Wheeling compiler. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [i.e. W. Va.]) 1829-1831, 1830-05-26


boat engaged in trial of speed, and the
reason is obvious. In such contests, the
h feelings of the officers, the crew, and even
those of the passengers become highly
excited; every man is to be found ardent
" engaged and continually at his posi-;
hirh steam is the order of the day, and the
most constant, prompt and minute atten-
+ ton is known to be absolutely necessary;
the character ofthe boat and reputation Of
the crew are leltto be at stake; the boat is
kept we'll trimmed; the guage-cOcks are
close watched; the supply of water is al
ways known to be ample; the lorce.pumps
aud other parts of the engine are conhnu
ally undergoing inspections; and, TO give
full action to the heat, great care IS taken
to keep the boilers clean. tits thus boats
are conducted when engaged IN trials of
speed-and hence no accidents have oc-
CURED IN what is termed ''boat racing"
1t Is not high steam, then, that has pro-
H duced the recent explosions; and they are,
Of course, attributable to other causes,
which we do not profess to be entirely
competent to explain; but we believe we
can point out some Of them, and will at
tempt it.
When our rivers are full and the water
consequently muddy, thick and solid en-
crus tatlons may be speedily formed on the
boilers, leaving the iron on one side to The
p full action of the fire, and excluding the
e preserving action of the water from the
Z olher-which, If not removed at the pro-
, per moment, cannot fail to produce ,xplO.
sions. In high stages Of water, too, force
pumps are very Eable to get out Of rderr
e aud pipes connecting boilers are equally
III liable TO become obstructed-the tirmeI
f leading to a fatal dlmEnuhon Of waer III
all the boilers, and the latter to tata lack
of 1t, In portion of them. Again the
progress Of a voyage, the he ad Of d JoIler
is discovered to be cracked; the loaf Is
stopped, and the head repaired, as veil as
the nature of the case will admit, ant IRON
that period to the completion OF the 'oyage
great care Is taken not to surchge the
boilers with steam; the boat, on arrI-
WIG at port, Is offered tempting freight,
d and 1t is determined to hazard another
trip with the fractured boiler he'd; and,
when that is performed, il Is verynatural-
! " inferred, that the fractured head Is as
} strong asany other, and it is consequently
. kept IN use, until It is blown off.
Il has also been the practice, when stop
ping to wood, to take IN or discharge freight,
S "a stop dIe engines Of boats, whW the sup
of water afforded by the fore pumps
NECESSARILY cut off In this situation,
ua fwater IN the boilers is, OF
course. b diminishing, aud exPlo-
s,ons frequently o. This practice
: was adopted b save ile and TO ensure a
GOOD head Of steam to Start with, and was,
. at firsl. very cautiously Indulg7d-Per-
haps for the period Of 'eV mlnuics-oot'
{ like every ether bad pF4cuce, 1t soon be-
came TOO common. was first allowable
FOR Eve. lhsn lor ter ~ for fifteen,
s-vvu shisip nnn one ex'en'
so1 s. me ed e aao mil an explO
sion followed
causes we may add, the &C
krc Id incompetency Of some OF the
IS, which is supposed to the result
great dimnutlon which has taken
pace in the wages of those engaged In
+, that department Of labor. Competent
men will not labor for insufficient wages;
! and, even the ordinary engineer feels that
he has not a sufficient inducement for ad
} vaneing in his profession, and for the ex
ertlon Of that unceasing watchtulness and
labor which are absolutely necessary to Sc
curlty.
/ From all we have been able to learn,
we are led to the conclusion, that such ac
Ecidents as have recently shocked the pub
lie, will only cease to occur, when that
unceasing vigilance which 10 invariably
pracGsed in trials Of speed, shall become
entirely habitual; and, when no master OF
a boat will think of venturing out of port
with foul or patched boilers The recent
explosions, following each other in quick
succession, are believed to be the natural
results Of increasing hardhood and grow
ing negligence. Had they only affected
the property Of the OVaerS. we should
have remained silent on the subject; but
as they have hurried so many human be-
iugs out of existence, it is high time to
make an effort to remedy the evil.
PROM MEXICO.
We received from Meucoa fortnight OF
more ago. in a quarto pamphlet, elegantly