Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-08-03
woRCEST ER.
THURSDAY. AUGUST q. 1871.

The New York papers still give much space tc
details of the disaster of last Sunday The
whole number of deaths is yet uncertain but il
is known to exceed seventy, and some accounts
place it is high as ninety-three; many of the
wounded who still live cannot recover. Incl.
dents of the catastrophe, of the conduct and
sufferingS of the wounded, thedespair of friends
and specGlations about the cause of the explo-
sion are abundant Many of the wounded are
so disfgured as to be unacceptable even by
their nearest friends and this is true also of the
dead. An officer of the Bellevue hospital says,
as it is reported, that through mistakes in iden-
fi6cation, certificates of death have probably been
granted for men who are alive and well, and that
persons believed to have been buried may yet re.
1uru to their friends. The causes of the
explosion will probably be thoroughly investi-
gated and the responsibility be placed where
it belongs The latest developments point to
the engineer and the inspector as being both in
some degree at fault. The former, IT seems TO
be established, had been accustomed to run his
engine at q pressure Of steam several pounds
greater than was authorized by the certificate
of inspection, and experts who have examined
the shattered boiler, say that it had defects
which thorough inspection ought to have dis
closed. Experts in such matters are pretty
generally agreed that boilers properly CON
structed, carefully examined at proper intervals,
and faithfully attended to by competent engin-
GERS, do not explode, and that, whenever an ex-
plosion takes place, somebody is sure to be at
fault, and an investigation can be so conducted
as to show where the fault lies. committee
of the British parliament appointed to inquire
into the cause of steam boiler explosions, and
report the best means Of preventing them, have
lately made the following recommendations
which embody good deal of sound practical
sense: They recommend that it be distinctly laid
down by statute that the steam user is response
BILE for the efficiency of his boilers and ma
chinery, and for employing competent men to
work them; that in the event of explosion the
onus of proof of efficiency should rest on the
steam user; that in order to raise prinld facie
proof, it shall be sufficient to show that the
boiler was at the time of the explosion under
the management OF the owner or user, or his SER
want, and such prIHlG Jfdeie proof shall only be
rebutted by proof that the accidents arose from
some cause beyond the control of such owner or
user; and that it shall be no defence
in an action by servant against such
owner or user, being his master,
that the damage arose from the
negligence Of fellow servant; that
whenever an explosion happens to boiler,
whether such explosion is or is not attended
with loss of life or injury to person or damage
TO property, it shall be the duty of the user to
report the same to the coroner of the district.
and the coroner to whom the accident is report
ed, or, in the failure of such report on the fact
coming TO his knowledge, shall hold an inquiry
and apply to the board of trade; and the board
of trade shall thereupon direct one of their COM
pesent practical surveyors of boilers or some
other practical person to assist the coroner in
the investigation; and the coroner shall report
the result of such investigation to the secrec-
tary of state for the home department; and that
such reports be annually presented to parlia-
ment