The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-03-25
STEAMBOAT MEN OBJECT.
They Are Opposed TO the Proposed
New Inspection Law.

II
New Inspection Law.
Steamboat men are deeply interested in
what is known as ''bnl 1885," now before
the Senate. The bill provides for a new
inspection law. and affects upward OF 175
steam vessels In Savannah and adjacent
territory in Georgia and Florida.
The bill itself consist of POI sections, land
covers ZIG pages of congressional print. IL
is, therefore, too voluminous for detailed
/ analysis. AS q whole, IL Is claimed by
steamboat men 70 be impracticable, and ia
| detail its faults vary oil the way from re-
| quirements impossible Of fulfllment TO pro-
visions that are unconstitutional, because
/ they would operate TO impair the obligation
Of contracts. Some sections embrace pro-
! visions In part salutary, though in most OF
such instances the benefits OF the change
from existing law in one direction, 1t Is
| claimed, are destroyed by impracticable
clauses In another.
A thorough digest Of the bill with ex-
plantations and comments is made by Sea-
board Of New York, few extracts from
which are given.
I'm January OF last year the Secretary Of
the Treasury directed a committee TO CON-
slider the recommendations Of the United
States delegation 10 the international
marine conference, and the committee has
prepared an exhaustive bill, which was pre-
Jan. 20, read twice and referred to the COM
mittee on commerce.
"InAsmuch as the bill In question, IL
passed, will work an almost complete
change In methods now in vogue in the
steamboat inspection service, as 10 will
largely increase the cost of boiler construc-
tion, as it will reduce the pressure upon
most of the boilers now in use TO a point
where the use of them in the boats for which
they are built and now supplying the neoes-
sary steam is no longer possible, as IL will
place all sailing vessels, passenger and
tow barges of fifty net tons and uD-
ward. under inspection law, as IL will
require the masters and mates of said ves-
sells to obtain a license from the govern
ment, as it will compel engineers to serve a
most exaotng servitude before they may
| obtain the highest grades, and then only
after passing the most scientific kind of an
examination, and as the licenses Issued to
masters Of steam and sailing vessels of the
extra grade will make professors of astron-
omy and mathematics Of their holders, be-
sides introducing numerous other changes,
we have deemed it a valuable matter to
bring TO the attention OF our readers-the
general marine public"
Then follows an example Of the rigid ex-
actions required by the proposed law in re-
gard to boilers, reducing their allowed
steam pressure 40 per cent, etc.
in !. 5000 600 passengers has been lost on ac-
count of boiler explosions at sea IL would
appear that the present requirements are
nearly good enough.
One section OF the bill requires that all
registered vessels must have a master, first
and second mate licensed by the inspectors,
and all enrolled vessels must have master
and first mate licensed by the inspectors,
with suitable fines, IN this, as In all cases,
for noncompliance.
This section provides that all masters,
mates, etc., must be OF certain age, have
had years OF experience and be able to
handle astronomy, mathematics and navi-
CATION with Yale professor. This applies
to coasting vessels, in fact TO about every
thing that floats. The second mate of a
schooner will not be allowed to ship ION
brig. and the cabin boy must pass an ex-
animation as TO color blindness, etc,
In the examination for chief engineer of
an ocean steamer, he will have to show that
he can build or rebuild boiler or engines.
give theories as to handling improbable
accidents answer questions in economy,
heat, electricity, refrigerators, hydraulics,
ETC., in fact he will have to be master of a
dozen trades and arts and have had nine
years. experience.
The bill has been referred back to the
| committee that originally drafted it, with
instructions, 1t is stated, to modify its pros
visions as regards boiler inspection and
building.
The American Steamship Association, of
which the Ocean Steamship Company of
Savannah, the Merchants and Miners, and
| in fact most of the large steamship compan-
les in the United States, are members, ia
actively engaged in opposition to the pas
sage of the bill Resolutions have been
adopted by nearly ali the exchanges and
trade organizations Of the coast cities op-
posing the bill. The matter will be brought
before the board of trade here.
Statistics compiled from official docu-
| ments show that for the year ended
June 30, 1891. the number of steamboat acci-
| dents resulting In loss of life was as follows:
Collisions, Is; fires, 6; breaking Of steam
| pipes and mud drums, 4 explosions, O.;
snags. wrecks aud sinking, 8; total, 81. The
number of passengers and employees carried
| during the year was 600, 900, 900. The total
| loss OF lives caused by the 81 accidents was
| $685. the loss being l In IT'S, l47 persons
carried on steamboats,. or 7,404 steam
vessels carrying 10000 boilers but acct
dents to boilers or steam pipes occurred
whereby fourteen lives were lost. In COM
parison with previous years, to show the
| Improvement IN steamboat building and
navigation generally. there were 1853 steam
boats lost out of $50 that had been en-
| ployed on the Mississippi river prior to
| 1S49. In 1851, ]. 800 steamboats, were rum
ming in the waters of the United States.
| Fourteen per cent. of that number were
lost during the year. OF 80, 2O4 ,691 passen-
gers which they carried TOO were lost. The
showing by the reports of the service is
urged as evidence that the existing law
does not need the revision that "Senate
bill 1755" proposes.
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