336 Review of Renwick 



intelligence; and hence dangerous accidents occur without giving 

 rise to blame, and thus diminish a proper feeling of responsibility. — 

 pp.102, 103. 



A great proportion of the fatal accidents which have occurred in 

 steam boats, have arisen from a collapsing of the boilers; that is, in 

 consequence of the sudden formation of a vacuum in the boiler, by 

 which means the sides of the boiler have been crushed together by 

 external pressure, and the hot water and steam forced out with great 

 violence. It seems a very easy matter to provide against this source 

 of danger, by attaching to the upper parts of the boiler an air valve 

 opening inwards. V/henever the tension of the steam becomes less 

 than the pressure of the atmosphere, the valve will open and restore 

 the equilibrium. 



Finally, notwithstanding the dangers inherent in the employment 

 of a force of such tremendous energy as steam, yet it is easy to over- 

 rate the actual dangers. When steam boats explode, the catastrophe 

 usually involves so many sufferers, and becomes so widely known and 

 discussed, that the dangers are greatly exaggerated in comparison with 

 those more silent and unobtrusive but not less real dangers, that attend 

 all the other modes of travelling by sea and land. One flies from the 

 city of the plague and meets a watery grave ; another shuns the seas 

 and finds the pestilence on land. 



Fiustra cruento Marte carebimus, 

 Fractisque vauci fluctibus Adrice. 



We are happy to be able to conclude this article by presenting to 

 our readers, the following facts and observations, obligingly commu- 

 nicated to us by a valued correspondent.* • 

 List of Steam Boat Explosions vjJiich have occurred in the U. States. 



HIGH PRESStjRE. . . -. 



Namesr Place of explosion. 



Constitution, Ohio, 13 killed. 



Gen. Robinson, Mississippi, 9 " 

 , Yankee, " 4 " , 



Heriot, " 1 " 



^tna, N. Y.Bay 13 " 



1828, Grampus, Mississippi, Unknown. 



Barnet, L. I. Sound, 1 killed. 



1830, Helen McGregor, Mississippi, 33 " 14 wounded, 



'74 14 



-^ Mr. William C. Redlield. of New York. 



