The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-09-30

factory mode of insuring their perfect safety.
Though our boilers are in excellent order, and
constructed of the best material, our engines fur
nished with steam and water gauges, and every
appliance calculated to guard against accident,
and attended by competent staff of engineers
and firemen, yet, as the boilers lie under the
sidewalk, in order to make assurance doubly
sure, we have had them submitted to the Sc
verest known test of hydraulic pressure, which
all cautious engine builders and governments
apply to their machinery.
L.. ,ent people who daily perambulate the
streets of this city little dream that there are
hundreds of steam boilers under their feet
sleeping volcanoes, that may at any moment
scatter destruction and death around. Many Of
these boilers are doubtless wholly unsafe, not
supplied with either steam or water gauges, or
any other safeguard against explosion except
the safety-valye alone, which, if corroded, or
otherwise becoming manageable is more Of
danger-valve than safety-valve. There are
numerous buildings also, with boilers under
meath, where crowd Of people, varying from
one to five hundred, are continually at work,
just as insecure and often under the superin-
tendence Of boys, who know no more
about the terrific power of steam than
the unborn child and hence we have
had to record many such awful disasters
as the recent explosions in Hague and Goerck
streets, and there have been frequently, no
doubt, many more accidents of the same kind
attended with less fatal results which were
never made public at all.
The government provides by special enact
ments that the boilers and engines in national
vessels ferry boats and other steam navigated
vessels shall be inspected by competent Off
Gals, properly tested, and certificate from
such inspectors guaranteeing their safe condition
rendered indispensable. In these cases it is
only the lives of those parties who voluntarily
entrust themselves on board, either to work the
vessel or as passengers, which are endangered;
but in the case of steam boilers under the side
walks, or in buildings in crowded localities,
hundreds Of persons, unconscious of any dan
ger, are in momentary peril of being sent into
eternity.
We conceive, then, that it is the duty of the
Common Council to pass an ordinance COM
polling all owners of steam engines within the
city limits, under heavy penalty, to have their
boilers tested by hydraulic pressure once
year, and to have their security guaranteed by
q certificate from some competent inspector.
We have taken the initiative in the HERALD
establishment, and we hope that some measures
will be taken to make similar course impera-
tive upon all other parties using steam in the
management Of their business. The safety of
human life in this crowded city demands it.
PUFFs AND PUMPKINS. Hon. Jefferson
Brick, with the assistance of his clerical cola.
borateur, the Rev. Caleb Melchisedek, has la
bored to the best of his ability to give first
rate quadrilateral notice for the mammoth Ben
nett pumpkins. Considered as the work of
done up politician, who was so much frightened
by the rumOred appearance of an Austrian
hussar as to run ten miles from Solferino, and
pumpkins is very creditable to its authors
The only deficiency about it is, that while it
gave us full credit for our successes in the ag-
ricultural field, it neglected to say that we
raised great newspapers as well as great pump
kins and that our journalistic triumphs were
as far beyond competition, or even imitation,
(as Mr.. Brick knows by sad experience), as
our monster contributions to the vegetable
kingdom A parallel between speculations in
Old Brick churches and dead mems bones
and our operations might be instructive and
amusing at the same time. But, letting the Hon.
J. Brick and his coadjutor 60 by for the day,
we desire to call the attention of the Hon.
BOBBY Brooks to these mammoth pumpkins, in
connection with q statement which he made
some time ago. He stated that we had pur-
chased some forty acres Of rocky and waste
land without productive soil, verdure, foliage
and natural beauties of any kind. Now, he
must either acknowledge that he was wrong in
the first instance, or else that we were won
derfully clever to make these premium
vegetables grow in such desert as that which
he described. Things have changed q good
deal with the Hon. BOBBY Brooks since we
bought our rocks. He has followed the corpse
Of the once fourishing Know Nothing party to
an early grave. Now our amiable but dis
tressed contemporary is looking about for his
own political grave-a quiet, secluded spot,
suitable for young man with the best inten-
tons and the worst possible luck. Touched to
the heart by this sad condition of the Hon.
BOBBY Brooks, we will be willing, if he does
the fair thing by our pumpkins, and does it
handsomely, to find him some vacant lot some
snug corner in Tammany Hall, where the
wicked politicians shall not trouble him and
the weary Brooks shall be at rest Now, could
anything be more magnanimous than that? We
pause for reply.
FOREIGN BEGGARs.-The frequent, rapid and
cheap communication between the United
C&o4a ax.d h.. lul L. L. 4.