Maumee City express. [volume] (Maumee City, Ohio) 1838-184?, 1840-02-08

lRoN STEAMBOATS,. 1t is to be hoped
that the recent awful catastrophe upon the
eastern waters will turn the attention Of
commercial and scientific men to the en-
ployment of iron, as substitute for wood,
in the construction of Steam Boats. In
American steamboats,, at present, too much
of safety is sacrificed to the desire of OBJ
tanning the greatest possible speed, and in.
stances too frequently occur, where fire and
wood are brought into such juxtapositon as
would seem to argue, on the part Of the
builder u total ignorance of the effects OF
such a contact. An American steamboat
is almost always on fire; and the ignition Of
portions of the tmbers and plank or sheath
ing above and around the boilers and en-
gine is so common as scarcely to excite re-
mark and on the western waters especial
ly, there is certain class of boats, which,
that they do not oftener burn, would seem,
rather the effect ofa miracle, than of any
care on the part of either builders or mana
gers. We refer to the large high pressure
boats, with boilers below the deck. These
boats are rarely constructed with depth Of
hold sufficient to render them perfectly Sc
cure; and as, in increasing the burhen Of
the boats, the diameter of the boiler used
usually increases in greater ratio than the
distance between the deck beams and the
kcalson, the larger the boat, the more dan
gerous It's; and under the present practice
of crammng the hold as full of boilers as it
can contain, it's easy enough to see, that
smoudering fire will lurk in the timbers,
from day to day, waiting only for favor
able moment to break out, and sweep the
whole to destruction. Any one who has
seen such boat broken up, cun bear tes-
timony to the charring which the parts a.
round the boilers never fail to exhibit.
1t is easy enough to make restrictions,
and to pass restraining laws, but the ex-
penence of every one can testify, that they
are oflittle avail, when, through the igno-
rance of the legislator, they are not the
most judicious, and when they war against
the cupidlty Of boat owners and the preju-
dices of boat captains and officers; and ex-
perience has proven that capitalists may be
found who will risque their property in the
construction of the very boats, that we have
described as the most dangerous fall, and
that, when they are built, men will venture
their lives by travelling on them. either
through ignorance Of the danger, or hope
that they shall get through 1t safe.
The employment of IRON as the principal
material for boats would render the travel
ing public perfectly safe from such terrible
calamities as befel the Washington and the
Great Western, on this lake, and more re
Gently, the Lexington. And is there not
motive enough for the trial? Is not the loss
ofsixty human beings, by the Washington,
and over hundred on the il-fated Lex.
ington, by the worst and most terrific Of
deaths that it is possible for the heart to
conceive, motive enough for the action of
the humane upon this subject? But if this
fails of effect, the prospect of unparalleled
profit from the investment should stimulate
the rich aud the enterprising to the trial;
and we venture to predict that the introdu-
GERS of iron steamboats, upon the different
waters of America, will reap a rich reward
for their benevolent enterprise, not only in
wealth, but in honor.