Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-03-19
BOILER EXPLOSION RECORD.
40 Explosions Last Year-281 Persons
Killed, 531 Injured.

Hartford. Conf, March 1.-the Lo-
connective, the organ Of the Hartford
Steam Boiler Inspection & Insurance
Company, publishes in its current issue
q summary and analysis of the boiler
explosions which occurred during 1908
in tire United States and the adjacent
parts OF Canada and Mexico. The to-
tai number of boiler explosions for the
year was 40, which is almost identical
with tho record for 1907. There We're
Al explosions in 1877, 49, in 1906, $50 in
1903 and SOL in 1901 The number of
persons killed by the explosions in 1908
was Isl, as compared With 300 in 1907.
225 in 1906 $50 in 1905 and 800 in 1903.
The number OF persons injured but not
killed in the explosions of 1908 was 53l.
as against l2o for 1867, ACT for 1906, 5S5
for 1905 and 39I for 1901. The &c
number of persons killed, per explosion,
last year, was 0.59SS, and the average
number of injured but not killed was
1.i3
BY months the boiler explosions for
1908 ranged from minimum of % in
May 10 II maximum of % in October.
The greatest number Of casualties, in
Guiding both killed and injured, was
cEargeable to February, when the rec
ord ran up TO lJG. and the smallest
number. So, occurred in May.
The Locomotive also publishes a re-
view of the boiler explosions for forty
years, covering the period from 1868 10
1901, inclusive. The total number OF
explosions during the time, as compiled
by the company was $3.50. The record
OF casualties includes 10, i55 persons
killed and 15.o51 injured During the
lirst decade OF the forty-year period
the number of persons killed per eN-
plosiCn vas 2.0i. and during the last
decade ~ The number Of persons in
cured per explosion shrank from 22s
1or the first decade 10 1,25 in the last
decade. These figures are believed to
be largely illusory, owing to the better
facilities of gathering information now
than during The earlier part of the pc
Rod under review. The largest num-
Ler OF explosions, Al, occurred in 1907.
and the smallest number. So. in 1877.
The annual census of casualties ran
from q minimum of 30 in 1876 to a
maximum of 96S IN 1905.
Tie Locomotive gives some interest
ing facts, derived from a study of its
summary, concerning the frequency OF
boiler explosions during different per-
DDS o: tie year. 1T is evident" it says
that there is q sensible falling off in
the number of explosions in April, May
and June, and that there is Il cores
ponding increase in the number in Oc-
tober, November, December and Janu-
airy This change is partially due, no
doubt. to the explosion of heating boil
ers in our northern attitudes during
the colder months. 1t cannot be en-
tirelv due To this cause. however, for
there il, a decided falling off between
January and February, nOtwithStand-
ing the fact that February is perhaps
as cold as January, 50 that between
these months th"re would be no mater
ial reduction in thc number Of heating
boilers in service, nor in the duty re-
Guirc'i of those in use. Also, it is
plain that the increase in the number
81 explosions begins in the hot weather.
the number of explosions in August
Icing already greater than the average
number. per month. for the whole
year