Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1848-01-06
Fer TIE Tines.

dseaitul explosion ofthe A, n, Johnston has
p o laced. the mind is instinctiyely lead TO
enq IL, Is This ihe unsyoidably cons. quence Of
steam navigation, can there be no m.ars ussd
y winch cur lives may be rendered more Sc.
cufa, While per.uing our business upon the
", ers
Tbcsa important questions have occupied
the attention nf he most scientific men since
The days Of Fulton TO the present time, some
have proposed one thing add slme another,
butalI APPEAR To agree, that with proper care
and knowledge on the part Of the Engineer,
that steam nari att II can be ma | c e.tly
sale.
This is an important conclusion and one in
Nhi,h we are all Interested. because steam is
- extensively employed to convey us from
ity to city, and it is infinitely mlrrwOvtn
with our Commercial transactions, " hich COM
oiue to render ii one OF the most important
.ubipcts which can engage the public atteh-
t on. Steam is a good servant, but a bad mas
.er; but it need never be master. il is not like
m unframed animal, with an Independent d 'd
| capriciots viii OF is own, aud whose mo-
irns cannot a. calculated. Steam IS tdr mere
Manageable tidn the best trained and most
locIle animal.
Ii is cali,dinto existence BY the will ol man;
hsra i>nb myst,r r; about il, action, ii is per
rrtly under his control; it can be increased or
L-t-,-f,i - e Str.artl at a t,A h4.a -
A~aining
Sad taere IS a perfect know ledge OF all thu
circumstances from which variation i'll lis
.r1wer can dIisa. Therefore explosions must
b the result % ignorInce IT carcIessness, on
the iurt ni those vino assume Tie responsible
iy OF dir ctilg II.
81 il far fro II me to cast reflections upon
he bui 4 r, Of tie engine, or tn uniorlurate
Officers of The i l-tatei boat, becaus' mister
Unrs 10 happen 10 he mus sti'nil.ic and ex-
o-ritnced, ant we cannot tell " hose tara may
come next. As f.r as | Can ascertain, it
would have been Impossible Tor any engine
placed IN the same circumstances, 10 have
shared d better fate, mad BY whomsoever it
mi5ht-dnd occor ling 10 all accounts the fl
GERS ", re performing their duty to the b-st of
their .bi.ity. and n m re could be required
Of them. But alas, tn, deadly vdpour r,ius-
twinkii e of an eye, he has sprdng irrlh. and
with the awful voice OF thunder has SUNNI NJ
I'd eighty souls To appear before their Gdd.
Whatever care might have been exercised,
the awful catastrophe is past, aud has left lis
consequences which are past recovery; and
whatever may be sal about the off cers con-
nected with this atf,ir, we ought 10 let the
hand OF charity pass gently over their ~failings,
r remembering that we are also mortal aud liza
bic to error.
But the magnitude of this disaster demands
our solemn attention. and DIS every effect his
a cause. we ought calmly and deliberately to
end avor 10 ascertain the cause and then try
to apply a remedy Tor the future,
II is evi ieIt that the power which could
thunder forthwith snch an awful voice, woull
have Stoke for its4if before this. had there
been the proper apparatus by which it could
have whisp'rrd.
Tn. American AMI British committees
which were appointed to Investigate and re-
port on the explosi n OF steam boilers, who's,
reco nmendation should be in the hants Of
every one wlD has ANY thing TO do with the
steam engine. | vii. state but u few things,
they recommend Class water gauges, M1rcu-
rial pressure gua5as, aud also two safety
valves having each all area Of ons square inch
tor every horse power, which viii b. idr5 en-
oughto admit OF The soap. OF the whole OF The
steam, wIen.the . lgihe is sud- My stopped,
without its rising more than half ID pounl on
the inca beyond the usual pr-ssure; III )se
valves should b. 50 constructed that ~ in
Crease OF weight can possibly b. PIT OIL
The Frelch Liwse enforce the us: OF the iusa-
bic pIu5. BIT there is nothing whiei can
sup.rce.ie tnt kloVlel5e ahi vigil mt car. Of
the Engineers. Many of our Engineer, are
worthy Of unlimited confleace, Bat it is TO
be ledr.i that the IN ,rity are not sufficient
ly acquainted with th. Idtur. of that power
winch thy have 10 c%ontrIl. Tien toliovs
tn inPoftdat question, Where ar, wt 10 get
Enoi e,rs whpm ltratanI thoroughly the ma
turr OF steam? lis production, proprrtie, of
tx ,,aIsiou, cdlcdllti1A OF eif.ct *, So that
h 'ay b. aoie in all cases 10 perform his
duty with confilsnc-, and by ID conIpe-
tent knowteis' be prepared to answer pub ic
OF private irm,n Is wh.n q ,ired! H ought
to BE- theoretically an prl 'tic,Ily acquainted
with The EnSin', The nature Of its parts as a
mech mlcai arrdng nent, and the application
OF 5 cam as ID motive power and ais The ma
ture AMI 5 r'n5th ot materials. 1t is evident
that tor a IN II To possess this knowledge he
must b. educated X properlyi ilialed. and he
cannot do this properly unless he has counpe-
telt Instructors aud ii tlac. 10 be instructed
IN WIith ou2hI 10 BE- provided by he General
G~oYtrdmenl, because il i, of universal con-
steam Ia every pIrl oI The iion it i, 20 tai.
y nrc ss'rJ l. nave engineers instituu N
III Nhich mr. en5lIter' m,Slt g"tqIllii.d 10
disrhdrse lheir duty without en- I,ug-rins tAe
h1,s u those CON uitted - thrii car-. i,
tiiereI"re sincerely hlpe that Your ; ,gg-suJ.ls
OF The 4th lnstaul may BE- carried oulupo.. -!
enlarged scale,
ferlaln yours, truly,
I. IL. MECHANiCUS.
North Wheeling, Jan. 5, 1913.
From ne Baltimore SIN.
BY DAILY rNpR tSS Ann MAO TEy