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the rivets in like manner, as testified to by Miller himself, and this course having been persisted in ever since the boat came out, causing the boilers to need almost daily repairs, as testified to by Miller, and caused the boilers to become so weakened in time that they would no longer hold the heavy pressure contained in them. We arc persuaded that boilers do not explode all at once, and that the causes that lead to such explosions are going on constantly, when heavy pressures are contained. hi them, and at aacb time they crack outatthefcolfes, afid thi rivet heads' ‘burn off and have to be repaired, they become less able to bear the strain within them, and so gave way at the time they did.As to the character of Edwards as an engineer, who waa on watch at the time of the explosion, he was well spoken of, but his faUnre to observe strictly the tenor of his oath and keep theatMm down to it* lowest working pressure (sed vth Section act or Congress, July 7th, 1838), and which failure cost him and many others their lives. He bos gone to a tribunal where neither oar praise or blame can reach him; yet the truth should be told, for he, a few 'hours'before hlB decease, toldOrrln Marshall, first engineer of the 8t Charles, as testified, and a man of undoubted veracity, that at the time the engine was stopped he was carrying 150pounds of steam, and that when the engine was stopped steam ran right upon him. We think this man committed a grave error, as he had a safety valve, or could have let it off through the engine that was stopped. In* addition to this error he was an old boatman Ipd ki?ew'J£e river to be. low, and that tjiey were coming on shoal water, and, as testified to by one of the pilots, the engine had been working slow for abont half a minute. He (Edwaras) therefore, knowing these things, should not have had such an amount of steam, but, on the contrary, should have had his fires low, and had he have done so it is not at all probable that any explosion would have occurred at the time it did.Both the pilots examined, Dufour and Brashiers, testify that during the time the engine was stopped they did not hear any escapement of steam, from the safety valve, or anywhere else, and wo have no means of knowing, from the statement of Edwards, made to Orrin Marshall, how high steam did run up upon him, after the engine was stopped; but that it did run un Ulirh cnouirh to tear p.ypty-
Newspaper Details
New Albany Daily Ledger
New Albany, Indiana, US
Wed, Sep 26, 1866
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Gene S.
USA 26 Dec 2016
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