AN OVERHEATED BOILER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14157, 4 September 1909, Page 6

AN OVERHEATED BOILER.

THE MISHAP TO THE RARAWA.

ALLEGED CARELESSNESS OF ENGINEERS.

THE circumstances of the breakdown of tho Northern Steamship Company's Rarawa. in Manukau Harbour on May 27 were reviewed yesterday by a Nautical Court, consisting of Mr." C. 0. Kettle, S.M., and Messrs. W. J. Reed (master manner) and F. W. Blakcy (first-class marine engineer), assessors- The report of the case furnished to fcho Court set out that on May 27. 1903, whilst on a voyage from Onehunga to New Plymouth, the shin was materially damaged through her after boiler becoming overheated, owing to shortness of water therein. The water gauge on the boiler had tailed to act, owing to its connection with the top of'the boiler being shut off. _ When the casualty was discovered the ship returned to Onehunga. She was carrying a number of passenger? at the time of the casualty No 'lives were lost, nor was any person injured. The questions for the Court were: 1. Generally, what was the cause otw.wt wero tho causes of tho casualty? 2. In particular, whether the said casualty was duo to or contributed to by the negligence or wrongful act or default of any person or nersons on the said shin, or elsewhere, and, if so, who was or were such person or persons, and what was the nature of such nesliccnco or wrongful act- or default? 3.'Could the said casualty have been avoided, and. if so. how? _ Mr. »■ Mavs appeared for the Minister for Marine. Mr. M. G. McGregor for the first engineer of tho vessel. Mr. R. Mcv«?agh for the second, Mr. F. K. Baume, tv ... lor the third, and Mr. Clayton for the owners. Before anv evidence was taken., _ Mr, Baume intimated that when the evidence was closed he would raise the question of the jurisdiction of the Court, basing Jus argument on whether a "casualty" had occurred within the meaning of the Act. Mr. Mays asked if any objection was taken to the constitution of the Court. Mr. Baume said that, as this was a case, which affected engineers, it was felt that both of the assessors should have been engineers. Mr. Mavs said there was an element that would require the services of a nautical assessor. The constitution of the Court had been fully entered into by the Minister. . ~ Mr. Mavs, in his opening statement, said that there'were two cocks on the gauge and two on the boiler, that would he constantly referred to. If all the cocks were open the gauge glass was in working order, but if either'of the boiler cocks was shut, then the water in the gauge glass was no longer subject in the one ease to steam pressure, and in the other to water pressure, and immediately gave a false reading. In the present case one of the cocks remained shut, and from four a.m. to five p.ra- there was no steam in the gauge glass to equalise pressure. Tho primary blame was upon the, second engineer for failing to examine tho cocks when steam was first raised on the boilers. Tho person next, to blame was the third engineer, who failed to test the gauge cocks during his watch, although the water showed no change. Then it was for the chief engineer to show that ho was entirely free from blame. Alfred Everard Macindoe, chief engineer on the Rarawa for live years and a-half. said ho loft the vessel on tho 25th, and did not return till tho 27th (Thursday). Iho second engineer was on watch from eight a.m. on Thursday, and the third from noon. Witness did not visit the stokehole before the accident happened. He remained m the enginoroom with tho other engineers till "All clear" was rung. Ho then went on deck, and shortly afterwards heard the gauge glass break. This was a common occurrence, and was not necessarily connected with any accident. Ho remained on deck some time, but about five o'clock he went to tho stokehole to see what water was in tho boilers. Tho forward boiler showed one inch. The third engineer was putting a new gauge glass in the after boiler.' Witness noticed a little water leaking out of one of the tube boxes at the oort side. When tho glass was fixed it was tested, and showed no water at allThe fires were therefore drawn, and witness advised the cantain to return to port. To Mr. Mays: There was absolutely no danger of boiler explosion. # It was remotely possible for tho men in the stokehole to be scalded. To the Court: Tho vessel could have proceeded in safety to New Plymouth and returned. There" was no danger of the vessel drifting. They did not proceed, because it would havo taken longer. To Mr. Baume: The responsibility for examining tho cocks rested on the engineer who had the first watch from eight a.m. The succeeding engineers assumed this was done, and would look only at the gauge glass. There should bo a water gauge in tho engine-room, and there was nono in the Rarawa. If the glass had been visible from tho enginoroom the engineer in charge would have known something was wr#ng. Top and bottom cocks on the boiler had been condemned by experts as unnecessary, and really a source of danger. Mr. Mavs: The noint is that the greaser closed off "tho four cocks, and the engineer only opened three next morning. To Mr. McVcagh: These cocks were not supposed to be touched, and tho order to close tin did not apply to boiler cocks. To Mr. Clayton: There were thousands of vessels without a gauge glass in the engineroom, and in some vessels it was impossible to have one. The boiler cocks had now been fixed up so that they could not be closed. , , Alfred William Price stated he was second engineer of the Rarawa on May 27, and had 10 years' sea service. He stated that when he went on duty at eight a.m. on May 27 tho steam gauge was showing 1251b on the " forrard " boiler, and 1001b on tho after boiler. His attention was not called by any fireman to the fact that they could not equalise the water in tho boilers. He was aware of tho existence of the two boiler cocks A and D. He agreed with Mr. Macindoe that they were a source of dancer. Before tho accident he had not considered so. Flo did not look at the cocks A and D. At 12 o'clock the glass was an inch from the top. That was a. normal fall, considering tho circumstances. Witness did not inspect the safely valve on the morning in question. To Mr. Baume: It was the custom for witness and Smallliono when they relieved one another fo/ the newcomer to ask: "How is the boiler?" Smallbone, on tho day in question, asked how the boilers were, and witness replied: " A bare half-glass in the " forrard " boiler, and an inch down in the " aft." Smallbono then verified witness' statement. If anything had been out of the ordinary witness would "have told him. To Mr. McYeajih: On the Tuesday night, before leaving, witness instructed J>jJi3lil.-«".nG and the greaser, Cunningham, to fill t!.o boilers well up to the nut, the topmost extremity of the glass tube. Filled up to the nut would indicate a pood boiler. Witness asked Smallbono on Wednesday morning if the, boilers had been filled as instructed, and was informed in the affirmative, hi's inspection of tho glass on Wednesday morning, when lift went on duty, verifying this, There was nothing whatever in his mind to suggest the slightest doubt as to the gauge. Reginald Smallbono deposed that on May 27 last he was the third engineer on tho Rarawa. He was the last engineer on duty on Tuesday, May 25. He told the grosser to close up everything as usual. On the Thursday witness took on the watch at noon, relieving Price. Witness corroborated Price's evidence as to the conversation that ensued between them. Tho first thing witness did was to go down the stokehole and look at the glasses, which were as Price had stated. There wu* nothing to create suspicion in his mind. Witness _ then described how bo came to realise that the steam end was evidently choked in some way. He and the greaser went on top of the after boiler, and found rock A shut. The greaser informed witness that the cockon tho " forrard " boiler was shut off, too. Witness went down to tho stokehole to shut off the water.

To Mr. Kettle: Whilst witness was doing all these things he suprosed a greaser was in charge of the engineroom. If the captain hail telephoned an order, the greaser would not have answered if. but would have informed witness. It- would have taken witness to answer (lie telephone at the most two minutes, probably less. At this stage the inquiry was adjourned till next Friday, at 11 o'clock. It was arranged for the Court and counsel to visit tho vessel this afternoon.