Springfield Paper Mill
in Reddish, near Stockport.
Owned by William Haigh.
1876 Boiler Explosion at Haigh's Paper Mill, Reddish [1]
'THE FATAL BOILER EXPLOSION AT REDDISH. The adjourned inquest on the body of William Gadman, 43 years of age, a fireman, lately residing at Longson-street, Lancashire Hill, Stockport, who was killed by the explosion of a boiler at Mr. Haigh’s Paper Mill, Reddish, on the 22nd instant, was held yesterday at the Rowland Hill public-house, Reddish, before Mr. F. Price, coroner. Mr. W. Cobbett, solicitor, appeared on behalf of the owner of the mill. The inquest was opened on Monday, when statements were made by several witnesses, including the daughter of deceased, and the engineer at the mill, to the effect that the boiler had been in leaky and dangerous condition for some time before it burst, and the inquiry was adjourned in order that the jury might visit the scene of the accident, and that scientific evidence to the conditions of the boiler might be prepared.
'The first witness called yesterday was Samuel Whittaker, boiler-maker, Lancashire-hill, who stated that he had frequently been employed to repair the boiler which had exploded. Just before it was fixed he put plate in it. That would be ten or twelve years ago. It then seemed "a very tidy boiler," except in a plate at the back, which he repaired, it was certainly a boiler fit for use for the purpose for which it was required. The plates, all through, were five-sixteenths of inch thick. Between the time when he repaired the boiler at the back and a date about thirteen months ago he had not done any repairs to the boiler. On the last occasion he repaired it three lengths of plating, each five and a half feet long, were put the middle the bottom of the boiler. He made a thorough examination of the boiler that time, as far as he could, and it was good working order. Six months afterwards he put a gutter plate in the bottom, five feet from the front, and since then he had put another plate near the same place. Four or five months ago he put patch on the top of each of the two fire boxes. Three months ago, or perhaps a little more, he repaired the left-hand side close to the front with piece of plate which was riveted. These were all the repairs he could remember having made. His men once put in a screw-bolted plate to cover a crack at the back end. Mr. Haigh had prescribed from time to time what should be done at the boiler when it wanted repair but whenever he (witness) found that it required mending he had reported the fact to Mr. Haigh, who had given him permission to execute the repairs he thought necessary.
'In reply to Mr. Cobbett witness said he had several occasions told Mr. Haigh that in his opinion the boiler was in good working order. With the exception of the repairs made to the boiler before it was put down, those made about thirteen months ago, and those made by the son of the witness about six months ago, the repairs were trifling in character.
'Joseph Whittaker, son of the last witness, said he effected extensive repairs to the boiler about thirteen years ago, and, about eighteen months ago, put in a six-bolted plate. When he was working at the boiler, six months since, he thought it was in good working order. He had seen, since the explosion, that a patch had been put on by some one else. The patch was put on in a safe manner, but if he had been consulted he should have recommended that a plate should have been put in. ‘John Ashworth, a paper maker, said he was at present an oiler at a cotton mill. He was in the employ of Mr. Haigh, as foreman of the works for about two years, but left four months ago. He made one repair to the boiler which had burst about ten months since. He put a bolted plate at the back end of the boiler. That plate had been split in two by the explosion. The plates to which he fixed the patch were, he thought, at that time a little over quarter of inch thick, and he considered that they were safe. The reason he put the patch on was that there was a crack in one of the plates which it covered. Mr. Haigh told him to make the repair. The engineer had put on a plate about three plates from the end of the boiler. After he (witness) had put the plate on, Mr. Haigh asked him if he had made a good job of it. He said he had, and that there was no fear of an accident. About 18 months ago Mr. Haigh told Whittaker to make a thorough examination of the boiler, and if anything wanted doing they were to do it. When he put the patch on he suggested to Mr. Haigh that he should get new boiler, and he said he would do so. Witness did not think the patch he put on was as strong as a riveted plate.
'The court then adjourned for half-an-hour.
'Mr. John Taylor, mechanic, was called on the court resuming, and said he was in the employ of Mr. Haigh. He heard steam blowing off on Saturday morning and went into the boiler house, and from the weights he saw on the lever of each boiler he judged that they had been extra weighted. There was iron cog wheel on each lever besides other weights. He should think the weight of the wheel on the boiler that burst would be 30 pounds. There was 56lb. weight on the lever of the boiler which had burst in addition to the wheel he had mentioned. He could not say whether their was a 56lb. weight on the other boiler or not They were not coupled at this time. He told the fireman (Gadman) that he thought he was getting steam too high, and the deceased replied that they were just going to start. Witness went into another building about ten yards off, when he heard the report of the explosion.
'Mr. L. E. Fletcher, chief engineer to the Manchester Steam Users' Association, presented a report in which he said he had in accordance with the instruction of the coroner, examined the fragments of the boiler, which he found was of the Lancashire type, having two furnace tubes running though it from end to end. Its length was 34 feet 3 inches, and its diameter in the shell 7 feet. The furnace tubes were oval for a length of 8 feet, and measured about 2 feet 10 inches vertically, by 2 feet 6 Inches horizontally, the remainder of the tube being cylindrical, and having a diameter of 2 feet 6 inches. The original thickness of the plates was half an inch in the flat ends and five-sixteenths full, or three-eights bare in the cylindrical portion the shell; while in the oval furnaces it was three-eights of an inch, and the back end five-sixteenths. The boiler was fitted with a dial pressure gauge and two safety valves of lever construction, one open, and the other enclosed. The pressure was stated have been about 35lbs. to the square inch. The weights found, however, did not make more than 25lbs. The boiler gave way at the back end, the primary rent occurring near the centre line at the bottom of the shell. This rent ran in a longitudinal direction across the first, second, third, and fourth belts of plating counting from the back, and then passed round the boiler at the fourth ring seam, and also the ring seam of rivets connecting the shell to the end plate. In this way the last four belts of plating, with the dome upon them were severed entirely from the boiler, and then blown by the force of the steam a distance of about 30 yards left of its original position. The brickwork from the setting was scattered in every direction, one of the bricks being thrown as far as 105 yards, while the fireman was blown about 50 yards. The boiler under consideration was one of two set side by side and connected. Nothing could be simpler than the cause of this explosion. The plates at the line of fracture at which the primary rent occurred were seriously wasted by external corrosion. At one part for a length of two feet six inches they were little thicker than a sheet of paper. The boiler had evidently been repeatedly patched, and the work had not been done in the most satisfactory way, the coverplates, put on to stop leakages, having been applied with bolts and nuts instead of rivets. The plates were so reduced in thickness to render the boiler unfit for work, and it was to its wasted condition that he attributed the explosion. He had been unable to ascertain the precise age of the boiler, as it had been bought its present owner second-hand about nine years since, when he was given to understand that it was safe at 60bs. or 65lbs. to the inch. He (Mr. Haigh) was, however, quite misinformed as, looking at the oval furnaces, it was never fit to work at more than 35lb. The representations made when second hand boilers were purchased should always be received with caution, and looking at the risk to human life it was but prudent that competent advice should be taken on such occasions. Inspection by any competent person would have led to the detection of the wasted condition of this boiler in time to have given warning of the danger, and thus have prevented the explosion.
'Mr. Haigh, the owner of the boiler, was called by Mr. Cobbett. He said he always left the repairs of the boiler to his engineer, who told him during last week that the boiler was safe. He had given the engineer and fireman authority to have any repairs effected which they thought necessary. After hearing other evidence, the jury returned a verdict of "Accidental death," and added that they found there had been no thorough examination made to the condition of the boiler since it was put in, either by a boilermaker or by Mr. Haigh's own men: also that the manager and engineer employed by Mr. Haigh were totally incompetent to inspect it in a thorough manner, and that Mr. Haigh was to blame for allowing incompetent men to make these repairs, and Mr. Haigh should have put his boilers under proper inspection. The jury further expressed the opinion that action should be taken by Government to prevent as far possible the explosion of steam boilers and consequent loss of life; but were not prepared to offer any suggestion as to what ought to be done.’
1877 'Local Failures: William Haigh, of Reddish, and of 12, David-street, Manchester, both in the county of Lancaster, paper manufacturer; liabilities, £9,000.'[2]
1877 Sale Notice: 'TO BE SOLD BY AUCTION, BY MESSRS. WM. GRUNDY & SON, By order of the mortgagees, .... All that Valuable PAPER MILL, situate at Reddish, near Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, and known by the name of the Springfield Paper Mill; together with the Warehouse, Engine House, Boiler Houses, Entrance Lodge, Stables, Chimney, and other Trade Buildings, Water Rights, Lodges. and FOUR COTTAGES adjoining, recently in the occupation of William Haigh and his under-tenants; together with Steam Power, comprising a cylindrical two-flued boiler, 26ft long, 6ft 6in; high and and mountings, high and low pressure vertical steam engine, with cylinders 12in. and 24in. diameter, 2ft. 6in. stroke, and all fittings; high-pressure ditto, 6in. cylinder, 20in. stroke; .... The machinery, which is in full working order, includes 60in. paper machine, with drying cylinders, calenders, and steam engine attached; 56in. single-cylinder cap machine and engine attached. ....' [3]