The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1871-08-10
THE wEsTFisIp DISASTER.

The czamination- iuto the cause Of the late
disaster 10 the WestGcli, was continued il
New York on Friday morning, with Wm. A
Ligllthall on the stand. The witness. re-
fcrring to the statement that it must have
taken moro than n pounds of steam TO ex-
plode the Wcstiel,fs boiler, said tie opinion
vas based upon the supposition that the longi-
tudinal crack he discovered in the boiler was
only eighteen inches long. If the crack was
more than eighteen inches long u very small
aCount of steam might have caused tho OK
plosion, and, il less than that length, 1t
would require still greater pressure 20 burst
it
Engineer Martin waa then sworn, md tcs-
tilted as follows: | examined the boiler after
the explosion; thought l observed fracture
on one of the Longitudinal seams of the boil-
cr IS inches In length. but it did not 20
through; the explosion might have started
there, and then tie whole thing went at once
I think the boiler Of the Westfield good
boiler in every sense Of tho word. or 1t would
not have caused such destruction; 1t Is
weak boiler that bursts with but little dam
are to life ant the boat; IS pounds might
have rupturcd the WestGcld's boiler, or 81
n;,,bt have done it. think it must have taken
su Of 81 pounds, my instructions to assist
ants was to fix the safety valve 80 as to blow
:. IS, though 1t might sometimes run up to
n. The witness related the circumstance
that occurred on one Of the Union Ferry
Company'g boats when the valve stuck fast,
and the stcam run up to 80 pounds before
the difficulty was discovered. Have carried
q hounds Of steam in boilers when / could
put the blade OF jackknifc through cracks
in the iron, anl you could have knocked
holes through it with small hammer.
! Inspector Matthews here took the staIid,
! and said he desired t. state TINT Henry Rob
! inson, the cI ginccr Of the Mcstfcld, was
registered as Henry Robcstson on the books
| 1t seems he had a license granted him after
| examination by Mr.. Reynolds, Inspector o.
| the District lie hal his renewals 1T ouI
Office, which renewals We had no business 10
refuse as long as there WAS no complaint
made against him. AZ the time Of the e&
plosion lis license had run cut, and he haC
no license.
Charles Franklin, boilcI-naker, Of jersey
CITY. stated that he buiit the boiler Of tn
Westiield in 1861, of the best Pcnnsylvani
iron. He considered it a first-rate ob,-a
good as could be made of the same material
John S. Smith, practical engineer, wa
examined and gave professional testimon
rs to the pressure Of steam on the boiler G
the Wcstfcld. He said there vas no dUuh
of the fact but that tho explosion was the re
suit of excessive pressure Of steam.
At the conclusion Of his testimony the il
vcstigation adjourned till tomorrow
Naw YoRx, Aug. at this morning
investigation IN the WostGeid disaster, DASi
Anderson, Il practical engineer, tcstltic
that lii.y pounds of steam y Uuid not have ST.!
. ,icred the boiler
+ Levi Smith : testimony created Amusement
L He believed the explosion to have been eau
2l by the ignition Of Gassos i'll the boiler. !
: believed steam was gag When asked VIII;
r other gas was III the boiler, said it mig
c have been oxygen.
$ DEATH or TWO MORE VICTIMS
$ George Elsacsser and Otto urimnc
: wounded by the cxplos ion. died this nornin
making 50 deaths.