The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-10-24
INSPECTION OF STEAMBOATS,.
The Annual Report Contains Refer
cnCCS 10 Certain Di~uStcr~.

Service. submitted this morning To- SeCTe-
tary Gage his annual report for the fiscal
year ended June 3h. 1901.
Regarding the personnel OF the service.
the Inspector General states that at the
close OF the fiscal year Just ended it con-
sisted of lS2 officers clerks. and messeu-
gers, as follows: Supervising Inspector
General clerks. messenger. 10 super
visiug inspectors a local inspectors OF
hulIs "A local inspectors of boilers L as
sistaut- inspectors of huIIS. 70 assistant in
spectors Of boilers. and p clerks to local
I boards Of inspectors. Including ] clerk To-
supervising Inspector at New Y-rk city.
The following changes have occurred i'm
the personnel of the service during the
year. namely. by removal. !. 10y death,
2, I supervising and ! local Inspector 10y
| resignation. &. by promotion and civil ser
! vice appointments T.
Two assistant inspectors. / Of hulls and
I of boilers, were added To the service at
/ each Of the ports of Seattle, Wash. ani
San Francisco. Cal
! The following is "a summary i'm part of
! the work performed during the fiscal year
ended June a' 1901. I'M tha office of the
/ Supervising Inspector General Nine ruou-
sand four hundred and ci-hlg letters and
/ f5S a.i-nuwleI-mCUI cards were received.
/ note. in record book, vita action taken
/ in each case. inJox,I and filed; 1922 offices
/ letters. I6l department letters. and 1l2 de-
uartmout letters of authority to make cN-
/ penditures were prepared i'm this office and
/ mailed. There were also 25G endorse
/ meuts on letters returned TO writer's
/ There were received. examined. record
/ Cd. and flied during the year a. annual
| reports from inspectors of If,boat and
/ HfeFaft equipment of passenger steamers
/ of over ion tons, 1,0 semi-monthly reports
| Of passenger and ferry steamers visited
| by supervising inspectors. 1874 reports of
] tensile tests and afidavits. IU5 statements
| of public property received and examined;
! $40 statements of officers licenses issued.
/ 5-N reports examinations Of applicants for
| masters. pilots. or chief mates Of ocean
| going steamers "a reports of change Of
| character Of steamers, u reports of life
! pr,servCrs examined. ~ reports of cas-
/ UaltlDS and violations of the law, -,H9
| excursion permits were reported issued 10
/ steamers. 2.5Dt weekly reports of local in
! SpgCtorS, ,4s3 expense accounts for tray
cling and miscellaneous expenses. iil
! quarterly statements OF v'SSs is inspected
/ received from supervising inspa ct1rs and
| chief officers OF the customs.
/ There were issued from this Office dur
/ inE the year % permits 10 use petroleum
( as fuel on steam vessels
/ There were also I.IJi Cancelled licenses
received from inspectors. which were
! brigleG. iudaNsd. and ultd-
Under the act of Congress approved
/ January -. 1881. there were tested al the
] mills where manufactured. by assistant
inspectors. 2;H.' steel plates Tor marine
/ boilers OF which number 81. plates Were
/ tJtCtD1 FOR various defects Increase in
| plates Inspected over previous year. 49,
I Increase I'm rejected plates. IA.
/ The total number of accidents result
7 ing Iu loss of htr during the year vas &,
/ total number OF lives lost by accidents
I from various causes during the Year. $50
( aI increase Of ltI over previous years.
/ IN regard To this matter the Inspector
/ General says The Increase % loss of life
over the previous year - almost entirely
+ accounted for by the loss Of the steamer
Rio de- Jau'lro While entering the harb0r
Uf san Francisco. on the morning Of Feb
ruaTy -. during the prevalence OF a dense
fog. The loss OF tIis steamer is one Of
1 those acDid, ms that no precautions o1
/ the officers Of the Steamboat Inspection
Service could anticipate or prevent, the
steamer being rtauch-. seaWortHH- and
I fully equipped with all The Hfe-51TinE app
planes required by law, but which could
/ not unfortunately DE awaited Of owing 20
l the brief time the ship remained arloat
Z after striking the rock on which she fOun-
( dgrgf- after striking the rock she slid
I Oh into deep water and the wreck has
{ never vet been discovered or the bodies of
. ! those who went down with her ever found
/ They have been supposed 10 have been
Z carried out To- sea uy the strong sbJ tide
I running at jla time. The total numb,
] OF Il't- lost ana IHN flls
I sinking ~ the Rio dc Jan-irp was l-i-
| Regarding the accident Co the North
| field. MT. DumOUy says that fayOritiSm
I was extended under the law referring Oh
I ferry boats Ia this connection. he says
/ "In view of the recent sinking of the
/ Eorthdeid. alleged 90 have had on board
: OF her nearly 1000 passengers. but five OF
! whom were lost. because OF conditions
/ that might never occur again under sim
I liar circumstances ] would further
amend section $3.50. Revised Statutes 90
include an passenger and fCrTE steamers
/ hereafter built or SOD tons me1SurcTnHn i
and upward, regardless Of the waters ~
I which they are navigating In the bill re-
! fsrred 10 il was sought 10 amend section
! 4#A. Revised Statutes. so as 20 limit the
! number Of passengers on ferry boats Ger
/ rybUats under the existing statute being
{ exempt from any limit Of passengers
I ruuUig on routes exceeding five statute
! miles from dock % dock ] would now
recommend such limit 10 routes OF ferry
| boats not exceeding three statute miles
/ from dock 10 dock
port from this office for the fiscal year
ended June -. lSsS, anticipating that some
time i'm the future some great calamity
Z might occur through the favpritism eN
Z tended under the law 20 ferry boats. suCt
! as has since occurred i'm the case above
referred 10. ] called the attention of Con
I gress 20 the subject
! Mr. Irmout. sUggactiug the revision cd
/ laws regulating the service. says
| '-NOtWlt hstaTdiug the actual beseLcla
| results the enactment OF llir ~''.stlll-
/ boat inspection law OF February d ISL
has accomplished. il is deemed proper u
call attention 20 the fact that. owing O.
the great Improvement in ship. engine
and BOILER building since the enactment a
the law Of lS7I-impg0ycmeut iu large part
/ stimulated by that act-manE provisions
have now become archaic. and the Wh"i,
! thereof should lee revised 10 meet present
conditions as the requirements OF tE'
law have dropped behind the practice of
Z the majority OF builders Of modern ~tee
and iron steam vessels
/ Their are az the present time owned %
/ the United States steamers of over Hoo
tons. which if built under the present
law requiring but thre. ~ ar-JIght Bum,
heads. would Toe uuseawoNt ny. a hill pre-
pared by this office 10 remedy these au'
other defects iu the present laws was lu
! trUducrd iu both houses Of the Fifty
/ fourth Congress. but no action WAS tulSrr
/ thereon by the committee To- which b. was
} referred"
AN INSTRUCTOR RESIGNS.