New-York tribune., 1869-03-17
THE COURTS.

TTyF ROLLER EXPLOSION IN NTWENTH-ElGHTH-ST'
In fine superior Court, Trial Term, before
NJ Irsce Barbour, the suit OF Erastus Crawford agt
Abram r. Wcch, jr. decided for the defendant The
circumstances leading to the sn ere these ON me sh OF
SrDt"ber 1867 boiler expOdedat No 258 WestIWeny-
cid5ItlI.st "a paning-mD, portion thereof weighing
fiye iuns being thrown through the air. aghting on
house some feet distant passing through ie I0oI u
Killing two children. In its upward journey It took OF
portion OF the next house, No 30 and the plalntn
EtaSus Crawford, now sues the owner OF te UoieI a
n Welch for his loss the house. ON the ground that
the latter was in some way negligent or rVGanouy% % Irg
gent through his engineer ana ioreman VINO We're We're hGa
The defendants simply denied neghgence' Inc 2 Dqnea
was DensluOe boiler pecuuI III u'lrR an or f9hes
and IN having the IRE e1er tne nuos III, III ~ re
which set not perpendcuary, hut dlagOnay az @ ho
ton the heated air passing up first between TWO OF tne
skins and then down through the nues, anu @ tnemeo @
escaping into the chimney giving very large Hre spaco
" hLecniiartes of Ills boiler He testified that II the
boiler was kept properly filled with water no part OF the
We're no snperheating surfaces but the water from
any cause lowered below the upper tube seet Il9
SahIdy become red hot especially with faneprodnc-
ing fuel such savngs and wood chips spGh a. S nS eX
derstOod 10 have been used In this boiler he % uau ,n
amned this boiler there were plain MARKS Gl 'no conid
having been overheated D0LieIm"ov hean nverbeated
IL ACQUIRED q peculiar blnishness I9t steam
Dpnglug iron would give TINS ] was veTy
eytdet 10 any experienced iro-worker when rupture
aEsR SS in hI Ds sE Bosp Ne NV e inches 1TtG apart
lower one inches from the crown sheet Ihese eOShs
scd him his theory of the explosion he said he sup
posed tie upper ends OF the tubes having been over
heated had gradually drawn out, thus leaving the wv
end plates without support, except from the shel ~
the crown plate had been forced down Dy the ,h
tbe water Gc added to the pressure thus aelng on
Ioint or flange Of the shell with leverage power uL
the 1auge was half broken greatly Weakeheu With
tIc eYeess OF powsr tthe boiler ordinarily wOrkeu
AT from CO TO pouudsJ would produce fracture ING
fact thate great mass OF tubes m s' He less
few of the outer tubes which would naturally DO ess
snbect 10 oyerheGtinC. went with the she'll ana lew
Others OF the outer ones scattered round seemed 70
him TO prove this TO be correct. The enormous ioSe
shown would, In part, arise from the reaction ot tho
crown.sbeet- The witness thought tho power OF steam
developed from Injection Iedhot surfaces hau oeen
greatly exaggerated. He had, from general le,
noTf copsidered the engineer in charge OF
this engine a good engineer, and tue nronah rh
a good fireman, they ordinarily are thouRh
he had had considerable difficulty IN giving MIN Iuo
ideas OF firing OtheT witnesses testhed TO tne iass W
te occurrence aud the loss OccasiORed 10 the paln
The Court in Its charge, held that the caso OF inc Ll
til rested the negligence OF the dtendau' anu s
was the want OF that care which man Of ordinary
prudence would exercise That of course must De
rOpor Oned 10 the danger OF the Instrument Inc uy
fonnd for The defendant Luther L. Marsh for palntln
| salter d DlusmOre, for defendant.