New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-08-11
OF THE GOVERNMENT
INQUIRY.
CONTINUATION

CONTINUATION OF THE GOVERNMENT
INQUIRY.
TESTIMONY OF THE BUILDERS OF TIE WEST
FIELD, TIE SUPERINTENDENT or THE NcNTI
SHORE FERRY COMPANY, A MECHANCtL
ENGINEER, AND OTHERS - REPORT OF TIE
SPECIAL COMMITTEE APPOINTED 81 NsPLc-
TOR Low.
Tie Government Steamboat Inspectors re-
sumcd the invest cation yesterday as 10 tn cause
OF The Wes1eld explosion The principal witnesses were
the Superintendent of the North Shore Ferry Company
an engineer and several experts The Special Commit
tee appointed by Inspector Low made a report
Abraham Van Duzer, who has been in the employ Oh
the Staten Island Ferry Company, as engineer Ioi q
years testified:
O. Please state the arrangement that the engineers
have Tor running these boats A. one goes on at Il III
one day, and up to p. the next morning Ut
starts at and runs until Il that is what VIC Ca" o'
long day. the next day he goes at II and lays up at
in New York; and the next day he comes on al anu
runs mp TO II.
@. There were five engineers understand a.
Yes SIR.
O. And tne COMPANY has four boats A. Yes Sir; one
is snare boat; we only run two boats steady one lays
NJ perhaps for two or three weeks. ,, n, tho Com,
O. How long have Won been in tlc employ - L. "a
p2Hy as curiucer3 4. Tweniy-one years AIN TIC ou
81 S consider tins as putting you over the ether
eui9ccrs A. No. Sir; not at all We all RANK tne same
o. yo nave NO more control than oters1 A. No, Sir;
h' Which engineer assumes the Office Of repairing and
looking after tie spare boat 4. EacA takes regular
o. II there were any rcpairs TO he made they were
ms bv the engineer lying of. a. Yes, Sir.
o. We're all repairs made under the engineers direc-
toni a. As general thing; all common repairs all
SOFT Matching, DID ourselves.
O. Have you any chiefcngineer' A. No, Sir; the most
OF Inc ferries have. but we have none.
O. What pressure OF steam you in the habit OF car
rynG those noats A. From 20 TO Is pounds; they all
@. How long since you run the westaeldI A. Sixteen
@. or any Of .lo other frrv-boa.sl A. Not tn since
this explosion, e1cep. the josephine with excrraious;
O. Have you seen the wreck Of the westaeld 4. Yes,
o What do you conclude was the cause Of The oxpio-
son2 A. could not form any lien; was perfectly sur
prscl because Thought III ooilr was perfectly sac
looking at tie ruins A. Yes SIR.
q. How much steam DO You suppose II would have
Ga ZEN 20 explode that boicr l. from 80 20 % pounds
bu. that is pretty hard 20 tell; 70 a v"ry biz she'll
O From your knowledge 81 steam gauges used on
boilers indicating TIC pressure Of steam, would you
he lea To sup use tt ts steam gtase must nave Incl
Gated more than y pounds at the instant OF the expo
O. DO you tLni that the gauge was out Of oriori A
Yoa nm, H. g.gse stogpGa q 81 pounds and did
Q. Have YOU any evidence Of tAisl A, no, Sir, no
more ,han ny rr-vy--..-s. @--rrerlc.' CO.
tor they got certain pressure, il you did not III, them
q Via TaFcs ticm pstoPl A. Tie spring. think.
e. :. coIltc, Or in some other part; generally tunA,
Q. Yon link the caur, might hove indicated the cor
rect pressure had 5,cu ia COOL o7tcri 4. Ntt, sr;
J. wa supposed to Dc u good of.ef ii was tested y! o
q. Aro You Ipacliristl \. No. sir
q At] ou licensed as at cE. u-eli a. i-.' ny NY
u..ue ms been roUc we'd sine. Gle explosion witness
exhibited his leeusc)
DESCRIPTIONS OF TIE wFsTTICLD.
Jeremiah s.mous0u. who built the Wc.tdcd, testified
O. What arc the dimensions Of the Weseldl A. 1T IL
900 feet long on deck % feet mold, 13l deep amdshl
and y feet At each end the pohouscs are equal dis
tauces from tire onds OF the boat; one
end Of the boat was the counterpart of the
| other-what is called a doubo-ender;" the
boilers were on the afjor end Of the engine, and the
watertanks on the Other end 20 conn of M Tos as
f, could be made 80 tht mo D2al como T Yi y, GI r.
a.l: th,e were two waor-tauLs one ON each eiSe Gf
ero co inches square the usual size for boat Of
that ze, aud the deckhearS We're o me stI sze sue
was iagOnay strapped Dotn ways sac LGd oechAooAS'
O. DID You oulli the Vestled by contract or by days
O. You have built great many steamers in your dey;
do you suppose the Westheld was siroAsy-Ou Uod'
A. As good every way as ever construct ~ ~ a o.
O. You consider That the deck was as vel secured 70
the hall a. ans etcamhoatl A. Ats' ST 49,, - ., GIN,
Capt Amin smith, S'II hueAt' Oh 'Nc -''I'-' 71'o
O. Have you examined the hun Of the westAcld since
q V Tes please 10 give us what iu your opinion
was tine cause OF the CVT}usioui A. cNalnHeu ne chd
Of tue boiler which Was blown mo te DO" oi tg 'S
and found that one entire sheet OF lron-l tMIR ne
| slcaf-WtN
boiler; ] tlouqut saw. one particular seam
| +H8t ran over the shell Of the boiler
distance; it looked though the non might have Dcen
weakened, but could not discern any plIlcllf crack
o. though it might have been little Clipped previous 10
! the explosion, I could see several places or the
/ inside Of the boiler where il had been clipped
probably in CALLING the marks being eft on the opposite
Sheet Of the lap; ygmlncd the saety-yelye and found
tle GoieT-Go ao te r. p5 II, ," % 5i r V g
,,Fa9 4fff tIQ IA
entirely through the iron; t piece came from the bottom
Of The boiler; am pos,ive because the pieces put
fa6.tlcT the crack on nc outside OF the boiler was
covered by thin scales hut or tine inside tmnk y can
! this was the iui Ia point OF the rupture.
Q. what amount Of steam do yoa think would have
/ boiler tl.Ik that o pounds would do Il.
Q. Whvi A. On account OF the crack IN THIS sheet OF
IRON: i had known it there, should not have
sidercd il ,c Will IS pounds pressure have seen the
soicy-vayo tested and It rises ana blows Oil readily a
! & DO you form your opinion from experiments which
have been made upon the valve or upon your own oscr-
from observation thc boiler the weakness Of the iron.
and from experiments which have been made with the
valve. and give il as my ul0n that the steam coud not
have exceeded 80 pounds and think that q pounds
O. How much do Won think there was left Of the outer
surface Of the iron where You iEnk the b0iler was
crackedi A. II is impo. .!e 20 l" n1 tnere may at
/ that time, have been very INN st3lins OF f"l'
/ O. How much coal do you think they used daily on
that boat A. shoHd INNS IioDa"S "1ou IisLt tuA'
day OF u hours OF thiec-quafttFS % Jun an houI'
@ You think there was suitable supply Of water in
| the boiler a. Yes, sir.
O. Did you observe the furnacesl A. They appear 10
have been in good condition, and the boiler with the
ccpon tis crack looked good hut for that, should
not have hcsitatcd moment 10 carry 40 pounds; should
! have considered It perfectly safe.
ALARM STEAM WHISTLE
! Henry Whitaker, who has followed steaubOatng on
| the Western lakes for 40 years, submitted written
! statement declaring that ne thought blame
or censure should attach to the Company,
the Superintendent OF the boat, the In
spector; he had doubt the westaeld was a
Good and safe steamer; that the most perfect engines
aud boilers built might bc thoroughly inspected by
competent men to-day, and tomorrow he blown up To
saw that the boiler Of the W"stcd would have exploded
! with a pressure OF q or - pounds with SUI