The Washington times., 1905-01-16
STEAMER OWNERS
HEARD IN PROTEST
President Clyde Voices OBJ
iectionsto Proposed Rules.
BULKHEADs NO PROTECTION
All Steamships and Steamboats, Rep
resented at Meeting Before Sec
rotary Metcalf.
BULKHEADS NO PROTECTION

tered protests against the new rules
for the regulation OF shipping recently
drawn up by the board of supervising
inspectors.
With Secretary Metcalf, and forming
a sort of a court of last resort to act
upon the ideas presented by the steam
ship owners, were Rear Admiral Fields
fretired), Z. S. N; Rear Admiral Tan
ner (retired, L. S. N; Assistant Secre-z
tary Murray. and Inspector General
Uhler, with number or less important
Government officers.
The protests presented related prin-
cipaliy TO the methods OF constructing
vessels. the uses of life-saving appara-
tus the designation of the number OF
hours of labor and the number OF
crews, the uses of donkey engines and
other purely technical matters, and IN
the majority of cases the protestants
seemed to show that many of the COM
plants We're very well founded
The protestants. while admitting the
board of supervising inspectors had
worked in their recommendations for
what they thought right, said That Ine
enforcement of many OF the new TuieS
already much in need of Government
aid. Is per cent OF the trade OF 3he
country.
President Clyde Speaks.
The first speaker of the day was Presi-
dent c. E Clyde, of the steamship
company, who found large fault with
the regulations relating TO the number
of bulkheads on vessels Mr.. Clyde de-
scribed his own ships, each of which
cost $500 600. peculiarly built because OF
the shallow Southern waters The rule
requires buikheaes lneioslng every Sixty Ky
feet of a vessel. The ships would re-
quire five This would break up the
lumber trade, would interfere with bust
ness, and cause general loss
Objection to Standard Gauge
Mr.. Clyde protested against the adop-
ton of the rule requiring ship owners to
adopt the United States standard gauge
in the threading on stand pipes, which
means the pipes flsed to fight fire. The
threading relates 10 the screw OF the
pipe to which hose is attached
Mr. Clyde went into the question OF
coastwise trade, saying that the COAST
steamers had relieved the Southeasl
from the tyranny of railroads and hao
reduced freight rates . Fer cent II
less than twenty years.
John S. Wise's Views.
Following Mr. Clyde was John s
Wise. the virginia-New York lawyer
Mr. Wise appeared for the Ward Line
the Clyde, the Morgan, the Texas ane
Pacific, the Merchants and Miners. the
Boston and Maine, the Old Dominion
the Panama Railroad and Steamship
Company, the Red d Line, the New
York and Porto Rico. the Atlantic, the
United F'rnit Company, and several 9th.
ers-in fact the coast trade and a capita
of S10G, 000, 0O0-
Mr.. Wise went over the same facts al
did Mr. Clyde. going into detail and en-
liven.ng his argument with much wit.
He especially attacked the new ruiz
providing for a donkey engine on deci
Of vessels to operate hfe-Taving 1 AM
work, he said. an elephant" engine
would be needed so heavy that it woult
crush in the decks. and make yes
sci top-heavy- The work can now b
done from the regular boilers The ruiz
would endanger passengers rather thar
increase their safety.
Would Use Existing Apparatus.
The speaker made another attacl
upon the provision calling for the de
struction of all life-saying apparatu
now in use that does not come up t
the requirements Of the new regulation
Included in this is all granulated corr
and patent process stufing for life-pre
servers. Mr.. Wise asserted that 1t woul
be impossible to supply vessels Wit
block cork the facilities of the worl
not being great enough Besides, h
said to throw away ali apparatus nov
on hand would cause an unnecessar
The other matters discussed wer
purify mechanical and technical
Tilt Between Wise and Uhler.
These was passage Of words betwee
General Ubier and Mr.. Wise over tn
rule for the inspection of boiler plate
at mills before they are sent out to var
GUS points. of the country for sal
United States certificates going wit
them
Mr. Wise thought that if the certif
cate were lost the boiler could not
repaired because the rule was SO en-
phatic in discussing the certificate. Gel
eral Uhler showed that the scheme We
good because with such plates repair
could be made under the law in isola
ed quarters, saving weeks IN delay no
existent.
boat Company representatives sustaine
General Uhler to a man.
Fences With MetcaIf
Mr.. Wise spoke for an hour, reciting
mass of uninteresting detail, answeriI
questions and fencing verbally with Sc
rotary Metcalf. He made the point TIL
the rules would work hardship in ce
tain cases.
The question Of pilots and life-preser
ers on ferryboats was taken up. II
rule calls for two licensed pilots. instea
OF men as at present on all ferryboa !
At present there are two men in Pill
houses. a deckhand dignified with Il
title of '.wheelman" or ''quarternaster
kept there In case the one pilot shou
drop dead Walter B. Pollock, Of 4
New York Central and Hudson Riy
Railway, opposed the two pilot propo.
ton, saying the expense would be {
great. and that the second pilot is n
needed
Not Enough Pilots.
Capt. W. A. Silver. president Of I
American Association of Masters al
Pilots. an organization of employs
created some establishment by risil
at this point and asserting that the sc
ond pilot was not needed, and could n
be supplied TO all vessels, the number
pilots not being large enough.
The representative OF every sort
ferryboat interest present then took pa
IN the discussion on the rule compe
ing ferryboats to carry one life-preser
GRIP COLDS
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