The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1850-05-16

attention to the subj ct, and every thing com
ing from him in this relation must be OF Ia
terest:
To the Editors Of the Commercial 3 uetia:
CINCINNATI Jan. IL 1852
am reioiced to see thai Capt HaI,lcman
has taken up The subject Of explosions. No
maa II the West occupies "a position SO well
calculated to arrest attention and rive effect
to the principles Of truth which he advocates
as the popular and intelligent commander ol
The Yorktown. lie has passed through all
the grades of service, from an engineer mp
wards, and has served so long and so success
fully that our practical river men must feel
compelled to respect his opinion. He has not
rested satisfied with the mere mauipuations
oil his profession. but he Is looking keenly in
to The deep truths, which are both developed
by practical men. and at The same time lie at
the foundation OF all practice. He does not,
us some have done, in dogged assurance and
positive self conceit, the common accompan-
imcuts Of Ignorance, condemn every thing as
useless winch does not come Immediately
within the narrow sphere oil their own com
prtheI sion hut he has patiently and modest
Is studio a his profession. which embraces so
noble circuit OF lIySical knowledge. until he
! has evidently attained All emiuence even en-
Vltbe Ia his competitors and in the highest
/ degree useful 10 The community. Capt. Hal
demau IS most unquestlonably right in regard
/ to Mir. Evans safety guard for while the
common safe ~ valve guards a-ainst the et-
/ ttcts OF over pressure, it does not guard
against head without Il corresponding pres
sure, as in the case oil hues heated softrned
and weakened. willie the water i low. But
Evans safety guard protects against both
over pressure n over heating: it therefore
cuts uhder the " hole soil. Ii Is most perfect
/ y a,dnted 10 accomplish the desired object,
and II Is as sure 10 operate as the laws OF nat
ture are to continue to be permanent; as sure
/ to act us water is 10 boil when il is hot
enough. or to freeze when il is sufficiently
cold. That bitter nalignity which not I'M
/ frequently shows itself against successful III
VeuIOrs, is one OF the most uuaccountabls and
at the same time one OF the most dSgracefuI
traits OF human nature. 1t will be recollrcted
what persecution was set on motion against
Mr.. Evans lew years agO-a persecution
moved by such a tempest OF passion that rea-
son could not be heard; and the friends of so
useful an invention were compelled, for the
time, to be silent. Mr.. Evans himself sckene
at treatment so unmerted, and al the solicit
laIion OF his family, discontinued his occupa-
ton.
His enemies promised 10 furnish better
substitute Tor hls invention. Have they done
50! No; and it will be ii difficult task 10 ac-
compllSh. UAlil they shall have done so.
beg lhtt tn. steam safety guard be contII-
ued. IL condition which would induce me tc
sleep as curely over the boiler as tbllt The
wheel. But the safety guard must be LETT
free 10 dcr. must be ueher chained down nol
cast full Of lead after it has Deen applied.
Il there be- any unknown and unconrroll +
bile cause OF explosions any gas. sudden de
composition If water or any sudden bursting
iurth OF steam from The ''spheroItl' state o.
the water how cami be accounted for that
in Strtder 6, Gormtm'~ lac of mum rous no us
now continued for nearly tluty years, there
never Aa~ been serious acridenl
The same thing is true of Capt. Halde
mau'S boats. Their experience shows thai
high steam is Il contro{iubie agent, when
proper prrcau.inis are used and the 20 Try
and practice which has been so succ. ssiu
should be- studied with il terest, and should
he written in book as II g"cat and lasting
lesson Of hum unity. Capt Haldeman is
Tpl 'ased To all ude ii complimentary terms to
my part OF the report Oh the explosion of the
A[o5eue. could not be better rewarded 10,
my dor in preparing that work than by tive
Acknowledgements o such pr tctich men 1t,
Capt II ,Iueman, that they received iusfruc-
ton Iiom it. My Intercourse with m,ny d
The most intelligent ofour steamboat captains
has been Il very agreeable one.
On account Of the Interest which the Ed
tors Of the New O.ltans Bulletin have takeI
il this matter beg them to accept from me
copy OF The report alluded TO. which Las
now become il rare book. | have received
as have Teen told no small amount Of abuse
from the more ignorant of cur engineers. or
nccount o! hat report. and yet feel deer
Interest in the welfare and advancement oil
f the highly interesting and responsible profess
sion in which they have embarked The
following quotation from my report expresses
Il sentiment with regard to public sympathy
Tor the engineer and the necessity of taking
him by The hand and aiding his efforts which
. think needs to be urged on the community
aud beg you will call the attention OF New
Orleans to its consideration.
Very respectfully yours.
, JOHN LOCKE.