The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-08-17
AvRNClNG THR DEAD.
Conclusion Of tile Westfleld
Inquest
THE VERDICT OF THE JURY,
Jacob Vanderbilt, His Superintendent and
Engineer Held Responsible.
Orders for Their Arrest Issued
by the Coroner.
Brooklyn Notwithstanding for The
Snrvivors--W What Fireman Con.
molly Has to Say.

molly Has to Say.
The Coroner's inquest into the cause Of the DEATH
Of the unfortunate victims Of the Westned disaster
was continued yesterday morning. at half-past MN,
O'Clock, and the further examination or witnesses
and experts occupied until nearly twelve O'Clock
n that time the Coroner addressed the Jury on Tho
evidence In BRIEF and after one hours deliberauor
they returned verdict incupatng the Staten Island
Ferry Company, and advising their immediate
arrest
AN INSURANCE INSPECTOR
hoCert X. McMurray was first sworn, and said:-I
In uspector.in-chlef OF the New York and Hartford
steam Boiler Insurance Association, my duties are
sured, ana reject any that are UNSAFE; have been
0yseii maker OF boilers for nearly fifteen years
company as an assistant inspector OF boilers; our
practce rs to inspect boilers every three months in
nc the SP bo ,ae ana ns p0
cleaned and well swept 50 that we can get Al the
Co and 60 to see shst there are no
CRACKS and that the braces are light and II the
also e on %sn Il Ss
shell We examine all the parts with hammer and
discover them BY The sound OF the stroke Of The
hammer sometimes where there are seams cracked
on to another sheet aud ~ co%parnr me oleT
once OF sound OF the whole and the broken sheet we
1Dccs When Inc cra @ we nave 100 boilers now e In
would not swear that / could have discovered
s nave rsf 5as
not euch good opportunities In that; sill In my
Swn %inS have a no, 5.e sg.sss doubt y
It; II is my special business to see II there are
any cracks In boilers by sounding ana test.
cover blister; II that blister is not too thiok
We cut 1t on altogether; II too thick we patch
aeld explosion was In the laminated sheet; have
no idea how long those cracks had been there but
trouble with her class Of BOILERS tan with any others
and where that crack was was just the place We
sn SEE ss ST ss sssss S9
regard 70 The fact Of the boiler not having been
spenea for year We should have felt compelled 70
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS there was nothing that
could see TO prevent there being thorough exami.
and although Il was veiy dirty we always look there,
We FIND so MUCH TROUBLE THERE:
re are all the time discovering Defects though we
examine Tour times year; It Is common TO ind
ing and there is nothing sns ype Of q bocr 70
prevent any one going ia; We go clear through all
ne Large nues and the under ana upper parts Of
often find great many defects, so that we can
place no reliance whatever the nydrostauc test;
was ,here whle the inspector was there with tina
Aydroststic test on the boiler ne had already given
pounds per ss9sre inch, ana Immediately ~ I alter.
wards went Into one Of the boilers and discovered
ps ss1s on 'o e isEs
We have at present; n q ma, had inspected 9
sSfa lei ~ a1 aaus 81 ssS us3 ~ :: had
WY We acosS, RS r!k s Win s
no. ss sg Il s. tsS$ss
charge q the water snq nHdssrsood a
~ "a an Ne n hot
EDUCATION HAS ANYTHING T6 20 WITH IT;
know . great many men on board the boats In
Robinson; still / would Willingly leave them in
charge oil ferrybOat; an engineer is merely me-
na1sd WING pT up In snnS Sn q TIE ne
do not think tine engineers being educated would
tend 10 Increase the public safety on ferryboat
think IT Is not necessary 10 have an educated man;
man should be intelligent bright, and capable OF
understanding The bOer the pay II increased might
more likely to gel men VINO would better understand;
theY cannot get good men for ss5 month; on rail.
but they are required to he much more intelligent;
the number OF dollars difference In efficiency DO.
very considerable; have been an engineer from
twelve TO fifteen years; have driven locomotive
'1 Wsere ocomoyes nave sS
cracks In the tube heads when there has not been
considered any danger from explosion; II not
On the locomotives; the cracks In the sheet OF the
West6eld boiler must have been in the iron origin
and expansion and finally ruptured by the booking
or crimring Of the Sheet think the body Of the
tlon OF the boiler TO hasten that Development; the
only thing can see II that
THE BOILER WAS NOT PROPERLY SET
and supported; there should have been supporter
Al every other seam there's there was only one saddle
that could see, instead OF having several you can.
not support those boilers too much; 1t was not The
duty OF The engineer fireman. bat II was the duty
OF the inspector to have seen that there should have
BY the Jury~It was part OF the engineers duty to
look q; that boiler and II there were enough sad
be wanting or wrong and then be would probably
have had some one TO come and see whether he was
is no steam gauge on the boiler in the re ROOM 1t is
very necessary on all these ferries to have gauge
IN tue reroom as well as one In the enlne room; y
steam on and that the steam was rapidly rising did
not assist the valve to relieve the boiler VIC
occur again; 1t Is the engineers duty to 20 inside
the boiler now and then and see whether there are
defects or not; should, think, have discovered
that crack generally the engineers go in after the
men have cleaned them inside and see II the clean.
ihinK these men, as Tar as have seen them, are are,
competent enough TO discover these cracks; It Is
almost q business OF its own; don't consider ne
MECHANIC AS SUPERINTENDENT
ys 81 IRE S
men; they are both on the footDoard together, and
when anything is wrong the fireman Is always con.
suited, 20 that the fireman becomes educated as an
engineer by practice. and not from books or schools
there II difference between ferry boat nrema n
and Q locomotive fireman; the former Is not sup
posed 70 lie 10 the engine room at all and only re.
ceives his instructions TO put coal ON, &c. through
Z speaking tube 10 EnRlandit Is usual TO compel O
man TO serve five years as fireman before he Is al.
lowed 10 lake charge OF the commonest steam
vehicle, and tnen ne must pass an examlnaton. :,
when think very pr0per-and be able 70 read and
write well.
NORMAN WARDS TESTIMONY.
Norman Ward sad:-I reside at 1Z2 EIGHTEEN
street. l have examined the exploded boiler and
gwen considerable attention to boiler explosions;
nave gwen about lorty lectures and for two years
travelled All over the United States and saw every
boiler thsi burst during that time IN the country.
lana ne mere gave repetition Of his evidence as
taken before the nspectors.l
BY the Jury-l measured the iron OF the West
nelds boiler, and coad md no part Of IL less than
about quarter OF an inch thick
AJuRyhAs-Did you examine the cracked sheet
A did but ola no. see anything thinner there,
q ] have PAIR Of ealipers IN my hand Mr..
Ward; VIII you go round ana measure the niece
taken IRON Police Headquarters and tell US the re-.
suit
IAfter measuring the iron he declared he could not