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Show uu CAUSE Of EXPLOSION WHICH WRECKED 810 STACK Headed by T. W. Younger, superintendent super-intendent of motive power of the Southern Pacific with headquarters at Sacramento, Cal., a board of Inquiry yesterday afternoon conducted an inquiry in-quiry Into the cause of the explosion which wrecked tho immense smoke stack at the local Southern Pacific power house oh the night of January 13. The board, in addition to Mr. Younger, was composed of II 1 Bell, assistant superintendent; D. Hickoy, master mechanic, and W. F. Turner, assistant division engineer, or the Salt Lake division of tho Southern Pacific; T. H. Carr, druggist, and T. S. Hutchinson, merchant, of Ogden. According to their findings, the smokestack was damaged to the extent ex-tent of $3,000, the roof of the power house, 1,000, the roof of the blacksmith black-smith shop, 1,500, and Carl J. Nelson, Nel-son, a stationery fireman, was seriously ser-iously injured. Tho circumstances connected with, and tho cause of tho explosion, were reported by the board as follows: "This board finds that at 10:30 p. m., January 13, 191G, oil pump feeding feed-ing oil to boilers in powor house stopped for a period of about five minutes, due to some foroign substance sub-stance In steam throttlo valve to pump. The firoman coming to where they were working on pump, found It was stopped, and made inquiries from the man in charge, whether or not ho should close firing valves, evidently not hearing his orders to do bo from the man In charge Tvhen pump first stopped. After the machinist completed com-pleted repairs to pump, he started same to see if It was all right, and, before fireman had an opportunity to get valves closed, which evidently, owing to the oil valves being open, allowed oil to pass through the burners burn-ers on to the hot bricks, causing gas to form In tho fire boxes, which resulted re-sulted In the explosions. The force of the explosions extending up into tho stack, as also In the oppoaito direction, di-rection, through tho smoke boxes of hollers Nos. 5 and C, which were not in operation, blowing out smoke box door to boiler No. 6 and knocking out window opposite same in boiler room. "Wo also find, from observation after tho accident and crumbling of stack, that it showed indications of a fracture for several foot on both sides. However, this defect waa not noticeable until after the accident. "It is the opinion of this board that had Chief Electrician G. C. Hamlyn, in charge of plant, Been to it that his orders to close firing valves wero obeyed when pump first stopped, and that theye wore closed until pump was again started, this accident would have been avoided. His failure to do so, in our opinion, was due to confusion confu-sion and excitement incident to converting con-verting these boilers into oil burners; two of them having been in operation but about 24 hours, two being placed In operation at time of explosion, and tho remaining two not having been yet placed in operation." The wrecked smokestack was erected erect-ed in 1908 and was one of the largest In this part of the country. It was originally 152 feet in height and about 70 foot still stands below the danger dan-ger line on tho shattered brick pile. The re-orectlon of tho stack, according accord-ing to Assistant Superintendent H. L. Bell, will not be necessary, owing to tho installation of the oil burning power boilers, which has been under way for several months. The shattered shat-tered top, however, is now being removed, re-moved, this work having been started yesterday afternoon. Superintendent Younger, who came to Ogden purposely to conduct the official inquiry, departed for Sacramento Sacra-mento this afternoon. |
