Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-08-03
New York, Aug. 2

NEW YORK, Aug. 2.
An official inquiry under the direction of Adj
olson Lowe, supervisor Of the New York inspec-
ton district, into the condition of the boiler of
the ferry boat Westfield, at the last inspection,
was commenced this morning in the office OF the
United States inspectors of steamboats, on Pine
street.
The board of inquiry consisted of Leonard A.
Boole Of the local inspection district, and MIR.
Hill of Boston. The latter gentleman was sum-
moned to replace Mathews, one of the inspect
ors, who is one of the witnesses. Captain Bel
KNAPP, inspector general, was also present. MIR.
Brown, counsellor at law, attended for the own
ers OF the boat. At the opening of the inquiry
Mr.. Lowe addressed the board. He said they
were there to make the most searching inquiry
into the late deplorablo, disaster. In order to have
it properly done, and that there might be no
room for an lmputa'ion of improper influence,
he had summoned Mr. Hill from Boston to as
SiSt Mr.. Boole. Any one who looked into the
matter, must see that it was one of those things
which might have been averted. Great respon-
sibility rested on somebody, and 1t was the duty
of the inquiry inspectors to fix it. He would
give them every facility and assistance and pro-
cure any witnesses they required
MIR. Mathews said he gave the certificate free
ly, and would have Travelled ON the Westfeld
last Sunday. He did not try to lift the valve,
because ii was no use without steam pressure;
but everything appeared free and clear. He
tested the boiler at thrty-four pounds hydro
thirty-two pounds The diameter of the boiler
was ten feet, but he had no means of knowing
its thickness, but should think it was a quarter
of an inch think. He never knew of the safety
valve not working, unless arrested by the eng-
neer. Had no conversation with the engineer as
TO his qualifications, and he was not required to
be under license in the waters Of the state by
the construction of the law. Even if the safety
valve opened the steam might have got TO
dangerous point if they were generating Il rap
idly, The shell showed no weakness. There
were two patches on the bottom over the seams.
Witness served his apprenticeship as engineer
nine years in the naval service, and was engi-
neer on the Pacific coast
Jacob II. Vanderbilt, president of the Staten
Island railroad company, stated that the com
pany had three boats; he considered the West
field the best; she was built in 1862; her engine
was built by Allen & Co., and was. though the
oldest, the best, because it was made before the
war, when better iron could be got, and he pre-
fered the colorcd engineer Robinson to all the
rest The Westfield was TO have been put into
the dock that day, but not for anything about
the boiler, but for cleaning hues and so on; the
pilot was just over the boiler and the captain at
the other end of the boat when the explosion &C.
Cured; he had no idea of the cause; the West
field was not an extra boat. The inquiry was
then adjourned till tomorrow.
VIM. w. Vanderbilt, government inspector,
to-day made an official inspection of the boiler
OF the Westfeld He found the material of the
boiler good and the iron of the requisite thick
ness, but discovered serious break in the inner
casing which had evidently existed long before
the explosion. The outer edge of the fragment
was much brighter than the inner, and from this
and other indications he came to the conclusion
that the inner casing was broken either when
the boiler was made nine years ago, or gave
way subsequently when subjected TO a severe
test. He expresses the opinion that the boiler
has, for a long time, been held together simply
by the thin outside plating, and said he was sur
prised that it had not exploded before. This
flaw could not have been detected by any in
spector as the outside of the boiler was covered
with felt, and the inside afforded no indications
of decay, nor could it have been detected by
sounding the boiler.
The funeral of the Cheneviere and Uhlmann
families was held in the First Unitarian church,
Brooklyn this afternoon, Rev. DR.. A. p Put
nam, pastor of the church, coming from Berk-
shire county, Massachusetts, for the purpose.
August Gravele of this city and Isaiah Abbott
of Brooklyn died at Bellevue this morning from
Injuries by the explosion OF the boiler of the
Westfield. Eliza Kerchuer, who died last
night, was doing well until number of
thoughtless friends, who had gained access to
her bedside, informed her of the death of her
husband, upon which she gave loud scream,
raised herself in bed and fell back dead. The
body of Bernard Smith, aged about thirty, q
victim of the explosion, was recovered this
morning. The dock commissioners OF boats are
still employed in dragging for bodies The list
of dead by the explosion of the Westfield, by
the latest returns at the coroners office, has
reached total of seventy seven, but the Herald
publishes the names of ninety-three known TO
be killed. and one hundred and twenty-five
seriously injured.