New-York daily tribune., 1856-08-01
THE EMPIRE STATE DISASTER.


On the reafsembliDg of the jury this morning. John
A. Brown Of Fa! River was called. He testified that
he bad been fireman on the Empire State for two
years pa.t. He board on Saturday night last.
but noticed nothing unusual until the explosion
occurred; lie fireman Of the laboard boiler the high
est rate of steam this boiler, by the gauge, was
not over 80 pounds on that hlsati r.u Il Pigat p1t
and Newport. Part Of his duty was to watch the head
of steam, but it particularly the duty Of the
fire at the other END of the boiler to watch the
water gauge; was watching the steam gauge at the
time the accident occurred the gauge 81 the after end
f the boiler was higher than the forward one; his in
sruc,ons not to let the steam go oyei 35 Just
before the explosion, the gauge indicated 92 hsd mol
time when It occurred to notice my own gauge;
short time before the accident on the other SIDE
of the boat; in about two minutes, saw the smoke
pipe as passed to my own boiler; II looked hot ana
us as got back the explosion took place; had not
se en- il 30 hot before it cooling do IN at the tme
the explosion took place; there was one fireman at
each end of the boiler; did not look at the starboard
steam gauge while there; as soon as the en
10 the accident, noticed nothing to siarn
me or make me uneasy nothing al anytime to in-
dca'e anything wrong about the boers except little
leak: had not beard at any time that the boilers were
dangerous; had heard the cleaners inform the engi-
Leeis of little defects; had often heard tha! these
boilers dio not make steam as readily as others the
boat started back Fall River soon after the acct
dent steam enough could De rased 10 opei"'e 'ho
since the accident have been examined by j. o. Neil
Inspector; when at Newpor', last saturday nisn.,
Mr. B ockwsy told me to fire one furnace light after
leaving Newport; when he saw the smokestack II
was red hot mort Of the way up; was told IT had oeen
worse and was then cooling of; never saw the smoke
stack 30 heated as then.
state saw nothing unusual Saturday night from
the time of leaving Fall River till the eIplosion no
ticed no unusual efforts to make speed on the Doat;
th blower bac been used less than on that mig
noticed little leak but did not think much Of it, and
| felt DO alarm the head of steam at the time
of the accident could not have been higher than ~ OF
"a: il had been az high 30 before reaching new
port after leaving Newport did not reach over Soi
| after the explosion / crawled to the upper
| deck and tried to raise the safety-valve, oIt
| falling. went down to the fire room, deck
| ard opened the pans; have seen the smoke PIPE
hot On pre yous occasions, but not on my SIDE OF the
ioat unit that night; often heard kissing noises on
| board the boat; heard that a man was under the
boiler that night to examine 1t; the hremen have
| complained OF the boiler makers being around 80
| much as to Interfere with their work; knew oil NO
crack N the boiler; the Third Engineer came In ana
shut down my blower short time before the acci'
dent.
| Augustus Deal, another fireman on the boat, was
| sworn-Went under the starbosrd boiler on Saturday
night TO see IL there any leakage and did not os'
cover ANYTHING unusual at that time; when the expo
sion occuried was just going out from underit. ine
remainder Of the testimony of this witness was uni'
William Booth, boiler maker, did not consider the
boers of the Empire State either in very bad or very
coed condition. ught they had been better oracoo
no explosion VIC ula have occurred he should have no
fear IN gong to NewYork in the freroom OF the isr-
| board boiler. A..
Messrs Lamb and Haddan, also boier-makers' tes'
| tfec to neary the same elect. II, W.,
Mr.. Brockway, the Chief Engineer, recaledIma as
in the boers OH Saturday with Mr.. ketchun the ot
ter called his attention TO defect In the iarooifu
boiler, hut no apprehension of Danger was 10" Ut ca
pressed. dollar.
Henry b. Renwick, Inspector Of Steamboat Bollers
for the port of New.York, attributed the explosion
to the giving way of the nvets in the nnng ol .au
| cbimrey which caused collapse. HIS testimony ux
generally was corroborative Of that by Inspector ILL
yetterdsy :.o,.,ad
The wounded are better to-day, being lnvgoraeenn n
by the cool weather and hopes are entertained 'na' a
OF them will recover ,r
The inquest will probably get through tomorrow