New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-07-27
A BOILERS JOURNEY THE AIR.

SINGULAR ACCIDENT IN BROOKLYN
LANDING ONE HUNDRED FEET FROM WHERE IT
STOOD, AFTER RISING EIGHTY FEET-A FIRE
AMONG ,THE RESULTS.
Many persons crossing Fulton Ferry at a few
minutes before . p. m yesterday heard a muffed
explosion, and were then astOnlshed TO
boiler leap IN the air and turn huge somersault
over the end of the pier at Watsons stores,
brooklyn The, pier Is situated about
a quarter Of a mile south of the ferry house. On
the south side of the pier was lying. yesterday
afternoon, the steamer Surrey OF the Royal Neither
lands Line, taking on cargl for Amsterdam.
hOstlng-scOw lay by her engaged I'D Transferring
coal from a boat alongside II the boiler in
the holster which burst. 1t was apparently
eXasperated with the hot weather and made
strike for higher wages without giving any warn
Ing. The boiler described a curve about eghtv feet
high and moved about leo feet nOrtherly, alight.cg
on the forward part of the deck OF the schooner
Marcus l.. Ward, OF Newark, which lay at the end
OF the pier. Eight men were at work the
schooner handling imported steel blooms, which
were to be shipped to the Newark Steel
Works The escape of the was a narrow
one, the boiler would have killed
several of them bad II struck a little nearer the
MI die Of the craft, As 1t was. the owner Michael
Brennan of Newark. was the only person seriously
hurt by the explosion. tie was standing on the
pier and was struck by piece of hyDg timber.
which cut the back of his head, making a wound
three inches long. lie went home. after beng at
tended to by physician. A 'iOngshOreman on the
steamer pier W slightly scratched Every one
in the vicinity maryeiled that there were not
several pope killed The boiler As IL fell carried
away both tOpmasts of the schooner and cut her
rigging and deck. causing damage of about $500.
The damage done indirectly bv the ex lOslOn was
extensive. The barge Angelina Anderson was
lying the dock alongside the steamer,
with LOCO bales Of cotton, which was to
he exported. Part this cotton had
seen tire before IN Nhiehail-,t. Ii was owned by
tatman X Co be explosion sent a mass ca flying
coa.s anu burning timber over the cargo OF cotton.
inside the mass, whore some OF the Goals fell
through between the bales. TIE latter are what
are known a. compressed bales, Nhlcn by their COM
paciness Oh Dctier resistance 10 the names
tnan the lOoser packages. A number OF
tugs gathered about tie pier out none Tor time
would pIli the burning cargo ont Oh the dock. 1t
was said tia The pilCts nesitacd because not sure
that fheY would be pald tor The service. Mean
While III alarm had beeI sent Out. anu several Ell
.ln and force of ilremeu and police arrived soon
aiierward. Na-er was soon beng Dla' I'd ON the
Durning cotton, sat the lire was hard To TeJcn
anu 10 ~ Thought ,hat the Whole cargo would
have to lie plea q over. The expense of picking
AID TIE damage, II MAS estimated, would amount
10 One-ha1 the vsue she cotton or about $4,000
Inc INSURANCE could not De learned, out a. II Is
usual L. have an open policy on cotton III the Lar
bor the cargo was supposed 10 be covered. The fire
men fought TIE flames until after cark. The cotton
barge was uan gcd somewhat BY fire. tine engine
house and uerurk being burned Inc coal boat
and steamer were uuInJUr-d. fragment of the
boiler tell Oh lighter near the head OF the dock,
but did no harn.
sieyedOre, and was valued al $500 IL was a
total wreck HE top of the engine-GOuse was
blown OF. ana the nun was shattered ana SUNK
/ he boiler upright tubular one. Of about
twenty-five horse power. Tue owner said II had
been supplied with new tubes about SIX
months ago but hai not been regularly tested
bv the inspectors within two years. lie said he
c0ui I'd nor accouut for the explosion. COnuel the
engineer went home directly after the accident.
He ~ SAID 10 have lett the engine for few minutes
and gone aboard the steamer, where be was when
the accident happened. lie not hurt. Two
men who were on the coal boat were
not hurt, but very much right
ened They said the boiler went up
witt n rush. and was red hot as II flew through the
air. A FRI nUNE reporter examined the boiler as 10
Law on the schooner. The Inning of the furnace, or
inner shell of the boiler at end. had been blown
INTO the furnace half way round, the heads OF
number of potts having been blown of. This
lining ~ one part over a quart OF an inch
thick and appeared 20 Je OF gOOd material. On the
rear side OF the furnace II stood ND the lining
was very thin, and appeared 10 be OF poor quality,
a IL il had been burned away. The expansion Of
the water after bursting INTO the furnace acted u he
the firing of rocket, ana sent the boiler up ID the