Emergencies and World Disasters
Boiler at 205 psi: How the Sarah Dixon Blew Apart at Night
20 min•24 juli 2026
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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 survivors and recovery details reveal about where people were and what they were doing will guide the episode’s central mystery.
Person: Silas Knowles
Date: January 18, 1912
Location: Opposite Martin's Island, near Kalama, Washington
Event: Boiler explosion at 11:15 PM
Pressure: 205 psi (rated limit 165 psi)
- The Sarah Dixon was built in Portland in 1892 at a construction cost between $35,000 and $45,000.
- The rebuilt vessel relaunched May 26, 1906, at 161 feet long, nearly 30 feet beam, and 369 gross tons.
- A new boiler was installed in 1908 by Portland Boiler Works with a rating of 165 psi.
- Nine men reached a rowboat after the explosion; three crew members died that night.
- Captain Fred Steenson’s body was recovered on June 3, 1912, twenty miles downstream, nearly five months after the explosion.
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© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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 survivors and recovery details reveal about where people were and what they were doing will guide the episode’s central mystery.
Person: Silas Knowles
Date: January 18, 1912
Location: Opposite Martin's Island, near Kalama, Washington
Event: Boiler explosion at 11:15 PM
Pressure: 205 psi (rated limit 165 psi)
- The Sarah Dixon was built in Portland in 1892 at a construction cost between $35,000 and $45,000.
- The rebuilt vessel relaunched May 26, 1906, at 161 feet long, nearly 30 feet beam, and 369 gross tons.
- A new boiler was installed in 1908 by Portland Boiler Works with a rating of 165 psi.
- Nine men reached a rowboat after the explosion; three crew members died that night.
- Captain Fred Steenson’s body was recovered on June 3, 1912, twenty miles downstream, nearly five months after the explosion.
To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.
© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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