Obrázky stránek
PDF
ePub

that the safety-valves are of suitable dimensions, sufficient in number, well arranged, and in good working order, (one of which may, if neces- One of the sary in the opinion of the inspectors, to secure safety, be taken wholly safety-valves may be taken from the control of all persons engaged in navigating such vessel;) that from the control there is a suitable number of gauge-cocks properly inserted, and a suitable of the navigator. water-gauge and steam-gauge indicating the height of the water and the pressure of the steam; that in or upon the outside flue of each outside high-pressure boiler, there is placed in a suitable manner alloyed metals, fusible by the heat of the boiler when raised to the highest working pressure allowed, and that in or upon the top of the flues of all other highpressure boilers in the steamer, such alloyed metals are placed, as aforesaid, fusing at ten pounds' greater pressure than said metals on the outside boilers, thereby, in each case, letting steam escape; and that adequate and certain provision is made for an ample supply of water to feed the boilers at all times, whether such vessel is in motion or not; so that, in high-pressure boilers, the water shall not be less than four inches above the flue: Provided, however, In steamers hereafter supplied with new high-pressure boilers, if the alloy fuses on the outer boilers at a pressure of ten pounds exceeding the working pressure allowed, and at twenty pounds above said pressure on the inner boilers, it shall be a sufficient compliance with this

act.

Proviso as to fusible plugs.

Mode of sub

boilers.

Third. That in subjecting to the hydrostatic test aforesaid, boilers called jecting highand usually known under the designation of high-pressure boilers, the inpressure boilers spectors shall assume one hundred and ten pounds to the square inch as to hydrostatic the maximum pressure allowable as a working power for a new boiler pressure. forty-two inches in diameter, made of inspected iron plates at least one fourth of an inch thick, in the best manner, and of the quality herein required, and shall rate the working power of all high-pressure boilers, whether of greater or less diameter, old or new, according to their strength compared with this standard: and in all cases the test applied shall exceed the working power allowed, in the ratio of one hundred and sixtyfive to one hundred and ten, and no high-pressure boilers hereafter made shall be rated above this standard: and in subjecting to the test aforesaid, that class of boilers usually designated and known as low-pressure boilers, Low-pressure the said inspectors shall allow as a working power of each new boiler a pressure of only three fourths the number of pounds to the square inch to which it shall have been subjected by the hydrostatic test and found to be sufficient therefor, using the water in such tests at a temperature not exceeding sixty degrees Fahrenheit; but should such inspectors be of the opinion, that said boiler by reason of its construction or material will not safely allow so high a working pressure, they may, for reasons to be stated specifically in their certificate, fix the working pressure of said boiler at less than three fourths of said test pressure, and no low-pressure boiler hereafter made shall be rated in its working pressure above the aforesaid standard; and provided that the same rules shall be observed in regard to boilers heretofore made, unless the proportion between such boilers and the cylinders or some other cause renders it manifest that its application would be unjust, in which cases the inspectors may depart from these rules, if it can be done with safety; but in no case shall the working pressure allowed exceed the hydrostatic test, and no valve under any circum- be worked bestances shall be loaded or so managed in any way as to subject a boiler to a greater pressure than the amount allowed by the inspectors, nor shall any boiler or pipe be approved which is made in whole or in part of bad other respects. material, or is unsafe in its form, or dangerous from defective workmanship, age, use, or any other cause.

Boilers not to

yond the pressure allowed. Defects in

Certificate of

Fourth. That when the inspection in detail is completed, and the inspectors approve of the vessel and her equipment throughout, they shall inspectors. make and subscribe a certificate to the collector of the district, substantially as follows:

Certificate to

be sworn to.

In case of refusal to certify,

the reasons to be assigned in writing.

[blocks in formation]

said district, to examine the steamer
whereof
are owners, and
performed that service, now, on this
A. D.

---

Application having

to the subscribers, inspectors for

of

is master, we having day of

do certify, that she was built in the year is in all respects staunch, seaworthy, and in good condition for navigation, having suitable means of escape in case of accident from the main to the upper deck, that she is provided with [here insert the number of staterooms, the number of berths therein, the number of other permanent berths for cabin passengers, the number of berths for deck or other classes of passengers, the number of passengers of each class for whom she has suitable accommodations, and in case of steamers sailing to or from any European port or to or from any port on the Atlantic or the Pacific, a distance of one thousand miles or upwards, the number of each she is permitted to carry, and in case of a steamer sailing to any other port, a distance of five hundred miles or upwards, the number of deck passengers she is permitted to carry, also the number of boilers, and the form, dimensions, and material of which each boiler is made, the thickness of the metal, and when made-if made after this act takes effect, and of iron, whether they are such in all respects as the act requires, whether each boiler has been tried by hydrostatic test, the amount of pressure to the square inch in pounds applied to it, whether the amount allowed as the maximum working power was determined by the rule prescribed by this act, if not, the reason for a departure from it; also the number of safety valves required, their capacity, the load prescribed for each valve, how many are left in the control of the persons navigating the vessel, whether one is withdrawn, and the manner of securing it against interference, also the number and dimensions of supply pipes, and whether they and the other means provided are sufficient at all times and under all circumstances, when in good order, to keep the water up four inches at least above the top of the flue; also the number and dimensions of the steampipes, the number and kind of engines, the dimensions of their cylinders, the number and capacity of the forcing-pumps, and how worked, the number and kind of gauge-cocks, water and steam gauges, where situate, and how secured; also the manner of using alloyed metals, and the pressure at which they are known by the inspectors to fuse; the equipments for the extinguishment of fires, including hose, fire-buckets, and axes; the provisions for saving life in case of accident, including boats, life-preservers, and substitutes therefor, where kept, and all other provisions made on board for the security of the lives of passengers.] And we further certify, that the equipment of the vessel throughout, including pipes, pumps, and other means to keep the water up to the point aforesaid, hose, boats, life-preservers, and other things, is in conformity with the provisions of law; and that we declare it to be our deliberate conviction, founded upon the inspection which we have made, that the vessel may be employed as a steamer upon the waters named in the application, without peril to life, from any imperfection of form, materials, workmanship, or arrangement of the several parts, or from age or use. And we further certify, that said vessel is to run within the following limits, to wit: from

to

and back, touching at intermediate places.

And which certificate shall be verified by the oaths of the inspectors signing it, before a person competent by law to administer oaths. And in case the said inspectors do not grant a certificate of approval, they shall state, in writing, and sign the same, their reasons for their disapproval. Fifth. Upon the application of the master or owner of any steamer emProvision for ployed in the carriage of passengers, for a license to carry gunpowder, oil licenses to carry of turpentine, oil of vitriol, camphene, or other explosive burning-fluids, certain dangerous articles. and materials which ignite by friction, or either of them, the inspectors

License.

shall examine such vessel, and if they find that she is provided with chests
or safes composed of metal, or entirely lined therewith, or one or more
apartments thoroughly lined with metal at a secure distance from any
fire, they may grant a certificate to that effect, authorizing such vessel to
carry as freight any of the articles aforesaid, those of each description to
be secured in such chest, safe, or apartment, containing no other article,
and carried at a distance from any fire to be specified in the certificate:
Provided, That any such certificate may be revoked or annulled at any
time by the inspectors, upon proof that either of the said articles have license.
been carried on board said vessel, at a place or in a manner not author-.
ized by such certificate, or that any of the provisions of this act in relation
thereto have been violated.

Revocation of

Record of cer

tificates of inspection and li

Sixth. The said inspectors shall keep a regular record of certificates of inspections of vessels, their boilers, engines, and machinery, whether of approval or disapproval, and when recorded, the original shall be delivered censes to carry to the collector of the district; they shall keep a like record of certificates, said articles. authorizing gunpowder, oil of turpentine, oil of vitriol, camphene, or other explosive burning-fluids and materials which ignite by friction, or either

collector.

of them, to be carried as freight, by any such vessel; and when recorded Originals to be deliver the originals to said collector; they shall keep a like record of all delivered to the licenses to pilots and engineers, and all revocations thereof, and shall from Licenses to time to time report to the supervising inspector of their respective districts, pilots, and engiin writing, their decisions on all applications for such licenses, or proceedings for the revocation thereof, and all testimony received by them in such proceedings.

Seventh. The inspectors shall license and classify all engineers and pilots of steamers carrying passengers.

Eighth. Whenever any person claiming to be qualified to perform the duty of engineer upon steamers carrying passengers, shall apply for a certificate, the board of inspectors shall examine the applicant, and the proofs which he produces in support of his claim; and if, upon full consideration, they are satisfied that his character, habits of life, knowledge, and experience in the duties of an engineer, are all such as to authorize the belief that the applicant is a suitable and safe person to be intrusted with the powers and duties of such a station, they shall give him a certificate to that effect, for one year, signed by them, in which certificate they shall state the time of the examination, and shall assign the appointee to the appropriate class of engineers.

neers, and revo

cations thereof.

Report to supervising inspec

tor.

Licenses and

classification of

pilots and engi

neers.

Engineers.

Certificate for

one year.

Pilots.

License for

Ninth. Whenever any person claiming to be a skilful pilot for any such vessel shall offer himself for a license, the said board shall make diligent inquiry as to his character and merits; and if satisfied that he possesses the requisite skill, and is trustworthy and faithful, they shall give him a certificate to that effect, licensing him for one year to be a pilot of any such vessels within the limit prescribed in the certificate; one year. but the license of any such engineer or pilot may be revoked upon proof of negligence, unskilfulness, or inattention to the duties of the station: Provided, however, If in cases of refusal to license engineers or pilots, Appeal (in and in cases of the revocation of any license by the local board of in- case of refusal, of a pilot's or enspectors, any engineer or pilot deeming himself wronged by such refusal gineer's license) or revocation, may, within thirty days after notice thereof, on application to supervising inspector. to a supervising inspector, have his case examined anew by such supervising inspector, upon producing a certified copy of the reasons assigned by the local board for their doings in the premises; and such supervising inspector may revoke the decision of such local board of inspectors and license such pilot or engineer; and like proceedings, upon the same conditions may be had by the master or owner of any such vessel, or of any ing steamboats, steamboat-boiler, for which the said local board shall have refused, upon or boilers. inspection, to give a certificate of approval, or shall have notified such master or owner of any repairs necessary after such certificate has been granted.

Appeal from decision respect

Employment of unlicensed

cases of neces

sity.

Provision for

Repairs may be ordered.

Tenth. It shall be unlawful for any person to employ, or any person pilots and engito serve as engineer or pilot, on any such vessel, who is not licensed by neers, forbidden the inspectors; and any one so offending shall forfeit one hundred dollars except in certain for each offence: Provided, however, That if a vessel leaves her port with a complement of engineers and pilots, and on her voyage is deprived of their services, or the services of any of them, without the consent, fault, or collusion of the master, owner, or any one interested in the vessel, the deficiency may be temporarily supplied, until others, licensed, can be obtained. Eleventh. In addition to the annual inspection, it shall be the duty of other than annu- said board to examine, seasonably, steamers arriving and departing, so al inspections. often as to enable them to detect any neglect to comply with the requirements of law, and also any defects or imperfections becoming apparent after the inspection aforesaid, and tending to render the navigation of the vessel unsafe, which service may be performed by one of the board; and if he shall discover an omission to comply with the law or that repairs have become necessary to make the vessel safe, he shall at once notify the master, stating in the notice what is required; and if the master deems the requirements unreasonable or unnecessary, he may take the opinion of the board thereon, and if dissatisfied with the decision of such board may apply for a re-examination of the case to the supervising inspector as is hereinbefore provided; and if he shall refuse or neglect to comply with the requirements of the local board, and shall, contrary thereto, and while the same remains unreversed by the supervising inspector, employ the vessel by navigating her, the master and owner shall be liable for any damage to the passengers and their baggage which shall occur from any defects so as aforesaid stated in said notice, which shall be in writing, and all inspections and orders shall be promptly made by the inspectors; and where it can be safely done in their judgment, they shall permit repairs Repairs where to be made where those interested can most conveniently do them; and no inspectors of one district shall modify or annul the doings of the inDoings of one board when they spectors of another district, in regard to repairs, unless there is a change may be modified in the state of things demanding more repairs than were thought necesby another. Persons reject- sary when the order was made; nor shall the inspectors of one district ed by one board appoint a person coming from another, if such person has been rejected not to be licensed for unfitness or want of qualifications.

Appeal from such order.

Master and

owners made responsible for damages from neglect to comply with such order.

to be made.

by any other.

Inspection of steamboats where there is no local board. No new inspection to be made until former defects are remedied.

Penalty for

navigating after refusal to certify. Permit to go

to another district for repairs. Provision to compel attend

oath.

Twelfth. The said board, when thereto requested, shall inspect steamers belonging to districts where no such board is established; and if a certificate of approval is not granted, no other inspection shall be made by the same or any other board, until the objections made by the inspectors are removed; and if any vessel shall be navigated after a board of inspectors have refused to make the collector a certificate of approval, she shall be liable to the same penalties as if she had been run without a license: Provided, however, That nothing herein contained shall impair the right of the inspectors to permit such vessel to go to another port for repairs, if, in their opinion, it is safe so to do.

Thirteenth. The said board of inspectors shall have power to summon before them witnesses, and to compel their attendance by the same process as in courts of law; and after reasonable time given to the alleged ance of witnessdelinquent, at the time and place of investigation, to examine said witnesses, and their examination under es under oath, touching the performance of their duties by engineers and pilots of any such vessel; and if it shall appear satisfactorily that any such engineer or pilot is incompetent, or that life has been placed in peril by reason of such incompetency, or by negligence or misconduct on the Suspension or part of any such person, the board shall immediately suspend or revoke revocation of li- his license, and report their doings to the chief officer of the customs; censes of pilots, and the said chief officer of the customs shall pay out of the revenues and engineers. Payment of herein provided such sums to any witness so summoned under the proviswitnesses. ions of this act, for his actual travel and attendance, as shall be officially certified, by an inspector hearing the case, upon the back of the summons,

not exceeding the rates allowed to a witness for travel and attendance in the circuit and district courts of the United States.

Fourteenth. That the said board shall report promptly all their doings Reports of said to the chief officer of the customs, as well as all omissions or refusals board.

to comply with the provisions of law on the part of any owner or master of any such vessel, propelled in whole or in part by steam, carrying pas

sengers.

Fifteenth. That it shall at all times be the duty of all engineers and Mates, and pilots licensed under this act, and all mates, to assist the inspectors in the and engineers to licensed pilots, examination of any such vessels to which any such engineer, mate, or assist said board pilot belongs, and to point out all defects and imperfections in the hull or and give them apparatus for steaming, and also to make known to them at the earliest penalty of revoopportunity, all accidents occasioning serious injury to the vessel or her cation of license. equipment, whereby life may be in danger, and in default thereof the license of any such engineer or pilot shall be revoked.

information, on

Provisions re

number of passengers, deten

tions on the passage, and accommodations, and

SEC. 10. That in those cases where the number of passengers is limited by the inspector's certificate, it shall not be lawful to take on board of specting the any steamer a greater number of passengers than is certified by the inspectors in the certificate; and the master and owners, or either of them, shall be liable, to any person suing for the same, to forfeit the amount of passage money and ten dollars for each passenger beyond the number penalties. allowed. And moreover, in all cases of an express or implied undertaking to transport passengers, or to supply them with food and lodging, from place to place, and suitable provision is not made of a full and adequate supply of good and wholesome food and water, and of suitable lodging for all such passengers, or where barges, or other craft, impeding the progress, are taken in tow, for a distance exceeding five hundred miles, without previous and seasonable notice to such passengers, in all such cases the owners and the vessel shall be liable to refund all the money paid for the passage, and to pay also the damage sustained by such default or delay: Provided, however, That if in any such case a satisfactory bond is given to the marshal for the benefit of the plaintiff, to secure the satisfaction of such judgment as he may recover, the vessel shall be released.

Vessel to be released on bond being given.

Penalty for deranging the obstructing or

SEC. 11. That if the master of a steamer, or any other person, whether acting under orders or not, shall intentionally load or obstruct, or cause to be loaded or obstructed, in any way or manner, the safety valve or valves means of reguof a boiler, or shall employ any other means or device whereby the boiler lating or indicating the pressure shall be subjected to a greater pressure than the amount allowed by the of steam. certificate of the inspectors, or shall be exposed to a greater pressure, or shall intentionally derange or hinder the operation of any machinery or device employed to denote the state of the water or steam in any boiler, or to give warning of approaching danger, it shall, in any such case, be a misdemeanor, and any and every person concerned therein, directly or indirectly, shall forfeit two hundred dollars, and may, at the discretion of the court, be in addition thereto imprisoned not exceeding eighteen months.

ter to fall below

SEC. 12. That if at any time there be a deficiency of water in a boiler, Penalty for by suffering it to fall below three inches above the flue as prescribed in allowing the wathis act, unless the same happens through inevitable accident, the master, a certain line. if it be by his order, assent, or connivance, and also the engineer, or other person, whose duty it is to keep up the supply, shall be guilty of an offence for which they shall severally be fined one hundred dollars each; and if an explosion or collapse happens in consequence of such deficiency, they, or any of them, may be further punished by imprisonment, for a period of not less than six nor more than eighteen months.

Boilers to be

SEC. 13. That hereafter all boilers of steamboats made of iron shall be constructed of plates which have been stamped according to the provisions made of stamped

of this act.

SEC. 14. That it shall be the duty of such inspectors to ascertain the

materials.

« PředchozíPokračovat »