New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-07-16
INSPECTION OF STEAM VESSELS.

The attention of the special inspectors OF foreign
steam vessels was called yesterday to the letter re-
ported from Washington as naSng oeen Sent ~
urging that British vessels having the certhcates
of The Board of Trade be exempted from inspection
has been suffered since the date of the certificate
The inspectors here have no information as 10
the truth of tho statement that American vesseis
having certificates of inspection are not liable TO
resu. vey in England. There are rev american
steam vessels carrying passengers TO England.
CAPTAIN Gillespie, OF the Board OF inspectors
of Foreign Steam Vessels said recentlyto TRIBUNE
reporter: There are Important dlnerences DC,
tween the requirementsof the inspectors In England
and those IN this country Under the BRUSH Jaw
there arc requirements concerning llfe-Doats, Dut
those regarding life-preservers are imperfect &C,
cordngt TO our ideas We require 'at tnero sna an
board the vessel One British steamship, which
had certIica from the Board of Trade and winch
carries In all about 1900 persons, was found by
our Inspector tohave no life preseryers ara only 3oO
hfe-buoys which, from their shape. are OF less
value than the lite-preservers. The captain was
indignant at being interfered with, but pointed
ont that while he had made provision for the safety
of the cabin passengers little attention appeared
to have been paid to the safety Of uds poorer
vessel. The life-buoys or hfe-preservers are often
placed IN the rooms of the cabin passengers WINE
other parts of the vessel are not supplied. In otheI
cases the lifepreservers are put in the boats and
1 are not distributed over the vessel: Inere are
| other provisions of the law Of the United States
that are different from those oil the Brlish law ana
| are designed to secure greater safety. We require
that vessels shall have tubes connecting the boiler
with each of the vessels compartments, so that IN
| case of fire In any compartment steam may be
blown in and the fire extingushed. The British
| law does not require as ours does, plugs IN the
| boiler 50 that if tho water should get too low the
| pings will melt and the steam escape The num-
| Der of steam gauges and gaugc-cocks required by
our law are greater than those required IN England.
| We'also require two hand-pumps, one at each end
| of the vessel and hose long enough to lead from
| each steam pump to the centre OF the vessel The
amount Of hose required by our inspectors is often
| greater than that under the English law. These
are the most important differences between the
laws of the two countries, and our regulations aim
| at securing the greatest safety possible"
In several cases British steamers nave refused TO
meet the requirements of tho inspectors, and bonds
nave been given for the payment OF the penalties OF
$500 in each case, which can DO col
| lected by the Government II the Sec
| rotary of the Treasury fluids that the law has
been violated. One of the lines Of large steamers
has three vessels under bonds for violation OF the
| provisions OF the law understood by the lnspec
ors 1t is said that hundreds oflfcpreservers have
been removed from some of the steamers after IN
| spection and the preservers have been allowed 10
remain GU tho wharf to be put on the next steamer
of the same line before 1t is inspected. The vessels
| which had not fully complied with the law were III
some cases allowed TO make one tnp III order that
the equipments light be furnished In the countries
from which the vessels sailed, but some OF tho YES
sells have returned with the regulations still uncom
plied with.