The exploding boilers on the SS Sultana resulted in more deaths than the sinking of the Titanic.
Image Courtesy Wabash College
http://www.wabash.edu/magazine/index.cfm?magazine_id=34
The industrial boiler has come a long way in the few hundred years since its invention, particularly in regards to safety. Even long after the industrial revolution, these machines were often regarded as unpredictable and accident-prone, and were known for causing catastrophic explosions in the least convenient of places. Because industrial boilers were so typically used to provide power for major machinery and ships, when they would explode, it often resulted in mass injuries or even deaths. While today’s equipment is safer by far than it ever has been, the occasional explosion still makes waves.
The 1865 Sultana Explosion
April, 1865 was a landmark month for historical American tragedy. Less than two weeks after the death of President Abraham Lincoln, the Mississippi River steamboat SS Sultana was responsible for the single greatest maritime disaster in the country’s history. Because of its proximity to the deaths of both Lincoln and his assassin, this tragic event is often forgotten, despite the fact that it is responsible for more deaths than the sinking of the Titanic.
Equipped with four industrial boilers, this steamship was traveling on the Mississippi river when several of the boilers showed signs of stress and impending failure. The ship, which was legally permitted to carry less than 400 passengers, continued packing in more passengers—many of which were recently-released POWs from the Civil War—until capacity was about 2,400. Carrying more than six times its legal capacity and having made only cursory repairs to the malfunctioning boilers, the severely overloaded ship became a floating powder keg, and on April 27, three of the four boilers exploded.
Many of the passengers not killed in the explosion either burned with the ship or froze in the chilly waters of the Mississippi attempting to save themselves. The blaze could be seen from 7-9 miles away, and ultimately, more than 1,600 passengers perished.
The 2003 Norway Explosion
In 2003, the 23-year-old SS Norway—a cruise ship—experienced an industrial boiler explosion while docked in Florida. Once again, the boiler blast was attributed to insufficient operation, maintenance and inspection, and less than a year after the explosion, the ship was decommissioned.
While docked in Miami, one of the ship’s boilers exploded, shooting superheated steam into the boiler room and the living quarters above. While no passengers were injured, eight crewmembers were killed and another 17 were hurt. Superheated steam is steam that is hotter than the boiling point of water, and the extreme heat makes it especially devastating and injurious to anyone exposed to it. The boiler was repaired, the ship decommissioned, and by 2008, it had been almost completely demolished and scrapped.
The Medina County Fair Explosion of 2001
Demonstrating yet again the potentially catastrophic consequences of poor industrial boiler maintenance, at the 2001 county fair in Medina, Ohio, a boiler explosion killed five people and injured dozens more.
Before gasoline-fueled vehicles were the norm, boilers were used to power industrial equipment like steamrollers and tractors. One such tractor, an antique by 2001, was about to go on display at the Medina County Fair when its steam engine exploded. The explosion, which blasted shrapnel 100 yards away, ultimately killed five people—three on-site and two that died of their injuries. About 40 people were injured, including more than 20 who were hospitalized.
Theories suggested that the explosion was caused by inadequate water pressure inside the engine, which caused the boiler to overheat and generate unsafe amounts of flash steam. This goes to show that even a relatively small industrial boiler is powerful enough to cause massive damage.
Responses to Explosions
Around the time of the Sultana disaster, people were forced to come to terms with how dangerous boilers could be. The year after that explosion, the first boiler-specific boiler insurance company in the U.S., The Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company, was founded. At this point in history, industrial boiler explosions were taking place about once every four days, making them distinctly dangerous sources of energy.
Over the next several decades, more and more safety advocacy groups, safety-oriented legislation and testing codes were introduced, all with the goal of engineering and maintaining safer boilers. While these machines continued to malfunction on occasion, the frequency of catastrophic explosions was significantly diminished as the technology continually improved.
Modern Industrial Boilers
Fortunately, boiler technology has come a long way since the industrial revolution. What was once a relatively crude, unrefined form of energy production has since become a relatively safe, energy-efficient technology. Boiler design, production and testing is heavily regulated in an effort to prevent the catastrophes that marred their early days, and manufacturers are held to strict safety standards. While no technology is foolproof, engineers have learned a lot from the tragic explosions for which boilers were once known.
Learn More About Boilers
From historical catastrophes to modern advances:
A closer look at the SS Sultana disaster
An example of a modern manufacturer
Tragedy at the Medina County Fairgrounds
A closer look at the 2001 Medina County explosion
The Small Business Report 