Evening journal., 1901-09-05
FUSIBLE PLUG
NOT INJURED
New Theory Regarding EX.
DlOSiOR on the Trenton
MAY BE DEFECT IN BOILER
MaRV Persons Are Of The Opinion
That the Boiler Had Sufficient
Water in II

There are many people in this city who
scout the idea that the explosion on th,.
City OF Trenton was caused by water be-
ing run into the boiler after it was appar-
emily empty.
This theory is trcngthened by tn re-
port that the fusible plug in the wrecked
boiler was found to be intact aft, an
examination had been made OF it. The
plug referred TO is a device Of the govern
ment which is required to be placed in all
steamboat boilers to avoid just such acc.-
dents, which is alleged TO have caused the
wreck OF the Trenton. The plug is COM
posed of soft metal which melts AZ 4 GER
tain high temperature. Ii is located IN
the sheet which divides the fire box from
the boiler proper. In case the crown
sheet becomes overheated from lack of
proper quantity of water in the boiler. the
plug melts. allowing a perforation in the
sheet through which the water in ;hc
boiler pours onto the fire. If there is not
sufficient water to extnguish the fires
the small amount OF water that comes
through the perforation is sufficient To
create an outburst Of steam which warns
.he engineer or fireman i'm charge that the
water is exhausted and it is necessary to
pull the fires to avoid burning ont the
fines. Both boilers on tha City of Tren-
ton were equipped with these pings.
In a conversation on the subject this
morning with an Evening journal re-
| porter a Wilmington man who is
/ thoroughly conversant with the subject
said
Il do not believe the explosion on the
/ Trenton was caused by water being in
iected into the boiler. more especially
now that the report is circulated thar the
I fusihle plug had not been burned ont.
7 Had the water become so low that the
). crown sheet became red hot as is claim
ed. The plug would certainly have melted
. before an The water in the boiler was ex-
4 hausted and the fireman or engineer
would have been warned Of the danger.
7 Beyond this fact those men in charge OF
the boilers were competent men. The first
/ thing taught TO a fireman before he is al
! lowed TO handle a boiler is the use and
abuse Of the injector. He is thoroughly
I impressed with the fact never TO use the
/ injector when the water appears to be
dangerously low. Pull your fires is the
inevitable order and this is done, not to
prevent an explosion, but to save the
hues,
surely these men on the Trenton had
been taught this fact" said he, "or else
they would not be permitted to hold the
lives Of hundreds, besides their own in
their hands That Chief Engineer Muir
ply would order his engineer or fireman
to run water into a boiler when he knew
that the water was down 10 the danger
point is preposterous idea. He not only
has too much regard for the lives of
others, but is too well versed in engineer
] ing as to contemplate such a thing.
Neither would he permit men 20 bc
employed under his direction who did not
know how to properly use the inspirator.
| If. as ] say, the plug was found TO be in
the same condition as the one in the un-
injured boiler, believe that when the re-
suit Of the investigation is made public
it will be found that there was weak
spot some place that caused the explo-
i sion.