The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-19
INSPECTION RULES
MANY IMPORTANT CHANGES FOR
 PASsENGERy SAFETY.
Innovntions Approved by Secretary
 MetcaIf Provide for Every Pre-
 caution to Insure Against Future General Slocum Disasters.

Washington, Dec. 16.---A number of important changes in the rules and reg ulations of the board of supervising in- spectors of the steamboat inspection service, have been approved by Sec retary Metcalf of the Department of Commerce and Labor. Tho changes are the result of recent protraoted meet ings of the Board of Supervising In- spectors Of the service which followed soon after the General slocum disaster at New York, in which nearly a thousand lives were lost. The changes noted are alike of interest to the steam boat service and to the general public, and are as follows:
 Rule III. Boats. Rafts, Bulkheads and Life Saving Arri3iances.---Provides for sfe detasis aS tIa h.ostiSn of me taIlic life boats an <iife rafts and tho ding by makers thereof of drawings and specifications with the Board of Supervising Inspectors
 Requires metal air tanks in wooden life boats. Small increase of required boat capacity on river passenger steam CTS Encouragement without substan- tial change of tables for life boat ca pacity. Prohibition of the use of loose or compressed granulated cork in the manufacture of life 'rafts or life pre- BETV6T8- OL tH0 -uS6 OI Kapok life preservers. Additional de- tails as to the method of placing straps on life preservers and as to tho quality of the covers thereof and the method in which the same shall be sewed and constructed. Life preservers must be suspended on wooden slats or cotton cords and not on wires and at a height of not more than seven feet from the deck surface below.
 Requirement of one life preserver for every passenger and member of the crew on all vessels.
 Requirement. of hand pumps, fire hose. boats and rails on barges carry ing passengers.
 Additional watertight bulkheads re- quired on larger vessels. Additional details as to construction of such bulkheads.
 Rule Iv Fire apparatus.-Requires passenger steamers to be provided with Ire buckets. barrels and axes instead of on inland steamers only as before.
 Requirement. of steam fire branches in lamp lockers, oil rooms and light compartments, which compartments must also be lined with metal.
 Requires that steam fire pumps shall be capable of throwing an defective stream of water for a distance of no less than fifty feet through at least two fire connections. each on the main deck and each deck above the main deck. Every such pump shall be fitted with a gauge and a relief valve adjusted to lift at least one hundred pounds pres sure" which takes the place of a pro- rata table of different sizes of pumps for steamers of different tonnage.
 Requirement. for portable fire extin- guishers on all passenger steamers proportioned in number to tonnage of the boat.
 Rule V. License oficers-Servtce of steam yacht omitted as part of the allowable qualifications for an apnii- cant for license.
 The addition of sundry small details of the various kinds of nautical experi- ence which render applicants eligible for examination for license as officers.
 Added requirements as to discipline of crew in fire and boat drills
 Rule VII. Ferryboats-New and ad- ditional requirements providing for watertight bulkheads; proportionai lifeboat equipment: life preserver for each passenger and member of crew.
 Requires passenger barges in tow to have life-saving appliances.
 Rule VIII. Excursion Steamers Fixes number of licensed officers ana iremsn and requires substantially one WdICHh4au TUT every two hundred persons carried. Requires that officers and watchmen shall be uni formed. Requires all excursion barRes in tow to carry one master; also two deck hands for every two hundred and fifty persons.
 Ferryboats engaging in excursions must carry same officers, crew and equipment as required for excursion steamers.
 Rule TX. Duties of Inspectors--Re- duces the required joint inspection by both hull and boiler inspectors to hy- drostatic pressure. pumps, hose and other fire apparatus.
 Requires all hose to be subjected to a pressure of 100 pounds to the square inch and hose coupling securely fast ened.
 New and important specific require- ments as to crew complement and the number of officers and men to be re- quired on given classes of vessels
 Rule x Miscellaneous- Requires owner, agent or master of vessel to in- dioate safe draft of water for vessel. Omits the load line requirements and table as to depth of hold and freeboard and conditions thereof when loaded
 Certain changes proposed in Rules 1 and relating respectively to ''boIler plate" and to ''boflers and aftanhmenfss