New-York tribune., 1867-05-29
n,g uARrNr 1IrE-sAvING c0NN1SaI0M


r.. of, occurrine accidents in our mercantile
.,,. se,v,ee which have been so destructive 10 me
I'D nroporty have at last engaged the earnest a'Venu
al the (goyernnont to ascertain what measures "io
necessary TO be inauguraed for their better ptO'V
al, 10 prevent as far possible Ike disastrous o''"'
ytnces - ooorotayv az
ON tie 9th of March last the Honorable sec''~'y -
she Treasury ssued an order to the SeVeI" euf0 ,3
Jrspectors Of steam vesscs throusnVuV w :, 90
ttates Mcssrs. Rogers of New0resis' % o s, In
lena v Guthrie of Louisville so'Ps RraSori and wecRs
ge of Cbicaro Cragg of BaltlnoIe t1y rreosnry De
al NewYorl also Mr. ". a. New OF tio t,c cSSnline
fattnens 10 s ,n such Inventions Of esaying shaIS @
cT as might DO presented % TO nnSh tina that SbeSt
thS1o sI ~ Sneye eTsts great necessity Tor adu%SnS %
s,eay Inp1 20 % t ocean steamers and steamboats, nay
,io fhe western rivers IN which the iiyeso o sous'""
S earTying inerstated and defective boilers as
An Tie case the ST. John disaster on when arc Pa, P %
Imperfect and badly adjusted safey vaYes wS r1, ~
Trevent high pressure OF steam eafrieu
{v INC mississippi steamboats,, is one OF the cei CAUSES
ofoxplOsOn The necessity for sure and & o
OF high water dotect0r To give an alarm whcm
not sfcient water in the boiler, and the still greater
ssity r efeetive life eboats ana detaehing apparatus
which Vas 40 thoroughly demonstrated IN the dr4wng
1,s S so,ne Sf Tie many causes Of fatal disasters.
The dangers Of steam navigation haSs so ~ e%Sto~ SS @
been called upon present TO the C0nlnls9h Iher V M
ous devices o. hie saS1S s xre8iences OF men who
have spent lifetime in navigating the sea anu IlVeIs'
NUMBERING between and 400 devices, varying IN cha
:eter some of which such decided imprOv vements tht
II woud seem as though there might in future be more
Pursuant TO orders, the Commission convened IN TINS
city on the sth ApI last since which time they nae
examined and tested such inventions OF .n nesvS M
character presented, and they nave IepoTe&u I'LL m
those most calculated 70 accomplish ta oVSSs' 90 their
that the Secretary Of the Treasury may anthoIe 'e
employ ynenS the vessels ~ onr mercantile marine
incrustatOrs, locked safety valves, steam aiH wafer
eauges steering apparatus, lie Doas VIZ" ue az ~
naY,tus &C. which were presented either In lnOueI
design draft or as full working devices; also seVerI
scientific papers on various matters during tc eA,
nd 44stOf the various 1nNcutlOhS othtu
safety valves and life boats with their detacnihg az
naraius they being the most important submitted
- nrsctic;l Tsf The safety valves tested nnder
the supervision OF Mr. Rogers, assisted Dy MesSis
ing apparatus took place before Commttee o. tne M
Whole of Sandy Hook. There were atogetntS,r t,, 800
devices examined and tested, ciasslled as lolloWs.
steam boilers and appurtenanoes is Ior
removing scales on the inside OF boilers 10 tosncI SHS
valves, n steam ard water gauges, IL sDe,I p"lS
.; boiler alarm Suages, IL steIn couclsos,
pumps q ventiiatoIs 81 water expelers, 3; fire proof
paints alarm signals, ii fOg sShais 81 sSnal nsns'
ts az boat lowering apparatus, s. rudder and steering
apparatus IS life preservers, 49, surge reIeyers
die wheels, 2; miscellaneous, 67. Total $50 -.
The Commission have not yet made ther report Dut
Se various Committees have presented their reports an
which they recommend for adoption about 80 ont OF the
inventions presented The action OF the boaI m wa, wa
The eoncting interest being so great, tne
.re.s hoypg comnaTatively supplied the steam vessels
IN their districts with particular NaNe Wilch at the
fhSm in favor Of superior instruments, which the eng
neering skill of the Board positively protested against
Int a they were ia minority their protest was ld on
the table without having been read In several cases IN
yentons similar in character have been reGonnended or
adoption those being superior in material ana cOtIuc
ton aud giving tie best practical resulisbeng ist meh
TONED. H., =. ,o
The following nomed inventions are believed TO nave
been recommended for general adoption by the SVnl.
mlttees TO whom they were referred descriptions oi
which have heretofore been given in our columns :
Andrew d Bros superheatng steamboIer Miiers
heater and surface condenser Bankss universal boiler
alarm guGse, and low water deteeOr; american steam
COmpaDys steam gauge, Keen Bro steam gauge, Wad
elfs hydraulic mafne steamengine governor GlTOnds
steam gauge, Andrews d Bro. steam pump H. H. And
iews's sngoactilg force pump Landsdae steam syph0n
locked valyes-Amenca-lig ana low pressure
obinsOn, low pressure; Farrar low pressure; MaSson
age alarm gauge Levy Bros portable fire extngmsher
Surgeons nOniuhammable fuid, Browns hreproOf
paint, Kennys engineer signaben, Gisbornes c0mmrni
eating apparatus Tor officers on steamers, MalingfOru
Marine Signal COmpanys fog horn, Wordens patent sig
abs line rocket for wreckng purposes Frazee's life
boat and raft Iifeboat detachng apparatus Massey $
Grifiths, Brown Levels, Aliens, McFarlapds Ray
>m0ndS; Frazee simproyed lowering apparatus WappS
improvement for reservSa Tnadef DIaSSS
Capt steering indicator Copelands wire te
robe Wilson & Haner's lifepreserving mattress, Bene
diet, TOrTey TwOmbley's patent combination nose, Os
born Massey's patent Adjustable hose coupling Shone
hose coupling The report OF inc committee on smear
sebaling life boat had not been presented when the
Dions fire alarm and anuneator was recommended lOI
hotels and private dwellings, but moi deemed practical
FOR marine purposes
he scientific lecture and experiments delivered before
the Commission by Prof DOremus at the Ne-1ork Col
bonic and sulphurous acids in liquid state, ul aud
exclusive report Of which appeared in TIE TRIBUNE, was
embodied in the records OF the COMMISSION. -.
All inventions Of ife-Saving character, OF which gum
or india rubber Of the component parts received
In reference 10 the subject Of antiincrustators and
antincrustatOn compounds the Commission OF the
to remove the Scale within boiler would very short
time destroy the boiler itse ana they were confirmed IN
these compounds refused or Intentionally neglected to
give the ingredients and the proportions OF which they
cOmpOgcd Hence they withheld their approval Oh
The employment OF magnetism as an agent for remov-
ing scale Is OF such recent date that TIE Commission
not prepared TO say II would or would not DO all
the advocates of this class Of anncrusators claim for
1t but were disposed TO await further Developments
before giving decided opinion. They did not think It
necessary to condemn or discourage their efforts in that
direction
Phat those unaequanted with this subject may under.
stand its Importance we will state that the action Of heat
npon water in the formation Of tends separate
certain particles from the water which forms sediment
as the iron OF which the boiler constructed This scale
being noacOnductOr of heat, the consequence is that
much OF the heat if the scale is allowed 70 remain
Not only this but there sgrea risk of burning the boiler
OF mparng the strength OF the iron by the excessive
beat necessary to generate steam in boiler highly i'll
No doubt many explosions have occurred from de.
fectiye boilers, made so by the excessive pressure Of
steam all engineers will acknowledge. There
other for many of the explosions that have oc
Cured but they believe this to be one OF the principal
Gauges OF such disasters.
TO remedy this, law was passed by Congress requr
ing every steam vessel to have upon each hOcr a
Loce Safety Valve, set by the Inspector at the pres
1t was necessary the construction of these valves
that they sbond be of nicer adjustment made OF better
open at all times to the napuations Of engineers
and others also that it should present the greatest OBJ
competent persons could not alter them without sure dc
lion o cS Tves and LOCKS a. are hest adapted for that
purpose and OF the great interest attached to 1t by the
Commission and others.
lMR. BEEoHER on THE RELEASE OF JEFFERSON