Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory Archive

IN THE SCHOOL OF OCEAN AND EARTH SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI'I AT MANOA

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VEH-14: Tar Boiler Wagon

Historic photo: Adelaide tar boiler 1800s

Historic photo: Restored tar boiler 1935

Historic photo: Tar boiler and sand cart

HURL Artifact No.	VEH-14	*Denotes approximations and speculations


Name:	Tar Boiler	Lost:	Unknown
Artifact Type:	Wagon	Found:	10-Feb-09
Nationality:	USA or Hawaiian	Dive No:	PIV-207
Class or Make:	n/a	Location:	Kewalo
Model:	n/a	Depth (m):	285m
Purpose:	Road Paving and Repair	HURL crew:	Kerby, Kelley
Serial Number:	n/a	Additional Dives:
Built/Launched:	Unknown

Length:	*6'
Width:	*3.5'
Height:	*4'



Circumstance of Loss:	Unknown	Crew Personnel/Position:	n/a

Reason of Loss:	Unknown	Crew Survivals/Fatalities:	n/a

Artifact History:	*Likely used in Oahu's road construction as it was discovered on the same dive as a dump truck. Also of note, this artifact was found in the immediate vicinity of a small deteriorated barge (SBB-13).Tar boilers were also used for roofing.

Artifact Condition:	This unique item sits upright in very good condition. All wheels are steel with spokes and built for hauling heavy weight. There are bars visible underneath possibly for steering. A flat plate on one end may have been for spreading the tar while dispensing. It probably also had a top with a vent stack, a hoist, a two person see-saw type hand pump, and a towing bridle.

Additional Information:	Horse drawn four-wheeled tar boilers were introduced about 1907. It had a small crane for lifting wooden barrels to load it. It didn't actually boil the tar, but just heated it up enough to make it a free flowing liquid. The boiler was fitted with a hand pump that pressurized the molten tar down a hose to a nozzle for dispensing. Later a spray rail was developed which was pressurized by the wagons chain drive and powered a steam engine. They were used into the 1950's.

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