Year: 1868

Y, JUNE 25, 1868. -TRIPLI
70 start che rupture did not consider the pressure
OF the steam would be suclent to break the sheet
in the manner it has been broken to produce the
rupture; but after the first rupture was started the
sheet might be torn on the stays you might tear
steam had been sacens to break 1s the boiler in
part It would have broken through the shell outside


rst that part being much weaker than the part which
gave way; the iced water was supplied TO the boiler
Known the pump had been started At that time TINE
made by supplying cold water . suddenly at
not % weaken The boiler as against the pressure Of
stesm because the pressure would force the broken
% q a,
way-the nat surfaces Of the upper head. for OK.
ample; also noced the safety valve was stuck fast;
engineer or persons having charge Of the engine
could have prevented the accident happening as It
how much n water there Is In boiler ss ali the app.
ances used only take cognizance OF the bulk OF
water; when 1t Is hot It Is attenuated It ts carried
10 dincult to tell whether 1t 10 steam or water; this
kind kind OF boiler Y more , liable to give ssr uncsr
attribute the explosion entirely to the unequal COOL
ing Of the boiler; there would be means OF deter
mining how much water WAS over S the place Of S
OF water over the place Of fracture; II It
were all steam the cocks might indicate
gauge gives steam while the upper one yields water


II is impossible at all times to determine the water
repaired, would stand two hundred and nifty pounds
pressure; the leaking OF steam would have no erect;
those boilers ought to wear ten or twelve years until
they rusted thin or burned; the material In the
boiler seemed to be Of very superior quality; an
engine three years Old like this, Is comparatively
new engine the leakage would not assist In causing


TESTIMONY OF HENRY A. aILBERTsoN


Henry A. Gilbertson testifed-I reside at Sixty
seventh street, near Broadway; am superintendent
OF the repair yard, Metropolitan Fire Department.;
my duty is to take charge Of the shop and superin
tend the men; have the hose harness. wheelwrlght,
blacksmith, machine and paint shops to take charge
OF; keep them furnished with stock and make
turns to the Board of Fire Commissioners and fur
nish them with the necessary stock and keep account
OF it, well keep the mems time and attend to all
the wants and repairs of the department. do not


fire engines OF repair to be taken in the shop and
repaired the district engineers send them to the
pair shop TO DC 40 not seaa examine I'm @ eem n
examine them; am not q practical engineer !;
am carriage maker; have repaired engines for the
not in that place on account OF my knowledge of
engines; they have engineers for that purposes en-
glne No. first knew of on the 14th Of August last.
when first went to the yard the engine was turned
In to me because the company was put out OF SER
vice; caused it to be repaired In the yard; It was


little out OF order; 1t was put In Order kept her for
the use Of any company whose engine might be out
Of repair; the first company gave her to was Com





they had her to work once at the fire Of Barnum's
Museum In Broadway; they worked her for thirtysix
hop 70 b
repaired in every. way; heard no complaints
Of her before; she then went out In place Of engine
No. q heard that the tubes In the centre leaked that
was after the Barnum Museum fire; don't know who
made the complaint; think 1t was In March or April
think she has worked since March; gave her to Com


pany No. to run while thor engine was repairing
xvoa In nrdo hut for fhorn tn
good order would give him IS engines the engineer
that they would keep her until their engine was re-
paired; they said ithe centre tubes leaked lttls
the next thing knew Of was the explosion.
TESTIMONY OF WILLIAM A. BRICKILL
William A. Brckin testined-I reside In Forty
fourth street, near Third avenue; am machnst and
engineer am employed by the Metropolitan Fire De-
about engine me No. !; examined L after E Rsrnu@'s
the engine was turned to the repair yard; there


had been complaints about her; the engineer that


found i've s or ssvsn tubes in the centre that leaked
slightly; examined the boiler thoroughly and then


reported her In perfect order; did nothing to her;
! when put in; considered them safe; BY tamperins
with them was afraid they might be made worse;
make them tisnt the shell was In perfect
order; there was no extra bow-on cock
plate; i have examined this since the explosion; CON- CON-
slider that the boiler was dry and cold water was
thrown In It; this was the cause or the explosion;
was the engineers duty to keep the boilers full Of
waters can always tell whether there Is water enough;
the engineer discovers this by the cocks the side
OF the boilers; II the water rises and the engineer
slacks the engine he tell; these boilers not
liable to foam; any boiler will foam n foul; these
boilers generate steam very as and must be closely
watched; did not know anything the matter with


injured BY the conclusion OF the engine; do not
see why the engine should work irregularly unless
the engineer closed opened the throttle; did not
notice any rupture OF long standing; tested the
apparatus between the 10th and 18th Of May to test
hose; tested to one hundred and twenty pounds
steam; the safety valve was all right them the spring
In the safety valve all right even now; there was
no occasion for strappng II down to hold the steam
II Ia not weak and has not been injured; never used
to run over one hundred pounds; within one hun
dred pounds the steam gauge would have been safe
OF the valve would not aect this explosion; the in
dicaOns that the re sheet was red hot over the
place fractured with cock Of water there would
have been twentyfour inches, and with three cocks
there would have been thiry-six inches Of water; 1t
could not have been heated 80 much with one cock
Of water.


The further examination was then adjourned until
one O'Clock Monday afternoon, at the Sixth precinct
station house.


THE FIREWORKS EXPLOSION IN BROADWAY.
Inquisiiiou Before Coroner Kcenan and YER
dict Of the Jury.


Coroner Keenan, held an inquest at the sixth pre-
cnct police station over the remains OF Lawrence L.
Lyon, the young man who was burned to death by
the explosion In the fireworks establishment No. 2s4
prcad~av IN r,,ooda oftornoon Several witnesaea