The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-11-19
Marine nureau Of Treasury Department
Annual Report.

WASHINGTON, November 1S.-Thc an-
nual report OF the Marine Bureau OF the
Treasury Department, shows that OF the
vessels wrecked or in distress, with the
aggregate Of 026 persons OIL board, 1872
have been assisted BY revenue cutters.
The estimated value OF property saved is
about Sl,70O,000. and 142 persons were
actually rescued from death by drowning.
The expenses OF the Revenue Marine
Service for the year ended, June 10, 1878,
were ssh ,00l. The number OF vessels in
the service is 81. Supervising Inspector
Gen. Jas. A. Dumont, Of the Steamer In
spection Service, in his annual report
shows the total number OF lives lost from
various causes during the fiscal year ended,
June 30, 1878, were from explosions,
33, fire %, collisions 81, snags; wrecks and
sinking l04, accidental drowning IS, mis-
cellaneous casualties 4. Total 2l2. The
whole number OF accidents resulting in the
loss OF liieis A.. -,. yi{t,
He says: ''The decrease 5oi fatal casual
ties in the last two years is no doubt due
to severcr discipline that has been estal,.
lished during that period as compared
with the preceding years. Although the
service is yctsusceptible Improvement in
that respect, am proud to say that so
thoroughly have its laws been administer.
cd that in upward OF 200,000,000 persons
carried on American steamers during the
last year, only one person and Onc-tenth
were lost
IN EACH MILLION.
| do not hesitate to assert that travel by
steamer, under the existing laws OF the
United States, is safer than in any other
country. He devotes considerable por-
tion OF his report to the question Of testing
boiler iron, and says 1t Is evidently neces.
sary that a positive and generally accepted
rule be established for deciding this impor-
tant matter. It is believed that the efforts
now being made by this Office and sup-
ported actively by manufacturers general.
", will introduce into the market iron Of
American make for marine boileruse equal
ifnot superior TO that made In any part oi
the world. But whatever the qualities oi
new iron, the eccentric manner Of It's wear
under steam is not yet explained. Some
plates oxidize soon rs used, Others OF iden'
tical texture and position wear for years
without any material deterioration and 9th.
crs again, after wearing for several years
without apparent damage, suddenly oxi'
,lizc and arc destroyed in few months,
This last condition was iorcibly illustrated
by the steamer Magenta, which exploded
the outer shell OF her steam chimney on
March 93d, nearSingSing, on tho Hudson
He refers at length to the Magenta eS'
plosion," and says: Such disasters can
be averted by frequent and careful
inspection. There are places, how.
ever, in all boilers where personal
inspection is impossible, and where hydro
static test must be relied upon. | recon-
mend to all steamboat owners the import
ance OF demanding such tests frequently
especially after u season OF inactivity
work Is resumed, for experience provel
that boilers dcterlorate more rapidly while
idle than while continually used. lie say
that In all his efforts to improve the ser
vice hc has had the cordial support o
steamboat owners II Is true they com
plain that some OF tho statutes are unjus
| tothem, while aflortling no advantage Il
thcpublic, and they arc naturally opposcI
to being compelled to purchase WORTHLESS
patents. II Is not appropriate for him I,
discuss their wrongs, but he hopes tina
justice may be done them, for, as class
they are ready TO comply with ever,
wholesome provision OF law. OF the tota
number Of vessels inspected 200 belong i
the Pacific coast, with y tonnage OF los, ,67S
$50 to the Atlantic coast, with q tonnag
OF 4G8, ,757; $50 to the Western rivers, wit
tonnage Of 1856, ,9S9; s67 to tho NORTH
ern Lakes, with tonnage OF ls8, ,a7S, an
3ll y the Gulf coast with q tonnage
gS,Sal,