1S2 



APPENDIX. 



counted for as follows: The engine-man said, 

 &quot; .4s there are several owners and viewers here, I 

 will make her (the engine) go in grand style ,&quot; 

 and he had scarcely got upon the boiler to loose 

 the screw of the safety valve, but, beins over 

 heated, it exploded. Monthly .Magazine, vol.40, 

 p. 181. 



From what is here stated, it appears, that this 

 tragical accident was occasioned by a combina 

 tion of vanity, ignorance, and imprudence in the 

 person to whom the direction of the engine was 

 committed. The following accident which hap 

 pened to the Washington steam-boat, belonging 

 to Wheeling, N. America, is attributed to a 

 somewhat similar cause. 



&quot; This boat started from Wheeling on Mon 

 day, June 10th, 1816, and arrived at Marietta on 

 Tuesday evening at 7 o clock, and came safely 

 to anchor, where she remained till Wednesday 

 morning. The fires had been kindled and the 

 boilers sufficiently hot, preparatory to her depar 

 ture, when the anchor was weighed and the 

 helm put to larboard, in order to wear her in a 

 position to start her machinery ; but only having 

 one of her rudders shipped at the time, its influ 

 ence was not sufficient to have the desired effect, 

 and she immediately shot over under the Virgi 

 nia shore, where it was found expedient to throw 

 over the kedge at the stern to effect it. This 

 being accomplished, the crew were then required 

 to haul it on board, and were nearly all collected 

 in the quarter for that purpose. At this un 

 happy fatal moment, the end of the cylinder to 

 wards the stern exploded, and threw the whole 

 contents of hot water among them, and spread 

 death and torture in every direction. The captain, 

 mate, and several seamen were knocked over 

 board, but were saved, with the exception of 

 one man, by boats from the town, and by swim 

 ming to the shore. The whole town was alarm 

 ed by the explosion, and all the physicians, with 

 a number of citizens, went immediately to their 

 relief. On going on board, a melancholy and 

 truly horrible scene was presented to view. Six 

 or eight persons were nearly skinned from head 

 to foot, and others scalded, making in the whole, 

 seventeen. In stripping off their clothes the 

 skin pealed off with them to a considerable depth. 

 Added to this melancholy sight, the ears of the 

 pitying spectators were pierced by the screams 

 and groans of the agonizing sufferers, rendering 

 the scene horrible beyond description. 



&quot;The cause of this melancholy catastrophe 

 may be accounted for by the cylinder not having 

 vent through the safety valve, which was firmly 

 stopped by the weight which hung on the U.-VIT, 

 having been unfortunately slipped to its extreme, 

 without its being noticed, and the length of time 

 occupied in wearing before her machinery could 

 be set in motion, whereby the force of the steam 

 would have been expended ; these two causes 

 united, confined the steam till the strength of the 



cylinders could no longer contain it, and gave 

 way with great violence. Six of the unfortunate 

 sufferers died on Wednesday night, and one or 

 two others are not expected to survive.&quot; Loui 

 siana Gazette and New Orleans Mercantile Ad 

 vertiser, July 8th, 1816. 



Since the above accidents happened, many 

 others of a similar nature have occurred, which 

 have ultimately been ascertained to have been 

 owing either to ignorance, or to carelessness and 

 inattention, which are the natural results of 

 ignorance. As steam-boats are now navigat 

 ing all our Friths and rivers, and even ploughing 

 the ocean itself; and as steam carriages, are 

 likely soon to come into general use for the con 

 veyance of passengers and goods, it is of the 

 utmost importance to their success, and to the 

 safety of the public, that every precaution bo 

 adopted to prevent those explosions, and disar 

 rangements of the machinery, which might be 

 attended with fatal effects. But, although science 

 and art may accomplish all that seems requisite 

 for the prevention of danger, unless persons 

 of prudence and intelligence be obtained for the 

 superintendence and direction of such machines, 

 the efforts of their projectors to prevent accidents 

 may prove abortive. And until the tone of in 

 tellect, among the middling and lower orders, be 

 somewhat more elevated than it is at present, it 

 may be difficult to obtain persons for this purpose 

 of the requisite qualifications. 



The following recent accidents from steam 

 boat explosions, in all probability originated from 

 causes similar to those to which I have now 

 alluded. 



The boiler of the steam-boat Caledonia, ply 

 ing on the Mississipi, exploded on the llth 

 April 1830, killing and wounding about fifteen of 

 the passengers and seven of the crew, seven or 

 eight of whom were blown overboard and lost. 

 It was expected that some of the wounded would 

 recover, although badly scalded. The boiler 

 burst in the side while the boat was under weigh, 

 and about two hours after being wooded. There 

 were on board about 400 deck, and sixty cabin 

 passengers, besides the crw, being altogether 

 about 500 souls. The hull of the boat was un 

 injured. It is said that the accident arose 

 from the passengers crowding to one side of the 

 boat, by which one side of the boiler was expos 

 ed to the direct action of the fire, and when the 

 boat righted, a quantity of steam was suddenly 

 generated greater than the safety valve could 

 carry off. The number of persons who have lost 

 their lives by explosions in America, since tho 

 commencement of the season(1830,) is not muck 

 short of one hundred, sixty in the Helen Macr 

 gregor, four in the Huntress, nine in the Justice 

 Marshall, and fourteen in the Caledonia, be 

 sides those of the latter, who, it was feared 

 would not recover from ihe injuries they ha* 

 sustained. 



