The New York herald., 1871-07-31
THE CAUSE OF THE EXPLOSION.

THE CAUSE OF THE EXPLOSION.
The Wes,field-Tho Eneiucer's aud Roatmen's
story.
The staten Island ferryboat westfeld, which blew
up at the Whitehall landing, was built I'm 1868 and
measured 22o feet over all. She carried low pres
SIRE beam engines OF ten foot. The boiler, which
was tested by the United States Inspector joan X.
Mathews on the 18th OF June last was built by the
Sissor lronworks
THE USUAL COLD wArBR TEST
was applied, and TO all appearance, there existed
no law The westneld had one safety valve 2S
inches area, which only allows rs pounds
pressure per square inch. In addition she
was furnished with one locked safety valve, as
prescribed by law, loaded TO 27 pounds per square
inch. The object O. the 1ocked safety valve" Is to
guard against the ndscreton OF the engineer, and
this end the United States Inspector seals
the valve so that as soon as the steam mounts be-
yond the pressure allowed 1t blows on The engine
is low pressure with cylinders fifty inches in diane
ter and ten feet stroke OF piston; boiler twentyour
feet long and ten feet in diameter twelve feet width
OF 'front.' Last years certificate expired on the 10Th
of June, and the inspectors had been notified and
examined the ship issuing their certificate on the
10Th OF June.
FLAW MUST HAVE EXISTED
in the shell of the boiler, for IL s very unusual for
boilers TO burst in the SHE'LL most OF the naws oc-
curing the furnace or in the steam chest the
end Of the shell was driven by the force OF the cX
poson into the hull OF the ship but no other part
of the machinery injured The engines are
placed at one end OF the boat and the boilers al the
other The force Of the explosion was not sufficient
to seriously lnjure the hull OF the vessel
Az NJ fho xylOa
O'Clock =. NJ, the vessel lying il the dock just
preparing to move out, the END OF the boat where
the engines are situated was towards land with the
| boiler end out towards the water AS Is usual, the
majority OF the passengers had passed through IN
| order
| TO CATCH THE COOL RIVER BREEZE.
during the passage, aud when the explosion TOOK
place 1t spent its force in the direction where the
least resistance was offered blowing the napless
crowd Of pleasure e-seekers into the air. The explo
sion was not loud nor its force very great, as
the upper and hurricane decks only are blown away,
the solid hull OF the steamer escaping without much
| injury. In q moment the water was covered with
| fragments OF the decks and
THE PALE FRIGHTENED FACES
OF men, women and children were turned appealing
for help toward the Shore Many OF the poor people
who clung to pieces of the wreck had received
serious injuries during their fall. and the blood
|
good fortune had kept them in the rear part of the
steamboat rushed back to the landing stage in
terror for their lives; but as the panic had
ahated many OF them returned to afford assistance,
| At The moment the boiler burst men and women
and pieces OF the wreck could be indstinctly seen
high up In the air threugh the clouds OF steam that
for moment obscured the view. In an instant the
steam cleared away and revealed
| THE SCENE OF HORROR.
| U.1 ~grr&
diately over the boiler, was blown up into the air
and came down on the hurricane deck, miraculOusly
escaping without sustaining the slightest injury.
Captain Freeland and Henry Robinson, coOred
| man, who engineer, were standing in
| the rear pilot house when the expulsion
! took place. and both escaped without
injury though it was first reported that Robinson
| had been killed. SO little was the force OF the eX
poson that the Captain at first thought that one OF
the South erryboats had into him; but the cloud
OF steam dlsspated this notion and revealed 10 him
THE EXTENT OF TIE MISCHIEF.
piece OF iron four feet in length and about SIX
teen inches broad, somewhat wedge-ike in shape.
which had formed part OF the boiler was thrown on
to the landing OF the HERALD wharf, but fortunately
| did not Injure any one. About two hundred people
were on board the boat at the time OF
| the explosion, upwards OF one hundred OF whom
are supposed 10 have been injured. Almost as soon
| as Tie VdpOr away vi Soiitut
boatmcn were on the spot making gallant efforts to
save the poor wretches who cung desperately to
pieces OF the wreck, or grappled or dragged for
those less fortunate whose injuries
RENDERED THEN INsENsIBLr.
Among the men no so distinguished themselves
In tue work Of humanity the following deserve spe
cial mention:-
James Holland.
Thomas BOurnan.
James Condy, attached to the HERALD.
Michael Quigley.
John Delaney.
Patrick Collins Battery bOatman.
| The gallant fellows picked up over fifty people
and landed them In safety.
HENRY ROBINSON. THE ENGINEER,
who is colored man of q good deal Of Intelligence.
and reputed one of the best and most reliable men
| In the employment Of the company, states that for
twenty years he has been an engineer, and that
| he has spent sixteen years in the service
Of the company. He has the usual
gineer's certificate, and states that he
has passed at least one examination. It appears
that it Is not necessary for the engineers employed
on this ferry TO have certificates Robinson was in
completed charge the wesfded at the time OF the
explosion. AT twenty minutes past one O'Clock he
| went
DOWN INTO THE FIRERoOM
! and saw Patrick Finnegan, one OF the 6remen, and
| inquired how the water stood. Finnegan answered
him that IL all right nut in order see for him.
self he approached the boiler and tried the third
cock and found the water flowed, ana therefore
considered that everything was right. On
| quitting the fire room Robinson went to
the engine room and saw that the boiler
carried twenty pounds Of steam and then
| left going on 10 the dock. In couple OF minutes
Robinson again went on board and into the plot
house. where the captain was standing. After
few minutes conversation In the pilot house Rob-
inson about to descend, when the explosion
took place. The only cause which Robinson could
assign for the catastrophe was
| THE EXISTENCE OF PATCH