The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-09-05
CAUSE OF The EXPLOSION
Experts Agree as 10 What Led TO
the Trenton Disaster.

4 Rigid Investigation Being Made
by United states Inspectors in Or
der 20 Ascertain and Fix the he
sPOnsibHity for the Accident
PHILADELPHIA. Sept. after an all
day examination Of jha wrecked boiler OF
the Inflated City Of Trenton. the United
States inspectors of steamboat boilers
were last ui-ht unanimous ia their opinion
as 20 what caused the disastrous eNp.os-
ion The conclusions reached Will not
however. Dee made public at this time. bat
the inspectors viii Immediately begin
sworn enquiry M which witnesses VIII De
examined with "a view To a-esrtailiug who
was responsible for the explosion which
resulted In the loss Of at least tw,uty-siN
lives
r s Rode. Chief Inspector Of Steam
boat Boilers for The Second district,
whose headquarters are i'm New York.
personally examined the exploded boiler.
which at an early hour yesterday morn
ing was towod from TorresdaIe 10 NcaGe
& Levy's shipyard. assisted by local
United States Inspector Christian Vert,
and Assistant Inspector W 5. Howard.
Mr. Rode made an exhaustive invgstiEa-
ton. He examined every tube i'm the boil
er. took the measurements Of the big iron
plates. counted the bolts and braces and
noted those missing and finally made
re-eNaminatiou Of the hull of the wreck
ed City Of Trenton
After he had completed his work last
night and compared notes with those
who assisted him. Chief Inspector Rode
said
'On the first day I came here TO inves-
tigate this matter Z formed an opinion as
to the cause of the explosion. and now
that my examination Of the boiler and
the hull is practically completed l may
say that my first conclusion is borne out
- what 1 have seen. W. are all three OF
one mind rs TO the cause. What remains
TO 0e done now is to ascertain who did
certain things which affected the boiler
Just previous 10 the explosion.
'The explosion was not caused by any
foreign substance in the coal or from
any force without The crown sheet Of
the furnace was blown out, tearing away
with il over 500 bolts and braces The
tube sheet. which was riveted TO the
crown sheet of the furnace was also torn
out and shattered. The crown sheet was
half-iDch in thickness. which is the thick
ness required by law. and 4I-2 by yI-6
feet 1t was torn loose II the back of the
furnace.
at we hope viii be forthcoming AT the
enquiry. which viii be made AT our Offices
in the postofice building within a few
days While one witness is being exam
ineC the other witnesses will be excIud-
ed"
From what Chief Inspector Rode said.
as well as from what was gathered from
other officials, it is generally believed that
the explosion was caused by injecting cold
water suddenly into the body Of the boil
CT at a time when the water inside was
very low, and when the crown sheet Of
the furnace was red hot IN such an
event steam would generate so rapidly
that bolts and bars and iron plates would
De as straw and paper Who injected the
cold water into the red-hot boiler. or who
gave the order which caused it TO be
done is what the inspectors are now en-
deavoring to ascertain
Hundreds Of people sought entrance to
Neafie a. Levy's shIpyard yesterday 90 see
the boiler and watch the examination. but
all except Government employees. CorO-
ner DUgan. detail Of policemen. and
employees of the yard were rigidly exclud-
The big boiler lay on its side on the
pier II is nearly thiTty-fve feet long and
WEIGHS fourteen tons. The body OF mar
row, barrel-like portion is intact with the
exception Of a Small rent in the far end Of
il. The crown sheet over the furnace is
cuTled out just as If II were pasteboard or
the corner Of a sardiue can after the
opener has done it's work Before the tN-
animation was made by the United States
inspectors. Chief J. ". Lukens. OF the Blu
Teau Of Boiler Inspection, and Coroner
Dugdn Visited the scene Chief Iukeus
made an examination Of the boiler and
afterWarl went over il again with the
Government Inspectors. Photographs Of
the boiler and the place where il was
torn from the hull were made for the
Federal 2utnOrlt-s-
Among those present during the exam
inatiOn Of the boiler were General Mana
ger Horace Wilson. Of the Wilmington
Steamboat Company. and General Agent
Edwards Nr. Wilson said after the eN-
animation Il have not been informed Of
the result Of the examination. Within
the next forty-eight hours the company
may have statement for the public.
Just now We have nothing to say
II was thought that when the boiler
was moved from its resting place IN the
muddy bottom Of the Hen and Chickens.
several more bodies might be found.
and at day break yesterday morning the
crews Ci the WreCking scOws. and the
Visitor and Arctic searched the waters.
but none could be found
Coroner DUgau announced last night
that the inquest on the victims Of the eN-
plosiOn would begin about the middle OF
next week.