New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-08-12
THE FERRY DISASTER.
CoRoNER's INQUEST CONTINUED.

GINEERS-WHERE ROBINSON WAS WHEN THE
EXPLOSION OCCURRED.
The Coroner's inquest on the bodies of those
killed by the Westheld explosion resumed yesterday
Three important witnesses-the manufacturer Of the
Wesfelds boiler the fireman, aud engineer Robinson
examined, but facts ELECTED. The first
witness was Edward b. Start, who testified: live at
No. IS EIc-st., Jersey City; practical engineer;
know she engineer of the Westeld he fred for Inc three
years about years ago. he often the engine foi me
left him IN charge sometmes think he is fuzzy capaole
OF running engine; have made plenty OF engineers IN
the same way while was on the Fulton Ferry; have
been at the business rs years; learned the trade as
fireman; worked in the shop first, but didn't pass NY
regular time there fired the steamboat Empire Whch
Lghthal had charge of her was aboard the "eSho'u
about a week but know nothing about the engine n
charge OF two high prcSsure engines al Ausoh'
Dry Dock Jersey City Robinson is able to 90 any wH
an2a, an Sn5'ae' inc SIM - , 70. he is gatHraly smart
sion; scales on the hues ana arches 'c o iocl
aud found them as braces aHay r s'S don't think il
the braces had held the boiler would have been w tn
up as it was found no signs OF low water tS clo
bnrsnc occurred from high pressure Of steam; sW oo
soft patch in the steam chimney nav my ~ rC,,;r
Mr. Hopper Mr. Matthews and others u 70 Nv, Ivy. ~; ito
nov. have none Mr.. BelhIap; nc WAS mo- !" 'N''
wen S me nav TI' n Robinson f. as competent to take
charge Of engine as ann PERHAPS ne %"b r ~
mach OF some things as ao on encinecrinc which,
have READ the only way 10 set s'eahfS'"so Is by
another gauge
row ENGINEERS ARE EDUCATED.
Rv te Coropcr-I was running an engine the Fulton
Ferry fully years made engineers there; one of
them named Burns is running an engine there now;
You'll fad that one-third of those running engines the
Fulton Ferry have been raised from tremen; the same
II true o. the jersey 6 fhS @ 9of uy teg% Fs
water pier; he should be around his engine all the
War; get 500 month and wouldn't work for less;
rich companies pay $25; can patch boiler myself; so
well engineers who the boats the latter are gen
orally more capable than the chiefs; is so at least on
Chsries II Franklin testified: am bolerrnaRer; rs
neary can recolect made the boiler of the West-
aed in the Winter Of loGl and ca 1t Is low pressure
re,urn-uo boiler; could MT draw the boiler on paper,
can explain IL by language; the boiler u feet
'front.' round shell 10 feet diameter, put together in
courses between the shell and hues that through
10 tho back connection is the watersuriace the steam
chimney feet above the top of the shell
Co permit persons to 20 inside the boiler at any time
Inc metal the best Pennsylvania iron. 6l6 on the
tiyetod together by large ana small courses In making
2SeF ou see even amy erfk c SSy"hsF Go
know how 70 take care of boiler; only to make IT,
By Prof. ThurstOn this boiler made-evory part
Them around the seams don't know that the Wes1eid
Wesed about feet inches long by foot WIDE taken
from the side exhibited to the wtness1 have ex-
Vania fange this piece from the round shel
mo hoyzontsl seam; IL has been both clipped
be pn-hoie when these sheets we're first riveted
either The edge square that edge driven down
70 /, hair line and turned in tue work was well done
I cant any deficiencies with the naked eye After
cooking at it through spectacles) The iron is broken all
UNEQUAL EXPANSION
O. Why should it have started there A. The shell Of
that boiler was l6 to IS feet long; when heated to q
eheTyrcd it expands about lie of inch to FOOT that
boiler continually getting hot and cold the expansion
and contraction kept working it like hinge; the upper
portion ia hotter than the lower and the expansion of
@ Your idea is that the bottom of the boiler changes
Us dimensions while the top remains the same A. No.
same; the crack here goes through the iron nearly
IF inch; 1t varies from sean l to SG boiler OF 10
O. Does change In the pressure of steam, or in the
quantity of water change the boilers form irrespective
Of temperatUrel A. No; nothing but change of TEN
perture do st. the form of the sheet has not been
Gfvns in it, the curve has not been reversed that see
If the crack the outside 1t might have been
formed by strkiugit with a hammer; an empty boiler
mas ring, but nat sOuud never used hammer ON
sheet; always used my eye.
U How would You discover whether iron was lami'
naod or not a. Clamp IL up and try II with halnmer
couldn't do WHOM the plates were riyeted together
an satisfied that you cannot find cracks IN boiler ny
The sound Of hammer you could tell perhaps by the
O. is the break in This lion plate here old ncw2 A.
My opinion is there has been leak there and ne brlk
@ could you say il the crack existed before the cXplo
where Ge e cd @Ggfh d rs if5n SHY don't know
Che meaning Of Illuminated. ,1-ss---s
the Westfei, and think the other for the Clifton;
don't snoa Why the Westheds was made smaller than
by the CoronerI in the boiler OF the Westned fresh
wafer used all the time IL should have lasted u to Is
r. M. Browne lyon not often put patches on new
boilers before trey 81 out Of the shopi ~ Sometimes
TIE FmrNAS's ACCOUNT
R2bar Crosscn testified reside at TOtenvic, Staten
Island; am for the Staten Island Ferry Com
plny was aboard the Wesfeld the day OF the cxplo
hff,n We left
dull we shut up the furnace doors at 1920 p M they
remained shut til we got orders from the engineer TO
DO It Wien We arrived helf e ms nnS we da was
up; coming in the slip covered the trcs over with
coal and LEFT the doors open then uld the water and
UP stairs 10 clean the cyIer then came doWh IN
the re'oCm absent about - minutes from the hre
room did nj the engineer While In The dock; was
not nv place TO 20 10 the cnnerOon my partner came
down and shut up the furnace doors he saw
that the fires were dark; tnat was rs OF
minutes after O'Clock; went and opened the doors
about 127 D. M; there was no steam DOWIS on theh,
Iowing off very slightly, just simmeing the pressure
over Is or &c pounds IN stormy weather 'h
BY Mr. Foloy-I have been employed as fireman for
three years; did ANYTHING was told ,..,o, - -,
q. How soon do you expect 10 be promoted 10 en-
ginceT ,dat dTemsn With the expectation q be-
romlng an engineer; don't feel capable OF nanagfng an
engine; was altogether under The control o Inc en-
found the water scant Oroned the doors OF tho furnace
prevent the fires from burning TOO strons the doors
open when the explosion took place was stand
The counsel for the Company asked tue witness
question and Coroner keenan, said he could not allow
any questions 10 be asked by others II the cos would
put the question 10 him first he Che Coroner woud ask
II for him there 10 represent the de al, ana
they had at good right 10 be represented as the
Company. -. -.
but not often.
TIE ENGINEER TELLS WIRE lie WAS.
Horny Robinson testified reside at StaplctOn, s. l.;
was engineer the wested; have been engineer for
Is years. had charge of the Westod the day Of the eX
,loson came aboard from the MddletOwn about llJ0
M found cocks Of water and q pounds of steam;
we remained till p. M; IOraered the fire shaken mp