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Show oo MORE BULKHEADS FOR THE NEW SHIPS WASHINGTON, April 13 All American merchant vessels will be equipped immediately with double the number of bulkheads now carried for protection against torpedoes and mines The shipping board approved the plan as the most practical of all the "non-sinkable" schemes and James C. Stewart of New York was asked to undertake supervision of the work. Authority was telegraphed Mr Stewart to purchase immediately the necessary equipment, including barge? I for handling material. Eight instead of four walls hereafter here-after will divide American ships Into compartments, decreasing by 50 perj (cent the space which Is likely to be, : flooded after an external explosion and 1 i increasing in the same proportion the' j chances of the vessel reaching port! instead o coing to the bottom. The bulkheads will he made of lour-inch planks, with tongue and groove and tarred, to make them water tight.1 They will be kept rigid by one-inch! steel beams. Concrete bulkheads orig-I orig-I inally were suggested, but the wood: and steel construction was adopted as , being lighter and taking less room. It Is estimated that in 400 ships there will be a loss of only 5,000 tons I cargo space due to the new walls. oo |