Arkansas true Democrat., 1858-02-23
Security from Fire on Steamboats.

1 fire than from steam.
 One would think if legislation could prevent l such calamites the following provl'lonS Tn the act of Congress of August 30 1852, would prove | all sufficient:
 l Aud be n tmt4er enacted, That it shall be the duty of the inspectors of the hulls of steam CTS, aud the inspectors of boilers and englneS' appointed under the provisions of this act, to examine and see that sutaJle and sGje pfoVls- ions are made throughout such vessel, to guard against loss or danger from fire; and no license or other papers, on any application, shall be granted. if the provisions of this act for prevent | ing fire. are not complied with or if any com bustible material liable to take fire from heated iron, or any other heat generated on board of such vessels in and about the boilers, pipes or machinery shall be placed at less than eighteen inches distant from such heated metal or other substance likely to cause ignition, unless a col umn of air or water intervenes between such heated surface, and any wood or other comhus- | tible material so exposed, sufficient at al times and under aH circumstances, to prevent ignition: and further, when wood is so exposed 10 lgIl- ton, as an additional preventive, It shall be shielded by some incombusthe material in such manner as to leave the air to circulate freely | between such material ard the wood"
 This is, certainly, very comprehensive. It is made the duty of the inspectors to see that suitaJle and safe provision against danger from fire is made throughout each steamboat subject to their inspection. In some respects it is very specific All gIitable substances are to be kept at a distance of IS inches from heated iron or other heat, unless column of air or water in- tervenes And, as further precaution, wood when so exposed is to be shielded by some in- combustibe material.
 But we must give the residue of the Sectlon
 q Provided, hoacever, That when the structure | of such steamers is such, 0r the arrangement of l the boilers or machinery such, that the re- | qurements aforesaid cannot, WtA Aout serious ln- 1 convenience or sacrifice be compiled with; ln- spectors may vary therefrom if in their judgment 1t can be done with safety"
 | The result of this Prouided, hotoeuer," is to leave every thing to the discretion of the inspec- tors The local board at Cleveland, Ohio, say their judgment is weak that they cannot tell when wood is safe if it is within less than IS inches of heated iron" They therefore, in all practicable cases insist on the IS inches. But herein they differ from their brethren. We once travelled on a boat in which wood was in immediate contact with heated iron. On in qury of all officer, if there was rot danger there in, his reply was "Oh, 10, it was where it could be watched -
 On late voyage the boat on which we had taken passage, took tire from the smoke pipe. It was fortunately in the early rart of the after noon, and the fire was easily extnguished. On examination we found that the wood of the uppermost deck was not more than four inches from the heated iron of the smoke pipe.
 Now, we admit, that, in small boats, rigid adherence to the IS inch law, would be very incouyeuient. But in cases where it cannot be applied, other safeguards should be resorted to. Tin plates, so long they retain their lustre reflect, aud do Tot absorb heat. The like iS true, to a certain extent of galvanized iron. But who has ever seen polishe tin or galvanized | iron, used as a safeguard, when the smoke pipe of a steamboat came within few inches of the wood of the deck?
 i In late number of our paper we gave the experience of two of our towusmen, who in April last, took passage on board "the splendid steamboat, the "Rainbow,'' and whose lives were saved, at two ocl ok in the morning, by | the intermediation of some gentlemen who were amusing themselves with a game of cards. It was in the neighborhood of the smoke pipe that | the boat took fire.
 Surely there was something wrong in the construction of the Rainbow, or in some of its fixtures. Our townsmen who voyaged on it in 1854, declare that it took fire repeatedly. The travellers of April, 1857, declare in like manner, that, on their voyage, it took fire re- i peatedly: and that the flakes of fire came i showers from the chimneys. It was finally burned up, and thereby somewhere between 75 and l50 persons lost their lives. Yet this boat was inspected, year after year, by officers whose express duty it was to see that smtaJle an! sqte provision was made throughout such vessel 10 guard against loss or damage from fire"
 The supervising inspectors have adopted various provisions for the ertinguis4ing of fires, for which let them have all due credit. But since all these provisions do not prevent our losing more lives by fire than We lose by steam, something more ought to be done All such provisions are practicable, ou5ht to be made to prevent fires from breaking out: and also all such provisions as practicable, to prevent fires when they do break out, from spreadinq as rapidly as they now do.
 In the language of treasury department document, we would say,
 "More lives have of late years been lost on the western waters by fire than by steam. The law provides various appliances for extinguish- ing flames, but they often spread rapidly that all the pumps and hose, and axes and water buckets, prove of uo avail. Considering the combustiblity of our steamboats and the com Instability of their cargoes, it is matter of aston ishment that these disasters are not more fre- quent. The boats are framed of the lightest wood and this is heated in furnace "seven times hot" The cabins painted with oil and spirits of turpentine, and vanished and re- vanished. The consequence is, that when a fire breaks out, II, if the wind be favorable, runs with the rapldity of a race horse.
 " The hurricane or uppermost deck is protect ed from sparks by concrete of paint and sand: but no pains are, as general rule, taken to pro- tect the wood work of the other parts of the boat, on the Mississippi and its tributaries, by covering them with metal or coating them with incombustbe paint with lime, or with cement, and no attempts are made to render the timbers less combustible by soaking them in solutions of salt or alum, or any thing else.
 This condition of things renders constant watchfulness necessary and constant watchful- ness IS exercised. A stream of water is kept flowing on the hearth beneath the furnace that heats the boilers: the passengers are prohibited from taking lights into their state rooms: man | Is employed to cook for the immigrant passen- gers, and watchman is on guard all night But with all this care, the destruction of steamboats by fire is an event of frequent occurrence, and will continne to be, tW measures are ttken to make them less conJustide Mam finder Jores.
 If any means can be devised by which the progress of the flames Can be retarded for fif- teen, ten, or even five minutes, many lives may be saved, as this would give time to get out the