Records of Steam Boiler ExplosionsMarten, Edward Bindon
History
Records of Steam Boiler Explosions
Marten, Edward Bindon
Steam-boiler explosions
Agricultural, 45 lbs., and had only just been set to work.
The crown plate to the fire-box was so deeply corroded from long wear
that it gave way, and the issuing contents scalded those near.
_No. 56. Greenwich. (Fig. 24.) October 8th. 2 killed, 2 injured._
Marine, 16ft. long, slightly oval, front end flat, 8ft. 6in. wide,
7ft. 10in. high, and the dimensions of the back hemispherical end were
2ft. less each way, 3/8 inch plates, 26 lbs. There were two internal
fireplaces, of irregular shape, uniting at the back into one flue of
similar shape, which did not come to the front, but passed through the
steam space, and out at the top of the boiler.
While the vessel was waiting to start, with steam up, the wing furnace
of the starboard boiler collapsed on the wing side, as shown by the
dotted lines, and allowed the steam and water to escape into the stoke
hole.
[Illustration: _Fig. 24._]
The side of the furnace next the shell was rent along the edge of a
longitudinal seam in a line, which was slightly nicked in the caulking.
This rent extended about 5ft. 6in. from the front, and then at a cross
seam it went along the line of rivets from the crown to the bottom of
the furnace. Beyond this cross seam the furnace was collapsed, until it
nearly touched the other side of the furnace, and the bulge died away
towards the back end. There was also a rent in the lower part of the
front of the shell, as shown in dotted line.
The cause of the explosion was the weakness of the shape of the flue,
which was not stayed to the shell. It had evidently gradually been
giving way some time before the explosion, and eventually collapsed at
nearly the ordinary pressure. Symptoms of the same alteration of shape
were noticed in the corresponding flue of the other boiler.
_No. 57. Liverpool. (Fig. 25.) October 9th. 7 killed, 1 injured._
Crane Boiler, 5ft. 6in. high, and 2ft. 6in. diameter, with internal
conical fire-box, with two cross tubes and a chimney at the top, 1/4
inch plates, 75 lbs.
The outer shell of the boiler was rent into many pieces, leaving the
central conical fireplace intact. The nature of the rents showed that
the plate round the manhole, which was unstrengthened by a ring, had
first given way, and all the other fractures had led away from that
point. This is confirmed by the fact, that the manlid was thrown a good
distance, with force enough to make its way through the timber walls
of a cabin. The front plate divided into many pieces, and scattered
right and left, while the back plate was thrown through a cabin in the
opposite direction to the manhole.
[Illustration: _Fig. 25._]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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