The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-08-22
The government Insp, stors Declare the Boilers
Only Capable Of Carrying Twenty Pounds
Of Steam, but Give q Ceftlfi.
cate for twenty-five Pounds.


Lynch, OF b ookyn. yesterday The following additions
testimony wal' taken:-
John Murphy, sworn, teatihed:-I reside in Lewi
street. New yorA city; have been foreman boiler ake
IN the Fulton Iron Works since 1854; haze inspected
the exploded due OF the boiler board the steamboat
Arrow last Tuesday at Nyack where the boat was then
lying; went there with hr Garvin foreman OF tne
Novelty Works. the nus was too small for US TO get :"
where the fracture was; round rent in the lower ue
about twelve nv eight incbe. extent four five feet
nom the end Of the ue the H. IN OF winch Inc ooer
and nues constructed was not then nor any o'ner
time heavy srough for such boilers; was o''snaiy
only three sxteepths of inch thick 'us was muon
thinner from six years. wear and tear; "' 'nus VI
she dues were very thin and weak; in cob o''a'on
with some Of the hands on Tuesday, they told M 'A'
they we're only carrying eighteen pounds of steam In
boilers when the explosion took place. that amount ~
steam could not, in my opinion have caused the en-
posion think would have taken fifty pounds Of steam
70 cause such an explosion; 1t took VS. about ten or
n'een minutes to make the necessary examination of
the fractured ""~' -" =
=. .us nue.; tho nae uia' -. no, con. |
..,,.ar inches In diameter; the oono'0 .,,A from
s.,.ed IN themselves; the steam passes
one 10 the other through valves; .ne ''o""' '..s
OF from one boiler by means q .gese as dnder-
be day before the explosion and that the boat only used
one boiler coming to New York; If the steam was
allowed to pass into the sound boiler and the connecting
left OPEN would escape through the ruptured part
of the other boiler; the explosion was caused by an
undue pressure of steam; eighteen pounds pressure
could not have caused such explosion; the boilers
made by man named Miligan, ~ New roIA wno
died in Charleston two months before the war broke ouss
MT Garvn has had conversation with Millgans ic6e
man. who also dead, about these oolier ana the
l. ttaAt hnr nNnn
that il was the worst he saw put in oilers;
thinks the boilers could have stood pressure OF evenly
hvupc pressure used in testing them at u 70 time Of
the inspection and the inspector know noun as about IT.
think II would taken at least 6y pc ands Of pres
sure TO have caused such an explosion
Peter ID. Van Danburg sworn, testr Ads-Reside at
seams a an 1852 ON hs
boat New Jersey remained on her ono year, and then
went on the Empire Of Troy as socosd engineer re-
m the Albany owboats where remained seven years
these boats all assistant eng cers took charge OF
the Arrow chief engineer April last; she had only
one engineer; was examine by government nspec.
Tor in 1853 and got license engineer; served
an any my own npr oSerhaums when I went on the
Arrow ! overhauled Jher, with the assistance OF
ne s s1d sSo Ss ssns
the boilers pretty web worn and patched; some
Of the old patches were taken of and new
ones substituted l the Arrow on her up trip
on Friday, tth inst, that trip blew small hole
in one the ues when the boat was near vsrrytown
the boiler maker 70 90 to New Yor day and repair
The damage we put spine plug IN the hole out iound
the iron thin that afraid IL would bow OUT ano
only used one boiler the down trip; we arrived IN
New York ten minutes past ten In the morning. we
left Tarytewn o. the usual x Ss VOW wa
aquarter before ten, tut we came down slower tnal
usual that morning; when we came 70 New ioIk NV, we
blew OF steam, renewed the pine plug and the ooIel
mixer put on patch the hole; the hole was from
ihee four nches; We cred up under both boil boil
ers at o'clock, and ieft New Y0s
at four o'clock that afternoon; the steam guags
was in the engineers room opposite where ! $1,000
there was a mercury gauge the hren,ans room, ant
the eman could see the steam gauge the front ems
Of the engine; had twenty pounds Of steam on whei
We lef, the dock but think there was less steam B,
two MOUNDS on when the explosion occurred; heard
kissing of steam escaping and ran out ana SAY
steam ceming'oat Of the smokeppe some one toid m
the pilot CAV the signal 70 stop the engine and
ran back aborn two minutes and stopped vi tue s"@
boat carried two boats one Francis metallic NE ooa
and the other a yawl don't know how many lie pre-
servers there were IL none Of my business ther
was considerable excitement board did not see an
she escaping steam before left the engine room
] don't know what caused the explosion un L.a
was was rrssen, 's ~sen the boilers were inspected
the inspectors put thirty and hall pounds
wsier pressure TO the square o ps q csr
twenty.Ave pounds OF steam, and tod nj. Dougns
make a certificate to that effect MT douglas sao
would 20 down and look at the hues; when ne can
hack he the nues very thin and ne would on
give a certificate for twenty pounds OF steam run u
beat on twenty pounds and when the certificate came
was made out for twenty Ave pounds had convers
lion With passenger who asked why did not can
more steam ana told him that the inspectors testt
she boilers and would not allow to carry any NOR
that the boilers we're old and thin and that we we
having new boilers built he asked me II not afra
40 run such boilers; I told him no, that IL al
small nue gave out Il could do but httie MUIR
Van rass the w,s sarsS y, S1 10, Ss wfe 90 M
Nyack the Arrow the day OF the explosion she vi
going to the country and wanted TO get up early, al
went by the Isaac p smith; there were between thr
four hundred passengers on board the Arrow on
day Of the explosion.
am n boilermaker; served my apprenticeship with
Coney at the West Point foundry have been nine a.
a half years in the employ OF the Messrs Smith
the work OF all their boats; when they want me tn
send for me the shop at Nyack; was sent Tor on
Atb of August, and told 70 20 down to New YORK
SATURDAY morning: when came to New York the en-
neer told me that hole had been blown IN one OF
small nues the up trip the night before ana that
had nut pine plug in the hoc, bat was afraid II wo,
blow out; I had the water taken out and put on
patch; took the train and went 70 Peekskill; hes
that night that the Arrow had blown up, and turn
and took the eleven o'clock train in company with
engineer Of the Isaac smith, and got into New ORR
two o'clock on Sunday morning; at daylight examit
The boiler and found that II was the large tue that
exploded have patched these hues TWO or three IN
since last April put on patti on , one ,bs I s "
very thin and he did not think u was sale 10 use M
than twenty pounds Of steam ! sad thai tney GO
not carry twenty-five pounds; they were good Tor no
ing; the iron that is known as No 0 iron and IL
as is usually put into such boilers; some boz
are made OF thicker iron, where the hues are ,a's
have nues twenty -four and twenty-six inches
diametes; think the cause Of the explosion WIS q I
IN the iron, OF ~ got worn out; have Known oi oo'
20 be IN long thirteen years and again HI
known. OF boilers " give ouS In three OF four yea
tbink about seven years woum lie a general avera
Thomas Me3ee sworn testihed--I reside at Nys'
have been in the employ Of Mr. smith about nine yea
as aboerrnaker: worked on The steamboat AFRO
Captain smith requested me W so down Hyack
tays ago and examine the fue of ,be arrow got
hight on the end a pole and went INTO the nue and
che seam Of the iron where the rent wss think 9TH
had been a naw at that part OF the iron which had
there from continual USE the kind Of water used NAL
great deal OF difference In the wear and tear Of boil
eaIt water Is more severe than fresh water the
s,sed salt water from the time she left the dock till
returned the boilers were usually hlled With Gro
wafer before leaving the iron mt the fracture was ab
An eighth OF an inch thick at the edge snd was j
tbjcker further back consider that the IRON was u
enough TO resist pressure OF twenty five pounds
Isaac r. Wright sworn, tcstifed-Reside at III
rortv- third street was a passenger the Arrow on