The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-12-02

the want OF witnesses, was nela aI ~ OoioSh
YESTERDAY morning. at the City Hail. jury con
sisting o. the following persons was impanelled
W. Wallace, foreman; c. F. Wilson, Henry j.
o,NeiE, L. R. Reed, Daniel oNeil, L. B. Michel
John F. Cleary, F. G.. Cart, J. Il. Simons, F. A
Brailsford, Thomas R. Small and Denis O'Seill
All the iurymen are whites, excepting Brailsford
Coroner Taft conducted the examination.
The Hon. C. G., ,Memminger president Of the
Etiwan Company, having been sworn, testified as
| follows:
NV first intimation OF the explosion was about
| Q O'Clock on Tuesday Immediately went up to
| the works. and was informed that the explosion
had taken place from the collapse OF the TWO
| nues In the new boiler. Mr.. Sbokes had been
| killed and Captain Williams, the engineer, fatally
| scalded. The boiler was new and had been used
for the first time on Friday last learned thas
| few minutes before the explosion DR.. Pratt was
| In the laboratory making an experiment on a
4 small quantity OF water drawn from the boiler.
| There was at the time plenty or water 10 Ine
boiler and about 10 pounds LOS OF steam "a on In I0e
pounds. All possible assistance was rendered
the deceased The superintendent, MT. Cnisolp.
contracted for the making OF the boiler. IL was
suit 100 horsepower engine ann 70 so os PER- 1ert
atirely in the hands Of Mr.. Eason, and from MS
iell.knowp reputation frst-class job was ex-
Jected To the best OF my knowledge no lnspec-
| Drs. ", W. Ruth and W. ". MemminSer were
then called and testified that they were at
| the works when the explosion occurred, and
both attended the deceased That there me! were were TWO
caused by the nervous depression arising from his
extensive scalds Tha the died about s O'Clock IN
the evening. DR.. Memmlnger also said that from
the imperfect analysis OF the water drawn from
the boiler, in which DR.. Pratt was engaged at the
time OF the explosion he judged It to be nall salt
Renty Campbell, coored, was then called anu
testified that he was employed as fireman at the
Etiwau Works, and was on duty when the explo-
ticular boiler at the time, and there were 80
pounds OF steam and guaees OF water on The
engines were started at hallpast 12o'clock. The
highest pressure OF steam ever on the boiler was
about 40 pounds, and the highest on that day 50
pounds. That this b iler ls connected with the
sulphur boiler but the latter always has up very
little steam. That he was 81 the door aud the
cues were at his side when the explosion occur.
red. and he was struck In several places, but not
seriously injured. That ShoEes ana deceased
were standing facing the nues In the boiler room.
That he tried the water moment be.
fore. at the request OF the deceased, and
found guages In the boiler. That he never
let the water get lower than TWO guages, and that
guages covered the flues entirely. That he put
on the pump to l the boiler at IL O'Clock. and It
was kept going until the boiler burst. That he
has been q fireman for 1--WE years, and been EN-
plOyed at these works for one and a nal years.
That steam was first raised on this boler on
Monday, and little was keDt up, as the boiler
leaked badly. That Captain Pratt was 10 the old
engfne-room, facing the boiler, wnen tns expo
sion took place. and Mr.. Daily was around helping
to throw ih COAL In reply to questions by the
surgeon Us to the amount OF steam on the engine,
witness gave very confused replies ne was
then called up by the coroner, and the numbers
s. and Is plainly printed on piece OF paper De-
ing shown him. was asked to read them. After
some hesitation he called the first and the other
Y, several times before the Jury.
The testimony Of John T. MiscalIy was linen
,,SynrS m nnS
John Duncan. q boiler maker, testified that ne
had left the boller.room about three minutes,
when he heard the explosion and ran back. He
met DR.. Pratt, badly scalded, coming out OF tne
door and saw deceased in the office seriously In!
irred-that the bottom Of the nues were eight
inches from the lower edge OF the boiler, aud that
two guages of water would cover the nues and
lie perfectly safe. II nues were not covered, u
might have caused the explosion. That ne exam
ined the fues after the collapse and found no
flaws. That oil the four ends had collapsed, aud
as boiler maker he could not attribute the e&.
plosion to any cause ne knew OF. Inst IL Is aot
customary TO test boilers at the place they are
made, and this boiler would be sale Win Is
pounds OF steam or even mole. That he knew de-
ceased for eight or len days, and saw him ire.
quently during the DAY OF ine e2Pos,ou, ae vas s
engineer 1t was the duty OF deceased TO see tnat
the proper quantity OF water was Kept up 10 tile
boiler.
workman at the Eliwan Works, and was at
work on Tuesday when the explosion took place.
That he was up stairs at the time and ran down
other man hurt and came up to deceased In The
office where he was lying. That oeceaseo salG'
''we l am in pretty bad hx now, " oelhg terrl
bly, scalded That he had spoken TO Campoell
apuut he running ofthe engine, VINO SAID tnat nc
haC two guages OF water on, and thai deceased
was running salt water IN the boilers. Inat
he saw Mr.. Chisolm, who complained aoout the
small amount Of steam and went down TO the
80 rr,o 1oooo n
hour before the explosion 10 see II the mills could
be stcpped az th: steam on the engine was not
enough to drivi the three mills they generany
used, That he water was drawn from tie wen
byla -syphon md the tason they conlu not get
more s.ean was on account OF the cold water.
That he had known deceased for long time anu
knew him to DC o thoroughly competent engineer.
G. W. Meacher sworn: was emp,Oseui Oae ioosine m Ipe
at the steam guage several times while In boiler
room. itavcra aged between so and 80 pounds. was
sure it was not 20. That he saw also the second
guage tried, and there was plenty OF water Ia
the boiler. That he then went to the engine
room TO get some tools, and at that m ment Lhe
explosion occurred. That lie Knew deceased, anu
saw him that morning-perlectly sooer ana at.
tending 10 his duty. That the first limo he saw
him after the accident was In the office. Tha, the
dOnkey engine was running from u O'CLOCK 10
the time OF The explosion. anu the water cOnlu
not have gone down sufficiently 10 cause eSplo-
sion. Tina. he thought the donkey engine "as
drawing hot water. ,,.
J. A. Daly testified: | am lahorer employ ed at
the Etiwan Works. On the morning 0i the eXpio-
sion met the deceased, who waned 10 STOP the
donkey engine as he had not steam enough ON.
AS this would stop my work, the puniplng ol the
acid In the acid chamber, objected; but short
time after il was stopped. then Went 10 Inc ell.
giue room, aud found that they codlu not get
enough steam up on the new boiler, because o1 the
bad firing They had IS pounds OF steam up when
went to the nre-ruom to Tx the fire properly.
At IL O'Clock the guage showed oo pounds OF
steam. The deceased then went to dinner. anu
nut on the donkey pump, while stayed TO watch
The Gre. DR.. Pratt now came in, and drew some
water to analyZe from the top guage OF the BOILER
AFTER dinner the steam got to 20 and then 10
lull rs pounds. There was now 1ull TWO gua9es
of water, and as was leaving they blew on some.
had hardly left fve minutes before tne eApipslon
and engine thoroughly. Campbell was near me
while was attending 10 the hre.
sJames NJ. Eoson testified The bot er FOR the
Etiwan Works. which exploded on Tnesuay last,
was manufactured at the works or our nrm 1
agreed to builL IN engine for the superintendent
works He afterwards asked me 10 increase the
size OF the boiler, and the contract was all oral
until wrote to him, describing the engine and
size OF the boilers. There were to be two OF the
same capacity, but larger than necessary for the
engine as they were TO raise steam for other pur-
leaving our establishment but each piece, as II
was tnshel, was inspected as to tile workman
shIp. | examined these boilers and found the
| iron Of the usual thickness and strength. nave
Sbeen in the business great nuInperol years, unu
having seen tine nueS and boilers since the COL
lapse (after hearing the testimony US TO water IN
boiler1 can give no explanation whatever Tor tile
exnloson Ii Is the first boiler, in NY experience,
where the nues have collapsed In this manner.
| The strain on the nue is principally around tine