New-York daily tribune., 1845-04-18
III. Preservation OF Lie.


Our Legislative authorities haze very properly
provided safeguards ssains; explosions OF steam
boat boilers, 50 far as legislation can bear upon me
danger; but nothing has yet been done toward
requiring that suitable precautions De taken asslss
the hazard Of drowning Why IS this Every
yrar the rumber of lives lost by water. on the
burning. blowing ID OF iounderlng OF sail aAd steam
vessels, immensely outnumbers that CT the
immediate victims of steam. And yet, though
the cost OF providing steamboat or packet snip
with Life-Boats and Life-PTescrvers ls compaFa-
lively ,rfng, not one vessel II tea Is SO pro
vided Hundreds Of lives would be saved sy them
every year, vet they are no; adopted Does moi
this prov. The folly Of relying on the suggestions
OF uaEesireined private interest 10 su6selye, N thS
as IN other respects, the highest public good 10
our mind. il does We believe thai every passage
boat or ship sheuld De required By law 10 provide
itself with the most approved Lne-Boais and with
q number of Lii--Preservers equal 20 any number
OF passengers ii may have capacity for. The cost
of these 10 each steamboat would add but little 10
the expense of It's outfit and il the saving were but
fifty human lives per annum Ghough II would be
nearer 1--WE hundted) VINO will pronounce the out
Law unwise or needless? We commend this sub
leci to the consideration of the Committee OF our
Senate appointed investigate the recent disaster
OF the Swallow. The only possible use OF such IN
ves,igation is 10 aid in d@yisng The means OF pre-
venting such caarnities hereafter.
Among the inventions intended TO guard against
death BY drowning is the Jftaiic Lgs-Protect0r,
invented by Nh Ralph BulkIsy Of this city. Il
consists OF several metallic caniSters or boxes, ar
and water-tight, very light, and fastened TO belt
which may be buckled rouns the person IN malt a
minute. Another form is made 10 be taken n
each hand, and there retained so long as you are
10 the water; or this may be shifted from the hands
and buckled around the body while IN the water
The whole apparatus Is very simple and cheap, and
We suppos~ boar may be furnished with FIVE
| hundred sets FOR Sl,GO0-hardy the cost OF The
useless ornament, of many boat. These Protec-
tors require no imitation Ia difficult process when
surrounded by flames or sinking in forty feet OF
blue water, 10 say nothing of the chance that you
may be the least grain iuried, or that your Life
Preserycr front initiate at all) They might be
hung along the sides OF a steamboats, nain-deck,
Just kept in three small repositories al each end
and in the middle OF the boat. Even II thr0rr
orerboqrd in sufficient numbers, they would save
the lives Of most of those struggling around the
sinking wreck We do not give our opinion
that this is the best thing ever invented, be-
cause we are not familiar with every thing that
has been done; but those who must know have
said go as will be seen by the certificates below
We only urge that something etiectual be done In
the premises, and that right speedily.
We copy the following from long list OF GER
| tificates before is:
| NEv-YoRE, 18th April. ls45.
Having formerly been engaged IN the sale OF Life Pro-
manufactured from cloth, rendered air and water
tight the usual by ca0uchouc or India rubber, which,
though tight when first made, are liable become affected
changes weather and ar 10 crack in the folds 10
permit escape. and have frequently when making
found il 10 initiate several before finding
! that would retain the air. SILAS DAVENPORT.
The following s a certificate from Captain CARLETON
WHITE, formerly commander OF the steamboat HoIE,
lost the coast OF North Carolina IN which near
hundred persons were lost-whIe the steamboat
only about 1900 feet from the shore.
have examined the "SEW-YoRK PATENT ME-
TALLIC LIFE PROTECTOR" invented by Mr. Ralph
Bulkev of New York and consider It an important in
vention the preservation OF human c and IN many
pouts under that have occurred and
likely again to occur think superior any thing have
seen for the purpose intended II being of metallic sub
stance nature permanent and may be always in
readiness for use and construction, that II may
not only quickly attached 10 person. but be placed
I'm convenient parts steamboats, and in numbers su en
TO accommodate all on Board which is important inasmnch
as steamboat could be expected 10 take small boats
sufficient accommodate the number of passengers that
they usually carry and they could take small boats
sufficient the number OF passengers on board they would
useless In the OF the loss OF the steamboat
HOME where there not Sare N tie small bsdis-
am fully convinced if these life protectors had been in
use at tha, time and had been furnished with suic
ent number, there would have been great many more
lives saved than there perhaps the most OF them.
therefore consider this newly invented life protector i'm
portant In steamboats, watch provided with life
boats, and useful as pEecanon to pesons even IN life
| boat. CARLEIoS " hlIE,
Formerly Commander of steamboat Home.
Report efte Fork Nautical hasisae and -Iiaser's
| Soctety.
The undersigned being a Committee appointed 10
| inc Mr. Ralph Bukley's METALLIC LIFE PROTECTORS
hereby REPORT that have perfoTm'd that duty. And
take great pleasure being able that in er opin
on the admirably well calculated for the object
had In view by inventor yiz that Of preserving human
OF sudsn distress; and they believe the
i'll fated Erie had been supplied with sufficient
number ;em, that most OF her unfortunate crew and
passengers might have been saved
The undersigned would earnestly recommend them 20
the propreios and commanders Of all Ships Steamboats,
believing that they have only TO be and understood to
| be duly appreciated. JEREMIAH BRIGGS,
! wM. SEwCoMB,
wM. BEEBE.
SEw-YoRk, 22d September. Is47.
SIR This will cerfy that the gentlemen whose names
are attached 10 the foregoing report regularly appoint
ed spcI, duty therein nained and that their report
has been unanimously accepted by the Society And am
having examined for myself your L,e Protectors and been
brought Iresstbly The conclusion that had those ves
sci, whose melancholy fe has been recorded within few
past, been supplied with sufficient quantity ofyour
simple and cheap apparatus, many valuable Ives might
thereby have been saved
| am respectfully, your friend and servant.
| THOMAS 3. NERMILYE.
President OF Nautical Institute and SAp-AaseTs Society
Mr.. RALPH BULkLEr, New-Iork.
r. Specimens Of the Metallic Life Protector m.y be
seen at l22 street, second aoOr These interested
are invited 10 call.
FARMERS CLUE AT THE AMERICAN EssTlrUrE =
The semi-monthly meeting on Tuesday was un-
commoulywell attended The distribution Of seeds
was very exiensiye-among Others, as follows -
Oregon Com Improved Dutton Corn, Small Germ
for picking Tuscany Winter Wheat, Multco!e Rye, Cali
foraa and Havana Tobacco, Nova Scoti Beans Spurry
italian Rye Grass Wild Goose Pea Sc &c. The President
,ro,,r1 ,ha sor,e uorton OF the r-oiuct be