New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-07-31

We have legal Inspectors Of Boilers, as
if death by explosion were the chief terror;
when in fact three or four lives are lost
from steamboats, by fire or water for
every one destroyed by scalding steam.
But why should not the legal inspection be
general and thorough Why should not
the Inspectors certificate affirm that the
vessel is provided with suitable boats for
taking off passengers in case of accident,
and so guarded against fire that ignition
from her furnaces is impossible, while,
even though ignition from sparks or lights
should take place, there would still be
good standing-roem for at least half on
board, What right has any man to So
licit passengers for gay and graceful YES
sci which fire will entirely overspread in
the course Of five or ten minutes!
1t is idle. it is absurd, to talk of individ
ual competition and self-interest regulating
this matter. No passenger, or not one in
q million, ever thinks of inquirlng, before
selecting his mode of conveyance, whether
the steamboat about to cast of for his
immediate destination is suitably furnished
with small boats and duly guarded against
fire. lie may ask, Which boat carries
cheapest !'-Qr Which is most comfort
able ?'-or Which will go through soon
est but nothing farther. Nobody be-
lievcs the Sefer will explode or the wood
work around it take fire today. 1t will
be some other boat, or this one at some
other time, that cuts that caper. So run
ners lie, and captains race and safety
valves are dashed down, and tar is poured
into the furnaces, ard steam is got up to
the highest pitch, aud boats crowd and
ostle, women shrek and shed tears and
officers laugh or soothe with false assur-
ances of safety, until the boiler explodes
or the boat is on fire beyond remedy,
and scores of precious lives are lost
and then the public awakes to a moment
airy condemnation of the system which
has produced all this misery and loss. But
let the catastrophe be barelr esca ped, and
the passengers landed in Tor rather iato)
safety. ard no mHrmur is ever heard. The
male passengers chuckle over the half
hour they have gained by the race, and
praise the captain as a spirited, wide-awake
fellow, who understands his business,
lau eh at their wives and daughters for
their idle, womanly fears, perhaps sign
certificate Of the capital time made or the
admirable management of the boat-aud
all passes off delightfully."-. Let disaster
occur, and the whole community eferves-
ces with virtuous Indignation against the
reckless destroyers of life, though the ac-
tual blame is just the same in the other
ease as in this.
We trust Congress will act promptly
and fully on the general subject, and that
care will be taken to provide against the
possibility of fire overrunning a steamboat
within FIVE or ten minutes after it's dis
:overy. This Is easy, and need cost bus
triAe. So simple an expedient as the use
Of some incombustibe or $50 called
'firc-proof paint, would prove of
immense utility. Coat all the surfaces
of steamboat with it wherein fire
will not run--which can be burned only
by heating and charring the wood behind
it-and great step toward security will
have been taken. Now each steamboat Is
a fire ship, which spark may wrap in
flames almost instantaneousIy. Stop the
spread of fire through the oil of her
painted surfaces, and there will at east be
time for the passengers to get deliberately
overheard upon such settees, trunks, &c.
as afford the best prospect of floating. We
think zinc, sheet-iron or some other metal
lie sheathing should also be laid over al
the floors, where paint is likely to be rab
bed oil by the constant friction of feet and
trucks. But whether our suggestion be
the right one or not, let some adequate
means be employed to protect passengers
from sudden destruc ion by fire, and give
them at least time to get deliberately into
the water. No boat should be allowed
to take a passenger until it has fully pro-
vided for this.