The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-09-05
Mails for California.
Another Steamboat M&ssasrs-EIplSssOn Of
she Reindeer.

thU ketNaeer.
Scarcely have ,he echos of the dying shrieks
Of tae victims of the steamboat Henry Clay
ceased TO reverberate over the waters Of the Hud-
son-the waves of Lake Enc have scarcely closed
the hundreds who persisted by tho collision Of
the steamboat Altar tis-when the community
ave again startled with fresh horror on the
Ncrth river, by the explosion Of the steanpips
of the Reindeer, numbering seven hu beings with
the dead, and fatally iDjuring several others,
TO whom immediate death would have been mercy
compared with the tortures they doomed to
durs, and which will end in their dissolution ut
last There cannot be doubt that many of those
who have been scalded and sill survive, will die
lingering and painful death. The list of scalded,
gwen in one OF our dispatches, comprises thirty
names; cut it ADDS that number of others, whose
names could not be ertaine6, were more or less
injured; and we perceive, by the statement Of the
conductor Of the Hudson River Railroad train that
eighty In ali have been scalded, and of these
thirty badly IL appears that the killed nearly
AL officers bands of the boat. Bat several of the
passengers win have to be added to the list. What
IS the cause of this horrible catastrophe Was
there racing-er was there, what amounts
to the thing, an undue anxiety and
reckless determination to make time, regard
less Of the safety of human life? Or, if neither
Of these suppositons be the one, there not
criminal negligence in emitting 10 let of steam
while the engine silil One despatch states
that there an effort TO make such time as would
eeteb the Saratoga train, and that there was no
steam let off from the hour the boat left New York
These matters for the investigation of q coro-
ners jury; and it is to be hoped that after the warn.
ing given by the late steamboat massacres, which
leaves the officers of the Reindeer inexcusable for
neglect Iecklessness, jury will be found which
will do its duty, and a coroner who will do his.
II is stated that there could have been no racing,
because boat left with the Reindeer. But though
there was no racing against any other boat, who
will undertake to say there was no racing against
time-no racing against the Hudson River r liroad-
racing to keep up the fame Of the boat for quick
trips? The racing on the North river has been
as great since the burning of the Henry Clay,
as it was before and justice TO the slain, and
gard to the safety Of the living, imperatvely de-
naBd thatexampes be made, and stop at last be
put to this infamous sporting with human life.
j i worthy Of remark, that nearly all the steam
boat explosions that take place, occur just as the
boat is leaving some landing. The philosophy of
the thing this when the engine is in motion the
steam is exhausted at each stroke when it stops,no
steam is exhausted, but on the contrary il accumu
hates more rapidly, because cold water is admit
tel into the boiler during this interval, the pump
being worked by the engine. Tue fires burn fierce
~ all the time, and the result is that the boiler
especially if deficient in water, becomes red hot
III the boiler or pipes do not give way before Tho en-
CINE is started, the moment it is set in motion the
sudden admission Of cold water, which is rapidly
converted into steam by coming in contact with the
red hot plates the agitation Of the water already
in the boiler against that part Of it above the water
line, which becomes excessively heated while the
engine s still, and makes steam faster then there is
space to contain it, causes an explosion, with al its
terrible consequences In every instance this is the
result Of neglect, wanton reoklessness Of human
for an explosion 10 take plscefrst always to keep
good supply of water in the boiler, aud, secondly,
always to let off the steam while the engine is STILL
n 1t lie, Of course at the landings But, accordngto
the racing policy, the steam must be kept up at all
hazards, and not wasted by blowing it off; and the
the engineer and other officers 50 familiar with the
danger that they think nothing Of it. ill., ssme fine
day, they blown to pisces; and, unfortunately,
the innocent are involved in the ssmc catastrophe
How long, VIC aek, is this state Of things to be per-
nitted TO disgrace the country, and how long are
human becatombs to be thus offered upon the altar
o. an ayaricious speculation, which sacrifices a.
things to itself1