CO129-490 - Public Offices - 1925 — Page 640

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river steamers all access from the main or lower deck is

cut off from the next deck above or from the saloon deck by means of locked spar gratings across the companionway. Passengers in the second class accommodation on the saloon deck aft are separated from the first class passengers forward and from the deck above by means of locked gratings

and grills. No officers or guards are below the bridge deck, that is the deck above those on which the majority of the

In the passengers (in many instances over 1000) are carried. event of a panic arising from fire collision or maritime casualty the people below decks would be unable to reach

The ships the boat deck because of the locked grilles. officers in the event of a collision would be fully occupied with their respective duties and therefore unable to attend to the unlocking of the grilles. If the guards had keys it is unlikely that they would have sufficient presence of mind or sufficient initiative to do anything of use. steamers which come within the purview of the Regulations there are something like 30 locks to unfasten before all the grilles can be opened. No means of releasing bolts simultaneously is feasible in ships of the class concerned. Furthermore owing to the grills the crews of these vessels would have the greatest difficulty in getting to the boats themselves. In the event of an outbreak of fire or a collision and a serious loss of life occuring owing to passengers being penned below, who would be held responsible; the Hong Kong Government who framed the Regulations or the Owners and their officers who were compelled to carry them

out?

In some

INDIAN GUARDS. There are approximately 900 Indian Guards

employed