SUGGESTIONS FOR REDUCING THE LOSS BY EIRE ON VESSELS. 203 



For a number of years the fire record of wooden boats on the Great Lakes 

 was very bad; it reached a cUmax last year when ten vessels were totally 

 destroyed, and the fire loss exceeded half a million dollars. For some years 

 back, different insurance companies had discontinued these vessels, and 

 a year ago it appeared as though practically all of them would. Repre- 

 sentatives of the owners and the insurance companies held conferences in 

 New York, Chicago and Cleveland to determine what caused this abnormal 

 record, and how it could be stopped. The conclusion was that boats were 

 insufficiently equipped and the crews too infrequently drilled. Rules were 

 drawn up to remedy this (see Appendix) and certificates granted to those 

 found to have complied with all of them. The principal features of these 

 rules are that the master is required to report once a month that he has 

 personally examined all equipment every week, finding everything in proper 

 condition or making it so.and that he has had at least two fire drills during the 

 month. The masters and the owners know that an inspector may come on 

 board at any port to verify this report, and the insurance on the vessel may 

 become void through the master's neglect, therefore the equipment is there 

 and drills are held. The drop in the fire loss is noticeable this year. There 

 are one hundred and fifty-six vessels all told which have complied with 

 these rules, and this represents a sufficiently large proportion of the wooden 

 freight boats on tlie Great Lakes to get an average, yet not one boat with 

 a certificate has been lost. Three fires have started, but they have all been 

 extinguished by the crews with partial losses. 



In equipping and operating their boats, it is regrettably true that some 

 owners will only do what they are compelled to by law, and will avoid doing 

 that as much as possible ; it does not seem to be a difficult matter to evade 

 many things as the Steamboat Inspection Service appears to be incom- 

 petent. 



It is the opinion of many that the laws relating to the Steamboat 

 Inspection Service should be amended. They should require that all vessels 

 be constructed, equipped, manned and operated in a manner that will 

 thoroughly safeguard human life, and should be so worded, codified and 

 classified that any one with ordinary intelligence referring to them can find 

 what they are looking for and understand it. 



This Society, having on its rolls many of the most important shipowners, 

 managers, designers, builders and surveyors in tlie United States, is prob- 

 ably the body most capable to attempt this, and the writer begs to suggest 

 to the Society that the President appoint a committee to consider the 

 matter, and to make a report at the next meeting. 



