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36 Victoria. Sessional Papers (No. 8.) A. 1811 the number of passengers in a certain proportion to the number of boats carried 01 [ steamers the evil complained of could be remedied. The complaint would also apply will equal force to the Lake Superior steamers which are very deficient in this respect. Some inconvenience has been felt with respect to the mode of carrying boats oncai ferry steamers, and the inconvenience also of carrying the complement of life preservers required by Law. It was thought that the Steamboat Inspection Act might be amende! so as to exclude car ferry steamers crossing narrow channels less than a mile in widtl from these equipments. The opinion of the most experienced masters of this class of vessels, which has been forwarded to the Department, is strongly adverse to abandoning their boats and being at the mercy of the water alone ; it being shewn that for want of I boats serious loss of life has occurred on vessels actually lying at the wharf, as in the case I of the steamer Windsor at Detroit; the fire being between those on board of the steamer I and the wharf 11 men were driven overboard and the drowned. In view of such danger, I it would not in my opinion be prudent to make any change in the law in this respect, I WEST ONTARIO, HURON AND SUPERIOR DIVISION. Steamer Dalhousie, burnt off Oak Orchard, Lake Ontarioâ€"total loss ; passengers and crew saved. Mary Ward, driven ashore off Collingwood, on the 25th of November; eight men were lost in trying to make shore in a small boat; vessel total loss. Mary R. Robertson, burnt at Saginaw. No lives lost. Vessel since raised and repaired. Steamer Manitoba ran ashore at the east end of Michipicoten Island in a fog and sankâ€"no lives lost. Steamer Georgian endangered by fire from a coal oil lamp in the lamp room. Mr. Eli Gilbert, of the screw steamer Careitta, on Lake Simcoe, fell overboard and was drowned. It is supposed that he was asleep at the time. Isaac Davis, Engineer of the steamer Francis Smith, of Owen Sound, was accidmtly killed in the crank room by the movement of the engine while the vessel lay at the wharf. Steamer Lake Michigan lost her rudder off Grand Haven, Lake Michigan, in a gale of wind blowing inshore. Through the steadiness of the engineer, who stood by and backed his engine until she could be relieved by a tug from the shore, the vessel was saved. Steamer Silver Spray broke her engine beam on the 3 Oth November, carrying awav the cylinder head. The vessel was towed into Owen Sound by the Algoma. No lives!; .. Steamer Acadia, on July 4th, broke her crank pin. EAST ONTARIO DIVISION. Passenger steamer St. Helen, on the 2nd May, 1872, broke her rudder chain, and ran aground on a shoal at the foot of the Cedar Rapids on her first trip to Montreal. Passengers crew and cargo were safely landed ; but the vessel after several attempts to remove her has been abandoned. Passenger steamer Kingston, on the 11th of June, on her trip west, was destroyed by fire 18 miles above Brockville. She was beached on Grenadier Island, ami bj the use of life preservers the passengers and crew were safely landed, with the exception of one lady who jumped from the stern of the vessel, having on a lifepreserver improper ly adjusted, and a boy belonging to the steamer. The fire is supposed to have commenced in a stateroom in the upper saloon ; vessel, cargo and baggage an entire loss. On the 13th of October, the new propeller China took fire on her trip west, about 18 miles from Kingston. The crew were taken off by the propeller America. Vessel and cargo total loss. The fire is believed to have originated in the vicinity of the boiler. A few accidents to the machinery of steamboats were reported during the season, merely involving slight detention whilst the necessary repairs were being executed. MONTREAL DIVISION. Steamer Lawrence burnt, on her way from Montreal to Chambly, 20th November; total loss. One of the crew lost. No misconduct or neglect of duly reported among engi- 19G