New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-08-22
ma. the fireman. who lost

ENOlNEEh AND
George II. Williams, the fireman, who lost
his life by the explosion of the boiler Of the seamtug u
H. starbuck was buried at the expense Of the County
bis wife being too poor pay the funeral costs Justice
of the Peace W. w. Corbet Of NewBrghton stated yes
terday, that Mrs Williams, who Ia unaole 10 reau vi
write formally relinquished at the insugatoh Oh Co
ner James Dempsey, for the pary sum OF S0V' ner o
upon the owners of the starbuck for damages The star
buck now lies moored TO the steamboat pier NJ new
Brighton g. T. and exctes much attention from the pass
engers and from residents on the Island.
Coroner Martindale assisted by Coroner Dempsey and
Judge Verye resumed the inquest into the causes Ok
the disaster at 69O D. m yesterday, at the Newtrlton
Police Court before q large audience Inc hfst WINES
Dr. Theodore Walter testified that he examined the
body Of the fireman and found that death was cauou
nv the inhalation OF steam and by burnng the lips ana
tongue were swollen and burned; death must have ell
sued within very short time after the Injuries were TO-
ceived. noticed a portion OF the lid belonging to the
boiler blown Off allowing the steam to escape ana reach
the freroOm in direct line partly through Tue
Cbarles H. Mills testified that he has been engineer OF
the starbuck for three years; has been an engineer "o
that time and was engineer OF the propeller Moha"k
was fireman In the Mohawk nine months, the same period
on the South Ferry, and five years on the starpucR
examined the boiler when 1t inspected on the Sun OIL
June 1871 found it neat tight and free from leaks e
boiler was built In 1852 at Inc insp.S s With
into manh9e ana lIGd u TIE la nia' three years
the boiler has been repaired by putting on Iit,ii.55
there good many patches on le lISI 49,. about
had three or four when witness TOOK clarSc, t
ten or eleven have been put since: It had a,.ht
talvc when ne examined it IN June last; examined the
boiler since the explosion; two stay-bolts hau gwen o
and caused the explosions; ON one sIie tleio Nc
patches over the stay Dolls me- rot"css in The
iron OF the back leg the cause of the EXP
.arrV cs ,,0unds. WITH urgpcr u,9 % and patching
boiler will last y years; used tesh NdltI III
boiler; witness was standing deck when the explosion
took nj II ~
steam prevented called to tue deck hand 20 smut WI
steam or; learned engneerng a. rea w aG1 be Sy
plOsiOn took place he went att the nOler vas lcHl
the Inspector last juno by hyaranc pin s, IS
the test Q5 pounds pi, ssuie ga" 80, 30
the water was taken out Mr. stratton went inside
aud tried the boiler with hammer; tue screws gave
out fom use went 10 the engneOQm 10 or ~ minutes
after the explosion, and succeeded III eet,ihg III re
ceived a certificate rs thirdcass engineer ITom
Mr.. stTattOn; examined mo bocr 10y o ulry
il was blown off, which was once every
three weeks; Lad examined It two weeks before last sun
day and found IL as sound as ever; saw cra,h o' NV
cylinder and nowhere else; saw no Dstors, the boief
was Of varying thickness good boiler should DO one
fourth OF inch thick al over; Wltss run .hc 49,
10 lsh OF an inch thickness hut believed OF an nch
the proper Thickness; would run boiler l12 OF an men
thick With pressure Of 6 pounds; has pat on foit
patches with screw bolts; only know OF one
SOFT patch being burned away on the eylnuS; Inat
burned away about two weeks sihcei uoht h1u!R 4,
that any part OF this boiler was l-4 OF an nicn ~
about Of an inch thick where II Dust WNei a DooI
Is inch thick, witness can make Stea4 WIN coL M'o
in IL hour; it would take half DAY u Dltah 9oll,
inch thick with hammer the boiler was Iusted lhsiu
In some parts witness admitted that the boiler wac oy
about as thick sheet Of paper or the Loo part OF an
ncn; the boiler was plugged with iron IN several Places
there Was p d oyer Ptgn Served Tn on: the legs Sfe
boiler was patched; DID not think such patching very
,st tp Inspecfors called II never took any dimensions
Of IT, witness was ustOL-hcd that the boiler ala NOT
shown wituSs. ono OF which indicated crack on the
cylinder which had been patched ana Tie pdtch pi Hl
OIL Witness said the diagrams were correct; ustd II
gauge and found it correct; the Inspector eAaihed H.
and pronounce II correct.
the SRt sr bGSsH John H Ms the esncr boy and
the deck-hand also present 81 took from oue-.li
10 three-uuaIters of hour to make the Inspection
ueht The engineers went 6elo" when they were na
ing the INSPECTION tns DR. ot'n nst L ar the im Of
Inspection but could see stratton going down 10 inc he
The report Of the experts appointed to examine the
bucr hs presented. Ii - stated thdt IL TOOK inc
GxPeltf ,To a. an 20 VS. ned by T. X McMurray
Chief Inspector OF the Hartford steam bo,I inspey'2n
spector Ii was dated Aug. 20, 1871, and D. as lOloWs
SHAMEFUL CONDITION OF TIE BOILER.
Ibave this day made complete inspection OF the
boiler on board the steamug O.. H. starbuck now lying
al New Brighton and would respectfully report is con
dition as follows:
The tug g. H. slarbuck is Of the class used for towing
purposes in the Uarbor of York aud adjacent bays
and waters and Is supplied with boiler OF inc return
tubular pattern (Redfeld system, 1ul5t ny slhriuck
Bros Of Troy, y y, in 1852. II !. IL feet
long Tag 0 o{{ Good uaIitv and thickness originally
varying from full oneqrartor TO- threctghh inches IL
+
inches diameter, three gauge-coca' one glass water
gauge, and proper feed aud blow ENGAGEMENTS INC
seven 10 cgbt inches long, with heavy blister on the
same sheet. This crack had at t.me time been SOFT
patched. This patch now and has been for some time
burned away, along with the fa-tonines which
kept it in place. TIC water legs and
G tc hack connection or hue at the Back Of the bridge
leg, are completely cOrI"Htu aA' eat'h away leaving
t IL viii not exceed ia OF an inch so thin were the
i'm The
ing with the hammer tie sheets opened up In one place
in5 hammer with one blow went completely through:
he bac connection or Gue back OF the bridge is coated
with rust and cOTrosOn TO the depth OF al eas one quar-
ter Of an inch; the majority Of the tube,
or icIrued 70 prevent leakage, and 1 presume
ING on the inside Of the tubular part OF the boiler are in
good conditions those the front head are slightly cor
Todcd The bridge4eg as shown IN sketch u, has many
patches over the holes where stays had pulled out
had started leaks their ends also on the places where
tbe iron had cOrOdcd away and was necessary 20 patch
In some places there are patches PIT on over another
patch These patches are what Is known as soft or
temporary ones and are made by using rtd lead under
tc patch OF boiler iron ana boiling Ia the defective part
This system, especially where they are brought IN con
tact with the direct heat rom tie Irce Is very de-
fective Athe stays, with the exception or those marked
A aud B, have patches A ana u, Therefore were the
only two sound 80 ones left TO support the immense
steam on that part OF the boiler amounting to about
pounds there several other stays IN this part
bar those refer to were the ones through the center
az The LEG on which the main part OF the support
dependent they should have been replaced soon
over and letting them 20 in their defective state
The stesm-gauge is OF the ordinary type OF clock
faced gauges and proved test by TO he 10 pounds
heavy or in other words, IL indicated 10 pounds more
pressure than carried on the boiler The point at
which found the saetyyalye loaded Indicated max
imum working pressure Of 81 pounds per square inch
the yalyestcI was slightly coTroded but in full working
order. .
AN INCORRECT CERTIFICATE.
The certificate of the Inspector Of Steam Boilers for
the United States Government, Mr.. f. Plat stratton,
sent to Inc by you my information contains errors in
data find, by reference to this document, that the
hydrostatic pressure which the boiler was subjected
in June last rs pounds, ana the naXhun WORKING
pressure allowed was 65 pounds; but tho saiey-yalye
set at Y pounds per square inch.
The safetyyaIye named at inches is by calcula
80, iock yalv