The San Francisco call., 1905-08-22
ENSIGN WADE
IS ACCUSED
Of NEGLECT

Continued From Page 4, Column 1.
come and attend to the leak when the
explosion occurred"
All that happened after the explosion
is described at considerable length The
court said
SAFETY VALVES NOT TESTED.
mo one seems to have noticed any es-
cape of steam from the safety valves Of
any of the boilers and no one can state
that any of the safety valves blew on
at any time that morning; that we can
find no record of the safety valve of
boiler b being overhauled since July,
1901 nor any positive evidence of 1t hav-
ing been done, though orders had been
given for this to be done in March, 1865;
that there is no record of the sentinel
valves having been overhauled since
July, 1904: that the safety valves were
set at one hundred and forty-five pounds;
but en- route from Honolulu to this port
orders were given to carry the steam
pressure at from one hundred and thirty
to one hundred and thirty-five pounds,
not to exceed the latter. but the safety
valves We're not changed; that this or
der had been clearly understood; that the
hand gear for lifting the safety valves
was not in working order and there Is
no record nor direct evidence that the
safety valves had been tested in accord
ance with the navy regulation; that the
discipline seems to have been excellent
and everything that could be done by
the surviving officers and crew was done
in a cool and courageous manner, no one
thinking of himself, but of what he could
do for his injured shipmates and the
safety of his ship: that volunteer aid or
every kind came from shore, and the
injured were promptly removed to the
regular and improvised hospitals where
10
alleviate their sufferings and aid in their
recovery. while the dead were taken to
the various undertaking ESTABLISHMENTS
where they were prepared for burial;
that after an examination Of the col
lapsed furnace fue and from physical
tests that We have had made. the ma
terial of this furnace fiue was of good
quality; that the ship was found to be
filling and settling when a tug was OBJ
tanned and the warship was towed into
shoal water until she grounded; but sub
sequently the sea valves were closed,
the ship pumped out and returned to her
anchorage; that the ship is practically
uninjured except in and about the engine
and boiler rooms"
COUR4'S OPINION.
The opinion of the court follows:
1.-The court lis Of the opinion that the
explosion was caused by excessive pres
sure in boiler b. which came about,
first, by shutting the valve connecting the
boiler with the steam gauge, instead of
the valve on the air cock alone, as was
intended. so that the steam gauge failed
to show; second, by the failure of the
sentinel and safety valves to lift at the
pressure for which they were set and the
pressure was increased until it was be-
ycnd the strength of the boiler. which
gave way in its weakest part. afterward
found to be the corrugated fue OF No. 2.
the lowest or middle furnace, which col
lapsed.
1.-The court is also of the opinion that
D. N Holland, fireman, second class, u
S. N, who was the fireman on duty firing
boiler b at and before the time of the
explosion, did by mistake shut on the
steam valve connecting boiler b with
it's steam gauge, instead Of the air cock,
as directed thus preventing the gauge
from recording the steam pressure on its
boiler; that Frank de Courtay, oiler and
acting water tender, U. S. N, on watch
in charge of this boiler from about 9:15
a. m. until the time of the explosion, did
fail to observe that this steam gauge
was not recording and did continue push
ing the fires on this boiler, and, further,
when leaks developed from excessive
pressure did fail to relieve this pressure.
which should have been done at once;
that E. B. Ferguson, chief machinists
mate, U. S. N, are all now dead, and
therefore no further proceedings can be
taken against them.
1.-The court is Of the further opinion that