2 REPORT — 1870. 



is adequate to detect the weakness of the boiler in time to prevent explosion, 

 whether that weakness arise from malcoustruction or from defective condition, 

 while it tends to stimulate attendants to carefulness, and thus to diminish 

 the number of those explosions arising from oversight. It is very generally 

 thought that most explosions result from the neglect of the attendant. Such, 

 however, is not the case. On analyzing the causes of the explosions that 

 occurred from the 1st of January 1861 to the 18th of June 1870, it appears 

 that 120 explosio- equal to 40 per cent, of the whole number, were due to 

 the malconstructiou of the boilers, either in the shells or fittings ; 88 explo- 

 sions, equal to 29 per cent., were due to the defective condition of the boilers, 

 either in the shells or fittings ; 44 explosions, equal to 15 per cent., were 

 due to the failure of the seams of rivets at the bottom of externally fired 

 boilers ; 38, equal to 13 per cent., were due to overheating of the plates ; 

 5, equal to 2 per cent., were due to excessive pressure of steam through the 

 attendants tampering with safety-valves ; while 1, equal to, say, | per cent., 

 occurred to an economizer, but whether from gas or overpressure of steam is 

 uncertain ; and 1 other, equal to, say, i per cent., arose from causes entirely 

 independent of the construction or condition of the boiler, and may thus be 

 termed " accidental." Of those due to overheating of the plates, 30 explo- 

 sions, equal to 10 per cent, of the whole number, arose from shortness of 

 water ; 6, equal to 2 per cent., from incrustation ; 1, equal to | per cent., 

 from the use of boiler-compositions ; and 1, equal to | per cent., from causes 

 requiring further consideration. The total number of these explosions the 

 causes of which were ascertained, was 297. From this list it will at once 

 be seen that the two leading causes of the explosions enumerated therein 

 were malconstructiou and defective condition, a small proportion only being 

 due to the neglect of the attendants. It may be put shortly, that for every 

 explosion due to the boiler-minder through neglecting the water-supply &c., 

 six are due to the boiler-maker or boiler-owuer through making or using 

 bad boilers. It is clear, therefore, that the adoption of competent inspection 

 by every boiler-owner in the kingdom would do much to prevent the constant 

 recurrence of boiler explosions, and to save the greater part of the 75 lives 

 annually sacrificed. This fact is now generally admitted; and hence the 

 question is not unfrequently asked. Since competent inspection would pre- 

 vent explosions, and steam-users neglect so simple a precaution, why is not 

 inspection enforced by law ? Juries, in bringing in verdicts consequent on 

 steam-boiler explosions, frequently recommend that the Government should 

 render inspection compulsory ; and this view appears to be very widely enter- 

 tained, in consequence of which various plans for legislative enactment have 

 been proposed. The object of this lieport is to deal with these plans, and 

 give the result of the Committee's dehberations thereon. 



This is a particularly opportune moment for the presentation of such a 

 Beport. Last Session of Parliament a Select Committee of the House of 

 Commons was appointed to inquire into the cause of steam-boiler explosions, 

 and the best means of preventing them ; and this Committee, whose labours 

 are not yet completed, have been investigating whether it is expedient that 

 boiler -inspection should be enforced by law, and, if so, what is the best way 

 of enforcing it. It is therefore important at this time that discussion on this 

 subject should be encouraged, and suggestions from all parties obtained. It 

 is trusted that this Report will aid in promoting this object and in arriving 

 at the best means of rendering the inspection of boilers universal throughout 

 the entire country. 



With these introductory remarks the Committee will proceed to the con- 



