The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-10-01
THE ADELPHTS EXPLOSION.
EXPERTS SAY THERE WAS FULL WARN
ING or ITS CONDITION..
Two Juries Making tho Inve.tisation-That
SOFT rRtch," nnd the Probable Causes
that Led to the Disaster-The Funerals.


thnt Led to the Disa.ter-Thc Funerals.
Two juries were sitting in the City Council
room, at Norwalk. Conn. yesterday. for invest-
eating the cause OF the Adclphi disaster. One.
impaneled 10y Justice W. r. Craw. was made
up as follows: L. Hill L. J. Blake. J. A. Slater.
W. II. Duncan. Thomas Guyer. and C. A.
Briggs: the other, impaneed by Justice W. \.
Bouton. consisting OF Geo. C.. Stilson. james
A. Brown, Thomas Guycr. james NJ Lane. W.
b. Smnhorn. and W. II. Duncan. Two OF the
jurors being on both jurics. the two bodies sat
together. though us separate juries, tho wit
nesses swearing in the presence Of one jury to
the testimony they had given before the other.
c. W. 10 Count OF South Norwnlk testified
that he was n machinist Of more than thirty
years experience. IIo considers himself an
expert in the matter OF steam boilers. When
requested TO make nm examination Of the Adel-
phi's boiler after tho explosion. he went re-
uctantly. He was inclined to think that the
boiler WIS in fair condition except in the weak
spot whero it blew out. The boiler looked as
though good care had been taken Of
IL; 1t appeared to he not very old.
and he did not observe any defect in
the crown sheets There had evidently been
cnk along tho line Of the fracture. and n
soft patch " had been put on to stop the leak.
Another witness nftcrward explained that q
soft patch was piece ~ iron hnit"d on. and
| " hard patch "wns rivetrd on.l The soft patch
would in no degree strengthen tho boiler. as II
| was put on. IL was put on TO stop leak, and II
It Ind been put ON to strengthen the boiler the
work would have been done differently. The
| break did not extend TO the holes which were
drillc,d. for the bolts when the patch was put
| on. The witness considered the cause OF the
Incident the insu1ciency ot braces In the boiler
! one row was needed between the line of fracture
and tho next row Expansion and contraction.
from varions causcs, produced the fracture.
Samuel W. llartw"ll 81 Albany. v y, IL q
| practical mnchinst. md Is Just at present with
the Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection Com
| pany. He had charge of several boilers for the
Government during the. war. and icels quali
fed to speak as an expert. He testified that he
| saw the Adclphi's boiler on SUNDAY last. and
satisfied himssifas 10 the cause o'the explosion.
! Ii had seen hard service: tho crown sheets
| were depressed; the bracinR was insufficient.
| and the braces were improperly applied He
| believed that the cause of the explosion WINS a
| weakness resulting from the almost constant
bending ~ the sheet while the engine was run
ming. the same as n .piece of tin is broken 10y
could have heen prevented 10y another limo oi
braces, \ properly applied patch would hrye
witness would not want any steam in sui,
boiler as the, Adsilphfs he hal
70 work near il He considered The
Tor the engine II would have been safe. prob
ably. with from twelve 70 niiecn pounds press
urc An inspector Of ordinary intgiligence
pounds; The witness found tho recording
gauge in the engine room disconnected. aud
nected This. gauge. il il had heen con
ncctcd would have recorded the high
est point to which the pressure had
been brought. He would have thought thni n
pressure ot 20 POUNDS would have done the
damage. A careful business man would have
had an inspection other than that mnde 10y tho
Government inspector He testified that he
considered tho condition Of the cphi's boiler
ms an ample warning of probable explosion
Frederick; II. La Forge. Govrrnment Inspec-
tor for the Second District. testified that he had
carefully examined the Adclphi's boiler and
| found nothing hut defects. II" went into thi
details Of the defects and described them much
the same as the preceding witness. The boiler
would have been In danger of exploding under
| the ordinary working pressure lie also
considered the boilers condition ampl,
wurning OF n probable explosion" No prudent
and competent engineer In charge of the boiler
could have failed To- discover It's dangerous con.
diion. 4 piece o' the boiler was produced 10y
the witness. taken from around tho hole drilled
Tor ono ot the bolts used in putting on the soft
patch II was 1882 Oi an inch IN thickness
After seeing the patched plac" the witness
would have looked further heforc suhicctiug the
boiler to u pressure ~ 40 pounds. and any COM
| petent engineer would hHv" done the -Ninr.
| tn" inquiry will he resumed nt q o'clock this
morning. Boiler Inspector Matthews will 20 to
Norwalk to-day 10 mako an official inspection
of the wreck 81 the Adelph The investigat on
As To- the cause OF the explosion viii he taken vi
AT the close Of the COroncrs' inuuc-ts.