List of boiler explosions
This article contains a list of steam boiler explosions including (but not limited to) railway locomotive, marine transport (military and civilian), and stationary power.
Events
| Event | Date | Type | Nation | City/Locale | Killed | Injured | Missing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Savery Explosion[1] | 1716 | Industrial |  United Kingdom | 1 | |||
| Brunton's Mechanical Traveller | 1815 | Locomotive | United Kingdom | Philadelphia, Tyne and Wear | 16 | ||
| The Washington[2] | 1816 | Marine (Civilian) |  United States | Marietta, Ohio | 12 | 5 | |
| The Aetna[2] | May 15, 1824 | Marine (Civilian) | United States | New York City, New York | 10 | 40 | |
| Locomotion No 1 | 1828 | Locomotive | United Kingdom | 1 | |||
| Best Friend of Charleston | June 17, 1831 | Locomotive | United States | Charleston, South Carolina | 1 | 3 | |
| PS Union[3][4][5] | 1837 | Marine (Civilian) | United Kingdom | Hull | 20 | 20 | |
| SS Moselle[6] | April 28, 1838 | Marine (Civilian) | United States | Cincinnati, Ohio | 81 | 13 | 55 |
| SS Henry Eckford | April 27, 1841 | Marine (Civilian) | United States | New York City, New York | 1 | 2 | |
| Firth Woolen Mill[7] | 1850 | Industrial | United Kingdom | Halifax, West Yorkshire | 12[8] | 17 | |
| The Hague Street Explosion[9] | February 4, 1850 | Industrial | United States | New York City, New York | 67 | 50 | |
| SS Canemah | August 8, 1853 | Marine (Civilian) | United States | Champoeg, Oregon | 1 | ||
| SS Shoalwater | May 1853 | Marine (Civilian) | United States | Rock Island, Oregon | |||
| SS Gazelle | April 8, 1854 | Marine (Civilian) | United States | Oregon City, Oregon | 1 | ||
| Fieldhouse Mills[10] | July 15, 1855 | Industrial | United Kingdom | Rochdale, Greater Manchester | 10 | 13 | |
| SS Pennsylvania | June 13, 1858 | Marine (Civilian) | United States | Memphis, Tennessee | 250 | ||
| Hembrigg Mills[11] | June 27, 1863 | Industrial | United Kingdom | Morley, West Yorkshire | 9 | ||
| SS Ada Hancock | April 23, 1863 | Marine (Civilian) | United States | San Pedro Bay, California | 26 | 23 | |
| Calcutta Explosion | 1863 |  India | Kolkata, West Bengal | ||||
| USS Chenango | April 15, 1864 | Marine (Military) | United States | New York City New York | 33 | ||
| USS Tulip | November 11, 1864 | Marine (Military) | United States | Potomac River, Maryland | 49 | ||
| Sultana | April 27, 1865 | Marine (Civilian) | United States | Memphis, Tennessee | 1800 | ||
| Town & Son Factory[12] | June 9, 1869 | Industrial | United Kingdom | Bingley, West Yorkshire | 15 | ||
| SS Senator | May 6, 1875 | Marine (Civilian) | United States | Portland, Oregon | |||
| HMS Thunderer | July 14, 1876 | Marine (Military) | United Kingdom | Portsmouth Harbour | 45 | 70 | |
| Railway Explosion | December 21, 1881 | Locomotive |  Australia | New South Wales | |||
| Queensland Railways | 1890 | Locomotive | Australia | Queensland | |||
| North East Dundas Tramway | June 18, 1892 | Locomotive | Australia | Tasmania | |||
| Annie Faxon | April 14, 1893 | Marine (Civilian) | United States | Columbia River | 8 | ||
| Zeehan | May 1, 1899 | Locomotive | Australia | Tasmania | |||
| Grover Shoe Factory disaster | March 20, 1905 | Industrial | United States | Brockton, Massachusetts | 58 | 150 | |
| HMS Implacable | July 12, 1905 | Marine (Military) | United Kingdom | 2 | |||
| USS Bennington | July 21, 1905 | Marine (Military) | United States | San Diego, California | 66 | ||
| HMS Implacable | August 16, 1906 | Marine (Military) | United Kingdom | 2 | |||
| SS Sarah Dixon | January 18, 1912 | Marine (Civilian) | United States | Kalama, Washington | 3 | ||
| Southern Pacific Roundhouse | March 18, 1912 | Locomotive | United States | San Antonio, Texas | 26 | ||
| Rumney Shed | April 21, 1912 | Locomotive | United Kingdom | Cardiff, Wales | |||
| SS City of Liverpool[13] | February 24, 1913 | Marine (Civilian) | United Kingdom | Manchester Ship Canal, Nr Runcorn | 1 | ||
| SS James T. Staples[14][15] | January 10, 1913 | Marine (Civilian) | United States | Bladon Springs, Alabama | 26 | 21 | |
| Destroyer Ikazuchi | October 9, 1913 | Marine (Military) |  Japan | Ominato | |||
| Locomotive nr. 2 of Medina - Salamanca Railway [16] | January 10, 1918 | Locomotive |  Spain | Medina del Campo, VA | 15 | 15 | 0 |
| Buxton | November 11, 1921 | Locomotive | United Kingdom | Buxton, Derbyshire | |||
| LMS 6399 Fury | February 10, 1930 | Locomotive | United Kingdom | 1 | |||
| DRG Class 04 | April 3, 1939 | Locomotive |  Germany | ||||
| Canadian National 242 | August 9, 1941 | Locomotive |  Canada | Montreal, Quebec | 1 | 1 | |
| PRR 520 | November 14, 1942 | Locomotive | United States | Cresson, Pennsylvania | 2 | 4 | |
| SS Cascades | 1943 | Marine (Civilian) | United States | Portland, Oregon | |||
| USATC S160 Class | 1943, 1944 | Locomotive | United Kingdom | ||||
| Union Pacific 9000 Class | October 20, 1948 | Locomotive | United States | 3 | |||
| British Railways | January 24, 1962 | Locomotive | United Kingdom | Bletchley, Buckinghamshire | 0 | 2 | |
| USS Basilone | February 5, 1973 | Marine (Military) | United States | 7 | |||
| Bitterfeld Railway | November 27, 1977 | Locomotive |  East Germany | Bitterfeld | 9 | 45 | |
| USS Willamette | June 29, 1995 | Marine (Civilian) | United States | 0 | 7 | ||
| Medina County Fair Ground [17][18] | July 29, 2001 | Antique Steam Tractor | United States | Medina County | 5 | ~40 | |
| SS Norway | May 25, 2003 | Marine (Civilian) | United States | Miami, Florida | 8 | 17 | |
| Orewa College[19] | June 24, 2009 | Industrial |  New Zealand | Orewa, Auckland | 1 | 1 |
St Mary's Hospital Passaic New Jesey Cleaver Brooks boiler Explosion 7/16/06
Key safety developments
- This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
| Year | Event/Activity | Type | Nation | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1847 | Institution of Mechanical Engineers | Technical Society | United Kingdom | IMechE formed, emphasizing the importance of specialized mechanical knowledge, particularly with respect to steam power (i.e., see also Institution of Civil Engineers) |
| 1855 | Steam Users' Association[20] | Technical Society | United Kingdom | In Manchester, the "Association for the Prevention of Steam Boiler Explosions, and for effecting Economy in the Raising and Use of Steam" is formed and, eschewing direct regulation, advocates creation of trained inspectors.[21] Later adds the prefix "Manchester Steam Users' ..." to the name. |
| 1855 | Ramsbottom Safety Valve | Safety valve | United Kingdom | John Ramsbottom (engineer) invented a tamperproof safety valve. |
| 1864 | Bengal Act VI of 1864[22] | Legislation | India | Provided for the inspection of steam boilers in and around Kolkatta |
| 1866 | The Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company | Commercial | United States | The first boiler insurance company in the U.S. is established in Hartford, CT[23] |
| 1880 | American Society of Mechanical Engineers | Technical Society | United States | ASME formed, largely in response to calls for improvements in boiler safety |
| 1882 | Boiler Explosions Act, 1882[24] | Legislation | United Kingdom | Required notice of a boiler explosion to be sent to the Board of Trade within 24 hours of occurrence and established inquiry authorizations |
| 1884 | ASME Boiler Testing Code | Safety Standard | United States | The "Code for the Conduct of Trials of Steam Boilers", the first U.S. code for conducting boiler tests, is issued |
| 1890 | Boiler Explosions Act, 1890[25] | Legislation | United Kingdom | Extended 1882 requirements to marine vessels |
| 1911 | Uniform Boiler Rules, Massachusetts[26] | Legislation | United States | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts adopts uniform boiler rules, the first state-wide boiler code to apply in the U.S. Equivalent rules are quickly adopted by other states (e.g., Ohio) |
| 1915 | ASME Boiler Code[27] | Safety Standard | United States | The ASME Boiler Code Committee issues "Standards for Specifications and Construction of Boilers and Other Containing Vessels in Which High Pressure is Contained" |
References
- ↑ Le Van, William Barnet (1892). Safety-Valves: Their History, Antecedents, Invention and Calculation. New York: Norman W. Henley & Co. pp. 134–135. Retrieved 2009-06-14.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Grohman, Adam M. (April 2011). "Sentinels and Saviors of the Sea" (PDF). Boating World U. S. Coast Guard Series. River & Sound Publishing of NY, Inc. Retrieved 2011-09-02.
- ↑ Schroder, Henry (1851), "Explosion of a Steam Packet Boiler at Hull", The annals of Yorkshire from the earliest period to the present time 1, Crosby & Co., Leeds, pp. 303–4
- ↑ "Abstract of the evidence at the inquest relating to the explosion of the boiler of the "Union" steam packet at Hull", The Mechanics' magazine, museum, register, journal, and gazette 27, W.A. Robertson, London, 1837, pp. 189–192
- ↑ Timperley, J.; Cubitt, W.; MacNeill, J.; Buddle, J.; Field, J. (1838). "On the Explosion of One of the Boilers of the Union Steam Packet, at Hull. (Includes Discussion)". Minutes of the Proceedings 1 (1838): 41. doi:10.1680/imotp.1838.24811.
- ↑ Lloyds Steamboat Disasters
- ↑ "Boiler Explosion at Halifax". The Mechanics' Magazine LIII: 488–489. 6 July 1850th - December 28. Retrieved 2009-06-13. Check date values in:
|date=(help) - ↑ Leeds Intelligencer 22 March 1851
- ↑ Common Council, New York, NY (1850). Report of the Special Committee: Catastrophe In Hague Street. New York: McSpedon & Baker. Retrieved 2009-06-13. Also see: Little, George P. (1860). The Fireman's Own Book, Chapter: Explosion and Fire in Hague Street. pp. 259–277. Retrieved 2009-06-13. "The Dreadful Explosion in New York". The Friend: A Religious and Literary Journal: 176. February 16, 1850. Retrieved 2009-06-13.
- ↑ Dodsley, James (1855). The Annual Register, Entry for July 15, 1854: Terrific Boiler Explosion At Rochdale. London: F. & J. Rivington. p. 112. Retrieved 2009-06-13.
- ↑ William, Smith (1866). Rambles about Morley. London: John Russell Smith. Retrieved 2009-06-13.
- ↑ Burke, Edmund (1869). The Annual Register, Entry for June 9, 1869. p. 55. Retrieved 2009-06-13.
- ↑ Directors minutes of North Lonsdale Ironworls Co, BDB47 box 16 at CRO, Barrow
- ↑ Ward, Rufus (2010). The Tombigbee River Steamboats: Rollodores, Dead heads, and Side-wheelers. Charleston, South Carolina: History Press. pp. 129, 169. ISBN 978-1-59629-285-7.
- ↑ James V. Swift (May 14, 2001). "This Southern Steamboat Had A Tragic Ending" (PDF). Waterways Journal. Retrieved November 6, 2012.
- ↑ «La Horrorosa Catástrofe de Medina (The terrible disaster of Medina)», article in El Adelanto de Salamanca (The Forward of Salamanca), 11-01-1918, page 2. Ministry of Culture of Spain historic newspaper server.
- ↑ http://www.nlsme.co.uk/Articles/Boiler_Explosion.pdf Boiler Explosion in Ohio, USA First Hand Observations from Andrew Semple
- ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/30/us/steam-engine-blast-at-ohio-fairgrounds-leaves-4-men-dead.html Steam Engine Blast At Ohio Fairgrounds Leaves 4 Men Dead
- ↑ Ruscoe, Kim (25 June 2009). "Death after school boiler explosion". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
- ↑ Fairbairn, William (1855). Useful Information For Engineers, Lecture III "On Boiler Explosions: The remedies applicable for the prevention of accidents arising from explosions" and [http://books.google.com/books?id=QkkOAAAAYAAJ&printsec=titlepage&cad=0#PPA350,M1 Appendix IV "Association for the Prevention of Steam Boiler Explosions" ] (1st ed.). London: Longman, Green, Longman, Roberts, and Green (4th Ed.). pp. 75–83, 350–353 (4th Ed., 1864). Retrieved 2009-06-13.
- ↑ Fletcher, Lavington E. (October 1869). "Boiler Explosions". Van Nostrand's Eclectic Engineering Magazine I (X): 940–941. Retrieved 2009-06-13.
- ↑ Bombay Legislative Council (1870). Proceedings of the Council of the Governor of Bombay. Government Central Press. p. 85. Retrieved 2009-06-14.
- ↑ Zartman, Lester William (1909). Fire Insurance, Chapter XIX. Steam Boiler Insurance. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press. pp. 352–353. Retrieved 2009-06-14.
- ↑ Great Britain (1882). The Law Journal Reports for the Year 1882, Boiler Explosions Act (Chapter 22). pp. 41–43. Retrieved 2009-06-13.
- ↑ Great Britain (1890). The Practical Statutes of the Session 1890, Boiler Explosions Act, 1890. London: Horace Cox. pp. 332–333. Retrieved 2009-06-13.
- ↑ Heine Safety Boiler Co. (1920). Steam Boiler Engineering. St. Louis, Missouri: Heine Safety Boiler Co. p. 51. Retrieved 2009-06-14.
- ↑ Croft, Terrell (Ed.) (1921). Steam Boilers, Division 4 "Boiler Codes and Inspection Laws". New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc. pp. 73–76. Retrieved 2009-06-14.
Further reading
Contemporary Listings and Accounts
- Abel, F. A. (March 1875). "On Accidental Explosions". Notices of the Proceedings at the Meetings of the Members of the Royal Institution: 390–396. Retrieved 2009-06-13.
- Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons (1877). Parliamentary Papers, "361. Boiler Explosions" (For Years 1875-1876). London: HMSO. Retrieved 2009-06-13.
- Manchester Steam Users' Association for the Prevention of Steam Boiler Explosions (Founded 1855)
- Laxton, William (1866). "July 31st Meeting". The Civil Engineer & Architect's Journal 29 (September 1): 265–267. Retrieved 2009-06-13.
- Laxton, William (1866). "September 25th Meeting". The Civil Engineer & Architect's Journal 29 (November 1): 333–336. Retrieved 2009-06-13.
- Laxton, William (1866). "October 30th Meeting". The Civil Engineer & Architect's Journal 29 (December 1): 359–. Retrieved 2009-06-13.
- Marten E.B. Records of Steam Boiler Explosions Various volumes, e.g. 1869 at Open Library; 1872 at Open Library; 1875, 1878, 1890 covering explosions in Britain.
- The National Boiler Insurance Company
- Laxton, William (1866). "Abstract of Report". The Civil Engineer & Architect's Journal 29 (February 1st): 39–40. Retrieved 2009-06-13.
- Redfield, William C. (1839). Letter To The Secretary Of The Treasury, On The History and Causes of Steamboat Explosions And The Means Of Prevention. New York: william Osborn. Retrieved 2009-06-13.
- Stryker, James (March 1849). "Steam Boiler Explosions". Strykers American Register and Magazine II (I): 100–101. Retrieved 2009-06-13.
- Thurston, R. H. (1903). Steam-Boiler Explosions In Theory And In Practice, Chapter: The Statistics of Explosions (3rd ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons. Retrieved 2009-06-13.
Other
- For a short status of European steam users' associations and boiler insurance companies c. 1897, see Hale, R. S. (April 1897). "European Boiler Practice". Journal of the Association of Engineering Societies. XVIII (4): 242–243. Retrieved 2009-06-13.
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