THE LOCOMOTIVE EXPLOSION.

Evening Star, Issue 4132, 25 May 1876, Page 3

THE LOCOMOTIVE EXPLOSION.

1 The principajLfvidence at the inquest was given by bimon, the fireman, and Mr M'Cormack, one of the contractors. The latter said:—

The engine was inspected, but not the boiler. When Mitchell took charge of the engine it was in a very bad state, the cylinders had to be re-bored, fresh piston heads put in, and the engine had to be generally repaired. I was told that the spring balance of the safety valve was broken, Gatwood, the former driver, told me this. There was nothing the matter with the valve. There was nothing done to the spring’at tha£ time, but Mitchell received instructions to put everything right in connection with the engine. About the IBth April Mitchell told me it would require a new spring balance for the safety valve, and I immediately telegraphed to Dunedin for one. Next day a new one was sent up but it was too large. As I was going to Dunedin a few days afterwards, I took it with me for the purpose of getting one that would fit, Messrs Kincaid and M‘Queen tried to get one, but failed, and they promised to make one and send it up, but they never sent it. I have repeatedly travelled with the engine since then, but no farther complaints were made to me. On my return from Dunedin, I noticed two or three screw wrenches hung on to the valve by a piece of cord. I also saw a screw-jack hung on by a piece of wire. It would weigh about 25 or 30 lbs. I knew that it was placed there for the purpose of keeping in the steam, the spring balance having been broken. Even when this was on, the engine used to blow off at from 601bs to 701bs, I have seen the steam gauge indicate lOOlbs, when the actual steam on would be about 821bs. A stick was placed through the rope to act as a twitch by tightening it after the rope was put on. I have seen the gauge indicate the pressure a little above 100. This would be an actual pressure of about 181b less. I never saw the gauge indicate more than lib or 21b past 100. Mitchell was highly recommended to us as a driver. He and 1 never had any conversation as to the safety or otherwise of travelling with the engine when the valve was fastened down. When the rope was taken off the valve the engine would blow off steam when the gauge showed 401b or 501b. I asked Mitchell one day if it was safe to put the rope on the valve, and he said “ Oh, yes, perfectly safe; we go by the steam gauge.” I was solely guided by him. Yesterday the jury brought in a verdict that Taylor and Mitchell met their deaths by the locomotive explosion ; that the explosion was due to the fact of the safetyvalve being tied down ; and that severe censure is due to the proprietors for the fact of their knowing the deficiency of the steam gauge and spring balance, and not having them replaced by propt r appliances, and continuing to run the engine while in the imperfect state shown by the evidence. They added a rider, suggesting the great necessity for the establishment of a system of examination of engine-drivers, so as to ensure the employment of competent persons for this work ; and that a lock-up valve, free from the con* trol of the driver, should be put upon all boilers as a means of preventing the recurrence of such accidents. John Orr, the stoker of the boiler which exploded, is a little better. ‘ The Mail ’ considers that the contractors are morally, if not legally responsible for the deaths of Taylor and Mitchell.