New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1843-03-15
THE TRIBUNE. -
For The Tribune.
steamboat Explosions.


Steamboat Explosions
Mr.. Editor: Much has been saia ., iaNe
.nsc.ipg Raub's Safety Valves Tor tue oonefs o
.,earobos,s. and it IS even Pu; torsh as ato'oiog
e,st securi,y against explosions III all cases auo
10. all circumstances, as though II completely
.,..a,;vsa ,be effect of the internal pressure OF
.,,a,n mon all boilers 10 which it IS applied nc
connected with this valve, and cohs'lio'.
ing it. only peculiarly has been long Ano~4i aAu
ussd: sometimes merely to indicate Inc hisnt u
,s.ter il the boiler by an index attached ana some
,mes more u.efully, in regulating inc quantity o'
water actually admitted into the ooiei-op0H'A5
valve when water is required, and closing II again
when the REQUISITE quantity has entered: ne
;dea that steam boiler cannot De exploded oy tne
80 ~ s,eann when sufficient quantity OF water
:; a.a,, has given birth 10 this arrangement OF the
oofay Valve; but that opinion Is not sustained by
.;as.s we'll authenticated fact. II cannot, per-
La,. be said that scarcity of wafer never was
,bs indirect cause Of al explosion; but 1t may be
aaid. with perfect truth, that the danger OF We
so,exolosion is considerably diminished when the
onantity Of water in a boiler Is so mucs reduced as
10 leave the tops of the furnaces and hues uncov-
cred. The reason OF this il, that when covered
with water, steam is generated at those surfaces
with greater rapidity than in any other part OF Tue
boiler and when not covered, tfo production Vi
steam CT the naked surfaces ceases entirely lof
want of the rnnterial of which it is formed; and
Frequently the effect, instead OF an explosion, Is
stoopage of The engine for want of sufficient steam
.o.keen il in molten. The writer has attended to
,be history of plosops they have occurred dur
ne me ST thirty years and has never, among athe
accounts yhcfl have been gwen OF them, seen any
thing approaching proof that IN single instance
a want o. water t4e cause OF the accident; on
the contrary those cases where there has been an
examinations into the causes, appearances have IN
dicated that water was abundant. One OF the most
destructive explosions which have occurred vas
that on board the New England in the Connec-
,;crt River. In 1888. In that 1t was proved be-
vona all controversy, by physical facts which could
no, Re. that there was an abundant supply OF wa
yer and that the pressure Of stcam had not reached
20 pounds per square inch. And In the recent
.r,ve of the Medora ct Baltimore tremendous
explosion occurred with abundance OF water,
and measure of steam Of less than 80 poundsper
sonare inch. | have written this not with q view
70 discourage the use of Raubs Valve, for there is
nothing Objectionable about it. but only to warn
these who adopt 1t taar 1t will not protect tuelr
boilers from plosion if subjected to too great
pressure of steam, however regular ano abundant
NAV be the supply of water; it is tie abundance
i productive of danger. But as theopPosite opin.
ION appears TO prevail 10 some extent, and as the
Committee on Explosions of the Franklin 1nsti-
rne are relied upon to sustain it. the following ex-
tract from their report which may De found IN tho
Journal Of the Franklin Institute, Vol. Xviii,
page 22l, viii close my remarks
aThat q gradual Increase Of pressure can pro-
duce all the effects Of the most violent explosions,
may be inferred from many cases on record, aItr-
buIed with probability to this cause; and was
proved conclusively by the experiments CT this
committee. In these latter, cylinders OF copper
and iron were violently asunder, the parts
rhrown flom their places, scattering the materials
of the temporary furnaces, over which they had
been heated, and Of the fire, considerable dis
,apces There are also well made out IN
which weak place in boiler has acted as a safe
" valve bur such fortunate circumstances are not
ALWAYS 10 be looked for, and better methods have
been devised of ehecting the same object than 10
initiate them by the use OF thin plates he idea
stated to be current namely, that o boiler does not
explode if duly supplied With water, Is wholly u'l-
Ienable, and highly mischieyous in its tendency.
CAUTION.
AMERICAS TRADE WITH CHlNA.-The question
has been much agitated whether the Chinese will
allow the Americans to share their trade with the
British upon the same terms. The following ex-
tract from a letter in the Commercial, dated at
Canton, gives some valuable information upon this
important point
Commodore Kearney, who is now here, and
will in day or two leave China IN the Consteila-
non, for Manila, 10 return in month or SIX
weeks, has lately addressed communication TO
the yiceroy, which, from the tenor Of the reply,
y,e infer was to ask that the American trade
nigh, be placed upon the same footing hereafter,
as the British trade with China. We have not
had an opportunity of seeing copy of the Com
rnodore's letter, but have translation OF the
answer which is civil one and satisfactory also
The Governor states, that the Emperor is aware,
as he the Governor is also, that the American mer-
chants have been better contented and more OBJ
servant of the laws than those OF other nations
and that therefore he is we'll disposed TO pay at
teniion to the communications made 10 him. He
then informs the Commodore that Us soon as the
high commissioners and Sir II. Potunser arrive
here, and have arranged regarding the BRITISH
trade, he, the Governor. together with the Lieut.
Governor and the Tartars' General, will consult
and make representation to the Emperor re-
gardns .he American trade, and that It's interests
will be attended to-"
SLAVE TRAps.--The frst attempt, from Eng
land TO establish The wicked traffic in Negroes
in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, in the year 1852
when John Hawkes. an adventurer afterwards
Sir John Hawsins, fitted out three ships and made
a VOYAGE 10 the coast of Guinea for slaves. Aoout
rhe yesr 1869, meeting of merchants was held in
Belfast in Ireland, form com pany for this traf
fc,. and some progress made In prelininaries,
and certain documents in the case prepared for