The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-08-29

and up number Of times On her while he re-
mani he told me the boilers were bad that they blew
aoes IN them quite frequently; he was in the habit OF
coming home two three times week, and one time
when he did not come asked him the reason and he
ers he told there steam used than the law
allowed them to carry and that he did not know what
tho TO Ss
ploeon; went up the river on the Saturday that the
explosion took place; saw my husband on board the
the time by the clock in the engine
room; told him was going up to Nyaok, and that I!
had better 70 up on the Isaac smith, and be gave me
ticket; he told me number Of times that he did
the boat frequently and told him that day leave her.
he said they short OF hremen and that he would
q ss9
frequently carried as much as thirty pounds; never
heard him say that they carried more than thirty
pounds the last time went up on the Arrow was the
Saturday before the explosion; was two miles from
Nyack when heard OF my husbands death; had con-
pected that she (the Arrow, would blow up some day
that is all know OF the matter
Coroner BY &c owner or the boat NJ Smith. VINO esti
fed that Mr. vandenburgh, the engineer Of the Arrow
was competent man witness knew nothing about tho
condition OF the boilers and not board the Of
the accident This closed the evidence and the
delivered the following Charge
The c0RONERs CHARGE.
GENTLEMEN the JURY-Y0u have been summoned
to assist me In asceraining the of the death Of
John NJ Westlake, whose body found in the East
river, ana from the evidence taken II would
pear "a be the result Of what may steam
boat accident which Of late frequently occurs by which
many Of our fellow citizens are sent TO early grave.
have deemed it my duty TO give this matter thorough
investigation to ascertain who IL any one responsible
for the death of this party An inquest was held in New
nSrk rev. days ago upon the bodies Of other persons
shows the deceased to have BEEN and the jury there
rendered verdict that the deceased came to their death
n the Ess rvsr nu%Ser y gentlemen
called upon me and desired the matter to be thoroughly
Der Of witnesses, all Of whom have been ex
amined before you; and it is from their ev
dsnce that you are TO render your verdict
II appears from the evidence that the 9Th day Of
August the deceased together with large number Of
others between four and five hundrcd), on the
steamboat Arrow going up the North river. T.. g. Cha
pm testifes that he the main deck Of the boat
and heard noise. He got the guard outside of the
wheehouse and soon water commenced to come out Of
the smoke pipe Witness told that person had left
the boat on its down trip that morning because of
cdent that had occurred the evening previous David
D. smith one Of the owners Of the Arrow teses that
the boat was twenty seven years old and that the
boilers were six years old The boilers inspected
spectors pronouncng the boilers in good condition
Witness had boilermaker in his employ who had done
repairing aching in different parts Of this boiler The
inner part Of the iue gave way. The dues about
fifteen feet long John s. Tappau, who was also
on the boat, testides that the boa! was using
coming down-so slow that several parties let
the boat at Hastings. The general reputation
of the boat and boilers bad the boilers particu
lar Witness says the appliances for saving life in case
OF any accident board of the boat entirely
sufficient He thought the boat not large enough to
transport the number OF passengers she had board
George D. Fenner, who was on the boat says that he
heard the explosion and knew that the boiler had burst
He saw some parties jump overheard Had heard that
the boat very old, and that her boilers bad
condition John Bertholf, fireman employed the
six that morning, and stopped at Sing Sing, Tarrytown,
Hastings and Yonkers. There were two 6remen the
boat. The boat had two boilers, which below the
deck Only one boiler was used that morning. The
other gave out the day previousa fire kept this
boiler all day. Witness fired up the boiler that
ploded The boiler that out Friday patched
Saturday morning after reaching New York. Had
eighteen pounds Of steam when witness looked at the
gauge about three minutes before the explosion
y carried from twenty to twentythree pounds OF steam
The inspectors gave certificate TO carry twenty five
pounds Of steam. Witness thinks the explosion
Smith, part owner OF the Arrow testified that the boat
was built In 1887, was burned aud rebuilt again. She
the George Washington. After running abon, four years
the boilers were taken out and the bottoms cut of and
bottoms put to the depth Of three feet and the
nues patched wherever they needed It, john Muir
ply, foreman bolermaker in the Fulton Iron Works,
iesaes that he inspected the exploded ue Of the boiler
iue about twelve BY eight inches in extent He says
that the iron OF which the boiler constructed ives
heavy enough for such boers It was originally three
very thin and weak The amount OF steam testified to
by other witnesses as beng on the boiler at the time
Ho thinks Il would have taken fifty pounds OF steam
cause such an explosion. The steam passes from
one boiler TO the other through valves The explosion
was caused by undue pressure OF steam. Peter Van
Denburgb, an engineer employed the Arrow, SAYS
that on the up trip Friday small hole was blown in
one OF the ues and pine plug put in but the iron
thin that the witness afraid it would blow out
and he only used one boiler the down trip On ar
irving New York he removed the pine plug and the
started under both boilers At two O'Clock the steam
gauge was in the engineers room; witness present
when the boilers inspected; M. Hopper OF
the inspectors told witness he would allow him carry
twenty hve pounds of steam, and tod Mr. Douglass to
make out certificate to that effect Mr. Douglass looked
Mt the hues and said he would only give certificate for
twenty pounds II steam, but the certificate made
out for twenty i've pounds OF seam Nicholas 81, Pierre
swears that he patched these hue, two three
times since last April; The Inspector said
The nues were very thin and he did not
pounds Of steam Thomas MCGEE tees that he thonrht
The explosion caused by flaw the iron. Alcxan.
der Douglass the government Inspect OF steamers es
tilted that he inspected the boilers OF the Arrow the
10th OF July. Witness put on forysx pounds oil cold
water pressure aud found that the steam drum leaked
neer not TO put on more than twenty pounds Of steam
until the repairs made and that after repairs
made witness gave certificate for Ave pounds Of
steam The cause Of the explosion that the stop
valve was closed the port boiler Witness that
he satisfied that the stop valve down, which &C.
on the eamge aud the valve connecting The boilers must
have been clos-d, or the steam would have escaped
through the fratfrs 10 e Other eciie5 Tiness Gays
that IL the valve had been open 30 a. 10 admit The steam
rom one boiler 10 the other the explosion could not
have taken place. Charles Ssenc r. engineer for
ten years, tesfines that the valve IN the steam
connecting the boilers together shut; n 1t had
been open all the the sound boiler would have
escaped out Ut the aperture caused by the explosion II
appears further from the evidence that this boat had
been running under three different nsmes The Broad
way the Geo. Washington and tho Arrow. She had the
maine OF Broadway painted on her wheel houses and
signs IN the cabin, and Arrow was painted her stern
have very carefully reviewed the evidence call
TO your minds the most important parts, 10 that you
may more understandngiy srrve your verdict |
Several engineers testify that II the valve in the
pipes connecting the boilers had been open, a. should
have BEEN the explosion would not have taken place
The engineer says he instructed Van Tassei the dead
fireman, 70 open the valve before the boat started but
does not know whether he opened the valve not I |
think was his duty 10 that his orders properly
executed Gentlemen, you 10 decide this from
the evidence that has been taken before you any OF
yo1 have had conversations with parties reference 70
this matter or rsd newspaper articles In regard thereto
dismiss them from your minds, and you will be more
able 10 render just verdict with these few remarks
leave The case 10 yoir hands trusting you will have no
difficulty In arriving al q verdict
THE VERDICT
We find that the deceased, John n. wesake, came TO
A