The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1864-04-28
Interesting Testimony Of Mr..
Edward n. Dickerson.
What Naval Engineers Have Said 81
the Martin Boilers.
Minute 1xplanation Of the Causes
Of the Late Explosion.
The Theory Of Explosions Gene
rally illustrated
y

The Theory Of Explosions Gene
rally Illustrated,
The nvessgatieu into the q The explosion Of NE
boilers the United States steamer Chenango was con-
4,aued before Norris and jury yesterday and last
yeveung Mr.. Dtcksrson The principal witness e.
aminsd. His testimony ID a. follows
Edward NJ Dsckereou sworn-An a engineer; ! have
learned praesed the trsds Of engine driver. and
am now engaged Ia building large amount Of steam
machnesy and boilers Of different kinds; am alss con-
stsatly and frequently occupied In running engines Of
stsansss and sxper mentiog on boilers
O. Have you devoted much attention 70 the subject Of
Boilers and other operatiousf A. Tnat subject 70
:S
she 2; s.posn Ssr, The :sesc; q critical cvsc
Apy Of the experienced In the country IN some
Have you PAD particular attention . the machinery
ssancess A. have and under these whom
rst saw ths general plan: Of them and their gross de-
fects wrote ester 70 the Secretary Of the Navy on
some q those Sss.os, and forssins what would b
realized and thss led me % careful and constant obeer
walton their progress their opsratons know that
a x. "st S. o oos o. them *
washiastou. wrote letter 70 the Hon. Henry Winter
& Is .nd him.
received to-day, In which be says, ~ remember
Ss.hossss me q Il whom read the cataslrophs 10
which you rser" which catastrophe that Of the Che
sfro@ me m relation that subject my
70 the Secretary OF the Navy Board OF
have Their report here in winch these boilers for the
purposes {, which they were 70 b applied, were
y inferior BY every member
q. Have you that report hsrss A. have rsport pro.
duced and extract read from II as foowsJ On the
seventy hrss page the question submitted by the
Secretary Of the Navy in these Words" Whether they
(thas these socaiIed Martin boers) are superior,
equal, inferior 10 others In IN compactuess du
raby efficiency and proper adaptations the conditions
q tho naval service; tho answer b in these words:
Uu the whole, compelled 10 consider the typo Of
boilers used these inferior to the horizon
til tubular boiler which % generally used BY other ma
lions and BY this country 10 s mercantile marine. Five
Of that board including M Bromley, 'object to much
Of the foregoing answer 40 refers 70 the comparative
stats that in boilers occupying the same cubic space
and exceeding Ill Other conditions at slow rates OF
busson vsrtce tubular boiler has the Creates.
nomcal efficiency, and. at high rate Of combustion
the horizontal tubular boiler the superior in this
20 tS.s e Sossa S moe S the
they state s not required In the navy. quote again
the 'ansusse.The requiremenss Of the service how.
and The power Of obtanisg high ratio Of speed when
desired. has become Of paramount Importance" Not.
making large quantities Of these boilers
O Was THE report allowed 90 OUR A. To tho best
mites e hs cus. q cal r
from The Department. but could not get u.
~enixhssned as 70 the cause * ih sxplOs,u a A. was
summ0nsd ~ the CJrouer 70 accompany the jury 10 In
statesmen In tho HxaALp Of Sunday sha, the i'd on the
top Of the boiler melted, and those rst state
interested have had time 70 consider they win avoid
the conssquen es-are generally true and - had fore
=" oossc q once ,or Is. svasncss q superseded
seam, aud oundshem abusdantly Tho lead sheets had
where sns superhesssd steam ffss escaped. and
I tore and cut with ny knife several samples Of IT,
them, and on one Of which the gobuls Of melted lead
s adhered tho e also around the sdgeo the rupture
and psks ~ sos p o.
which gave 70 different people, and one which gave
OF them hive also heard Mr. Martin testify that be had
picked up piece Of burnt fet from tho samo place.
sexs"nsd the wood o. the decs n ,mmed.te consss:
sccrched, possible that any IRE from the fur
could have got thee on tho contrary the engineer
swoss d the poured back again from that
deck about the trutho which have no doubt whatever
thss examination lefs possible conclusion mind
have heard Suggestion from any other witness
of any other CONCLUSION than the and usual
in such that tho super heated within
here from Hartford. having had and super
Asascd sseam and exhibited precisely the Same pheno
pipes vas melted down and ran into the engine BY Inc
ho steam she did not explode however, this boiler
excessive heat stsr seeing that evidence entirely
Satisfied ~ 70 the cause OF hs accident but
ssns would M the
delays the room WIS opened, and We went there
that "s a not es
AIx. Powers. the boiler INSPECTOR OF the Brooklyp,
the mercury gauge With him and number Of other per-
standing around; he got up on box and adjusted
the string oT;I n. pss = I'M s sssa q the gauge and
up about two and hall inches above the top 81 the
SCALE showing thus about i've inches q mercury-tha
80 and half i0rha lu0h ad lof ehe
full 10 the zcro point finding just where the
mercury was, scratched with the end Of rule the
plare the bard and then suggested that the gauge
should be down. my object being 70 6nd what
had OF the water and how much mercury there
si ,cr the purpose n preventing lie mercury being
blown out bodily when the u the boiler exceed
one q partition In the bottom elbow Of the gauge
mot seen the outside. through which small
RAPIDLY; and the Other bowl on the top OF The
gauge, which covered tight, except SINAI, hole just
s % @ ri s
exceeds the weight Of the mercury, which in this
curry forced Sp into ne bowl aud the steam blows
Through H. making tube for itself In tho heavy mercury
s = % % ss, s aug
stsemb through the mercury carries with H. BY nd
hesoo ard frctson In uDe gLoues some Of the portions
IL would blow Il all out; but after boiler sxplodes
the pressure falls Immediately and DOES not last bong
tn getting up: took down the gauge and found the
water top mercury the outside; tns water
must either have been pat there purpose, have
0cen blown through out Of the quarter II an inch ppe
whcn leads TO the gauge which always has IN
from condensation, unles when hc N ci o. tn pur
poses Of very accurate obs-tvatpcn, thu g,rge NO
handle the cock 10 blow out ito water that co
gnecr has CHI. and general prac,ic. there
"a uo ressou 20 blow u all; tbs fact thu tue
MAS On shc Yep ~ tho nereury conclusive ttpt Inc
'Hadgr was blown through tact mercury was
out tho snrge. " We knew tnat u was tn be orehc
scc'ue"ti but tie water indications are free from
thc errors thst may b. surpo@sd To exist seou,
src ahustncnt OF the t-ii.tae ~ the gsu4e
Tor the water must nave Der bosr trou the rcury
Win IN EN-. ~ ba be'n I,uf a.f v. rds IN uur.
p-e wo On presims y" on. ~'siid s,0gest n o-sihr;
smi thus ~ cut ts',u n, " tic column mer~urs WHEN
has obs and care r he epy,, ~.
" en- ef az any one 81. " IA mere III the a..
sses n the world On the Tub c,t ~ Ir ssute n me
nlrr TOR y ter GSrt-wb tbcre ae l.nes liz me-
Nhi survive Who coud p~sir know the acts nbL In
oil cis'- ~ cxpl sluns ,aledlv he men Who arc
y ;, ~. ,,ar !. I. - ~. -, So. -. ..,.,. , ~. =.