The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-11-10
TIE EXPLOSION on THE ST. JOHN.
Conclusion or tho Investfg stiOn-The
Verdict OF the J~rys Good Advice ssd
Mo Censure.

Conclusion or tho Investig stion-The
Verdict OF the Jurys Good Advice ssd
No Censure.
The investigation into the details Of the catastrophe
the opening incidents Of which fully reported In
terdays HERALD, was brought To close last nigh after
q number Of witnesses had been examined. n, John
McKeon was present during the entire j. x,s..,o,,or
and seated beside Mr. Thea OF the frr - rownsnks
Theall, in whose shop the boilers ~, ,,, occasion
ally suggested to the Coroner az $50. - 10 stad or
The witnesses The testimony .a.ea failed 70 devesp
aoy new iea'ue - Ae the evidence Of Prof Has
well being that wncn pr ensed the greatest interest
The proceea'ne' w.sre snauguraed at one O'Clock pre-
csely wneo orc.acs Widely called the first witness
whee'sr h.das, being duly sworn, deposed and said
reside IN Albany and clerk in post Office; was
passenger on the s. John the day Of accident
and had berth in sateroom No ZIG; was aft Of the
gangwsy at the time Of the explosion was walking up
and down. in sight Of the engine room for about three
quarters Of hour previous TO the OF the dig
asier; there then two in the engine room,
seated in chairs; Of them busy with the
chinery fifteen minutes before the explosion occurred
but had conversation with either; the
examining the machinery was the younger Of
the two; shortly afterwards ! met gentleman
Mr. King, who has since made statement in the
HERALD and with whom had considerable converse
ton do not think the elder OF the two men rise
from his seat in the engine room was pacing to and
fro and had he left the place at all think would have
him take his departure; saw the fireman put coal
the fires about fifteen before the noise Of the
explosion was heard; when last saw the fires did not
think they were hotter than when saw them first.
Alexander c. Durbin, being duly sworn, deposed and
said-I live at 43 West Twenty fourth street. and
manufacturer Of boiler plate iron cannot say whether
furnished the iron Of which the boilers Of the st.
John built; furnish iron daily, however, for the
Of different quaities cannot tell which quality fur
nished the hrm; CTowbanks Theall always take
TO send back all defective plates.
D. +. Secor, being duly sworn, dep0sed and said:-l
live at No ITO East Twelfth street. and Of the
propretors Of the Allaire Iron Works; board
the St. John subsequent TO the explosion; made
ua examination OF the boilers in the part OF the boiler
which gave way the braces were not put together
firm 70 put braces more closely together in that partic
lar part Of the boiler the iron cut from the boiler
at the Inspectors Office and believe IL TO be good iron;
IL Is my opinion that the boiler was not very closely
braced and that 1t had been ovcrtested by S hydros
atic pressure; these think, were the causes Of the
plosion the sheets rolled lengthwise and subse
qucntly bent against the grain Of the ron were
when being used in the construction Of the boer the
braces on the boilers Of the st. John were placed about
fourteen fifteen inches apart; think the hydraulic
pressure put to test the strength Of the boilers
too great after such severe test had been applied IT
would sustain; the fracture probably commenced
about the middle of the sheet; had the sheet
Of iron Which , gave way been nI pr0pesy
further think that the plate weakened at the frac
ured point by caukng we use for that sized boiler iron
No. or No /, full sic Of an inch in thickness for the
fractured part think should have used No o; the
part into which the chiscl had cut would be par
Icularly weakened by the expansion and contraction
caused by cold and heat if there were two small leaks
in the centre of the fractured part and moreover,
groove cut into the iron "a pressure Of twentyeight
pounds Of steam might suffice to burst the boiler had
these defects existed think the boiler would have
been safe to carry thirty pounds OF thought
for boilers, that those Of the st. John were
usually tight; from the examination have made opine
that the explosion was caused by improper bracing,
by the chsel cut into the plate and the everlasting OF
the boilers by hydrosatic pressure
J. W. Hopper, beng duly sworn, deposed and said
live at 100 Seventh street, Williamsburg, and
OF the United States Inspectors OF steamboats, and
boilers appointed as usual by heSecretary of the
Treasury after having undergone examination but
presenting recommendation from Hiram Barney, then
Collector Of the Port Thomas b. Stman and Judge OF
the United States Circuit Court these gentlemen formed
board convened 70 nominate proper candidates for the
think necessary examine all boilers of steamboats,
navigating between Lake Champain and Cape May and
tain OF steam after the boilers were placed on
board the 81. John examined them by putting on q
hydraulic pressure Of about forty pounds; that
was not an unusually heavy pressure TO put on the
boiler four days after the test went through the boilers
with Mr.. Crowbanks, Mr.. Andrews, and think, Mr..
James Hook we examined the bracing very thoroughly
found the braces perfect and thought the boilers
properly braced the braces tho fiat surfaces
about eight inches apart think the fractured part was
as well braced as in any other boiler ever saw have
examined all OF Mr. secors boilers during the past two
years. and have seen any Of his bTaced differently
noticed the chise cut the fractured plate after but
not before the occurrence Of the explosion;
examined the seams with magnifying
no defect all boilers have less Of those chsel
cuts upon them; the hydraulic pressure to be put
when testing boilers is regulated BY clause in the act
Of Congress, according TO the thickness Of the iron
whereof the boiler Is built
Juror producing the fractured piece Of the boiler,
with the chsel cut in the plate-Do you say you
ned the boiler with magnfying glass and failed
TO detect chisel cut one-thrd Of inch deep, which
discovered when standing several feet on2
The witness lcontnuingl-I do; think that such q
cut would weaken the boiler according TO the thickness
IL took out Of the plate the expansion and contraction
fracture In that part part the boiler which had
been weakened by the cheel cut think tenhs Of
made was excellent but that there was one part Of the
sheet which little better than pot metal my personal
opinion that the explosion was caused BY bad piece
Of iron In the sheet; sometimes boiler mAkera when
Of good metal sheet Of inferior iron in the middle
these thrse sheets were rolled out piece Of inferOr
metal formed the spot which fractured; the weak
spot mu. have been near The aanss beside The ragged
c pressure put when the boilers tested weakened
them; have been engineer for the last years
In the United States revenue service; never was
boiler maker BY trade; my colleague and myself arrived
q. Is. o q Sa
the sheet and examined the fesh break The boilers OF
the g. John were The tightest ever saw and remarks
70 that effect were made on the day Of the test
John n. weeks, being duly sworn, depoeed and mid-
reside ct No. all Myrtle aveaue Brooklyn, and am
United States inspector 0 hulls o steamers; In coanec
ton with NJ. Hopper made partial investigates into
the facts connectsd with the explosion most OF the wit
examined ascrbsd the cause Of the explosion
10 the pulsasu of the boiler acting upon the fractured
part
Nj. ylstcbss, being duly sworn dspossd and saA:-I
live % Ne ~ Downing street and steam engine and
boiler builder examined the fractured part Of the boiler
OF the 81 John; think the iron used in the construc
ton Of the boiler was Of sucent thickness and good
quality think the seam of the beilcr gave nrs the
pumping Of the engine taking particular effect upon that
part when Croton water 10 pumped In while the boiler
10 hot has very weakening effect upon the part the
water strikes; have known sound skes OF boilers and
perect nu~e 70 be cracked few hours after the injection
% cold had taken place. think boiler makers are
sometimes apt 70 be careless when chipping and
caniking the hydrossAtc pressure may have weakened
the boilers 10 certain extent; had my Arm built those
boers would have the braces up rather higher