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Show A LESSON UNHEEDED. Tn the list of disasters to ships that have born printed in connection with the. Titanic disaster, frequent refer ences have been made to tho loss of tho steamboat fTp.neral Slocum. On dune 15, 1904, this ship left the pier in New York with about lfiOO person? Chiefly members of St. Luke's Luth eran church of New York, and soon after leaving was discovered to be on fire. A scene of wild confusion ensued en-sued aud the loss of life was terrible The inspection service estimated this loss at 03S; the police authorities put the number at 1031. Tn the investigation investi-gation that followed, it was shown that the official inspection of the boat had been merely casual, and that the life preservers were praeticaliy yvorthless, aud that there had been iittle or no attempt to train the offi cers or crew for emergencies. The cap tain, William H. Yan Schaick, was convicted of criminal negligence and sentenced to ten years' imprisonment. But he w-as the only one punished. The inspectors, whose duty it was to see that the vessel was properly equipped, escaped responsibility, and the officers offi-cers of the company were cleared of legal liability. It was announced then that, the severe lesnon would be heeded for all time, to come, and that from thenceforward the public could depend upon it that the inspection laws iu the port of New York would be rigidly enforced. But it appears that the lesson les-son did not strike in very deep or last very long; for the inspection has dropped back to about the same care less, routine affair that it was prior to the disaster spoken of. And now we have from all concerned protestations that the Titanic disaster will bring on aud enforce an improvement improve-ment in the inspection and compel to a close living up to the law which requires re-quires that safety appliances for all on board must be provided These protestations come from England and from Oermnny, and they are especially fervent on the east coast of the United States at this time, Tn England, just now, the Olvmpic, the sister ship ot tho Titanic, has been deserted bv her stokers and delayed in sailing, be rause of the declaration of the stokers that the lifeboats are neither sufficient suffi-cient nor dependable. They claim that the collapsible lifeboats are not seaworthy, sea-worthy, and insist upon the full en forcement of the law as to the pro viding of ample safety appliances. It is to be hoped that the lesson of the Titanic will, in fact, bear perma nent fruit. But, pidging from the small effect which the Slocum disaster had in this respect, it would seem ae though the expectation of anything very radical by way of improvement is hardly to be expected, as a lasting proposition What would be more to the purpose would be to have alert vigilance in the office of the IT. fi. At torney for the metropolitan district ot New York, which would catch and send to jail an inspector or two caught in the neglect of his duty and giving l clearances to vessels that were not properly equipped. The only way real to cure the evil is to make it personally dangerous for tho inspector.' to neglect their duts- |