Evening star., 1932-09-10
Steamboat Inspections.

Hardly had the echoes of the blast
which ripped open the boiler Of the
steamer Observation in the East River
yesterday morning died away and caused
its destruction with the loss Of many
lives before inquiries were started into
the cause and the question of response
bility for it. Within six hours four
such investigations were under way, by
city, State and Federal authorities. This
is always the case in such disasters,
plenty of investigation and question and
examination. after the tragedy itself,
the consequence of too little beforehand.
The Observation was destroyed a
very short distance from the scene OF
the greatest of New York marine hor-
rors, the burning Of the steamer Gen
eral Slocum June Is, 1904, with the
loss of 1,o21 lives. That disaster was
the result Of appalling negligence, the
fire itself starting frcm conditions that
should have been avoided with the most
elementary care and supervision, and
the heaviest l-ss of life resulting from
the incompetence Of the crew in the
handling of lifeboats and the rotten con-
dition Of the life preservers, which had
been stuffed with saw6ust instead OF
cork, an almost unbelievable combina-
tionS of atrocious violations of the law.
Four years after the disaster the mas
ter of the steamer was found guilty and
sentenced to ten years in the peniten-
tiary, serving three.
Only a little later the newly built
excursion steamer Eastland sank in her
slip il the Chicago River and several
hundred persons were drowned, inves-
tigation-of course, there were numer-
Gus inquiries Immediately afterward-
showing that the craft was badly de-
signed, op-heavy and wholly unsafe
for carrying a great number Of persons.
The cause Of the disaster, however, was
attributed to the fact that the excur-
sionists, mostly children, had just be-
fore the time Of departure rushed to
one side of the boat to observe some
incident or other, and the steamer cap
sized Nobody was held to blame for
the catastrophe, although the inspec-
tors had approved the design and con-
etruction of the ship.
Now in this case there will probably
be many findings. The long and acci-
dent-punctuated record Of the steamer
will be reviewed, and the fact de-
veloped that the boilers which "let go"
yesterday were newly installed IN 1905,
and we're inspected and passed as
sound as recently as April last. That
they were not sound was proved yes
terday with a frightful conclusiveness.
But somebody in authority passed them
q few months ago, after how thorough
an examination may be judged by the
blast Of yesterday.
In probably every harbor and port In
this country are steamboats,, still in ac-
tive service, that have been getting by
In annual examinations for years after
they should have been scrapped. They
are used chiefly in the most dangerous
of all lines of transportation, that Of
carrying excursions. 1t is obvious to the
eye of the beholder from ashore that On
many occasions they are greatly over
loaded. Certificates Of inspection are
fastened to the walls in assurance Of
the soundness of their equipment, but
now and again come such blasts as that
which yesterday took still uncounted
number of lives in the East River to
belle the reliability Of these inspections
and the suf1ciency of these guarantees
Of stability.
The record of marine horrors in
America is surely long enough now to
cause the adoption of sounder and more
dependable standards Of safety. If ac-
cumulation of evidence Of carelessness
and Incompetence is necessary to this
end.