The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-01-22
CITY INTELLIGENCF.
Bor Additional 9th InteRtaenoe see Eth PAM. l

NENTH WARD observation-disclosures DanieIs
last evening held his examination into the re-
cent explosion in the Eleventh Ward The
evidence taken was thus;- 'N'N'
daniel Shaw, sworn-I am a driver at the mill
where the explosion occurred; / have worked
Slghteen years in the employ of the firm the
boilers were always considered safe; I ate my
ulnnef within fiVe minutes OF the explosion bv
the side of the boiler that burst
Charles Redman, sworn.-I have been at the
NIL elght years; have labored generally; the
explosion occurred on the Delaware avenue
sue, haVe cleaned the boilers and found scales
AZ least quarter of an inch thick; sometimes
the scales were chisseed: each cleaning would
snOrua q bushei OF scales; az different times
nave nave nred the boilers; have been there when
the boilers were patched four years ago the
boilers were moved from their place hauled
INTO the yard, overhauled, repaired and put into
new place; the workmen, when the boilers
were repaired, talked foolishly about their un-
saieness; heard the men who repaired the
boilers the last time say that the boilers were
liable TO collapse from the flues but the boilers
exploded; there was no collapse; it was about
amonth or two since they were last examined:
have often fired the boilers sometimes there
were ninety OF one hundred pounds of steam
in carrying that quantity of steam; the water
was not always regular; sometimes the boilers
cracks; IL has run 80 low that we could not
raise steam; then we would draw our fires and
have the boilers repaired.
The witness labored under the examination.
MIR. Henry Lyons questioned him closely. The
witness stated that he knew the difference be-
tween steam and water in the boiler, but he
couldn't tell the difference in color between
steam and water.
pounds; the boilers were often repaired; some-
times in a week or two after patching the weak
part would give may, and IL would be taken
down and repaired again; the means of supply
ing water was by an injecting pump
W. W. HuoDell, ,sworn.-,ia am scientific engi-
neeT; was not at the mill of Mr.. Patten when
the boiler burst, but have been there since and
examined the fragments. This witness was
subpmnaed by Mr.. Patten, the Coroner
stately He stated that, judging from the
appearance Of the fragments, and the manner
in which they were fractured, that there must
have been ovsrheated steam, and the boilers,
from the dry condition of the atmosphere were
surcharged with electricity; this combination
produced the explosion; there were cracks in
the boilers. but the ruptures were in the mid
die Of the boiler, through solid plates of iron;
the cracks were caused at the general rupture.
Mr. Lyons asked the witness if the fragments
were not burned? The witness said they looked
as If they had rested on something corroded.
He then entered into dissertation on electricity
as an agency of explosion The electricity he
thought, could be conducted from boiler by a
copper wire extending into the ground, This,
he thought was the science of the new anti
incrustator, which diffuses the electricity
through the boiler and prevents the concentra-
tion of the electrical fluid. Afterwards, on ex-
animation, he said that he had never examined
any boilers that had been provided with the
anti-incrustator.
Professor Morton-You say that there was no
conductor for electricity in this boiler is not
water a conductor?
Answer-Yes, sir.
Professor Morton-Was there not a water
pipe in connection with the boiler?
Answer-There was; but the water-pipe would
not gather the electricity. IL would require
some stronger conductor.
saw no evidence OF overwhelming there were
no surface indications, no fracture of the scales
that evinced over-heating; attribute the rup-
ture 10 the combination of circumstances al
ready mentioned; the majority of ruptures
were through the seams of rivets.
Mr.. Lyons-Did you notice that in drifting for
these riVeJs the holes were not round, but OBJ
long; that the drifting had changed the nature
of the iron?
No, sir; l noticed ruptures through solid
Professor Morton-But always in the line of
the seams of rivets, and but for short distances.
A q
through solid pieces OF metal
metal you examined?
Answer-From a quarter of an inch to three
eighths thick.
an inch thick when constructed.
Answer-Well, the parts l examined were
Mr., Lyons-Did you measure the thickness?
Answer-No; but know the pieces were that
thick; the boilers may have been of various
thicknesseS.
Mr.. Lyons-Perhaps.
Gerhard Lieper, sworn.-Am book-keeper at
the MILL have been there only a short time;
know nothing about the boilers, but l always
considered them safe what gave additional
proof TO my suppostion was the fact that Mr..
Patten was there great deal, looking after the
guages; when the explosion occurred he was
on his way to the boilers.
John M Craig, sworn.-Am general superin-
tendent; know Ihe boilers TO nave peen repaired
twice by workman from l. r. Morris IL Co. S;
there was then difficulty from the hue pipe;
the work man said, when he got through, that he
had made better job than he had expected;
when first repaired there was difficulty with
the plates; the mechanic then stated that he
thoughtthe shell was good and the boiler would
last several years yet when repaired the work
man stated that the rtYets were affected by the
, shortness of the swater supply; there was one
pipe to the three boilers, and larger plunger
was made for the pipe; the boilers were
all used together; there was no way TO run
one boiler separate: there was but one safety
valve; it was large; think tnat the last time
looked at the boiler; went away from the city
in December last the steam guage was not in
working order; the engine was four feet stroke
and the pump the same stroke when the boiler
was repaired the workman gave his opinion
that some previous scarcity of water mad weak
ened the rives; he increased the supply of the
pumps; sometimes the water would be low, and
we would stop the engine and throw off por-
tlon OF machinery, that the engine could run
light; this has happened once week, princi-
James McGowan sworn Am engineer wher
the boiler exploded was in the upper part o
the mill; l mad charge of all the machinery
about the place, and was the engineer control
Mr.. Lyons-Are you machinist?
Witness-I am a millwright
Mr.. Lyons (handing him pencil and paper)-
Can you give me rough plan of the boilers, al
they were situated?
The witness (making q rude >.rawing)-Th
boilers were fat directly above them was TN
water was supplied at the side of the mud drum
the boilers were there ten years; they had beeI
previously used q Government ice boat
don't know VINO used them.
IL is my business to start and stop that en-
gine: started IL on the day Of the explosion
i had left the engine about five minutes Whei
iteXploded; left the fireman in CHARGE he ha,
been there three months / had been placed il
full charge of the engine ten weeks ago; if re
pairs were needed il was my place to call atten
ton to it; when the boiler was out of order th
last time did so; there were two places Whic
we had had patched, and which We're out c
order: one was near the furnace and one at In
back near the centre; IL was repaired by takin
out a piece and putting a new piece in; fou
--I1ah hot rrau nph N flinfa