The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-11-22


Since The explosion Of the boilers Of lha Louisl.
ana much has been said In regard to the punish.
mens Of engineers through whose inattenton or
neglect such accidents OCCUR. The policy Of the
United States law Of 1885, declaring That every
captain, engineer, pilot OF other person employed
on board q any steambost or vessel propelled in
whole OF II part by steam, BY whose misconduct
negligence or inattention to his or their respective
duties, the life lives Of any person or persons on
board said vessel may Be destroyed shall be deemed
guilty Of mahslaughter,7 has been generally APP
proved, and it has been strenuously urged that the
only way to prevent such accidents is to enforce
with rigor the law we have Just cited
Now it seems to us that those who framed the
law Of 1898, well as those who approve its pro-
visions err as to the influence it may exercise in the
prevention Of explosions It is not by making the
engineers and other officers Of boat over-cautious
and timid that we are likely to ensure the safety Of
passengers and crews. Those who think the law
of 1888 wise and polite forget that too great an
anxiety to avoid accident may lead to the very
disaster which is dreaded Il is related Of Napo-
leon that when the physician who was called to
attend Maria Louisa in her first parturition, APP
4 peared anxious and oppressed by the responsibility
which attached to him as principal accoucheur oil
the Empress, the Emperor endeayored TO calm the
agitation ofthe doctor, and said to him, with the
view Of relieving his inqgietude, Imagine that
you are attending at the bedside of woman in the
faubourg ST. Antoine, and forget that you are BY
the couch Of the Empress of France" The -ex.
hortaton Of Napoleon eyinced'the thorough know
ledge Of human nature with which he was SC
eminently gifted A common despot would hav,
/ A. al. n
Empress was not delivered safely of a living child
Napoleon no such bungler in the art of mana.
| ging men.
The law of 1888 chooses to follow the policy o
an Eastern tJrant rather than the wise and saga
cious example Of the French Emperor. It says IL
the engineer and captain if you do not manage tn,
boat prudently and well you shall be denounced a,
felons and convicted as guilty Of mansaughter
| The law is irnpohhe, because it attempts to max,
men careful by inspiring them with fear it is un
just because it elevates fault of negligence int,
crime Of malicious intent. From the latter fac
arises the difficulty in getting jurors to convict IN
/ der the law of 1888. 1t is almost impossible {,
make men believe that a crime has been committee
unless there is proof of criminal and malicious in
tent There must be not only the negative fault o
negligence, but also the positive feeling Of malice
IN order to convince people that man Is a criminal
and guilty Of felony
II is not BY threatening engineers but it is by
instructng them, that explosions are to be pre-,
vetned The organization of college Of engineers,
granting diplomas or taking them away in cases Of
ignorance and negligence, would do more than any
number Of penal laws for securing the safety Of
steamboat passengers and crews. Give arengi-
neer the confidence which knowledge of has pro
fession would inspire and you make him safe
officer Inspire him with the fear Of criminal
conviction for an error he may fall into or a neg-
genoe he may be guilty Of and you take away the
calmness, 50 necessary to the management Of all
sorts If intricate r,,ebir,ar,,