Exploded boiler as a monument - the "Rheinfall" disaster of 1869

[Hankwilliams]

The flush deck paddler "Rheinfall", build 1865 for young Rhine river between Berlingen, Lake Constance and the city of Schaffhausen got a boiler explosion at December 20th of 1869. Five people were killed, several more injured. The ship was repaired in the following year and got the new name "Neptun". She was in navigation until 1937.
In 1995 the old boiler was found in the Rhine River, raised and conserved. It`s now a technical monument at Berlingen. Very interestung the good condition of the boiler - laying 126 years in water. Nearly the whole back side is gone, but except this the boiler seems nearly intact.

Thomas

[Spankbucket]

Fascinating! Was the cause of the explosion ever identified?

[Hankwilliams]

It`s not clear what caused the explosion. For that time the boiler was working with the very high pressure of 10 bar - may be, that this was too much for the wide backside of the boiler. Without this, the whole boiler seems completely undamaged. The new boiler for the repaired ship only was working with 5 bar pressure.

Thomas

[Hankwilliams]

In this coherence an unfortunately blurred picture, made in 1986 of the relicts of "Welf" steamer at the banks of Juba river in Somalia near Baardheere. This was the ship of german Africa explorer Carl Claus von der Decken. His expedition failed at this place in September 1865, when the ship was wrecked in the narrow and shallow arm of the river. Boiler and funnel seems relative intact.

[Spankbucket]

Thank you for your reply on the explosion. I think that event highlights the very real risks of using steam at high pressure, even in model paddlers!

The remains of von der Decken's ship, one you which you have told us about before, might represent a pilgrimage site for all us 'Paddleduckers'?!

Many thanks for posting.