The daily union., 1852-03-19

and useful ciuzens with nothing before them but life
of ignorance suffering and toll Who is there so wise
TO calculate the vast extent and accumulation OF
row and misery produced bya single steamboat explo-
sion Who pTescient 10 estimate It's effects from
infancy TO manhood from maturity to age How many
of the living at this mourning the loss OF
friends thus ruhlessy torn from them and with other
consolation than the cheeress hope that the dear
may have perlshed without having been blown TO atoms,
and scattered TO the four winds of heaven
Yet in The very midst OF these OF suffering and
anguish--ihis swoop OF desoationamd the heart rend'
ing groans OF the dyng-lhe tears and lamentations OF
the survivosthe indescnbabe anguish OF the scaded
and woundedthe surviving engineers and officers of the
boat seen behodiag the melancholy spectacle with
out visible emotion OF compuncton, employed wholly
in asseverations OF total innocence in producing the
catastrophe with witnesses at hand ready and willing 10
conceal the truth, and with mystery the real
of the explosion and to show that il brought about
by some nscrutabe act OF Providence over which they
had no control.
To excite Just appreciation OF the importance OF this
subject it is only necessary few of the latest
of these scenes and without taxing readers too far
will only refer to the cases Of the Knoxville the Bril-
liant and the Oregon, which occurred during the past
year.
would not speak of the dead, or Of the manned and
dying victims OF these three occasions; but would point
TO the fact which survives all these. that not single
conviction OF crime, mder wrong has follow
ed either OF these caasrophes. From past experience
OF two things is apparent either that explosions
the result of some one all OF the enumerated
viz the ignorance negligence, recklessness of engi
neersor that steam propelling agent is ncompre-
hensble in it's action unmanageabe in its USE and there
fore unsafe and dangerous human life In either view
OF the case however, prompt and highly penal leglsla
ton equally called for by the interests of
cety, and invoked by every dictate Of humanity II the
former true, is certainly within the pale Of egisla-
tive power and sagacy provide such restraints, safe
guards, and penalties will bring into this responsible
employment men of qualifications and integrity and, if
the latter is the case, the fearful missile of
death is driven out OF use by the mandate Of law the
better.
lis not to be reasonably expected that engineers, who
have now grown into formidable class. should second
any attempt TO ntrench upon their unbrdled privileges
and arrogant assumptions Indeed, is TO be feared that
they are not content with their present immunity from
personal responsibility, but seek to retain the exclusive
management and control Of engines and boilers by egs-
atye sanction extending their arrangement and
inspection.
understand they represented here by one Of
their body, who claims in no very modest terms the
right OF engineers 10 control the selection OF inspectors
Ihave thus attempted, Mr. Editor in very plain. and
certainly unpolished way to elicit the attention of Con-
gress this subjects and, while it has given pain to
be compelled TO personate class Of men, could
not how could otherwise treat it in justice TO it's
magnitude, and with proper regard to truth