The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-02-29

Repert Of shc. local EusPecsers In Re
Iafion 10 she .slfarry Deano Disasse'
They Afiribufe abe Explosion u
Nexiect Of Duty ON abe Part Of I'M
First Engineer,
LOCAL INSPECTORS OFFICE,
PORT or WHEELING, w. Va,
/ February 81, 1868. }
To Thomas OBrien, Esq., Sarreyor o.
| Customs:
SIR:-Iu accordance with the pro-
visions of the steamboat law OF 1917
we hereby report to you our action III
relation to the explosion of the steamer
Harry Dean, which occurred on the 80
of January last, at or near Gallipoils'
Ohio. The Harry Dean was passen-
ger packet plying between Cincinnati
and Marietta, Ohio. The explosion oc-
Cured on her downward trip, freighted
with passengers and valuable cargo
Of the former, nine lives were lost
while the latter was an almost total
loss, as the boat Immediately took fire
and burned to the waters edge. she
was provided with high pressure boil
ers, 26 feet long and 80 inches in diam
eter, of cylindrical form, constructed
of C. HI. No. iron, of 14-4S of an inch
in thickness, which was made in 1868.
Each boiler was provided with two Ia
inch return flues of 1 an inch IN
thickness, and was allowed working
pressure of las pounds to the square
inch. The Local Board of Inspectors
of Cincinnati, in their annual lnspec-
ton did as was required by law on the
9th of November, 1867, subject these
boilers to a hydrostatic pressure OF III
pounds to the square inch, which test
proved satisfactory in all respects ana
fully warranted them in issuing GER
tificates OF inspection. The senior men-
her of this Board, accompanied by John
S. Deveney, Esq, supervising inspector
| for this district, repaired to the scene
of disaster as soon after the occurrence
as possible for the purpose of making
such examination and collecting such
| facts as might enable the Board to de-
termine if possible the true cause OF
this most unfortunate affair. The sub
merged condition of the boat, however,
prevented for time the accomplish
ment of this purpose, but at snbse-
quent period the water had receded ana
the wreck cleared, when the desired
examination was made, and 1t was
found that the larboard boiler
had exploded, leaving behind
the forward head with a por-
tion of the fues attached thereto;
The remaining boilers were uninlured
except that they were slightly displaced.
Fragments of the exploded boiler now
in our possession furnishes evidence oil
the fact that it must have blown to
atoms, causing the forward part OF the
cabin to fall into the furnace which
took fire and spread so rapidly that all
efforts to eXtinguish it was unavaillng.
The manner in which the victims lost
their lives, whether drowned, blown to
pieces, or burned, we are not advised.
We are informed that a number of the
passengers were setting around the
stove in the cabin hall, Immediately
over the boilers, at the time of the ex-
plosion, among whom was the lamented
Norton, and il is reasonable to suppose
his body was buried in the wreck aud
consumed in the cOntlagration which
ensued. James n. Chamherlia, first
engineer on watch at the time of the
explosion, u gentleman who stood
high in his profession, and enjoyed a
large share of public confidence, was
ND until this occurrence, and in him
| Capt. Saver and the owners of the yes
sci placed great reliance, stated that
the machinery was in good working
condition. Nothing occurred to excite
alarm until :. few hours previous to the
explosion, when his attention was
called to leak in tho larboard boiler.
He examined it and found it to be so
trifling that he attached but little i'm
portance to it, intendinG when they ar
rived at Cincinnati to have 1t repaired,
but to be on the safe side ordered the
fireman not to crowd her, and reduced
the working pressure to lOO pounds,
which pressure the sream-guase lndlca-
ted when she exploded. He further
stated that he tried the water twenty
minutes prior to the occurrence and
found il flush, and that the striker tried
it at intervals of from to D minutes
under his immediate supervision with
the same results. In this statement
Mr.. Chamberlin is sustained, as is usual
in such cases. by the testimony OF the
witnesses, with but one exception in re-
lation to portion of the boats crew.
He attributes the explosion to defect
i'm the boiler first made apparent by the
In n
we do not concur. 1t is an established
fact sustained in theory and proved by
experience that where defect exists in
a boiler there the pressure obtains vent,
blows out and the boiler is relieved, it
would not tear it at all to pieces, as in
this instance. We must therefore look
for q more satisfactory solution, which
will be found to consist IN the
fact that there was an lnsufiicl'
ency of water in the boiler,
otherwise, with but working pressure
of 100 lbs. this explosion would not
have occurred. 1t is impossible for an
engineer, with the aid Of all the appli-
ances attached to boilers to regulate
the water, to be deceived when eXer-
cising that attention and constant
WaUCUIultltSS MulJu luO ~" iNH"'iNN'
We do, therefore, conclude that this
explosion was the result of Mr.. Cham
berlin's inattention to his duties, in
suffering the water to become too scant
in the boilers, and do suspend him for
one year from the date of the occur
renee, January 3, 1865.
We would consider this report incom-
plete did we not refer to the meritorious
conduct of Captain Saycr on this occa-
sion. The imputation that he with
held that aid which was in his power
to bestow, to the contrary Rotwithstand-
ing, we believe the very reverse of
this to be trae, being partially disabled
himself, from the effects of which he
has not yet wholly recovered. He done
all in his power to relieve the suffering,
and acted in all respects as becomes a
humane man.
Respectfully submitted,