The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-07-10
AN UNUSUAL CASE.
Report of the U. S. Government In
spectors on the Mariposa
Accident.
The Chief Engineer and His Assistants
EXOnerated.

Government Inspectors Hillrnan and
Freeman filed with Supervising II Pestor
Bemis, the following report of thEsf in
vestigation of the fatal accident last Feb
ruary aboard the steamer Mariposa:
We have to report that at about 10 rs
O'Clock a. m, February 14th last, while
the Oceanic COmpany's steamer Mari
posa was stopped outside the port of
Honolulu to discharge pilot, the forward
tube-sheet of middle combustion cham
Der in the after-pOrt boiler buckled to
such an extent that eighteen tubes were
| drawn out from the tube-sheet, causing
an escape of steam and hot water, where
| by three men were fatally hurt-two of
! them being found dead in the forenoon
| shortly after the accident. Proper care
was taken of the wounded, two being
sent ashore at Honolulu, where one after
ward died of his injuries. The names OF
| the deceased are Richard Carroll, John
Whitmarsh and Thomas Hansen.
The steamer Mariposa was built and
| inspected first at Philadelphia in 1888,
and was inspected by this Board May
| 81, 1885, when her boilers, two of which
are of the double-ender kind and two
single, were tested according to law and
inspected after the test and found in
good condition.
Upon investigation OF this casualty, we
find from testimony as follows: The
steamer Mariposa, in command OF Cap
tain H. NJ. Hayward, and Harry Wilson
in charge of the boiler and engine de-
partment, left San Francisco December
Goth last for Sydney, Australia, and
nothing unusual occurred on the voyage
to that port, the boilers and engines
working in every way satisfactorily.
While lying at Sydney some leaky tubes,
not unusual after long voyages, were
reset. On January %, 1886, the Mari
posa proceeded on her return voyage to
San Francisco, via Honolulu, and the
boilers and engines worked satisfactorily
till the second day prior to arrival at
Honolulu, when the Chief Engineer re-
ported to the Master that fires would
have to be hauled in the after-pOrt boiler
in order to expand some leaky tubes.
This was done accordingly-the new
stayrods being put in the tube sheet
through the tubes in that furnace; the
leaky tubes expanded, the boiler was
thoroughly examined by the Chief En-
gineer and all necessary work done that
in his judgment was required. Steam
was then got on and the voyage resumed
to Honolulu. While laying at the latter
port some tubes, which showed signs of
leaking in the forward boiler, were ex-
banded; and at that time and up to the
moment the tube-sheet of the after-port
boiler buckled, thirty or forty-fve min
utes after leaving Honolulu, all the
boilers of the Mariposa were apparently
staunch and in good working condition.
After this accident the use of the after
port boiler was discontinued for the re-
mainder of the voyage to San Francisco.
Upon examination of the after-port
boiler after arrival of the steamer at this
J port, we found eighteen tubes liberated
from the tube-sheet and a number more
) in loose condition in the tube-sheet
We found the tubes were set in the
sheets in the usual way by the roller ex-
pander, which has been used for long
time and is still in use by boiler manu-
facturers. We also found that the tube
sheets were sound, and the tubes like.
wise without defect, and no evidence Of
deterioration of material in tubes Oh
tube-sheets.
After making the above examination
and taking into consideration the evi
ence given by the Chief Engineer, his
assistants and those in the fre-room who
have testified in this case, we have
to conclude that the accident in the
: after-port boiler was caused by the con
tinued expansion and contraction of the
furnace-fue and fiue-sheet and tubes
The constant expansion and contraction
of the heavy fues had a tendency to lib
crate and draw these tubes from the
tube-sheets-the combination chamber
= not being separate and having two fur
naces lying lengthwise in same chamber
, Furthermore, there is no evidence given
in the case to show there was any weak
ness in this boiler prior to the accident
] after the tubes were expanded the sec
ond day before arrival at Honolulu
, This case is an unusual one, it beins
the first in our experience of tubes being
liberated by contraction and expansion
sufficiently to cause them to be drawn
out from the tube-sheet, which in this
a case was one-half inch thick, and the
e tubes being of the usual thickness.
= Before the Mariposa again proceeded
on her regular route, the comb
T nation chambers were divided by
. a brick wall in the middle connec
e tions. the same not allowing cold al
e from the opposite furnace to strike the
tube-sheet, when the furnace doors art
open, and the tubes, besides beini
rolled, were also beaded over at thei
q, ends.
:. Under the foregoing testimony ant
facts in this case we cannot attach an,
/ blame to the Chief Engineer or his assist
ants in connection with the accident t.