Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-02-06
FIRES ON SHIPBOARD.
THEORIES OFTHEIR ORIGIN AND
THE LOSSES THAT FOLLOW.

The Cotton Exchange and Board of
Trade to Ask the City Council for
Protective Ordinances-What is Being
Done in other Cities to Check the
Frequency OF Cotton Fires.
The annual destruction of property
caused by fire on shipbOard growing out
Of carelessness where there is inflam-
able freight, is one of the most important
items in marine insurance, and the losses
from this source present figures Of a
startling nature. During the last thirty
years the record shows that s. steamers
sailing from American ports have been
destroyed at sea by fire and l,S9S lives
lost. During this time a number of other
steamers sailing from American ports
have never been heard from, and no doubt
a large majority OF them haze been de-
strOyed by fire, that theory being about
the only one by which the fac that all
traces of them have been lost can be ac-
counted for.
One OF the most fruitful sources Of fire
on shipbOard, according to the best at
tainable evidence, is cotton. Once a
spark of fire gets into a bale of cotton 1T
seems almost impossible to eXtinguish it.
The fire may be communicated to the cot
ton on a wharf from the pipe of a care
less labOreT, or the cigar or cigarette of
an idleT, or at a depot by a spark from an
engine, and shoulder in the bale until it
is slowed away IN the hold of the ship,
and after the vessel is far out at sea break
out and destroy it.
Maj. Henry L. Bolts, prominent ma
rine underwriters agent of this city, has
long made the subject of fire
on shipbOaTd a study, and his eXpe-
Tience demonstrates that the fire
that destroys an entire vessel and cargo
often has its origin at the wharf, a spark
from a pipe, cigar or passing steamboat
or tug. He has been in correspondence
recently with the National Board of Ma
rine Underwriters, which is composed of
representatives of all the leading marine
Insurance companies operating in the
United States, and has recently brought
the attention of the Mayor of the city, the
Board of Trade and the Cotton Exchange
to the necessity of city ordinance to
guard as much as possible against the
local causes that often lead to serious fires
on vessels and at the Savannah wharf.
The Board of Trade and Cotton EX-
change have appointed committees TO
take the matter under con-
sideratiOu and use their influence to
| secure the passage by the Board of Alder
men Of a proper ordinance on the subject.
The committee were in conference with
Mr. Bolts yesterday, and an ordinance
will soon be framed for the consideration
81 the Mayor and Aldermen. Maj. Bolts
was seen by a News reporter yesterday,
and during "a conversation on the subject
be stated that in New Orleans, Charles
ton, Norfolk and other ports ordinances to
compel locomotives, steamboats, and other
vessels using steam power and plying
about places where cotton is handled or
stored 10 use spark arresters in their
/ smOkestacks have been passed, also Ordi-
nances to prohibit smoking about such
places by wOrkmen and others, and that
he considers 1t highly important
that similar ordinance should
Doe passed by the Board Of Alder
men of Savannah. He stated that
il is his experience that the most serious
fires have often been caused by a spark
lodging in a bale Of cotton and escaping
detection until il got such Roadway that
nothing could arrest it, and that once fire
gets into a bale of cotton it is next to
impossible TO eXtinguiSh it without taking
the bale to pieces. Mr.. Bolts has copies
of the ordinances passed by the city Of
New Orleans, and will place them and a
yOlumiuOus correspondence had by him
! with the National Board of Marine Under
writers which he represents at SaYan-
nah in the hands Of the Mayor to-day.
One Of the ordinances require harbOr tug
steam and running about the levees,
wharVes and other places where cotton
and other inflammable merchandise is
stored. also railroad locomotives
running in the city limits
where such merchandise is
handled or stored. either temporarily or
permanently. to place spark arresters on
their locomotives, and impose fine OF
not less than 50 or more than SIS, or i'm
prisOnment not exceeding five days, for
each violation of the ordinance. The
ether ordinances prohibit smoking in
railroad depOts, at wharYeS or on board
vessels where cotton or other int1ammable
/ merchandise is handled or stored, and
provides a fine of not less than $40 or
more than $50, or Imprisonment not eX-
ceeding five days, for every violation OF it.
Tue ordinances that Will be proposed to
the Board of Aldermen Of Savannah for
their consideration will be similar to the
New Orleans ordinances, except that
they will he adapted to the local situa-
ton. Mr. Bolts saws that TO compel boats
Gen. LawtOn and the Cabinet.
and locomotives to use spark arresters
will not operate as a hardship on them,
the cost of tue arrester being a small
matter.