Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1898-06-17
PERHAPS DYNAMITE
was the Cause of the Boiler Explosion
at Wilmington.

at Wilmington.
An inquest was held at Wilmington Fri
day before the state board of railroad com
mssioners to determine, if possible, the
cause of the boiler explosion, which oc-
Cured on the Hoosac Tunnel a Whining
ton railroad, May 81, killing Engineer
Douglass and Fireman Faulkner.
States Attorney Robb of Bellows Falls
conducted the hearing. Judge + l..
Waterman Of Brattleboro appeared for the
railroad company and Lawyer Carpenter
of North Adams, Mass, for the friends Of
the engineer and fireman.
No testimony was introduced by the
railroad company or by the friends of the
engineer and fremen, but the state exam
ined six witnesses. The principal witness
was Mr. Allen of Hartford Conn, an ex.
pert inspector of steam boilers, employed
by the Hartford Steam Boiler Insurance
company.
Mr. Allen said that the explosion was
remarkable and that it was extremely diff
cult TO determine its cause, but, everything
considered, he thought it attributable to
certain stay bolts which had evidently be-
come cracked, but which remained so
firmly in their places that it would have
been impossible to ascertain as to whether
they were defective without taking the
boiler apart
The boiler was inspected about year
ago and was pronounced all right in this
respect. No defect was revealed in any Of
the bolts.
Mr.. Aliens opinion was that some Of
these bolts became defective and lost their
holding power recently, how recently he
was unable to determine, and were in such
location that none but an expert would
have been likely to have discovered the de-
feet. His belief that the bolts become de-
fective recently is substantated by the
fact that if they had given out great
while ago the boiler plates would have be-
come bulged, which defect would have
been discoverable on the inside.
Some have advanced the opinion that
the explosion was due to a scarcity of
water in The boiler, and others believe that
it was due to some outside agency such as
dynamite in the coal That it was not due
to lack of water, however, is shown by
the fact that at the time of the explosion
there was over three gauges of water in
the boiler, which is as much as it is Gus
tomary, or, in fact, safe to carry.
The terrific force of the explosion fur
nishes some ground for the belief that it
was due to dynamite. The accident hap
pened just after the engineer had shut off
steam as the engine was approaching the
water tank. So tremendous was the force
ton was thrown 90 or 20 feet to one side,
stiking against beech tree - feet from
the ground. The tree, which was two feet
in diameter, was uprooted and the piece of
boiler continued on for some distance The
body of the engineer, which was on this
piece, dropped at the tree.
Another portion as large as the first
struck more than 100 feet to the rear OF
the train. The tubular part went end over
end. striking the ground three times, and
landed over 200 feet in front of the train
on the bank Of the Deerfeld river The
heavy steel rails We're badly kinked and the
hlnge Of one was bent down into the
ground
While M. Allen does not believe the
explosion was due to dynamite. he ac-
knowledges that the facts as herein stated
indicate that dynamite nigh, have been the