The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-12-19
DISASTER
 CAUSES CHANGES
Rules of Steamboat Inspection
 Are Revised
APPROVED BY MR. METCALF
Every Boat Must Contain One Life Preserver for Each Passenger and Member of the
 Crew.

Washington, December 1S.-A number of important changes in the rules and regu- lations of the board of supervising in- spectors of the steamboat inspection ser vice have been approved by Secretary Metcalf of the department of commerce and labor. The changes are the result of recent protracted meetings of the board of supervising inspectors of the service. which followed soon after the General slocum disaster in New York, in which nearly a thousand lives were lost. The changes noted are alike of interest to the steamboat service, and to the general public, and are as follows:
 Rule III, Boats, Rafts, Bulkheads and LifesaVing ppliances.-Provide for de- tails of construction of metallic life boats. and life rafts, and the filing by makers thereof of drawings and specified tions, with the board of supervising in spectors. Requires metal air tanks in wooden lifeboats. Small increase of re- quired boat capacity on river passenger steamers. Encouragement without sub stantial change of tables for boat ca- pacity. Prohibition of the use of loose or compressed granulated cork in the manufacture of life rafts, or life preser- vers. Prohibition of the use of Kapok life preservers. Additional details as to the method of placing straps on life pre- servers and as to the quality of the covers thereof, and the method in which the same shall be sealed and constructed.
 Life preservers must be suspended on wooden slats or cotton cord, and not on wire, 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 carrying pas sengers.
 Additional water-tight bulkheads re- quired on larger vessels.
 Additional details as to construction Of such bulkheads
 Pertaining to Fire Apparatus.
 Rule ", Fire Apparatus-Requires passenger steamers to be provided with fire buckets, barrels and axes instead of on inland steamers only, as before.
 Requirement of steam fire branches in lamp lockers, oil rooms and light com partments, which compartments must also be lined with metal
 Requires that steam fire pumps shall be capable of throwing an reflective stream of water for 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 guage and relief valve adjusted to lift at least one hundred pounds pressure, which takes the place of a pro rata table of df- ferent sizes of pumps for steamers of different tonnage.
 Requirement for portable fire extin- guishers on all passenger steamers pro- portioned in number of tonnage of the boat.
 Rule V, Licensed Officers.-Service of steam yacht omitted as part of the al- lowable qualifications for an applicant for license. The addition of sundry small details of the various kinds of nautical experience which render applicants eligi- ble for examination for licenses. Added requirements to discipline of crew in case of fire and boat drill.
 Rule VII Ferryboats.-New and addi- tional requirements providing for water tight bulk heads proportional life boat equipment; life preserver for each pas senger and member of crew Requires passenger barges in tow to have life saving appliance.
 Rule VIII, Excursion Steamers.-Fixes number of licensed officers and firemen and requires substantially one additional watchman for every 200 persons carried. Ferryboats engaging in excursions must carry same officers, crew and equipment as required for excursion steamers and barges.
 Changes Duties of Inspector.
 Rule TX, Duties of the 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 couplings se- curely fastened.
 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 K Miscellaneous.-Requ owner, agent or master of vessel to indicate safe drafts of water for vessel.
 Omits the load line requirement and table as to depth of hold and freeboard and conditions thereof when loaded. Ger tain changes propesd in rules one and two relating respectively to boiler plate" and to boilers and attachments" prob- ably will be announced later.