1839.J 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



273 



I.A'W PROCEEDINGS. 



EXPLOSION ON BOARD THE ARCHIMEDES STEAM-BOAT. 



All inquest was held on the 1st ultimo at the Unicorn at Greenwich, hefore 

 Mr. Cavttar, the coroner for Kent, on the hoily of James M'Millan, an engi- 

 neer on lioaril the Archimedes steam-vessel. The deceased was employed on 

 hoard this vessel on Thm-sday, iMay 30, and it was just ahout to leave the 

 East India Docks for an experimental trip, when the hoiler hiu'st, and so 

 dreadfidly scalded the deceased Ijy the heated steam which escaped, that he 

 died in a few minutes after his arrival at^the Dreadnought hospital-ship. From 

 tlie evidence adduced, it appeared that the accident w as to be attriljuted to an 

 undue pressure of steam, and to a faulty condition of the safety valves, which 

 did not act properly. After examining a nmuber of witnesses, the coroner 

 adjourned the inquiry tdl Wednesday, the oth ultimo, to give an opportunity 

 for the attendance of scientific gentlemen, and to examine two other men who 

 have been severely scalded, and who are now on board the Dreadnought. 



At the adjourned inquest Mr. Field, the engineer, attended and gave the 

 following evidence : — 



He stated that he resided at Lambeth, and was an engineer. Was not con- 

 nected with the company to which the Arcliimedes belonged, but had been 

 requested to make an inspection of the boiler of that vessel. He found the 

 boiler was of tlie ordinaiy low pressure kind, generally used by steam-vessels 

 upon the river. Its power and strength of plate were quite sufficient. The 

 boiler was rather large. The gi'cat olijection to it was, that it was less tied 

 together than smaller boilers would be, and therefore subject to be sooner 

 damaged. If he had had to make a similar boiler, he should have put more 

 stays in it. The top of the hoiler had been lifted l)y the pressiu-e of the 

 steam, the crown of it had Ijeen distorted, and by that means the safety-valve 

 had been stopped from acting, and tlie spindle jammed, which prevented them 

 from acting, to which cause he attriljuted the accident. He did not see any 

 steam-gauges when he made the inspection ; unless, therefore, the safetv- 

 valves acted, the pressure of the steam could not be known. A good engi- 

 neer might have kuowu from the opening of the cocks, hut every man could 

 not. The top of the boiler had been lifted, but the chimney had not been 

 moved from the place where it stood, in consequence of being attached to the 

 ilues. The engineers, in consequence of the jamming, were not able to know 

 the strength of the steam, and that was the reason of tlie accident. When 

 he'made the examination be tested the valves, .and found one of tlicm loaded 

 to the extent of jj, and the other to OJ ; that was rather higher than he 

 should load them, but many would load them in that way. The pressure 

 ought not to be increased, as it would ho attended with danger to the safety 

 of the boiler. There was nothing but the ordinary weight on the valves at 

 the time he saw them. The tightest of the valves could be got at from the 

 deck, and the other from below. A preventive to this occurrence would 

 have been stronger staying or less pressure, but that would not have pre- 

 vented it if the safety valve had been jammed, which could not have taken 

 place unless the boiler had been thrown out of shape. The boiler, if it had 

 been sufficiently tied so as to prevent its altering its shape, would have been 

 of sufficient strength to work up to SJ. The thickness of the plates was 

 quite sufficient. There were a great number of fires for so small a hoiler, 

 hut they did not increase the danger at all. He should not have chosen to 

 work a steam-vessel from London to Portsmouth without a steam gauge. If 

 there had been a steam gauge in the present instance, it would have indicated 

 danger — that there was something more than the ordinary pressure : the dif- 

 ference from an extra weight of 4111). on one valve would increase the 

 pressure Ij or lilb. upon the square inch. He would have been extremely 

 timid in loading the boiler to that extent. He thought the boilers were not 

 sufficiently strong to bear the pressure he found upon them. If the boiler 

 had been well tied and bound, however, it would have been of sufficient 

 strength. 



After hearing the evidence of Mr. Rennie and some other mtnesses, the 

 jmy returned a verdict of " Accidental Death," with a deodand of f250 on 

 the boilers. 



The Foreman said the jury did not attribute the accident to any wTong 

 construction of the boiler,* and that, if it had not been improperly interfered 

 with, the accident would not have occurred. 



The Coroner concurred in the view of the jm'y. If the valves had not 

 been improperly interfered with by some person or other, the unfortunate 

 residt might not have ensued. 



THE LATE ACCIDENT ON THE EASTERN COUNTIES RAILW.VY. 



An iu(piest was held at Stratford, on Satm"day, the 22d ultimo, before Mr. 

 C. C. Lewis, the coroner for Essex, on theJjodies of John Meadows, the en- 

 gineer, and Charles Leitch, the stoker to the engine which met with the ac- 

 cident mentioned in the daily pajiers. It appeared by the evidence that the 

 accident took place about a quarter before five o'clock on Friday afternoon. 

 The train had left Mile End, and was about half a-niile from Stratford, when, 

 on taking a course near Stent's Mill Bridge, the engineer allowed the engine 

 to acquire such an immense velocity, that it rocked violently from side to 

 side for some ilistance, and at last run off the rails. Neither the passengers 

 nor the guards were at all injured. The jury, having heard the e\idencc de- 

 clared their opinion that the accident had been occasioned entirely by over- 

 speed, and by the engine man having in tliis respect disobeyed the express 



orders of the engineer in eliief and officers of the company ; and a verdict of 

 " Accidental Death" was accordingly returned. The engine man was a very 

 steady and experienced person, but he had been previously warned against 

 driving at such gi-eat speed. Either from too great confidence in his own 

 power, or from some other cause, he did not at the time of the unfortunate 

 accident either shut off the steam or reverse the engine, nor did it appear 

 that the break had been applied. The engine is but little damaged, the boiler 

 not ha\ing burst as erroneously stated in the daily papers. Nor had there 

 been any subsidence whatever in the rails or the embankments, that portion 

 of the embankments where the accident occurred having been made many 

 months, and it was in the soundest possible condition. There were from 

 thirty to forty passengers in the train, and their entire exemption from injury 

 is mainly attributable to the judicious plan of fastening the carriage doors, 

 which prevented tlie passengers from attempting to jump out. The slight 

 damage done to the rails was immediately repaired, and the trains continued 

 to run in the regular succession as usual. 



[From inquiries which we have made, we understand that the cause of the 

 accident was entirely owing to the centrifugal force consequent on the 

 amazing speed at which the engine was going. It was at the commencement 

 of a eiure on a declivity of 16 feet per mile, where the engine quitted the 

 rails. The deaths of the unfortunate men was occasioned by their attempting 

 to leap from the engine, one being crushed by the tender, and the other by 

 the train of caniages.] — Editor. 



'■• If this were the opinion of the jury, we do not consider they were justi- 

 fiable in levying so large a deodand. — Editor. 



]y[ISCEI.XiANEA. 



Dhcoreni of Vahiahh Miirhle. — AYc understand that a large field of fossil 

 marljlo has latelv been discovered on the common belonging to the manor of 

 Great Asby, in this countv, the property of John Hill, Esq., of Bankfoot, 

 some of the most beautiful'w liich England has hitherto produced. T;vo speci- 

 mens of this splendid marble have aptly been named by the owner, " forloise- 

 shell and chintz marbles." The fu-st has a French « hitc ground, interspersed 

 H ith blood-red spots, and bears a strong resemblance to turtuise-shell, that at 

 a short distance it is difficult to discriminate between the t«o. The second 

 presents a light brown ground marked with a curious representation of gold 

 filigree work, mixed with a dusky green, bright purple, and red, and has the* 

 exact appearance of the rich chintz gowns worn a century ago. There are 

 numerous other patterns in this limestone range, extending over more than 

 3,000 acres, both curious .and handsome. The great value of this marble con- 

 sists not in variety of colours alone, but also in the fineness of its grain, •« Inch 

 is equal to the Italian marble, and also in its great soundness ; the shaken 

 condition of variegated English marbles having in general rendered them ot 

 comparative little value. We hear that blocks of large dimensions are easily 

 won. and when manufactured, take the most brilliant polish imaginable. \\ e 

 have no doubt this valuable marble, unique in its kind, will soon Ijecome a 

 general favourite with the public, and be an important acquisition to the 

 marble works of this couniry. Vie hear, also, with mudi pleasure, that a few 

 specimens will be presented to the museum at Kemal.—- jyestmorelaiid 

 Giizi'lte. 



Mill Bay Harbour and FInaliiig Uocl.s.—Wc are informed that the promoters 

 of the Exeter and Plymouth Railway intend making Mill Bay the terminus 

 of their line, for which purpose it is admirably situated between Plymouth 

 and Devonport. The lloating dock will hold 200 sail, exclusive of the toreign 

 jiackels ; and the outer harboitr, which will be formed by a breakwater, from 

 the point of Mr. Gill's quarry, will have from three to lour fathoms of water 

 at low tide, and w ill aflbrd aljundance of room for steamers to lay alloat, and 

 go out of harbour at anv time of tide. The great abundance of stone on tlie 

 spot will render the cost of this work comparatively trifling, as the limestone 

 excavated to form the outer harbour will go a great way in completing the 

 breakwater. 



Laanch of the Lord Mayor's Barge.— On Tnesiay, the Utii tdiimo, the Lord 

 Mayor and the Lady Mayoress went by water from Southwark Bridge, at- 

 tended by the water-bailiff and others of the officers attached to the conser- 

 vancy, to the premises of Mr. .Seiie, tlie city bargemaster, to witness^ the 

 launch of the state barge, which has been for some tune, by order ot the 

 Court of Aldermen, undergoing repair and modern decoration. In tlie tront 

 of the house which is raised in the boat are four Corinthian columns, close to 

 each of which i, a very skilfully carved gTiffin. The gilding all round, and 

 particularly at the head of the vessel, which is also finely carved, has bcMi 

 applied wii'h a most liberal hand, and the effect is grand in the extreme. It 

 ^vas admitted by those who had seen the barge launched immediately after 

 she was built, that her appearance yesterday was far more attractive. 



Tlie Lords of the Admiralty have sent a ship of war to the south-western 

 corner of Asia Minor, for the purpose of transporting from thence to this 

 country a large collection of most valuable ancient sculptures and bas-relicts, 

 wliich'have liecn described by Mr, I'ellowes in his account of Asia Minor, 

 where many towns and cities, and a remarkable and nearly perfect ancient 

 theatre, hitherto quite unknown, have likew ise been found. 



Keasiin'toii.— At the beginning of the month a new Infant School-house, at 

 Kensington, erected under the direction of Mr. G. Godwin, was opened to 

 the children. It is designed in the Tudor style of architecture, and is built 

 wilh red bricks and coinpo facings. The roof, a very light one, has the pe- 

 culiarity of a large lantern for ventilation, and which serves, at the same 

 time, to assist the external appearance of the building. The length ol the 

 school room is 42 feel, and the width 22 feet. The cust is said toliaye been 

 under jt'300. There is a ctimmiltee-room attached. 



