The New York herald., 1871-08-22
THE STARBUCK EXPLOSION.
Inquest as to the Death Of George
Williams.
Charge by Coroner Dempsey Of Man
slaughter In tho Third Degree Against
tho Engineer and United States In
pector Strstton- -Warrann It.
sued for Their Arre,t.

| on board OF the steamtug G. H. Starbuck. which
| blew up near New Brighton, 5. l., last Saturday,
| the Ieth inst. After some delay consequent upon
the non.attendance Of jurors the inquest was re-
sumed Judge vermllyea assisted the Coroner.
| Dr. Theodore Walker was the first witness called,
| and sad:-Had seen the body OF deceased and ex-
amned 1t; when came on board fonnd the body
! In the fireroom, dead; death was evidently caused
! by inhalation OF steam and burning; cuticle
! greater part OF the body entirely removed, lips
| and tongue swollen, white and burned; death
must have ensucd In a short time after receiving
the injuries noticed some portion leading to
boilers blown of, evidently allowing the steam to
escape and reach the man in 'front.' Here witness
showed on diagram Of the boiler and furnaces
when was exhibited 10 the jury the portion to
which he reierredl
Charles H. Mills the engineer, next sworn
and examined He testified as foows:--Was en-.
gneer OF the c. II. Starbuck; there in that
capacity three years was engineer on Belle OF Mo-
hawk: fireman for I'VE years on Siarbuck; nine
months on South ferry and nine months
on Mohawk; did examine boiler when she
inspected sth Of June last; found boiler tight
then ana with no leak; 1t was nine years Old; l
went inside and tried braces with hammer and
chisei had patches put within last three years;
/ DO not know how many; good many inside; had
three or four before LOok charge;
had about ten or eleven since took
charge; in June last had about twelve
patches; since then had three; examined 1t since
the explosion; two stay bolts giving caused the
/ explosion; no patches where it gave out; weakness
IN tie cause of accident in the back LEG; had
| sixty-two pounds Of steam when she exploded
! allowed 10 carry siXty-1ve; boiler will
last eleven twelve years by proper
usage; must patch as 1t wears out
in some places; used fresh water: was standing on
the deck, alongside OF the engine room when the
accident look place: could not get in the steam
was too dense; called 10 deck hand to shut it or
he was on one side of the boat, ! on the other;
was fireman first; did pass examination before Mr..
Matthew'S inspectors examined the boiler with high
pressure pump; bIowed my steam of, put out my
fires and they put the hose on filed II up; had
N!NETy-FivE POUNDS PRESSURE;
they told me saw nine pounds pressure 10 sixty
five pounds Of steam; no ier was examined after
water was ont; went inside tried 1t with hammer;
Mr.. stratton went inside; only weakness
in iron In back leg caused explosion.
as far as know; IL was from
| went to engine room; ihen saw fireman on the
moor; lever mad been turned before got there.
TO Jnror nave eat shird @ S,o class s csrnhSate;
boiler blow OF every three weeks; two weeks ago
last sunday examined 1t; found It sound, as al
ways Old: saw only
CRACK OVEN THE CYLINDER;
saw no blsters; iron varied In thickness from
one fourth Of an inch all over think a good
boiler ought TO be- Rt1ll ran II as 0nesxteenth of
fourth % Of an nch Woua run Soer thirty
second OF an inch with pressure Of sixty
sa% HAD sqa eacs pt IN
last two weeks do nor know II any portion was
one.sixty,onrh Of an inch; It was about one.egn,h
AZ that ihckness; can make steam IN one hour and
har with cold water; with hammer II would
ia n .ha1 dow hranH hntfo fh1r
eighth or an inch thick: little rust inside, about
as ,hicS as sheet OF paper: patch was
place: there was a locked safety valve on boiler;
safety valve mot locked) was three inches: 10 NOT
ished t did not blow up long ago tpians and gauge
shown wltnessl; plans show appearance OF boiler
All the conclusion OF witness examination Judge
Vermuyea read the report OF X X. McMurYay, an
the westfed. He Is the chief Inspector of the Hart
ford steam Boiler Inspection ana Insurance Com
pany. The report is as follows:-
AUGUST 90 1877.
Dr. p. f. MAnr1spALE Coroner, Richmond County New
bE.n sIn-In compliance with your orders have tins
day made complete and thorough INSPECTION Of boiler on
i.s ~ dsS;
fs;Sn Sse ssS poeq o oy n @ & by sT
s i oSF By | s sns sS s
full Quarter TO three-ausIers of an inch Is supplied
m one 81 % s
blister on same sheet; tha crack had a. some
; o time w hss
sonr with those IN The back or n"e AZ saei
Of the bsase es are completely e9Tsded and and eaten
up to siI inches above the CRATES TO be
M 'ss shs 81 of an 90 A we're e
s e. @ m one M place @ %
with one blow wen, simplicity through The back copDec,
S or to S s e Of al wr % OF an nq
Sae. Sss a% or e pss' 10 are paS Up bs
tube ends corrodsd eaten Bracines inside
those ssD on ssb,y eorTsasd SfiSs.
ss as shown .E n sfseS g. hIs s0a1 many , patches
had started eass on ssr s%' on the places Tie
w ss are gass s so T or on S s'ss 3
by using red eae nnder patch Of boiler
6onG to- defective part & ,hs ys,e 'spses where
vsTy ana Al s ws the exception O taS' @
therefore We're The only two sodnG ones s 70 support the
immense strain on that part a,s. OF the eNsr ennnr
eral other stays in This part. bat those
shoud replaced they had gwen by
new ones instead Of patching over and letting them so in
raures proved test by to be ten pounds heavy
other words indicated ten pounds more pressure
found the safety valve loaaed indicated maximum
s Tho vaye "e% was slightly coIrodsd oS IN a Working
The certificate OF the Inspector OF Steam Boilers for
United States government MrE Pa straon sent
Information, contains In Data tnd by
reference this document that the bydrostac
when the boiler subjected June last
eight pounds and the working allowed
was sixty i've pounds, but the safety valve was
set at sryentytw0 pounds per square inch. The
safety valve, named TO be four Inch In by
calculation 700 square inches There M
locked safety valve this boiler stated this
ti6cate. For reference plan OF boiler and Tia
patched and weakened condition referred to
the accompanying sketches; and ] 6nd from these
facts and Other conditions, embodied IL he pre-
vous part ~ this report, sufficient for the
OF the disaster the pressure which the boiler
the least the boiler
giving out and the only thing which does asionish
M bed out long Please find
herewith pieces OF iron taken from furnace,
which clearly the WORKOUT state OF furnace.
Very res yeofdly submitted, X X. McMUkkAY,
thef Inspector ". s. Insp. and Ins. Co.
Captain ROden OF the tug, was next called and
examined. lie said was present at the inspec-
ton, were John VI. NILS, the owner, the en-
Rlneer. anu the deck hand; took about one
half TO thfee-quarters or an hour to make the in
spectton; am not sure, but think the engineer went
| below al The time. also The InsnecIOr: