The Sun.
London, England, 1839-07-01 00:00:00

Computed number of persons lost on
board the Erin, Frolic, and Superb 120
From watermcie.; and coroners' lists
in the Thames, exclusive of the
above, during the last three years 40
From a list obtained in Scotland, ex-
clusive of the above, being acci-
dents in the Clyde, during the last
ten years . . 21

n 34
The greatest ascertained number of
lives lost at any one time occurred
by the wreck of the Rothsay Cas-
tle, when
The greatest number at any one time
from collision
The greatest number at any one time
from explosion
The greatest number at any one time
from fire
On closer examination it appears that more than the
half of thorn has occurred within the last two years ;
and that frop the beginning of 1838 to the present
time—a period of fifteen months only—no fewer thr.n
22 accidents have happened. They consist of-
-11 wrecks, founderings, or imminent peril ; 117 lives lost.
8 explosions 9O ditto, and
2 collisions
.
I fire

jured.

2 137
In addition to the amount of human life sacrificed,
688 animals were thrown overboard, or scalded to death.
Several of the vessels were totally lost, four of which
are traced to have had defective boilers or engines ; and
others had to undergo costly repairs.
Particular instances of each of these classes of disas-
ters are abbreviated from evidence given at length in the
appendix, and their causes traced. Under the head
" Wrecks, founderings, or imminent peril," the calami-
tous losses of the Forfarshire and Northern Yacht are
closely investigated ; and it appears to be incontestibly
proved that those vessels went to sea with boilers and
machinery in so leaky and disabled a state, that the fatal
catastrophe which awaited their unfortunate passengers
can occasion no surprise. Several cases of imminent
peril to vessels and passengers are adduced, on indisputa-
ble testimony, exhibiting the fact that steamers are fre-
quently sent to sea so ill found, ill equipped, and in so
imperfect a condition, as to warrant the conclusion that
several which have foundered, or been wrecked, com-
menced their voyages in, a similarly defective and un-
seaworthy state.
The principal causes of explosions are minute'y ex-
amined, and illustrated by reference to authentic re-
cords and statements. A list of twenty-three explosions
is given, with the form of the boilers, construction of
the safety valves, observations on the vneral state of
the apparatus for detecting the quantity of water in the
boilers, pressure of steam, &c. It appears, from this
analysis, that explosions have been most frequent in
boilers whose safety valves are exposed, or otherwise
accessible ; that there is a very general deficiency in the
area of safety valves, and of water and steam gauges ;
that boilers arc not unfrequcntly continued in use in a
most unsafe condition ; and that the safety valves are
often loaded greatly beyond the power of safe resist-
ance in the boilers.
Fires on board steam-vessels are attributed to various
causes. The spontaneous ignition of coal seems not
uncommon, and to arise from its being carelessly left in
damp situations, or not swept often enough from the
tops and sides of boilers. Boilers have also become
red hot, and set fire to the fuel, or the vessel. The
timbers both of the deck and sides of steamers arc often
charred, weakened, and even ignited by the too near proxi-
mity of the boilers. To these and other sources fires
are traced, and in several instances imminent danger to
those on board has arisen from the want of proper ex-
tinguishing apparatus, worked either by the engines or
by hand.
Collisions come next under review. This frequent
cause of disaster is referred principally to the absence
of a definite and compulsory " rule of the road," or rule
for side to be taken by vessels approaching and passing
each other ; also, to the want of some uniform system
of night-lights or signals adapted to steamers. The
necessity of enforcing the use of some distinguishing
sound on board steam-vessels, that their approach or
position may be ascertained in fogs or " thick weather,"
distinctively from sailing vessels, is also forcibly pointed
out.
An article follows on the state " of boilers and en-
gines," indicating several methods, in partial practice,
for obviating or diminishing danger, or increasing the
security of steam-vessels.
A " Summary of the Causes of Accidents" is then
given, briefly recapitulating the various sources of inse-
curity deducible from the previous examination of facts.
Under the head of " Amount of the Mercantile
Steam-marine," :he present means of ascertaining and
registering the number and tonnage of steamers, at the
different ports, by the Custom-houses is reported upon,
and shown to be an incomplete register. It seems that
the number of unregistered vessels is inconsiderable,
most of them being passenger steamers in rivers or har-
bours. A table is given of the " Approximate Num-
ber, Tonnage, and Power of Steam-vessels" at the end
of the year 1838, by which it appears that the mercan-
tile steam-marine then numbered 810 vessels belonging
to the United Kingdom and its dependencies, amount-
ing to 87,907 tons per register, and to 137 840 com-
puted tons by builders' measurement. The steam-power
of the engines propelling these vessels is com-
puted at 63,250 horses. The increase during the last
two years is stated at no less than 137 registered
steamers, which is now receiving a large augmentation
from the success of the transatlantic steam-ships.
The authors of the Report then proceed to examine
the opinions of the correspondents, whose communica-
tions are found in the appendix. These are classified
as the opinions of shipbuilders, surveyors to Lloyd's.
steam-vessel owners, engineers, coroners, officers of
the Royal Navy, and commanders of steam-vessels,
from which the leading features of certain legislative
enactments to be proposed for increasing public safety,
are drawn. These are brought together under the
head of " Summary of measures recommended," which
advise the adoption of a national system of registration,
periodical sursey, and license of steam-vessels. The
importance of the first recommendation is exemplified
by a table of the principal dimensions of hull and
machinery of the five largest steam-vessels afloat
or building, and it is presumed that by giving ac-
cessibility to a national record of such details, and of
the accidents happening to steamers, the science
of navigation by steam would be greatly promoted,
and many costly mistakes avoided. Also that such
an exact enrolment of the particulars of the original
strength of steamers, of the details of the machinery,
and of their condition at the period of subsequent sur-
veys, would greatly facilitate the selection of vessels by
Government officers in the event of war, or the public
service requiring their hire or service.
The practicability of effecting periodical surveys with-
out inconvenience or delay, and the influence which
such surveys would have on the security of life and
property on board steam-vessel,, is shown by reference
to similar operations conducted on sailing vessels
by the Committee of " Lloyd's Register of British
and Foreign Shipping;" but it appears that these
optional surveys, though valuable, are, as regards
their effect on the seaworthy condition of steamers,
insufficient.
It is proposed that no license shall be given to ply
with passengers, unless a steamer, after survey, be cer-
tified
to be in a safe working condition with respect
both to hull and machinery.
out these recommendations is
'['he
mode of carrying
embodied in an " outline of proposed leglislative regu-
lations. These are simple and few in number, being,
however, apparently carefully suggested, with a view of
remedying the evils, without inflicting vexatious rules on
the steam-vessel owners, or in any respect crippling the
progress of navigation by steam.
The following is the " outline of legislative regula-
tions," suggested by Captain Pringle and Mr. Josiah
Parkes ;

order.

thereon.
" Should the decision of the Board be objected to,
on the report of the surveyor (if the objection regard
the machinery), it shall call in the aid of one or more
engineers to survey and report in conjunction with such
official surveyor.
" Special surveys to be paid for by the owner or
owners of the vessel, according to a fixed scale.
The first survey of the hull cf a new vessel to be
made during its construction ; and a specification of it
transmitted to the Board, as is now done by the sur-
veyors of Lloyd's to the Committee.
" A survey of the bull to be made during each of
the.fiest_two years, and a survey every six months sub-
sequently. All steamers to be docked, beached, or
laid on the gridiron (as circumstances permit), and sur-
veyed, after sustaining any injury by taking the ground,
or otherwise, under penalty.
" The first survey of the boilers, engines, and machi-
nery to be made whilst they are being fixed in the ves-
sel, and the requisite details of them to be reported to
the Board.
" Boilers, engines, and machinery to be surveyed
every six months after the first year ; and all serious
accident, to be reported.
" The surveyors to report on the fitness of a vessel,
whether as a sea-going or river steamer.
" :t. Licence to express whether it be granted for
cargo only ; for towing-vessels ; for the conveyance of
passengers ; or for these purposes combined : also whe-
ther She vessel be intended to ply as a river or sea-
going-steamer.
" Licence to ply with passengers to be granted, or
withheld, as aforesaid ; a duplicate of which, or cer-
tificate to the same effect, signed by the Board, to be
exhibited in the cabin, or other conspicuous part of the
vessel. All public advertisements of steamers to state
whether licensed to carry passengers or not.
~An annual cliaege for each licence to be made on
all steam-vessels, varying according to a scale of s'ze and
capacity ; such charge to be in no case less than 1/.
nor exceeding 51,
"4. That the surveyor shall ascertain that the safety.
valves be sufficient to pass all the steam which the
boilers can generate in their ordinary state of work, at
the pressure determined by the weight on the valves ;
the maximum of which pressure shall be fixed by the
maker of the engines or boilers, and the valves be loaded
accordingly.
" 5. That, after an assigned period, no passenger
license be panted to any vessel having safety valves
whose spindles or levers are exposed on deck, or
capable of being loaded externally, unless satisfactorily
protected. Penalty on engineers, masters, or others,
for loading valves beyond the weight ascertained by the
surveyor, and regulated as above.
" 6. That, in all new steamers, and, after an assigned
period, in ell steamers, now afloat, glass water gauges,
and mercurial pressure-gauges shall be required to he
fitted to the boilers, to entitle the vessels to a license to
ply with passengers.
" No perfect mechanical substitute can be found for
care in the management of the steam-engine at sea or
on land ; nor do we think that the use of the fusible
discs, enforced by the French laws, would be productive
of additional security, nor indeed that any complexity
of apparatus, attached to the boilers, would contribute
to the attainment of that object.
" Apparatus for indicating the level of water, and
pressure of steam in boilers, is essential to the safe and
economical management of them, and is of far greater
import- to the boilers of marine than of land engines ;
accidents to the former, or failure in their supple of
steam, being attended with peculiar dangers and dis-
asters at sea, from which land boilers are exempt. Yet
it is a fact, accounted for, perhaps, by the circumstance
of steam vessels being owned and managed, generally, by
persons unacquainted with the nature of the steam-en-
gine, that these simple instruments are much more rarely
to be found attached to marine than to land boilers,
which latter are usually under the direction of parties of
mechanical education or knowledge.
" 7. That, in the event of the surveyor having infor
Illation that any boiler be deteriorated in strength, or
unsafe at its working pressure, in the interval of his
periodical surveys, he shall be empowered by the Board,
on hie representation, to examine it ; and in the event
of the boiler proving faulty, the Board shall suspend
the passenger license until satisfied of the safety of such
boiler.

. .....
" 8. That no steam-vessel be permitted to ply which
is not furnished with a binnacle and compass, in good

" 9. That after an assigned period no sea-going steam-
vessel, which carries coals on the tops, or about the
sides of the boilers, shall be entitled to a passenger
licence ; unless the boilers be protected by a shell of
metal, or other sufficient security.
" 10. All river steamers to carry one effective boat
—coasting and channel steamers two or three boats,
according to their size—and ocean steam ships, four
boats—as a minimum.
" The surveyors to ascertain that these boats be
kept in serviceable condition, and ready for use on
emergency.
" 11. All steamers to be provided with sufficient
hoses to convey water to any part of the vessel, with a
serviceable outfit of water-buckets ; and a moveable
fire-engine to be u.rried in all coasting, channel, and
ocean-going steamers."
It is advised that the necessary regulations for the
diminution of collisions should be introduced into
new Bill, which is understood to be in preparation a
regards pilotage. The nature of the requisite law a
affecting steam-vessels is pointed out.
The Report contains an abstract of the laws and r•
eulations for the government of steam-vessels which ar
in force in the United States, Holland, Belgium, an
France. This portion of the Report is valuable, an
tends to remove prejudice and natural objfctions against
legislation, by showing that foreign nations have been
obliged to adopt legislative measures for the security of
the public.
The appendix contains a mass of valuable cornmuni-
catiows from officers of the Royal Navy, eminent me-
chanics, and engine makers, steam-vessel owners, com-
manders, harbour masters, and capitalists interested in
steam navigation, and which make this Report an
important contribution to science, and ample data for
legislation.
Steam navigation has, in fact, greatly reduced the
risk of life and property in sea voyages ; but common
sense and the public interest require that such risk
should be still further diminished by every practicable
means.

SINGULAR ARREST OF A MURDERER..—..
Friday a man named Peter Bolton was arrested for a riot
and affray in the streets of Belfast ; be was brought be-
fore a magistrate and fined 21., or imprisonment for two
months. On leaving the Court he gave a leap, uttered a
yell, and shouted, " Here's sweet Tipperary and the sky
over it." The chief constable, who was present during
the trial, thought he recognized in the prisoner's features,
figure, ar.d form, a person not unfamiliar to him, but he
could not bring to his recollection any connecting circum-
stance of identification. The exclamation of " Sweet
Tipperary" operated like the touch of Ithuriel's spear upon
the memory of the chief constable ; he sent for the Gazette,
and discovered that the description of a murderer exactly
corresponding with that of Bolton, the only difference
being in name, it appearing from the Gazette that the per-
son there described was John Quinn, for the murder of
Michael Grace, near Nenagh, on the 26th May. Tho
uenhdleefr the
chief constable followed Bolton to the cell, and calling out
" Arc you there, John Quinn ?" Bolton answered ". Here
I am.". " Why do you call yourself Bolton'" said the
constable. " that's my travelling name, your honour," re.
to abide his trial for
con-
stable,turned t,l,leyopurisnoinuestr.
tra"vc?hi,mtchkent,o" relripipneedra.trh;
name of John Quinn now." And so did, for he was
transmittednlurder. to sweet Tipperary
young
woman named Sales was o:1
Friday
committed to trial by
ROBBERY. AT LORD 11
the Magistrates of Queen-square, on a charge o having
stolen a vld brooch and pin, the property of Miss Copley,
L
sister,
irom his Lordship's house. The
prisoner occasional servant in the establishment.
When apprehended she delivered up the brooch, and said
gin drinking had induced her to commit the theft.
ady Ho
was wieka'a n

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