Navies already managed fire around magazines and powder long before steam machinery arrived. On ships such as HMS Victory, lamps and lanterns near magazines sat in protected alcoves so no naked flame was exposed to powder. Steam therefore entered an institution familiar with specially controlled spaces and fire precautions. Shipboard explosions presented a grim investigative problem: when a blast destroyed both ship and crew, it could leave little evidence of the cause.
Notable Point · 1:40:03-1:41:16
Fire safety before steam propulsion
The hazards of coal and steam are set against the long-standing fire and explosion risks already managed on sailing warships.