The Sun.
London, England, 1866-09-15 00:00:00

The Fatal Explosion in Chatham Dockyard.

Yesterday afternoon an inquest was held by Mr.
T. Hills, the coroner for Chatham, on the bodies of
Robert Owen Stallwood and Frederick May, the
two workmen killed on the occasion of the recent
boiler explosion in Chatham Dockyard, 'when, in
addition to the number stated killed, upwards of
40 of the workmen were more or less injured. The
inquiry was attended by Lord Henry Lennox, m.F.,
Secretary of the Admiralty, Captain W. H. Stewart,
C. 8., superintendent of the dockyard, Major Palley,
R.E., superintendent of works, Mr. Baker, chief
engineer, Mr. Thornton, master shipbuilder, and
other officials connected with the dockyard. 111 r.
A. A. Arnold, of the firm of Essell, Knight, and
Arnold, Admiralty solicitors, Rochester, attended
to watch the case on behalf of the Admiralty. Mr.
Thomas Palmer Baker, chief engineer and inspec-
tor of machinery at Chatham Dockyard said he had
held his appointment ten years, and had the whole
of the machinery in the dockyard under his charge.
The boiler which exploded.drove the steam-hammer
used in the block of buildings adjoining the metal
mills. [The witness here produced a number of
drawings and photographs, showing the position of
the boiler both before and after the explosion.]
The boiler which exploded was made in 1850 in
Woolwich Dockyard, and erected at Chatham Dock-
yard. It was fitted with safety valves, gauges, and
everything complete. Witness heard of the explo-
sion a few minutes after it had occurred. On pro-
ceeding to the spot he saw the exploded boiler which
had destroyed the adjacent buildings. The dome
of the boiler, weighing a ton and a half, had been
blown about 40 yards away. The two deceased
men were afterwards picked up from under the
ruins of the boiler, and both quite dead. The
deceased May was the stoker, and had charge of the
boiler which exploded. He had been a stoker four
years and seven mouths, and was considered a very
steady, careful man. Witness had made a careful
examination of the boiler since the accident, and had
discovered several weak places. Where the boiler
was imbedded in the brickwork the plates were
much thinner than in the other portions. The boiler
could be worked up to a pressure of 581bs. to the
square inch, but at the time of the explosion it could
not have been working up to that pressure, and WO
only worked at 541bs. pressure. Every portion of
the boiler which the witness had examined, an
d
even that which was weaker than the rest, was well
able to stand the pressure put upon it. In proof a
this, witness had yesterday tested the remaining
boiler, which showed the same symptoms of weak-
ness as the one exploded, and found it bore a pres-
sure of 901bs. to the square inch. Witness would
have tested it to 1501bs. had he the means of doing
so. In the opinion of witness the explosion was
caused by a want of water in the boiler. The boiler
was made of the best Yorkshire iron, with 7_l6thl
plates. The thickness of the flues was 7-16 tbs, an
' of the shell 3-Bths. No man was trusted as a stoker
until the officials were satisfied of his capabilities.
The deceased, May, had been under the care of the
surgeons of the yard about two years ago, for some
disease of the eye, but he had long since returned
to his duty. The glass gauge and steam gauge were
is good order. After some other evidence the
coroner summed up, and the jury returned a verdict
g 4 That the deceased lost their lives by the accidenta.l
) explosion of a boiler in Chatham Dockyard, snen
explosion being caused by an insufficiency of Water
in the boiler."