St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-03-01
RIVER MEN IN ARMS.
Inspector Sloane Voices the
Growing Opposition to a
Senate Bill
Claimed Necessary for the
Regulation Of Merchant
Marine.
But Declared Framed in the
Interests Of Revenue
Marine,
And Is Not Only Unpracti-
cable but Outpageously
Unjust.

Supervising Inspector of Steam Yes
| sells John d. Sloane stepped into his
Office yesterday after several weeks alb
sence in Washington, where he went to
attend a convention of supervising in
spectors. He was soon buried in his
correspondence. and learned that he is
nearly overwhelmed by communica-
lions from steamboat men, b0ilermak-
ers and steamboat machinery men, who
are up in arms against Senate Biz NO.
1855. MI. Sloane said to a GLOBE re-
porter:
"a Ii the river and lake men in the
country are up in arms against this bill.
1t VIII have the effect to at least tenn
porarily shut off the merchant
marine from business. New boilers
would have to be put into
the steamboats, and it will require all
licensed officers in the merchant marine
to 90 through the naval academy before
being permitted to work Oh Il boat as
captain pilot, engineer etc., besides re-
curing steamboats, to put in new boil
ers The bill, if il becomes law, will
reduce the pressure on steam boilers so
per cent and prevent the use OF the
triple expansion engines"
Speaking of the origin and nature OF
Senate Bill No. 1855, Mr.. Sloane said
ga short time prior to the death OF
Secretary Window he was requested to
nave bill drawn up for introduction IN
congress providing for placing sailing
vessels under governmental superYlS-
ion. The matter was referred to corps
of the United States marine service
who had no eXperince with the merchant
marine. These were l.. j. Sheppard,
j. A. HenrqueS. c. II. Mcclellan. who
selected as assistants j. w. Cullen,
chief engineer of the revenue marine
and past assistant engineer, and W. NJ.
Mcfarland. of the United States marine.
They reported a bill containing ] IL pages
Of printed matter, which goes
Beyond the Object
of placing sailing vessels under govern
mental control, and seeks to place ali
steam crafts and their operatives under
the same control, and. more than that,
all passenger bargeS and coast
wise freight barges being included.
1t makes a mighty 'moguP of the
supervising inspector general. 1t re-
peals the | w comforting upon the
board of supervising inspectors, with
the approval of the secretary Of the
treasury, the power to make rules and
regulations for carrying out the will of
congress as expressed in the law regu-
lating steam vessels, but gives those
persons the power to regulate sailing
vessels. 1t places the supervising i'll
spector general on plane with the
president of the United States,
in that, it gives him a pardon
ing power, the power to revoke
and suspend the licenses of officers.
prohibits the licensing Of steam vessels
after inspection,by the local supervisor
until such Inspection is also inspected
by the supervising inspeetor.at de-
/ laying the license until one man can in
spect all vessels in his dlStricF. not
MithStanding the fact thatin some dis
trictS the supervising. Inspector would
haYeto do the work that is. now done
by aScore or more of local inspectors.
II requires the placing of addition
al safety valves..sin eaall2 fboilerS
and w6ufd fecessftate tire boats
on all the Western rivers and lakes
to purchase new boilers and throw away
the old ones, Notwithstanding the fact
that excellent and safe boilers are in
use on hundreds of boats that have
recently been built. Each boiler is to
have AN extra spriRg-loaded valve,
which is to be locked up by the in
spector, the owner of the vessel not
being allowed to have control of it.
The uSelessnesS of this feature is ar
gued from the statement that for the
past four years there were 26,674 steam
ers inspected, having 3L65l boilers, of
which there were Is explosions OF boil
ers or steam pipes, causing
Loss of Life,
averaging one to each 1858 boilers. But
comparatively few years ago sixty
pounds of steam was considered high
pressure, while now 160 pounds and
over are considered necessity.
1.-THE proposed law makes reduction
in the amount of pressure allowed of 80
per cent. This would have the effect
to render boilers in vessels on she West
ern rivers useless. The proposed regu-
latlon as to flues would also be against
the uSe of boilers now in service on
Western rivers. The bill also abolishes
the navigation signals in use when
meeting and passing vessels. The pro-
vision as to licensing engineers. would
exclude all who have not gone
through naval academy, and
this would overcrowd the naval acad-
envy at Annapolis, besides placing the
matter beyond the reach of great ma
jority Of engineers in the United States.
Another provision in the bill is in the
interest of manufacturers of marine
boilers. 1t requires the furnishing of
| test pieces from opposite diagonal cor
ners of the boiler plate. There is also a
| discrimination between wrought iron
| boiler makers and those who make steel
boilers, i'll that the thickness of the for
mer is regulated, whilst no stand ard is
| fixed for steel boilers"
Mr.. Sloane said that the marine en-
! CINE and boiler builders of New York
have memorialized congress to strike
whole country is stirred up over the
matter. E. w. Durant, of Saltwater;
Mr.. Dickey. of the Diamond 10 line,
and others in Mr. Sloane's district have
written letters protesting against the
| proposed measure in the strongest of
| terms. They say it would be the
means of causing the loss of vast
| sums of money, prevent them
from operating their vessels, even if
altered IN conformity to the proposed
regulations. as it would reduce the pres
sure allowed on boilers. 1t would also
throw out all the licensed engineers in
| the West, and, in fact, destroy the
merchant marine. Mr.. Sloane ex-
pressed the view that the bill is i'm
practicable, unjust, and not prepared
with reference to information OH the
needs of the merchant marine. but
solely on the basis of the United States
| revenue marine.
For reliable information about Iron Mining
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