New-York tribune., 1871-08-01
WHO IS RESPONSIBLEi

PLENTY or WATER IN TIE BOILER - OVER
PRESSURE OF sTEAM-A DETECTIVE BOILER.
The piece ol the boiler taken by Police In
specor Jamison TO Police Headquarters IL about five
feet long, eighteen inches wide end and tapers to
elk inches at the other 1t IL In tho shape Of right
anglo triangle, and weighs o. pounds The weakest
place In this triangle evidently the base, where
line OF Tives remains. The Police Inspector says that
when he found this piece only thin scale showed n
bright edge at this fracture the rest Of the thickness
(hve-sXteenths OF an inch) having a dull black look
that showed either old fracture the oxidation OF
the iron. Tho other side of tie right angle Is torn
through the centers of line OF ryet holes, while the
third side is torn in o ragged way
TIE SUPERVISING INSPECTORS EXAMINATION.
Joseph Bel,nap, United States Supervising Inspectors
General having charge OF the inspection OF boilers aud
steambOal under the recent act OF Congress, accompa
MED by Assistant Inspector Lee, called yesterday at
Police Ueadqu'c and informed Superintendent Kelso
that Secretary Boutwell, had directed him TO make
thorough inspection Of the boiler In order 10 ascertain
the cause Of the eXporion. lie shown the above
described fragment, which was blown into the air and
aligted the Government pier, adjoining the Staten
Island Ferry Sip This fragment had been placed on
board the steamer Northfeld but Inspector JlmisOn,
noticing the peculiar fracture mentioned, ordered 1t TO
Police Headquarters.
Cen Bclknap and Inspector Lee expressed the
opinion that the iron OF which the boiler construct
cd was originally OF the best quality. The manner in
which 1t has been torn places and the grain OF
the metal show how tough it's The inspectors exam
ned the iron carefully especially at the place where tho
flaw s supposed TO BET but they came to no conclusion
about It, apparently seeming unable 10 account for the
defect They Will only their decision after an
exhaustive examination Of the whole matter.
practical engineer who Is one Of the police inspec-
tors, and formerly a steamboat man, examining
the ragmen insisted that nothing but lack Of water In
the boiler could have caused the explosion. Great
a..
water is attended 90. lie bad often stopped holes in
boilers with wooden plugs without su1crlpg damage
tberefIOm.
THE GIVER or THE CERTIFICATE.
John x. Matthew's, the Government Inspector. was
quite Teccnt when Visited yesterday morning. he was
willing indeed 10 give fun particulars concerning his IN
spccton OF the boiler June ~ hut would not express
himself decidedly concerning the cause a the acci
dent though evidently his opinion that tho regis
try must have been carecssy taken by the
engineer. Sometimes, however, register will become
defective IL closely watched, and will deceive an ex
pert engineer. Mr. Matthews has been a practical
eeamboatnan and inspector for many years, and says
that no boat for which he has given certificate ever
exploded before He recoects distinctly the inspection
of this boiler, because II was aecdehtally
tested beyond the usual limit. His books
show that the hydrostntc pre-suT applied 10 the boiler
was a4 pounds The rule ia that low-press1re engines
shall be registered at efours the hydrostatc pres
sure and the Wcstcld is therefore allowed 25 pounds
But the lydrostaio pressure at the time OF inspection
was not relieved promptly upon notce, and before IL
was taken of reached about 40 pounds He says that
while this heavy pressure on, he examined every
part Of the boiler and found 30 leaks ordcyalions In tie
surface It In fact, to all Appearances above the
average OF boilers.
The appearance OF the fragments Of the boiler rs the
vessel lie, nt the Novelty Works. 10 corr0borate
the theory that The explosion not caused BY lack OF
water. Wm Vanderbilt and Charles Copeland, who Wis
tied thc wreck especially noticed that the dues which
run through the boiler stl coated with whitesed
mouf and With black scales, called "hesh water seaes
woh they say proves that there was no lack OF water
because the fires would have burned these 6ues Ia the
red oIor usually assumed Ly very iron in few
mcnt, The water had given out II there had been
any such deficiency.
TIE BROOKLYN INsrECrOG'S VERDICT
Thomas L. Power4, the Brooklyn Boiler Inspector yes
terday examined the exploded boiler of the Westield
and makes n report as follows
az have this day examined 'he exploded boiler ~ the
steamboat Westiad had the boiler j. Of the turn
Aue style OF the following diuenions Frebox, ii feet
feet long containing fues, a feet long TIE rupture
70 have @ % Pas ~ ts sf There e "S was o5e
course OF sheets which opened at me lower paf OF 9o
the sheets 10 the opposite side Of the boiler carrying the
deck and cabu away. The other part OF tue suei Was
driven to the forward part OF the Ooat ana "egeu i'll ho
Tie explosion in my opinion, occurred from an ORR
pressure OF steam, osers isao eppegraes Of to' ot
been pte,iy oC rat1 Ia the tottor."
4 PLAUSIBLE THEORY.
from Tlp Evening Posi, Jsiy 81.
| have lust concluded a careful examination
Of the exploded steam generator OF the westhed, and
find s the 9s Of Spe tue IN %Sc Es M se products
combustion pass through set OF nues 10 me p.ck anu
to the chimney at the front end. This chimney passes
centrally through the steam drum, ts att In Immaculate
Soa in ohcT Words with the Interior Of The shel or
body This she'll in It's main length Is q oynaqii%Ga. %
rupture following for the most part erenmerenta,i
line Of vet ha ~ OF m me % e az Was tSs as les s
opeH end Is sharply defined triangular forH. Inc
tbe machinery The force OF the explosion being eNered
under the rear deck flung 1t upward ana tore Into
The trea6Iy torn surface Of the boiler shell is either
moderately bright covered with red rust hut close
toward the about IS inches above the
level Of the upper tier OF anes TO point aDo
cavl that between these TWO points the rupture not oI
inches ia length by actual measurement the metal nay
ing been parted clear through along the line OF ryes s
here thst tne pGeT ' Gr oe time was
probably remotely caused by unequal cohtractoh anu
hiP ss being i,mIy stayed either end but com
paravely free at the center so that IN e5pandhg
alternately in opposite directions at the weakest point
viz the ccumerentlal line where nearly one-han tHe
took Occasion 90 m the safetyvave and lever at the
top of the steam drum, which had evidently NOT Voes ,
mark left on the lever when the weight WAS slightly
nnVed The yalys-gtem shows marks OF cOrrcslon apu
neglect aud am strongly disposed 10 believe THAI the
appsratus would require much more pressure TO lfI ane
Val than when IL ginaly fitted Tor use Wih
regard to the pressure this stated 10 nave De
twGnty-seyen pounds few minutes before tue eSRio
sion The boiler had large heating surface, and WIN
brisk fire the pressure would Increase very raPHy shu
mi rht I'm these few minutes much exceed That OF ine
hV5ronic Ia,t thirty.fJr pounds per incb Only the
other day. in horizontal Locomotive boiler, In which as
lar "a no. sbe ecoAumy OF heating suIfnce sought
sy ,ealn raised from sixty up 10 seyentyfye pounds
nrs-mIc n what should estimate not mere than nNe
minutes From the above, my own decided OPINION Y!
The cnuabe cause OF the explosion the ferryDoat
may w ~' JANIS A. WHITNEY.
No ls9 Broadiray, Nt,e- York CiiV, July sl, 1911.
A NEW CHEMICAL THEORY.