Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-08-01
From New York.

New York, 81. The total number of deaths
from the explosion Ct the boiler on the
Staten Island ferry boat yesterday, is thus far
81. The afternoon papers are filled with ad-
ditional details Of the scenes at the hospitals
ann battery, though they add little OF import
ance to the facts already published. The
leading editorials are also all devoted to the
great topic of the day, and all agree in de-
manding thorough official investigation into
the causes and circumstances of the disaster.
The Evening Post answering its own ques-
ton, lean the responsibility for the disaster
be fxed?' says The boiler of the Westtield
this forenoon was carefully examined for us
by an expert engineer. He discovers no in
dication whatever that there was low water
in the boiler, or that the iron of it was burnt.
1t had at one time been patched to strengthen
It, and the break began just at the patch, SO
that this must have been precisely the weak
est point of the structure. Either it was too
weak at this point, therefore, to bear the
proper pressure, or else the pressure actually
applied at the time of the explosion was ex-
cessive and unsafe" The Post also says that
United States inspector Mathews, who cert-
fed June 18th that the boiler was sound, and
might safely be worked under pressure of
twenty-five pounds to the square inch has
served the government for many years as in
spector of boilers, and is believed a competent
man, though he has sometimes been accused
OF making superficial, or careless eXamina-
tons. The presumption is that his inspec-
ton was as thorough as that of the govern
ment officers usually is. Concerning
Robinson, and his share in the disaster, the
Post declares that the facts they have been
ascertained, indicate that he was terribly at
fault. He admits that when in charge of the
boiler it was permitted to wear a working
pressure of twenty five pounds. He not only
let the pressure rise to twenty-seven pounds,
but left it under this excessive pressure and
went to the deck for considerable time.
This fact alone is enough to raise strong sus-
picion that he was criminally negligent, but
when We add to this, the fact which we are
ready to establish, that on Sunday, July 23d,
one week before the explosion, this same
boiler was actually worked under pressure
of thirty pounds to the square inch. We can
not avoid the conclusion that Robinson's con-
duct demands a thorough investigation
Commodore Vanderbilt publishes card
this afternoon, stating that he has nothing
whatever to do with the Staten Island Ferry
Company or with any other steamboat or
ship company, nor has he had for the last
year
Bernard Smith aged 80, of 10 Hamilton
avenue, Brooklyn, his wife aged 2s, and two
children, one a little girl and the other an
infant, were on the Westfield at the time of
the explosion. The husband is missing, the
wife and little girl are dead, and the baby
badly scalded. Up to a late hour to- night no
additional deaths were reported AT nine
o'clock the morgue was closed and police
were stationed at all approaches to keep back
crowds, who all day and up to Il late hour
strove to gain admission.