The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-06-13
CITY INTELLIGENCE.
Ig0h ADDI1IOsAL nOcAI 1rnns SEE OUTSIDE rAsr..

SVkVNEKs INQUEST VERDICT OF THE JURY
Az the Coroner's office, last evening the inquest
INTO the explosion tragedy was resumed The
examination commenced at O'Clock, when the
nrsI witness called was John Bechtel. He lives
AT NO. 2S9 North Fifteenth street, and is the
workman who, at Geasey Wards on the after
noon OF the explosion, assisted in the repairs of
the boiler. He deposed that, being called by
the engineer Mr.. jenkins, TO help him IN the
reconstruction of the boilers, he found that
gentleman working with a wrench, loosing the
Oolts OF the cylinder-head. This was to see the
PaCSlng nISl rings. me witness, stating that the
work was beng done at the wrong end re-
moved the other caption, and found the packing
rings were correded and immovabe. The fore
man man Oh Mr. kug's shop, Mr.. Farrell, was then
sent for and he came to the scene.
Mr.. Bechtel then told the foreman that there
seemed to be something wrong with the rings
ana ana the foreman decided to remove them. This
was difficult. The key was knocked out of the
cross-head, and drew that from the piston; a
block was inserted between the piston and
Stoss-nead, the piston taken out, and the rings
discovered sound. The piston was replaced,
the machinery secured, the rings reset, the
head readjusted and tightened, and the other
CyInoer li restored to ito proper position. The
and place 1t on the cylinder-head. Requested
by the engineer to do this, Mr. Bechtel declined,
leaving Jenkins to plete the lob,
On cross-examn6ton, the witness said that he
spent an hour and a half in the mill. All this
whlle the engine was placed and there was no
leakage. This occasion was the only time that
he ever visited the place; but then the throttle
valve was shut, ana had been for some time
because the cylinder was cold when he COM
menced work; when the question was asked
what amount Of steam was raised, and the
answer was made lone pound,n it created
laugh, ana the engineer told the fireman TO
throw on cal.
This testimony Mr. Bechtel said he gave with
out any knowledge of the engineer or his ability.
On no other occasion had he met Mr.. jenkins,
and on that occasion there was nothing to pre-
vent him from attending personally to the
engine and examining into the cause of the
absence of steam. There seemed to be short,
stout man dressed in light clothes, who assumed
authority in the engineroom, but witness did
not know this was Mr.. Geasey. The latter he
did not at all know. There was considerable
levlty among the men surrounding the engine,
and the engineer could have been recognized
only by an occasional direction concerning the
engine.
After this witness came MI. Ward, who desired
to make statement. This was that after
dinner on Thursday he and Mr.. Geasey met on a
pile OF lumber outside the door of the yard, and,
with perhaps an exception OF about three or
four minutes, they were together until the sepa-
ration, immediately before the disaster. That
Mr.. Geasey perfectly understood the construc-
tlon OF the boiler valves, and their special uses
the witness had every reason to suppose. The
safety-valve and steam-gauge were not both
visible to the engineer when the latter was
hrlng In the boiler room. The gauge alone was
visible from that location. From that room the
ascent to the top of the boilers was by means of
ladders. stray piece of lumber could not have
was turned by the hand.
Joshua Morgan, of the firm of Morgan & Orr
who constructed the boilers, then appeared.
He said there were two boilers, twenty-six feet
long, forty inches in diameter and two twelve
inch aues They were built in the fall of 1862,
under contract, with specifications furnished.
Mr.. Lyons called for the reason of the location
OF the valves in their peculiar situation.
Mr.. Morgan replied that the person for whom
they were erected desired TO use them alter
nately. Mr.. Orr, who specially attended to the
contract for these boilers, is of the impression
that this throttle.valve was particularly spec-
fed by the owner, but to this affirmation could
q q Un
ing to the memory of the witness, at the back
end-about ten feet from the end.
Mr.. Lyons-ln the specification, was there
anything said about the number of safety
valves?
Mr.. Morgan-No, sir.
Mr.. Lyons-About the quality of iron?
Mr.. Morgan-We always try to get first quality
of iron. We always pay for that.
Mr.. Lyons-About the thickness?
Mr.. Morgan-Well, l saw to-day some OF the
iron, which was three-sXteenths of an inch,
and there were two feet of the same piece
which we're one-quarter.
Mr.. Dyons-Was your specification in writing
Mr.. MoTgan-No, sir.
Mr.. Lyons-Are there more of your boilers OF
similar construction in the cIty2
MIR. Morgan Several Some of the sugar
houses have them. No trouble was found with
the boilers previously, and these boilers were
always considered good. Do not know of any
boilers now running in the city in the alter
nate way used at Ward u Geasey's.
Professor Norton-What pressure was intended
to be carried by the boilers?
pounds, but we never supposed they would be
subjected to more than go or 20. They were
very strong boilers, and when they exploded
the sides burst; the heads did not give way.
Mr.. Lyons-Do you think that that valve was
stopped at the time of the explosion?
Mr.. Morgan do.
Orlando johnson, living at No. 1880 Ridge
avenue, was then sworn--He erected the boilers
or, rather, put upon them the connections.
This was cToss-pipe, about two thirds of the
WaV from the front OF the boilers, with two
stop-valves, besides the two safety-valves. The
connections and the steam-guage were on the
same pipe After the boilers we're erected the
witness went to the mill but once. In conver.
satiOn with Mr.. Goehman, when the boilers were
being erected, Mr.. johnson explained the entire
working of the valves, and proposed and urged
an additional stop-yalve between the boiler and
the engine. This Mr.. Goehman, the then owner
of the mill, declined. The suggestion was made
that in case any disorder should arise in the
boiler, engine, or the valve already there, the
new valve could be used to stop the boiler. The
valve placed there was simply intended to cut
off connection between the boilers, and not to
stop the engine This last visit was two years
ago. Mr.. Goehman said that new stopvalve
was in his opinion unnecessary; that there was
already stop valve on the cylinder
Mr.. Lyons-Were these boilers arranged to be
fed together?
Mr. Johnson-Separately
Mr.. Lyons-Was there any complication ot
pipes, so that an ordinary man could not under
stand them .
MIR, Johnson-No, sir. The feeding was at the
front end, and the blowing off at the same place
a pipe being at the 'front.' with cock to let the
water run off into well; the checksValYe was
placed in the cellar.
Mr. LYONS How many such boilers have you
located for Morgan Orr?