The Wilmington daily Republican., 1901-09-28
CITY OF TRENTON
INQUEST.

That the safety plugs furnished by the
Government for the boilors on the Inflated
steamer City Of Trenton we're worthless
was proved by experts yes erdHy in ih3
Corousrs Court. ThesJ plugs made Of
Banea tin, ard guaran .eea to in,lt and 70.
lievs steam pressure at ABB degrees. Til,
plugs furnished for tho Ciiy Of Trenton y
boilers resisted $50 agrees OF heAt for a
long time, and only melted at 635 The
test. were lnals nG the Baldwin Lono =
motive Works. and demonstrate that this
particular lot Of plugs WAS wholly o.th
less, 1t hus yet to he shown, however
that the fusble plugs hal aught to do
with the expl osion that cost 2! iivus.
The Jury Of experts made II written re-
cord OF the plug tsst Anl the F9le,al au
thorities will b. called upln to consider
the fnct. brought "ut by the testimony of
the men who tested the plugs.
IL must be understood, however. that
these plugs ure introduced entirely Us II
measure of last resort, and that ihey are
of doubtful value ut any time 1t has
been 10 titled that tho pressurs of steam On
the City OF Trent on ut the time OF the eX
plosion was only I'D degrees; that the
safety valve was set ut l75 degrees, and
that the boilers were Iuaranlesd und
registered to stun II pressure far in sx
Co.'s OF this ,Dnximum Tho exact signi-
ticancc OF tho plug tUsti VIII probably ap
pear later IN th1 inquest
Immediately after assembling yes erdny
Foreman VAuclain, of the Jury, asked
Coroner Du2un to recall Christian Nsrts,
the GOvB!nluOnt steam bUAt boiter lnap3
tor, Mr.. Vcits was examineu us TO his in
sptction Of thr boilers OF ea!nhoat4 in
general and pnrtic llurly as to his work
on tho boilors in the City OF Trenton.
He admitted he did not personality in
spsct tho boilers oil the steainer but as
sorted that his AS istAnt hal. He admitted
that certificates Of Inspection gwen Tor the
inspsrti"n given Tor the boiler, OF tho City
OF Trenton was signed by him. Each cf
the jurors questioned Mr.. Ner.s rs to the
fGsibe plug
"You IRE slppo ed to know what me nj
they are made OF, and what pressure they
will fnse. Is not that sol" asked Fore
man Vaucldtn.
lbe wi moss Doldod accent. "How could
you know without having mnie some
tests? Did~you ever tes any OF thu plugsE'
Mr.. w, Is rupliel hat 1t never occugrud
60 hun that tests werO n.ces' ,ary as tho
plugs were supp0, to melt ut 433 de-
gree1.
oil boIloss3
We only gs; one kind.
Was the fuslble plug placed on the hot
test part of the crown sheet Of the CiJy OF
Treuton' boiler?
think 1t was.
do you know " Was?
would not swear positively 1t was for
an noa familiar with tho construction
OF the particular type OF boiler that was
in tho Trenton
Are Y III familiar with the fusing of
HI tails: Do You know the degrees at
when lead. antimony and othor metals
will fuse?
No<sir, cam + say that l do.
would imagine hat II Govern in.
spcctnr ought to know these things, was
the com inent of Mr.. Vauclain.
Assistant Boiler Inspector Howard was
'hen recalled. Foreman Vauclaiu ques.
tlonsl him asfoll OwS:
You hehtd tho statements made under
oath by he engineer anil oilsr of tho City
Of Trcn1on that two minutes before the
explosion there was eight and OEe half
inches of water over the crown sheet.
Yes.
From what you saw IN your examina-
tlon OF the boiler after this occurrence do
you believe their stutVment,2
l. cannot believs their statements as
against my opinion to the contrary.
Elisha Webb. member of the firm that
manufactures tho iusible plugs for tho
GOiurnment, was then recalled.
DO YOU know at what point Of pressure
this plug would iuss9 asksn Foreman
Vauclnin.
At t436 degrees.
How d. you know that?
Because know the lot it cume from.
Is there any mark OH II by which You
know IL?
Well the inspectors told me II was from
q certain lot furnished hem. and tested
the metal from which that lot was made.
You are positive 1t would fuse at the
degree you indicate?
Positive.
AT this point the report Of the test of
the ping was rend showing that it failed
to fuse antil Cos degrees were reached.
Tho jury retired, and 1t was announced |
that u verdict would not bo rendered un.
Ill today.