The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-10-04
SAFETY FOR TRAVELLERS.
BENEFITS OF the Steamboat Inspection
Service SET Forth.

James Dumont, Supervising Inspector
of the Steamboat Inspection Service. hax
submitted to Secretary Gage his repor.
for the fiscal year enaihl. June 80. /,
shows a marked increase "a the safety OF
travel by steam vessels under the irsDec
ton Of the Government. Only 2e6 lives
were lost by accident on steam vessels
| during the past year. That vas some
| thing less than half the number lost in
the previous =ear, when Ala fatalities
! we're reported.
The causes OF death in the past year
were as follows:
Fire 7
Sohsloh -
snags, wrecks. and sinking. IL
accidental drowning 0.
Miseeilaneors causes. %
In commenting on this Mr.. Dumont
says:
| The primary cause leading to the en-
actment OF the United States steamboat
| laws was &c protect the travelling pLhlfc
from the dangers OF. explosions OF steam
boat boilers. which were an almost daily
| occurrence previous to the enactment OF
| such laws, the reports before Congress
| pending their discussion showing flat of
the total OF 1,656 steamers on the Aissis-
! sippi River previous and up TO IS49 les
steamers. or 10 per cent, were destroyed
| by the explosion OF their boilers. and that
there were killed and wounded during the
| same period. from explosions OF boilers
alone, 1850 persons.
During a period of about thirteen
months. ending January IL. 1851. there bad
been fifteen explosions of boilers, with 800
lives lost, the whole number of steamers
then running being but COL
Thus the wisdom of the steamboat in
spection laws has been fully verified by
a comparison of the above statements OF
accidents by steamer with those OF acei-
dents of the same nature during the
twenty -four years last past which shows
total of 7e6 lives lost or an annual
average OF but 90 L.
THE average number Of passengers car
ried in 1851 was but 10000, 600. whereas
the average during the last twenty-four
years has been fully 400. 600 600 or ten
times as many as in 1851.
Further comparative statements as to
the safety of marine steam boilers with
those used on land shows the fact that
whereas the accidents to marine boilers
and steam connections have averaged
but thirteen annually during the past
twenty-four years and loss of life twenty
nine, there were in the year 1899 alone 1888
boiler explosions reported OF land boilers.
killing 2SS persons and woundins $50
others.
AS to the general safety of travel by
motor or steam vessels, as compared
with the principal mode Ct travel on land,
namely. by railroad, the reports of The
Interstate Commerce Commission show
that the total casualties during t-;e year
ending June 30. 1898, was A. IA, OF which
number $3.50 were killed and 1852 vera
injured.
1.-THE number of passengers carried on
railroads. is given as little over 500 Co.,.
COO, while the number of passengers car
ried on steam vessels throughout the
United States is estimated to be at least
6on. 600 Geo.
''Of the 20s persons who lost their lives
on steamboats, during this fiscal year. "A
were passengers and 1872 belonged to the
crews of the vessels"
Mr.. Dumont recommends that the laws
be amended SO that all motor-vessels q
more than fifteen tons burden, whsther
or not propelled by steam, should be put
under the inspection of his departms ut.
and that all such vessels. regardless CT
tonnage, should be required to conform
to standard sailing regulations. He also
recommends legislation to prevent sail
ing ships from overcrowding their legit-
innate passenger capacity.