New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-08-22
THE KAA1ERSKILDS BEOKEN BEAM

AN INVESTIGATION BY CORONER MERKLE.
TESTIMONY GIVEN Ely TIE CAPTAIN, THE LNGiNELk
THE ASSISTANT ENGINEER AND OTHERs-No
NEW FACTS DEVELOPED.
An nvestlgatiOn in regard to the accident to
tho steamboat kaaterskin WAS begun yesterday by
Coroner Herman. \ large number of persons WAS
present The first witness was James Dady the assist
ant engineer OF the Kaatcrskll. who said:
The chief engineer Mr. lashcr, was ON duty from 9
D. m. to II: u. Friday MI ht. The engine was
working nicely. carried at the time thirty SIX or
thirty seven pounds 81 steam ana continued 10 carry
tli amount NINTH a. III. when the accident occurred
We are allowed To carry hity pounds OF steam little
after q clock htaId CRASH 'lu went Il" tiC '4-'uo
room. shut oil the steam and pulled the hooks ont
put the bar In and gave Lcr steam under the piston.
When gave the steam iooAcd up oouH nol see
ytAin the links that a>en tho walking beam ana
wac then startled 10y crash, as II wood was breaking
heard great rush Of steam IN the engine room put
could gc ia because OF the volumes Ol steam NIcu
rushed ont. \ few minutes after that | came down
again. went In the engine room ana there FOUND the
cniri engineer. g both raised the safety valve aud
found that the walking beam mad broken ON the con
uccng-rod end. There was no one assisting me at the
time the accident. The oler was at the ume IN the
MINER part of the machinery, doing MS WORK. nave
been an engineer ten years aud nave been employed ON
vanderbilt The chcf-ongineer and myself took turns
nj The engine every night, he being ON duty IN the early
addition to the injuries have mentioned That there
wac a hole in the steam, pipe on the mnln deck. We
thought IL had been caused by the connecting rou.
lanes stead the captain OF the Kaaterskiu after he
had been questioned by the Coroner III relation to Ms
occupation and residence said
There was nothing unusual on the trip on Friday thc
boat having run smoothly ana altau Oh UNI ticG
lett Cold Spring passed the tsine ioPi ~, ~ w.,
that il was half open. We had then about thirty -hNe
pounds OF steam l told the engineer tDadyl tlat We
had plenty Of time as dld not want 10 be' 70 , ~"
York before q clock, the time we were uus. LON
little supper and then went to bed ADou' ut t ~, i
utrs aftrrward heard crash, and started ont at once
and went to forward part of the boat 10 see
the pilot what the trouble was. He answered tna the
noise was from the engine room Attempted 10 20
through the saloon but was compelled 10 retire ny inc
rs,.ninr steam then went down INTO the hod To sec
If We Ind sprung alcak were on fire but finding
surcrc,cd in quicting them There was no pane; |
found after further examination that the peaL na',
brok,n Iv this time the boat had been anchored ana
fine Rcdncd signaued ANA came To our asslsi 1lce
The passengers and baggage were transtSrred anu
sent to no, pitfalls the other two returned To Catshi
have known the engneer and MS assistant lGSlco
and sober men. The night little hay. The en-
CINE had worked well up To the tihe O INC "coiuon'
and in all respects Al.
Vireil Lasher, OF Germantown, " Y, the cher en-
,iueer of the boat. testified IA follows:
At the time of the accident was ahrd NOT Dtlng OH
duty. nrst bccane aware that lheiS was SOM 'i-
wrong bv hearing 70 crashing noise. got up al once
and came into the hall and found nIedWlth steam,
went to the upper deck, then alt ana u""h tne "''V
about four minutes later We were nee rom s''HIl'
found that the walking beam hau pr"Aeii 'i' E"n
Meeting rod had fallen and "A large hoi' ma prvH
broken in the steam pipe was on duiy ron =,
II p m. when lett the ehglne we na| si nv bih
os forty ieh pounds; our allowance * my pounds.
Nv n.4istaut always obeyed my orders II Is customary
on river steamers for the engineer To 20 10 bed amer ne
through his work. attribute the accident To the iron
having been imperfect. The beam was calculated tol
-, ~ Mound. nf steam We never raced with other
boaS had idea that any thing was out oi orueI IOi
examined the beam that day.
George W. Snyder, the president OF the New YORK
Cat-il and Athens Steamboat Company. testified that
the steamboat had been put on the line on july ~ Inc
hul had been built by Van Loan McGee, of Athens y
y and the machinery by W. A. Fletcher OF TINS ct}
III La ktt- fpf
cau-c of the accident. " Fletcher Was informally eA
niucd by the Coroner but could give no reason Tor TIE
breaking OF the walking beam. lie had been wen sats
fled witn Tie working OF the boats machinery up to Tie
time OF the accident.