562 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



covering to tliem of a sufficient height to secure it from being 

 fired by radiation of beat from the boiler. Neither is it impera- 

 tively necessary that tliere should be any great distance between 

 a boiler and its surrounding wood work; one foot is a desirable 

 distance, arid even more would be preferable, but when blowers 

 are not used, and a boiler is properly covered, the wood work 

 around it, if properly protected, may be set within six inches of 

 it with safety, and all wood work about a boiler, as well as the 

 top and sides of the fire rooms, should be covered with sheet iron 

 or zinc, secured in the manner already detailed, with the further 

 precaution of placing the laps of the sheets upwards. When a 

 metal covering is not used, several coats of thick whitewash, 

 stiffened with a little glue, will answer a good purpose ; in fact, I 

 think this preferable to coverings of tin or zinc, as they are 

 usually put on. 



2. Protection to loood work around steam chimneys and s7noke 

 pipes. — Chimney rooms should be afforded a space sufficient to 

 admit of the passage of a man around the chimney, and should 

 be without any floor, so as to furnish a free communication for 

 the escape upwards of the heated air around from a boiler, and also 

 to admit of the introduction of a hose pipe, in the event of the 

 wood work around it being ignited. Whenever a smoke pipe 

 passes through a deck, however light its character, there should 

 be an open space around it to admit of a current of air to pass 

 through it, and between this space and the wood work there 

 should be a metalic boxing containing water to guard the wood 

 from ignition. 



Want of Provisions ag ainst Fire. 



Pumps. — Where security from fire is imperfect, a greater re- 

 gard to the provisions against it should be had; this requirement, 

 however, is not observed, and the disregard to the safety of hu- 

 man life, and the interests of the underwriters, which so gene- 

 rally exists, is observable in the want of provisions against fire, 

 as in the other points referred to. 



All steam vessels should be provided with an independent 

 steam fire engine and pump combined, and all sea-going steamers 

 of magnitude should be provided with two, and an independent 

 boiler to work them ; fitted to these pumps there should be a 

 sufficiency of hose, in good order, to lead to any part of the decks 

 or hold; added to which, there should be the proper number of 

 hand fire pumps upon the upper deck of the vessel, with hose suffi- 

 cient in length to reach to any part of the vessel, forward or aft, 



