The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-08-08
Conflicting Testimony in Relation
to the Steam Gauge.
Over Pressure Declared To Be the
Cause Of the Burst.
DEATH OF ANOTHER VICTIM.
THE OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION.

The investigation by the United States Inspectors
OF Boilers into the cause OF the explosion OF the
boiler OF the Westfed was continued yesterday
morning in the United States Circuit Court room.
Messrs Hill and Boole sat on the bench as before,
accomp anied by General Belknap. The attendance
was not quite so numerous as on the previous days
Of the investigation, as the greatest number Of their
witnesses had been already heard.
GOVERNMENT orrIoIAL's STATEMENT.
The first witness called was Commodore j. H. Strong who
NAVY a. an inspector Of light houses Of the
Third !i:.r and have had % der three
Island ferry boats and passed the engine at
sss'
S S sa wa no ons S a the
y n passing n. boat on to The dock remsrksd to
steamer blown ap pressure
" e the from the fact
in The engine room TO attend 70 Il:
.ssn. Of sf1S 4. decP ssnds wa. then e1
sg We We. o Boar. s with R
sft Staten Island At hapss twelve O'CLOCK and came to
and sat down near 81 on tho doss; my da,le.
and md @ 5 mot NE hear
Sx. ns o. ,ss, end e The boat mex, S ths
notice s Escaping wS reference the beer
w IL @
tina; day there was no beer on the boat have seen
the wagons, as we'll qsman
myself though never saw the coored engineer take
James Halliday, sworn and examined-Am boat hand at
atss
morning on the Wesed can't saw whether was ON the
dock on the OF part the the time OF the erpo
boiler y flowing Of the safety valve might have
been blowing can't say; sometimesI help In getting the
hose out;
was on that that day sometimes the drivers
wagons cask and take small sized right at
deck bands to lake glass Of lager the nremen when they
FEEL IKE IT, JON IN anu take drink have seen he cnsneer
:s9s % mss sEs s ssi ss$
the engineer drank seldom after they had through
empty ss's a hat
* @ the Wy
came n saw him on ahs dock but how long he stayed
they taking water
ANOTHER DICK HAND,
Charles Rendt sworn and cxamined-Am a deck hand
the staten Island ferry was on board the Weshed at the
past twelve tucned Quarantine landing aud went
wen. out on the dock was then Twelve minutes past
the dock tive ten minutes went to the paper stand
the boat the captain was in the srsr pilot house,
on the Of, part q the the eApocio occurred
did not see The engineer for ten minutes before the
The last witness about beer ssrss WITH him about some
ssss napS. ns a their s .a r. g
beer with ii occasionally the deck hands take drink with
them, If they are asked.
letter read from Mr. Copeland, former witness
u Of that s as .nS Asd ws s
cnes Sy Sss ov so
Island Ferry Company was a traction over ye ana
half inches This T uc 20 sSse a n %Se IT a
added weight Of the lever and valve tine actual
AsoIHEK Drok HAND
man at the staten Island ferry am stationed a, the New
YORK end and On duty when the csield into
there little while; he went to the hydrsn WIS he
there. The hrem out D
came out after him to see thar was all ighs the ed.
think about minutes before the explosion; he
Gus '" WHAT the GAUGE STOOD AT.
massr was no. Vested day
on w9 % she
was carrying te past, wcny-nne pounds as nicated
ns Eight a a
Ss. SOUNDS. s so. su The sans At c
always notice the sauses on board any boat 20 On
mot NOTICE. notice III supro.sd that hs allowed
ne IS az!
az the We wsea gauge was ;Ses
not notice the gauge move much during the TWO OF 'nee
jaime. Brasted the superintendent Of the ferry company
sunday weeks ago she running hour
"'' """"''' '"'' ANOTHER EXPERT.
Menrey Horton sws n and n,
explosion; made very critical examination Of Il
I think the rupture occurred In the bottom Of tht
was excessive pressure then the boiler; parts q
end The boiler the gauge, but think there wal
peaSs So sa' W.. about bottom
esn as o
mate the force Necessary to rupture the boiler At forty
s ;,sE s
sUoa and sensed
should think would have wi.hsCod steam pressure q
sXfTTs THE REcrss-A sIATrs ISLAND FERRY
Rober. E. Brown, being duly sworn said prActlca
on board he
Sunday morning at seven O'clock was raised 10 nrsr'o m
ing Staten Island ferry rsi snsinser ~
ihi. ferry have been IN Inc employ Of his sSnuan,
% sy 81 20
not Der carving more than twenty i've S
Or Of can s s a sS T s
was no copy Of nearer than the saloon when we reicv
the other men Island there always steam on;
nG ss os nu s
lssa% When blows tell VIVA, steam here
from the ten the engioesr aSon the water an
How much dc YOU reduce ihs cocks n csmias from
ss we siar, WITH ' four Ir
cocks full when arrive At New York seldom use .h
dock Sfsesn cE twenty minutes; then Uses Su
little on the westned; none Of them make much steam a
in the boiler the weshed inspected
ing little near the furnace door; arrived that day a
Island at eleven O'Clock with about fifteen pounds
steam and II AT that when the coorcd ant
relieved me; have never seen her since.
Ex-INsPEC1oR HOPPER ON THE STAND
Joel w. Hopper being sworn said-I am engineer an
engaged In steamship at present lying At Brooklyn;
been out Of time eighteen years; have made al
examination OF the exploded boiler and think the
explosion was from over prcssue they had TOO muc
pressure on assuming there was crack think IT wou
lake hryhree pounds to The inch to explode tina
boiler
q. IIAye you been an inspector of boilersY A.
have had inspected IT, and assuming was OF onequar
ter Inch, should have been Wiling have subjected nto
hydrosauc pressure OF thry.hye pounds OF steam tha
would be the pressure allowed for new boiler, and shog
on hydrosatic test OF h.rtyeigh and bali pounds
using fresh water az the Time and assuming TO be one
quarter inch iron should have worked at thirty pounds
think the sieam gauge not working might have bee
oiled with dirty OIL and might also have been jammed
the stem was engineer In that case and there wa
twenty-five pounds should have lifted the gauge II was III
duty Of the engineer to have lifted a. regards It's not cow
ing at twenty seven pounds might have gone up 10 ioIt
pounds and he he cngneer not know H. II the gauge ddh
| work. - =, -,
o. Was there any Indication OF low water7 A. No. air;
saw indie alton OF that. and the boiler from what saw
was almost entirely free from scale salt water seal
| whatever.
| cHIxr KSeINEKR HorHxRsALL's TEST. -.
A IfNI Nj