New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-11-11
THE EXPLOSION OF The TUGBoAE
WHAT IS KNOWN OF HER CONDITION.
ryG1SrER KELLEY STILL LIvINC--So OFFICIAL re-
PORT YET MADE.

pxcINrER KELLEY STILL LIvINC--So OFFICIAL FE-
PORT YET MADE.
Tho bull of the James VI. Thompson, the tngboat
whose boiler exploded Friday, lies at the bottom
of Hell Gate Channel off Niggers Point In aD9ut
one hundred feet Of water. 1t is not the Intention
~ the owner George William Stump, to attempt
to raise her, and probably she VIII be allowed 70
rot there nnlcss in the of the official nYest
cation il should be judged necessary TO raise heT IN
Tder to ascertain the of the explosion go lar
as that could be done by an examination OF the
Mr. Stump bought the boat on June 10 from the
Greenpoint TOwage and Lighterage COMPANY
While i'm their possession fire broke ont on inc
boat some time in April last she was lying al the
foot of Java-st., GreenpOnt, and completely con-
snmed the upper works. She was IN tins CIIpple9
condition when Mr. Stump bought her' lie sal4
Yesterday that for two months after his purchase oil
her she was undergoing repairs. The boat aud re-
pairs cost him between $4,000 and SI,0OO ne
Substituted copper pipe connections TO the uoiIer
for tbe old pipes, and every pipe IN Ihe
boat was of copper except the boiler tubes. Inc
boat after being retted was licensed to carry sey
eny passengers, and the inspector who gran'e9 te
license. Mr. Stump said, pronounced her one OF inc
best boats in the service.
THE hoiler was repaired by W. a. \. Fletcher d
Co of No 2G6 West-st. in the early part OF August
: & stephens the foreman of the boiler shop, SAID
that he had examined the boiler when the nIln I'M
derfook it's repair, and aside from the weak places
which under his direction were strengthened, h1
considered the boiler to be in fairly goOd
condition, fully capable of standing pressure
of seventy pounds TO the square lhGh'
He had three new tubes put in and he placed
I" hard patch on the boiler where the check valve
is situated the iron having cOrrOded away Mt that
point. He had soft patch inserted under the
boiler saddle, another large one on the horizontal
seam of the she'll a third over the cylindrical
seam of the shell, and fourth under the blow
cock After these repairs he regarded the boiler as
good for six months without further tinkernR; ne
explained that soft patch is put on with bolts
and putty and a hard patch with hot riyets.
The hull and boiler OF the James NJ. thompson
were built il 1867. From 1871 to 1878 she was
owned by the Standard Oil Company she was
then sold TO the GreeDpoint Towage and LlghteTags
Company for 81 800. Al. Pouch, of the Standard
Oil Company, who made the sale said thdt me poaI
at the time cost to keep in repairs than sii5
brought i'll and the company were glad 10 get nd
of her. a.,
One of the schOOners that was damaged bv the
eXplosion-the Lucy WentwOTth-is undergoing
repairs at City Island 1t is estimated thdt
il will cost 81 900 10 put ber in good order
Charles Kelley the engineer Of the ing sun !leS
in a critical condition at the Homeopathic Hospital
on Wards Island. Unless ne RECEIVERS there Is ttle
chance of obtaining any light on the cause oil me
explosion. He has been a steamboat man LOT inc
last twenty years, and had an excellent reputation
for competency, industry and sobTlety .,
George W Stump, the owner of the rug, Nislteu
the Office Of the Steamboat Inspectors yericTdAy'
lie made no official report of the accident as II was
Thought best To await the result of the engineer
injuries