The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-09-06
The Union publishes the following commu-


|
writer in the last number of the JVesirninsfer
| ReuieD, treating OF railway reform, alludes To
the extreme difficulty Of impressng the boards of
the old railway companies with the value of obvious
and unquostionable improvements He accounts
for il naturally enough, but in way that does but
litue credit TO human nature, TO scientific hu-
man nature. The fact of an improvement compro
misses to some extent the reputation of the profes
sional scientific advisers by whom these boards
governed.
When Rowland Hill first proposed penny post
age, every official from the highest to the hunblest
condemned the plan wild, visionary, and inn
practicable So the English railway reformer, Mr..
Adams-whohas demonstrated, with great strength
and clcarness, that the present working expenses of
| railways might be diminished half, and the
traffic increased, by substituting frequent and light
trains, drawn by light engines, for "A few and heavy
trains, drawn by powerful and heavy ongncs-not
only receives no assistance from the professional
advisers of the railway in the Introduction of his
system, but finds the Stevensons, Brunes, Lockes
and their assistant engineers, all shaking their
heads, and unanimously assuring their respective
boards that Mr. Adams's notions will not answer,
and that the heaviest engines that can be construct
cd have not more than strength enough Mean
while public opinion operates on stockholders, and
through them on the managing boards, and the
improvements of Mr.. Adams find acceptance and
gain ground, in spite Of the interests and preudces
and vanity of retained professional advisers.
In view of these difficulties with which reformers
and inventors are compelled to struggle, we are
disposed, whenever any really valuable improve
nent Is brought to our notice, to speak of it
to which it is entitled We have now in our eye
such an improvement, to which our attention has
been recently called by articles in the northern pa
Pcrs, and by one particularly in the Boston Daily
1idrTfise, whose editor enjoys high scientific
reputation that entities his statements and opn-
ions to the highest confidence The improvement
to which we aude is the steam boiler furnace, pa
tented by Henry f. Baker, of Boston.
This Invention has been very thoroughly tested
in numerous private establishments, where the
most satisfactory results have been attained 1t has
also been submitted to close scientific investigation
aid scrutiny with similar results. Mr.. Thomas
Wickstead, of London, after long and most elab-
crate and careful experiment, reported gain by
the use of this Improvement under CORNISH boil
OF eleven and eight tenths per cent and states
that he has no doubt that saving large thir-
ty-seven per cent in the fuel might be effected by
its III numbcrless instance in Great Britain. A
committee of the Boston Society of Civil Engineers,
after a most careful experiment, have recently
ported that furnace with the improvement pro-
duCes, under exactly similar circumstances, TWEEN
ty five three tenths more of available heat than the
same furnace without the Improvement. The COM
mttee composed of three distinguished civil
enginccrs-Messrs Simeon Bowden, VIM u. Par
rott, and Samuel Mott.
The proofs, indeed before the public establish
conclusvely that the introduction of Bakers inn
pruvcnent upon the common furnace produces
increase of upwards OF twenty five per cent. in
available heat from a given quantity of fuel. In
deed ii is of the most important features of this
improvement that it is capable of being applied to
existing works with very inconsderable alteration,
and without much expense
We take pleasure in giving currency to these
facts, and In directing public attention to- what is
considered, in economical view, one of the most
important Improvements OF the day. We have no
personal acquaintance with the inventor, and we
write, therefore, without the bias that personal
gard may sometimes give to the opinion of thosc
who most desire 10 be impartial.
We have, therefore, no hesitation in saying that
the evidence that has passed under examination
is conclu.ive Of the fact, that the addition of Ba
ker's improvement to a steam boiler furnace would
effect a saving in the consumption of fuel Of up
wards of twenty five per cent