New-York tribune., 1881-03-30
TIE SEA WANHAKAS BOILERS.

Steam Vessels, Messrs. Mathews ana Jayne, iOr
granddaughter in connection with the Seawannaka
disaster was continued Yesterday ia the United
states Circuit Court. before Judge Dehedlct'
When tie court adjourned Monday afternoon
the witness stand. He had testified that he had
seen back draft on the Seawanhaka similar to that
which occurred on the day of the disaster; fester
day he corrected this statement de SAID that ne
had never before seen il on. Ihe Seawanhaka, but
had seen it on the steamboat Arrowsmith
William Dudgeon. of No. ~ Fiftll-aye, was
tho next witness He was o passenger with MS
wife on the Seawanhaka. In passing through the
saloon he observed jets OF lame issuing irom the
panel-wOrk around tie stairway and smokcstack.
He took down some life preservers from the star
board side of the upper deck. He handled twenty
or thirty of them and found that six or seven were
useless, because they had no strings. In some ln-
stances the strings were pasteTed to the preservers
with paint aud were useless. He saw some OF the
passengers trying 10 take down a life-bOat. HIS
but he sand no. because he could see daylight
through il. One OF tue seams IN the middle q the
boat was about an eighth Of an inch wide When
the flames left hm no place TO stand on he pdt
life-preserver on his wife and threw her overheard
He Jumped into the water after hor and swan
ashore with her.
MIR. Foster-Ii you insured by witness on oath
that that boat was uiicrward launched and dd no. leak
would It change yOlr testimony n tho slightest degree
in regard 10 seeing DAYLIGHT through ita seams
should be very mdch ns0nished u auc aA'alement
sworn 10, because saw the boat bnrned-in ames
Robert =. Anderson, q pa, 'ngpr said that he
heard the explosion and saw nc confusion IA the
off of the lfe-bOat on the siarbOard side OF
the vessel IL was fastened with ropes to staples
in the sde of the boat. Two OF The ropes were cut
and the Wit attempted 10 raise the canvas COW
erng but he found it impossible TO ID 30 "a, u had
been painted so often that it like sheet iron.
After this futile attempt 10 remove the cOvor he
dropne1 down to the main deck and helped
some women to get ont of the cabin. There were
no fe-preservers in the ladies cabin nor dld he see
any on the main deck. Re saw One woman Jump
overheard from the cabin window She had no life
preGerver and was drowned.
To Mr. Foster-I heard a woman who jumped over;
board say that she had looked TO- liepresorvers and
could not find any.
David n. Nichols. boller-maller. testified that he
made the boilers of the Seawan laka in 1865. They
were return tubular boilers. nd had eighty tubes
each. lie had examined the boilers after the disaS-
ter, and took piece OF tilbt from the starOoard
boiler. This piece was produced by the DIstnct-ht,
torney. II was about two feet six inches long and
three inches in diameter. II 're was hole IN VI the
size OF mans hand, and th5 surface was badly cor
The witness was asked il fourteen years was m
un; sual time to ust boiler lie snid that tho time
boiler could be ed depended entirely on circum-
stancesthe the water used In 1t ana tie care
bestowed on It, He continued:
II you mean the seawanhnka boilers, knowing the
the care OF them, and that fresh water was used
in them, fourteen years would nol Be on uii.
would be. The boilers were strong ana wen proper
toned when they we're placed In position The part OF
the produced could not have oecn exposed u the
the burning OF the vessel aud the neat from the
burning wreck could not have affected IT, The hole ln-
Frames h. Allan, mechanical engineer, was next
sworn. lie said that be was special agent OF the
Hartford Steam-bOler Inspection and Insurance
Company, and that he had made stcan-bOiler
inspection n speciality for twenty years. He had
examined boilers before and after explosions and
had frequently gwen opinions as 70 the cause OF eK
plosOns He inspected the boilers OF The Sedwan.
taka IN company with tho members OF the Grand
Jury on July 81, 1850. His examination was
directed particularly 80 the starboard boiler He
went into the boiler fully prepared for thorough
examination. and spent about four hours IN making
it, After some questions bv Mr Foster as To the
witnesses right 10 be known an expert, he said:
arst went into the inboard urnacs Of the siarboarf
I ,as heavy blisfcr ON tbc eff side sneet about
two thirds OF he back IN the furnace and about
INCHES above the crate bar level IL eAtuded wei hack
sion next went INTO the oubcard urnBce Of the same
boiler ! fo md heavy bugcs on the crown shect and
: aitri6ntcC the chcck crack To brlticress
due 10 the lons service OF the boiler Aierwad won't
into the front connection on line Win TIE tubes above
the furnace doors through hinge door Ihr uour was
corroded very pa1y H was in o. h9lea ana was go pGr
foratcd that II looked Ike aiuco WORK DaLr eguid 20
driven through very readily into the vessel dd not
note any Getect IN me front cohnecuon i'e: Iasshg
found fracture IN the ontboard nuc which extended
half way around the nue. lknpcked on piece OI the
fractured iue with my hammer"
How do you explain the disascr'
at was due 10 the collapse or tuoe ana the rnptur.
Ing of nucs fol found another lue rnpurcd | atrlD
uted the fracture o the uo IN the conclusive jar In The
Judge Benedlct-Whai would be the effect OF the rup
ture " n tube I
''TIe backing Of the flames into the hrc room and hc
setting fire 10 the woodwork In the room clipped on
n little OF tho iron at the fracture of the
ngei ana some OF GS tubes ana found hat they
we're thinned down toward the ends 10 dangerous ex
fcut found four five in dangerous condition the
upper tubes looked as u they had been over heated
fouud that number Of rivethcads m tho ring
the ends OF the 1Olnch MUGS vas badly coroied, very
small Fragments OF the heads being et IN many NJ
stances. IL dangerous condition for the boiler TO
be in / counted eleven heads so cOrroded There
indications OF eOrroal1n E aD1n tue rhds OF the tuDes
I'm different spots AferWaTd entered the boiler through
OF the boiler There was light SCALE on the sides. TIE
top tubes. far as could were IN good condition.
There were bulges tho she'll There q split about
six inches long In the cylindrical part OF the boiler"
Nr. FlerO-What caused the disasteri
In my opinion tho disaster caused by the collapse
This CAUSED reversed draft aud drove the ame through
the upper connection door and around tho furnace
" In your opinion how long had the star5oard boiler
Most Of ire detects / have noted must have been
gradually developed, and The boiler must have been IN
dangerous and detective condition fcr fully six months"
duced I"
under circumstances takes placs very rapidly"
What would be thorough examination Ola boiler OF
the age OF those In the Seawanhaka y
" Had their examination devolyed on mr, knowing
the age Of the boilers, would have made the most
thorough examination possible. would nave looked
for defects aud would have expected to mud them II
woud be an external and internal cTamin1iioL al o -.
Would such an examination on March ~, 1880 have
discovered the defects you have described IN the boilers
OF tho SeaWaDhaka ~
think 10 would"
DO you know what considered adequate prov's-
ions prevent sparks aud mss from being driven back
from the furnace !"
Good fitting doors, connections and furnaces in
proper repair aud proper sheehQ ~ all exposed parts
around the furnace Ia the flIe-TOom."
In reply to Mr. Foster the witness said tnat he had
heard it rrmored by outside 9 that the company he
represen ed desired TO obta control of the nspec-
ton business now PERFORM - the Government,
hut he knew nothing about matter. He IN
ected the Seawanhaka at the request OF the Grand
Juiv.
Thr trial will be continued today.