The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-08-26


Our late dreadful calamity has again called for
some check on the apparent rvcklsss conduos Of
engineers and officers in charge Of steam engines
and boats With great difidsnoe ss Law maker or
taDt subject. I have no excuse to make a. to q
practical or theoretical unders andng of the steam
eEgine, 80 far az / will venture any assertions in
the following Propositions
1t might be an act Of prudence and preo aution to
enact that all steam boilers, CRATE and Gre surface
steam ROOM Should bear any safe proportion agreed
upon in relation to the capacity Of cylinders or
quantity OF steam required Of such boiler and that
should be sIlowed TO be used with not over one
half the proof pressure or estimated strength. We
have now q boiler that should be considered
safe If properly used, with FIRE and water, and in
attention as dangerous as 20 much gunpowder.
The next step to satisfy the passengers oh board
OF steamer that the persons ir charge OF such
boiler are competent and trustworthy, and that he,
or the owner OF the steamer, has given good secu-
rity that he will not exceed the pressure Of stea
allowed by the nspel tors; and for guarantee
ard detection OF negligence or misconduct on the part
of the engineer or persons in charge of the boilers,
Zee there ne placed in several OF the most conspcu-
Gus parts Of each steamer, for the inspection OF
seDgeIs, acommon sypAon mercury guage, indica-
ting the pressure of steam in inches or pounds and
not under the control Of or accessible to Sny but
sworn officer, whose bounden duty it shall be to pro-
secute the engineers security st amy time he may
find the mercury blown from any Of the guages,
which might have reasonable range-say five
pounds or inches above the inspectors given pres
sure OF steam-marked upon such guage, which
would be amply sufficient to make it pracucable.
The mercury gusSe is the most simple and relia-
bic that steam pressure can be measured BY, and
Cen be understood by q child.
Place mercury guage ia case, difficult OF &C
cess ana highly penal for the attempt, which would
as certainly ls anything human, empty at FIVE
pouncs greater pressure than is allowed by inspee-
tors, and consider that forfeiture Of $500 is at
tsched to tho act by the security of the engineer,
and nine-tenths Of the explosions and burning Of
steamers will be provided against.
IL is not requiring too much OF the proprietors Of
steamers to ask that they will employ competent
and trustworthy officers, aud give the passengers
and, together with inspectors limit of steam that
their lives will not DO trifed WITH particularly as
the passengers expect to pay proprietors all the
ira charges for so dong. l would have the guages
plentiful the mirrors, and as slightly If neces-
saIy. The effect of emptying mercury guage by
pressure, would be slight discharge of steam,
arousiDg the attention of persons in the vicinity
The most Objectionable and disasterous feature in
the present management Of the steam engine is the
low trckey and secrecy observed in concealipg and
making false guages, SC.
Ifthe public think with me that they have right
to the character qualifications, actions OF the
man in whose hands they, in a measure, intrust
their lives when they chose to be in the vicinity
Of the present irresponsible and murderous man
aged steam engine, they will call on the govern
Eent, the owners of steam engines, and de-
mand some responsibility. The writer is Tac-
teal engineer Of twenty years experience and is
ready to comply with the foregoing suggestions for
safety and give good bond in ten thousand dollars,
for two years, to prove the practcability thereof
JAMES CoCHRANE,
No. Tenth street. Engineer.