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60 MARINE BOILER EXPLOSIONS. [FROM THE BOARD OF TRADE REPORTS.] Report No. 1675 deals with a mishap to the boiler of the Alert, when the vessei was moored in the river Thames, below Gravesend, on Dec. 27 last. The boiler is 26 years old, and the vessel for the last 5 years has been employed in pump- ing sand from the Thames, and usually lies on the Kent side, below Gravesend, at double anchor, for four or five days at a time. When moving up or down the river, she floats with the tide, the propelling engines being only occasionally used. When the vessel is employed as a sand sucker, steam is used in a pair of compound engines which operate a sand pump, and in a winch which is used to raise or lower the suc- tion pipe. The explosion was not of a violent nature, a small hole locally cor- roding through at the bend of the back flange of the port furnace, and as the vessel was moored at the time it did not jeopardize its safety. Report No. 1679 deals with a very serious breakdown of the main boiler of the steam trawler Socrates, last April. The boiler is of the usual single-ended marine type, fitted with three furnaces, and the working pressure is 200 lbs. The vessel was completed in June last year, since when she has been engaged in trawl fishing, off Iceland. On April 13 last, an entirely new crew joined the ves- sel at Hull, but the previous chief engin- eer was aboard, and worked the engines out of dock, and also whilst the com- passes were being adjusted in the Hum- ber. The vessel sailed about 8 A. M., and on the passage to the fishing grounds the water was very sluggish in the gage glass. The chief engineer did not, how- ever, take any steps to test the condition of the water gage, neither did he try the test cocks. The vessel sailed on her re- turn voyage on April 28, and though the water in the gage glass was discolored, the engineers do not seem to have apprehended trouble till a day or two later. The watch was relieved at 1:30 A. M., on April 30, and- on blowing the gage glass through at that time the indications were unsatisfactory, but it appears that the orders were to "keep her going." Half-an-hour later a noise of leakage of steam was heard from the starboard combustion chamber. From this time onwards a large number of tubes began to leak, and by 3:30 A. M. the speed of the vessel had fallen from 10 to 6% knots. The piston rods and valve spindles were also discolored, and there were other symptoms of unusual heat in the engine room, but the engin- eers do not appear to have understood the meaning of these signs. Matters got worse, till at 9 A. M. the port furnace crown commenced to come down, when THe MARINE REVIEW the engines were stopped and the fires drawn. The blowdown cocks were open- ed, and shortly afterwards the lower water-gage pipe was disconnected, and it was found choked. After an hour's work it was cleared and replaced, wood plugs were driven into the worst of the tubes, a- piece of asbestos cord was caulked around a stay that had given way in one of the combustion chamber tops, and the boiler was run up from the sea. On at- tempting to raise steam, the leakage was fortunately so great that the attempt had to be abandoned. A passing steamer was signalled, and the vessel towed to Aber- deen, and thence to Hull. The damage to the boiler was so great, owing to the utter incompetence of the men in charge, that the whole of the interior had to be renewed, only the shell and ends being retained. Report No. 1680 deals with a mishap to the main boiler of the Race Fisher in May last. The vessel is engaged in the general coasting trade and left Barrow on May 18 for Llanelly, arriving there on the 20th. Owing. probably to the fact that both engineers were new to the vessel, difficulty was experienced on the voyage round, and the second left her at Llanelly, another one joining be- fore she sailed for Guernsey at 3:30 P. M. on the 24th with a cargo of coal. Soon after starting, the feeding arrange- ments gave trouble, and it was found that the main check valve was leaking badly, also that the after feed pump valve chest was cracked. After a stoppage of about 6 hours a fresh start was made, the don- key pump having to be put on to the feed, but its check valve was also leaky, and the valve seats in the pump were loose. As the water had left the gage glass, the anchor was dropped off the Mumbles at 9:30 A. M. on May 25, when one of the tube stoppers was found to have given out at the back end. When this was replaced, the vessel was able to get into Swansea under her own steam, but as one of the furnaces was defective, it was decided to fit a new boiler instead of repairing the one in use. Sufficient repairs were done, however, to enable the vessel to complete her voyage to Guernsey, and back to her layingup port. Report No. 1681 deals with a mishap to the boiler of the steam trawler Co- lumbia, in May last, when the vessel was off Shoeburyness, on her. way from Lon- don to the fishing fleet in the North Sea. The vessel is engaged in carrying fish from the fishing fleet in the North Sea to Billingsgate market, and occasionally, when waiting for cargo, she also puts out her gear and trawls. On May 235, last, she left London, and after taking in bunker coal left Gravesend just after 6 P. M. The furnaces were fired about 8:40 P. M., and five minutes later a hiss ing noise was heard; this increased, and the stokehold became so filled with steam that it was impossible to enter it. The engines soon stopped for want of steam, and as soon as it was possible the stoke. hold was entered. The starboard fire was out in the stockhold and the other two fires were immediately drawn. The chief engineer then entered the starboard back end and found four stay nuts off the crown stays, and the crown plate collap- sed clear of the ends of two stays. To account for this it is supposed that when the trawl, which is on the port side, is out, the vessel takes a list, which has caused in the past the starboard cham- ber to become bare and so get over- heated and damaged, it being only a ques- tion of time afterwards as to when it would give way entirely. Report No. 1682 deals with an explo. sion of a launch boiler near Greenock on May 18, last. The launch. was the property of a boilermaker who obtained it about third-hand three years ago, but never made any inspection of it to ascer- tain its fitness for the recognized work- ing pressure. It appears that the launch has been used for pleasure purposes only. New engines were fitted last winter, and on the date of the explosion the launch was being taken out for a trial trip, but had not preceeded more than 300 yards from its starting point when the boiler exploded, three men being blown into the water. The others paddled the launch to the shore where she settled on some tim- bers and became a total wreck. The cause of the explosion was the wasted condition of the furnace, the upper part collapsing at the back, and the crown was blown forward and fractured at the fore end. FOUR DRY DOCKS FOR BREM- ERTON. Rear Admiral Richard C. Hollyday, chief of the bureau of yards and docks, Washington, D. C., spent sev- eral days recently at the navy yard at Bremerton, Wash. He made a thorough inspection of the yard with regard to future development. In discussing the needs of the Puget Sound navy yard Rear Admiral Holly- day said: "There are going to be four dry docks there. We are already plan- ning for the third and expect to ask congress soon for money to start it, but may not get it this time; but, anyway, it is a good idea to agitate the subject. We can safely say that we will have four dry docks com- pleted at this yard in the next eight years. "We are also asking congress for