The Portland daily press., 1886-10-25
OXFORD counrY ). ). COURT.
BEFORE JUDGE HASKELL.

~, PARIS, Oct, 49,
company which has been on trial here in the Su
pfeme Court since last Tuesday morning was
concluded today resulting in verdict for the de
The plaintiff in this case resides at Locke,s
Mills, Greenwood, and is engaged in the manufac.
varI9 ,uIe 9I spoos, doweis turned wood boxes and
az Bryants Pond. The mill and the land unon
wnich y Is located are owned by the town Of
Moodstork, and the fixtures consisting, in March
1854. of boiler of about 75 horse power
an engine, pump and connections, roughers
anu ;lli tne machinery betting, etc, used in con-
tne plaintiff. In February, 1854, the operation Of
lhe mn was interrupted by the breaking of a
head az te ey oe dse1sely q crack IN the domt
laud Company at Portland. description of the
crack IN the dome head, and asked their advice as
detective one The result was that a heavier one
was sent 10 the mill by the defendant company
for the rfveting by the plaintiff Three men were
Then sent from the Portland Company works to
bryants sy.s Pond 70 complete The job. The workmen
arrived az bryanps Pond on the evening of March
4btll, and began work ON the morning OF the 6th
ana completed the riveting and the principal calk
ing OF the seam on the afternoon of that day. Tn.
p0ller was nlled with water ready for work the
following morning, and a low fire started under
neath Tor the purpose of warming the water l.,
1t was claimed by the plaintiff that on the morn
ing oi the 9TH steam was ordered put an by AleA
ander, the foreman of the Portland crew that III,
steanl was put on and the pressure rose. and a,
The slight leaks appeared the men proceeded L
calk them, and that as the pressure grew stronger
uic IAN was put upon the safety valve by th
fOltland men al q point indicating a pressure q
liO pounds and that the steam rose TO tina
point tnat the calking was continued as the smal
leaks appeared. until about a. M when III,
work was about completed. just then the boilel
exp vdeu with terrific force, throwing one of it,
ends distance OF 425 feet In on. direction chi
ing on IN lis course trees eight inches in DIANE
Ter, throwing the other end In an apposite direc
ioli Throwing POI tions OF the boiler sheet int.
l<.fla
bent and twist in every direction Two Of M.
rortland crew, section foreman Of the Gran,
trunk railway who WAS present at the time ana
the engineer at the mill We're instantly killed Th.
body OF one OF the Portland men was found al !
aistance q oi SINE three or four hundred feet where
" " n "a 1een thrown 10y the force Of the explosion
the body OF another was found beside The roat
some ntteen feet distant, and the bodies of fht
theenalhlng two among the debris The boiler W
powh lnlo atoms, the enrine, standing short dis
lance away was partially destroyed, the boile
house utterly wrecktd the dry house broken IN
upon one slue, tile whole mil thrown several
lDches from Its foundation. the machinery more on
iess injured, and large amount Of stock manu-
laclureg ana manufactured, destroyed or dane
ageG. Ihe plaintiff also introduced the TESTIMONY
of experts from Portland and Boston relative Il
tne method OF riveting and calking under pressur,
an. ana determining the tightness Of work of this
The defendant introduced in evidence the cor
tssspoh1enee .ss 20 between the company and the plain
Tin 10 show the work they claimed to have cor
tracted 70 do, and claimed that they were simpl,
required to furnish the dome head and send mel,
tRee "a ehc odiut. 70 cdllk ana seam and make
the work tight The defendant also claimed tha
tne men who were sent TO do the work were H.
strueted simply TO do this and that the, did not i'm
any manner assume control over filling the boiler,
WIN water, the getting up OF steam the fixing OF
the pressure for testing the work, or that the,
nau anything whatever to do with the regulatini
OF tne safety valve. and claimed that the work
hau been completed few minutes before the ex
ploson occurred, and that the explosion wa
wnolly que 10 structural defects in the boiler tn,
DEFENDANT also introduced the testimony of mel
engaged IN Maine and Massachusetts in the man
uiactnrlng and repairing Of boilers as TO The
uckhess and quality Of the iron and steIl used IL
lhelr construction and the practice of boilei
makers as 10 making repairs and calking thei
Mvik y, unuer steam pressure. and denied that IN.
calkilg lone upon the aome head IN any way con
tllputed To the cause of the explosion and iferr.
evidence TO show that the plates of The boiler had
peeil sneared so close TO the edge of the riyets
tnaI lney were insufflciently secured; that IN.
plates mad suffered from corrosion by reason ot
tne use oi poor water; that the b, Her was made
M oI IRON TOO hight for the service required of II:
that the hole IN the shell was n AIDE too large
theTepy reducing the strength .. lie boiler and
thaI tne Dracing was insufficient M d detective
~ Inc case was very closely contested Messrs
homes Payson, A. L. Herric9 I'd Hon j. p
SWaSey appeared TOR the plaintiff. and Messrs
Symonds q Libby and Bisbee & Hrisey anpeared
$4,000. ~ i"i was