The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1844-11-10

1914.
Ward would have fed the boiler and ascertainet
would he have proceeded from Reading II he die
| not lind his pumps in working order" Mr. XIX
the foreman AT Reading, states, That he has every
reason Tor thinking that these precautions were
taken on the present occasion"
With regard 10 the general efficiency of the
feeling apparatus OF the Richmond, the evidence
Of Mr.. Simpson is most clear and conclusive
He says that Ward was his pupll-had hsen un
| by him in his business OF englneman-tha
he was ten years acquainted with him-ihat al
much from these long habits OF intimacy as from
the dictates OF official duty, Ward must have com
munlcated TO him any detects which, from Time
to time, he might have found In the Richmond 81
any difficulties in working heT-that during the
whole time she was IN his hands, he never made
any such complaints-that he never me ntonrd az
instance in which the pumps failed to deliver the
feed, and that he, s mpson, does not believe tina
their action ever was imperfect. Simpson aitt nd
ed usual on sunday, the LIST September, al the
depot TO The necessary repairs done to the en-
gines intended to work on Monday-fi'at me hich'
mond that occasion REQUIRED nothing 10 be sup
which Waid himself replaced. That Ward said
the engine drew Saturdays load Ills loaded wa.
sons) easily, and had power TO pull hsiy wagons
more without being strained.
u the water had been suffered to boil Down as
TO leave the crown piece anu 'i,c .ppsr fiues un-
covered, those parts must have been red hot. or
nearly 50. The condition OF copper tubes which
have been red hot is easily recognised Those IN
The boiler show none OF the signs OF having been
overheated The copper is neither redeemed nor
scaled nor rendered brittle. II has in short all the ap
oearance OF having been kept under d water, None
the fire place shows none OF the indications OF hav-
ing been incandescent. Among other appearances
against this, seems to be absolutely co elusive
the SCOT still remains thick the under side OF
he mis- 4 pledge
my judgment that neither the fire box nor the iues
have been oveYheated.
have caused these parts Of the boiler TO be ex-
aminedl by Mr. ]. Rash and Mr.. Simpson, each
OF whom concur generally in my views
In reference to this point it Is proper to observe
here, that rumor was prevalent nat the explosion
was produced by the imperfect acton OF the ieed
Dumps l traced this rumor to one IOf the brakes
men who was accordingly examined. II appeared
that he unacqualnted with the structure OF a
locomotive that he was uaable TO point out the
place of the f.. pump such machine, and that
when he saw the engineer, Joseph Ward, on Satur
day, 30h Septe mber, repairing the pin OF the hall
Il stroke, he mistoek that for the feed-pump. and
thereupon circulated the iumor that the pumpr
were imperfect, aud hence the reported cause Oi
the catastrophe.
conceive, then, that the above question must be
decided in the negative, and that there If body
If evidence sufficiently clear and conclusive "a
untenabe. .m.
THIRD QUESTION.
Was the catastrophe OF the Fad September pro-
duce b ythe mere mechanical effects OF lightning
think there are circumstances connected witt
The catastrophe which afford indications OF the
agency Of steam other elastic fluids 30 strong
that this question must be decid, IN the negative
The state Of the crown piece Of the ire place, IN.
loud explosion, the direction in which the boiel
was projected, and other circumstances needless IL
oe par,icularzed, form indications which car
scarcely be mistaken.
FOURTH QUESTION.
Was the catastrophe produced by the combined
| agency of atmospheric electricity and s,eas2
| The observation aud researches OF me,eoroo
gists have informed ps IN considerable detail al
he various effects mechanical, chemical aud ply
steal, produced on objects by atmospheric etcircI
Ivy II 10, however, matter ot regret, that the re
suit of their labors havt bee limted TO the mer,
history OF these effects The mode in which they
are brought about by electrical agency has no, beef
/ conclusivtly established. Among the effects III,
| most prominent are those produced upon the tenn
psraiure OF bodies; that lightning fuses metals b,
raising their temreraure, IL provedby the fact that
metal fused by lightning has fallen IN liquid drop
upon wooden floor, and upon the decks II vesse i
Il in winch they have burnt holes These effects ha,.
40, been confined 10 masses OF metal OF limited d
menson, nor have they been merely superficial
| considerable masses have been on various occa
| sions melted When the lightning has not produ
crd fusion the iron has been rendered lDcandes
cent and soft and reduced to the state necessar,
TOR welding ii; in a word, metals have been RAISED
| suddenly by atmospheric eectncity TO all condi
lions OF temperature, up and including their pon
of fusion. Examples OF these ELECTS might br mul
Iripled without end. In April 1907, lightning pass
ed along a large iron cham IN Lancashiie, IN Eng
land, and so softened the Inks that by their owl
weight they were welded together, and the chan
/ was converted into rodof IRON Ihe sane tffec
was produced at different times IN different places
Ia March, 1772, bar OF iron, Tour inches by hal
/ an inch thick. connected with a water pipe on tn
dome Of ST. Paui's Cathedral. was rendered re-
The mechanical effects of lightning consist il
piercing solid booes with holes, splitting them II
pieces, bending and twisting them IN various capri
cious forms and 10 projecting their fragments, some
tunes Of enormous weight, TO great distances =
| Buildings stricken by llghtRng, have produced q
| shock felt in their nelghborhood like that OF al
| earthquake the heaviest blocks composing thei
walls being scattered all directions, and project
| ed TO distances SO great as two hundred ieet a
church was stricken in Cornwall, from the roof o
which, stone weighing nearly 200 pounds was pro
ecled to Assistance, 60 yards another fragment belnt
L stance in Scotland mass OF rock, ZS feet long,
feet wide, and feet thick, WIS raised In the al
and projected over an eminence 10 distance o.
s @fK yards Similar examples might easily be "''
Large masses of iron are fonnd to have strong
influence in attracting lightning, and this influence
appears to be great in proportion TO Its weight
Thus lightning passing outside the wall OF building
has been drawn through by iron boiler within
Some years ago, chain pier or bridge IN England
was destroyed during aviolent storm, and although
from its nature It was continued into the earth, ,
was broken to fragments, It's heaviest parts were
bent, doubled, twisted and knotted IN most Gu
PRECIOUS forms, although no signs Of fusion appear
| ed upon il.
Ihaye given these particulars in order TO infoTm
those not familiar with meteorological Inquiries
what are the actual effects which have been pro
duced by the agency Of atmospheric electricity
he question now Is, whether this agency has beer
| operative in the catastrophe before US.
II appears by the general evidence 81 the entire
population around the vicinity OF the catastrophe
as we'll az by the special evidence OF the lndivld
uals who have been personally examined, that, a
the time Of this occurrence, teIrihc storm 81
thunder and lightning ragged /; Two OF the men npoi
the train, who survived, prove that the flashes q
ghtn ng were incessant, both before and alter the
| explosion and that The lightning was Of the spe
clss called "zig-gag lightning" j Is proper here
To observe that, OF the different species Of lightning
tins 10 the kind by which terrestrial objects are gen
| eraly stricken; this species never, Tor II ever
n.s..s het cloud and cloud. hu