Engine blew up ..

[Si Klegg]

I think I'd prefer to travel in last car rather than the first after reading this …

From the Diary of Chesley A. Mosman, 1st Lt, Co. D, 59th Illinois:

[Mosman's unit was heading home to be mustered out, Diary Entry is Jan 6, 1866]

January 6 - Morning found us at Decatur. Got breakfast at Central House. Got men into cars (changed cars, officers took the front car) and just as we started the engine blew up, killing the engineer and fireman and scalding another fireman badly and severely injuring Col. Hale and Lt. Stump. The explosion cut my nose and knocked me down, also cutting my head, and blowing cinders all over us. The engineer and fireman were blown forty-two steps off, and their clothing into the trees. It blew Loop and the conductor against the hotel and tore up the platform and telegraph poles. Col. Hale and Stump were left there. We got another engine and got to Camp Butler at 1pm.

 

[Patrick H]

YIKES!

 

[Si Klegg]

YIKES!

That's what I thought when I read it! How little he writes about it struck me too. I guess after 4 years of war, he'd seen it all and this was nothing compared to the carnage he'd already witnessed.

 

[rebelatsea]

Sounds like a badly corroded seam. Engineer opens the throttle, loco moves, water surges in the boiler - just enough to trigger the BANG. An enquiry into a similar explosion in England reported the boiler plates little thicker than an eggshell, which the inspector said conjures up the terrifying vision of the boiler breathing " like an inflated paper bag" under the lagging.

 

[DaveBrt]

Officers and ladies usually (and in some places by law) got the LAST cars. The usual order was locomotive, tender, box cars, baggage car, passenger car(s). This helped prevent fires on the women's clothing and kept everyone out of as much smoke as possible. This was assuming pine fuel -- coal made the reasons less important.

Unfortunately, the first cars frequently followed the locomotive into collisions, down collapsed bridges and off in derailments. Last cars suffered from derailments as well and were occasionally rammed from behind by a following locomotive.

 

[Mrs. V]

Ouch!

 

[Rusk County Avengers]

I'm gonna go with what Rebelatsea said, I've had the privilege of spending a some time around steam engines, when they go, they go, and if your close, running won't do any good.

This reminds me of my days operating heavy equipment, main rule a lot of people don't follow, back then or now, is to always check your equipment, I imagine this kind of occurrence wasn't necessarily rare, especially with a war on.

 

[Drew]

Steam engine explosions were very common in the mid-19th century. I'm pretty sure there are insurance company claims records to prove it. It was a horrible way to go.

Someone's going to come along and explain to us the difference between the high pressure steamboat engines used in the South and low pressure engines used in the North and in Europe.

The high pressure engines used on the Western rivers were necessary to fight prevailing currents, but when they blew up, few stood a chance. I realize this is a railroad thread, but the principle was the same.

 

[DaveBrt]

About half way down on the page below are links to all the Confederate railroad accidents I have been able to find -- several hundred of them. There are probably a dozen boiler explosions, each usually receiving several, extensive newspaper articles.

http://csa-railroads.com/Essays/Essays_and_Documents.htm

 

[rebelatsea]

I've just looked up the accident I quoted, and oddly the loco in question was one of a pair of imported Norris engines imported from across the pond ! Also the BANG happened at the bottom of the Lickey incline. Strongly suggesting that the safety valves had been tampered with. That couldn't be proved as most of the loco and crew were scattered over a wide area as was the station roof ! As it was departure time all the passengers were on board, protected by the steel back of the tender which is what reduced the death toll to crew and the unfortunate Station master who had just given "right away".

 

[Jimklag]

I think I'd prefer to travel in last car rather than the first after reading this …

From the Diary of Chesley A. Mosman, 1st Lt, Co. D, 59th Illinois:

[Mosman's unit was heading home to be mustered out, Diary Entry is Jan 6, 1866]

January 6 - Morning found us at Decatur. Got breakfast at Central House. Got men into cars (changed cars, officers took the front car) and just as we started the engine blew up, killing the engineer and fireman and scalding another fireman badly and severely injuring Col. Hale and Lt. Stump. The explosion cut my nose and knocked me down, also cutting my head, and blowing cinders all over us. The engineer and fireman were blown forty-two steps off, and their clothing into the trees. It blew Loop and the conductor against the hotel and tore up the platform and telegraph poles. Col. Hale and Stump were left there. We got another engine and got to Camp Butler at 1pm.

There are two engineering laws that fit this incident - 1. No structure is stronger than the weakest point; 2. Stress will find the weakest point of any structure. I prefer, however, the Thermodynamic Corollary To Murphy's Law. We all know Murphy's Law is "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong." The Thermodynamic Corollary says, "Things get worse under pressure."

 

[Si Klegg]

Chicago tribune, January 08, 1866

Chicago Tribune January 9th,1866

https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/...t=&proxdistance=5&rows=20&searchType=advanced