The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-08-13
The Wawasset Disaster,

We are giad TO learn tnat secretary
Richardson will not entrust the investigation
Of the burning of the Wawasset to the local
inspectors at Washington. He has grand
opportunity now to serve the country and
make himself deserving Of its lasting graft
tude, by probing this matter to the bottom,
and making it the occasion to expose and
denounce the criminal recklessness or IDIOT
ic stupidity which everywhere characterizes
our steamboat management in guarding |
against accidents by fire. ..
/. Steamers are built so as to burn like |
finder. .. , 1'.. ..-. .. H..
2. The means of escape are wholly in
! adequate. ... .Ia4@ .ra Rise 1..i H
3. There is no training among the crews
to fit them to act in such an emergency.
The secretary should call upon Congress
in the most solemn and emphatic
manner for power to remedy these
defects. He should summon the
best engineers and have definite
plan Of action to PROFOUND. In our opin-
ion the first step should be to take the
achole business Of inspection from The Treas
my, and place ii an Independent hands,
securing the very highest order of talent
for its head. The matter should not be
allo,ced to rest one moment till it has
been exhaustively studied and the best
helps of modern science and art secured
, to aid in making human life more secure on
our waters. While we employ the Army and
Navy at cost of twenty millions per
annum to protect the lives and pro-
perty of settlers upon the western
, plains, who 60 there for adventure or love
of gain, should the nation grudge mere
, pitapce to save from horrible death thou
, sands and tens of thousands who burn or
, drown yearly on our inland waters, or on
) the high seas, by neglect Of the simplest
and most obvious provisions for their
l safety I? 1t is perfectly clear
that every steamer should
{ be painted with fire-proof material, that
}. the hold should be capable Of being in
$ stantly closed, to shut down fire and
v provision made for flooding it with car.
!. bonic acid gas in a moment. 1t is
p equally clear that the tiller ropes should
!. be non-combustible, and the pilot-house
:. secured as far as possible against fire SC
!. as to enable the boat to keep its course
. landward to the last moment. The
y Washington Star makes an excel
!, lent suggestion ''that light raft:
&c be used as well as boats.
% Every movable part of the cabin ought tt
It be good float, easily detached. Raft
"a and planks are far safer and more availa
10 Bile than boats or life preservers TIN
10 former are almost always swamped, ant
70 the latter are out of reach and requir
a much care and skill to use them. .s7
We write with feeling, for this disaste
carried away a score of our own neighbors
70 whose pleasant faces we have met for year
" along the noble river where they met thei
mt fate. We feel hot indignation against tn
he authorities who permitted and still PERM
re these floating slaughter-houses to lure tn
III unwary and innocent to untimely death
lis The owners of such boats are bad enough
III and the love of gain renders them callous
is But the sworn guardians of the publ
safety who have violated their faith desery
re the severe censure and hot condemnatio
s. of every citizen, and we hope and we BE-
IS, lieve that the Secretary will find out til
I'd guilty parties, secure their punishment, an
e, at once begin the radical work Of reform
mt steamboat building and management.