The Portland daily press., 1899-04-11

I
crown sheet and the upper part Of the sid.
sheet rs though some proportions had
been heated above the temperature OF TIT
steam. This might have taken place b
fore TIE explosion or 10 might have been
the result Of some previous heating. A
thorough and complete examination can
not be made without taking the fire box
out.
(Signed)
u JOHN W. EsTLE.
FRANK K HITCHINGS.
, Mr.. Estle was then examined at great
length by the railroad com missioners re-
garding the condition of the boiler Of the
Presumpscot. The examination was
mainly a technical one. and was for the
purpose of more fully explaining some OF
the things mentioned in the report.
Nothing of great interest developed from
the examination until near the close OF
the questioning. Then Mr.. Estle said
that the Presupmsoot was at the Portland
company Is about year ago being repaired.
She was given 100 new stay bolts in place
OF those broken or unfit for use at that
| time.
Mr.. Chadbourne asked II 1t was an I'm
common thing for new boiler to have
broken stay bolts.
Mr.. Estle said that it was q common
thing for locomotives to have leaky stay
bolts, but new boilers were not supposed
to have them and would not have them
II good material were used in their con-
struction. He then went on to explain
more fully and at greater length the exact
effect which the expansion and contrac-
ton caused by alternating firing and
cooling boiler has on the stay bolts.
He said that yesterday morning he had
sent two men over to the round house Of
the Portland company and that they had
discovered four or five broken stay bolts
In the boiler of locomotive there. He
said that these were the only broken bolts
which could be found, but Mr.. Estle said
that he was not satisfied with this report.
for II there were four or five bolts found
to be broken 1t was more than likely that
many moro were broken.
The county attorney asked II there was
any other way to tell whether bolt was
broken than by sounding.
Mr.. Estle said that was the only way
bolts were tested at the Portland COM
pany though he had read in recent
number Of an engineering paper that
bolts were sometimes tested by pumping
air into boiler and then testing them by
sounding when breakage could be easily
detected.
MIR. HITCHING'S EVIDENCE.
Mr.. Frank K. Hitchings who Is a
boiler repairer of many years experience.
and who was one of the experts who ex-
amined the Presumpscot, said that he
agreed with Mr.. Estls In all that he had
said excepting that he had. found two less
broken bolts than Mr.. Estle.
| "How long previous to this accident
were these bolts broken,
MIR. Hitohings-'It might have been
two or there days or q month"
| Mr.. Peaks-"Is there anything unusua
In finding a leaking stay bolt"
Mr.. H:tchings-'No."
| do you consider a boiler with leaky
stay bolt in a dangerous condition."
MIR. Hitchipgs-''It might not be
dangerous with one broken bolt, but l
should think there were more il l found
one bolt broken"
III you We're maohinist and had
charge of the men under you In a round
house and discovered a leaky stay bolt in
an engine boiler, would you approve of
running that locomotive one hundred
miles without repairss"
| Mr.. Hitchings-"Not I'm less l was
obliged to. / wouldn't consider 1t pru-
dent. should take her in and repair
her,
Mr. Chad Seeing leaky stay
bolt wouln't alarm you much, would itr'
| Mr.. Hitchings-"No."
| MIR. Peaks turned to Mr.. Estle and
asked-''n you saw leaky stay 4 bolt
would you be alarmedf"
| Mr.. Este said no because the bolt might
not be broken. If an engineer is backing
his engine and had little more steam than
he wants and opens the door of his fire
box TO let In the cold air he is very likely
to cause the stay bolts 10 Leak"
| County Attorney Libby-"What is the
pressure each bolt is supposed to support
and how much surface WAS unsupported
in consequence of the various broken
bolts?"
| Mr.. Hitchiugs said a seven-eighths stay
bolt would stand 9S12 pounds of pressure
with safety. Tie seventy three stay bolts
were entirely gone and us many more
probably broken. Mr.. Hitchings then
took a pencil and piece of paper and
after figuring a moment said that with
these bolts gone the remaining bolts in
the boiler were put under a strain of 1873,
$50 pounds each with a head of steam at
l4O pounds. He then added: There was
considerable trouble going on there
| Mr.. Hitchings said he believed some of
the broken DO IS he saw had been broken
three or four years or more and some Il
| the others were about ready to let CO."
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