Full Steam Ahead (31 page)

D
arius’s gut proved correct. The Bourdon tube pressure gauge, invented by Eugene Bourdon in 1849 and debuted at the Great Exhibition in London in 1851 as the New Metallic Manometer, went on to revolutionize the steam industry. In fact, this design proved so efficient, it is still in use today. Edward Ashcroft successfully marketed the gauge in the United States, and with a viable way to measure boiler pressure, Congress was convinced to pass additional safety legislation. The Steamboat Act of 1852 not only called for inspections of vessels, boilers, and engines but mandated licensing of riverboat pilots. Higher standards for boiler construction could be regulated and enforced with penalties imposed by the federal government. Licenses could be revoked if a vessel or pilot failed to meet the code. Life preservers and lifeboats also became required equipment to have on board.

The reformation of the steam industry did not occur overnight, but progress steadily pushed the nation toward safer procedures, equipment, and personnel. As a result, fewer ex
plosions stole innocent lives. Out of the 1852 Act, seeds were sown for the Steamboat Inspection Service, an entity solidified as an official government agency in 1871. This was the first regulatory agency of its kind and broke constitutional ground in giving our government the right to interfere with personal industry when public safety was at risk. It is because of this radical steamboat legislation that we are protected today by other agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Aviation Administration.

Darius and Nicole’s journey may have been fictional, but the times and events surrounding it changed history.

Two-time RITA finalist and winner of the coveted HOLT Medallion and ACFW Carol Award, CBA bestselling author
Karen Witemeyer
writes historical romance because she believes the world needs more happily-ever-afters. She is an avid cross-stitcher and shower singer, and she bakes a mean apple cobbler. Karen makes her home in Abilene, Texas, with her husband and three children. Learn more about Karen and her books at
www.karenwitemeyer.com
.

A Tailor-Made Bride

Head in the Clouds

To Win Her Heart

Short-Straw Bride

Stealing the Preacher

Full Steam Ahead

A Match Made in Texas—A Novella Collection

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