New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-12-29
9e'r 0rleans 8epnbliea''.
OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE UNITED STATES
OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF new ORLEANS
Steam Tow Boats.

sent of the Senate to pass a rcsolutio
lying on the table.
The presiding officer (Mr. Carpenter i
the chair: The Chair will lay before til
Senate resolution received from the llous
of Representatives.
The Joint resolution (H. Il. No. 65) rela
ing to the limitation of steam pressure 0
towing and freight boats on the Mississippi
river and its tributaries, was read by it
title.
MIR. Sherman: l ask that it be read a
at length, and l desire, by unanimous cor
sent, to have it passed now
The presiding cfiicer Is there objee
tions
Mr. Edmunds: Has it been referred to
committed
The presiding officer: 1t has not.
Mr.. Sherman: 1t has been practically
The chairman of the committee On com
merce has examined the matter. 1t merely
suspends for six months restriction as Il
barges on the Mississippi river, a restric
ton that is perfectly impossible. 1t ha:
passed the House Of Representatives.
Mr.. Chandler: l will state that it il
fully understood.
The presiding officer: Is there objection
to the present consideration of this Join,
resolution. The Chair hears none.
Mr. Chandler: think there is no objec
ton to it:
The chief clerk read the joint resolution,
as follows:
Rcsolred, etc.. That the provisions of the
act entitled IAN act to provide for the bet
ter security of life on vessels propelled in
whole or in part by steam,' ETC., approved
February %, 1871. SO far as they relate to
the limitation of steam pressure Of steam
boats used exclusively for towing and car
rying freight on the Mississippi river and its
tributaries, are hereby SO far modified as to
:<,,%o e. .,,,l
fifty pounds Of steam pressure instead of
one hundred and ten pounds, as provided
in said act, for the standard pressure upon
boilers of fOrty-twO inches diameter and
plates Of one-fourth inch in thickness; but
such boats may, with the written permit of
the supervising inspector of the district in
which such boats shall carry Oh their bust
ness, for a period of six months from and
after the passage of this joint resolution, be
permitted to carry steam above the stand
ard pressure Of one hundred and ten
pounds, but not exceeding the standard
pressure of one hundred and fifty bounds
to the square inch.
Mr.. Chandler: 1t applies only to tugs
Mr.. Edmunds: suppose it is useless,
after the committee on commerce have
yielded on this point, for anybody else to
to say that l think this bill which ought
never to pass. To allow to be carried one
hundred and fifty pounds to the square
inch on the boiler Of anything except a
locomotive which is on land, and the ex-
plosion Of which will iniure nobody but the
people who run it, usual Y is, in my opinion,
wrong to the public. The explosion of a
tug frequently endangers the lives of hun
dreds OF individuals who are responsible for
ITS management; but suppose it is entirely
useless to object, and rise merely in order |
to express my dissent from any such propo-
sitiOn
Mr.. Thurman: am sure that if my friend |
had seen the tugs which are used on the |
Ohio and Mississippi he would not make |
the statements which he has submitted to
the Senate. They are most serviceable
boats, carrying no passengers, towing
barges. and by their use and the towage Of |
barges they reduce the freights on the heavy
articles OF coal and salt, l should think
twenty per cent or nearly so-that is
mere estimate OF mine-below what thew
would otherwise be. think the universal
feeling on the part of those engaged in the
business, as well as those who are their Gus
toners, is in favor OF this resolution: and it
was mere oversight that it was not pro-
yided for in the bill of last wear.
MIR. Scott: 1t was believed by those who
irew that bill, and were Instrumental in
having 1t passed, that the regulation with
reference to the pressure upon the steam
'ollers would not apply to steam tugboats
lpOn the Western waters. 1t was not in |
ended to apply to them, and the practical
meet OF applying it to them now is to viz
ially lay an embargo. a blockade, upon a
cry large fleet of towboats upon the Ohio
no Mlsslssippl rivers am informed by
hose who are interested in the business {
nat there are hundreds of thousands of
ons OF iron ore lying at Carondelet that
an not be brought up the river for the '
easOn that this restriction imposed upon {
ne steam towboats disabies them in reality a
rom bringing cargo up the river pre-
ented THIS morning large number of pc q
tons from all classes of persons Interested S
this business, asking that this restriction t
ave received another large bundle of nett O
ons asking that this restriction be re-
lOVed. The parties in interest desire that |
De removed; and if we adjourn over the o
hrlstinas recess without granting this re- y
ct we lnfict a very great injury on the =
lslness interests OF the Ohio and Missis- v
ppi valleys. "
MIR. Thurman: I ought to have stated one !.
ct-that before the passage OF this act
e tug6oats were accustomed to use one a
inbred and sixty pounds of steam to the n,
aare inch, and l believe l may safely 10
6rm that snch a thing as a tugboat ex- J.,
odlng on the Ohio or Mississippi river n,
yer was heard Of. They are the strop pest ~
ssels that are built !,
Mr.. Edmunds: l do not know whether u
ything will explode on the Ohio or Mis-
ippl llver. l see that there have been .
me explosions in the West, lately too: u
rl.aps not exactly on those rivers. W
Mr.. Thurman: They were not tugs. al
Mr. Edmunds I do not say what tbav 10
re. But, Mr.. President, everybody who
studied the question of navigation by
am, and Who knows that these TUGS go Il.
o crowded harbors, lying alongside of su
RS where hundreds and sometimes thM,- So
IDS OF people are within the reach of ha
structlon II they do explode, will never Il,
lsent, in ordor to increase the CARVING 81
coal or iron, to exposing the lives of c;t;, sh
is to such a risk as this is. There is M ex
hculty in getting plenty of motive power sh
you adjust your machinery and boilers inn
proper relations to each other. with n ! IN
ssure OF one hundred pounds instead of
hundred and ten, as the law now al
IS; but the trouble is that these people
70 built their boilers 80 small that thev tn,
not make steam fast enough without su
wdlng on a heat that is perfectly frioht- Wi
/, for one. will never consent. hayino in ev
rye in part the lives as well as the prof of
Of the people of the United States. to
hOrlze any man or any set of men to en- ma
e the lives Of their fellow citizens in the am
ms and in these tows to such i'm 1ol
isurable risk as the passage of a bill of &C
! kind will. But. as say, after my good sui
nd from Michigan, who knows lust IA pia
| as | do, and he will tell YOU SO. that !
is taking prodigious risk, has Welded, tie
I'VE no expectation that the Senate will !
e my view ABOUT it. only wish to saw VIII
l shall vote against it. poi
he joint resolution was reported 70 .he spe
ate.
r. Trumbull: Is that q joint resolution {