New-York tribune., 1871-08-01
WHAT TIE COMPANY OFFICERS SAY.


THEY CANTOT FIX THE EEsPoNsIErLIrY-CArr
VANDERBILT NOT TO BE FOUND-rllE NUM-
EER OF PASSENGERS on BOARD.
The Secretary of the Staten Island Ferry
Company stated yesterday, that It was asyet impossible
10 account for the accident The Inspector OF tho C5u
pany has rislly cross-eXamlncd the engineer, hremtn
captain, and pilot ond he cannot attach the slightest
blame TO any these officers. This statement, however
must be aaon Tor it Is worth, regards the en-
enaor The allowance OF steam pressure to the square
inch is, according 10 the Government certificate, %
younds to the square Inch. To prevent accidents The
Government cOmpols the use Of what is known as a
locked safcty-yave" which is only accessible TO the
Government inspectors. At pressure of q pounds
TO the square inch, danger is supposed
| to beglu, Gni the valve automatically opens.
The engineer admits that steam had Just begun TO
cape through this valve at the time Of the explosion
thus incidentally admitting the fact thar he did not pre-
vousy know the amount Of tho pressure Of steam and
that he had neglected his engine. Had the boiler been
a sound one, It would doubtless have resisted the pres
sure till the slfetyvave relieved It, But tho boiler
patched one. and that close to weak spot-the
hole through which the engineers the boiler to
clean 1t That the boiler was unsound at tho break
there can DO little doubt for Il the representa-
tons that effect Of several gentlemen ut the Barge
Office with reference to the piece that was blown to
the dock that made Inspector Jamison seize tbs piece
and carry il of TO Police Headquarters
The Inspector certificate OF the Westacd, after giving
the date OF her building 1862 and her tunnage co 10
tuns, and lpronOuncing her in every way scawOrhy,
goes say that she is provided with lowprcs-
boiler p feet long, feet diameter and feet
width OF 'front.' with return nucs. the iron OF varying
thickness. The said boiler has been subjected TO n hs
drosatic pressure OF "a pounds TO the square inch and
! the maximum working power allowed is rs pounds TO
the square inch. That there Is safety valve with
square Inches area and The load prescribed is such
allow but 2 pounds pressure per square uch, and left
in charge Of the engineer and locked safety
| valve OF inches diameter. loaded to 81 pounds
pressure square inch. Has supply pipes three
inches in diameter and has sufficient keep the
water at all times and under all circumstances up TO
four Inches the hues. Has ono steam pipo OF l8
inches diameter. Has lowpressure engine OF 80
inches in diameter OF cylinder and 10 feet stroke
wstergauge and one steam Has alloyed metal
OIL the hues which fuses at pounds on the outside
boilers and at - pounds the iuside boilers" The
certificate ends by declaring the general equipment Of
the vessel throughout TO be in conformity with the pro-
visions Of the law.
The Secretary stated that the directors Of the Company
had taken every pains 20 make their boats safe and
Trustworthy possible, and that this is the rst time
that they have had boiler explode Out OF the 10 di.
rector no than TO- including the President OF the Com
pany reside on Staten Island and as they all travel
backward and forwaFdevery day they not likely to
endanger their lives by knowingly keeping in use
boilers or vessels which they did not believe TO be 81
TO high degree They court end most anxious for
thorough Investigation into the Of the accident
aud trust that tile Coroner will be able discover the
cause OF hat far they utterly unable 20 account
ior.
With rcg,rd to the number of passenger, on board,
they DO not believe IT exceeded $50, all tod The cap
tain, pilot deck.hands, and the bOatmen loungng
around the slip all agree on this point putting IL
a. low a. 20O Up to the moment of the explosion the
receipts of the Company show that Soo Passengers had
ptd their fares. But Of these 700 were railway pas
seugcrs. There had been eight trips during the day
four ordinary trips and four railway trips. The Wcst-
fields which rot a railway trip, would have made
the ninth Dividing the 3i0o passengers over
tae nine trips gives an average OF 377 passengers
TO each trip. But from this number the Secretary