The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-12-19
FOR MORE STRINGENT
 INSPECTION OF SHIPS
CHANGES IN RULES
 AND REGULATIONS.

Canges Approved by Secre-
 tary MetcaIf of the Department Of
 Commerce and Labor.
 Washington. Dec. 1s.-A number of important changes in the rules and regulations Of the board of supervising inspectors of the steamboat inspection service have been approved by secre- tary Metcalf of the department of com merce and labor. These changes ara the result of the recent protracted meeting of the board of supervising in- spectors of the service, which followed soon after the General Slocun disae- ter at New York in which nearly T thousand lives were lost. The cha1eas noted are alike of interest to the steam boat service and to the general pub- lie, and arc as follows:
 Rule III.
 Boats, rafts, bulkheads. and life sav- Ing appliances Provides for details oe construction of metallic life boa+s an6 life raftss and the filing by makers thereof, of drawings and Specifications With the board of supervising inspent- t'rs' requires metal air tanks in wooden iheboats; small increase of required uosse capacity on river passenger sfeafn- CTS; encouragement without substantial change, of table for lifeboat capacity: prohibition of the use Of loose or conis pressed granulated cork in the nlaru- fracture of life rafts or life preservers. prohibition of the use of Kapok life nre- servers; additional details as to fhe 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 sewed and construct ed; life preservers must be suspended on wooden slats or cotton cords. and not on wire, and at height of not more than seven feet from the deck surface below; requirement. of one life preserve CT for every passenger and member of the crew on all vessels; requirement of hand pumps, fire hose, boats and raiIs on barges carrying passengers: addi- tional fater-tight bulkheads required on larger vessels; additional details as to construetion of such bulkheads. | Rule ".
 l Fire apparatus Requires all passe,,- ! ger steamers ito be provided with f3ra buckets, barres and axes, instad of on inland stanlers only, as before: requires ment of steam fire branches in larnp lockers. oil rooms and light compare ments which compartments must also be lined with metal; requires that 1 steam fire pumps shall be capable of throwing an effective stream of water for a distance of not less than fifty feet 1 through at least two connections, each on the main deck and each deck above the main deck. Every such pump shall be fitted with a guage and a relief valve adjusted to lift at one hundred pounds pressure, which takes the place of pro rata table of different sizes of pumps for steamers of different tom mage; requirement. for portable fire ex- tinguishers on all passenger steamers proportioned in number to the tonnage of the boat.
 Rule v.
 1 Licensed officers Service on steam yacht omitted as part of allowable anal iflcations for an applicant for license; | tAAS esotA@ SaoiA VI S1ltCtlI uCJHllS OL the various kinds of nautical experience which render applicants eligible for ex- animation for license as offlcers; added requirements as to discipline of crews in fire and boat drills.
 Rule VII.
 Ferryboats- and additional re- quirements providing for. water tight bulkheads; proportionate lifeboat equip- ment: life preserver for each passenger l and member of crew; requires passen- ! ger barges in tow to have life saving appliances
 Rule VIII.
 Excursion steamers -FixeAnumber of licensed officers and firemen and re- quires substantially one additional watchman for every two hundred and I fifty passengers carried; requires that l officers and watchmen shall be uniform I ed; requires all excursion barges in tow to carry one master; also two deck hands for every two hundred and fifty persons; ferryboats engaging in excur- sions must carry same officers, crew and equipment as required for excur. sion steamers.
 | kSu16 I2k. @ I Duties of inspectors Reduces the re. quired joint inspection by both hull and boiler inspectors to hydrostatic pres sure, pumps, hose and other fire appars atus; requires all hose to be subjected I to pressure of one hundred pounds to \ the square inch, and hose couplings se- ! curely fastened; new and important l specific requirements as to crew com. plement and the number of officers and men to be required or given classes of | vessels.
 Rule x,
 Miscellaneous-Req Requires owners, agent or master of vessels to indicate safe draft of water for vessel; omits the load line requirements and table as to 4 depth of hold and free board and con \ ditions thereof when loaded; certain l changes proposed in Rules and re- lating respectively to boiler plate" and l to boilers and attachments" probably will be announced later.
 
 Colonel Marchand Will Not Run.