The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-05-16
The Boiler EXPLOSION In BrOOklyn.

1n0 HDOAAeh E<xRbOHbOn IN nrWoASyos
The Coroner OF Kings county yesterday investigated
the Of the stesmboer explosion the Broolyu
City Mills -
lillian NJ. Andrews called and sworn-Resides at No 81
Willow street, in Brooklyn; his place a business
next door TO the City Mills; between eight aud nn,
o'clock on Thursday evening last his hotler rang tn,
bell and alarmed him; the hostler told him the mill
fire. next door he got there in about two minutes
Ice beats; he did not go into the upper story of tn,
buildings be went round to the FIRE room door aud toot
Looking I'M he asked what was the matter and whether
had heard little noise like the noise Of cat; they
brought ont the that hurt and witness follow
ed thu m about hundred feet towards Fulton House
there five six men carrying attending hun and
he went towards the Fulton ferry to call officer bu
could find one he then went where the party were
and found two police ofcers; a them. ut witness
request went to the and the other, with witness, e
the building as he thought it FIRE; ht
faced the bcier he perceived the left hand furnace
door open and there good DIES Of FIRE about IL
looked as Ii the fire had been blown out there good
deal was about under foot and he sent into hi
place to get buckets and the fire put ia a few
minutes went then into the upper story and there
the young man. who had just testified, (the witness
ToPy) no enc else was there or any where they
lad all followed the man who was hurt Torpy seemed
very much agitatcd and hsdly capable Of knowing ws
he was about they then sent to find MIR IIowe wiJ
in about hour witness first asked ro.y whether
there any FIRE in the place he raid he thought
kept his man and his son there until Mr. IIowe
went twice and the man dying he seemed quite in
s,Esibe, and did not say anything; had the
before, as he was frequently the dock aud had
OF the attention u
his business; he seemed to be remarkably attentive
and witness bad often him trying the pipes
guase pipes, be believed; they called them.
TO !uror-In April last be had the mill no.
going ana then saw that the crank If the engine
broken bat he never knew Of any accident happening
James CLARK then callcd-Was not present at the
time. and know nothing Of the circumstances Of the ac.
c.isDt Ordered to stand aside for the rresent
The further exaniI a.icn here adjourned till two
o'cluck.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
Or the re assembling Of the jury Thomas Duffy was
called and examined-Wit resided at the OF
Hudson avenue and Marshall street. an engineer;
bad IN SO about six years; now worked for Mr. Howe
at he City Mi had done about two weeks altop
Their when he first went, the engineer sick Mr..
Howe told him he expected the engineer back when he
got lett. but witness might work until he did, he went
IN Friday and staii till Monday when the engineer
said he would take hold Tuesday morning; he did 20,
and worked in the day time; witness worked at night
til Saturday. and was afterwards sent for worked there
the day Of the accident from between xix
O'Clock in the morning. till six O'Clock in the evening"
had never inspected the engine and boilers the engines
he used to work and fix them up the her engineer
kernGn. (thc deoeased) and the fireman engaged
in the early part Of last we, in cleaning the boilers he
Lad never been in the boiler the that blew on
bad been IN the main boilers but not TO txamne them
only to put in new gauge cock: the first week he
there they had been in the of carrying 10 pou ads
to the square inch. and he carried the same PRESSURE
Stree then they had thrown Of the work out Of
gear, up stairs that they did not want to use and they
did not take much stean-but from about 10
pounds; no directed him what to carry: he al
ways carried in factories where he worked, what he
the pearance ofthe bors and what be heard oftheG;
feIcrally. when he went to engine. lie inquired
how long the boilers had been in use, aud formed
his opinion from that and the quantity they had
been in the habit Of carrying: this engine was
calculated at 70 horse poserthat Is Of 50 each
lie thought he quite 10 carry the amount Of
steam required, he would not have stopped there:
saw the engineer who was there last the
ming bsioic tie explosion; Lis William Kits,
The horgh) he asked witness what steam he had been
carrying; witness said 80 10 10 AMI he told him he had
in his time, carried high 80; when he first
there, there were fcur employ citwo hremen and
twoengneeIs-oLe engineer and one fireman for day duty
ard one 81 each for night duty; witness after engineer
came back ran the engine II night, up to Saturday;
about The time cf the accident he partly without
fftman there were then only two Of them: he got
fir just the morning before the accident he Thought
that il not abs outely for safety TO have
fr,inan assist in running the engine; the work was
heavier in tie day than q; night time; not
ib,re st the time Of the accident--not until next
mornings did net know particularly what the
II the accidents weak place in the cross-b1iler
h examined it, and found the iron pretty thin did not
think it was an original defect, bat that 1t had been
eaten away ~ some means; could not account for It
ules- it from the boiler resting the brick work
in such closc contact which might it by keeping
damp line round the boiler; thin would hinder the tire
FRI nj rassrs round the boiler; did not know whether
there We're any scales inside. he had not been
in; lut judging from the they used. and
' hch was kelly TO produce them. he thought there
must have been when Ii cleaned these scales
wear the iron away; and If they allowed 70
main on. they keep the water away from the iron.
ard consequently the iron would burn; did not
know, iut had heard that that cros-boiler sd been
III ust Two years, Ola LCt KNOW now ioEg rucl boilers
e.mnlly lasted II was necessary TO clean out
th'se loilers. running a tl+y did night aud day
every two weeks the last time they cleaned the
cro-sboiler they had found small place, AID put
patch en- Il there was no team st the time; Ii
The opposite end. in the line; witness then
working at the engine. and had oDnce to inspect
the Boilers they did find any defect they would re-
pot II 70 the person they working for
To a Jnrer.-lf he had known a that weak place In
the bo lie would not have driven the engine without
speaking eff
70 anothu-The defect could not Dc seen without ex-
minaion. or having his attention called 70 it.
To The Coroner.-Gencraiy Speaking, they examine
boilers fr, the inside he thought when they hsd
ci sned those boilers they might have discovered the
defect.
Mr. Howe here stated tina; 1t sal: water that
was used and one a the Jurors sai he had only Inferred
20 fr, M what witness had said.
AWitness said nob was VIII water he expected Il
the engineers duty TO lock after and examine tho boil
81. and report to the ownershis employers the Patch
that put found by the -econd engineer Her
he d. cased) seemed to get along well; he
competent 10 stop, and starr and attend totc firing up
ard knew when there WAS too much steam; had not bcn
acquainted with him long enough 10 speak "a 10 his
character ns an engineer, but .son what lie had Il
him, he thought he was comIrtcat to run TN engine
nthe,
Mr. Calvin Y Howc-E led at ~ strong place was
the proprietor of the brooklyn city Mills about -
Year, ago iast month he bo'isht those mills q
Ira Payne. ard had them thoroughly cvcraued by Mr.
liam Burden, who contracted II thoroughly repair
b. N. and put in new cross boiltr Witness here pro-
duct d diagram. and explained that the boilers
then set three feet lower than they were now and lac
bought III. unsafe though the. lad given satisfc-
ton ~ had also tefore TIE ttBe OF cross bocr;
had the main boilers ~ them three back
the other four courses or plates N iron length
trcd two "a MAKE them thirty instead ~
feet long He had had the four hur two in
each boiler. wholly removed and bcw put IN their
places so that when they wNc returned thy pro-
nourced to Re better tlan new II ,r. FOR part of Them
had been tasted. lie had hid experience that csc.s
i,ir was great improvement ia collecting sediment
and preventing IL being directly the ire The water
uttd was coed Brooklyn water. from wtll which the
former had had dug aud he lad ruFcb sed At the
sanc tine. though there was a. good deal II
lime IN X. from the quantity q water pnmrcd up 3D.
ward kttnan. the deceased. whom h. had
On Iloy ID about four six months ego. lie had
there fr,ngn and assisted the oDgincCr lie here
explained y the diagram What necessary 10 work
tie rgLs wth safety and that tie de,ca ed always
PARTICULARLY careful 10 keep NJ sufficient supply II
water ana forth lie would. ~ m the
Wien The engineer at dinner for inst hayr
The ehaTic ~ The mere running. but he never had the
solc cTnfTe witness particularly careful - give
directions ~ t. cleaning bOlcrs and having the fr-inc
~ ord,r sud was always ebout The niu lmstli iui,r-
fls q tie time he iii lis husinfs ~ thr time a