The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-10-01

PnEplcuoNs yERIrrEp.-We took occasion ii
orr columns yesterday to pCSnt out the immi-
nent danger to the public of steam boilers in an
unsound condition being located under the
sidewalks and in large buildings inhabited by
numbers Of persons, and hardly were thesheets
of the HERALD containing that article thrown
off the press, when our warnings received q
melancholy verifcation by the explosion of a
boiler in the Girard House, on Chambers
street, an accident which resulted in the instant
death of one man and the serious injury of
three more. Considering that the hotel was
nearly full Of guests at the time of the acct
dent, ii is almost a miracle that the conse
quences were not more disastrous; and had the
explosion occurred at later hour in the day,
when the sojourners were about the halls and
Offices and the streets more crowded, there
is no knowing how terrible calamity we
might have had to record to-day. AS it is the
affair is sad enough; but it only proves the
truth Of the remarks we made yesterday with
reference to the unsafe condition and careless
the various buildings throughout the city, and
the necessity ola proper supervision of such
machinery by the municipal authorities.
Here is hotel where the lives of hundreds
of people are in the care of the proprietors,
and where one would suppose the utmost eau
ton in the use of steam would be exercised,
escaping by something like miracle from
being blown to atoms either through the i'm
proper condition of the boiler or the gross neg
ligence OF some one, upon whose head it must
remain for the Coroner's jury to place the
responsibility.
And while such accidents are liable to occur
in an establishment which it is presumable was
otherwise well conducted in what peril are the
lives of those hundreds Of operatives and
others in our large buildings where little care
is taken to keep the boilers in order, and where,
in many cases, the engines are entrusted to
mere boys? Within month there have been
no less than four boiler explosions in this city,
accounts of which appeared in our columns
one in Goerck street, by which four persons
were killed; another in Washington street
where one person was killed; another in Madison
street; and this last one in the Girard House,
where one life was sacrificed and three people
horribly wounded; and there have probably
| been many others which never found their
| way into print And yet there is simple
| remedy for this evil, and a sure safeguard
against disaster, by adopting the measures
we suggested yesterday, namely, for the
Common Council or Legislature to pass
an ordinance compelling every owner O. g
steam engine in the city to register bis
engine, and make it a penal offence to ne
| glect to have the boilers properly tested once
a year at least. 1t is the duty of the Fire War
dens to inspect every building in progress of
construction, with a view to provide against
danger by the spread Of fire and protect the
firrmen against accidents from falling walls.
Why not have bureau of steam wardens also,
whose duty it would be to examine and test
boilers? In this bureau every one using steam
engines should be compelled to register them,
paying perhaps a small sum, which would cover
the expenses of employing competent engineers
to test the boilers annually, and no individual
should be permitted to use steam power within
the city limits until such registry was made,
and certificate obtained from the inspector
testifying to the security of the boilers. This
certificate might be hung up in the building
just as the custom is on steamboats, This
remedy simple enough, and we think il would
be as near complete one as could be resorted
to. 1t would be no hardship on any one, and
would save many lives which are now liable to
be sacrificed at any moment. We call the at
tention Of our municipal legislators to the sug-
gestion.