New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-08-28
THE LOSS or THE SEA WANHAKA.
REPORT OF THE LOCAL INSPECTORS.

THE BOILERS OF THE STEAMBOAT DECLARED TO Br
INTACT WHEN SHE WAS BEACHED-THE FIRE
CAUSED BY BACK DRAFT FORCING THE FLAME
FROM THE CRATE BARS,
The Local Inspectors Of Steam Vessels yesterday
transmitted to stephen X. KIRBY Supervising lnspec-
tor OF the district their report in regard 10 the uS-
aster that Tesu ted IN the destruction OF the steam
boat ScawaDhaka and the loss of forty lives ne
INSPECTORS give at length their for arriving
at tho conclusion that the boilers of the boat were
intact when it. was bcached and that the cause of
the fire back draft forcing the gases and flame
from the crate bars Following is tho text OF the
report:
We have the honor TO report the result of our In
vestIgaion into the cause OF the burning of the
steamer Seawanhaka. which occurred Juno %
1880. We began The investigation on July ~ ana
continued II on July 30, examining eighteen Wit
nessrs; kept the case open until August IL, WIN
the hope of getting some further evidence. which
would give us some light as TO the cause of the ac
cldent II appears from the evidence adduced that
she left Peck Slip ut the usual hour and proceeded
up the East River, and made the landing al Thirty
thrd-s. which she left about $3.50 D. m. Nothing
unusual occurred until she reached Hell care,
abreast of Wards Island dock when the engineer
heard arumbling noise like distant thunder lie then
shut up the steam JET, and immediately after DONG
so be saw lct or volume OF flame coming OUT from
under the crate bars and around the furnace doors
which Immediately lgulted the wooden bu khead
between the fire and enginc-rooms. The danes
spread with such rapdy that It was beyond al
human efforts to check them. As soon as the hre
was discovered Captain Smith determined to run
nearly opposite Wards Island, as the safest and
best place for doing so; which he did at tie imml-
nent risk of his life. He literally envelOped IN
flames and severely burned before he left the pilot
honse.
The evidence goes to show that there an
abundance Of life prcseryers on board. and IN every
respect confomable TO the requirements of the law.
Upon examination Of the boiler after the accident,
we found two of the top row OF flueS I'm TIE STAR
board bOler-the outboald one and the inhoard
One-to he ruptnrcd close 10 the back fue sheet.
4 ~ ks OK pbOut half
and open One-elQh;h OF an inca at The widest part
taperng 10 nothing ut the ends and having the
appearance Of being pulled apart. Samples of these
were cut out and found to be Of the Original thick
Hess, or nearly So. The middle lues IN the Same
row were intact: also tine lower 1lucs The return
tues were found to be drawn and loOScued In the
tube-sheet on the outside next the shell. The
middle ones seemed 10 be all right, and in
good condition, showing the disturbing cause to
have been near the outside or shell Jf the boiler
We also found the fusbe plug III the back conncc-
ton melsc out and cock IN the front leg broken
the boat was beached The openings combined
would account for the water getting out Of the
boiler. The port boiler was found with water in IT.
and apparently WIS intact. One of the tubes OF the
to the wreck hv David NJ. Nichols. n h0lleT-makcr,
doing business in Gouyerncur-sip, New York. with
out the authority of the owners and before the In
spectors had made an examina' ION. 1hs tube was
the second or third from the outside shell
of the starboard boiler in the lower
row. He states that he found n hole
or gig inches IN diameter in it lin 3l2 inch
tube). This hole he says was about pig feet from
the end of the tube on The furnace end of the boiler
and consequently the same distance from the font
connection, which has hinged doors to open and
shut pleasure and Is neither water steam tight.
lie also states that be cut of piece Of the same
tube, commencing four inches from tie rupture
aud subjected il TO pressure of $50 pounds 10 the
square inch and that if showed no signs of distress.
After due and careful consideration of The evil
dence and circumstances connected with tbi' case
we led to believe that the boilers OF the steamer
Seawanhaka were perfectly intact and tight until
after the vessel was beacaed, for the following
reasons, VIZ: That there was no escape OF steam
or water (which Il clearly proved up to that Time
That had there been a rupture OF a tube Of the
dimensions Mr. Nichols describes there would have
been such a rush of hot wat 7 and steam INTO the
hre-loom and forward lower cabin tha' there could
be no miataking it. The steam rising from 1t
through the forward cabin stairway and the fire
room hatch would have been plainly visible to
every person the main deck and the evidence is
that there was no such escape at either end Of the
boiler That had the flues found rupuTed been
rupturcd by pressure of steam IT would have blown
the boiler to pIeCes-prOduced, in fact, an eXplo-
SION But the metal where the rupture took place
was about 3l5 Of an inch thick Uhe original
Ihcknessl and was capable of wlthstandlne
pressure of ten times mor' steam than she WAS |
carrying That day. Furthermore, we are OF OpinlOn
that all the rupture3 found by this Board III the |
,tarboard boiler of the Scawauhaka were caused by |
the expansion of the shell from the lone-cOntlnued |
AID intense heaI Of the burning vessel around them
and tho that the lower middle top iiucs and
middle return tubes were all intact was because |
IF their greater distance from the she'll and the
ecting influence of the steam rushing III from tho
port boiler.
: In view of the foregoing facts are firmly of the
opinion that all the rupurcs found in the starboard
boiler occurred after tho vessel put shore |
The cause of the ire was undoubtedly back draft
forcing the gases and flame out from under tie |
yrate-bars and around tie iurnace-dcoTs, igniing |
he woodwork III the vicinity, and induced prob |
lbly by the condition of the atmosphere and the |
sudden shutting OF The jet.
Tbs is not isolated case Many vessels have |
,auGht fire from the SANE cause nor Is the rum
ling sound described by the witnesses as reSem- |
ding distant Thunder unfamiliar TO engineers, with !
eran conditions of the Goa! upon the CRATE. Ii is |
II evidence that the officers aud crew behaved well;
so, that had the passengers taken The advice of |
he officers and remained on board until sne |
rounded they would nearly all have been saved. |
mere were forty lives lost by this accident. The |
essel was a total loss. Very respectfully,
JOuN X. MATHEWS.
AUSTIN JAYNE,
United States Local Inspec tors.