The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1855-08-04
From the Cincinnati ENQUIRER. July %.

From the Cincinnati Enquirer. July %.
SOsThern. " ester Rivers, for 1855.
Capt. w. w. Guthrie, one of the Local
Inspectors for this district. has prepared list
and table, showing the number of steam
boats in existence, the number damaged, the
loss to the cargo and steamers, the number
of lives lost, &c., on the Western and South
western rivers for the six months from JAM
Gary I, 1855, TO June so. 1855, from which
we prepare the following interesting synop-
sis Il:
The aggregate nSmbef of boats damaged
during this period v As eighty -three-of this
number thirty whine weN totally lost. Esti-
mated total damages to steamers S578, 700.
Estiha ted total damages TO cargoes, $f,229,-
500 Whole number of lives lost, excluding
those by the Lexington, thirty-one.
In Division No. I, embracing the Ohio
River and its tributaries, there were six
STEAMBOATS, sunk, and three damaged by
snags; two destroyed by FIRE, one damaged by
explosion of boiler, three sunk by ice, and
five damaged by collision-total, twenty
Only TOUR OF this number were totally lost.
Total amount of damages for Division No. /,
$343. 300 or nineteen per cent, OF the whole
loss for the Western and Southern waters.
In Division No. 2, embracing the Missis-
sippi River and its tributaries, above the
mouth of the Ohio, seventeen boats were
sunk by snags, two by collision, one dam
aged by collision, five damaged by snags,
/ one by collapsed fiue, four damaged by fire,
amounting in all to thirty-two. OF these
fifteen were totally lost. Total amount oil
lostin Division No. 2, S565, 200, or thirty
NJ no mh mi civ
lives lost, or nineteen-and- third per cent.
OF the entire number.
In Division No. 8, embracing the Misss-
sippi. below the mouth OF the Ohio, anu trib-
utaries, ana the Alabama River, there were
nineteen boats sunk by snags, eight de-
siroyed by fire, three damaged by explosion,
and one damaged by collision, amounting in
all to thirty-one. OF these, twenty were
totally lost Total amount of loss in Dvis.
ion No. 8, $864,50O or forty-eight per cent.
OF the whole; aud twenty-five lives lost, or
eighty nd-two thirds per cent. of the whole.
Total luss of boats and cargo, 81 soo,5Oo.
Number of boats in EriStence.
were five hundred and thirteen boats inspect
ed under the law of 1852, up to September
80. 1854; and estimating eighty -seven steam
boats running as freight, tow and Terry boats
to same date, gives six hundred ste amboats
of all classes on the Western and South
western rivers. Taking this as the num- Der
in existence, January /, 1855, the loss and
damage to June 80, 1855, is Is S3l00 per
cent.
The number totally lost (ttirty. nine) has
no doubt been replaced by new boats built
during the time, and bears proportion of
six-and a-half per cent, to the whole number.
Summary. Twelve steamboats, destroyed
by frej dam age to merchandise, $685. 900
and boats properly, $l9S.O00. Total, $685.
600, or forty.six and-a-haH, nearly of the
whole loss, and eighteen lives lost, or fifty
eight per cent. of the whole.
Seven steamboats, damaged by icei damage
to merchandise; $40 900, and boats properly
$4,000. Total, S46 900, or two-and- a. half
nearly of the whole lose.
Fiity-two steamboats, sunk and damaged
by snagsj damage to merchandise, $5S 1900,
and bouts property, $s4S. 400 Total, - .402,-
200, or fifty per cent, nearly of the whole
loss.
Five steamboats, damaged by explosion;
damage TO mercha ndze, -, and boats
property, $4,000. Total, $4,000, or three
tourths nearly of the whole loss; thirteen
lives lost, or forty-two per cent, of the
whole.
Seven steamboats, damaged by collisions;
property, $4,000; Total, $4,000, or one.
fourth per cent, nearly Of the whole loss.
1t will be observed that no loss of life
wbatevor in Division No. /, embracing the
Ohio is reported. The sacrifice OF human
life, therefore, seems to be mainly confined
to the Mississippi River. The only fatal
accident of this year on the Ohio was that
OF the explosion o. the steamer Lexington,
whereby upward of thirty persons were sacri-
feed.
Capt. Guthrie remarks that sit is difficult
to suggest q remedy for the prevention of
FIRE beyond what has already been DONE"
OF losses by collision W tn snags, he says
that "disasters from this cause have been un-
usually large-eight of them hardly worthy
OF notice, and may be accounted for by the
extraordinary low stage of water in the
rivers, in many of which it still continues"
We are of opinion that these accidents must
be otherwise accounted for, as the state of
water has generally been very fair since the
LIST OF March.
Capt. Guthrie says, in conclusion. that it
is worthy of remark that there has been TO
explosion or collapse of fue of any boiler
manufactured since the passage of the law
by Congress of August 80, 1852, and coming
under the reduction of steam pressure. In
every instance the disasters have been from
boilers made previous to the passage of that
law. Many of them have been brought
under it's provisions, which allows a greater
steam pressure, and is actually necessary to
that class of boats constructed under diff
ferent view of proportion between boilers and
cylinders. 1t is true, limit is fixed, but it
is far above that of the new boiler.