New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-08-21
Uncomfortable Structures.

That every passenger boat, ship or other
vessel might and should be committed to
he water absolutely frepr0ofis among our
most decided convictions, with regard to
which we have troubled our readers some
what, and mean to worry them still more
unless silenced by success. Every time we
hear of some score of human lives lost by
the burning of steamboat or packet we
say, Here is wholesale manslaughter, with
immense suffering and destruction of prop
'erty, which might have been avoided if
Governments had but done their duty!
Yes, if our own Government would but say,
No vessel hereafter launched shall be per-
United to carry passengers unless it has
been rendered thoroughly fre-proOf,' that
single enactment, yigilantly enforced, would
save five hundred lives per annum, at very
small cost; for it need cost very little to
render the frame Of vessel, its floors, paint,
furniture, &c. incombustible, leaving nothing
but its stores and its ropes (perhaps not
even these liable to destruction by fire.
The only reason why it is not now generally
done is simply that it never has been. The
constructor of to-day don't see why he
should spend hundreds Of dollars in doing
that which has not been done before, and
which The presumes) nobody will appreciate
if he does it. So capitalists continue to
build fire ships, which the carelessness or
i'll luck Of any one among their hundreds of
inmates may in FIVE minutes transform into
charnel.houses, replete, with unutterable an.
guish and horror.
When we shall have once brought the
public mind up to the work Of requiring
that all passenger vessels shall be fire
proof, it viii be but little further to require
that all buildings standing in blocks, or il
dangerous proximity to others, shall be In
like manner shielded from sudden destruc
ton.
The Leaders, new and spirited Londor
Weekly-has the following excellent articl,
on the general subject:
DESTRUCTIVE FIREs
Its melancholy TO think bow much property i
yearly consumed in Eng land by FIRE, hos man,
lives too are lost by it, man can scarcely ga
when he GOES TO bed that he shall not be burnet
out OF il. We rely on the Kindness OF our fellow
creatures on their soundness OF mind, and on thei
memory. We have trust that the foolish, ligh
hearted youth that has been showing himself care
less Of every thing spper,aniDg to property or h
own life during the day shall al night, with gre'
care. put his candle out We have trust
the memory of the servant girl who goes messas
ard iort cts ali that has been said 70 her, and W
believe that fhe will pat out her candle we nav
trust Ia the action Of Goals and are certain thar the
viii never extend their burning heat lar beyond 10
CRATE Now, much a. we value faith, we cannC
kelp thinking that this il going little too 10
WouId il not be better were We totrust only 10 ce
tsjnty A house on FIRE is painful tpectac
there is 10 good done 70 any one the main reso
b, that the fruit Of long accumulated labor sadde
~ becomes snnhis.ed. IL ia time that sclenc
wsre deyi,ipg some mode q living securely. Al
having fire. proof house without all che ineunbrs
oes OF present fire proof boIldins. The substance
used for building in the interior part o, house Al
very oonhustible; there is grest deal oil Tood %
furniture also 10 combustible, and xnen IRE o
sin, there is no hope Of having It pat out PIE
ga, Lately deyised Of salo;Stins the WOOD S'n St