The str. B A. Brock, which arrived here from Nagasaki on Wednesday, carries novel life-saving device of Norwegian invention, In shape it resembles large spherical buoy. It is made of thin ribbed steel, ribbed and riveted on the outside, The interior is strengthened by a stout wooden stanchion. Entrance is gained by means of two small, doors, which are perfectly can be fastened from i are lockers all round the interior which can be used for storing food and water and which in addition serve as seats. Besides the teapdoors mentioned, th 0 a glass porthole on the top, and if a heavy sea renders it necessary to close all these openings, air can be supplied by means of small band air-pump. This pump can, if necessary, be used to pump out any water which may have found form just aft of the engine room. Th way in, The buoy is placed on a pi
are two steel rails by means of which it can be safely launched, or there is the alternative of waiting inside until the ship sinks, when the buoy will be cartied off and remain on the surface, Lashed round it, horizontally, is some very thick hemp cable, which is intended to steady the craft in heavy weather. So long as the buoy remains watertight its occupants have nothing to fear from waves themselves, but as it is unnavigable ther always the danger of being dashed on rock, of against some other oimtacle. There is ut course no room to lie down, bat when in danger of thole lives people would. probably be willing to dispense with luxuries, There ix sitting aceomm dation for ten persons, and it is possible that two more might he able to find standing town only." The invention is likely to prove very useful in a temporary gency, but as the storage accommodation la very limited the occupants would pro-hubly have to follow the example of the ""crew of the Nancy Brig' if succour did not arrive speedily.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.