The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-08-30
The Time of Service for Boilers TO Be
Limited to Eight Years.
Directions Relative TO Investigating the Ocean
Wave Disaster.
WASHINGTON. August 20, 1871.

years inc DOlIerS SnOulu DC icteoi
was submitted to Secretary Boutwell, tn" same
afternoon but the return or Assistant Secretary
Hartley gave him the privilege of vacatpg
his seat and leaving for Boston that night without
considering the Supervising Inspector Generals
suggestions. Tho above was extensively copied
from the HERALD, in which 1t appeared. and pa
pers containing the paragraph were mailed ana
sent to the Secretary of the Treasury. The great
calamity In New York. followed by the explosion OF
the Chautaugua lake steamer IN Western New York,
and within a few days the Ocean Wave, at Mobile
has, as might be expected, caused unusual stir
among the Treasury officials who specially
charged with the efficiency Of the steamboat service.
Joseph Belknap, the Supervising Inspector General
Of Steamboats,, is now on duty In Washington having
been detailed to assist in the examination OF Second
Assistant Engineers OF the Revenue Marine Service,
and, referring to the above despatch, your cores
pondent called upon General Bclknap this evening
aud informed that he had this day sent to Secre-
tary Boutwell, a request that that recommendation
should be Immediately approved basing hls reasons
ON the following quotation from section eleven OF
the act or Congress, approved February rs, 1871,
entitled San to provide for the better security
ofllre on board OF vessels propelled In whole In
part by steam and for other purpOses:'-
SecOid-They shall also inspect the boilers or all
steamers before the same shall be used, and once ut
least III every year thereafter subecng them to the
satisfy themselves by thorough examination that the
boilers arc well made, OF good ana suitable ma
tcrla; that the openings for the passage or water
ana steam respectively and all pines and tunes eX-
posed To heat are OF proper dimensions and free from
obstruction naI the spaces between ana around the
fues Sufficient and the nues are circular IN form
and the fire line OF the furnace Is AT least two Inches
inches below the prescribed minimum water line OF
the boilers, and that the arrangement for delivering
the feed water such that the boilers cannot be
injured thereby ana that such boilers ana the ma
chinery and the appurtenances may be safely EN-
cation without peru to lie, ami SHALL also satisfy
themselves that the safety valves are OF suitable
Dimensions, sufficient in number and well arranged,
one OF which may, n necessary IN the opinion Of
the inspectors 10 secure safety be taken wholly from
the control OF all persons engaged IN navigating such
vessels ana secured by the inspectors ana that the
weights Of the safety valves are properly adjusted
so allow greater IN the boilers than
the amount prescribed by the inspection certificate;
that there are SUFFICIENT number OF gauge cocks
properly inserted to indicate the pressure OF
steam, suitable steam registers that will correctly
record each excess OF steam earned above the pre-
which SHAH be taken wholly from the
| control Of all persons engaged In navigating such
vessel and secured 10y the inspectors, AMI reliable
Law waIer gauges. and that -ps.IJn .pfiS ara prii-
| mace when the water ia the boilers shall fan below
lis prescribed limits and that adequate and certain
| provision Is made for an ample supply OF water to
feed the boilers at all times, whether such vessel
IN motion not, so that In high pressure boilers
| tho water shall not be less than four inches above
The tops OF the nucs, and also That means OF blow
Ing out are provided so AZ to thoroughly the
mud and sediment from all parts Of the boilers when
| they under pressure OF steam.
FrOUided, however that no kind Of instrument,
machine or equipment for the better security OF
NE provided ior by this act shall bc used on any
such vessel Which shall not first be approved by the
Secretary OF the Treasury.
Thi1dThat IN subJecting to the hydrostatic tests
boilers called and usually known under the designa-
ton OF high pressure boilers the Inspector shall as
ITO pounds to the square inch the maximum
pressure allowable as working power Tor a
new boier for,ytwo inches In diameter, made
IN the best manner OF inspected plates,
Onefourth Of an inch thick aud OF quality
required py law, aud shall rate the working
new according 10 their strength compared with this
standard. And IN all cases the test applied shall
exceed the working power allowed the ratio OF
65 10 no. and iu hecting the test aforesaid that
class OF boilers usually designated and known as low
working power OF each new bOiier pressure or
only three lourths the number or pounds to the
square inch TO which II shall have been subjected
by the hydr0statc test ana found to be SUI.
hcient therefor; but should sHch inspectors be OF
the opinion that said boiler, by reason or its con
structiop or material, will not safely allow so high
a workingI pressure, they may for reasons to be
stated specially in their certificate fix the working
pressure OF said boiler at than three fourths OF
said test pressure, but all boilers used on steam
vessels and constructed OF iron steel plates in
spected under the provisions OF section tbrty.six OF
this act shall be subjected "a hydrOstatic test in
the ratio OF hundred pounds to the square inch
OF the working steam power allowed, AMI no boiler
or pIue OF the connections Herewith, shall
be approved which Is made in whole or IN part OF
bad material Is unsafe In lts form dangerous
from defective Workmanship age, use or other
cause
General Belknap states that under this law the
inspector is clothed with discretionary power. If
he the right to limit the pressure 10 three ourths
he can for the same reason limit 1t to half the
pressure allowed and from generalization Of facts
IL has been ascertaned That boilers can possibly
stand expansion and contraction for more than
seven years and he regarded as perfectly safe. TO
reduce the pressure to one hall Is equivalent to
condemning he boiler without waiting for the
plration OF eight years.
As has already been stated, Secretary Boutwell's
attention has been particularly called the impor
lance OF approving this recommendation. The Su
pervsing Inspector General cannot act without the
authority OF the head OF the Treasury Department,
and unless he sanctions the propositions OF thus ON
Ger there can be no reformation III the steamboat
service. General Belknap says that he was ap-
pointed to the Office without any solicitation on his
part, but now that the urgency OF head to the
Supervising Inspector is made more manifest he Is
determined tnat he VIII do ali In his power 10 bring
about the desired reform 1t remains, then. for the
Secretary OF the Treasury to promptly approve OF
his recommendations. As an instance OF the desire
OF the Treasury Department to institute reformatory
measures, Acting Secretary Hartley to-day issued
the following circular to collectors OF customs and
inspectors OF steam vessels:-
TREASURY DEPARTMENT August 20, 1871.
II having been represented TO this department
that a custom prevails among some inspectors Of
steam vessels OF causing their names To be atixed
10 original certificates OF inspection by other per
sons than themselves, the department HEREBY con.
dennis this practice rs being violation OF Jaw and
directs That 10 be torthwith discontinued A recur-
renee of TINS irregular proceeding 10y an inspector
Will De considered \ mlsdemeanOr and render him
liable TO Immediate removal from this ONCE.
In addition 70 subscribing their signatures 10
original certihcates OF Inspection II is hereby
dered that inspectors making an Inspection Of a
steamer also aiX their signatures TO each certified
copy Issued thereafter by collectors or other chief
officers OF customs aud no such certificates of IN.
speciion should be deemed wand without the sigma
ture OF sald!nspector. ]. f. HARTLEY
Acting Secretary Of the Treasury.
THE OCEAN WAVE DISASTER.
1nIegard TO the disaster to the Ocean Wave at
Mobile the following is the letter OF supervising
Inspector General Belknap to Major Rogers, OF New
| 'Orieans:--
TREASURY DEPARTMENT, August 2p, ls7l.
SIR am advised by the newspapers OF the ex
plosiQn OF the 6oer Of the s'eap!er Vceaa wave "