The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-01-28
STEAMBOATS,.
SOME PROPOSED CHANGES IN THE IN.
sPEOTORS' RULES,
Crews 10 BE Drilled for Service In Case OF
Fire = Precautions Against Fire
from BupOFheRted Boilers
Two Radical Changes
for River Graft,

ANV AuuAchA Ouhuktb
4 for River Graft,
| WASHINGTON, January 27,-At q meet
ing Of the supervising inspectors OF steam
vessels to-day, the President, General Du.
mont, submitted an extract from his au-
nual report referring to the loss OF the
steamer seawanhaka, which was burned
June. 2S, 1880, and in which reference 10
made tn rule 81 Of the steamboat rules and
regulations. General Dumont recommend.
ed the board TO adoptan amendment TO this
rule In order that 1t might be ipplied to
all classes OF passenger, ,steamefs, except
terryboRts, with the pFoViso that river
steamers may exercise their crews at quar-.
ters while lying at their wharyes. The
rule referred to, as 1t now stauds,is as fol-
lows:
RULE RIFTY-sEyRN.
It shall be the duty Of the master Of
every inspected steamer carrying pasSen.
gers on the ocean, lakes, gults and bays,
when such steamer Is under weight, TO
cause to be prepared station bill Tor his
own department and one also for the en-.
gineers' department, in which shall be as.
signed post or station OF duty ior every
person employed on board ofsuch steamer
In case oil fire or other disaster, which sta.
tion bills shall be placed in the most con.
spicuous places on board for the inyesti.
CATION OF the crew; and IL shall he the
duty OF such master or OF the mate or off.
Ger next In command once, at least, In
each week to call all hands to quarters and
exercise them in discipline and use
OF the fire pumps and all other
apparatus for the safety Of lie
on board OF such vessel, and to ace
that all equipments required by law are
In complete working order for immediate
use, and the fact Of the exercise OF crew
as herein contemplated shall be entered
upon the steamers log book, stating the
day Of month and hour when 80 exercised
and any neglect or omission on the part
OF the officer In command Of such steamer
TO strictly enforce said rules shall be
deemed cause for the revocation OF the
license ofsuCh officer. The matter was re-.
ferred to the Committee on discipline
Of 0hcers."
A resolution 10 establish Q rule to pro.
vide for the capacity OF the small boats on
ocean steamers, aud the number Of such
boats 10 be carried on river steamers. was
also referred to the Committee on Rules
and Regulations, to whom was referred
certain communications relative to rule
10 Of the steamboat rules, submitting O
resolution that was not finally disposed OF:
ResOlyed, That rule 10, OF the rules and
regulations Of the Board Of Supervising
Inspectors, be so amended as 10 read as
follows, viz:
RULE TEN.
On all passenger and freight steamers
over one hundred tons, constructed since
the year 1871, and to be hereafter con.
struCted, navigating ocean sounds, lakes,
bays an d rivers, there shall be q space OF
not less than two inches between the
boilers and wood work when the boilers
are internally fred, and the wood work
shall be properly protected BY metallic
sheating; but II the boilers are externaIIy |
tred the space aforesaid shall not be less |
than four inches, and In addition
thereto there shall be q space
sufficient to allow engineers and
inspectors to pass freely to the rear
end Of the boiler, for the purpose Of exam.
inatton, provided that the wood work
shall not be allowed to approach within
eight inches Of the casing OF smoke pipes
and shall be suitably protected by metal.
lie capings and sheathing, and that a space
OF not less than two feet shall be left at The
rear end OF the boiler, opposite the back
connection door. Passenger and freight
steamers OF 100 tons and under, shall be-
inspected In accordance with the foregoing
clauses, with the exception that passage 10
the rear end Of the boiler therein provided
Tor shall not be required. s.fj.
This resolution was supported by the
majority Of the COMMITTEES. The resolution
waS accompanied by statement giving
the views OF the minority Of the members
otethe Committe on thesubjeCt. II appears
from the records OF the Board oi Su.
perVising Inspectors that the rule referred
to was first enacted as rule SO, at It's
special meeting held In June, ri. At
special meeting held lin October Of the
BatIeV year, 1t was referred 10 the Commit.
teelon Rules and Regulations for amend.
meht, but no further action seems 10
have been taken. At the subseuuent
meeting the Board re.enacted II as rule
10, and atits meeting In January, rs, It was
revived ag rule 10, its present mum.
ber showing that this rule has re.
ceived very particular attention from the
Board as well as by the different Secreta.
ries OF the Treasury, who have approved Il
and given II force OF law under the pro.
visipns Of section 4,4O5, Of the revised stat.
utes.
THERE'S no evidence that rule 10 was
founded on section 4470 OF the statutes
which relates to the danger OF fire, but
was enacted under the general powers OF.
fered by section 4i05 OF the revised stat.
utes, sixteen inches OF space being the
room required for an,ordinary person TO
enable hun 10 pass atound, and examine
all parts Of the shells OF The boilers, as
vel as giving room to workman 10 make
repairs when needed. The Investigation
Of the cause OF the explosion OF The steam.
er Adelphia's boiler, whereby many lives
we're lost, developed the fact that there
vas insufficient room afotfnd II 10 make
the necessary examinations, the result
oil which was the ultimate cause OF The ex.
ploHion. This steamer was built, how.
evet, before the rule III question vas en-.
acted. :
In conclusion, my own experience while
In command at different times OF The
steamships Uuiicd States and Crescent
City, both having been set on fire IN con.
sequence OF too close proximity OF wood
work 10 the boilets, make IL my duty. 10
protest against change Of this ftile.' (
The following ID the text or Rule Ten as
II how stands: Rule 10-All BleAiners