New-York tribune., 1911-01-30
ARMY AND NAVY NOTES
Inquiries Into the Delaware ex-
pIosion and Puritan's Sinking.
From The Trihune Bureau
Washington, January .

THREE IMPORTANT INVESTIGA-
T1ONs.-The results Of three important in
yestigations are being awaited with the
keenest interest b. officers Of the navy one
dealing With the recent disaster or the Della
ware, another with the sinking OF the Pur-
itan and the third with the recent accident
at Indian Head.
Preliminary information. entirely unorh-
cal. received by officers OF the Navy De-
partment concerning the investigation OF the
accident on board the United states snip
Delaware, by which nine men lost tnelr
lives in the freroom OF that snip, indicates
that the board which has been detailed 70
aecAr-ain the cause OF the explosion Will
not be able 70 report anything OF DEF
mite character. While this is disappoint-
n,snt IN that II will fail % be altogether
erhghtening. It is no more than has been
expected by the naval engineers. perhaps
an examination Of the boiler In which te
explosion occurred will show something and
may aid in establishing theory. The ex-
pectstion is that the board will md that
the explosion was caused by low water IL
tho boiler. This may have been due 70 the
carelessness OF the man who was serving
a. ayster tender and overlooked the fact
,hs, the water gauge was empty; or II may
essiIv happen. as has been the case under
some circumstances, that through failure
cf the valves there was water IN the gauge
but none in the boiler tubes. Everything
noints 70 a lack OF water as the cause or
the rupture OF the tubes. which nlled the
6reroorn with sca!ding steam. from which
II was impossible 10 escape. The fact that
al OF the men who would be apt 70 possess
anv information are dead will deprive the
board Of personal testimony.
II has been practically settled BY an ex-
sr-inatior Of the records that the material
entering into the composition OF the boiler
tabes was not defective IN any particular.
The material was carefully inspected by
experienced engineers at the works OF the
contractor and the boilers OF the Delaware
we're eubiect 70 an unusually severe strain
on tbe trial trip OF the ship. At no time
bas there been reported q weakness Of the
boiler eouipment, and or the cruise when
,ba expIosion occurred the boiler was be-
inr operated under much less pressure than
on previous occasions. and notably less than
during the acceptance run OF the ship The
renort OF the board OF investigation will
VTObd Dly OlSClOst utNiiAie VI oN4 '+NN 49, 50
dicating desirable precautionary measures.
Accidents OF this KIND are unavoidable, de-
ST tie the regulations which impose all sorts
Of vicilant supervision OF the boilers OF a
ship under steam
Another investigation the results OF
which are awaited with considerable inter
est is that into the sinking Of the old
monitor Puritan in Hampton Roads follow
ing ordnance experiments. when a high ex-
,Iosive was discharged The vessel did not
sink until eighteen hours after the expert
n,fnt and would not then have gone 20 the
bcttom had the dock al the Norfolk Navy
ward been In readiness 10 receive the ship.
Representative Hobson has been instru-
mental In requiring the Navy Department
% ascertain who was responsible Tor the
f,iiure TO dock tho Puritan II has been
oxrected that the inquiry would be a simple
one and would involve no more than the
cornrnandant Of the Norfolk Navy Yard. VINO
Ga understood 10 have received instructions
~ have the dock In readiness. But the in
on,rv has been continued With sessions not
o,lv Al Norfolk. but In Washington. and
with witnesses which included prominent OFF,
.ers OF the Navy Department. among them
/ the chief constructor and the chief OF ord
rarce There are Indications that the re-
port will involve In more or less degree