Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-07-17
THE MCCORMICK EXPLO-
SION.
Report of Local Inspectors VIII
son and Young.


PORT OF WHEELING,
July IL, 1879.
John Fehrenbatch, Esq, Supervising In
spectOr Serenth District, Cincinnati:
SIR-We herewith submit our report
of the explosion of the steamer L. Z.
Mccormick, which occurred February
| last, the 18th.
The Mccormick was a passenger pack
| eft. built at Pittsburgh, Pa, in the year
| 1875, and measured l20. Is tons burden.
Her power was two l0l-inch cylinders
and 81 feet stroke of piston; was proyid-
| ed with two double-hued boilers, feet
in diameter, made OF lawful iron by
Jones 4 Co., OF Pittsburgh, in the year
1865.
On the DIST day of May, 1878, We sub
iected those boilers to hydrostic pres
sure OF 100 pounds to the square inch,
the test proving satisfactory in all re-
spects. We accordingly issued certiti-
cate allowing a working pressure of l2S
pounds TO the square inch. The l.. Z.
Mccormick was engaged as passenger
packet, plying tri-weekly between Park
ersburg, w. Va, and GAINESVILLE, o. The
explosion occurred while in motion on
her upward-bound trip on the Muskin-
gum river, at OF near Beverly, o., be-
tween the hours OF 10 and ii O'Clock
| A. NJ.
Fortunately her cargo was light, hav-
ing on board at the time but little
freight, three passengers and nineteen OF
a crew, all of whom escaped without
material injury save the fireman, who
was missing. The hull sunk soon there
after, CARRYING down with it all that re-
NAMED, in ten feet of water. She was
valued at 81, 500. Loss $1,000.
We were promptly notified of the &C.
currence by Captain Martin and the en-
gneer in charge, but postponed imme-
date action until an examination OF the
hull, then submerged, could be made.
On the 18th of March following, while
on tour of inspection in the vicinity OF
the disaster, we took the statement, I'M
der oath, of l.. Y. Webster, engineer in
charge, and under whose watch the ex-
plOsion occurred. Other evidence was
ELECTED, having no special significance
save that of \. w. Kinkade, chief clerk,
who testified that on the morning of the
disaster the doctor" ran Oft twice,
thereby evincing arrangement.
No effort having yet been made to
raise the hull, and the water not having
| sufficiently receded to enable us to make
the desired examination, we returned
home without accomplishing the full
purpose OF our mission.
Mr.. Webster was the first engineer OF
many years standing, and this is the
| IL, hot
pened to vessels while under his
/ charge.
He SAYS that on the morning in ques-
| ton he observed nothing unusual
Every .hing appeared to be working sat
isfactolily; says they encountered heavy
slush-iCe occasionally; was carrying but
| l25 pounds of steam; water was flush
in the boilers, having tried it but few
/ minutes prior to the explosion; cOnsid-
cred the boilers safe, and attributed the
occurrence TO defective sheet, caused
! by being patched but a short time pre-
| vious, cracking the rivet holes, as he
! alleges, by the operation; observed 1t
leaking from the first and applied the
usual representatives. successfully; had
no doubt as to its safety.
] HAVING Dttl d'lN lStu llldt NliO nun
/ was raised, awaited ourselves of the earli-
! est opportunity to examine the same,
when we found it damaged beyond the
! probability of repair; while the boilers
| presented fragmentary appearance,
| proving the explosion TO have been one
| OF more than common violence, forcing
portions OF the same a great distance
from the scene. The examina-
ton, unfortunately for Mr..
! Webster, also revealed the TACT
| that the patched sheet to which he
| charged the explosion was so far from
| being forced off that it was firm and un-
moved; and furthermore the water line
was distinctly traceable on one of the
! flues, having fallen some five or six
inches below the TO pthereof. Here, then,
we have positive evidence of the condi-
ton of the water in the boilers at the
time of the explosion, having seen 1t
with the naked eye, and while various
theories have been advanced and causes
assigned for explosions, all seem to agree
that to let the water get out OF sight is
dangerous experiment, attended two fire.
quently withthe most disastrous results.
That such was the case in this instance
We might derive profit by conceding
for the sake OF argument only, that
defect did exist in one of the boilors, as
Mr.. Webster maintains. With supply
of water it is not difficult to conceive
how a defective sheet or sheets may
give way under either moderate or ex-
cessive pressure, the effect in either case
beingthe same as the cold water test pro-
vided by law for the very purpose
of pointing out defects and which
i'm every case of rupture is
attended with results comparatively
harmless, but that explosion can take
place under a similar condition OF things
has never yet been clearly demon
strated.
The opinion that other causes exist
for explosions than an insutiiciency OF
water, is derived mainly from the fact
that engineers under whose watch they
have occurred, should they be so fortu-
nate as to escape with their lives invar-
iably have testified TO the abundance OF
water at the time. To this rule there is
recorded but one single exception so far
as we are advised. The pleasure steam
er May Queen" exploded its boiler re-
Gently near Minneapolis, resulting with
other casualties in the death of Hayes,
engineer in charge, WHO confessed just
before death that when the boat landed
at Rockwel's Island the water was low
i'm the boiler, and that when he started
the machinery the pump was set in
motion and an explosion Immediately
occurred.
Now as against a repetition of those
disasters we have nothing new to sug-
gest. The law we believe is as near per-
feet as human wisdom and ingenuity can
make it, and in the strict observance OF
its provisions consists alone immunity
from danger. That Mr.. Webster was
guilty of wanton neglect is not charged,
but that he failed to exercise that watch
iuness which the nature OF navigation
at the time demanded we are convinced,
and by reason of which his license as a
first engineer OF steam vessels, standsre-
vokcd. Respectfully submitted,
HIRAM YOUNG,
Local Inspector of Huls,