New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-04-20
THE DISASTER ON TEE csAh'
MANGO.
investigation into the Causes Of fhe EA'
piosion. before Coroner Norris and n
sury-pecision as to she Cause Of she
disaster by the Na'a, Ccari oil


rS1siry.
An investigation into the circumstances at
tending the late cxplosion hoard the United States
st4au gauboit Chenengo resulting in tue death OF &3
human bclncs, was commenced before Coroner Norris
in the Governors Room Of the Brooklyn City Hail. yes
terlay afternoon. The Jury wcfe imPanne!ed ana
sworn on Sunday, when they viewed the BODIES ana
,rstc a partial examination Of the boiler. NJ noon
vesterdaY they male thorough inspection, AFTER which
;hry re- nrrcd 70 the Han The Jury consists OF si,ssa
brrm Ainslee, Wm. Arthur. Robert }. hgte'ansoh'
L,Uncclot Eessup, E09crt &. AEdeTsoa' 1Eeoaof'
| O, ington Wa. II. Bigolo.. Tho5. Kelly.
| TIe Grst witreFs vas called at O'Clock precisely
and .hc following evidence was takeni ,.-,.,..ao
James T. Sullivan, SVCfn-AD inaChlhst py t'"u',
and aIn now Acting. ssstaEt Tlrd Engineer On t0.
the T. s. CBblat Cieuango; served NY tue WIN AZ
lanes W1r., Passed au examination rs an lnEIaHi
before lie Naval ExaT3iEng Board In phad'i phia Oe
fore eDarig the NAVY; was on board the Chcnanso st
the tire 81 the explosion IN the forward piohouse al
the beui We started The engine either 4usfler &C.
! rne or . quarter after 3 o'ccck-dont recolect
vIich--wtcn We left the Nayy.Na ard the explosion
took place at quarter after o'clock the int ihns
eIpefi,ncrd wa the rlung OF the moor ana = S~
sun bling noise when started - 90 INTO the engine
room and net Mr.. Cahill, tie ChefEngineer on the
top O. TIE f.crs lie lad his hands On nc ara sfkid
TO- Code sake 20 rst hin q drink Of watcr Sott e
on deck; went down into TO enginoIooh anu ioun"
the engine going. IT,.
To lie JGry--Ihe engine ives rnaninr smoothly Pre-.
yiouE q Il expo there was no jar whatsoever 'e
eut into The en- room, tried tire cocks, "ni i0aAd
Lo wnte.: had e.appcd the engine previous 10 th1t
leYAnned the steam gauges, aud found icy hal tnIlej
4, ,olits. Nr C,hil before his de ith flgHl ed sd
lie han u inches ~ water IN bis boiler; whom sot we
ui.c, e. rtlulncd 10 The FrIu0Ei az toii TIC
master nat" Jaschse 70 co. lantern a,1 oni o,s
of bis men 10 where The water from Inc c.cA vas
coming ron there hong 20 much below tSGt ira 20
lao o plank acruss; tad the slohpt doors closed Siu
connection and furnace doors opened. and started 70
icri Tie fires 10 took long tine 10 Do ~ N o9Ist-
~ nee % tie heat and the ifemen p"lhs ~ w.
liured had - get green hands 70 90 "Yns
I'm commission about re 9Th OF March tL5
weather vss quito cold Snd got m steam or our
port boiler 70 heat tho vardrcOn and the captAnd
Iaba w continued sNarn On that DO..ef iol s9yA5
weck during " hch time II leaked 40 badly that We
marked all the lcay places with chalk and then g up
steam on the stgrboafd boiler the following day We
blew oil steam and Mr.. CahiIl sent me 20 the Morgan
Iron Works 10 let them know the state the boiler was
in requesting them 10 send man o,er To repair IL;
they did not do for several days. and VIC bad "a put
our own men at work repairing before the Morgan
| Iron WORKS men arrived and lad had steam on the
secoud time; we had then ascertaned that the star
board boiler leaked and set the men to work IN cauA
ing that men had repaired the port Doiier AS
hest thew could; the went 70 work ON the st1rJOard
boiler aud we found that the port boiler still leaked
they cut two tubes and caulked II at every place We
had marked; then started onr donkey pump 10 put
| n water pressure ON. and could get but 70 pounds
ON tho cardboard boiler We got ~ to 20
pounds pressure nom the same pump; recOuect
| hearing the first engineer Mr.. Cahil saying that
xe had good engine On board but two kettles OF boil
ers Mr. Murray the Second ssistant Engineer, al
WAYS said that he was afraid Of the boilers We were
constantly fnkcrlnE az the DOltT- IRON tue IIsl uhy
no one Of the engineers had Opportunity TO examine
them while they were being made; the boilers had
been subjected 10 trial trip Of 80 hours this was inc
| only trial trip The weasel had lnade.
10 the Coroner-Mr. Cahill made the remark that he
thanked God that he had two gauges ON the boiler 10
msn in the hospital-not to me 1 think Surgeon
told me about 1t; all boilers leak; these leaked
through the seams md about the ryetsi anti on!
surviving engineer -.
boiler and the pump aud IL Is impossible for the water
10 pass nom one boiler TO the other II the checks are
shut. there IL stop-vliyo on each boilers two pipes
start Dat fruil the steam dram into lafg1 ppe OwhK
To tie large szg Of the pipe think tno boer blew out
I u the sarboaTd boiler with the steam, aud through
Tho rent te port boiler; II the engine running that
would be the effect can't ly for certain that there vas
10 ~ ter in the starboard boiler whom went down
into the engine ROOM but tank there was not have
taken out since tie eHplosOn had orders not
to touch anything or 10 LEI any one else toneh any
thing; tho water now remaining IN The boiler thihk,
would Indicate the quantity ~ III lie Tine o! tho aeCi
dent We frequently pumped water ny into the glass
gauge . O'Clock IN the evening, and In the morning
AL lad disappeared. and that without IRE under The
boiler from this, judge that Il leaked some water
would cyaporac but not enough 10 disappear entirely
fOm the gauge; an sure that me cnginverf WHO had
charge of the boilers at the time OF the explosion were
sober; did expect TO Tad water in the sirboafd
boilers because | thought they connected' was not
| aware that there was dry-pipe inside tie boiler.
| T. Scott Fillcbrown. sworn-i am Lieutenant com
handing IN the Navy. commanding The United states
steamer CLonaago; was ordered 10 take command on
the lih November, lsh3 the vessel was then ~ tao
hands of the contractors IN Newhork; was ordered to
about week previous 10 sauin8 started on fIidaS
lat the 18th inst. left the Nav! Yard for sandy Hook
between and O'Clock lOt tie purpose OF toH ing and
accompanying the Onondago on tue Docknde the acel'
dent hapucd little aftsr o'clock between Fort Ham.
iltln and Fort Lafayette; lad Just stepped on deck
from tie engiue.rOom az the time of the explosion that
being the second time had been IN tlc enginefoom
since leaving the yard. Mr. Cah the Chief Engineer.
was In charge; spoke 10 him when down there asked
him how the engine running, and he replied that II
WuH working boautully-that he ~as perfectly sat- he'd
with the performance; did not notice the Indicator or
tho tgLs inn | " r
time when below Governors Island noticed pressure
| OF 70. pounds Of steam by the gauges
To the Jury had perfect confidence in Mr.. Calius
abilities as an engineer Judging rum his reputation and
general attention To duty; my impression - that there
Is no blame be attached 10 the engineers ior the ex
pluson: have no reason to think so.
| 70 the CorOncr-WhCn | lcit Mr. Cahill he was be-
tween his desk and the bottom Of the stairs; was ut
the TOD when the explosion took place. he about ID
feet distant the other end II tho boiler at the
time leo him remarked that woud note the time
to SEQ how long would take to reach the Battery did
not zee the boiler tested had lett Mr. Cahlll only
about 10 seconds before the explosion. running
the rate OF about knots the tide being against us
think with full pressure Of steam the vessel would run
~ 49, or a miles hour Mr.. Cah said the boilers
could carry from 30 10 a. pounds Of steam asked him
he had good draft and be- said he had, that there was
10 necessity for using the blowers; heard any
say anything in disparagement Of the boilers In the
CbcuanyO, Mr. Cahil spoke t. me OF taking tho tubes
| out II the boiler but never expressed any feur.
Thomas L. Brentmhn, an invalid IN the marine Hos
| ptal and Henry X. Donovan, the 0pOthccnry, we've
seyeraly examined as To conversations oil The injured
men, which it appeared. related 10 thor condition aud
prospects of recovery Nothing WAS said about the
At this stage Of the proceedings the investigation
was adjourned until o'clock this afternoon.
| DECISION AS TO The CAUSE or THE DISASTER
The Court Of Inquiry convened by order of C0mm0'
dorc Iiadi)rd adjourned on Monday afternoon, and on
Monday night forwarded Ia Sccrctpy Wcilcs report
OF its proceedings. Previous TO ~ adjournment tae
membcIs OF "a Board Of Survey, which was ordered To
mi fle % les boiler