New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-11-04
THE ACCIDENT on THE BAY STATE

r. tie Editor Of The " u Tr5uae
Sir: The public heart is again laccra;ed by aaotls
fiebtfl disaster the steamer Bay State, resulting,
death and misery, and exciting thrill Of horrw,
every breast. This is the third time, within as IA,
years that innocent passengers, tul OF le and bog,
have been buried into eternity by death Of sesr
on the boats Of this line; and it occurs 10 me hsa
public mind is now ripe 10 hear the reason AM % 4.
mard the remedy.
ON all steamboats, on the Sound the engine aai b,l.
ere are separated from the passengers by thin pvxas
of panel work held in their place by buttons, soi
EASILY removed by the most trh ng force. AndsT
of this screen often IS a. in the Bay STATE Erpr
State and Metropolis, composed of plate OF Hss
placed there for the purpose OF exhibiting 10 the ss
ished gaze of passengers the polished exterior Of "
machinery and the silver plates paradlng the names
,b builder and Of the craftsman who made the draw.
ines of the engine. The little girl who was Killed lex
week on the Bay State stood looking through ns
window when the gush of steam occurred and in lS1
ON the same boat The plate glass was driveo Into he
cabin by the rushing gas, and about eight ptrscs
found its gilded frame work the portal OF the grays
Now the remedy is obvious, and consists N incosv
tic er CINE and machinery in bulkheads OF thin )a
thick plsnkng, having doors opening inward and k,T,
shut with springs, that there would DO NO opanIs
except overhead through which the steam NIGH, a.
cane in case of accident. II such had been The 20
lection on these boats enc would have been njxiS
on the Bay State, three Year, ago, nor on the Empn
State this year would the little girl have pershd
now and the farspresd desOlation OF these aecidee1
never would have happened. But, until the retoedya
demanded by public opnlon expressed through
statute have no hope 10 see the remedy applied, 90
therefore think this fit moment to create pun;
opinion with view TO this result.
beg here 70 say that, SO far a. know the props
tors of the Bay State lire they will be- the first to adF
any new measure of precautlon and that they hAyee
yays been the H. It and most liberal to provide for y
safety and comfort of their passengers Ihey han
heen unfortunate of late but that has resulted fon
bad advice. and not from bad in eniion..
The great difficulty TO be encountered in this eforra
the vanity Of eng bull ers who control the consra,
tion of this part of the boat and who use every boz
az floating advertise ment for Their shops. Thus n
the Metropolis about 800 feet Of polished IRON viii
big silver plate are exhibited through the patesisa
window to the ignorant who suppose the bright WA
10 uroye the value Of the machine when, in n eyeg
eng neer knows that the eng me would be better ~
ports which ere polished were ncased in non condsd
ors to prevent radiation, and that the shops use ~
vanity Of owners, who also tckled by splendd
front, 10 charge them thousands Of dollars fJr usU
scrubbing and 20 increase the profits OF the job dh
cost of the boat
| have thought, however, that this opposition eoA
be concilod by taking the number Of sqcS
feet of iron the bukhead that they would polish
the engine scrubbing that bright, protecting EH
rail from the touch and if you please, setting gm
before it, and adjoining it with silver plates and hlasn
disls.
IT, however owners will persist in retaining the pe
ent order of things would suggest that they sids
the silver plates notice like this: Caution-Pss$
gers notified that they stand before this glass
"ther own peril longer than time enough 30 read
names here inscribed"
Truly yours, EDWD. N DICkERsOS
NeV' York, Nov. 5, 1856.