AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 559 



wood, but the sparks are liable to be arrested there by the ine- 

 qualities of the surfaces, where they are exposed to a draft of air 

 which readily effects an ignition of the wood, und when this is 

 discovered, the presence of these sheets prevents the immediate 

 application of water to the fire underneath them, and before they 

 can be removed, the flame has passed through the joints or crevices 

 of the light wood work around the chimney and boiler, and the 

 whole is in full combustion. 



In other cases this wood work around the steam chimney or 

 drum, is placed close to it, precluding the proper circulation of 

 air, and not affording the necessary room wherewith to cover the 

 wood with any material, or even to whitewash it, and when fire 

 is communicated to this work, fitted by its character and position 

 for ready combustion, it is in the most favorable condition there- 

 for, and when ignited it requires but an instant for it to be de- 

 veloped, beyond the control of the means usually found in steam 

 vessels. 



Deck loads. — It is a common occurrence for the main deck of 

 our Coast, Lake, Sound and River steamers to be so encumbered 

 with freight, that not only is a great risk incurred from fire being 

 communicated to the freight when combustible, but in the occur- 

 rence of fire, the presence of this freight is an obstruction to the 

 means necessary to be resorted to, to extinguish it. 



Store and Tool rooms. — These are other and prolific sources of 

 fire on board of steam vessels, rendered so by their being appro- 

 priated to the storing" of oils, paints, turpentine, (the latter fre- 

 quently in packages of glass,) wiping stuff, either of loose hemp 

 or cotton waste, packing yarn, cotton wick, matches, &c., &c., 

 which in a large majority of cases are not properly stowed, but 

 from the carelessness of those who visit these rooms, articles alike 

 to the above recited, are scattered about and constantly exposed 

 to be ignited by the upsetting or falling down of a lamp or can- 

 dle. In steamers with two decks, the boiler or boilers being be- 

 low, it is by no means unusual to find a part of the space imme- 

 diately over the boilers allotted to a store room for the engineer's 

 department, for the reason that being unsuited by its high tem- 

 perature for ordinary purposes it is not objectionable on that 

 account as an engineer's store room, added to which, it is declared 

 to be very convenient to the engine room, and the propriety of 

 the location is thus confirmed; the* result of which practice is, 

 that upon the upsetting of an oil can, or the breaking of a glass 

 vessel containing spirits of turpentine or paint oil, the top and 

 sides of the boiler beneath are flooded with an element of com- 



