New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-04-26
TEE DEskSTER ON TEE u. +.
STEAMER CLEETANGO.
Northumberland fhc Fvilcnce.

ST. oO before Coroner NOflIS anu jury s'ft-N va. ANU
Houu when tie following evidence wa eIc.teu:
Tho first witness called was CYRUS II. Hawkins, q ma
Plin.t residing ut No. Or First street New Nork VINO
testified that he put tho cyphehg gauge up IN tGe
nsrro and IN .he Ascufncv The gauge now exhibited
was precisely like the one IL the Chenango ,
(Aeauge was here exhibited for the information OF
The i,rv and witleSs and Nr. Mason demonstrated
the manner in which il was filed with mercury o.
Kcsumed-Mr. Mason sued tine gauge on we = ie
mango; present at the time as also M NE nd,
thc g.uge was properly hled 50 Git tIe 'cn ~, ,be
Gated its correctness, being down at o. vas Oh . .
trii trip. and noticed that the engine N0Nv w.
very badly; was frequently called 70 the euaI', lOui
10 work the water from the cylinder by opening INC re-
lief va!ye MY attention attracted by t1e s'l;h.is
Of the piston the water when Wouiu 20 W I;S
valve for the purpose Of relieving lt never stuu'e gu
cheering; this was the hi5' 'Ilp On, nov ~ s,ay,
been u tho boiler; did not obscye ne LuGoCI % So!
sm positive the gauge was IN perfect "oIAAs oI"oi vi
cnrr r Misop recalled proved that he placed the cy
phcrne gauge on the Cbenango, and hled It 10 over
FjIs,Td De Iace. sworn-Am Chief Encneerin
the Navy ard have two indicator cards which were
picked up in the enSiuoloom OF the CAcnahSo lu'ns
diae,y after The accidents they amount 70 81 pounds
nrc.sliIe as shown by the gauge they were W"bdDl
Tho last cards that were tuken they show that ne
engine was partly thIotlled CGps lllciToWn banded
the cards TO me; have had experience with the Mltn
boiler at sea- in the Brooklyn nno months, ana nae
charge Of the roQuos for eighteen months the boilers
never gave nc any trouble whatever; the morning TIE
Cbeqanco came to the ward. after the accident found
the gauge at so pounds pressure per square nous eA
amIucd the cyphCglhE gauge ana GgtdcLca He pipes u
ell 10 Of water: pUCu the Suing uuNH 10 ~ -4''Nt
limit 10 allow il 10 20 back after performing this opera
tiou screra! times went quarter otan inch beyond
zero point; there mercury on tie floor; dd moi
examine il any further l did not wish 10 taAe IL
down a portion OF the ashes had been removed before
saw IT, and placed by tie side Of the port boiler there
were stict orders that no one should iouch anything
# l had had NY own way would have tahen the pug
out Of the gauge; good many people were On boarG
.he vessel after the accident Whlch may HccOui l"I
the gauge being at . inches as IouDd ~ ,Ie ouI!
ZONE may have touched IT. IN ny opinion tLtIe was
an UNEQUAL tension Of the braces OF the boiler ana one
giving way followed by the others OF course; sa"
the inside-was taking notes while two gentlemen
were examining il: boilers are usually stayed much
stronger than necessary to bear the steam the
boilers Of the Brooklyn are not as low Us those
Of the Chenango; we drew steam from the chm
ney ON the Brooklyn; she worked 10 water
at the sane i!me an explosion would De hAeY 70 nap.
pen 40 a less pressure than 60 pounds, even II that
amount had been previously carried; some OF the pms
Inicht nave been strained or partly broken ami under
tie pressure caused by steam boiler might have Dteh
separated; there is no evidence OF low Watr
in tile boilers, except at the arches; the glass
gauge j. good test, have had considerable eXpe-
rence at sea enable me TO judge. \ Water sauge.
assuming that II Is perfectly adjusted VIII tnhe ~,
dicate-fOaming or otherwise-the quantity of water III
tie boiler il is kept clear; brace put III connection
with an elastic bar brings the strain almost entirely
upon the rieid brace lees tie amount 10 SpIns IT. Tie
Erward arch Oi tie CheLa0go Vas very hot.
Warren /. Hill swOrn-Am an engineer and drafts
man I'm the employ Of the Continental Iron Works,
Grecnpont; examined the injured boiler on the Goth
inst for NV own qualifications went inside ana exam
med the stays; there ca; the boiler Is generally
braced as shown in the drawing; tie roof braces ore
halCmoon shaped attached 10 the iron, which is 3
inches square by inch; the hafnoon braces are u
inches attached to bar II inches by running ~ TIE
tnbebOxes TO which they are fastened by two ryets
al different angles, somewhere about an angie OF zen
degrees; tie number Of braces coming 70 the luDe
boxes are 6 there 60 square feet on the top OF the
boiler to be stayed making 5000 square inches OF 500
inches 10 each brace, bringing O pressure Of 2LbOO
Mounds 70 each brace: We generally brace boilers Of
This kind every Q or 10 inches making lUOmChes TO
each Brace DO not know why the boiler was braced on
the top every 800 inches while this and all boilers are
usually braced at 100 inches would look upon ~ as
yerv strange piece of boiler making; an elastic L rail-
would help to strengthen the boiler.
Mr. Bromley, sWoTn-An engineer at the Fulton
IRON Works; have had experience with the Martin
Killers. was on the slips Niagara and Brooklyn, six
Sexs zach. also on the Oneida and Iroquois; have
never had any 10 complain Of their working sup
ose the boilers of the ships have named were IKE the
boilers On the ChenangO; the drawing shown If about
Tie same as the others have noticed these boilers 10
fnam lint not more so than other boilers; majority OF
TeW boilers are liable 10 foam; the water gauge Won
not indicate the true amount OF WAFER il the 1eF II
was folming; there would be more or less
an the gauge during foaming wus of the Beard Of
Engineers who sat in judgment last Winter on Che
boilers, engines, and condeDscif = tese sanboqtsi It
was called by the SccrcGiy Of lie Navy the Board
was composed VI nine 1nembes five Of whom reported
fayOrably; fkefe wls 8 minority report.
(One Of the fury objected 10 this line OF evidence
They desired 10 ascertain the cause OF the explosion
and the minds OF the jurors were pretty well SATISFIED
on that point with tho evidence before them The Cor0
ner directed hat 10 more suggestions shOlu De mauS
by outside parties or questions sent up TO him. and
witness proceeded)
Rcsnmed-The report was only based upon economi.
cal effects as 20 the amount OF fuel consumed, &c.
IRE Martin boilers can be- made strong IN every way
as the horizontal tubular boiler for marine service My
confidence them has not been shaken by the recent
disaster. -
Angusfus L Baker swOrn-Residc in Providence. Il
l.. nave had charge Of the Constitution, and running
of The engine Of tie doublcendor PGwtuxet she was
Luj rom plans and specifications furnished by the Gov
erpment the drawing shown Is tie same as tie one ne
PaWtuxets boilers were built on; had charge OF Inc
Pawtuxet on on her 80 hours trial; she burned about
IS tuns Of coal an hour and averaged 6t revolutions
minute; tie diagram shown is the one taken on that oc
casOn: during the trial VIC had great CeGl OF iGan-
ing OF the boilers; We had 10 open the reefyalycs
very often 10 let the water out OF the cylinder we had
10 feed salt water 70 up for the loss do not con-
slider il safe the boilers with the Icngne az they
will foam in spite OF all you do; the vessel was
tried week ago last Saturday down the river cur
ned about 20 II vi steam the trip; the throttle
wac about 9Th open when We had ~ pounds OF steam
on going back threw the throttle WIDE OPEN a
report was sent from the foreman that the stgTbOard
boiler foammgj examined the boiler and found IT
was fOauing very badly; We were then near the end
Of our trip; ordered the hrenen 10 damp the fire at
once. was % minutes in getting water up ~ the first
gauge do not consider the boiler safe the common
Tubular boiler: do not think you can brace the Hat
surface IN the Martin boiler well as you can in other
boilers as you cannot put braces enough in TO hold
them the water gauge does not show the amount Oh
water while boiler is foamiDg; think any engineer
would be liable TO mistakes, and lot know where the
water during foaming; an engineer could tell,
there plenty OF hight, and the boiler not foam
ing at "a distance Of 10 feet how much water Lie
had; in my opinion the explosion caused by
the oyeTheatEg Of the crown arches which would
cause an increase Of steam pressure instantane-
ouslv: base NY opinion the testimony of former
witnesses; the Oyerheating OF the sheets would
result from the lack OF water In the boiler l
commenced in a machineshop at is years Of age, and
have been az the business SINCE would not make
a report to the captain that everything working
beautifully. if the boilers had been foauing; the
engineer could tell OF distance OF 10 or 20 feet if the
Isrfa fturv NJ TEL