Inspector of Steamboats

The inspection of steamboats was first provided for by Act of Congress of July 7, 1838. This Act made it the duty of the district judge, on application of the master or owners of a vessel, to appoint two inspectors, one for the hull and the other for the machinery of vessels. Under laws passed August 30, 1852, and February 1, 1871, a thorough system of inspection was provided for, and the appointment of inspectors by the President and Senate was authorized. By the provisions of these laws, the Eighth Inspection District embraced "all the waters of the lakes north and west of Lake Erie with their tributaries, and the upper portion of the Illinois River, down to and including Peoria, Illinois." The headquarters of the supervising inspector are at Detroit. Two local inspectors, appointed by the supervising inspector, with the approval of the judge of United States District Court and the collector of customs, are on duty at each of the following places : Detroit, Port Huron, Chicago, Marquette, Grand Haven, and Milwaukee.

The boilers of all steamboats are required to be inspected yearly; and all steam vessels are examined as to their compliance with the law requiring a certain number of life-preservers, and as to their general fitness for preserving life and property committed to them. The inspectors also examine into the habits of life and capabilities of steamboat engineers and pilots, and issue licenses, for which pilots and engineers of the first class pay $10.00, and those of the second class $5.00 per year.

Vessels are required to pay for certificates of inspection as follows: for the first one hundred tons, $25 ; for each additional hundred tons, $5.00; and in the same proportion for amounts less than one hundred tons. No certificate, however, is issued for less than $25 for any steam vessel. All the fees are paid over to the collector of customs, and remitted by him to the United States Treasury. The yearly expenses for the entire district are about $28,000 annually and the receipts nearly the same. The salary of the supervising inspector is $2,000, the local inspectors are paid from $800 to $2,000. The office is located at the Custom House and Post Office.

The supervising inspectors have been: Peter J. Ralph, from April 4, 1870; J. Cook, from September 26, 1877; W. M. Daly, from December16,1885. The local inspectors of hulls have been: Wm. Gooding, January 1, 1853, to June 7, 1853 ; George W. Strong, June 7, 1853, to June 11, 1861 ; A. D. Perkins, June 11, 1861, to March 3, 1863 ; Peter J. Ralph, March 3, 1863, to March 16, 1868; Joseph Cook, March 16, 1868, to September 26, 1877; Hugh Coyne, November 19, 1877, to . The local inspectors of boilers have been: Charles Kellogg, January 1, 1853, to June 7, 1853; William F. Chittenden, June 7, 1853, to November 2, 1860; P. E. Saunders, December 6, 1860, to August, 1881; H. W. Granger, from August 22, 1881; Thos. Daly, from June, 1884

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