1 



1 44 Safety of Steam Boats. 



strayed one sixth of all the persons on board ; we cannot there- 

 fore enjoy the consolation of imputing blame, and must charge the 

 catastrophe to causes that may and will produce the same effect again. 

 In other cases we hear, indeed — that in one instance, the water was 

 deficient and the flue became red hot ; in a second, that the safety 

 valve Was obstructed or over loaded ; in a third, that the supply tube 

 was choked ; in a fourth, that the boiler w r as old and had become 

 weak ; in a fifth, that the metal, although new, was flawy ; in a 

 sixth, that they were in a strife for speed, and carried too much 

 steam ; and in a seventh, that the engineer was ignorant or intemper- 

 ate, and the commander unqualified or remiss. 



All these causes and others have doubtless in different cases, 

 contributed to produce explosions ; but still the painful conclusion 

 is forced upon us, that explosions of steam boilers are produced 

 by the energy of the power and by the weakness of the materials. 

 Our efforts must therefore be directed to the controlling and reg- 

 ulating of the power, and to the best use of the copper and iron 

 of one or the other of which the boilers are always made, and to 

 their most judicious size, form, construction and position. This 

 subject has recently attracted the attention of the Franklin Institute 

 in Philadelphia, and that very useful and patriotic body has publish- 

 ed a judicious circular, calling for exact information as to the facts 

 that may tend to illustrate the causes and to indicate the remedies for 



explosions by steam. They direct their inquiries particularly to 

 The Boiler. — Its size, form and relative thickness, the material 



from which it is made, (of copper or iron, &lc.) if of iron, whether 



of foreign or American iron, especially in the boiler that exploded. 

 Safety Valve. — Its form, size, load in proportion to the thickness 



of the boiler, liability to get out of order, facility of repair, number 



used, location of the valve. 



Supply of Water. — Mode of insuring a sufficiency, how guaged? 

 Arrangement of the Boilers in the Boat ; which is less liable to 

 accident ? 



Construction of the Boat — to avoid accidents in the boilers. 



The very respectable names attached to the circular give us the 

 best pledge, that a valuable report will, hereafter be gfaea to the public. 



In the mean time, however, other explosions will occur, and other 

 victims will be added to the great number already immolated by 

 these thunder strokes of a power which so often proves more than a 

 match for human skill. There is every possible motive for increased 



