The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-07-25

Our WasAisgtsn OsrrsspsAAsnee.
WAsHINarox, July ID, 1862.
Safay ~ Steam NaUigation-1h Nso Bill Bsfo'
Co~gress.
The bill for the better preservation Of Tho safet
and lives Of passengers in steam vessels, has q
length been sent from the Senate, and referred, b
the House Of Representatives, to tho Committee O.
Commerce, and will probably be reported upo
during the present week.
BY this bill, it is provided that NO collector shal
grant register or license to any vessel propelled
by steam. which shall not have complied with it
requirements; and any vessel contravening its pro
Visions shall bo subject to all the penalties oft
second section Of former act, of which this is or
amendment. It directs that inspectors shall be ap
register, and twice year afterwards, who shall set
that proper precautions have been adopted to pre-
vent accidents from fire or otherwise.
1t also provides that steam vesssls shall have 4
ply of hose; and that every vessel carrying pas
sengers shall have two boats-one q metallic lfc-
boat, capable Of carrying fifty passengers She mus
also have life preserver made Of copper, or othe
suitable material and floats for each passenger an
person on board, TO be placed in . conspicuous par
Of the vessel, ready for use, with proper number
fire buckets, and means Of escape from the main an
lever to the upper deck; she is not permitted t,
have curtains made of cotton, except In state
where nolights are allowed, and shall not take
board hemp, unless properly packed and covere |
with bageiDg, nor oil Of vitriol or other explosv
substances, without license, under penalty
one hundred dollars for each offence.
Pilots and engineers are to be designated by n
Board of Trade, or Chamber of Commerce, in GER
tain enumerated ports who shall be Of good charac
Il r., and suitable abilities Steam vessels, besides
guage cocks, are to be provided with alloyed me-
tails, to be placed on the outside fues, which
tho steam is raised ton pounds beyond the autho-
rzed working pressure The inspectors are to assume
the hydrostatic pressure on high pressure boilers
at one hundred and ten pounds to the square inch,
that being the maximum pressure allowed as work.
ing power, for new boiler Of forty.tw0 inches in
diameter; and all other boilers, whether old or
new, according to this standard.
In low pressure boilers, the inspectors are to as
sumo fifty pounds pressure to tho square inch the
maximum working power in new boilersSand in all
othor boilers, whether old new according to this
standard; and no valve is to be loaded, or 50 ma
naged as to subject the boiler to greater pressure
is to forfeit one hundred dollars for each offence,
unless in case Of accident on the passage; and the
Board Of Inspectors, constituted under this law,
may summon witnesses, and examine them on oath,
touching the performance Of their duty by pilots,
who are to report to the chief officer Of customs.
1t is declared unlawful to take on board steamer
creator number of passengers than are permitted
by the inspectors certificate; the master Offend
ing to forfeit the passage money and ten dollars for
each passenger; nor can craft or barges be taken
in tow without the consent Of the passengers. Any
master who shall load or obstrruot the machinery
or interfere with the safety to produce extra
pressure, is to forfeit two hundred dollars, and be
imprisoned not exceeding eighteen months.
In case Of deficiency Of water, unless from inevi-
table accident, or If it be suffered to fall below
designated point. the master engineer, and other
persons whose duty it Is to keep supply of water
are to be fined ono hundred dollars and IL an acci-
dent should happen in consequence, shall be inn
pris0ned not less than six nor exceeding eighteen
months. AL boilers that are hereafter constructed
shall made Of plates that have been inspected and
marked of ONE fourth of an inch In thickness for
boiler of inches diameter, and in that pro-
portion for those Of greater or less diameter and
of best wrought iron-fve cents to bc paid for in.
specting and marking eaoh plato. Any person using
iron that has not been in the
of boilers to forfeit five hundred dollars for each
offence, and be imprisoned two years. and If using
tho marks of others, to be answerable for all the
damage accruing thercfrom.
The President Of the United States is authorized
to appoint board of nine supervising inspectors,
each Of whom is to receive fifteen hundred dollars
per annum, with reasonable travelling expenses, to
be paid from the treasury of the United States-a'
are the inspectors Of boiler iron; and when super
gineer has failed in tho performance of his duty, he
is to report the to the board Of his distric or,
nhe deem it necessary, to prosecute tho offending
parties; and the board to report such failure to
tho Secretary Of the Treasury, who is toinvestgate
tho same.
1t is made the duty Of the collectors Of customs to
report the names Of pilots and engineers who have
been rejected appointed, who also to enforce
. aS 20
one hundred dollars. They are to furnish the cap
tain of steam vessel with two copies Of the inspec
tors certificate to be placed in conspicuous place
sepgcrs without such certificate, or combustible or
explosive materials without license, shall forfeit
one hundred dollars for every offence; and any in
spector who shall certify falsely is to be fined five
hundred dollars, or suffer imprisonment not oxcecd-
six months.
If the hull and machinery Of steam vessel are
not cOnformable to the inspectors certificate, the
master commander ia to forfeit sum not exceed-
ing one hundred dollars, or to be imprisoned two
months. The act provides for steamboats, nesting
on rivers, and in case Of fog, arrangement of ma
chnery, or stress Of weather; and owners and ves-
sells liable for injury to persons and property tor
the full amount of damage sustained.
The following sums arc to be paid annually to
the inspectors of districts, from tho public trea-
sury Portland, $780, Boston and Chsrlestown,
$500; New London, $500; New York, $4,000; Phila-
delPhia, $1,000; Norfolk, 500; CharlcstoS. $ 9,
leans, $4,000 Galveston, $500; St. Lonis, 81 500;
Nashville, 800; Louisville, 81 200; Cincinnati,
$500; Wheeling, $500; Baltimore, 900; Pitts
burg, $l.5O0; Chicago. $500; Detroit, $eO; CleVe-
land, $500; Buffalo, 81, ,200 Oswego, $500; YER
mont, $500; San Francisco, 81 800.
The masters of steam vessels arc to keep a correct
account Of passengers stating where received and
whore left; TO provide themselves each with ton
copies of the act which s to be exhibited TO passen-
gers when required. Inspectors tn make oath as
to the faithful performance Of their duty and when
guilty Of taking fce shall forfeit Office, and pay
fine not exceeding ive hundred dollars, suer i'm
prisonment not exceeding six months, or both.
The Board of Supervising Inspectors are to re-
ceiye in writing information from qualified persons,
to render the law more effeotuaI and tho Secretary
of the Treasury is to prepare and publish nterroga
tories, and report the result to Congress. The las
section provides that the act shall into opera
tion on the 1st Of November, with the exception o
those provisions which relate to pumps, hose, and
life boats, which are to take effect from the lst
January next. W.