View report page

20
While the sailors and firemen who occupy their quarters in shifts when at
sea, have been seen to enjoy extra space to the extent of twice and three
times the amount to which they are entitled by law, the "idlers" will have
been found to be very much worse off, and in some cases this remark applies
also to the officers and engineers.
For instance, in the steam ship "Mount Lebanon," of Glasgow, built in
1881, there are eight sailors occupying a space certified for 24, and 10 firemen
in a space certified for 18, while, on the other hand, the boatswain and carpenter
have only the bare space allowed for two seamen, although a considerable
proportion of the space is occupied by a large chest of tools.
Cases of this kind are very common, and in the steam ship " Monte
Videan " it will be seen that the boatswain and boatswain's mate had not
even their legal limit, inasmuch as they occupied a cabin certified to
accommodate one seaman only.
It is not usual to find more bunks in any space than the number for which
it is certified, nor should it be permitted, as it obviously leads to encourage
overcrowding.
Much ignorance prevails among seafaring men on the subject of crew
space. For example, on one steamer an officer was recently asked if he knew
how to determine the number of men that might lawfully be carried in a
certain space, and at once gave as his answer, " The number of bunks always
" tells you." While yet another stated in reply to the same question, " As
" many bunks as you can put into a place is the number of men it will hold."
To show how wide this answer was of the truth it is only necessary to quote
the case of the steam ship "Parkmore," of Liverpool, built in 1890.
On this vessel there are five compartments containing bunks in excess of
the number of men they will lawfully accommodate, the two worst cases being
in quarters allotted to cattlemen.
There are six bunks in a cabin aft which is certified for four seamen, and
in another cattlemen's space forward there are 18 bunks, although the area is
only sufficient for 12 seamen.
It is stated that these bunks are all occupied when the vessel carries a full
complement of cattle.
On two large steamers during the past year it was found that the superficial
area of cabins occupied by officers was below that allowed to seamen.
The largest amount of space was found recently on a steamer, " Straits of
Belle Isle," built 22 years ago, where 10 firemen were found occupying a forecastle
that was certified for 42 seamen.
When this steamer was built, the engine-room crew, owing to type of boilers