National Republican., 1880-07-28
SAFETY BY srEAmBoAT 1RAHEL.

SAFETY BY STEAMBOAT TRAVEL.
Some Precautions That Might DO Adopted.
To TIC Editor of The National ReDuJlicdn:
SIR: As strange rs it may seem, fearful ca
lamities like the recent disasters on the Sound
and in the East river oftontimes lead to good
results. We might have the good results with
out the fearful calamity, but as citizens of this
world whom put to the practical test we find
that warnings and suggestions for safety arc
not needed until some such terrible calamity
presents the case In its most CHASTITY form. To
use a chronological term there is 50 much "con-
tinuity" in human nature that, although the
necessity Is needed and acknowledged, IL is put
of and put off, IL seems simply impossible to
awaken sufficient interest in some humane
measure for preventing the loss of life, or even
in Il practical measure for saving property, un-
Til the terrible disaster has come upon us, and
then we begin to open our eyes aud wonder
why such and such wise precaution has not
been adopted, how it was possible TO neglect
so paramount safeguards TO limb, life, comfort
and happiness.
As remarked by a recent writer on this sub
ject, we have not advanced much in the mat
ter Of safety these forty years. We have i'm.
proved our boats in every other respect, but
in this important matter, though there have
been some improvements, they have not ad-
vanccd with tho other appointments Of speed,
beauty and general comfort. Yet what is all
the comfort in our most elegantly equipped
boats beside the solid comfort of their safety
In this article it is proposed to treat only
| upon the greater safety of travel by boat.
The question is, Can we have greater safety
particularly in addition and not at the ex
pens0 of any other essential appointment
1t would seem that we could.
The two great things In boat travel TO be
| coutended against are fire and water. Mere
collisions are not generally as on land, &C.
companied by serious results; at least unless
something more serious grows out of it, as in
| the case OF the Narragansett and Stonington.
Against fire, construction Of iron in place of
wood would seem to be the plan to adopt.
Iron is every way as practical as wood. As
! to hulls iron for ocean steamers Is now the
rule, and even many seaboard and river
steamers ara also built of iron. But the by
far greater mischief lies in the extensive COM
bustible upper works of all our seaboard and
| river steamers.
There is no good reason why these upper
works cannot now be made of iron and be
quite as light and as tasteful in design ns
wood. Galvanized iron is now used very ex-
tensively in building on land. There is no
reason why it should not be generally adopted
on the wafer; then the flames will be con-
| fined to the cargo and furniture. Cargoes are
|
chance for air to feed the llames, at least rap
| idly.
| Against water, no boat should be allowed to
carry precious human lives unless well pro.
vided with bulk-hcads, forming tile boat in
proportion TO its size, into ample practical
water.tight compartments. As another protec.
tion against both fire aud water, some method
should be adopted whereby the fires in the
furnaces could be secured against an thrush
of waterin case of an immense leak occasioned
by collision or the striking upou some
sunken rock or wreck, when safety depended
upon keeping tho fires going, whereby the
boat may be run ashore or time gained for es-
cape by the use of the larger pumps in keep.
| ing down leak if only for q half hour or SO.
To accomplish this, l would suggest that there
be law requiring the builders Of all passen.
ger steamers, at least TO have the Tres so
encased as to prevent their being put out by
any leak that might occur to the boat.
would have n separate compartment for
tho boilers, inclosing them on all sides, MS it
were locate them within u huge tub that
would have no opening into the hold of the
vessel, tho same to be made of iron, as
greater security against fire, aud to be per-
iectly water'tight TO the line Of the main deck,
so that If tbs whole hold of q steam vessel is
filled with water none of it could reach the
fires, at least until the vessel was suukeu to
the waters edge. BY this arrangement the
service was demanded of them, whether 1t be
to run the boat ashore or to keep down leak
aud thereby gain time for safety.
AS to the lighting of boats, We now have,
believe, the electric light in sufficient practi-
cal form to have it adopted on all frst.class
passenger'boats Safety would seem to dc.
mand this method of lighting them.
To avoid danger from boiler explosions il
would seem that there was ingenuity enough
in the mechanical world to avoid this, or at
least to reduce IL TO greatly nOn.dangerOus
affair, on some such such principle As the Ha.
rischof or Harrison PLAN
The boat made as safe as 1t is practical to
make it, the next thought is to means Of es.
capo. All our steam and carrying vessels are
quito well supplied with small boats, but we
have had il repeatedly demonstrated to us
that Of all means of escape the small boat is
the most tTeaCherous and impractical. II is
about sure not to bo ready against the timo
Of need, aud If ready, TO be so handled
by an excited crowd as to be OF lit.
tlo value. 1t is Acknowledged that all
boats carrying passengeTs-human freight
should bo well provided with lle.presorvors,
but the main dependence on an occasion of
disaster should be ON something more lOatable,
whereby tho passengers could bo kept out Of
and bodily above the water. The best thing
10 accomplish this seems TO bo the raft, All
our passenge nger'carying vessels, and especially
lNoac ol our htAuOaIut AuCll ~ llc ouuuI pualhi
should be required to have more of these RATS
and to carry them forward, aft and on tho
sides in such a manner that it would not ro'
qure much of an effort to launch them. In
addition to all these, the more auxiliaries in
the shape of planks, sottees, beds, etc, the
better. Then it should be the duty Of some
high officer or officers to inspect all the regular
appliances for safety just before start
ing on every voyage, to see If thoy
are in practical order and In good
repair; aud further, tho crew should
be drilled in the use of these appliances, that
they may ba able TO instruct the passengers in
tho best use of them. In addition to this, the
crows of such steamers should be intelligent
reliable aud competent men, and not mere
cheap hands, hired simply on the basis of the
most reduced payroll.
would also further suggest that tho steer
ing apparatus be at least better protected
against fire, At present the pilot'house Is tue
only place forward from whore our seaboard
and river steamers can be stecred. II would
seem that it was full time that some additional
place forward from which to steer tho boat be