Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1816-10-09
ID D Nj e S TIC.
ACCIDENTS TO STEAM BOATS.
From the W. Z. Columbian.


An Interesting essay appeared on this
SUBJECT IN The Evening Post of yesterday,
wtncii % we had room, we would gladly
rePahiish for public information, aud as .
caution to the people Of the south. But we
extract the following.
Mr. Fulton adopted the principle of
Mr.. Watt of England in the construction
or his boilers. These are adapted to bear
with perfect security, a pressure of eight
|pounus upon each square inch. They will
ineeed, support a. great deal more but this
oeins as much as is required, there is a con /.
uivance called SAT ty valve, by means OF
WI ich, whenever the steam rises above The
desired height, the extra pressure cause, n
valve TO open, and by the surplus steam
through it, the boiler is relieved: unless by
some egregious carelessness. fLis saCsty
waive IS so Instructed as that it cannot o.
pen, pr unless the boiler is so badly con-
structed, as not to be capable of bearing the
required pressure, ii is impossible that il
can Darst. But there has been great de.
SIRE OF late, to lessen the expense of build
ing steam boats, and many have attempted
10 economise by lessening the cost of boil-
ers.: In this, they may have succeeded
Out IT 10 feared that they have at the same
time, too much diminished their strerptb
we have heard that steam boats have Leen
punt al the southwark, which have Gust un-
der thirty thousand dollars. The Fulton,s
ooiier alone, cost, before it was muved from,
the shop OF the constructor, near thee and
twenty thousand dollars.
:" a project for employing what il called
nsn steam, which although after repeated
.rials oy me most ingenious aud eyperIenc,
Ell men IN England it has long been aban.
loned there, seems to have been revived IN
TINS country, with great confidence in It's
superior advantages. Mr.. Fulton whoi
knew well what experiments had been
made on this subject in England, as well
IS thls country, olten expressed his STRONG
conviction that it,could neither safely nor
tuyantageously be applied to navigation
w neither all the boats which have met with
from the bursting of the boilers
employed high steam, we do not know-l
,ut one OF them which was EMPLOYED ON
he mississippi we have heard and believe
ised high steam. 1t is much less surnr;s.
Dg, that such terrible accidents sbou,d
happen with boilers of that dee
than that they do not happen of.
ener. The high steam boiler is calculat.
~ 10 pear pressure, not Of from 20 to
w pound on the square inch, as il suppo-
ed IN the paragraph published in the Eve
ing Fost oil last evening, but generally a.
PRESSURE OF ffon one hundred to one hun.
lfed anu h'ty pounds on the square inch.
Inc high steam engine employed by Mr..
~ his paint factory i'm this CITY.
:abnot dc her work without the pressure oG
-ou pounds IN the square inch. If we con-
iaer that tins power of steam will give
'ressure of more than 10000 weight upon
very square foot Of the copper of the boiler
We can well imagine that there must be a
'readlul explosion whenever the boiler
ives way. With the other sort Of boilers
10 such dreadful consequences can follow
rom such an accident. 1t has often han.
ened cn account Of the badness of tbe
lateiials, or from the wear, or burainy one
The eooPFei' after long usage and when
dues l'.pPen, the copper merely rips in
he weatast part. The steam and water
ma ven. through the rent and the worst
nat can hapfen Is, that the water NAV find
. way to the bottom Of the boat and scald
leir feet. But it is very different witt
ne high steam boilers. In these az the
'iety valve does not rise till II feels 80
reat pressure, the boiler mayburst at A.
y thlng below IT, o that an explosion may
axe place. when the steam is near the
frength which the boiler is calculated to
ear and II ltdOes, it is to be expected thatl
ne effects will be tremendous"