The morning call., 1893-06-14
RISKS ON WATER.
Overcrowding of Boats to
Be Stopped.
ORDERS FROM WASHINGTON.
The Difficulty of Counting Passen-
gers-No Limit as to Their
Number Prescribed.

The Government of the United States is
anxious that the law prohibiting the TAX
ing on board OF any steamer of Il greater
number of passengers than is stated in the
certificate OF inspection shall not be vio-
lated.
The anxiety on this point is keener than
that prompted by the demand that the
Gpary Chinese registration act shall be
enforced.
Captain John Birmingham, the Super
vising Inspector of Steam Vessels, re-
ceived politely worded letter from his
superiors in Washington yesterday calling
his attention to IA complaint from this city
that San Francisco ferry-boats were being
overcrowded, and directing him 10 inyest-
gate the allegations.
Annexed to The letter was ful-tone
picture of the ferry-boat Bay City with a
pitch to the starb0ard, on which flank of
the deck twO-thirdS OF the picnic tourists
had ilocKed TO see an eight-oared barge
whose crew, stripped 10 the hips, were dis
plavinG their superb muscle as they made
their lapstreak craft shoot out from the Ell
Campo shore.
The two-thrds of the inQuisitive passen-
gers, as they crowded TO the side command
ing view of the barge. gave the steamer
Il lutch which. in the picture transmitted
by the Government at Washington. looked
as though the Bay City were. about 10
dump her deckload OF living freight into
the bay.
Captain Birmingham was requested to
report If the ferry-boats in the narbOF OF
San francisco were being overloaded in
the manner depicted and hence contrary to
law.
The supervising inspector pushed the
picture and letters of inquiry toward a
CALL reporter and remarked:
You could put three times the number
of passengers on that ferry-boat that are
shown in that picture and you could not
tip her over"
rs there any law" asked the visitor,
''llmitiug the number of passengers which
a ferry boat Is allowed to carry?"
Captain Birmingham referred the re-
porter to his clerk, who keeps charge of
The certificates of steamboat inspectors.
That official dragged from corner a
canvhs-backed volume and invited the re-
porter to scan for himself The book con-
tained the certificates of the ius spectors
OF ferry-boats plying in PacflcCoast waters.
There were great many Items in each
certificate, but no word conveying any in
formation as to the number of passengers
permitted to be carried.
The clerk was asked the reason for the
omission.
There is no limit" be replied. ITO the
number of passengers which a ferry-boat
may carry"
''How's that?''
''All that We demand is that the boat
shall be provided with one life preserver
Tor every passenger 1t carries.
a note was made OF the number of life
preservers carried by each ferry-boat as
set down in lis certificate with the follow
lEg result: Eucinal 1904, Iamalpais GOO
Oakland 1917. Newark 200. 1iburon 754,
San Rafael 500, James NJ. Donahue SO
Garden City 80. Bay City 1000, Ell Captain
1000. Piedmont 1900, Uktah $50, Transit %,
oolano 5G0 Alameda go, Ellen 800.
Being asked upon what data the in
sDectOr decided how many life preservers
ferry-boat should carry, the Inspector
replied:
I'VE take the average number of
passengers carried daily by a passenger
steamer. The number of life-preseryers
marked in the certificates represent the
average number of passengers she will
carry every day"
Captain Birmingham, Notwithstanding
the vexatiOus difficulty which confronts
him OF keeping tally on the number of
passengers seeking transportation at any
given time, said that be had made I'D his
mind to stop the oveTcr0wdlng of ferry
boats In San Francisco harhor. Last Sun
day he had made trip to San Rafael with
the special purpose of ascertaning whether
the public was being protected in this re-
gard. Recently. he said. a number of safe
guards had been introduced. especially
against fires.
One of the latest improvements in opera
tion was the order to keep the wnter-
pumps at all hours in action. The nnzzles
were kept attached to the hose, so that no
time would be lost in making connections.
All that was necessary to be done in case
Of fire alarm was to take down the hose
and turn the little faucet attached to the
nozzle. The pumps were in constant mo-
tion, their regular stream being used to
flush the water-closets on board.
Captain Berminghamsexhi a recen:
order from the office of James A. Dumont.
the Supervising nspecior-Genera of the
Steamboat Inspection Service, in relation
to the overcrowding of passenger steamers.
The order directed that the local inspectors
should detail One-haif their force upon
each alternate Sunday for duty in the vi
cinity of their homo ports to ascertain by
actual count of passengers whether tho
law is complied with, and upon the Fourth
of July to employ tho whole force upon
this DUTY.