Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-18
The Cause of the Accident 10 the
City of Paris Still UneI-
planned by the Experts.
SHE WASSTRONG AND SEAWORTHY,
In the Opinion of Engineers and Inspectors
Who Examined the Ship
Carefully.
NARY ANDERSON QUIETLY wEDDEDD
Lord Sack1illes Daughter Marries Cousin and Heir
TO Big Estates
TRY pUSLAP,s CABLE COMPANY. l

LIVERPOOL, June 1.-THE Board of In
uuiry into the accident to the City of Paris,
met again at II o'clock this morning. The
first witness was james Thomson, the
builder of the vessel. who gave full details
OF the construction OF its several parts. He
said that the City of Paris was built to
meet the requirements of an armed cruiser.
She had IA transverse bulkheads each ex-
tending to the upper deck.
The cast steel used was tested in the
presence of the officers OF the Board of
Trade and the Lloyds. The tests averaged
80 tons to the square inch. This is the first
time that steel has been so largely used in
the engines of a merchant vessel, though
very common in the navy. The City OF
Paris was constructed SO as to be available
as swift cruiser for government use in case
of war, but safety was not sacrificed to
speed. Many things were done to make the
ship safer than ordinary vessels.
GREAT ATTENTION TO SAFETY.
Her bulkheads were stronger and more
numerous than required by Lloyd's. Her
double bottom was very strongly constructed
with web frames throughout to strengthen
the sides. The bulkhead at the forward end
of the engine room stood without any sign
of straining, allowing no water to pass, but
even if it had given way the next bulkhead
forward was still stronger and the ship would
only have got 600 tons more water in her and
would have still had free board enough.
James Mollison, Lloyd's engineer and sur
veyor at Glasgow, described the tests the
engines had been subjected to, and said that
hnu had fia1 hot fho
cellent
Mr.. Mollison considered that the accident
was caused through the lignum v;tn being
worn out of the bushing, but he could form
no opinion how that occurred. He thought
the wearing down of the bushing preceded
the breaking OF the shaft, and that preceded
the breaking of the engine. The liner on
the tail of the shaft was originally IL inch
thick; the broken pieces of it that remain
are OF various thicknesses and greatly worn.
To fracture this lining would destroy the
lgnum vitae, and then the two metals COM
ing together, would destroy each other and
the strain coming on the shaft would be
enormous and Of character to break it.
CAREFUL TESTS MADE.
Mr.. Courtier Dutton, Lloyds' registrar
for Huu. said that he had inspected the
vessel during construction, and had made
gether with the work, was of the first Quail
ity, and everything had been done to in
sure safety, with no attempt to sacrifice
that quality to speed. James Stewart, sur
veyor to the Board of Trade at Glasgow, be-
ing called as a witness, verified Mr.. Dut-
toms evidence and added that he knew of no
governor that would stop or control engines
when freed under conditions and that he
was thoroughly satisfied of the strength OF
the vessel.
Mr.. William Heron. principal engineer
al Laird Brothers, gave similar evidence,
ana Mr.. Thomson, surveyor to the Board of
Trade at Liverpool, spoke in the same
strain, saying that he was satifed that the
City OF Paris was thoroughly seaworthy.
Mr.. James Ramsay, surveyor to the Board
OF Trade, John Wells, chief engineer, and
John Gill, third engineer, all praised the
ship and the engines. The inquiry was
then adjourned till tomorrow.