National Republican., 1881-11-23
STEAMBOAT INSPECTION.
How ~ IL Done ira the Third DIa.rIct-Gen-
crnI Dumont's Proposed change.

To tho Editor ofTHE REPUBLICAN;
In reading the proposition of Supervis-
ing Inspector General Dumont proposing for a
radical change in the mode Of inspecting steam
vessels, must say II this part of the third district
Is fair sample Of tho inspection service, change
cannot come too soOn For instance, since Janu-
ary !. 1881, one steamer has exploded her boiler,
the engineer killed, one passenger made cripple,
and the cause Of the explosion not investigated,
Two steamers with certificates granted them under
oath as seoworthy for one year-i C., in good con.
diuon and fitted completely according TO law
were stopped in about month aiterward, and one
condemned as rotten and unsafe and the other
ordered in repair.
THERE ARE OTHERS RUNNING
now in the same condition on the Bay and It's trib-
utaries under Certificates FROM the board. Men
with one and two years experience on the river
have been granted licenses as masters and pilots
on the Chesapeake Bay and Its tributaries who ab.
solutcly know nothing about the waters they nav
igatc. II is impossible for them to know in so
short time. Men are given licenses by letter
with no examination us TO qualifications or ability,
and understand there is not Il pilot or ship.car
penter on the board, which is positive violation
OF law. This, 1t would seem, is not q fault Of the
law, butin It's execution. With ring" at George.
town granting licenses by wholesale to "kids" at
$40 per head indicates that change should come
soon.
LET NE STATE THE CASE
OF Captain Barker. who has been on the water
overtweuty years. In June last Captain Barker was
in command of the steamer Arrowsmith after re.
pairing her boiler the superintendent of the
company wrote for the inspectors " come from
Baltimore for the annual inspection. They came
and Captain Barker took them over tie boat,
showed what was lacking under the requirements
OF law, put the pressure on the boiler and left. In
f'w days Barker received a certificate under
oath from them that the bont was equipped
ACCORDING To LAW,
which they (the inspcctors) must have known
was false. Captain Barker informed the superin-
tendent Of the boat that she had not the outfit
for the $50 passengers. lie Uho AGENT knowing
that he had II certificate sworn TO by the inspect
ors, paid no attention TO Barker's statement. Cap.
tain Barker then got Mr. l.. Cloments--the deputy
collector of this rort-to telegraph the inspectors
to come over and reinspect the boat as he refused
TO further run the boat in her precarous condition
Not hearing from them, Barker wrote them, but
received no reply. lie had talk with the en-
gineer, who also refused to the boat until she
was put in repair, Captain Wood then took com
mand, but the engineer refused to run another
trip. Wood then looked over the boat saw her
condition, and reported the facts TO the Secretary
OF the Treasury, who said lie would have no moro
such farce. lie ordered all the inspectors over
here, and the boat was then put in condition.
THE POINT MAKE
Is that the law Is all right but some of the men at
the hcadof the inspection service are incompe-
tent. General Dumont has found out that the
law is defective and reorganization necessary
Let there be reorganization Mt once, but with
new men who can observe the farce, the false GER
tifcatcs and fraud in the inspection service. Cap
tain Barker, an experienced boatman, honest and
incorruptibc took issue with these inspectors for
their slovcny inspection and then they revoked his
license for six months. AN OLD SALT,