The Jennings daily record., 1902-07-23
,aiss'ssd IL.


s 7i
sI,a.umasse Charasssr sf the Grant still
&, Used sss Ne Crest River.
4, The burning Of the steamer Sunrise
at her landing in front of the city
serves again to call attention to. the
4infiammabie charJtter of the craft that
are universally used for river traffic.
1t is true that no lives We're lost as a
result of the destruction of the Sun
rise. but number of people had a
narrow escape. and it is certain that
had the fire occurred when the boat
was running there would have been
loss of life just as there was in the
recent City of Pittsburg disaster!
The trouble. OF course. is not due to
any carelessness on the Sunrise or on
any of the other river craft which have
been destroyed by fire. 1t is more
than probable that both the Sunrise
and the City of Pittsburg We're we'll
equipped in the way of fire-tighting
apparatus and We're probably in all
respects up-to-date boats of their kind.
The real secret of the disasters is to be
found in the construction of all river
boats. These vessels are made entirely
works. which, dried by the sun and
wind as well as by the heat from their
own engines and boilers, become little
better than vast tinder boxes. If such
vessels catch fire it is practically a
hopeless case from the first.
These river craft have changed but
little in construction or materials in
the past fifty years. In many respects.
of course. they are admirably suited
10 the trade in which they are engaged,
and active competition from the rail.
roads makes it essential that cheapneSS
of materials IN the construction Of
these boats should be considered. AT
the same time common prudence. rs
we'll as business sense. ought to die
tate the adviSability of experimenting
with materials less intiammable than
those which commonly enter into the
construction OF the average river
steamer. II is true that passenger
business is not what il used to be- but
II Is also true that the number CT pas
SengerS usin. the boats is still large.
and it is now on the increase. The
comfort of passengers is undoubtedly
:.
principal consideration is their safety.
River steamers do not. as a rule.
carry enough lifeboats. nor are the ap-
plianc'S for lowering such boats what
they should be. More and better ar
ranged boats would undoubtedly mini
mize the danger to life. but what is
needed. above all. is Il change to some
less int1ammahle material than wood
for the construction of boats Vessels
have been constructed with light steel
hulls that have given satisfaction. and
there is no reason why light steel con-
struction should not replace wood in
tte cabins and living quarters of river
steamers. Even if it should he deemed
best to keep to wood for hullS and
main decks of boats the upper works
which are now the source of the most
danger, could be constructed of light
steel.
II is true that even steel Ships oc-
casionally burn at sea. but at the same
time it is 4 fact that they burn much
more slowly than steamboats, and gen.
orally give ample time to save paSsen-
gers and crew. and often even to reach
port from long distances al sea. While
II is not to he hoped that a tireproof
boat can be built. there ought to be
something done TO make river craft
less :nt1ammahle than they now are
Moreover all passenger vessels should
he compelled to carry a sufficient
number OF llfehoatS and RATS. so kept
as TO be easily lowered into the water
at the shortest possible notice.-New
Orleans Picayune-