New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-08-17
THE FERRY DISASTER.

ARREST OF THE PRESIDENT AND sUPERIN-
TENDENT OF THE FERRY COMPANY, AND EN-
GINEER ROBINSON. .
The Coroner's inquest on the victims of the
westAeld explosion concluded yesterday. Theju
rendered verdict charging the President, suerinten-
dent and engineer Of the Staten Island Ferry COMPANY
with criminal negl gence.
Robert n McMurray testified am Inspeeor-ln- mel OF
The Hartford steam Boiler and Insurance Co my dnty
is TO inspect all boilers in my district and reject all Don
ere not 1T for insurance a maehinist and poier-
maker; have inspected boilers abeut u years our NJ
Hpectons are made three months internally ana
externally once year examine them internally; they
must have the boilers clean an every part so that can
set at every part Of the iron; at this branch we nave
shout 800 boilers; there three OF Us 10 90 VIC
have the manhole plates TemOved we go inside ana OK
anime the braces and all the parts; we examine over
head and everywhere for leak where there Is ieA
the inside Of the boiler VIII sho"
whtish appearance which call a MI; inioiin
ourselves whether there any scale side when tere
a. crack in a seam we can tell by the difference OF
sound be tween that and good sketches lustra'
ing his examinations were presented 10 INC jury 'N
explained by the witness use an ORDINARY Iouuupni
hammer weighing about three-quarters oi Pounu
have examined the Weselds boiler since the explosion
aud have doubt could have dsee'eIeu s ia
M nv NV process; the Company mas never hau u loss
,,oDe mainly within than without; examined the West
hCld's boiler after the eNpos9n iounn t 40 craeEeu
was cracked clean through; don't know how long those
cracks there but they must have been there long
had l examined it should have looked
there, because in the dirty places we always
II was part of my duty to go through the ues provided
they are not less than l6 inchesi don't think the
have detected have often found cracks in boilers i'm
rnedatey after they have been tested by hydrosatc
pressure In the inspector certificate for
eOpounes of steam and found the boiler so poor that
should not have allowed 10 pounds have known boilers
10 he nv CHI Of
have been improperly set; examined the sunnysdes
boilers at one time for the company they were IN better
them than they were before; we always consider the
condition of the hull and tackle of vessel in taking
risks boilers should recommend the discharge Of
any man who would pass such boiler as the Westhelds
An ENGINEER OF THE PERIOD
We would have taken the risk with such engineer as
Robinson have known him several years and think thai
he IL good engineer; long as man is competent TO
take care Of the water, able to the engine, knows
when there is steam enough and on should not hest
tate risk boats running about the harDOT ou
NOT going 10 sea; know great many engineers just as
good as Robinson who don't know any more than he but
are quite able their boats engineers ought 10 nave
common sense be cool and understand how 10 take
of the boiler; the pay higher, engineers might be
better educated than those we nave now, Dut d0nt
think the public would he any safer than at presents
not necessary that engineer should be machinlst
~ better for the company but not safer for the public
men menu able 10 detect defects in the boilers as well
as run engines; don't think they can get sucn
men for SIS a month; railroad engineers get
from slO 20 SS5 MONTH but they have other duties TO
perform than merely to run an engine and more lnte
gence required crack in atubehead Is not considered
dangerous; locomotive engines have been run two or
trips with such cracks In them the cracks IN the
plates of the Wcsthed's boiler think came from flaws
in the iron don't think the flaws were there before the
boiler was manufactured; it comes probably from the
blame the body the iron is good the boiler was hot
properly set not sufficiently supported thnk II was 'ae
duty of the inspector not of the engineer 10 aen 10
this have frequently found boilers 60 feet long, sup
ported ends only with 10 tuns OF brlckwoIk on te
center top the OF which had given way Tor want
Of support. ., -, J.. 49,.
that the boiler is properly supported when he takes
charge woudnt take risk where there was no steam
gnage in the reroom; think the engineer should have
Seen to it that the steam not increasing when he
knew there was u pounds on. . &, T., , s,o,1d
have refused any risk this boiler think the Chef
Engineer should be thoroughly competent 10 detect
fanlts az well as run engine; locomotive engineers
are generally promoted from 1reen they get their ed
ucaton from the ioor-boards. -. ,
Robert g. McDougal testifed am an engineer and
machinst examined the Weshelds boiler; one OF the
in the middle of this boiler s the poorest ron IA
IT. another defect in not overlapping the braces m the
shell of the boiler this is especially bad III
which are subject 20 Irelueiu. Ip' tir
these lines Of weakness are the cause OF the explosion
think 10 might have been avoided by the engneeT he
onght 10 have detected these flaws he ought TO have
examined and inspected the interior OF the boiler naWs
can he detected by the hammer; think could have de
tected these bv the eve well by hammering except
the side one; should advise the application OF hydrOsac
presenre with heat in some cases.
DR. Wooster Reach Deputy Coroner testified: Some OF
the victims died from scas; several from IN es PROD
ably by being struck by portions of the vessel ana some
TUE CoRoEERs ADDRESS
The testimony here closed and the Coroner addressed
the jury follows:
From tine patent and intelligent manner in which you
have pursed the investigation in this any remarks
that might offer as TO the verdict YOU shall render VIII
he superhuous. 1 will merely say that II you ma any
person persons crimnaly negligent ana tGat sGeh
IL Will be your duty so TO state in your verdict.
Prof Thurston then read to the jury Article L. Section
l6 Of Revised Statutes defining the liability OF cap
tains engineers and others in charge of steamboats,,
which stated in substance, that the captain, or any
other person in charge Of steamboat used for the
conveyance Of passengers. who SHALL from ignorance or
negligence OF for the purpose Of excelng any other
boat in speed create allow to be created any undue
quantity of steam whereby such passengers are killed.
shall be deemed guilty Of mansaughter in the third de-
gree Section Is also read stating that the involun
tary killing of another, by any weapon, or by means
neither cruel unusual in the heat of passion in any
eases other than such herein declared to he ex
cusable homicide shall be deemed manslaughter in the
fourth degree.
THE vERDIcT-cRDnNAL NEGLIGENCE.
The Jury retired at u m, and returned at 1&45 p m,
with the following verdict Charles A. Kirkland render
ing a separate verdict:
That the deceased Andrew COyle and others died
through rupture or explosion Of the boiler of the ferry
boat Westfeld July 80 1871; that said explosion or r
tnTe was eansed by a flaw in the iron, and by the
negligence of the engineer Robinson, in carrying an
pressure OF steam that the Company are RESPONSE
HE fer the disaster as the defect could have been
detected the Staten Island Ferry Company had had
competent superintendent, engineer and mechanic IN
their employ and are therefore crimnally negligent.
We recommend the Distrct-Attorney 70 take prompt
action in the We also think the Government III
epectOn is very imperfect now conducted
JOHN FOLEY Foreman J.. h. sHIrAAN,
LAMPS BRYCF WILLIAM THOMPSON,
JOHN l.. PETERS, JOHN THOMPSON,
HENRY MCKEE, l. II. ALLEN,
gro. ID. NICHOLS JOHN j. FOLEY.
MI Kirtlands verdict is as follows:
find that Andrew Coyle and Others came to their
death bv reason Of rupture of the boiler OF the steamer
Nestaeid in consequence Of defects which could not he
discovered by the ordinary ana usual manner VI lDspe
ton.
PROMPT ACTION CORONER.
After the proceedings closed, Coroner keenan,
ssued warrants for arrest OF Jacob Vanderbilt the
(Nnr