The New York herald., 1867-04-07

on Of such in the opinion OF persons well
informed upon the subject by the owners OF steam
sels their builders, captains and engineers by which
this class OF disasters may TO great be averled
SECURITY AGAINST FIRg.
Boilers with external furnaces should supported by
standards alone The shset or plate iron which enclose
the masonry should accurately lifted Ia lis ons and
under no circumstances should the wood work around
the boilers be allowed within foot OF them their
upper surfaces being we'll covered with fetng OF hair
and the under side Of tho wood work Immediately over
them sheahed with zinc sheet iron the nails secur
Ing which TO be In squares not inch and
half inch
Boilers with internal furnaces should nave water bot.
toms, In order TO guard fire from being communicated
TO their beds through openings therein. Where natu
the furnaces, fues. pipes, &c Is such to
rent Of air 10 lead into and through any aperures open
ing TO them. and hence fire sparks prevented
from being emitted through any OF the ordinary open
ings JOINTS about boiler but whore blower is used
the conditions are entirely different The pressure Of
air within she furnaces aues &c, y 50 great that
coal will be forced through any opening that
may exist, and a. boilers generally have number Of
insecure openings such ash DOORS furnace DOORS fue
doors, &c fire Is constantly being forced out through
thom, and great number OF steamers have been de-
siroyed from this cause II the public at large were
steamers where blowers used, the abandonment OF
oil such vessels would be almost universal and thcn the
owners Of them would be compelled TO remove this
risk forthwith their interests in this respect inducing
their attention thereto effectuay than any law
that could be enacted to reach them
COVERING PROTECTION BOILERS
All boilers should be covered with hair fetng for the
double purpose OF indicating when they are unduly
heated and as means Of preventing the radiation IL
heat from the boilers 10 the woodwork around IT, So
well established the advantages OF felting boilers,
both for the economy OF fuel security against fire. and
comfort to crew, that In mQs OF the ocean and all
naval vessels the elting OF twice three times the
ord nary thickness Is used added to which, fitted
over 1t coverings Of canvas and sheet lead.
PRorEcroNsTo WOODWORK AROUND BnMERS. THEIR
NEys AND sMoKEPIpEs
The woodwork mmedatey around boilers and their
ctaoyu hivpnn ccf,..p M
be practicable consistent with the capacity Of the
vessel Thus, when the boiler rs in the hold OF single
decked vessel il is not practicable to afford much space
beta its top and the under side of the deck beams
above It WITHOUT making break In the deck. measure
not always consistent with the requirements Of the
vessel neither Is II desirable when the boilers rpon
the guards OF steamer TO construct covering TO them
OF sufficient height to secure IL from being fired BY
radiation OF heat from the boiler Neither il INN r-
lively necessary that there should DO any great
between boiler and its surrounding woodwork Twelve
inches is a desirable distance; even would be
properly covered, the woodwork around It, IL properly
protected may be set within the distance just given
as well as the top and sides Of the firerooms should
be covered with sheet iron zinc secured manner
already referred TO- with the further precaution Of
covering is not used several thick whewash
stiened with little gue will be the best substituted
in fact engineers think this Is preferable TO some
metal coyerin g, SO poorly are they put on
Chimney should be afforded space sufficient to
admit OF the passage OF man around the chimney and
should be without any door so as to furnish freq com.
for the escape upward Of the heated from
around the boiler and also to admit Of the Introduction
Of hose pipe In the event OF the woodwork around
being ignited. Whenever smokepipe passes through
deck, however light character there should be an
through it, and between this space and the woodwork
there should be metallic covering to guard the wood
from Ignition
PRovrrom AGAINST vrRr-puxrs
Where security from nre Is imperfect greater regard
to the provisions against IL should be had. This
The disregard 70 the safety Of human NE and n:
interests OF those in the relation Of insurers Of
vessels, which SO generally exist u observable IN the
want OF provision against nre, ~ In the other points
referred to-
Ali steam vessels should be provided with an indepen.
large sea going steamers should have two with an in
dependent boiler to work them and these pumps should
be so located as 70 be conveniently reached, and to
effect this they should be placed the main deck Of
vessel whatever her construction, that may be all
times easy Of access Fitted to these pumps there
should be sufcency or hose TO lead 70 any and all
par OF the decks holds: added TO which there should
be the proper number OF fire pumps upon the upper
deck with hose sufficient in length to reach to part
Of the vessel fore or AFT
AS many owners OF vessels will probably think this
suggestion OF independent steam fire and bge
pump requirement altogether unnecessary, and impos-
ing great bur upon them, they may be what
surprised learn that scarcely passes without the
saved from burning sinking solely By the OF tn
pumps aud under circumstances too, when the engine
md ships pumps prove totally inadequate to meet the
OF the case IN tact, these pumps next
he anchors OF vessels and instruments OF navigation,
have greater number OF lives and larger amount
Df property than any instrument introduced
eguard in steam navigation; and steam vessel ply
ing Terry boat upon river, Is III 10 incur the
risk Of burning navigation without Of these pumps
STORE
Engineers store rooms should be located away from
the nre boilers. All nflsrpmable and com.
should DO kept il metal tanks securely fastened
deck, and both tncy and all manner OF wiping stas,
cotton waste, &c, Sc, should be stored in
the location OF which should be such that 1t
not only could be readily reached ia the OF
being fire. but located receive sufficient light
into il to sci ASIDE the use OF artificial light except at
night and then IL should be lighted by fxed light
without the room, but shedding It's rays into IL, similar
sells OF lighted
All engine and rire rooms should be sufficiently and
fully hghtcd not with movable lamps but with 1xcd
lights OF construction and character that Will set aside
the risk OF their firing vessel by their upsesiug &c
CAPTAINS AND ENGINEERS.
Captains Of vessels in the suporintendcnce Of
thsir construction and equipment should pay that aen
ton to the requirements o; security and provision
against fire. which. they all qualified for their
them 10 essentially necessary The interests of all
owners Of steam vessels require full attention to these
important points, their contracts with the public, in
moral point Of view, demand M
A the security against no board Of steam vessels
snecr han OF any other and Is be Is or ought to
be- better acquainted with the risks thcrefo, strict
requirement, should be demanded from him both BY
and commanders Of vessels the resort
part every practicable security against fire. and
every available provision to meet Il should occur.
when engineer oners upon duty ON board vessel,
should be his rst To fully advise himself - 20 the
security and provision against re and the means 10 free
the vessel from water in tue case Of her leaking or being
bIscd and II she not properly secured and nttcd he
should At once report this condition or Affairs 70 the cap
tain owners and II they the responsibility Of
noticing his report he has fully discharged his duty,
and he must abide events. If, however. It should
happen that iifo and property should be
sacrificed by nattenton to his report, and
the should como fully aud fairly before
the pubic, Il might similar reports OF engineers
receive attention In the future. With both cap
ians and engineers would appear that the
renee Of nre, where the security is imperfect, is
assumed 10 bc conclusive % the suflclency Of the
security from It's occurrence U any subsequent period
and II IL has occurred that boat indierenty in
sufficiently secured and provided against rc has for
period without being fred d would be found very
diicult to induce either captain engineer owner TO
adopt any change having In view an Improvement upon
this point
YrRE RECORD or AMERICAN srrAMsHIra
In this connection present st OF American steam
vessels that enter and depart almost weekly from this
and other ports 10 distant upon ooas reghed
with life and property, together with their rates Of
rity aud proys against re, they have passed
inspection and officially recorded upon the books Of