Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-01
INSPECTION OF VESSELS
INCREASE IN THE FORCE OF Of
FIcIALs WILL BE RECOMMENDED.
Two Reports to Be Submitted to the
Secretary of Commerce and Labor
Life-Saving Devices Examined.

More than ten thousand steamers were in
spected last year by the local and super
vising inspectors of the steamboat service
There are on the rolls of the service today
less than $50 inspectors. nearly all of whom
are paid according to the number of vessels
they inspect each year or part thereof. 1t
being obvious that this force cannot prop
erly perform The work required of 1T, II
is equally certain that the board OF SUI
pervisiny inspectors. now in session In this
city, will recommend to the Secretary OF
Commerce and Labor, to be Incorporated IN
his annual report. a considerable increase
in the force. probably doubling it.
Two Reports to Be Submitted.
Although nothing can be given out for
publication regarding the deliberations OF
the board it may be assumed that many
recommendations for the general improve
ment of the service will be included in the
report to Secretary Metcaf 1t is practi-
cay known that different methods of per-
forming the work Will be suggested, al
though this Will be, in a measure, subsidiary
to the report of the commission OF navy off1-
GERS detailed for the purpose of fnvestgat-
ing the entire work of the service and re-
porting thereon to the Secretary of Com
merce. Both of these reports will be re-
viewed By Secretary Metcalf. and such por-
tions of them as meet with his approval
and that OF the President will be submitted
TO Congress for final action in tie form OF
legislation to carry them into effect
Life-Saving Devices.
Many devices for the preservation of life
and looking to the safety of passengers and
crews OF steam vessels navigating the in
land waters of the United States have been
PRESENTED to the board during it's sessions
here. These will, some of them, be includ-
ed in tie final report, mention being made
of them according to their value, in the
o,,inion of the board, to the service.
There are life preServers, life RATS, life
beats and many other devices which the
inventors believe to be invaluable, but
which they are willing to place at the dis
poSal OF the government or the steam boat
companies for a financial considera ton.
Some of these inventors have gone so far
ventions are valuable that they should
be placed on all vessels to the exclusion
of all other devices of similar nature.
Life preservers that will float and will
not drag down the persons who place their
lives In their keeping are among the in
ventions urged upon the board, but 1t Is
said that there are such preServers In ex-
istence now, the feelings of the inventors
of the later devices being by this declara-
ton, badly wounded. 1t was shown at the
investigation of the Slocum disaster that
not single body was discovered with a
life preserver on 1t, although 1t was also
found that there We're many of these pre-
servers aboard the Inflated vessel which,
If they had been worn, would have been as
bad is If they were sinkers instead of float
ing devices. The iron weights in some OF
them might have dragged down to death
any person so unfortunate as to try them,
and 1t is this that is urged against tine old
cork preservers.