SPECIAL CARGOES 405
SPECIAL CARGOES
The Board of Trade issue "Regulations relating to the Carriage of
Dangerous Goods and Explosives*' and also of "Grain/* Special
cargoes such as oil in barrels, cotton, grain, rice, deck loads, etc., are
loaded at various ports abroad under certain statutory conditions
agreed to by boards of underwriters, shippers and shipowners. We
shall indicate briefly some of the more outstanding of those regulations.
STOWAGE OF EXPLOSIVES AND OTHER DANGEROUS GOODS
By the Merchant Shipping Act every person who sends any dangerous
goods on board any vessel is required, under a heavy penalty, to mark
distinctly and fully on the outside of the package containing the same
the nature of the goods Also, he is required to give a written notice
to the master or owner, of the nature of the goods, together with the
name and address of the sender, either at or before the time of sending
the goods to be shipped.
By dangerous goods is meant aquafortis, vitriol, naphtha, benzine,
gunpowder, lucifer matches, nitre-glycerine, petroleum and other
explosives or goods of a dangerous nature.
The master or owner of a vessel may refuse to take on board any
package or parcel which he suspects to contain any dangerous goods, and
may require it to be opened to ascertain the fact.
If it is found that goods, which in the judgment of the master are
of a dangerous nature, have been shipped without being marked as
required, or without the written notice having been given, the master
may cause such goods to be thrown overboard.
GENERAL PRECAUTIONS
Petroleum, paraffin, methylated spirits, naphtha, or any liquid or
substance liable, under certain conditions, to give off inflammable vapour,
should not be carried on ships which have explosives on board.
Mineral acids, ethers, compressed gases, matches, and other sub-
stances or liquids liable to spontaneous combustion, or liable to cause
fire or explosion, if carried on a vessel with explosives, should be carried
on deck only, or if below deck should be in a hold separated by a bulk-
head from that containing explosives, and kept as far away from it
as possible.
Explosives should always be separated by a bulkhead from any other
dangerous articles, and the compartment where explosives are stowed