SAFETY OF LIFE FROM FIRE AT SEA. 51 



"Data for years prior to 1906 are not available as statistics of losses of American vessels 

 were not published prior to 1906. 



•Respectfully, 



(Signed) A. J. Tyrer, 



Acting Commissioner." 



My reference to highly inflammable materials used in the construction of vessels and 

 sometimes forming a part of the contents puts the matter somewhat more strongly than 

 I had intended now that it is called to my attention. I have accordingly replaced the words 

 "highly inflammable" by "combustible," which, I believe, will be more suitable considering 

 the general conditions. 



The fact that the passengers and crew remained on the burning Volturno over twenty- 

 four hours and the larger part of them finally escaped, was made possible by the slow spread 

 of the fire, and does not demonstrate that conditions on shipboard as regards hazard to life 

 are better than on land, although they really should be, as people are seldom obliged to re- 

 main in a burning building. 



Mr. Berry is evidently not fully informed in regard to the progress which is being 

 made in the use of all steel construction, and is incorrect in stating, "* * * jj- j^^g ^ot 

 been demonstrated that a practical structure of this character can be built at all." The fol- 

 lowing quotation is from the 1914 Annual Report of the Supervising Inspector General, 

 Steamboat Inspection Service: — 



"The Steamboat Inspection Service inspects vessels in order to make travel by water 

 safer * * * j^ jg believed that the greatest peril which is to be met on board ship is 

 fire and * * *^ the Government should require that all excursion steamers be entirely 

 fireproof. It may be claimed by some that it would not be practicable to make excursion 

 steamers absolutely fireproof and yet be commercially successful, but attention is invited to 

 a statement made in the Annual Report of the Supervising Inspector General for the fiscal 

 year ended June 30, 1905. In that report it was stated that the question of the inflammabil- 

 ity of the ordinary type of river and excursion steamer is one that should have the fullest 

 consideration of the Department, and that while fire is one of the worst conditions that we 

 have to meet and the most appalling in its results, little or no effort has heretofore been 

 made to design these steamers upon any different plan than those in use for years. It was 

 pointed out that paints, compositions and various other compounds of a so-called fireproof 

 character have been suggested and tried, but none seems to have met the purpose of its de- 

 sign. It pointed out also that at that time there was in the course of construction in one of 

 the prominent shipyards of the country a river steamer nearly 300 feet in length that had 

 been designed with a view to having her as nearly fireproof as utility would permit. In 

 the same report for the succeeding fiscal year it was stated that the construction and opera- 

 tion of a fireproof excursion steamer had proven successful beyond the strongest hopes of 

 those who conceived this type of construction. The Supervising Inspector General therefore 

 renews his recommendations made in the Annual Reports of 1905 and 1906 that Congress 

 enact such legislation that will demand this fireproof construction to be required on all ex- 

 cursion steamers hereafter built or contracted for. 



"In the meantime, admitting that we do not have absolute fireproof construction on all 

 excursion steamers now in use, the best precautions that we can take against loss of life 



