The Globe. SATURDAY, APRIL 12, 1879.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1605, 12 April 1879, Page 2

The Globe. SATURDAY, APRIL 12, 1879.

Much has been written and said during the last four years —and especially during the last few months —regarding the socalled unsatisfactory state in which the rules and legislative enactments hearing upon the safety of persons and property at sea, are in the colony. There have been more marine casualties and disasters on the New Zealand coast in the years 1878-1879 than wore previously recorded for any two yoai’S, even after duo allowance has boon made for the increase of sea-borne traffic. Steamers and sailing ships have been lost or partially wrecked, and the usual inquiry hold in each case as is provided for by law. Yet, whatever the results of these investigations have been, whether acquitting of blame all parties concerned or fixing upon some one for ignorance or carelessness, the fooling has slowly but surely gained ground that what legislation existed on the subject was either scarcely stringent enough, or that the officials upon whom it devolved to carry out the executive duties imposed by the Marino and other Acts wore not sufficiently alive to their importance, Whether those conclusions may bo said to bo sufficiently warranted by facts is scarcely open to doubt. Since the advent of the Plirasoll period in England it has been much the fashion out hero to compare the way wo do things in the colonies with that obtaining at Homo, and the verdict has invariably been voxy much in favor of the latter. What will bo said, then, when the details of the disaster which lately bofel the ship Northam are examined into closely ? The vessel in question, wo were specially informed by telegrams a short time ago, was burnt at sea when on a voyage from London to Sydney, under circumstances such as must make people fool that all the legal and preventive paraphernalia which are popularly supposed to surround the safety of emigrant and passenger ships are but pleasurable fictions which one roads of on paper but never witnesses. And that such events as are recorded in the case to which wo allude should be possible in these civilised days, when Acts of Parliaments, Government inspectors, Customs officers, and so forth, are supposed to exercise the minutest vigilance upon the fitting out of foreign bound vessels, is almost incredible. When the s.s. Taupo was half sunk on a rock on the East Coast of the North Island some weeks ago, it turned out that the boats could not bo lowered without the greatest difficulty. The running gear of the davits, it seems, had actually been painted into the blocks and the ropes had to bo hacked away with knives to liberate the boats. Had the weather been less fair at the time it is not difficult to guess what might xxnfortunately have happened. But the ship Northam was neither a steamer nor a coasting vessel, tendering it all the more necessary that more precautionary measures should bo adopted for the preservation of life in case of emergency. According to the statements authoritatively published, however, when it was found that the Northam—a largo four-masted ship, by-tho-byo—had to bo abandoned, as the fire could not bo kept under, the passengers and crow wore ordered to take to the boats. As narrated by one of the officers, “every boat is supposed to bo kept fitted with a beaker of water, a baler, a sot of oars, and a mast and sails. None of the boats, however, had oven a full sot of oars, mast and sail. There was not a beaker to bo found in the ship nor a boat compass even. They had to make shift in a variety of ways by carrying water in bottles, buckets, coffee-tins, &e., while two of the ships compasses wore utilised, leaving two boats without any, and sheets and table-cloths wore taken in to bo used as sails. They wore very short of oars, and most of the boats had no rudders.” Yery lucky it was, indeed, that the unfortunates so wantonly placed at the mercy of the elements a long way from laud, should have been picked up a few hours after by two passing ships. That a 1500 tons passenger ship like the Northam, deficient in equipments as she was, should have received her clearance and passed through the ordeal of official scrutiny, which is popularly supposed, now-a-days, to bo so rigidly enforced at such ports as the Port of London, will, perhaps, give much to think of to many of those who, when they go to sea in ships, hold the belief that everything is done which can reasonably bo done to ensure safety.

When, the other evening, the illuminating powers by the aid of which our City Fathers conduct their deliberations in the old structure that does duty for a Town Hall, suddenly gave signs of a collapse, the Gas Company, wo believe, laid the blame of the occurrence upon defective fittings. This reason, without a doubt, is but too often urged upon tho uninitiated

whenever something goes wrong with Hu

gas supply, and on 1 lio occasion referred to it is just possible that thoro was scarcely any ground for the half-assertion made by the company, as other lights, wo know, were sadly dimmed during the same evening. Vet there can bo no doubt but that to defective fittings much of the heart-burnings and misery which embitter the life of gas consumers may bo attributed. Here in Christchurch, the Gas Company possesses no supervision, as is the case elsewhere, over the fittings of their patients.” There is a class of useful mechanics, called gas-utters, who }, o pp._-under registered certificates —full find uncontrolled sway over those interior fittings. If anything goes wrong with the supply, quality of gas, or what not, the gas-fitters knowingly wink and hint that it is the fault of the company. The latter, on the contrary, when appealed to, clinch any incipient argument by the incisive advise, “ Look after youf fittings. This state of things, neither satisfactory to the Venoms of the article, the fitters, 'or the consumers, is scarcely what it should he. Gas companies should exercise full supervision over fittings on promises about to bo lighted with gas. The public then, instead of being kicked like an india-rubber ball from the gas office io the gas-fitters, would know exactly what to do and whom to blame. This question ’of defective fittings is a serious one besides, when it is & msidorei how soon a serious fire may at any time happen through careless arrangement. Wo fully concur with the following extract from a late number of the “ Journal of das Lighting,” which wo think fho Christchurch Gas Company might fairly take to heart, and well weigh in fho balance of their practical wisdom. “It is of fho utmost consequence, for fho consumer’s own protection, that his fittings should bo kept in complete order. Our columns this ‘ week boar records of fho frightful effects which may result from leakages of gas. Lives are sacrificed and property is destroyed in consequence of small leakages, which may go into the consumer’s bill, or may bo charged to tho Gas Company. All wo wish to see is an effective control kept by the companies over the apparatus which conveys tho gas from tho meter fo the several parts of a house. It would require some trouble for the first twelve months, but wo are certain that consumers would soon appreciate the benefits and security that would ensue from the intelligent and careful supervision of the apparatus by moans of which gas is distributed.”