St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-03-18
MONTEREY DISABLED.
One of Uncle Sans Vessels Said
to Be Practically USE
less.
Boilers Ruined by Too Much
Steam Pressure in the
Trial Trip.

New YORK. March 17.-The Times
this morning says: ut has been known
for some time in well-posted naval cir
cles that the navy department officials
have been using every resource to Sc
crete from the public serious defects
which developed In the recent trial trip
of the new United States coast defense
battleship Monterey. Rigin orders is
sued to all officers present on the oc-
casion of trial forbldding them to dis
close or make spublic what they saw
have prevented the real facts of the case
being gotten at until this comparatively
late date. The Monterey is fitted with
gang of Ward tubulouS boilers. aud in
addition with two Scotch boilers. In
providing the Monterey with two Scotch
boilers it was proposed ordinarily to run
the ship under Scotch boilers alone.
The two boilers were considered suffi-
cient to generate steam for eight knots
per hour speed. With the gang of Ward
boilers, i'll addition to the Scotch boilers,
the maximum speed of sixteen knots
per hour could be obtained whenever
desired. In the placing of the Scotch and
Ward boilers aboard, the two pipes
were connected in one main battery, ALI
boilers having common main steam
pipe. The Ward type of boilers, it
should be known, are designed to stand
for short periods intense pressureS.
They designate full head OF steam on
a thirty-minute firing under cold water.
The Scotch boilers, on the other hand,
are built to develop large volumes of
steam, but are seldom called to main
fai OF of nXrk4r =
per square inch. On the occasion of the
trial Of the Monterey, the evident in
ability of the vessel to develop the re-
quired horse power caused the con-
tractors to push the firing of the Ward
boilers. So we'll was the firing con-
Quoted that before the tiremen were
aware of it the steam pressure had
jumped to $50 pounds to the square inch.
The effect of the intense steam pres
sureS on the Scotch boilers was at once
apparent. Crown sheets began to release,
the staples parted, and in another in
slant the boilers would probably have
gone with a crash, tearing the ship to
pieces, but for the Immediate shutting
off of all the steam connections with the
Ward boiler. At the same time the
fires III the furnaces OF the Scotch boil
ers were hauled, the safety valve raised,
and thus calamity averted. Then an
examination disclosed the fact that the
magnificent Scotch boilers were literally
ruined To fire up the Scotch boilers
again at other pressures under 100
pounds meant the certain destruction of
the Scotch gang. 70 replace the two
Scotch boilers meant an expense of
more than $4,000. The contractors de-
cided to pocket the loss aud let the dis
abled boilers stand. In this condition
the Monterey exists today. The Mont
Grey, unless provided with couple of
new Scotch boilers, is practically unfit
for sea, and just what will be done in
her case no one at the navy department
appears to know"
SAN FRANCISCO, March 17.-Henry
Il. Scott, manager of the Union Iron
works, was seen today by reporter in
reference to the statement published in
the New York Times this morning to
the effect that the coast defense vessel
Monterey, now at Mare island navy
yard, had strained her boilers during
her trial trip, and is therefore unfit
Tor service in her present condition.
Mr.. Scott refuted the statement emDhat-
ically, and characterized it as absurd.
He said that if the stay bolts OF the boil
ers had parted, as the Times asserts,
the>whole ship would have gone. The
same amount of steam as was used on
the tria! trip, Mr.. Scott said. had been
used since and the boilers had not been
affected.