The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-08-02

bers n not thus arrested it would no doubt bave
gone quite distance In this portion OF the boiler
nothing to 40 with the explosion. being only
applied 70 few small leaks, and by nc
weak spots were as stated. the strained seams hall
way all round: The enormous amount OF steam
escaping and filling the hold smothered the fire and
splintered woodwork, OF decks ana partitions did
not at once burn up ike so much finder. There
were at each end OF The boiler the customary diagO-
nal stays, some fifry in NUMBER connecting the hai
boiler heads with the cylindrical sides adjoining.
out OF the head by the steam pressure. Tney
strengthened each half or the boiler for itself eec.
lively and made It equivalent to solid mass but
as they did not extend half way there was no SUI.
ncent connection between the two halves. The
weakest place was therefore, hall way, and there IL
parted.
Secondhand workmanship The rivets were
rather close together about half the metal beng re-
moved by the punching OF the holes; the remaining
metal was evidently strained by this combined e.
feet OF punching and subsequent hammering OF riv-
seams--most ali the fractures being along the line
of the rivets- was no rust OF one days formations
Then there was very unequal corrosion and q
sca appearance OF the boiler plate along the torn
short stays, five or six inches long, connecting the
lower half Of the rear boiler head with the nue cap
TO the number OF some seventy a were; win thels
neither nuts nor proper rivetLed heads. The result
was that they could not keep anything together, and
they simply slipped their few screwthreads In
the boiler plpts and went OF with the boiler head
IL ls not customary to place longitudinal stays IN
boilers OF tbs kind The notion prevails that there
is no room and that the tubes serve the purpose
demonstrates, and also that reform In the design
OF this mode OF boiler construction Is necessary~
nsae ana the
OF boiler three at each side OF the man nole. and
stays in al, each provided with nuts or Wei riveted
at the outside, would surely have prevented thiA
S %
without being IN the way OF occupying space In the
observation-disclosures and careless testing Accord
ing to the Inspectors own confessions the test was
applied carelessly that the hydrOstatic pressure
four, as intended. When we take In accOunt-nrsty
that even the legal limit of hydr0static pressure may
that any boiler Which once has thus been strained
Is less safe than before this socaled test third,
snaS boiler wnen not oy steam pressure dTa isss
pressure and fourth that this injurious hydrOstatio
pressure was carried higher than the Inspector mad
the right to carry tive must conclude that part OF
the blame belongs to HIM. II may be we'll TO remark
for general information, that the Inspector Is not
Re may with IMMUNITY rupture the strongest boiler,
when he only keeps his hydraulic pump going Tina
final result Is simply crack or leak, out OF which
the water will then escape.
Fou'th-Negigence OF the engineer. According 70
the engineers own confession he was i'll dinerent
places ABOUT the boat and landing when he ought TO
have been near his engine and boiler. The Inspection
were more than half way cnoked up with ashes,
which there Is strong reason to doubt being the ret
suit of the explosion. on top OF the boiler behind
the steam drum, was an accumulation OF grease and
dirt several inches thick, never found about engines
and boilers properly attended to. In regard to tho
pressure gauge we have nothing but his statement
that 1t Indicated only twentyseven pounds. Is this
trues and ii true was the gauge IN working order
many minutes after the eXpiOsiOn-testihed to BY
all ye-wltnesses-seems to indicate much higher,
twentyseven pounds pressure; but here was tenn
perature sufficient TO convert most all the water IN
the boiler INTO steam, and prevent the boat catcnng
IRE.
FU1n-Indinerence of proprietors II they con-
suited their consciences they would scarcely keep
patchedup boiler nine years old IN boat used for
the TRANSPORTATION oil cattle, much less In b0at
used for the transportation Of hundreds Of human
beings. They also would not allow SO many pas.
sengers apply to crowd one boat, but procure
additional means OF conveyance. ~
There Is another precauti0n which feel obliged
to recommend to all owners OF steam boilers
namely; do not trust to one single pressure gauges;
ranged and give false Indication. By sny E means
have two. When they disagree, except to An In
slgihcant amount it Is , sign that one Of them is
room, below, visible by the fireman, in place OF
having It above on deck, In the engine rooms
fireman manage his fires by faith In the warninQl
from above. II thus attached to the boiler simple
bulb Is In the boiler, and the scale visible outside.
This will not be easily deranged, and If deranged viii
show the true Temperature and as saon sompera.Sr:
corresponds to given pressure 1t Is equivalent to-
at the same rme, criterion OF the correctness Of
the pressure gauges. TO avoid reduction or calcua
mometer OF which one indicates the Temperatures
and the other the corresponding pressure. The
apparatus may be made by any thermometer maker3
sure gauge and mas by my advice, been attached
to more than one boiler. The corresponding scales
are given here:-
zc1nperd- ~t' Tenaperd-
tUe Of Correspond t,us Of Correspond.
Wdter "a ing Pres Waer IN ing Pres-