New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-10-12
Explosion of steam Boilers.

The following letter on the subject of the
explosion OF steam boilers, from al officer VINO has
studied the subject deeply Il published IN The N@'oHa
Iptfligtactr We invite attention - u:
WAsHINGTON. Saturday Sept. ii, 1872
late yesrs IN defiance of legislative euactuent be-
come that the community have bss1me lnsty
alarmed aud excited ct their frequency Ny atcation was
attracted by the following notice VI the cause OF the expo
lie eae Of he espo.op eyent order
siotpsrs Thu. unusual pressure OF steam coeed IN
order the boat from the dook With a, mach impetus aud
dy he bad not stopped al aL A ons 3" nv: mass OF
Apt Tie loicr tie pressure rot 100 great 10 be- borne,
boz WIN The seock OF ens out upon the enne .. r'P,ay7
force hourht mo 1drn ac i"n AMI enef me % @ o. IS
Gaze b4'ss and death and d-ueuon are
bic and max the safety OF hose Oh hoard mat
confeq than hours dtetsnce The p'-sig
In alroet every explosion the boat has been the
pc Of starting The given incorrect cause
tor the explosion Of tue Reindeer IN ettrbung % the re-
noval Of pressure Any child of twelve years old would
tell him thai any removal OF expans e-sens It's tocs
Bat my object 20 show the cause OF expansions IN steam
boiler and suggest r. remedy.
The cause II simply the formation Of hydrogen gas will
prove this by showing the 0du Opeyond the decompo-
of hydrogen one part oxygen eight The simplest method
OF decomposng water u rs follows Take common retort,
IOIc lau tube bundle OF bright ron wlre, aud binder
Of sasbas fitted tor the purpose MI the porcelain tnoee
with the the bag ana introduce the retort put
into tie latter water and you ready 70 BEGIN the
operation. Place tocy OF Goals around the porcelain ube,
lamp under the retor, and the s,eam wii De forced
the wives and tube the wires must be heated 70
red heat the vapor OF water eam coming into contact
w..h the heated IRON decomposd the oxygen - retained
BY tie iron, forming oxydo OF IRON, and the hydrogen
% from the tube which conducts into % the gas
LGg For every egL grains Of weight CURED by the iron
oryx cubic inches Of hydrogen, weighing one gram has
been evolved The ths substituted tor the
hydrogen taking its place with the oxygen TO form the
oxyde OF ron, while the hydrogen Is set free The o<yde
OF ron re1utug from this Gction IL the black yde
which the smith stkos oG III scales under the hammer be-
ing mixture Of protoAyee and Pero1yde.
The boiler then plays the part Of the retOt the furnace
the amp the tubes Rues the and the steam JACKET
the gas holder Wien the is low end tie tubes
fuss exposed above the water line and acquire red
heat the vepor Of stea is decomposed and hydro
gen rapidly formed Oh all gases this Is iAe highest aud
explosive Its effects terrific than that Of
gunpowder the strongest detonang compCuDdh IL s
only airy cObne with about onetird of oxygen
gas make II explosive. variety OF experiments have
been mnde TO burn hydrogen and oxygen ogrther but the
most OF them have resulted IN terrible explosion ifOss
Hare after experiments. was enabled TO &c
ocmphsh this object by very simple Arrangement now
termed By Professor Sillnan The compound DiOwppe.
The question arises how can the dscomPoston OF
water IN boilers be prevented the formation OF ny
droger stopPed and remedy invented BY "heh ooe'
Nearly ali boilers explode opening me sefety valve;
the steam PUSHES conice or the base 81 tue cone
uppernos this leaves space IN the center OF the cOue
through which the crcumanlbent atmosphere ruAles sup
pyEg Of cou-sc oxygen It. then the weer IL low, and
the yapor eecopcsd and hydrogen gas Is formed the sup
ply OF oxygen eGuses an intrntaaeols explosion. Tue
method then prevent the o1yda0n Oh the tubes or tues
one teEe tie apparatus above explained and in
stead Of bright iron vre Introduc. plated and he
viii find that the water or yapor Of water steam w not BE-
deconposed showing fully that hydrogen cannot be formed
without oxyG .tiOn This simple remedy not very expen
s.ve v VI e;it etuaIy prevent Elost exp!0sons
Fyety engineer vel th-t when the Stem from
the upper deck las blue appearance there Gnger; but
every one does know that s blue eppcarce ncc.es
hydrogen gas; in fact Is hydrogen gas and IN src,e of
nfGmmebty The fsiae Of tins Light blue AID Cniy
burns when in supplied with oxygen A. . s the
l=hes o. al gases sEd rses to the upper part Of the ;e
ecke pe could BE- introduced into the upper pat o. thn
eeset, ard conducted 10 the fire or engine Ioon
where the fireman engineer could occasioE t. t1e
Geek ard escesin the formation Of h. sogen bJ 1s eoio
Of the Jet Should the jet appear o; b41 o1'
by having this pipe continued outbond and under ' "aer
hire the gas could be allowed 10 escss. th.l.H las .nD
srd would then take It's place ia the boer' WITH
this safety pipe wei attended aud the upper 1uOeS Pdea
hut few EXP osiozs lud possibly tase place. -.
As we say IN claims for retents 90 not clam heYng DIS
covered the method hercn mentioned Ia lntss hs4Csr
ga hu, only TIE snety tube and Toe pated aes ana g5
Silver ues AZ 2s5 deg. Fainonhe : o. - dcS Nsdg
wed end ro becones OF red heat or cherry red % 100
Dc kahgenheit OF I9 deg. W ecswood nee 10 hsn no
hehhood OF the silver atng melting before the tube con
he covered With wstsT should they a. any time become
bare. =.
The engineer should never open NE uni ne
sppe blue and indicate hydrogen then he should certain