Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-03-28
STEAMBOATS,.
ITO THF EDIToR-

- IffE tDIIOR-
Upon seeing the accounts published re.
IaiiVe to The late accident on board of The
PoWHATAN, | was inclined TO believe
'hat the boiler must either have been
made of very thin or very bad conner I'd
burst with pressure of steam Of ould
~ li'$. IN the inch area, when all thosJ
that had heretofore seen were canabld
81 sustaining more than three times tba3
| pressure, beiag ARRAYS tried. as acas The cad
acitA THIS one also, but not Guite so highl
and for which there is no great occasion
Tor raising steam to such n pitch NAV
start some parts. which wonld render 4
liable TO give way 70 a lighter pl assure af
teTwards.-Curiosifv led me fo look AT tht
boiler, and was not a little surprised 10
ind the boiler Qiferalv spealsinp) com.
pietelv whole and sound: and thai il wa,
he fiuc$ through which the fire passes 10
INC chif;Aey, that was crushed togetl-
err
In order to understand His. II is neces.
sary to mertion. that the boiIer represents
two. cylinders about twenty feet long
eaSh, one being nearly twice the diametfr
OF the other; The smaller being inserted
INTO the large one. is kept suspended init
ahnut one inch from the bottom of tie
large one, (Which is properly sDeakipp ihe
boiier, and is kept IN that sifua'ion byl
Casf-iron ends which, however. ar made
10 leave the small cylinder en- at both
en- IS. Now, when the boiler is suffici-
emily charged with water. il will com
pieteiv surround the small CYLINDER. and
be nearly six inches above T. top of it,,
and reachiuga LITTLE above centre Of
The large boiler: and will always be kept
thai height, If the engine is attended TO-
IN ire is made Immediately in the small
CYLINDER, and conveyance through il 10
the. chimney, heating the water in the
boiler III its passage. II fellows. that i
me toree-pump Is not in order, the watG
ny being wasted into stean) will afir
some time, fall so low rs 10 uncover tie
top OF the small cylinder; the fire viii
consequently take effect uoon fhe cor
ncT, and aftera while will heat il and make
II so soft, that IL will not oprose 10 the
sicaln and water an equal resistance. and
wili immediately be crushed torefhef
but The cast-iron ends being so firmly SC,
cured that they cannot give yvav. the fde
then must necessarily be torn crosswiss
and the steam will escape INTO the fire.
place. through the rent. Every one or
board, believe, is Of opinion. that tIrisis
tie only way II can he accounted for
and not ascribcd 10 the safety valpc
"hich wo"Id hare Hffed iong be(o,e the boiisf
conid hore beea tic lcod cnftasgsted.
Alifhese circumstances went 70 con
tirm my suspicious that all other arcI-
denis that have laielyoccurred have beeIf
owing to a great want Of attention in The
Engineer, which is nlainlv seen in fds
i,'ls.,ahce, by ms suffering The wafer in ilie
h.0ier 10 get foo low. which ~ mipllt ~
SHY bavo prevented, having nothing TO %.
pun totnyn = cock inserted in the end ofihe
boner little brIow the wafer line; andas
long ~ water runs out oft. ncre IS ,aieZ
enough; If not, he can snon fin II. thishe
needs not look at more than once a dav. "a
ne chooses. g. little wafer is cvapora-
fedi u would scarcely get below tic Inc
~ that time.
But still, people will say. they vii! not
trust themselves on board OF steam-boat'
They require so much attention, that u
me Engineer TO fall sick, or something
draw him away for one instant. desfrUctl.
On would follow Huf fbaf - MT the