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November, 1914 properly inspected by the local United States Steamboat Inspectors. So they ordered a reinspection of all steamers in New York harbor, by. steamboat inspectors from other ports; and dur- ing this reinspection the Commission found a large number of kapok life preservers of insufficient buoyancy. The Steamboat Inspection Service had approved kapok life preservers in 1902, and all these defective belts had been inspected and stamped by members of this. Service. _This stampeded ~ the Board of Supervising Inspectors, and since then, the kapok life preserver has been taboo. Steamboat Inspection Service The Commission in its report-- which, by the way, is. excellent read- ing for those given to the steamboat excursion habit--made two very sig- nificant statements, which very con- cisely summed up the situation; first, that "kapok itself is a material about which little is known", and _ second, about the factory test of kapok life preservers, that "the inspector making the test, being wholly unfamiliar with the peculiarities of kapok, failed to leave it submerged long enough to mote its absorbent qualities . 2 2°" The Steamboat Inspection Service thereupon prohibited kapok life pre- servers, and they have disappeared from our ships; as matters stand to- day, the traveling public is deprived of a wonderful life-saving medium. Some good work is being done along this line. Just after the Titanic dis- aster, Lieut. -S: PP: Edmonds, UV: 5: Revenue Cutter Service, Retired, on the staff of one of the prominent periodicals in the south; prepared an editorial dealing with the lack of life- saving appliances; and putting forth the proposition that every passenger's bunk mattress should be not only a comfortable mattress, but an efficient life raft. The editorial was not pub- lished, as it seemed too fantastic; but ' Lieut. Edmonds, to vindicate himself, so to speak, set about realizing his dream. He found kapok, and learned its history. He improved the ordinary kapok mattress by putting a pipe frame around it, so that one can sit on its side with one's feet in the water, and it will not double up. It is a wonderfully efficient raft, and as a mattress is more comfortable than the usual hotel or steamship mattress! The ordinary kapok mattress as put on naval vessels has no pipe frame, but has the same buoyancy, and is less awkward to handle, in getting overboard with it; but a woman would be ill at ease on it, to put it mildly-- if it will double up. But, more than this, Lieutenant Ed- monds has come to the aid of the children. THE MARINE REVIEW THIS LOAD OF KAPOK WEIGHS 10 POUNDS MAKES A COMFORTABLE BED THIS RAFT WILL FLOAT FOR WEEKS 425 Lieut. Edmonds has shown a way to take care of the child's life by pro- viding a flat, long pad, with a hole in the middle of it for the child's head, the parts of the pad being drawn down, one in front, the other behind, and held there by tape straps. Thus the buoyancy is all around the neck and shoulders, holding the child erect --and with the head nearly a foot out of water. The flat kapok life preserver doubles up and makes a good pillow. The kapok mattress, with or without the pipe frame is an efficient life raft and a very comfortable bed. It is clean, light, sanitary, and will not get lumpy and hard; and is vermin proof. The sailor man's kapok hammock mattress makes his hammock his life preserver:. There are coats and waistcoats on the market padded with kapok, which are fine for the sailorman or yachtsman; they are light, not bulky, and are warm and comfortable, and will save the wearer's life. The aim now must be to get the life-saving kapok garments, mattresses and life preservers aboard ships, and the first step must be the approval of kapok by the Steamboat Inspection Service. The Board of Supervising Inspectors has had kapok under con- sideration again; they probably will not approve it until they are satisfied that it is practicable to tell the differ- ence between buoyant kapok and ab- sorbent kapok, and as the Navy De- partment is actually doing it now, the Steamboat Inspectors can certainly learn to do it--or get the Navy De- partment to do it for them. Then, if kapok mattresses will be acceptable as applying under the life raft requirements, the ship owner will doubtless be glad to equip with them, because he will not have to provide life rafts in addition, will save their weight and space, and do it all while paying for the mattresses. This is not a mere dream, not 2 fantastic speculation; these kapok- stuffed mattresses. are wonderfully buoyant. They will support all the people who can hold onto them, and a two hundred-pound man can ride around on one for a day or two with- out getting wet. Had the Titanic been equipped with kapok mattresses, all hands could have been saved; those for whom there was no room in the boats could have floated about, each ~on his own little raft until picked up, wrapped in steamer rugs and clear of that freezing cold water. Suppose we think of these things for a time. Suppose that public opin- ion should demand the application of this wonderful kapok to life-saving appliances; that Lieut. Edmonds' ef- .