New-York daily tribune., 1849-09-05

The following letter from X. Is. FORBES, Esq.
written on bis passage to India, contains some
vAusbls Suggestions, and will be read with in
tersst
srKAsEh HINDosTAN,
OF Cap Eiui,crrr, Jalu y lr4g. J
J0HN c. sLTtPEH. EsQ-DeGr Srrs Having
taken lesve Of old Eng aud, and being nortably
.ocsred board this hue ship. with smooth Sea
aud nothing better to 30, IL may not be OUT OF place
% put down lew reflections on the better pro-
lection ~ the lives Oi individuals travelling by ses
more especially between the United States and
England. where 50 much competition exists, sno
where steamers constantly meet with emigrant
and other ,ni,s-snd = here they shou 4 Be alsays
prepared Tor such direiul emergencies 40 beel the
/ Europs on the 27th ultmo.
/ Many people think IN at steamers should " slow
/ the engines In thick westher-but protest agairs'
/ this Tor the following reasons. which know vi
be re sponded 10 BY the 20 ahead travellers. ~ho
I are never satisfied with going the slow coach
| The faster one goes, consistently with the safety
Of the machinery, the better. for the danger -
/ then soonest Overland when going at iuli speed
the noise Of the paddewheels can be heard luther
/ than when 60 ns slow. We viii then admit tina
Il ID best O. 70 shead ~ as fast ss possibie-bui
the most visi aut look k0ut should be kept, aud ~
/ thick weather a steam whistle. or something Ike
| t. should be frequently souud,d-a speaking tlbc
should be led from the bridges, where the cihce
II The deck is stationed, 20 the wheel-house, and
t should have three mouth. ~ tbs bridge, say one
amiG-ships and one On escA SIDE 90 htted ss a.
Convey tie order - port or sarboard the heim' At
0ncr 70 the man st the wheel
IL may be said that there are always officers or
ltheu stationed on the poop aud at the ~neei
house, a. pass the orders. TINS 10 oiten the case.
aud as often they are spinning yarns with the
passengers. or interrupted by the promensders ol
he poop, aud sometimes these persons are Obliged,
/ notW ithstsuding their vigilance, 20 be elsewhere,
/ attending 20 other duties A gutta percha tube
j aff trnueslt cnuf~iyef I'd ufacet Mnrrp
II can slwsys be got st easily, cannot give sny
ether order than that given by the responsible
/ nticer OF duty-H cdaHOf lie The Cuaard ships
/ nave an slArm bell st the bridge on each SIDE.
placed there give the Orde- 20 ,t0p the snip ano
70 call all the engineers - their posts. This i
done becsuse u N rot possible to siVe the sarn
10 any oiher way o. certainly. Why, then. should
not the htmsmsn have the means ri obeylng the
order OF the deck oHfcers Instantly Even sup
posing the officers A. their pos's somc llttis
tme ). lost bs giving the order through sewers
mouths A delay Oi lew seconds may some
time. be fatal Take the case Of The Europa and
tns Chsnes Bartiett-the hrst order slyen ess
stafb ard. bat IL as countermsuded before any
Eject hsd been given T. the rudder-stiil, Who eah
"a, that the oss OF time between giyiag the order
~ "sttrboard snd the next 70 "had sport
Did not cost some hves
A. there 10 some doubt as TO whether the steam
pr,..ure 10 sufficient 70 have loud and sharp
whistle the surest way Is To have a machine 10
the purpose ! Inspected one st the Royal hx
change Ia London, worked by crank u consists
of ~ AZ pump, cOntrivvd 10 whistle ss loudly -
the locomotive whistl--it Is portable, anu ought
70 he adopted Ia Gil European packets, whether
steamers or sailing craft placed near the bon ~
iozsy weather the crauk could be turned by hand
10 sailing vessels, or By band Ia ste ameTs IL is
Of much more consequence that the saili1g vessel
should have the means OF warning the steamer
,hen that the steamer should have the means oi
4 h. al FFNar d IN
not ike the former. command her position and
course.
The crews Of all vessels. and particularly Of
steamers shou d b. sfaii0htd and OCCASIONALLY e.
s,cis,d 40 that N sudden emergencies every man
should know ms place, and mus D, ,yecfirs a, ~
general order should be gwen and well under
st.oi that Ia csse OF collision, or OF hre AZ sea
every man should repair % 4 certain place on a
siyed seuai Amid the confusion incidental "a
any great catastrophe, ell the dl.ciPhnc in The
world rtA AOt tAsure suooess and sgfefy but every
exgedieut should be resOrted IN IN uHei 10 render
the chances of life more certain
The first thing done on board steamer when
the order Is given 70 stop her, 10 70 blow on an
immense volume Of steam. with noise ~nicn
1rosns al orders, this should be remedled oy
holding on 4 certa q time, say one or t~o minutes
{ 50 that the orders on which many hTes aud m1eh
property may be saved, shall be perfectly under
stood There is 10 occasion for tasfdd lvtting OF
bosn OF at the side uDder ster
IL Is OF title nse 70 have foe boats unless they
sc always provided for smsrgenei-s hsty BY
having GppoiHief crsrs, the smallest and pear
boats u have choice crews % man hem qalcky
5 All the locations Oi the boats should Be provided
l. win one or more hstchets or tomshawss %
cut the lsshinzs IL q questionable in my mind
whether boa.s shoaid Dc covered up By canvas
covers: when covered the sun IS excluded, bat the
water. which serves 70 keep them tight is si'o
1 excluded in a great degree. Ga the whole, pre-
Ter that steamers boats should Dc uncovered, aud
that their mast., sais oars, and even water Aess
! coruos,.es and stores should De always At hand
b ready In tn-n,d!afs use Tris ship has exec IenI
, b,s,-t.o pa-tcu srly-3O feet long, anf OF oeSo
tifal model sike. or uesriy - ~ both ends lney
are life boats and have place for stores oat ~
tie way OF water tsf fA<y are too snng4y scared
The fxct il, that seamsn vii rot antlciya DAD
ser Tnsy think all Will 20 sell ss it nas done
b-f re bqg b. atd oy comes terrible dsotef
z ike thu OF the EuropA. aud al hands exclai ns
, - Oh thst We had been prepared Tor ms eaias
. truphe
; Beside the precautions have named. there
J. .hoo.dtea dozen Csrtes Life Baoys, ou each 'ide
= the balxsrks each ~ have tea or twenty fsihom'
O.. lead line attached. 30 that IN case OF s9fdea
u.ril they coald o- tnroSn over. There shooid DC
80 AZ intervals coils Of rope, forty or atty icei
oos. u throw over, and the painters Of the boats
,noud be led along % the paddle boxes, or 70 some
other convenirut sc 80 4nat nc D'A-'' - \
ing suddenly lowered, should ros get sdrilt nal
named "a . often tn case.
Ca tain Soy, 0f rbe Hin1Ostan, isa mos. vlxi an
and expensnced commander, Always 81 Bis post
> a man calculated q inspire passengers with con-
: fdence be 10 continually on the vsrch aud every
. nsn appears 10 know bis place still tnos ne
, boat. are TOO aIcs'y secsr,f, and YOU'D wsaer
{ har that fths o, der were given AZ tnis nonen'
/. 10 ioxer the boats. not one Of them could Dc sp'
into The water under esht OF ten minutes aa'ins
which Brief period, ss ny ate eIperi-pce proves
? u.nv a strong swimmer 10 his sgony might pen'o
II mus, es confessed thai tie lash upper sees