The evening Republican., 1902-09-23
Officers Of the Mills Give Testimony
About Machinery.
D1GEsTERS WE'RE MODEL ONES.
Cause of the Explosion Which Killed
Seventeen Men Unknown to the
.Coroner's Jury and a Verdict
to That Effect Rendered,

John White, of Lancaster avenue
and dupont street, another work
man who was injured in the ex-
plosion, and who had been en-
ployel in the mills for the past
twenty-one years said all he knew
was that he got brick in the jaw.
He was about thirty yards away at
the time. He said he had never
noticed the>gauges on the digesters
in recent years.
Laander l.. Saunders, assistant
superintendent, who lives at tho
Clayton House, said he could assign
no cause for tho explosion. His first
duty daily was to make u personal
examination of every thing in the
mill Hs passed through the di-
gesJer room about two minutes be-
fore the explosion, and everything
was working smoothly. Joseph
Henry was in charge Of the di-
gester that exploded, but was a
short distance away. There was no
fire under the digester at the time.
No explosives were included in the
ingredients within the digester that
day, and Mr.. Saunders said the
steam gauge registered 124 pounds
four pounds more than is usually
carried. The digesters were built
for 1870 pounds pressure, but 13O is
is the highest ever carried. Since
the coal strike bituninous coal, in
stead of anthracite, was used, necssi-
tating the employment Of extra men
but Mr.. Saunders said all were COM
petent tiremen.
John J. Flanagan, of No. 1888
Jackson, a foreman at the mills, said
he left work at o'clock in the morn
ing, and everything was all right He
said digester No. appeared TO give
less trJuble than any in the room, but
it was never cleared on his shift. but
on MIR. Saunders Shift. The orders
were to carry l20 pound steam pres
sure.
Harry Chadwick said he saw notll-
ing wrong in the mills the day Of the
explosion.
Wm. Poole of near New Castle, a
fireman at the pulp mills, said he
fired No. digester the night before
and it was all right. At different
timcs, he said, there had been slight
trouble with the digesters, but tkhey
were always repaired promptly. Wv
Frank II. Stewart. employed In
the wash room, said lie knew moth.
ing except that the explosion occurr-
cd.
Joseph Hover, of 3l2 Fifth avenue
said he had cleaned disester No.,
and the safety. valve On the last Sat
urday in June. and they were in the
best condition.
Walter 5. Girven, ot:No. Oil West
Fourth street, knew nothing except
there was an explosion. He helped
to clean the diyester in June, aud it
was all right.
David NJ Ranck, of No. 1907 West
Eighth street. assisted TO clean tile
d'gesler, and found 1t in good condi-
tion.
Superintendent Sam lers, on being
recalled, said tho digesters are built
Of seam less steel, II feet long, 3 feet,
10 inches in diameter, one half an
inch in thickness, with head five
eights thick. The diyesters were II
years old, and in all his experience ne
never heard Of digester explol.
ing.
Baynard II. Morrison of Philadel-
phia, an analy tcal chemist, testified
tnat he tested the steel Of which the
digestcr was built to learn its tensile
strength. One piece OF steel showed
a tensile strength OF 55,4O0 another
50, 100. and another 57,4Oo pounds
tensile strength to the square inch,
which was considered q good test.
Caustic soda. he said, does not attack
steel.
William J. Farren, boiler insp,c.
tor from Phl.delDha, said the di-
gesters did not come under the head
Of boilers requiring government in.
spccton. He said that after an ex-
animation Of tile exploded digester
he could assign no cause for the ex.
plosion. lie said digesters with
welded seams possessed about 95 per
cent. Of the strength Of solid plate.
Mr.. Farren slih the Welding would
not be considered TIL, weakest point
OF the digestcr.
In his experience lie could not 10.
cate any cause for the explosion. lie
quoted an extensive array Of figures,
the result of scientific calculation,
which he declared showed that the
digsstcr which exploded was built to
Withstand about $50 times as much
resistance as that 10 which he csti.
made it was subjected at ths time OF
1t exploded. Mr.. Farrcn said that
longitudinally the dgcster was the
weakest and had the least resistance.
yet 1t did not explode Or break long!.
tudiuaj(y.