Mr. Gienet’s Reply to Dr. Jones. 323 
wate passengers of the English steam-boat Comet, of our 
steam-boats the Oliver Ellsworth and Aftna, and many oth- 
ers who have perished by drowning or by scalding and other 
events, would warn the living to forbid high pressure engines 
on board of vessels, and to forbid also iron boilers, which 
when highly heated, preduce hydrogen gas or inflammable 
air, as well as steam. But voices from the tombs are fanciful 
chimeras, and the interests and prejudices of living, rich, and 
influential men, holding steam stock, are efficient realities. 
{ have experienced more than once, the vis motrix of tha 
new political power, not less operative than our banks. =~ 
Would you believe it, Sir, our enlightened and patriotic 
governor, Mr. Dewitt Clinton, in a very judicious message, 
had recommended to our Legislature, measures for the safety 
of passengers in steam-boats and other vehicles. 
at Albany before the committee to whom that important con- 
cern was referred ; I met there a strong representation of the 
steam-boat interest, determined to defeat whatever would lay 
their companies under any additional expense and reduce their 
profits, very much increased by high steam, iron boilers and 
short passages. I demonstrated all the dangers attendin 
high pressure engines and iron boilers, and the’ authority 
which every Legislature had to forbid'them entirely ; J made 
also, before the committee of the house, several experiments, 
proving that unless all the laws of hydrostatics were reversed, 
the zerostatic alleviators, which are part of my patent, would 
prevent steam-boats from sinking, as must inevitably be the 
case, whenever, with their enormous concentric weight, equal 
to 200 tons, they spring a leak, either by the concussion of 
other vessels, as was the case with the Comet, or by the ef- 
fect of snags or sawyers, as is so often the case on our south- 
ern and western rivers. “The committee, notwithstandin; the 
dissent of my opponents, made a very flattering report in fa- 
vor of my views on the means of preventing steam-boats and 
vessels of all description from foundering, and recommended 
tion of one thousand dollars, at the dis; osal | 
the governor, to make upon a larger scale, the experiments 
: asmal] one. But econo- 
which I bad made before them, upon ; icon 
my ostensibly prevailed, and our lives and property 3 pou 
; _boats, remain pretty much as they 
of safety, Om BOMrS et steam it few less important 
were before the message, excepting a few tess imp _— 
lice regulations for the landing of passengers. 
an appropria 
Lappe 
