The Cannock Chase Examiner. — 1876-07-28 (Cannock, Staffordshire, England)

TIIE 'MURDERER DISASTER. TWO MORE DEATHS.  The Lord Mayor of London, at the request of the mayor of Portsmoinh, has opened b sulaeription on behalf of the sufferers by the Thunderer explosion. The fist of fatalities has been augmented by the death of two more sufferers—William Bisset, shipwright, who had been amongst the serious eases from the first, and Edward Phillip, skilled labourer. The total number of deaths is now 42.  TOE CAUSE or Ton Execosime. We can hardly suppose that the stop-valve safetyvalve, and pressure-gauge were all in a kague together to blow up the ship. If, indeed, there is no mistake as to the circumstances which are thus referred to we eon cnly say that the cause of the explosion is terribly simple. Yankee captains runnine a race have been said to play stranee tricks with safety-valves, but we had no idea that boilers in the British service were likely to be found in the condition described by Admiral Elliot. The explanation may be correct, anti the speaker evidently deiliree it to be so, because in that case he argues the catastrophe is not what might be properly called a naval disaster. Probably our readers will be disposed to think it is something worse than that. The carelessness which could thus allow a huge boiler to be sealed up is something incomprehensible, though it is almost equally etirprising that in such a ease the praseure-gauge should not be observed in time. Admiral Elliot evidently considers that if his suggestion as to the cause of the disaster be correct, a repetition of the mishap can be easily prevented. We should hope, Indeed, that so gross and cruel a blunder was not likely to happen a second time. There is certainly reason to bedievethat Admiral Elliot is right on ono point—namely, that the stop-valve was closed. But what shall we say .as to the safety-valve being set fast? We must, in fact, speak in the plural, for each boiler has two safety-valves, one of which is so encased that it cannot be touched by tbe engineers. One of our scientific contemporaries give' certain details with regard to the safety-valves of the Thunderer, and shows that they admit of an unusually rapid discharge of steam. It is said that the action of one of the valves ought to have been sufficient to save the boiler. That the stop-valve was shut, whereby this one boiler was cut off from the others, seems to be generally admitted ass feet. Hence it is argued—" The whole queetion seems to metre upon the state of the safety-valves of the exploded boiler." It will be also desirable to look well to the safety-valves of all the other boilers, and perhaps the hint will be taken by the engineers of other ships. Neithor the safety-valves nor the boilers of the Thunderer are said to be stall peculiar. They are of the pattern which usually prevails in the Royal navy, and any defect which applies to them may apply to others. This makes the question the more formidable, awl we hope that whether Admiral Elliot's statement be confirmed or not, we shall learn precisely what was the cause of this frightful accident, and shall have a reasonable assurance of safely from similar catastrophes for the future.— Standard.