Daily National Intelligencer

FOR THE NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.

The recent fatal accidents—the explosion of steam boilers—foretold in 1813.

In a memorial presented to Congress, a printed copy of which was laid before each individual member, is the following paragraph:

"Your memorialist does most solemnly declare and assure your honorable body, that although he believes his steam engine, constructed under his own direction and superintendance, or by persons instructed by him, is a far more safe machine than that of Messrs. Watt & Bolton; yet so extremely powerful is the principle which he puts in operation, that, if it should prematurely fall into the possession of the public, it would become so extremely dangerous, when the engines would be constructed by engineers ignorant of the general principles, that many accidents would occur, and many lives and much property be destroyed."

"A few such accidents, before the people are instructed in the principles, form and structure of the engines, would deter them from the use and benefits of the great discovery."

In consequence of this memorial, Congress extended his patent term, securing his exclusive right to his discovery of the principles and form of steam engines, to apply and use this great power with perfect safety against explosion; since which time, more than fifty of his steam engines have been constructed and put in useful operation, not one of which has exploded; and the patentee confidently asserts, that the principles, form and structure are such, that no one of them ever will explode; but only yield in its weakest part, and let the power escape gently, without danger or further damage, even in cases where the safety valves should be ignorantly or inadvertently fastened down, and the fire urged on till the boiler must yield to the power.

Yet it appears that violators have ventured, contrary to the authority of Congress, and against the interest and dignity of the United States, to infringe this patent right, and have ignorantly and disregardingly destroyed, in less than eleven months, twenty six, if not more, valuable human lives, including seven on the 8th June, 1816, at Marietta, on the Ohio, and eleven on the 4th day, 1817, on the Mississippi, below Natchez. Surely such illegal dangerous acts against our lives and property, call aloud for the legislative interposition of each state, where steam engines are used, to make it penal to violate this act of Congress, or infringe this patent right, in all cases where life shall be destroyed thereby. Those criminals would then fly for safety beyond the grasp of the laws, instead of shamefully uniting, as they now do, to cast all the blame on the invention of the patentee, whose rights they have attempted ignorantly to infringe: for they only are fully chargeable with all the fatal consequences. Enough, surely, to arrest the public attention to the subject, and great discovery; and to enquire, whether or no every steam boat, in which the principles and form is not completely adopted, are not liable to similar accidents as fatal, and the danger rapidly increasing; so that many more may be dreaded as being likely to occur.

OBSERVER.

*"Witness," &c. here several accidents were inserted.