236 REroRT — 1871. 



On Stcam-loUer Lerjislation. By Latington E. Fletchek, C.E. 



Although the Committee of the British Association " appointed to consider and 

 report on the yarioiis Plans proposed for Legislating on the subject of Steani-hoiler 

 Explosions, with a view to their Prevention," are compelled, from the reasons 

 stated in their ad interim Report, to postpone the consideration of the measures 

 recently recommended by the Parliamentary Committee, yet it is thought that 

 it wouid be well to take advantage of the present opportunity to discuss those 

 measures. 



The Report of the Parliamentary Committee is briefly as follows : — 



The Parliamentary Committee had it laid before them in evidence that there 

 were not less than 100,000 steam-boilers in the country, and that from these there 

 sprung on an average CO explosions per annum, killing 75 persons and injuring 

 many others, from which it appeared that one boiler in every 2000 explodes annu- 

 ally. It was further stated that steam-boilers were in many instances situated in 

 much-frequented parts of towns and cities, under pavements in thronged thorough- 

 fares, in the lower storeys of houses, and in the midst of crowded dwellings ; that 

 such boilers, notwithstanding their dangerous position, were often faulty in con- 

 struction, and frequently so set that inspection was impossible without removing 

 the brick-work setting, while they lacked proper gauges and necessary fittings. 



The Parliamentary Committee anived at the conclusion that the majority af 

 explosions arise from negligence, cither as regards original construction, inattention 

 of users or their servants, neglect of proper repairs, and absence of proper and ne- 

 cessary fittings, while they further considered that the several voluntary asso- 

 ciations formed with a view of securing the periodical inspection of boilers had 

 been useful in preventing explosions. 



The Parliamentary Committee recommend, not that inspection should be en- 

 forced by law in order to render its adoption universal, but that it be enacted that 

 every steam-user should be held responsible for the efficiency of his boiler, tlie 

 onus of proof of efficiency in the event of explosion being thrown upon him ; and 

 further, that in case of a servant being injured by the explosion of his master's 

 boiler, it should be no defence to plead that the damage arose from the neg- 

 lect of a fellow-servant. The Committee further recommend that coroners in 

 conducting tlieir inquiries on steam-boiler explosions should be assisted by a com- 

 petent engineer appointed liy the P)oard of Trade, and tliat these inquiries should 

 not, as at present, be limited to fatal explosions, but be extended to all others, 

 while reports on the result of each investigation should be forwarded to the Secre- 

 tary of State for the Home Department, and also be annually presented to Par- 

 liament. 



The eflPect of these recommendations, if carried into practice, would be to render 

 tlie steam-user readily amenable to an action for damages, so that those who 

 suffered from the consequences of an explosion would become the prosecutors. 

 Thus the Parliamentary Committee do not rcconunend direct prevention hi/ the 

 enforcement of insjyection, but indirect ])revent ion by penalt}/. 



It will be seen from the foregoing that the evidence laid before the Parliamenlary 

 Committee endorses the statements made in the Reports to the British Association 

 on the number and fatality of explosions*, while that Committee speaks favourably 

 of the effect of periodical inspection for the prevention of explosions. 



Also the opinion of the Parliamentary Committee with regard to the cause of 

 explosions corroborates the views already expressed in the Reports to the British 

 Association on this subject, viz. that explosions are not mysterious, inexplicable, 

 or unavoidable; that they do not happen bj' caprice alike to the careful and the 

 careless; that, as a rule, boilers burst simply because they are bad — bad eillier 

 from original malconstruction, or from the condition into which they have been 

 allowed to fall ; and that explosions might be prevented by the exercise of common 

 knowledge and common caret- It is satisfactory to have this principle endorsed 

 by the Parliamentary Committee. Explosions have too long been considered acci- 



* See Transactions of the British Association, Norwich Meeting, 18C8; Exeter Meet- 

 ing, 1869; and Liverpool Meeting, 1870. 

 t Transactions of the British Association at the Exeter Meeting, 18G0, p. 50. 



