The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-09-04
The Goerck Street Explosion.

The Goerck street explosion was under investea.
ton before Coroner Jacman yesterday The inquest was
held the Eleventh precinct station house, the pre-.
sence of large number Of Spectators among whom
many engineers and boiler makers The result Of
the inquiry looked forward to with much interest by
the citizens in the ncighborhood especially 1t hal been
rumored that the accident had been brought by
lessness the part Of the engineer However the ver
dict Of the jury announcing the fact that nobody was TO
blame, served in measure to relieve the minds OF
the people, and fully restore the accused to tho conf
dence Of his employers. The following is report OF the
investigation, together with the verdict Of the jury
Edward II Brown, being duly sworn, says-I reside q.
No. lilo Columbia street; rent part OF the premise
where the explosion took place. left the shop about ono
minute before the explosion took place. have looked
the boiler this morning, and appeared be very sub
s,anua ono; deceased has been my employ since Tues
day last from The appearance Of the tube the boiler
should think that he water had got too high the reason
have seen boiler that exploded before, that
is simply supposion on my part am IN partnership
Abraham Bowden being duly sworn, sayss-T reside at
No 367 Eighth street; am by trade machnist;
tine engine where the explosion took place. in the
ing when we start We never carry than is to 35 bs
Of s,eam the afternoon the foreman told to have
the steam ready blast three oclock about ha-
past two O'Clock commenced clean out the fire get
up at three O'Clock the foreman In and told
me 10 start the blast told him had not steam enough
only had IS lbs on; at 81 O'Clock started her with
60 lbs Of steam then dropped down to 90 lbs and then
came up o Do ibs about four O'Clock ! went down %
be three guages Of water; the pumps were half an
hour before at this time there 55 lbs Of steam on;
turned around to come up stairs out Of the reroom when
the explosion took place which blew up stairs into tho
engine room the boiler is capable of carrying $50 lbs
have had as high pressure on as 5 bs had there been
10 ibs the time Of the explosion the would
have escaped through the safety valve the only way In
which for the explosion is that the boer,s
which was locomotive one was apt 70 foam that -
would think water came cut Of the guage cocks when
nothing but foam then the valve Of the pump might
have been choaked up preventing the water from going
into the boiler there might have been Jaw in the iron
my opinion at the time Of the accident was that
arch have driving engines for the last two years
and half the first gauge cock is above the arch; the
second three four inches above that am pretty
sure there in the second cock have the
boiler without any water coming out of the second cock,
which think was perfectly safe. =.
Alexander Cauldwell being duly sworn, deposed fol-
lows-I reside at Newburg; am practical boiler
ker: havo the boiler that exploded, and Of
opinion, from the examination have made that the
poson occurred from want Of water; the sheet
has blush color which indicates that there could not
have been enough of in the boilers the pro-
badly settled down the crown plate and was converted
into gas which IL u1dad my opniSn& ; & caused the
it would be difficult to tell whether water passed into the
boiler or not, .ot
deposed foowsIam engaged In the foundry business,
but by profession engineer made the drawing and
superncnded the structure Of the boiler and engine that
cxpoded the boiler was run under my supervision for
two years; in my opinion the accident resulted from
water, had there Deen SunClent QOnt bnnk
it could have occurred is very easy for TO be de-
ceiyed by boiler that foams at the time the boiler was
constructed Mr. Roach offered bonus of at least $50
the builder have made extra strong; there every
precauon taken TO guard against accidents the boer
was larger than was necessary for the size Of the engne
but made large so that we would not be required
to force il; only used about twothrds Of the grate
surface; the boiler made about three years ago.
Samuel Secor being duly sworn, deposcd that he was
boiler maker, doing business at No. 100 Washington
street; he examined the boiler before it Mr..
Roachs shop, and considered It perfectly safe to carry
/ from lU0 10 lou pounQS OF steam, i nave ex-
amined the boiler since the explosion, and
ceived by the foam; he had thrown open his furnace
door and thrown fresh coal he could easily have
how much xas. he really had , IN the S S0r Ma. the s
| water, and unable to bear the pressure, exploded
No 800 Rvng,on street. am general superintendent q
the building No o6 Goerck street; my father the pro-
pre,or left the shop about half past o'clock yester
day before left the engineer in the engine room;
he peared very much heated; asked him what was
the matter, when he said he had been making up O fresh
fire; returned to the shop few minutes after four
O'clock went into the Office, looked the steam guage
and saw that il indicated As lbs then took chair and sat
down. in about five minutes afterwards the explosion took
place. and was buried in the ruins week ago had the
pump repaired and the punger and stopping box thoroughly
oyerhaued had given orders to the engineer have
the safety valve fixed for seventy pounds of steam have
reason to believe that removed from that figure;
gine; at the usual rate Of speed have always cautioned
the engineer TO have plenty of the boiler and to
see thai is heated before putting it into the boiler;
have always foUnd the engineer sober and attentive
have often been IN the engine room and always found
plenty OF water III the boiler; the engineer to
highly recommended; have never the steam guage
indicate more than eLty i've pounds the engine was
only from twelve to fifteen horse power; from what
know Of the engineer supposed he perfectly understood
his business.
j. s. Underhn residing 4s5 Tenth street. deposed as
folows-I am steam engine and boiler maker built
the boiler for Mr. Roach about three and half years
ago. told him what would build rate boiler for,
when he offered me nfy dollars more to build
him good one told him did want the extra money!
but would put the best wor<men had on IT. after il was
made tested TO Mr. Roachs satisfaction and deliver
ed over examined the boiler this morning found
i good, with the exception Of the fire box, which was
had any accident Of the kind bappen in my opinion the
boiler explored from lack Of water; the best engineers
liable to be mistaken when boiler foams foaming is
quite common especially where tubular boilers are used:
there might not have been than forty five pounds Of
steam on, when sudden supply of water from the
pumps would create rapid rise Of steam, which might
have caused the explosion.
John Roach the proprietor Of the foundry, deposed
that he saw the engine about I've minutes before the ex
ploson took place and then the pumps going tho
engine making about forty revolutions per mi
the boiler to to be nrs rate one; lie engineer
came highly recommended, but did not let him take
charge of the engine until had inquired about him
myself intimate friend Of mine, practical engineer,
gave him an excellent character, and thereupon en-
ployed him.
John Gardner, of No ll2 Columbia street. machinist
and engineer Of fourteen years standing gave Bowden the
engineer an excellent character, and believed him
at Mr.. Reaches establishment.
Robert Turey and Patrick Conne identified the body OF
deceased and testified to finding it among the ruins de-
ceased not dead when exricated but expired soon
after being taken to the station house.
The then submitted to the ury who after due
delberaton, rendered the following
VERDICT:
That the said Joseph Schade TO his death by In.
uries received from the accidental explosion Of the steam
boiler used in the foundry of Mr. John Roach in Goerck
street. and from very careful examination Of the evil
dence before fully exonerate Mr. Roach and all
parties connected with his establishment from all blame
Inc deceased was native Of England, and was only
nineteen years old.
City Intelligence.
FIRE N WEST THIRTY THIRD STREZT-Loss ABour $lo oo00-
Between nine and ten o'clock yesterday morning q
Ere broke out In the feed store Nos los and l10 Yves