Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-08-04
TELEGRAMS TO THE STAR,
This Afternoons Dispatches.
ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTS.
THE NEW YORK EXPLOSION.
AmAfh~r Victim

Am0thGr Victim.
NEW YORK. Aug 4.-Martin Reider, one OF
the victims of the Westfield explosion, died this
morning at Bellevue Hospital.
Continuation Of the Oncial Inquiry.
NEW YORK, Ang.4.-The inquiry by Inspectors
Hln and boole into the disaster OF the Westfeld
VIM. j. Lighthall, who examined the exploded
boiler by order OF Superintendent Lowe, was re-
there was skin OF good iron outside the crack
An eighteen-inch crack might bear thirty pounds
pressure, but be cannot tell how long the crack
Is; and the larger the crack the less pressure
would rupture the boiler. The skin Of the outer
iron was about one-sixteenth Of an inch thick
and Of new material.
VIM. II. Martin, chief engineer of the Union
Ferry Company, testified that he examined the
exploded boiler. The accident was not caused
by scarcity Of water, he thought He OBJ
served fracture about fifteen inches long ON
through. The explosion mighthave commenced
there. The iron was Of ordinary quality. The
boiler was good one in every sense Of the word.
results Weak boilers act as kind of rent. The
break began crosswise on the line OF the riyets.
The strength Of iron is reduced by riveting. Ii
he didntknow about the sheet being three-quar
tiers through, he would not be afraid of thirty
pounds. surprising the rupture began at the
crack. thirty pounds would cause IL.
1t might rupture with thirty-twoPo pounds. There
must have been thirty-tw pounds TO cause X;
has known Of gauges such as they have on the
Westteld 20 60 from seven to nine pounds incor-
1ectmso%eti mes Indicating too little, sometimes
valves, finds that some stick and others are likely
to stick; no Atsr than this morning one Of their
boats was laid up and examined Tor leakage Of
the valve, when 1t was found the stem was bent;
they stick from various causes, and have to be
looked after frequently; he wouldn't give four
coppers for steam gauge to place reliance on;
ali he wanted, If running a boat, would be a
good safety valve and four gage cocks
Joseph Parry, 7. S. local inspector Of steam
boats at Philsdelphis, stated that he had in
appearance Of a want of water. The fracture
made by the explosion showed a quarter Of an
inch OF iron. II was thinner around the fines
than when first made, but was a quarter-of an
inch thick at the fracture. II was No. 3 iron
If the iron was sound, he would allow thirty
eight pounds pressure to boiler ten feet in
the present appearance of the boiler, not
knowing of the flaw, he would allow thirty
pounds; the outside OF the started sheet was per-
feet; the fracture was inside, and must have
been there considerable time; il could not be
discovered by hydostatic test put on it. though
the boiler stood thirty-four pounds, hydrostafic
test, at the inspection six weeks ago; the crack
must have increased since, and probably thirty
pounds, hydrostatic pressure, would rupture it.
To counsel for the owners.-The hydrostatic
test probably increased the crack, and don't
the explosion occurred; i have been inspector
since 1892; there is no means known to science
for discovering flaw where 1t was; if had in
spected that boiler as 1t looked, knowing II 70 be
nine years old, would have allowed 80 pounds
Thomas Connolly, one of the engineers of the
Staten Island boats, and having nine years ex-
perience, and graduated from a fireman, stated
that he ran the Westfeld, in his turn, this day
week, and found no signs OF danger; never read
the new certificate put up by Mr.. Matthews, but
was aware the superintendent asked for twenty
five pounds, and he understood he was allowed
that much has read the old certificate, but didn't
make il his business to read the new one; used to
run the Westfeld every fourth day. Witness
was present at the inspection in June, and Mr.
MATHEWS pronounced il call right" and re-
marked that the boiler bore the test this
year as well as ever it did; the government
valve would blow at twenty-five pounds or
twenty-six pounds, ard the main valve would
blow very strong at twenty-seven pounds;
there was no lock on the government valve
the day OF the inspection; does not know who
unlocked IL; presumes there was no lock on il
when she exploded; the most steam he ever saw
on the Westfeld was q pounds; the old certif-
cate allowed Is pounds; is able to read aud write;
believes they were allowed margin of pounds;
was under that impression, though the old
was licensed in 1865 in New York. Inspector
Mathews explained that Henry Robinson was
six times licensed, but his license had run out at
the time of the explosion, and this is why he
described him as unlicensed. He was sure the
lock OF the safety-valve was in working order
Tor near the extreme test it began to leak, ana
there was every indication of its being free.
The testimony of Captain Isaac VTeeland, of
the Westfeld, was unim Important.
Charles Franklin, boiler maker in the Erie
building, Jersey City, stated that he built the
boiler Of the Westtield in 1861, OF the best Penn
sylyania iron. 81 .. - q