Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-09-03

CoAL-BUREINa Observation-Disclosures abortivs
attempts have been made during the last ten years,
for substituting coal for wood as fuel for loccmo
tives. When it is known that all over Europe coke
is used as successfully wood is here, 1t is not
easy to understand why there should be any diff
Guilty in using anthracite but practice has taught
that there are many. There are now three differ
ent plans before the public, and 4hey all approved
by competent engineers. locomotive on the
Baker plan is now building at the Boston Locomo-
tive Works, under the superintendence Of Mr.
Amory, for the Providence and Fall River Rail,
way Company. The novelty consists in making the
flames follow curved Aue, instead of going straight
to the chimney. The smoke is thus more thorough
ly mixed with air, and consequently letter burned
There is also an arrangement to supply the furnace
with air. It is alleged that the result will be
saving of fifty per cent Thelocomotive Irvington,
built at Lawrence, Massachusetts and now at work
on the Hudson River Railroad, Is the invention
of A. r. Smith, Superintendent Of that road. This
machine weighs Sc, 900 pounds the driving wheels
are FIVE feet in diameter the stroke is % inches, the
boiler is 49 inches in diameter and liz feet long
The barrel proper, extending from the fame-sheet
10 the smoke-arch, is u feet long and AZ inches in
diameter. There ere lT9 brass tubes, Of inches
outside diameter and ~ feet long. The hre-box
measures 80 by 80 inches with combustion cham
Der extending four feet into the barrel of the boiler
This chamber is divided bya water leg, extending
from the front Of the hrehoX TO within 20 inches of
the tube sheet Around the combustion chamber
there are sperures which are opened or closed ct
pleasure and by which air be let in to burn the
gases not yet consumed. The consumption of coal
on the first trip between New York and Poughkeep-
sic, was 4,200 pounds instead of The usual four
cords of wood that is to say, Sl3 rs instead of
S2S. Dimpfel tubular boiler is intended for any
kind Of fuel and it is alleged perfectly for
cosl-burning locomotives. large machine of this
style was built by the Taunton Locomotive Manu-.
featuring Company, and is now drawing express
trains over the Erie Railroad, using anthracite
alone. The FIRE box andthe barrel from one cham
Der through the whole length Of which the smoke
passes, escaping into the smoke-box through an
opening in the lowest part of the barrel near the
smoke-box The tubes extend out of the barrel over
the fire there they bend upward, and the top of the
furnace becomes tube sheet. With this arrange
ment the water is inside the tubes and the fire out
side between them in the manner adopted for the
boilers of the Collins steamships. The inventor
claims TO have by this arrangement entirely done
away with the burning CT the end of the tubes and
the top Of the box, which is the ordinary
quence Of coal fire in locomotive built the
usual plan. We do not find in any of the machines
mentioned arrangement either of CRATE of coal
feeder Of blast to prevent the coal ON melting
or from forming clnkers, or from exploding into
small particles which fall through the CRATE 1t is
much to be regretted that very often good inven-
on gets bad name, and its introduction is delayed
twenty years. on account of secondary detail not
attended to in due time, which prevents the whole
machine from working.