New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-09-11
THE sTONR.sT. EXPLOSION.

Corouer's Inqucst-verdict OF the Jury
Subscription for tho Family OF One Of
the Victims.
On Saturday Coroner Cover held an inquest
at the First Precinct StationHouse the bodies of
Willard Watson and John Bttner, who were killed by
the explosion Of the boiler at No 50 Soonest Friday
hs Tie following is the most important portion Of the
testimony taken:
Patrick Morrison Of No 40 Safest, Brooklyn sworn
i have been in the employ Of the Manhattan Soap
COmpsnyas leborer; have acted fireman and en-.
gneer in the absence of the engineer; the boiler was
under his CONTROL built the fires Friday mornings
have little knowledge of steam but tell how much
up; the engineer arrived before had steam
up; saw 80 pounds Of steam the boiler last week.
tho boiler all day on Friday but did not look
the guage: the steam was blown off at II o'clock the
engineer at that time opened the boiler doors the safety
valve at 60; the explosion TOOK place ~ ABOUT u
o'clock was on the same floor where the boiler was
and within fifteen feet Of the boiler when 1t exploded;
was not hurt Ispoke to the engineer about h'e ute
before the EXPLOSION; at the time OF the explosion DO
standing about 10 feet om tho boiler, alongsno
some soap kettles; after the explosion L saw hii'
stretched feless alongside those Kettles he was
except his shoes and stockings few boards had
| fallen over him. The boiler situated on the feh''
hand corner Of the fourth floor, the StoDes sdei
after seeing the body gave ,ndt oy Sne , e
on the boiler 80 ponEds this was last week. lIu
frequently il carry 20 pounds 81 steam; never
snX
seen the steam escape at 20 90 pouuds never heard
the engineer say hat he carried more steam IN the
boiler than he allowed by law TO carry peIe'c
the enrineer was competent man, from the fact that
lie was able to repair the engine.
| Joseph Coffee. r.. OF No ll CharIes-s'.. s"orn-
am practical engineer and boller-lnspeeor uhu.r
Capt Lord; inspected the boilers at No - stone 81
this morning, found the upper end II the boiler ana
tube head in it, lying IN Sonest the hrebox ana Ost
of the tubes, together with the lower tupe-aeaG W.
among the rufus of the fourth floor; the lower PORTION
Of the outside shell l. eight feet from the hreIOx tn
tubes; another portion found on the roOl u Tue DuIu
ing the opposite side OF INC stIest 'ns P'eVu
both ragged edges and portion OF tho OUTSIDE
she'll but Is now Strengthened out, and came Oh uIecF
ly next TO the piece lying Ia the street. theTe Htie
several small pieces stre"ed about the rum,
evidently belonged to the outside shell oi the ooeI p
cannot tell 10 what part; in the piece OF thc OUTSIDE
shell surrounding tie frebox wa "handholel ,ie,
and from the portion piece oiIron had oSen oin
there was portion of this torn piece whch had paleh
3D. and from It's appearance think that tins phtch was
Of bad iron; tie patch was factuiedi theie WIS al,
other small plate that was torn apart when
to me 10 have been improperly welded; IL como Lay
never been detected except IN case OF accuehti ih
other portions of the boiler were appafeIy good h,u
sound; according 10 my belei Tue eAPo-'on " ~ .
result Of an oyerpressule Of steam; II is Impossible ior
a boiler to carry 90 pounds Of stenm WIN the sse'!
valve SGT at 40 pounds unless II IS covered hu
! in tho aeat - that IL viii not rise.
THE lever OF the saciyvnlve exhibited showing
traces OF hnving been used at pressure OF between ~
and s0 pounds From The examination oil tls hlleD
valve lever am ci tie opinion that the ball mas MOI
|
carry from 20 20 20 pounds the rue Is 10 allow t"o
,nrd. Of e syro.a!s % TIE let rs NAV u
have no doubt that tie work tho lever Of tie safety
valve has been made by Ito weight OF the bail on The
lever.
Francis W. Bacon OF No. los Grand.st. Jersey City,
swornl think that the explosion vas ooca'ionoI by an
oyei-prcssure Of steam; there is ueor! hat snoS-
pherlc innen have something 10 do Win eaposons,
M frequently happens that many boilers explode al
the same time, the Gaze yesterday; soneim. :
the intensity OF the re generates steam 20 apidy that
D aI
safety yuve Which is not large enough u The Saict!
valve is set al 10 pounds there be 20 pounds Of
steam by the indicator; IL the boiler had been over
heated the lower Int Of Tie safety bolt would have
given way IN preference Ia the upper erd. the upper
end being about Eve feet distant ilon the IRE.
Samuel Crawford of No. 20 IAiIticih'st, sNorn-l
think hist the explosion Uas caused by WANT Of water
sudden M elton # water ugon tue oyerheaied sur
face, thus causing sudden generation O steam anu an
over Of steeni found tho lever Of ihe safety
valve md appears 10 mo that the balls 1 hot been
used ~ CD pounds bat at 10 or y) az general thing
the levers not marked correctly. on mathematical
principle: when making test We deter the Hlt
m ouI own Instruments and regulate the oycIS accord
nyly. do not know whether this ~hs tie case IN ne
present lever; found some lisiors aud eraess IN tie
ron the TOP tubeshCet bears evidences 81 having been
over heated il il frequently the case that the Indicator
shows pressure Of 65 pounds when the safeiyyave IS
under only ~ poCnds pressure.
! Cant Bowen o. Lord sWOrn-I nm Captain OF the
Sanitary Police have charge Of I'll stationary stcaN
boilers in the Metropolitan Police District; examined
Watson - 10 bis qualification engineer; / not
domination and was present. tie certificate of first
class engineer eutles The holder 20 take charge Of any
steam boiler within my districts the deceased held a
Grscllss ccrtfc tei am not qualified I, testify as 10
the applicanis capacity but guided ny tue opinion
of the examining engineer deceased was seid 10 be IN
every respect competent engineer; the certificate 10
an inteflined frst.cass one winch shows him 10 have
- been expert recommendations arc always required
u from persons applying 70 be examined.
Francis J.. IoibrUok Of Finishing L. J., swOrn-l
have been President of The Manhattan Soap Company
three years the works situated at No. 80 stonest
and No > PcaT-s; at The time Of the explosion was
in the Office the lower floor OF the StJnssi side
heard the explosion az q O'clock on looking out Of the
window saw the falling bricks and timbers, and then
ran for the Pearlst side; saw nobody hurt; the fret
ncws OF yb0uy being killed learned from the man
j. Morrison; at once sent word 10 tho police station;
Watson was in employ about IL months; he he'd a
cert cate first-cass engineers had great conf.
deHco IN him. be being SOBER Industrious man. aud
very attentive 10 bis duiies at his suggestion had
mace glass water euaSe to The boiler so as to show
et glance tie state II the water In Tho boiler the
GcturnG details Of our business arc IN charge Of Hen
~ Hurer.ord; the boiler lad been III our possession
about three years but il had been used previously
six months aware OF any greater pressure
Oh the boiler than the certificate allowed.
After listening TO brief charge BY Coroner Cover
the jury returned a verdict Us follows:
"Wo find that Willard Watson and John Bittner
came TO their death by injuries from an accidental
day of September lsOJ Outlaws Irnak. " il.am
Elliott, james IL. Boyd Henry T. johnson. Sylvester
Crooks Rudolph Brulus l.. 81. Brown, John Steward"
| Willard Watson resided with his fatier and sitter
n TLirdaye.. between Ninth end Tenth-sts. lie was
unmarried aged about % years. and anatlvc Of The
United states. BiitLor nutiye OfGcrmGny. aged
81 years md resided in Duich-st where he leaves a
WHO and three children. IL IS stated that subscription
is about 20 be- taken up among IN" merchants IN tho
vicinity Of the explosion for the purpose o. a!dHs The
! WI. and family OF tho Inter.
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