The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-11-02
The CaRBOLIC ACID EXPLOSION.
y,oues, Before Coroner Jones.

Inquest Before Coroner Jones.
Tne inquest touching the late terrible explosion OF
q tank Of carbolc acid at the works Of the ROBINS
wood Preserving Company, at the corner of Third
aud Bond streets, South Brooklyn, by winch catas-
ropne Martin VOORHEES, Inventor OF the PATENT ana
Michael GeoghaR, workman, lost their hVes, was
resumed yesterday morning.
Richard w. Trundy, assistant superintendent OF
che works, was called TO the sland and being re-
minded by the Coroner OF the part of the testimony
given on Friday where he left off, he continued as
follows:-Tne fire was fed from the side under
the boiler; the furnace ia about seven feet
by four and TWO doors opened into the furnace
in coming from the gauges ND past the COCKS |
asked Mr.. VOORHEES, II l had not better open then
and he said not to do so until the pressure became
greater; the water was dripping nom The mead Of
the boiler in several small streams; we Immediately
tried 10 screw the head and partially succeeded IN
stopping the water; this water was the product OF
what had been driven from the wood by the process;
there eight barrels OF oil In the tank and 10000
superficial feet OF lumber; u requires about -FOUR OF
six hours to treat the wood; when the oil was put
into the tank 1t did not come within three
inches Of the angle irons OF the boilers.
THE construction and location OF the angle
iron cutters was again gone over with. | think
these cutters were full OF Oil, which flowed over
into the oil in the boiler and Immediately the explo
sion occurred; in building the machine We put q
p4ece OF half mon iron near the end where the lire
is as we supposed that the extra heat would require
this while the iron need not be so thick at the other
end where IT threeeighths; the vapors referred
baby naphtha vapors; think the dropping OF the
oil from the cutters, and their contact with the
heated boiler ron caused all the steam generated at
the moment Of the explosion; at this tlme no SAFETY
valve or any would have been Of use think the
the water we saw dripping from the boiler must have
been condensed from vapor at the top of the boiler
there was no evidence OF detective fue;
should nave known 1t II there was; the head con-
taning the gauges was carried about ten feet both
heads Of the boiler were broken by the explosion;
all three OF us stood the OF the head but
"a | arose from screwlng 1t stumbled on board,
and as | recovered | was outside or the line the
other two were left by the head they were found
pretty near the head Of the other tank after me ex.
posion; was burned on the hands and face; was
in The air, don't know how long, but suppose
must have lain three or four minutes on the ground
after came down. feel pretty now; the Goals
were not blown ont OF the furnace; can't account
sion; as soon as | could stand | saw a light all
around: have seen several boiler explosions be-
lore, and that had all the appearance OF an expo
sion by steam 1t was by steam; have never used
superheated steam in treating OF those heavy oils;
don't know exactly what i Is; lin reply to Jury,
which fell INTO the cutters flowed over on to the
heated IRON and formed steam, which caused the
explosion. Mr.. Trundy, In answer to question
concerning the fluid in the CUTTERS said 1t was not
oil, as there was not sufficient heat on to condense
oil vapors; 1t was water from the wood and not as
understood by several present, naphtha oil; the gas
was escaping from the safety valve, probably from
was not similar to Ihis there are now works in New
Jersey which have been running every day for over
three years; think II the cocks for the drawing of
OF the water had been turned there would have been
no explosion; ! was entirely under the supervision
OF Ar. voorhees,, ana did as he told me; don't
think any engineer could have foreseen an accident.
Dir. Alexander H. Cunningham was next sworn
Reside al 3iS Clinton street; am mechanical and
practical engineer; have examined the boiler; have
the original drawing, furnished by Mr. "; was
called in 10 Assist in its construction after II
commenced (the plans were shown 10 the lury;
the machine conformed TO The original plan with the
exception Of the neads being cast iron instead Of
wrought there no specification as TO The thick
ness or the IRON: examined the heads several times;
these were OF cast IRON with wrought iron sheet in
the centre the cast iron an inch and five-sX-
teenths thick in the extreme, when it joined the
wrought iron; the wrought iron was about seven
slxteenths cast iron expands by heat IN greater
ratio than wrought IronS in equal lhcknesses
wrought iron Will stand eight times the pressure
that cast iron viii.
day next.