Daily Kennebec journal., 1925-08-20
DEATH TOTAL SO
Continued from Page One)

to the roll of dead at the naval hos
! pital.
| AS the death list grew. every at
tendant at the Naval hospital where
most Of the victims were taken was
on outy and worked ceaselessly. AS
many of the patients as could De re-
moved were taken to the Newport
Hospital where 25 volunteer nurses,
many Of whom saw service overseas,
minstered to their need in wards
that were filed with flowers brought
from the gardens Of Newports society
leaders.
| Recalls Larchmont Disaster
/ The disaster, the worst in Rhode
| Island waters since the Larchmont
with between $50 and IT'S on board in
1909 was the direct results of a de-
/ fective boiler, Assistant Attorney
General Oscar A. Heltzen told the
Associated Press tonight.
| The Rhode Island Attorney Cen
erals department will continue its
| investigation to determine whether
there is criminal culpability. and who.
! if any persons are responsible for the
/ conditions which caused it.
! Federal Steamship inspectors and
I
ent Investigations today. L.. s. Sem
ator Jesse H. Metcalf asked Secretary
| of Commerce Hoover to start an i'm
mediate inquiry.
when the state investigators in
I spected the Mackinac's exploded
boiler, they found il was an old one
deteriorated by wear and thinned
down in certain places" Mr.. Heltzen
said.
What occurred at the time of the
| explosion was rupture of the plate
| in the cross drum extending from the
right hand side of the fire box to the
center of the boiler alongside of the
| longitudinal seam"
Boiler Repaired Many Tines
"The longitudinal seam was very
thin and the opening was six or seven
| inches wide, extending upward to the
rear of the drum. 1t appeared that
! from time to time, the boiler mad
been subjected to extensive repairs
by the addition of new bolts and
patches.
THE repairs may be evidence that
the boiler was in a weakened condi-
ton. 1t has BEEN intimated to the
Attorney Generals department that
an inspection should have determined
tlis condition by the use of hydro
static or hammer test.
There appeared next to the longi-
tudinal joint sign of disco.oration
for a distance of two and half feet.
This is suggestion of an old break.
An old crack appeared beyond the
break made at the time of the explos-
ion. This crack has a splitting ap-
pca:ance instead of a tearing one,
which In the opinion of the state offi-
cisls is significance as in the case of
regular explosion a wide bursting
would have taken place, whereas In
ibis case the splitting followed the
line Of the seam.
at the edge of the sheet of metal
1t is plain to be seen how thin it had
become"
Captain George McVay, the COM
riaader of the vessel who also was
captain OF the ill-fated Larchm ont.
and George Kelley. general manager
Of tine Blackstone Valley Transporta-
tion Company owner of the ship,
were among those who accompanied
the investigators over the craft.
Thieves Active
There were reports tonight that
during the height of the confusion on
the steamer last night thieves had
| broken into the pursers office and
tnat several survivors had reported
other operations by vandals. No ar
rests were made. however, as no one
was found who admitted loss by theft.
Or..v one of the victims was killed
instantly by the blast OF steam. He
| was Joseph Levallee of Central Falls.
r. l.. fireman on the Mackinec. The
others succumbed from burns or
from inhalihg the scalding steam.
Had the explosion occurred further
away from land, the disaste- would
have been many times more appIll-
ing. The splendid and immediate
rescue work of the Navy and its ef-
f1c'ent care of the injured hopt the
death list to whct Newport mariners
term low figure.
Mayor Mortimer A. Sullivan who
has taken an active part in the relief
work. expressed his gratitude for the
navy's work of mercy to both Secre-
tary of the Navy Curtis d. Wilbur
and Admiral McKeon, commander of
the U. S. s. Wyoming. His message
of thanks to the latter follows:
THE city Of Newport is profoundly
grateful to you and to the officers and
men of your ships for their heroic
achievements in Newport Harbor in