New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-08-21
ANOTHER BOILER EXPLOSION

h1' " AAACls DOlbCn LA hNOlON
ACCIDENT TO THE sTHAM-TUG @. II. scARBgCK
ONE MAN INSTANTLY KILRD-RUS1 IRON
AND WORKOUT SCREW THREADS
The tug u. H. Starbuck, while towing m. zee
canalboats from Port johnson, j. to this city on sa
urday forenoon exploded her boiler when in the channel
separating Staten Island and NcwJerscy and about half
way between Port Johnson and NewBrfghton TT,ere
five persons on the ting at the time namely T. Bod
man, captain; Charles Mills. engineer; George wilams
fireman; r. Schwartz deckhand. and q by employed
a. cook. Williams was standing directly before tia
furnace when the boiler gsyo way, and was 80 badly
scalded by the hot water and by The steam which In
haled that he died in fow minutes The guecr was
talking with the decs-hand, outside the enginersom
whom the noise of escaping steam was beard They ran
aft but the dccknand returned aud succeeded In reach
ing the lever by which tho boat was stopped Trio
captain, in tho meantime sprang upon another boat Ne
one but tho fireman was injured.
The break in the boiler occurred at point directly OPP
poste the furnace door, and about three inches above the
line OF tho CRATES. Here were two stay-bOlts. which
connected with the opposite shee Of the boiler. about
six inches beyond The pressure had drawn the koads
OF the bolts tho fire through tho sheet just FAR
enough to permit thin streams Ot water 10 rush out
speedily followed by steam. The door OF the furnace
blown open, and the semi-circular sheet Of
thin iron Just above wac violently torn on
No other damage done, except by tho
Hood OF water An expert who has since examined he
boiler gives it his opinion that tho rush @f water
upon the re Of tho furnace caused sudden generation
OF steam which alone produced the blast Along line
OF the CRATES each side OF the bolts which gave way
or patches, covering other stay bolt Tho iron
about the heads Of the two bolts IA much worn by
oxidation and the scrcw-threads" by which they were
originally held firmly in the sheet nearly worn
away from the The presence Of tie row Of
patches shows that either unequal expansion or tho
direct action OF tho fire. perhaps both causes has
heretofore operated desructycy along this line There
patches over the two stays which gave way.
The boiler is OF the class known the "stlrbuc" and
is about years old The certificate OF inspection IL
signed by T.. Plat stratton Of Inspector M hewss
assistants, and is dated June g. 1871 According 10 tho
certificate the boiler ia ~ feet long and feettn diam
eter; high pressure. Redhed patent; subjected % az
pounds hydrostatic pressure and permitted TO carry
IA pounds pressure of steam.
Coroner Martindale OF Richmond County summoned a
jury and began inquest Saturday afternoon After
examining several witnesses, the case was adjourned
until this evening account Of the absence of the en-
gneer who left the boat Immediately after the accident
and seemed to wish to avoid attending the inquest Tho
following testimony taken
John F. Mills am part owner OF the tug q. II. star
buck William II. Hart and Andrew Depew are the Other
owners she built near IIOY " Y, in 1902 she has
the boiler that she had when built tho paper pro
duced is the certificate of the United states lnspectOr
bearing date June 1871, and 10 expire April % 1872
n.
will be Is wears of age in October next; he is my
have examined the boat since the accident and found
two staybOts about five inches long, screw-bolts tho
thread of which had given way; the steam must have
down the CRATE and into the lireoOm belgN DECK
the furnace Is about four and half feet one
feet the other: bolts hye-eighths oran hc,
screwed through present when the eAalna'loh
they were about theequarer5 OF an hour NJ the lnspee
ton they went down INTO the me M 1h Iro
We @sr tsrnA'0 the boiler was ODi' INC 00ua 'a
he eu0in ne door
when ran aft; the engineer alongside OF me on
deck; | did not notice what he did; came back and
stoped the boat with the lever; the engineer then
on other side and could not get IN through the door
med the boiler and found two staybots loose that all
/ found; the fire-room Is under tue engneroom, and
there way from 1t to the deck except through The
enginerOom; don't know how much steam was On at the
time.
The captain tug also examined, but gave
other information. Experts will be called to-day to
anime further into the condition of the boiler.
WHY THE WESTFIELD'S BOILER EXPLODED.
REPORT OF U. S. MISUNDERSTANDING DIS
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES BREASTED HELD
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DIsASTER-THR LAW
wILLFULLY Neutrality-suspicious. FOR
THE FUTURE.
The report of the Inspectors who lately in
quired into the OF the explosion Of the Weshed
boiler submitted at the Treasury Department on
Saturday last and has been published in full SYNOPSIS
containing tho principal points touched upon in tie
port published In THE TRIBUNE the lth inst. TIE
following is that portion OF the official report bearing
the important question OF what caused the disaster aud
who primarily responsible for it, The
report Is dated at the "OHce Of the United Estates
Local Inspector New York Aug 49, and is addressed ~
Supervising Inspector, Capt. Addison Low The nyest
cation begun August O. After describing the vessel
and her machinery they appeared to BE- according to
the certificates, and detailing the circumstances OF the
disaster, the report continues;
CAUSE OF THE DISASTER.
The object OF this investigation consider threshold,
viz. First To ascertain the primary OF the explo
sion; Second to place the responsibility OF the explosion
properly where 1t belongs Third deduce from the
timony such information as will assist in preventing
like in the future There be ttletf any
doubt "a what led 10 the disaster Although the
deuce is not unanimous on this point IL is by means
irrecOncilable The primary cause OF the burst, or
explosion. in opinion, defective sheet located
on the lower side OF the boiler, and the third from
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