Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-12-15
COMMUNICATION

Ma EDITOR: Ia your issue of Monday last, no
ice from under the hand of Jas II. Wheeler, Sec>
retarv of theBoard of Underwriters in New Orleans,
is published 1t is to the effect that the New Or
leans Offices will not hold themselves bound for
any losses sustained on Cotton shipped on boats
| that have not certificate from the Inspectors on
! HuIls, employed by them. This Board OF Uuder>
writer's have certainly taken an extraordinary
course in this matter 1t is a well known fact that
four-ffths, or perhaps greater proportion of the
boats engaged in the navigation of the Cumberland
River, never 20 to New Orleans, and as the New
Orleans Offices do not send their inspectors up here
consequently four-ffths of our boats are prescrb-
ed without an examination. But let US look little
further in the matter and we find that in all proba'
lily if their inspector to honor with his call
he would Judge every boat in the Cumberland un-
safe, except the four or five Nashvlle and New Or
leans boats. Their rule is for boats to have deck
frame Of extra strength and guard beams to be
much heavier than our small boats have them,
also guard chains / or inches in diameter, plac-
ed 10 feet apart; inshorc boats must be built almost
expressly for the transportation of Cotton, before he
IA
very well applied to boats above engaged in the
Cotton trade when a large portion Of the load is
slowed on the guards. But il seems to me to be
papable absurdty to say all that carries cotton
shall be held rgdly to it. Why not send their in
spector here, and to such boats had not sufficient
strength Of guard give the certificates carry it
deck or in the hold-but the undersigned believes
that they never grant conditional privileges. Who
has ever seen the small crafts Of this river with
cotton slowed on their gusrdsf The Captains own
se nse Of proprety is a sufficient guarantee against
this
Suppose small boats are to be built for the car
rage ofcottou sufficiently strong according to the
opinions of the inspectors, in place of having boats
Of from 2 TO 90 inches draft-we have them from
% to SO inchcs-the difere2ce in the value of the
lighter class to the Of this river is ines
timuble. While on this subject, l deem il proper
here 10 give an instance Of the erroneous manner
in which the insurance officers classify steam boats
| will take the America to illustrate the case; she
was what is called an A No ! boat; denotes the
size as being the largest, TO which we can have
no objection No. l denotes her as being the safest
this would have been her registry, no doubt, in
every Office in the South or West. Now let US
anime the facts in the case: she could carry 1900
tons freight and her own weight was not far from
500 tons, making an aggregate of 1000 tons when
loaded rhe thickness OF her hull psnks was or
a inches, with rib timbers in proportion. Tho
Hartsvile one Of the smallest boats, land is gen.
orally considered the most frail the river,) has
a carrying capacity Of about 100 tons, her own
weight about rs tons, making an aggregate of 925
tons when loaded she is classed either c or D,
and No. 5 or 4, which is immensely inferior to the
America in point OF safety, as is supposed by their
registry; but when we look to the proportion Of
strength, We ind the Hartsville has q inches
blanks on her hull or over ! inch to the hundred
tones weight. The America has only about I OF
an inch TO the 100 tones, being difference Of more
than four 20 one ia favor OF the Hartsve. The
America draws near II feet, while the Hartsvile
but I; the Americas speed is about 10 miles per
hour while the Hartsyesi is but about 6; the greats
er draft Of water Of the America renders the risk
much greater strike distractions aud her greater
speed and weight greatly increases the risk when
they do strike
Il has been 4 matter Of astonishmsntt to me that
correction have never been made. have seen
many Western aud Southern insurance officers, and
none Of ,hem that have seen have any statistical
information showing the difference in the losses Of
the different classes OF bOsts, bat none Of them
deny that the risk to be greater the large
boats. All persons conversaat with steam boat
Losses, on reflection must knOw that by far The
greatest Is on the large boats in proportion the
number Of each Kind IN use. Il d wished to be
understood that the America as a large boat, IL
not viewed as having any superioEs, bat 10 think
Tie insurance officers have eroneously elassed the
large boats as being the safest. have eoaversed
with many officers Of Insurance Offices aAd all adj
miI my position 10 be correct bat Alledge that they
think Is insspedeni 20 undertake 70 regulate the
matter. Without wishing to damage the interests
Of the large boais hope the claims Of the smaller
boats viii be better considered. o. W. DAVIS.
Nashville, Dec. l2sh, lsSg.
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