The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1864-04-23
--LL-.- -
THE GHENAHG0 DISASTER.

Confirmation OF the CovOnsr's Invssts'
The Corcner's jury met again yesterday afternoon an'
psoceeded with the evidence. the following witnessed
were examined, and from present Appearances u vii
take another week before the afIair 10 concluded
George B. higgins, resides at No 100 Cannon street
NY. 10 machinst and employed In the Morgan lFoI
works. assisted In running the engine Of the Chenang'
ninety sx hours the boilers held water very badly
they foamed considerably a one time the piston cam'
down the water tho bottom OF the cylinder and
forced the rod into the piston onesxteenth Of an incl
further tran able TO do In the ship; wo com
msncsd running with open throttes, but was com
PEELED 10 shut of for my own safety, a. she made
sngineers; one Of the engineers VINO was at work
compelled to run the engines with the throttle wide
ppen stated 10 him that should nse my own judgment
about the matter considered y dangerous to run the
engine; in dread the whole time was on the ship
there Is handle TO let OF water in the cylinder part
Of the starting gear did rot keep fresh water 10 the
down but never could keep IL down my watch and
~ the same time The boilers with safety never
saw the handle spoke q rugged on any vessel before
at zero n the scales the most pressure ever had on
the boiler was forty pounds; ] consider y ngerous
slider myself competent to tell where my water Is;
and use all exeriion to get tie water down; consider
the Martin boiler lab TO FOAM with my expert
ence than any other boiler think the water is
liable 10 be suddenly converted into steam and
thrown from its level in the Martin boiler than any other
boiler have had any experience with some OF the tubes
In this boiler placed TO receive the intensity OF
the tire, while others exhausted this not he case
with boilers having horizontal tubes think have not
the boiler since the explosion think the beating
space the Martin boiler than the water space
win allow drawing The steam so near from the surface Of
the water the foamng takes place commences at the
crown sheet the most dangerous foaming commences
there; If the foaming took place in the tubeS think II
would have tendency torse the heavy substance being
below.
Joseph Belknap sworn--Reside in 1850 West Twelfth
street, New York; am engineer examined the engine
and boilers The Chenango Goth inst the Of
the boiler is about sixteen feet end ten eot the
other; the number Of square inches in the boiler as shown
by the drawing (exhibed) that requires 10 be stayed Is
IS Gao did notice the number Of stays In the boiler
at the 800 inches BRACE therc are q COO
pounds each brace think the brace shown capable Of
sustaining pressure OF Il 900 pounds; would suspend
81 600 pounds the brace shown but would not like to
trust In boiler, because the braces would nos all draw
alike strain would than another; boilers
usually braced from SO TO 100 and IA Hat surface
TO sustain the different pressures angle IRON would
help stay IT, iron on the sides the irs stown
10 drawing has probably down very near the tubo
sheet, almost twenty-five feet think the Of the
- noSnds rh" he braces The "a. being
elastic and the brace non elastic, the strain would not
entirely come upon the brace the two combined forming
eight space 1 Tor stays BE- n from. Of
boiler, and the same number lengthwse, which would
1s AFTER e test Of sixty =" pounds
DOT possible 10 explode bolsr with less
some change has been made; u is possible for
change take place, In putting hydraulic pressure
on q boiler: as II only remains on a moment, It may
strain something which may give way at some other
70 BE- fast 70 iron the elasticity Of The bar is the safety
OF the boiler the iron capable OF certain degree Of
elasticity without fracture; the elasticity o. the bar
III allow the braces TO equal strain without
pressure in my opinion they had been TO work 10 the
boiler and detached OF the braces and neglectng
quence; have not examined the interior OF the
boiler examination found that opinion erroneous,
sure on The boiler there Is nothing on the brace shown
would Indicate that excessive heat bad been applied
II the brace had BEEN heated would show = N some
does not show that appearance have given the plan OF
the Martin boiler considerable study have supernended
beard any opinions expressed against the safety Of the
Martin boilers regar them safe % any other II they
as q e. nS =
O the boiler; think TIE explosion IVES caused
oo q Ss s' q the nv sSsioa God
he explosion was caused by detective sheet Of iron. II
he piece shown was part Of the boiler.
h. a. is So y
superintendent OF the Morgan Iron Works, New York.
had nothing 10 do with the construction Of the boiler Of
he Chenango examined since the explosion; noticed
The fracture the shell; In my opinion the iron
shown Is good, better than generally used 10 boil.
ron that pea ahouSS. detective appeared DO 70 By
fracture from the rivets did the mercury but
examined the tell tale the mercury would blow out at
ifty pounds pressure. the mercury had blown out at
ifty pounds the steam would cause noise that any
perienced person would notice: II is difficult 10 say
neither the explosion occurred at less pressure than
pounds person could tell under certain condio
the boiler, what length OF time might take 10 generate
pressure sufficient TO explode boiler before that pres
could reach the mercury gauge would take consde
able time TO raise the pressure from fifty TO sixty pounds
that Il would be indicated the gauge do not think
hat the boiler exploded under less pressure than sixty
,ounds-or seventy pounds the inspector should
discovered any defect In the construction OF the
boiler: my impression is that II must have been some
hing extraordinary to have caused the explosion il the
put In as the inspector stated the braces
leading lug the tube box instead Of two think
he strength OF the single lug anticipated TO with
much greater pressure than that supposed be
the boiler under ordinary circumstances think that
~ sveeshths that its breaking oe Weight Ss could
be less than forty thousand pounds being equal
'xtyour thousand pounds per square inch ondsy,a
week ago. asked MIR. Cah how everything was on board
Martin boiler safe boiler DO mot think il as safe as
harge found fault with them in regard fOamng
general opinion OF the Martin boilers Is that they
oam more or less Mr. CahAl was considered careful
man far as know.
Thos Smith, N. D., naval surgeon in charge OF naval
hospital testified that to this date twenty six persons
have died from the effects the explosion Of the boiler
the Chenango died from scads and the inhalation Of
steam.
hat he made partial examination Of the damaged boil
DR. present when the piece taken from II tested
1 fair sample Of the iron used for that purpose
hat detective
70 the Jury-witness had taken leading part in con
'ructng many boilers, both marine and stationary had
examined this boiler sufficiently TO form an opinion Of
he workmanship and mechanical construction II was
a sample OF the Martin boiler used BY the United STATES
think Il was sufficiently braced for the
purpose for which II intended; approve Of the mode
u bracing applied to the Chenansos boilers think the
best mode OF bracing q boiler OF this form
g TO combine the iron with the rigid brace
10 depend upon the two jointly to sustain IT, had been
employed upon boilers OF similar form, and did not
cuf mt
fiat surface every ten inches squarenot less than
ourteen or fifteen inches apart II the surface was
thened with the iron the shell OF the Cbenapgos
Doeswss five sixtecnths Of an inch thck the explosion,
Witnesses opinions was caused by deficiency o. water
In the boiler, which deficiency caused by foaming.
Frank J. Bell sworn:-Resdes at 227 sixth aveone;
look the indicator diagrams Of the Chenango boiler while
running ninetysx hours; the pressure the cylinder
nineteen pounds and on tho boiler twenty six pounds
The engines worked well most OF the time: frequently
heard the piston strike the water very few naval en-
gpeers were present during the trial. did not sec the
boilers tested
John Dolan, sworn-Resides 10 North second, near
Second street. Brooklyn 10 boiler maker boarded the
Chenango and examined the rupured boiler a.