The Sun.
London, England, 1855-10-11 00:00:00

THE BOILER EXPLOSION AT WALKER.

NEWCASTLE, Tuesday.—A coroner's inquest on the
bodies of the persons killed by this explosion was held
at the News-room, Walker, this day, before Stephen
Reed, Esq., coroner South Northumberland. The jary
having been sworn,

ThE;Coroner briefly addressed them on the importance
of the inquiry on which they had now entered, after
which

Wm. Livingston, engine wright, having the general
superintendence of the engines in the iron works, being
sworn, said that the boiler which exploded had been at
work for some years. It was high-pressure construc-
tion. Last June we had a general examination of
the engines and boilers, and the boiler that exploded
yesterday amongst thereat. Every part of the engines and
boilers that we found deficient was repaired thoroughly
at that time. The boiler that exploded was in connec
tion with another boiler, and each of them bad two safety
valves. Igo several times through the course of the
day to examine the boilers, and see that everything is
right, and particularly the safety-valves of the boilers to
see that they are all in working order. We have two
floats upon each of the cylinder boilers, to denote the
quantity of water. We have an indicator that these
floats act upon, to show the engineman the quantify of
water in the boiler. The boilers are pressed with
weights from between 351bs, and 401bs. to the square
inch. The boiler-plates are threfeeighths of an inch
thick, and are capable of bearing a pressure of 5011 es. to
' the square inch. The engineman is not allowed to add
any further weight to the lever. I have never known
the engineman to increase the weight in order to get up
steam. The lever was destroyed and broke from the cup
by the explosion. Once a fortnight we take the safety-
valve out, and clean it. The last time this operation was
performed was on Sunday last, when the valve was found
in proper working order. On the Monday mornings the
fireman and engineman attend between three and four
o'clock in the morning, to get the steam up, and the
engine is generally ready for work at six o'clock, when
the workmen come to the factory. The explosion took
place at half-past ten o'clock yesterday ; the engine had
been at work for four hours and a half. We have a cis-
; tern where the water is heated, and at boiling heat it is
'pumped into,the boiler. No cold water can get in. I
cannot say what caused the explosion. The Tyne water
has a slight corrosive quality, that acts upon the plates
of the boiler a little ; but it never gets any thickness so
, as to cause corrosion, ns we run the water out and clean
the boilers -once a fortnight. The exploded boiler was
cleaned on Sunday last. I questioned the engineman
very much as to his having a sufficient quantity of water
11 in the boiler. He told me he had but a quarter of an hour
before the explosion examined the boiler to ascertain what
quantity of water there was in,and he found rather too
much in, and he had shut off the supply, and sent it to ano-
ther boiler. The remaining water would not, in these
boilers, be rapidly reduced by evaporation. On examin-
ing the valves of the boiler I found them both shut,
which showed that the engine-man 'had been attending
to his duty. If the valves had been found open his
statement would not have been true. There are two
boilers connected together, and fed by the same pipe.
It might be that the water was thrown out of one boiler
to the other, lout I think it could not be in this case, as
one man was firing one boiler, and the other man clean-
ing the grate of the other boiler ; and the boiler that had
the slack fire would be more -apt to take in the water
than the other. The boiler that exploded *as that which
had the slack fire. I believe there had been no want of
water in the boiler that exploded. I believe that a boiler
will not fly out of its seat if there is a sufficient quantity
of water in it; but it might burst. lam at a loss to know
why the boiler was thrown so far from its seat, except
there had been a deficiency of water ; but yet I have no
reason to -doubt the truth of the engineman's statement.
I saw the boiler about 7 o'clock, and then noticed that
the index was standing in its right position, which at
that time denoted that there was a sufficiency of water.
The water could not be diminished in that quantity by
half-past ten o'clock to render the boiler unsafe.
After this witness had been examined, the Coroner
said be was unwilling to proceed any further without the
assistance of a scientific man ; some one who was better
acquainted with steam-engines than himself. The in-
quest was accordingly adjourned till this day week.
The remains of the sufferers were interred this day at
Longbenton, the Coroner having given the necessary
order for that purpose.
There are f3even altogether who have lost their lives.
Another lies at the infirmary in a precarious state. Of
the rest none have sustained serious injury.