October 8th.
2 killed, 2 injured.
Fig. 24.
Marine, 16ft. long, slightly oval, front end flat, 8ft. 6in. wide, 7ft. 10in. high, and the dimensions of the back hemispherical end were 2ft. less each way, 3/8 inch plates, 26 lbs. There were two internal fireplaces, of irregular shape, uniting at the back into one flue of similar shape, which did not come to the front, but passed through the steam space, and out at the top of the boiler.
While the vessel was waiting to start, with steam up, the wing furnace of the starboard boiler collapsed on the wing side, as shown by the dotted lines, and allowed the steam and water to escape into the stoke hole.
The side of the furnace next the shell was rent along the edge of a longitudinal seam in a line, which was slightly nicked in the caulking. This rent extended about 5ft. 6in. from the front, and then at a cross seam it went along the line of rivets from the crown to the bottom of the furnace. Beyond this cross seam the furnace was collapsed, until it nearly touched the other side of the furnace, and the bulge died away towards the back end. There was also a rent in the lower part of the front of the shell, as shown in dotted line.
The cause of the explosion was the weakness of the shape of the flue, which was not stayed to the shell. It had evidently gradually been giving way some time before the explosion, and eventually collapsed at nearly the ordinary pressure. Symptoms of the same alteration of shape were noticed in the corresponding flue of the other boiler.
No.57. Liverpool. ([Fig. 25.])