The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1861-06-08
-.Why do steam Boilers Explode

ling, seems to call for an investigation 8
lone principal cause would be scarcity OF I
3wa,er Secondly, how does that effect an
Iexblosion Because the fire surface is ex I
posed to intense heat, generating steami
3from what low water remains in the boilera
to high degree; and, more than that,
steam generated at that time | contend, L
becomes Super.heasea and to such degree
Fit ceases to be steam and becomes az
+highly inhammable or combustihie gas, to
gether with its vastly increased power Of
Hexpanson combined. rapidly increasing'
Gin volume every second of time up to thel
Hpoiut of red heat that soon takes place in,
s the tirefues, or that part of the boiler ex
sposed to the furnace fire, when it instan-s
Etaneously ignites and explosion must them
Stake place. 1t is highly probable the sub,
fstle explosiveness may be caused 10y the
desperation Of the two gases at that juno
Eture, oxygen and hydrogen The hydrogen,
{ being freed from the oxygen, leaves the.
Hydrogen in fit state to ignite as soon as.
ga red hot plate presents itself and comes,
Gin contact
There are various other things combined
;Sthat may cause explosions. such as startin9
e the feed pump when the water Is too low
q or If the boiler is overtaxed 10y a too great
3 pressure of steam and not being worked
Eoff by the engine as fast as generated; or
gthe safety-valve out of order, sticking to
i its seat as is sometimes the case. II the
swater is low enough to expose the flues
swith the engine standing, then all is quiet
Gin the boiler; the pressure OF the steam
fsbearing upon the surface of the water
Eheldiug it fast, now in this precarious state
s of things the engine is started the conse-
Eauence is the water rises upon the already
aoverheated fiues, generating steam with
ffearful increase, making perhaps tenfold
gauantity at once more than the engine
Ecan work off; then if no other outlet from
sthe boiler offers for an immediate relief of
= this surplus steam, what can be the iesult
but fearful explosion?
Z The saiety-yalye, with perhaps the fusion
4 plug, 1T being now used 10y nearly all
= steamboats,, being required by law to use
Git, is deemed to be Il sufficient guarantee
against all such extra hazards that are to
Insure US against fearful loss Of life and
sproperty, when an explosion occurs.
Z, PredIcating these statements 10 be strict
Lly in accordance with science, and those
skilled in steam engineering. | VIII en-
fdeavor 10 make clear, and offer 10 all
those engaged in using steam. Il more safe
sand reliable plan 10 eiiectul,y prevent
lt steam boiler explosions. by using what |
b call my Explosion Safety Guard, which
Z is an apparatus boited upon the top OF Il
i boiler, about IL or l. inches high. having
T. q faced tianch projecting sufficiently all
around It's upper end, SO made - 10 L.
, ceive circular disk OF soft metal laying
in a recess turned To receive II: 81 dI, k
|. I is firmly clamped aud made steam tight
said disk has two aunular cohcentriC
!, grooves, one on each side or face exactly
over and corresponding with each other sc
as to reduce its strength at the grooves tC
{ ! the exact amount OF steam pressure it is
: ! intended 10 bear or withstand. Any more
Epressure causes the centre Of the disk lC
~ burst it out, and makes a hole Of two
Inches diameter for the steam to escap,
out at the escape pipe, giving sure yeft tt
1 the boiler at the required time Thes,
( soft metal disks are subjected to a test
! an are cast in a metallic mould. on th'
| principle Of n bullct-a!ways the same re
: ( liable strengthened varying at any tins
5 Smore than .. lbs either way By the team
h :guIge.
a Into the apparatus is screwed bras
scOck, with steam whistle attached. ant
! i so sealed and marked on it, outer Ell,
i 4 Ggurec, that 10y turning a mill-d-icade
tsSTcw il operates 4 small valve in the cocl
+ that cua.es the steam 10 the whistle, whicI
; can be set To blow and give an alarm an
j where from 40 10 | % lbs, indicating .,
taciiy what the steam pressure l. upon tn
4 boiler. which being always set 10 blow O
l. J whistle AT q less pressure by 10 or - H.
: !. or So than the lBetgttc DISK is made to Jt0
soH al. Then, if the engineers attentio
, is not giyel when the whistle blows 70
- him, ~ soon a 10 or - lbs more steam
5c1;ned than IS indicated by tho whist,
&c the ntsa D'u7t tUTSt AMI ~ o'f and save IN
Il further risk of an EXPLOSION.
+ This plan always ensuing the pr
i.vontson .. cam boiler gcttin. into III
e,e position ilrt above described. because
YStsse i .tofter al compuai.gc Io,c pr. sSoy
,rs b-!.gc getting into those dangerous .xll
,rf s.ye. hi ia prc~sures and gaseous states Z
: ,ways tgeacberous, and So frequently en-,
: ing with a terrible exrloSion.D
"a ESQ. MAHx ,jK
ID OTTAwA june 8. d 1861.