Latest / Emergencies and World Disasters
Boiler at 205 psi: How the Sarah Dixon Blew Apart at Night
Boiler at 205 psi: How the Sarah Dixon Blew Apart at Night
Fear of sudden, violent failure: the Sarah Dixon’s boiler exploded at 11:15 PM on January 18, 1912, while running at 205 psi-40 psi above its rated 165-and tore the sternwheeler apart in darkness. Who was watching the water gauge in those final minutes, and why did the pressure climb so far beyond the boiler’s limit?
In this episode, we tell the sequence of events before and after the explosion, outline the vessel’s history and upgrades, and follow the investigators’ question about crew actions and responsibilities that night. What…
The skinny
The skinny isn't ready yet — notes appear once the transcript is processed.