664 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



sent by the occurrences of the past, will look for such safety as 

 that which their selfishness will direct, and their own resources 

 will effect for them. 



Store Rooms. 



Engineers^ store rooms — Should be located away from the fire 

 room or boilers; all inflammable and combustible materials like 

 to turpentine, paints, oil, and tallow, should be kept in metal 

 tanks, securely fastened to the deck, and both they and wiping- 

 stuflf, spun-yarn, etc., should be stored in a room other than a 

 tool room or work shop, the location of which sliould be such 

 that it not only could be readily reached in the event of its being 

 on fire, but it should be so located as to receive sufficient light 

 into it to set aside the use of artificial light, except at night, and 

 then it should be lighted by a fixed light without the room, but 

 shedding its rays into it, alike to the manner in which the maga- 

 zines on board of vessels of war are lighted. 



Lights. — Instead of the universal neglect to give to engine and 

 fire rooms a suflicient light whereby the operations thereof may 

 be conducted without the use of hand lamps, there should be 

 fixed lights of a construction and character suited to give full 

 light to all parts of these rooms; thus setting aside the risk of 

 firing a vessel by the upsetting of a lamp, etc. 



Improvidence of Captains and Engineers. 



Although this is the last cause to which I shall ask your atten- 

 tion, yet it is by no means the least worthy of reference; on the 

 contrary, I consider that if a large majority of these officers 

 better discharged their duties to their employers and to them- 

 selves, there would be but little occasion for me to have addressed 

 you this communication. 



Captains. — Captains of steam vessels in the superintendence of 

 their construction and equipment, should pay that attention to the 

 requirements of security and provisions against fire, which, if 

 they are not all qualified for the position, their experience and 

 ''observation will show them to be necessary. The interests of the 

 owners of steam vessels require full attention to these points, 

 their contract with the public, in a moral view, demands it. 



Engineers. — As the security against fire on board of a steiim 

 vessel is more immediately under the supervision of the engineer 

 than that of any other person, and as he is, or ought to be, better 

 acquainted with the risks therefrom, a strict requirement should 

 be demanded from him, both by the owner and commander of a 



