Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-08-02
TELEGRAMS TO THE STAR
This Afternoons Dispatches.
ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTS
TIE NEW YORK CALAMITY.
Eishty-fOur Dead.

NEw YORK, August 2.-The list OF dead from
the accident is now -.
David w. keelcher, associate editor Of the
Irlsk World, has been missing since Sunday and
II Is feared he was lost on the Westfield.
OHefal Inquiry as 60 the eau &c OF lhe
Explosion.
NEW YORK, August 2-Official inQuirv under
the direction of ddson Lowe. supervisar of The
New York inspection district, into the condition
OF the boiler Of the ferry-boat westfeld at the
last inspection, commenced this morning I'm the
Office OF the United States inspectors OF steam
boats, in Pine street. The boardof inquiry con-
sisted OF Leonard A. Bo0le, of the local inspec-
ton district, and MIR. Hill, Of Boston. The latter
gehtiem was summoned to replace Mr.. NJ at
thews, one OF the inspectors, who Is one OF the
witnesses. Captain Beiknar, the Inspector
General, was also present. Mr.. Brown, COUNSEL
ler-at-law, attended for the owners OF the boat
At the opening Of the inquiry Mr. Lowe in al-
dressing the board said they were there To make
BILE disaster. In order 10 have IL properly done.
and that there might be no room Tor imputation
OF ImpropeI influence, he had summoned Mr..
Hin, from Boston, to assist Mr.. Boole. ANY one
who looked into the matter must see that ii vas
one of those things which might have been
sSerted Great responsibility rested on some
tors to fix il. lie would give them every facility
required. -
Mr.. Mathews testifed that he gave the ar
tifcate freely, and would have Travelled on the,
Westfield last Sunday. He did not try 70 lift
the valve, because IL was no use without steam
Pitnsurei But everything appeared free and
clear. He tested the boiler at thirty-four hounds
hydrostatic pressure, and gauge would indicate
thirty-two pounds. The diameter of the boiler
was ten feet. He had no means of knowing its
thickness, but should think IL one quarter OF an
inch thick. He never knew a safety-yalye not
working unless arrested by the engineer Had
no conversation with the engineer as TO his oual-
ifcations, and he was not required % be under
license in the waters of State by construction
Of law. Even If Che safety-yalve opened the
steam might have got 10 dangerous point IL
they were generating it rapidly. The shell
showed no signs OF weakness. There were two
patches on the bottom over the seams. Witness
serted his apprenticeship as engineer to j. P
Loud. Was nine years in the naval service, and
was engineer on the Pacific coast.
Jacob h. Vanderbilt, President of the Staten
Island Railroad Company, stated that the CON-
pany had three boats; he considered the West
field the best boat she was built in 1852; her en-
The Oldest, the best, because it was made before
the war, when better iron could be got, and he
preferred the colored engineer Robinson 20 all
the rest; the Westfield was TO have been put in
the dock that day, but not for anything about
her boiler, but for cleansing the lues and 30 on;
tain at the other end of the boat when the ex
plosion occurred; he has no idea of the cause;
the Westheld was not an extra boat
The inquiry was then adjourned. The engi-
neer viii be examined tomorrow.
Another Victim.
NEW YORK, August 2-The body of Bernard
Smith, aged about 30, was recovered this morn
ing. The dock commissioners boats are still
employed in dragging Tor bodies.
Two Mere Victims
NEW YORK, August 2-August Granville, OF
this city, and Isaiah Abbott, of Brooklyn,
injured by the explosion, died at Bellevue hos
pital last night.