Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1881-05-10
Boiler EpsNeCtiOn,

fatei casualties that d!maaa thorough i1ves.
tlgaIlJG a: tho hands OF the proper authorities,
10 order to insure The public and inncc,n. en-
piogecs against palont i:capaoity aud neglect
Of officers 10 charge of the inspection service Of
the government. Tie Mystic WAS inspected,
ard had her boilers passed osoh Tina. With only
thirty brtcss 10 the chimney, and tho iron al
most IS thin as sheet iron. The lew requires,
ucGcr service regulations, that there shall b. 10
the cllnuey ono buudred aod twenty braces
b:fore tho boiler m5y pass Inspection. Ia tho
cabin OF the Mysic was huag the certificate OF
| the inspectors, who sworo that they had faith
| fully examined tho boilers according to Law,
notwithstanding the tscs that thrao quarters Of
| her braces were wanting. Ii is tho Opoiun OF
experienced engineers that, had the required
number OF braces been 10. tho rcnt 10 her steam
chimney would have been small. snd no FATALITY
would have resulted from the scoiieut.
TIE arbitrary practices OF tho irsp,c o:s us
almost ruined the usefulness of system which
vas designed protection sgills: aYarlco ard
| WGut0n c4rtlo:snoss. 1t Was said by the ljc.l
| Inspector that. 10 case OF tho recovery CT tie
engineer Of tho Mystic. bis license would be
taken from tim. This is ono CT the arbitrary
means adopted by Inspection oliioars Of hood.
WiokiGg the c1edul0us public Bat they needs
must have fc,pe goat. Az engineer must bo.
itvo tho licensed lie which his employers pur-
! chase from tho Inspectors, and, 10 casa Of acct
| dent, Tho engineer must BIO discharged 10 order
to stil3 the demand for On Investigation. which
must result II the exposure of the inspection
| officers. 1t appeal is asked ii il never gran..
Cd, for Tho completely between the Co,l and su
pcIVls!rg Inspectors is such that The culpability
| of The oua involves the other. Oh engineers
have learned not to trust tue inspection tarcs
CO the GU g, Ding Of an administration, for these
local inspectors carry with them petitions fer
retention 10 cftc,, and whilst inspecting, request
tho ofil;cr5 ct tbs vessels to approve thtlr ps-
pers, Thlch, in turn, ara signed by tho tw5er5
sul.l because they SEQ tho Esrnts OF tho eli
Csra attached, which nrc procured through np.
tigos OF cuDdty or ioditl.recc,. l. is said
there is 40 one in The Supervising lisp .otor' S
cffioa capable OF eXaninirg applicants Tor posi-
tons OF u.ssler, pilot or cogincer, and al s?i Ii
cant pe2d ouly secure tho approval OF three
loorscd officers endorsing bis moral character,
upon WEich lioansj is i3su,d regardless .! other
qualifications.
Gtn. Dumoa! 0: S0ina other proper auinor:.
~ should order rigid Investigation into thG
wauao! aud CAUSE OF the late tXEl1slon of the
Mystic, ard take such ao.!0n 10 TeviSicg The
:. ptrsluCl OF the inspection sar7U3 SIS 10 r0ts:Gio
public cooGdeuo,.
The steamer } oho w. Thompson was inspect!
ed last October to run ono year. The engineer
reported her chimney eoIo two m 1ntts alter
ward. Certainly il would ssem ,hat the n4
spec;Or had no right ut tho tins TO pssa ihi,
vessel, and on0 would tbiIk tho cilcumstsnu:
would afford ample grounds for periincu. ia
quirg iuto the action Of be p,ciion cfi,er.
But, to mako this statement perfectly clear,
tho Cavities correspondents called TO day upon
Csp!. Albert j. Fair, Of III. seaue: Mystic
anG from hill obtained tho iolowieg iuforma.
tioD. The dlsmantlod steamer was Iyi1g at bel
dock. fcot Of Seventh street, and CAPT. Faic oc
! board. Alter Stair s that he sired an inter
, view be vas conducted iato her oatio, when TIKI
following cacquy occurred
Was the steamer Mystic Lho rr0per;? 81
: the Potomac Ferry Company y
YES, sir"
WHEN waa she Is: ias9eaieG. end by
whom 2"
july ,. 1850, b7 james Is. Lowry, I1spao
tor of l1uIls. snd VIM. o. Savllla, iuspo,.or O.
Gailer0, OF Baltimore. Md
! "liaa Tbs Supervising Inspector ever inspeo
, !td soy OF yoUr boats z
; He utver inspected tho Mystic"
"When did Tho Msa!is' boiler explode ~
"ilarch s. 1851
"What was tho ciu1c
iMcHll the Gauss Was: The boiiec Ris 10y &C
means properly ttr3G; sou SEQ tho outside o
: I, tho boil # showed 20 rVGts, Will, ia ru2liiy
tho iusido had only p resi- stay b3!ts, nDd hi
lsck Of stagirG caused the explosion. IS t*ic;
aGd believe
. WAS any ono hurt -
"Ycs; Engineer John b. Aooi0aIl.e; h0 va
terribly soad9l and died in eight or nine dly
. afterwards; no vas most cireiCl engineer. su
: elyays ran the boat at mu,h lower preasur
. than the ps;gi!cco allowed "a.
!; WHO 10 to blsIac, y. Pcnr opinion, Tor the cE
pIcsion p
Tho accident certainly WAS not the fault C
apy Geo 90 tho bost. We had left Allxaldri
about o'Cl &c; q. H.; tbs river Was us clln g.
y this dock; We wtro runni!D at about % pound
j.. OF steam. certainly rot murc, but tho iIspcc
' tors hai aSioaed Us IS pounds. but and N
! cuS1cats eiTsys run rodar thtlT gauge. for OH
- ives arc precicus, and I'LL sou that boiler ID
= sp ciors ought to be practical boiler ucu. cu
9 make thurCvg :, Instead Of superficial, iovcati'
. gniious"
How much docs The compary psy for uspeC
tioD?'
They pcg sn5uAlly for Tia boat SO 70 "
y "How !ous docs i lstc ths inspector TO max
: bis Inspection p
Il "We. never over so hour sad Tho ilsEao
i. ton 10 only ulale one, year.
"How often ha5 tho Mystic booa insrect,,
= within your knowledge !
IL know that sac has been iosp.ocj iuui
times.
us it ttue that she only had about so thirty
braces when she should havo had l2jI enc
hundred aad twenty?'
1T is true"
/ "Ihon DC you Lti1k The. inspector performed
bis whole duyf'
He did not when he irsps1ted the Mysis.
| III, is Iunofed thnt tho inspection nt u.eapl
& bae:s is made by locs! Inspectors. Did ice:
inspectors irspeo The Mgstio?'
: "Mca;ts. Lowry and Save inspected lht
Mystic. aud they arc ls,al inspectors"
} Has tho Secretary OF the Treasury or Geue
raj Damont ordered an investigation, or will th;
matter DO hushed up?'
Il haze hoard of 20 Official Investigation uu-