Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-05-12
OF
BOILERS MAY
BE APPOINTED
Explosion Which Caused One
Death and Injured Three Is
Now Being Probed

Whatever may be the result of the
investigation by a board of inspec-
tors of the boiler explosion at the In
ter-Island Steam Navigation Com
pany's coaling station Saturday.
which sent one man to his death and
three in serious condition TO the hos
pital. one thing was predicted this
morning, which was that the territory
will be called upon to establish an
office of an inspector of stationary
boilers.
There is no officer either in he ter
ritorial or federal government having
authority over such boilers, 1t was
brought to light this morning by T.
j. Heeney. United States inspector
of hulls and boilers. one of the three
men requested by James A. Kennedy,
president of the Inter-Island COM
pany. to head the investigation The
other two members of the special
hoard are Joseph Jordan and George
F. Campbell. both thoroughly expert
enced boilermakers.
They have all agreed that the ter
ritory is in flagrant need of such an
inspector While ii is understood
that they hold the company hlameless
for the SATURDAY. tragedy. believing
that 1t was due to the negligence Of
ono of the employees in not keeping the
hoiler proDerlv supnlied with water,
they contend that the present situa-
tion which makes it necessary for a
volunteer board to act is sufficient
instance to show the great need of
the territory having it's own inspec-
tor.
Held coupanv BIameIess
The Investigation was made by the
sDecial hoard this morning and it
will probably be handed in to the COM
rany tomorrow The substance of
the proposed report was not express
lv given this morning. but it was
learned that the hoard will attribute
the cause of the disaster to the lack
of water in the boiler. and will also
hold the company blameless in the
matter.
The INQUEST over the body of Ed
ward Malaihi. the engineer tending
the boiler at the time of the ex-
plosion, who was almost INSTANTLY
killed. will be held at 2:30 tomorrow
afternoon. The report of the in
spectors may be presented to the
Jury, and the members of the board
NAV also be asked to appear.
Boiler Not Defective
The report that the boiler was de-
fective. and that it had been so
found by the United States inspectors
of hulls and boilers. was denied this
morning by the federal officers. who
stated that they had no jurisdiction
in the matter and had never investi-
gated it. In addition to this, Mr..
Heeney stated after he had thorough
ly gone over the ground of the ex-
plosion, that in his judgment a de-
fective boiler could not have with
stood, as this one did, the terrific
force of the explosion without be-
ing shattered to pieces
Other rumors current that work
men had refused to remain near the
boiler, and that number had quit
because of the danger they believed
imminent, were also denied this morn
ing When John s. Muirhead, super
intendent engineer for the company,
was seen he refused to give a de-
tailed statement of the cause of the
disaster. That it was probably caus-
ed by the boilers lack of water he
did not deny.
The other three victims of the ac-
cident. taken to the Queens Hospital,
A. Hale, Hawaiian fisherman. Joe
Mckay and Private C. Boyle of the
marines are reported to be out Of
danger and will soon recover.
Actions may be filed against the
company by these men for personal
injuries.