Steamboats experience boiler explosions (jan 29, 1800 – jul 10, 1920)

Description:

A boiler explosion is a catastrophic failure of a boiler. As seen today, boiler explosions are of two kinds. One kind is a failure of the pressure parts of the steam and water sides. There can be many different causes, such as failure of the safety valve, corrosion of critical parts of the boiler, or low water level.

In the forty years to the mid-century mark, there were some 4,000 fatalities on the river due to boiler explosions. Some 500 vessels were wrecked by the peril. Early boilers were riveted of weak iron plate. Vessels at the time were not inspected, or insured.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boiler_explosion

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steamboats_of_the_Mississippi#Boiler_explosions

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