1 839. J 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND 



ARC II ITECTS J O U RN AL. 



303 



That the Doanl lie required to make an animal report to Parlianicnl of its 

 liroeeedings ; of the state anil progress of tlie niereaiitile steam murine ; and 

 (if the disasters whicli may liave been sustained. 



That the records be pnlilic, on the payment of a reasonalile fee. 



Tliat tlie Board lie empowered to frame and issue general instructions for 

 the guidance of the local or district surveyors ; also to publish an abstract of 

 tlic law and regulations, with authority to require sncli abstract to lie placed 

 in a conspienous part of the vessel ; under penalties on neglect, 



2. That the surveyors of hull and machiiiciy be paid for their surveys by 

 the owners of the vessels, according to a tixed scale, as is the practice for 

 Lloyd's Register ; that they shall forward their reports to the I'oard, which, 

 in the event of the owner or owners objecting to the repairs required, in 

 order to entitle the vessel to a passenger license, shall (if the objection regard 

 the hull) call in one or two of the principal ship-builders of tlic port or dis- 

 trict, luiconneeted with the work of such repairs, to survey the vessel, in 

 eonjiuictioii with the otfieial surveyor, and rcjiort specially thereon. 



Sluiidd tlic decision of the Boanl be objected to, on the report of tlie sur- 

 veyor (if the objection regard the machinery), it sliall call in the aid of one 

 or more engineers to sm'vey and report in conjunction with such official 

 sui'veyor. 



Special surveys to be paid for by the owner or owners of the vessel, accord- 

 ing to a fixed scale. 



The first survey of the hull of a new vessel, to be made during its con- 

 struction ; and a specification of it transmitted to the Board, as is now done 

 by the surveyors of Lloyd's to the committee. 



A survey of the hull to be made during each of the first two years, and a 

 survey every six months subsequently. All steamers to be docked, beached, 

 or laid on tlie gridiron (as cu'cmnstances permit, and surveyed, after sustain- 

 ing an injury by taking the ground, or otlurwise, uiuler penalty. 



The first suney of the boilers, engines, and machinery to be made whilst 

 they are being fixed in the vessel, and the requisite details of them to be re- 

 ported to the Board. 



Boilers, engines, anil inacliinery to be sm-veyed every six months after the 

 first year ; and all serious accidents to be reported. 



The surveyors to report on the fitness of a vessel, whether as a nea-yohxj, 

 or riOCT'-steamer. 



3. License to express whetlier it he granted for cargo only ; for towing- 

 vessels ; for the conveyance of passengers ; or for these piu'poses combined ; 

 also, whether the vessel he intended to ply as a river, or sea-going steamer. 



License to ph' with passengers to be granted, or witiiheld, as aforesaid ; a 

 duplicate of which, or certificate to the same etfect, signed liy the Board, to 

 be exhibited in the cabin or other conspicuous part of tlie vessel. All public 

 advertisements of steamers to state whether licensed to carry passengers or 

 not. 



An annual charge for each license to be made on all steam-vessels, vaiying 

 according to a scale of size and capacity ; such charge to be in no case less 

 than 1/., nor exceeding 5/. 



4. That the surveyor shall ascertain that the safety-valves he sufficient to 

 pass all the steam wliich the boilers can generate in their ordinary state of 

 work, at the pressure determined by the weight on the valves ; the maximnm 

 of which pressure shall he fixed by the maker of the engines, or boilers, and 

 the valves be loaded accordingly. 



5. That, after an assigned period, no passenger license be granted to any 

 vessel having safety-valves whose spindles or levers are exjiosed on deck, or 

 capable of being loaded externally, unless satisfactorily protected. Penalty 

 on engineers, masters, or others, for loading vaUes beyond the weight ascer- 

 tained by the surveyor, and regulated as above. 



0. That, in all new steamers ; and, after an assigned jieriod, in all steamers, 

 now afloat, glass water-gauges, and mercurial pressm'e-gauges shall he required 

 to be fitted to the boilers, to entitle the vessels to a license to ply witli pas- 

 sengers. 



No perfect mechanical substitute can be found for care, in the management 

 of the steam-engine at sea, or on laud ; nor do we think that the use of the 

 fusible discs enforced by the Fi'eueh laws, v^-ould be ])roductive of additional 

 security ; nor, indeed, that any complexity of apparatus, attached to boilers, 

 would contribute to the attainment of that object. 



Apparatus, however, for indicating the level of water, and pressure of steam 

 in boilers, is essential to their safe and economical management, and is of far 

 greater inqiort to the boilers of marine, than of land engines ; accidents to 

 the former, or failure in their supply of steam, being attended with peculiar 

 dangers and disasters at sea, from which land boilers are exempt. Yet, it is 

 a fact, accounted for, perhaps, by the circumstance of steam-vessels being 

 owned and managed, generally, by persons unacquainted with the nature of 

 the steam-engine, that these simple instrmiient^ are much more rarely to be 

 found attached to marine, than to land boilers, which latter are usually under 

 the direction of pai'ties of mechanical education or knowledge. 



7. That, in the event of the siu-veyor having information that any boiler he 

 deteriorated in strength, or unsafe at its working pressure, in the interval of 

 his periodical surveys, he shall be empowered by the Board, on his representa- 

 tion, to examine it ; and in the event of the boiler proving faulty, the Board 

 shall suspend the passenger license, until satisfied of the safety of such lioiler. 



8. That no steam-vessel he permitted to ply which is not furnished with a 

 binnacle and compass, in good order. 



9. That, after an assigned period, no sea-going steam-vessel, wliich carries 

 coals on the tops, or about the sides of the boilers, shall be entitled to a pas- 



senger license; unless the boilers be protected by a shell of metal, or other 

 sufiiciciit security. 



10. All river steamers to carry one ett'ecMve boat — coasting and channel 

 steamers two, or three boats, according to their size — and ocean steam-ships, 

 four boats — as a minimum. 



The surveyors to ascertain that these boats he kept in seniceable condi- 

 tion, and ready for use on emergency. 



11. All steamers to be provided with sutficient hoses to convey water to 

 any part of the vessel, with a serviceable outfit of water-buckets; and a 

 moveable fire-engine to be carried in all coasting, channel and ocean-going 

 steamers. 



The proposed system of registration should include a classification of 

 steamers; and as the character, to which each vessel wonhl be entitled in its 

 class, w ould depend on its general state of efficiency, we are disposed to think 

 that many other important requisites for attaining the utmost practicable de- 

 gree of security, would gradually be adopted liy owners without compulsion ; 

 such as water-tight bulkheads in new vessels ; powerful extinguishing pumps, 

 worked by the engines; connection of the condensers with the bilge-water; 

 disengaging apparatus for the paddle-wheels ; heavier and more eft'cctive 

 ground-tackling, ivc. The imhlication of accidents, and of their causes, 

 would also warn steam-vessel owners, commanders, and engineers, and in- 

 struct them how to guard against disasters. 



In framing these recommendations, our object has been to suggest practical 

 means for further securing public safety, without inflicting vexatioifs rules on 

 steam-vessel owners ; we believe that their adoption would tend materially to 

 promote, and, in no respect, to crijiple the progi-ess of Navigation by Steam. 

 We are confirmed in these views by finding them so much in accordance with 

 the majority of opinions expressed in the .\ppendix, and they correspond with 

 several of the regulations enacted by foreign states. They are, however, much 

 less stringent in their nature than those proposed by many of om- correspon- 

 dents ; and we consider them much less onerous, and more suitable to the 

 pecuUar chai-acter of the British steam-marine, than the laws of other coun- 

 tries. An abstract of these laws is annexed, and the whole are given in the 

 Appendix. 



There is one additional measure strongly advocated, but we feel great 

 doubts of its practicability ; viz. that of compelling the engineers employed 

 on board steam-vessels to undergo preparatory exainination, and to find surety 

 for their good behaviom-. There is no existing Board at the dift'erent ports 

 competent to determine the fitness of this class of men for their occupations; 

 and we think it would be dilficiilt fur any local surveyor to decide on indivi- 

 dual quaUfications. Important as we think it is to raise the grade of engine- 

 men — who have, in fact, in their hands, the lives of all on board, — we are of 

 opinion their means of doing injury to life or propwty would be so much 

 abridged by the foregoing regulations, that it would suffice to impose a penalty 

 upon themj for any wilful abandonment of duty, gross negligence, or drunken- 

 ness. 



We, also, feel considerable hesitation in offering any suggestions as to 

 limiting the number of passengers in steam-vessels, a measure which has been 

 strongly urged upon our attention. Cuhin passengers take care of themselves, 

 and wiil not go on board, unless there be adecjuate accommodation ; not so, 

 however, deck passengers ; from the increased number of whom alone, danger 

 is to be apprehended. 



Legislation, with respect to the nuniher of passengers, must have reference 

 to the tonnage, either by builder's measurement, or by register ; but the sta- 

 bility of the vessel in carrying a load of passengers on deck, or in carrying a 

 due "proportion of sails, is materially affected by the weight and condition of 

 the cargo under deck. Our difficulty on this subject is, therefore, much in- 

 creased by the circumstance that a vessel carrying cargo, under deck, is, for 

 that very reason, better qualified to iiikc a. deck-load of passengers with safety, 

 than vessels, although exclusively appropriated to passengers ; in consequence 

 of the greater stability which vcsscbi acquire, in a sea-way, by reason of the 

 weight of cargo carried below. 



That the ohligafion to carry some powerful uteam-whistle, hell, or gong, 

 be part of the proposed law, as regards steam-vessels ; also that their rata 

 through the water lie defined, during fog, and thick weather, in crowded 

 waters, whether plying by day or night. 



THOMAS TREDGOLD. 



To architects, engineers, and persons concerned in any department of 

 huilding,tlienameof Tredgoldmust notonly be famiUar, but likewise respected 

 and valued ; and it is presumed not less so by many individuals in the higher 

 walks of life. To all such it must be a matter of painful interest to he in- 

 formed, that the family of such a highly-gifted man and martyr to science, 

 consisting of an aged mother, two daugliters in extremely delicate health, 

 and a son of about thirteen years of age, are in very dependent circumstances. 

 His friends ha\e long cherished the hope that before this time — for it is now 

 ten years since his death — their situation might have attracted the favourable 

 notice of government ; hut as this has not been the case, Mr. Habershou, 

 one of his early friends and his biogiaplier, with .lohn Doiikin. Esq,, his 

 joint executor, have commenced a subscription in furtherance of this laudable 

 object. 



