Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-08-20
WASHINGTON.
Report of the Westfield Inves-
. LEGATION.
sreamhonf IReguIasions.

1
WASHINGTON, Aug. 18.-The Secretary
of the Treasury has issued circular to
| Collectors of Customs and Inspectors of
steam vessels relative to the PRONUNCIATION
of an act of Congress relative to steam
vessels and the rules and regulations
adopted by the Board of Supervising In
spectors, in which he says:
The department takes occasion 10 en-.
Join upon Collectors and Inspectors the
importance of requiring prompt and strict
compliance with all provisions of the act
of Congress, and rules and regulations
now TO be promulgated, upon the part of
all concerned, the said act and rules now
being in full force and effect. Attention
is also invited to section 30 of the act of
July %, 1870, requiring every steamer
carrying passengers to be supplied with
at least two copies of that act, and the
necessity of early supplying of such
steamers Herewith.
Supervising Inspectors are directed to
issue such instructions 10 their respective
local boards as they may dem necessary
to insure the prompt enforcement of the
provisions of the new steamboat law and
rules and regulations adopted in accord
ance Herewith.
A circular has also been issued to Su~
perVising and Local Inspectors of steam
vessels, announcing that the Department
is now supplying local inspectors with
bound copies of blank certificates for
masters, mates, engineers and inferior
grades, and that proper instructions are
given concerning the new series of IL
censes thereto.
The Westfield Explosion.
The Board of Inspectors appointed by
Secretary Boutwell,, to inquire into the
case of the Westfeld explosion, has made
a report in which they say the explosion
in our opinion was caused by defective
sheet in the lower side of the boiler in
which there was q flaw, portion of
which no doubt existed at the time of
constructing the boiler and could not be
discovered by internal inspection. We
believe the explosion was produced by
pressure not much in excess of twenty
seven pounds. Engineer Robinson is
guilty of direct and willful violation of
the law in carrying more steam than the
inspectors certificate allowed and as Su-
perintendent BREASTED had the RESPONSE
biliiy of employing all the hands, inclu-
ding the engineers, it is but right he
should share the responsibility of the
explosion with the engineer. We have
no doubt that Inspector Mathews did his
duty conscientiously. We would sug-
gest that no person be licensed for posi-
ton as engineer that cannot read and
write, and in order to insure
q strict conformity to the requirements
of the Inspectors certificate in reference
to the amount of working pressure al
lowed, the responsibility we think should
be thrown entirely on the engineer in
charge, and the carrying of steam in ex
cess of that amount would be sufficient
cause for forfeiture of his license, and on
each vessel propelled in whole or part by
steam carrying passengers there should be
some individual held responsible as mas
ter, and not as in the case of our various
ferries, one man appearing as master of
all the beats OF company. As regards the
materials in the construction of marine
boilers, we think ample provision has been
made for the future 10 the steamboat law,
Feb. %, 1871.