FARMERS' REGISTER— MEMORANDA AND SCRAPS. 



4G7 



mixture of two or more such substances, in a li- 

 quid state, in conjunction with water, ignition, 

 combustion, and decomposition, in tiie manner be- 

 fore described." 



STEAMBOAT DISASTERS. 



Frum the New York Journal of Commerce. 



Tn looking overour file for the last six iceeks, we 

 find we have recorded no less than twelve steam- 

 boat disasters, attended with a loss, in the aggre- 

 gate, of more than a hundred lives ! They are as 

 follows : 



New England, — boilei-s burst, - 16 lives lost. 

 St. Martin, burnt, - - - 30 or 40 



Illinois, boiler burst, - 13 to 20 



Thomas Yeatman, do. do. - - 7 

 Columbia, sunk, - - - 4 



Paul Pry, boiler burst, - 1 



71 to 88 



Total, 



George Washington, wrecked ; Rapid, sunk; 

 Black Hawk, burnt; Peruvian, sunk ; Chijjpewa, 

 sunk. 



With the exception of the New England, George 

 Washington, and Paul Pry, all the above boats 

 plied on the western waters. I'he New England 

 plied between this city and Hartford; the George 

 Washington and Paul Pry, on the Lakes. 



During the former part of the season there was 

 an unusual exemption from accidents of this kind, 

 considering the great number of steamboats (more 

 tlian three hundred) constantly afloat in one pari 

 of the countrj' or another ; but the frequent and 

 appalling disasters which have occurred within the 

 last few weeks, will render the year memorable in 

 quite another manner. 



Is there no way to prevent the recurrence of 

 such disasters ; or at least, the destruction of so 

 many lives.'' In tlie case of boats sinking or burn- 

 ing, except wlien suddenly blown up, a supply of 

 cork jackets would save every life on board. And 

 in case of the bursting of boilers, the safety of 

 passengers might, we think, be effectually secured 

 by adopting the mode of construction recommend- 

 ed by Professor Hare, of Philadeljdiia, i. e. by 

 placing the boilers on the guards, with a strong 

 lireaslwork of timbers between them and the body 

 of the boat, and only such a thickness of plank 

 outside the boilers as shoukl be suflTicient to pro- 

 tect them from the water. Tlie shipping of pow- 

 der on board steamboats employed for the convey- 

 ance ol passengers should be prohibited under the 

 severest penalties; and the smuggling it on lioard 

 without the consent of the captain should be pun- 

 ished w ith death. 



But our object is not so much to suggest means of 

 preventing such disasters and securing the safety of 

 passengers, as to express a hope that Congress will 

 take up the subject in good earnest at the approach- 

 ing session, and adopt such measures as the col- 

 lected wisdom of the nation may devise. We own 

 we should wish, if possible, to avoid legislative in- 

 terference in such a matter, — but things liavecome 

 to such a pass, that something must be done, or 

 this expeditious and delightful mode of travelling 

 will lose its attractions. Why is it that English 

 steamboats are so safe to travellers, and American 

 steamboats so unsafe.'' Why is it that more lives 

 are lost on board American steandooals in one 

 year, than on board English steamboats in ten 



years ! Cannot the difference be partly accounted 

 for by the fact that, in England very strict regula- 

 tions are prescribed and enforced by the govern- 

 ment in relation to steamboats, and in the United 

 States none.' If not, can any man tell how the fact 

 is to be accounted for .' 



For the Farmers' Register. 

 ME3IORANDA AXD SCRAPS FROM A TRAVEL- 

 LER'S NOTE BOOK. 



Meeting of the Internal Improvement Convention. 

 Raleigh, Nov. 26th. 



Tlie Internal Improvement Convention of North 

 Carolina commenced its session yesterday even- 

 ing. This body is distinguished, no less for the 

 large proportion of the talents of the State which it 

 contains, than for the importance of its objects, and 

 the magnitude of the results expected from its la- 

 bors. Almost every man of distinguished ability 

 belonging to North Carolina, is now in Raleigh. 

 Still tliere are a few of the highest reputation, who 

 are neither in the convention nor in the legislature, 

 and whose absence is the more marked, because so 

 lew are wanting to complete the list. 



The meeting of this body was recommended by 

 a preparatory convention, held in this place last 

 July, and ai)proved by districts or county meet- 

 ings, in almost every part of the slate. County 

 and town meetings were formally called to elect 

 delegates, and some, or all the delegates who were 

 then chosen, have appeared from every congres- 

 sional district, save one. The exception is the 

 Bertie district, the delegates from which, though 

 present, are also members of the legislature, and 

 do not think it proper to act in both capacities. 

 The deliberation and caution which have been used 

 to bring this body together — the means previously 

 used to inform the people of its olyects — the zeal 

 and ability of its members — aided by the gen- 

 eral conviction of the importance to North Caro- 

 lina of constructing public works for facilitating 

 the transportation of !ier products — all serve to at- 

 tach the highest interest to this convention, and to 

 promise valuable results from its labors. Its pro- 

 ceedings, in the customary form, will no doubt be 

 presented fully to the public, and therefore I shall 

 not attempt the task of ^.reporter, which can be so 

 much better performed by others. The observa- 

 tions which I shall note, without order, or perhaps 

 connection, may serve as an informal addition of 

 such matters as attracted the attention of a stran- 

 ger and by-stander, and would be inadmissible in 

 a regular report of proceedings. 



Nothing was done yesterday except organizing 

 the convention, and the delivery of an address from 

 its president. Governor Swain. He stated at length 

 his views of the wants and the capabilities of North 

 Carrdina for public v.orks, on an extended and 

 costly plan. These views are of course those only 

 of one individual, (distinguished as that individual 

 may be,) and perhaps may not be altogether ap- 

 proved by any other. But still it augurs well of 

 the future movements of the people, that their 

 cliief magistrate, who owes every thing to their 

 sense of his merits, should show such zeal for the 

 construction of great public works. This day, 

 (26th) a general committee (composed of one del- 

 egate from each represented district,) has been 

 appointed to consider the various schemes propo- 



