I87IJ 



Steam Boiler Legislation. 



219 



to bad boilers, through the neglect of the boiler maker or 

 boiler master, for every one due to the neglect of the boiler 

 minder. That competent inspection is adequate to detect 

 the badness of the boilers, and thus to prevent by far the 

 greater number of the explosions now occurring. 



In support of the statement that explosions arise from 

 simple and preventable causes, the following Table may be 

 adduced. 



Table showing the Causes of the Steam Boiler Explosions that 

 occurred from the 1st of January, 1861, to the 18th of 

 June, 1870. 



5?« u u a w °>« 



£o« J8 § g-d g« 



Cause of explosions. §"f S So'| £ = £3 



jhs§ z & <2 3 S3 



Malconstrudion of the boilers, either in the shells 



or fittings 40 120 216 268 



Defective condition, either in the shells or fittings 29 88 188 239 



Failure of the seams of rivets at the bottom of ex- 

 ternally fired boilers 15 44 64 67 



Overheating of the plates from shortness of water 10 30 23 23 



Overheating of the plates — — — — 



From incrustation (6) \ 



From the use of boiler compositions . . (1) I 3 8 14 12 



From causes requiring further investigation .. (i)j 



Excessive pressure through attendants tampering 



with safety-valves , 2 5 10 12 



Explosion of economiser, but whether from gas or 



overpressure of steam is uncertain £ 1 — — 



Cause entirely independent of the condition or con- 

 struction of the boiler, and may be termed 

 accidental £ 1 1 1 



Number of cases in which the cause has been in- 

 vestigated 100 297 516 622 



Number of cases in which the cause could not be 



investigated for want of sufficient particulars — 114 123 160 



Total number of explosions — 411 639 782 



In the records which the Association has filed, minute par- 

 ticulars and illustrations are detailed of the majority of 

 the explosions narrated in the above Table. From this it 

 will be seen that the greater number of the whole arose from 

 malconstruction and defective condition, the danger arising 

 from which competent inspection is able to detect in time 

 to prevent explosion. It will also be seen that adding the 

 number of explosions that arose from overheating of the 

 plates, whether from shortness of water, or from incrusta- 

 tion to those arising from the attendants tampering with 

 the safety-valves and attributing them all to the neglect of 



