The New York herald., 1864-05-04

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Uonepssson OF she Investigation and
Charge - the CoEeneS.
SAs nvsssipAsssa me Ne eAssss Of We disaster On
board The Unsa States aspbess Ohsssnso which has 70
s~psed she sltsason Coroner and jury Tor two
vseks finally concluded yesterday. me Jury were
saals1 together ~ zen ocook NJ when they we're -
Arssed by Coroner roows which ali The eadns
esAs brougb, forth by evidence distinctly sci
1srsb--
GxwuxnEs on THE yuHv- me hw bae imposed upon os
- duty Of investigating the causes which prodaoeo ns
6ovv<ed into eternity without waruns spo soneims
orsures which appalled, all whose panfu day was
% witness them 10 the enjoyment Of health esied WIN
Ne prospect of honorable service 10 IL sse ~ Soma
Ses. sssmerSi ,pesp.c.y, we're sudderly eestroysd
a0s by hand Of the enemy ruI y aus.' "mI ran
na,, bv The royerpmepi without limitation
q expense aud managed oy arg nuU. - - w. Pss.
vSscS human sknl could avert. As the cause Of his
Nsrribe calamity might upon one view o. tne case oe
nhereSt NJ The organization OF the machinery itself and
snerere would extst great number OF other vesses
elco eiug 70 United States just like the Cheuango
.n ss an investigation into that must Of necessity
rsaulre the know ledge OF scientific men, thought my
Suy 10 The aid OF engineers OF well Known ability 10
ssamine the boiler give the benefit Of their
nowiodse and opinion and you nave heard the testimo
~ OF some OF them The facts which have been proved
Before ne w,nnu. dispute Or % 3, are e ,o
ne thirty sidewheel light dIaught gunboats pre-
pared the plans for the engines and boilers o. these YES
49, called upon TO build Their machinery
na thoee plane undor the super ntendeDce q
sbs United states engineers Among others kr Qnintard
o. which the machinery of the Chenango The
uateriAi Of which these boilers we're made was or
rsntiemeu who furnished the iron, well Of those
Who tested samples of since The explOs ION OF IT,
ub0We. without contrad ctiop, that OF the best
qualty The boilers tested according contract,
With cold water and endured sixty exty i've
sn ana oanS % be- pe ana Inc
eosscrs were accepted by the United States Inspector
. sat actory and recording TO contract The engine
then for ninety sx hours At the deck IN order
10 comply with The contract and the whole ma
shne was accented by the government and deli
then INTO commission. and was proceeding 70 sea
sn ber nrst voyage in the CHARGE OF yoaog man by
Abe name OF Cahili, sec nd ASSISTANT engineer in
sAe United states Navy, acting az chiei engineer on
this The vessel proceeded down the bay,
when below Governors Island Captain Fiebrown visited
aAe engine and found twenty and half pounds
pressure Of steam the boilers, as indicated the
we're burning we and that there no need use the
6ewers The captain went deck and did not return TO
shs engine room until the vessel in the narrows,
when again went below Up this time the speed Of
ehe vessel was between eight and nne knots an hour
= she eyinder1a long distance from - boilers and
Mr.. Oahl told him the engine was running well The
more 10 60 and be went deck leaving Mr.. Cahn by
Nh desk a the cylinder end Of the engine and he
stepped on deck the boiler exploded scaldng h,yswo
mon OF whom twenty eight have since died from he
eecs OF the injuries theo received The question be-
Bore us s what The cause OF the rupture 1t appears
~
Ne gradual accumulation OF pressure until the resisting
power OF the boiler overcome in us weakest part and
y gives way, which Is called burst bursting"
And the other s the instantaneous generation Of
enormous pressure on the boiler from causes which
attend low water, and which is called "exploson.
me- nrss branch Of the inquiry is whether the boiler
boTst from weakness OF material, q defect Ia It's
sss Intended 10 bear We have the means Of knowing
szactiy how much pressure was on the boilers i'm
podatey before the explosion The pressure was thirty
ksur and half pounds the ncn, by the pdI
saaOr card endorsed by Mr Cah himself; that IL
made certain that the boiler did burst from weakness
yielded to pressure little than haf had
endured from the hydraulic press and five pounds less
aeck for six hours and when forty pounds 70 the
Inch bad been carried IL s also proved by Mr. Deuce the
safety valve Immediately after the accident and found
sAas would blow on steam At thirty nine and q half
pounds 90 that the boiler was protected by that
aGaDst the possibility steam pressure equal 10 that
which already bad been used with safety The question
H. then, whether n possible for boiler 70 b1rst under
pressure Of steam 10 day five pounds less than IL
1ured under steam yesterday and twenty five pounds
ees than endured from cold water last week ON this
subject we have the opinion OF Mr. Maxon the United
Bates boiler maker, who that he would consider
Me boiler perfectly safe forty pounds after had
shat the statue which all passenger
ase run permits the boilers TO carry forty pounds
NE inch after cold water pressure OF sixty, and
sAat the experience Of msDy years has shown il te
Psrfsosy safe On The contrary. Mr. DeLace and M
yrses the opinion that boiler is quite likely burst
Ssder much less pressure than had been tested with
ofteep pounds TO the inch IN this case and these wit
sesses are Of opinion that the colo water teei Of
Dracticai value II 10 suggested that there any
Sher known Of insuring the safety Of the boiler
except this cold water test and these isolated Opinions
unsupported by any instance Of the kind, are well
founded i, s obvious that DO one can be properly I
sharged With the consequences OF explosion since
human skin can make sure in advance that the required
strength existed and s equally obvious tha, all The
Thousands OF boilers running and relying upon the
slety OF this test are INSTRUMENTS Of destruction acting
opcn oapYcous impulse impossible TO be oreeeen
pDd likely scatter death around them at any moment
Fortunately however, experience proved that boilers SO
tmcfaA AaFn anatn ppUl In UtfnQGC
has denied that this boiler tested to sixty pounds
no witness has said that it was not strong enough
70 bear sixty pounds when built and delivered,
and the only suggestion which has been made
(and this merely suggestion) rs either that OF
the braces had been removed by the and
replaced whereby the strength dmin shed, that
IN testing the brsoss might have been reduced in
strength TO burst at thirty five forty Eve poonds
The suggestion by the proof that
ALT braces were in place and actually carried away
BY the explosion and the second one by the proof that
sfter the test the examined and found all
right, and concusvey by the proof that forty pounds
much than the pressure Immediately before
the explosion. You are, therefore, let without any
Droof either deduced from the well known calculations
based the ascertaned strength OF iron from any
experience regard 70 the testing OF boilers from which
% infer that the boiler did burst al the low OF
steam which being carried. You will then consider
whether the boiler was burs by gradually accommodating
apon pressure greater than IL had shown itself
pabe OF bearing; whether il exploded BY those
sAusee which do constantly produce explosions boilers
and which when they called into action all
yeesance and devasae IN proportion 70 the strength Of
The boiler which has 10 vain struggled 10 restrain their
oeeuucfive force IL " not part OF duty 20
nae upon the bert OF bracng securing boilers n
Ue find proof that the bracnG n this particular
vas 700 weak V endure the load was designed to bear
fhe evidence shows that great variety opinions upon
ths beet methods OF brsoing exist among equally
Hsricpced IN the business and as there lie standard
axed BY law universal custom, il at last
back 10 the simple question in each case, whether the
method Of braclng THAI sufficient for
sgsrposs intended and u be sufficient 10 OF
quence that some other constructor would have used
some Other method. No boiler would probably ever be
Guilt " tie different views Of all men about the best
way q constructing II had fret 10 be reconciIed The
specifications under which these boilers built
ncusry prov dee for the which their braces
shall be secured 70 the roof Of the boilers but leaves
" the supetintepdence and control OF the United
Rtaiee charge, and the discretion the tcer
maksr, bow they shall be secured their lower ende.
subject however c the condition that shall be ab
20 stand OF sixty pounds. In case
aappears that the specification complied with FAR