The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-07-11
SECURITY or LIFE ON BOARD STEAMERS.

The bill 10 amend an act entitled San act TO provide
for the better security OF the lives OF passengers board
OF vessels propelled IN whole part by sieam" was
read second time, and considered in committee OF The
whole.
able importance affecting property or less to con-
siderable amount; and il s. perhaps, appropriate that
should, IN as summary way as circumstances will per-
m bring before the Senate in the first place. the
which demand legislation and. in the second place. the
remedies which are proposed In doing this my princi-
pal object will be 10 present to the consideration ol the
Senate those statistics which belong TO the subject, and
which will afford them, think. all the information
which they will desire q.
would premise, however, before entering upon the
exhibition OF these statistics, that this is subject of very
complicated chafacerihat is surrounded every gen
tleman who has paid any attention TO il well knows with
various and complicated embarrassmen,s. In the first
place. you have TO contend with the feeling OF selfish
which always belongs 10 property holders. Life IN
steamers cannot be better secured without
which, from their necessary srngency excite The dis
trust If the hostility of the OF such vessels
They prefer the unresraned liberty OF managing their
affairs according 10 their discretion. though
cenary spirit may. and often does triumph all sympa
Thy for those exposed TO destruction from explosions and
other In the next place. you have TO encounter
greater less diversity OF opinion TO the remedy
And hen again, perhaps there very great unilormi
~ OF opinion TO The OF the catastrophes which
have happened and which demand legislation. Bnt, sir
think they all agreed in one thing at any rate
in the various correspondence which have had and all
the various gentlemen who have done me the honor to
confer with upon the subject. have found no ind
vidual who is not OF opinion that something should be
done COngTeSS-tnat something may useiuIiy done
suppress the caames, or al least diminish the dan
gers which exist.
In order that the Senate may understand the magnitude
OF the interest with which dealing will lay be-
fore them statistics which have been able TO col
lect from the various which open research
The statistics which am able TO command have been
collected considerable labor and from sources though
in all instances entirely reliable. Yet the errors II any
exist not OF character 10 misead the Judgment.
In the first place. we should know the number of
steamers in the United States. We should know the
ms ,dp Mt avis in IInp
times. We should understand something of the effect
which the progress OF events has exhibited 10 the public
complete information upon this subject but may say,
most of il is quite satisfactory. in hopes, at
time, that should be able communicate 10 the Senate
account OF every steamer which. from the com
OF the business, has been built in the United
States down to this day. and be able to exhibit 10 them
account. if any disaster has befaen them OF that dis
sster. am very happy 10 cay that while cannot do
this as regards The whole country am yel able to rea.
sonable extent TO do il in regard TO that portion which
has been most afflicted with difficulties. and where the
greatest disasters have happened. | allude TO the
waters Of the West-lhs great valley Of the Misss.
spp. and the gulf connected with il, There has been
presented and laid on our tables an exhibit OF that
descripon-drawn out upon resolution passed by the
Senate upon my motiongiving an account, believe. Of
every steamer which has been constructed in that valley
and upon the gulf from the of steamng
down TO the year lS49 and also account OF every
dssser which has resulted in the des,r ucon of the
vsssel The absence Of complete information regards
the residue oil The country is the less to be regretted
frequent in that region. the by which
II is done will be sufficient corrective for other po
tons oil the country But have complete infor.
nation in regard 10 SPECIFIC period. The Senate were
kind enough 10 pass resolution the session before The
hs think BY which they directed the Secretary OF the
Treasury collect the statistics for the year ending the
3oth OF June ls5lthe political year That service has
been accomplished with industry and highly eommenda-
bic ability We have, then, the statistics resulting from
The return OF the Secretary OF the Treasury showing the
whole number OF steamers then existing IN the United
Nfafa fha iIsas "
number OF lives, Tar as could be asceTtaned, lost by
shIpwreek and from other canses
Mr.. President, l am unwilling TO take up the time OF
the Senate further than to bring substantially these
statistics, and TO state the remedies which proposed
According the list TO which have adver,ed, the
whole number OF steamers which had been built in the
valley OF the Mississippi and upon the gulf up ls4s,
1885. OF this number 736 were destroyed in the
following ways 10 wits 4s were sunk, chiefly by snags
10! Were burnt g %e, s y oy s
by the bursting OF Ppes-making altogether BY expIo
slons i6s and As destroyed by collision. The loss
Of P,opery oy .se destruction s,s 81 these nes,s n
sisd st e5 6s3 7gl for the vessels The destruction OF
cssoes the vessels has been carefully estimated
d .69s 529-making, in this valley and gull during
that PERIOD, total loss oil property amounting TO sis,.
aiasso ..,.,. I'm !, .,.;..
tade Of this loss. compared with the whole Interest
When we TO look at il, and compare II with the
whole, find that the loss amounts TO 48 per cent on
the value Of the whole property engaged duung The pc
riOd from the commencement oil steamng down 10 ls4g
We have no data by which the sacrifice OF life can be
stated with entirely reliable accuracy In December,
1885, the Commissioner of Patents directed 10
tain the number who had perisbed BY explosions only
he reported that in l6i cases o explosion collapse,
which had come under his knowledge. /, sos persons
were killed, and in III OF those 0l5 PERSONS
wounded. He further estimates, by averaging the
Whers ths number has been ssceraned the Ioss OF life
IN the cases OF explosion, &c, asceained by him TO
hsvs previously taken place IN the United States, al
2,5o3 The number OF wounded he has estimated on
sks Urtor Mt ntot ~ A IN
killed and wounded By explosions alone These esii.
nsiss probably fall below the truth The inquiry Of the
C/1mssioner was limited to explosions only, while
m1s has extended 10 all kinds OF disasters which have
proved fatal to life And although the data collected by
hin and that employed by me- do not admit OF direct
tsa " comparison. yet persuaded that the fact will
he 9sde manifest when we come 10 The more correct
s,atics to which have advered that be under esti.
raatss Az | remarked to the Senate, we have the re-
tprns Tor the year ending on the aoh Of June, 1881.
We have these details in substantial and reliable form
and when the Senate come to compare them with the
estimates made by the Commissioner OF Paent', they VIII
be saisAed that il was an underestimate his part
According the returns Tor The year ending June 3oh
$751; the entire mercantile steam nsnne OF the United
States including ferry boats, numbered 800 vessels.
With tonnage OF AIT 225 distributed follows on the
Auaniie and Pacific coasts 625 vessels with tonnage
OF 2a 500; the interior waters, 76o vessels against
o23 on the coast and tonnage of 204725 against ton
mage OF 900. These vessels, again. are classed IN
employment on which they wers engaged, az follows;
No. Tonnsge.
On NE Atlantic and Pacific coasts. ocean. :, :,
s.emsn drove by paddls.whcel, ss2 eo7s3
-.