New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-08-12
THE GOVERNMENT INQUIRY.

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METHODS OF ADJUSTING STEAM GAUGES
THE BOILER INSUFFICIENTLY SUPPORTED,
OWING TO TIE REMOVAL OF SADDLE
WORTHLESS QUALITY OF THE IRON.
The Government inquiry into the cause Of
the Westfeld explosion continued yesterday by In
srectors Hill and Boole In the United States Circuit
Courtroom The witnesses ell practical engineers
ana the evidence related to the modes OF testing steam
valves and TO the soundnes Of the on the
Inflated ferry-boat.
T. II. Ashcroft stated that his testimony, reported
represented him eaying that safety-valve would
rise higher with pressure of co or 100 pounds than
would with 80. He intended to add the qualification,
o. with the weight adjusted 10 these presSures."
II, X. Moore, Superintendent Of the American Steam
Gauge COMPANY Boston, testified: -. ,r,..ao,,
O. Was the gauge used on the boiler OF the Westneid
made at your mandatory A. Yes, sir; it was made
and sold to Our agent in New-York Nov IT, 1867,
no Was II made for any particular steam Vesself A
No sir; 1t is an ordinary gauge; &C. ,,,ge o, Won,
manufacture the Westhcd at the time Of the eApio
sonl A. No, Sir. .., 49,
gaugel A. No. Sir, except one thing; the Committee
who examined the say that In no case was more
than about pound 70 out, and was very nucn
surprised this morning to see it reported In the newspa
knew that to be mpossibity If 1t was right In other
places - ,,, -, -. ., ,,o mia
take made when copying the report III making the
Mr. MOORE thought, in justice TO myself that this
Mr. Hil-The gauge was found to be very nearly cor
Mr. Moore-It is fact that thnt kind of gauge II
started pound ahead will be pound ahead all round;
have made some 10000 Of this particular KIND; spring
gauge never gets stiff it has tendency TO weaker;
where gumpackng is used the gauge grows stf, eonse-
where gunpacing used if any error occurs it will
O. DO YOU make any other kind of gauge beside the
BOURBON A. We make the Allen len gauge demand
About four fths OF al we make are Bourbon gauges
Mr.. MATTHEWS DEFENDED.
Mr. Wizard desired to state expert that ho had no.
ticed in the published testimony some criticisms upon
the inspection of the westeds boiler by Mr.. Matthews
which he considered to be UNJUST these criticisms refer
to the fact that steam gauge belonging the boat
used and relied upon by the inspectors. instead Of
applying standard gauge from tho inspectors office;
the standard gauge Is adjusted aud proved by column
to ave H%pd an nc eg%a practical TS e to
that is he observed that it was sensitive enough
TO be affected by the column OF water above
wound up to the extent Of the pressure shown by this
column of water which showed the inspector TIE true
furnished tested gauge for the Of the engineer with
which to treat the boiler afterward the use OF
been sn in 'G the gauge used the error
might have been fatal II another had been used after
Robert Creuzbau said that since giving his testimony
the day before he had again examined the exploded
from to lilo Of an inch In thickness on the lower ues
the average thickness Of the scale was not over s2 OF
tened the lower sides the iron must have been con-
Azel j. sheppard steamboat engineer, OF san Fran
O. How long have you been an cngineeri A. Thirty
O. You were tho engineer of the steamboat Mountain
Q. What were the dimensions of the bnileri A. The
she'll was II feet in diameter and II thickness did not
| exceed One-fOurth OF an inch.
f Ho% TSfg steam a0y YOU S carry on her A.
have seen 81 pounds, .-
CONDITION OF THE BOILER
T. W. Smith testified am an engineer and reside in
NewYork; have made several inspections Of the wost-
field; found the furnace end of the boiler with the
stcamchmney and Gues several feet of its natural
positions the forward end thrown over the starboard
side of the boat and found second the
boiler entirely disconnected fram the boiler; and
E on fouh R au amy a ec % SsHn iS%r
cccd and detached from the upper end by the force of
bes some OF the riyet holes i'll the edge of this piece
not at right angles with the face of the plate which,
# they had been distorted by the Of the drift pins
drawing the edges together enarging the vent holes
may have weakened that edge of the plate at that point
the pieces of the broken end of the course showed
that the plate had washed away and cracked on the
inside surface Of the course, SO that not more than
one quarter OF the original strength remained; where the
plate was not washed, it was oneqnarter Of an inch
thick in place OF about eight inches the ends looked
as If the crack had extended quite through me plate
other places the ends showed new break OF ron not
exceeding In thickness one ysecOnd part OF an inch
at other places it showed new fractures OF thGkness OF
about oneenth Of an nch where the ronnd smell rested
as l judge, full 0nehalf way through the
i
cay and cracking the plates at this point clue to
me strains in the plate produced in That particular
disturbance Of the particles Of iron the inside
surface and inst this point where the
tougher and more ducte the IRON the longer the plato
could withstand the contoTtOn without cracking.
insufficient SUPPORT TO THE BOILER.
l saw the round she'll but one place showing the
marks the saddle supporting the boiler and this place
is very plain; In other place 1 find any marks
and 1, therefore, infer there has not recently been
saddle; at the back end OF the boiler there has been
put on with bolts the projecting bolt ends nuts do
show the slightest trace Of putty which is usually
placed in boilers and saddles; If the saddle at the
end Of the shell was removed and not restored the
load upon the saddle near the ruptured course has
had greatly increased weight; believe that the lower
portion of the boiler under strain from
traction in consequence of the higher temperature of tc
interior resuriace expanding out against the ends ofthe
shell the interior rcsurtace at the lower portion
in direct with the fire and fame and necessarily
the outside shell removed from the fire. and into which
boat was in the Slip the engineer pumped cold Croton
water from his tanks into his boiler, or if
f5 5e admission EG wan" into the crSton tanks Of surplus
steam, still the ingong water would be much cooler
ture due TO the steam pressure degrees water
from the tanks pumped into the boiler about two
five inches above the line OF the fregrates, and
would naturally be cooler ana an HEAVIER than the
auagoni>c strains between the expanded iron Of the
fire surface and the contracting OF the iron IA the bottom
of the SHELF when tho boiler last received general repairs,
AIN informed that the water bottom was cut on and
legs subsd cd that the right anglcd surface pro-
l.cted SIX inches below tie bottom OF the round she'll.
the plate Of the Westhed was simply thrust asunderb by
interior expansion, and those who saw II were unani
in that opinion had there been in the boiler
steam pressure say IS pOundO the SCARE inCh to have
augmented the strain already existing from exterior
pansion and TO have followed mp the motion and mo
mcntum of the opposite ends OF The boiler when
sprinsng apart at the time OF the fracture.
l have little doubt there would have been
n disaster experienced engineers know the difficulty of
keeping the bottom of their boilers tight and they also
know that for considerable time after getting steam
and working the engine the passage the water in the
bottom OF the boiler is not scalGBg hot. The question
arises who TO blame for the Wcsheldf Was il
the Inspector who gave the certificate after putting upon
boiler the smrnms OF cold Mater REQUIRED