufficient length
for lowering the boats to the vessels 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 end 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. The were immediately abaft of the navigating
bridge.
The Engelhardt collapsible lifeboats
were stowed abreast the of the two cutters, one on each
side of the ship, and the remaining two were stowed
on the top of the officer's house, immediately aft of
the navigating bridge.
The boat equipment was in accordance
with the Board of Trade requirements. Sails for each
lifeboat and cutters were supplied and stowed in painted
bags. Covers were supplied for each lifeboat and cutters,
and each lifeboat had a sea anchor. Every lifeboat was
furnished with a special spirit boat compass and fitted
for holding it, these compasses were carried on a locker
on the Boat Deck. A provision tank and water beaker
was supplied for each boat.
See index
page for credits