New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-04-22
THE CHENANGO DISASTER.
Confirmation OF the investigation as 10
the Cause OF the Explosion.

TIE boiler explosion on the u - steam eu"po' 'n0
mango, Friday ofast week. was continued yesterday
afternoon. The following is the evidence elected;
Vim. W. Wood sworn: Am chief engineer IN the
United States Navy and had general supervision OF
the construction of the BOILERS of tue Chenango; my IN
distractions were TO have them made both as 10 ael
aud workmanship in the most thorough manner In con-
fornity with the neutrality-suspicious. ~ when
received instruction from the Secretary OF the Navy
through tine Superintendent OF contracts IN relation 10
the bracing Of al boilers under my inspection being
constructed in the Navy department. wac instructed
particularly ss in reference 70 me braeihg
which | communicated to the local Inspector
Che witness here read letter Of Instruction to the cher
Engineer. Mr.. Theodore Zeler under whose Inspection
ard supervision the boilers OF the Chenango were con-
stiuced. lie charged to exercise the utmost
diligence In their construction 50 as Ia he manufactured
stOuty in accordance with speciicatiOns) have not
examined the boer-that Is tie business OF the local
inspectors an additional strain wonid pe impaired To
tie remaining stays above "a and under 79 the area OF
the top Of the boiler is 1872 square feet or oo square
inches. making 2el square inches to each stay the
spaces were 10 by III Inches on the side beng 10
square inches. TO a brace; these boilers were never
| intended 10 work over IS pounds Of pressure.
Question by the COroner-ls it possible after boiler
has endured pressure Of GO pounds the inch OF cold
water without giving way to blow it up with less
pressure unless some changes are made by decay or
otherwisc1 think hot
Q. If the boilers of the Chenango did bear cold
water pressure Of 90 lbs. and then used Ia the
ordinary way for four days ia II possible 10 blow up
with less than 90 lbs. pressure' A. Not with the same
conditions under which they sustained GO lbs pressure
o. According 10 your calculations. about how much |
pressure per square inch would carry away the stays
A II the iron OF which the stays were made was capable
of sustaining strength OF 5000 pounds per inch OF
which would be 1888 3.l00 pounds. They could bear
this safely and probably 5000 pOunds Repeated
strains on the brace would tepd to make them yield
after the maximum degree Of tension they were capable
| OF sustaining reached
| Q. The bIace being brought up near the breaking
point, do you think it would continue TO bear thai
| strnin' A. Not after absolute yielding had taken
| Place.
@ DO you think the riveted lug on the side Of the
tube box adequate TO sustain the steam from the
four points the roof Of the bOlcr' A. The relative
steam at these several points Of contact on the braces
80 far resisting the steam impaired to them WIZ be
to each other their various crOssecons tbe section
Of metal in the lower buce which yielded inferior
or less than the sections in the upper attachments.
q DO you think the lower portion OF the brace at
ached the side o the tube boxes adequate 10 sustain
the Of strain that the points OF attachment above
would sustini A. think not.
q. DO you not think that arch stay rveted at two
points would have been much stronger A ls would
be stronger In proportion Ia any increased section.
| Q. Looking at the rupture would you In future
recommend people from using such stay the one in
question A l should recommend modification in
the method Of bracng at this particular point; how
ever at IS pounds working pressure would think tins
.. Did the rupture in your opinion prccedc or sue
coed the parting o. the stays' a. Nv impression is
that the stays Yielded an instant or perhaps an unaP
preested amount OF time preceding the rupture OF the
shell.
O. II tie fracture of the stays preceded the rupture
I'm The roof does IL follow that the rupture in the roof
was not the cause OF the explosion A. The Of
the explosion III my opinion, was from pressure accu
INFLATED In the boiler greater than what could be sgs-
tanned by the stays and bracing and Of necessity the
rupture the result before stated the stays yield
co momentari!y preceding the rupture Of the shell
Y From your general experience OF inc Martin
and what Il known the Monitor boiler with horizon
tai tubes aud fire inside u the tubes IN your opinion
The boiler any more dangerous than the other
A. In properly constructed boilers OF either type,
should consider there little or no difference In equal
management.
Is WUkins Cragg sworn: Am % Assistant Engineer
In the T. S Navy was ordered to sGpcrinend the test
ing OF the boilers Of the Chenango was general super.
ntendeut or rather Government Inspector Inspected
them personally am not prepared To say how nnch
urcssre they could bear the order 10 test them at
~ pounds. they we're tested .wice; the frs. tine We
had gauge placed Oh the top Of tie am'ehest,
tho necessary allowance for the hight Of the
water They answered the requirements and l re,
he BOILERS to-day aud found they not braced &C
cording 10 the specifications, the braces from each
piece u iron fastened to one lug on one tube
box instead Of two lugs-one each tgbe box II the
lug rivcted A. has been TIC boiler had been equal
To tho strength Of two Jugs. the strength would have
piece exhibited n not equal TO the strength oil the Two
braces
Myers Coryon sgorn.-Reside At No 322 East Six.
In the employ q the Morgan Iron WORKS at tie time
the boilers u the Chenango were constructed;
S,d ;oPont:edencs and charge Of the details 81,
eng neer Superintendent the testing Of the boilers BY
| hydraulic pressure; they woro subjected 10
- pounds pressure aud stood the test il witnessed
| 10y the Government Engineer; saw the boilers few
times with steam on. working at the docki thought
them ample to sustain three times the required pres
sure which think was 81 pounds tho greatest pres
sure was J. pounds " lille the engine wee In motion,
there were about u pounds of mercury in the gauge
do not know that the mercury Was blown out oil the
gauge as have not seen it snce the explosion. Il
Henry Mason. sworn--Reslde ut No. rs SCANNED
street New. York; am Smachinst and engineer by oc-
cupaton had charge Of the engines Of the ChenAngo
ga the 70 hours trial; bad good deal OF trouble In
keeping up the water on the trial the water worked
out, IL does in all boilers; sometimes 1t would
take third Of the cyhnder OF water
dSsargeG nsn 80 he s srgin lmes 10, water
went into the condenser. thence into the cylinder aud
from there overheard, the discharge sometimes would
be half the Sle OF tho pump ana then u would not ds
charge again three hours; the water struck
the piston the deficiency made ap by salt water CON-
muncation. and from the saltvae part OF the con-
denser the freshvster part burned about IL uns
Of coal in "A hours the trial. the engine made "a
revolutions minute. with pressure OF - pounds to
the square inch indicator diagrams were taken 10 show
the horse. power BY Mr.. Bell, drsughtsman IN the
Morgan Iron Works filed the mercury gauge full
until It run over; after We I'LL the gauge We tie
string 10 the brass Indicator. and place 1t ut o
on the scale consider the boiler not safe IL ordinary
hands as the heating ssrface is too great for the
quantity OF water contained In the boiler; We
Lad 10 blow OF salt water occasionally; the engine
has the surface condenser the object oil the condehs.
In II transform all the steam into water and return IL 70
the boiler again this condenser accomplished the object
TO certain extent the fOaming Of boiler so as 10 HI
the cylinder ethird every stroke IL sufficient TO stop
the engine completely would not continue 10 work tho
gne If the water caused by iOnIhlhB eamo iho the
ynder one inch within the range OF the stroke was
or board the Chenango Saturday afternoon, and
worked at the upper part OF the shell did work at
snfcently 10 enable to form an opinion "a to the
cause Of the eIplosoni did not look at the mercury
gauge as an gneer have thought that the explosion
Was caused by an insufciency of water IN the boiler,
which have been caused water being discharged
into the condenser from the boiler and the cause is that