New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-04-16
STEAM AND SAFETY or PASSENGER

tlon Of life and properly ., deeply FOO nc regretted;
hut there are those who think II unavoidable, as
numhwcssp protective Ceviccs fcr itG accntuiy have
not diminished it. There is, however - general law
IN The economy Of our ll3pct. aiul one uuQucstoaa
bl c>acntialto oir welfare Is rational beings which
explains it: that by which every good thing is liable
90 bc abused or misuscd. Thus fire. water food and
knives to carve it, materials and tools 10 work Them
electric and other forces &c. by imperfect managc-
mcut. are. like steam productive al evil Bnt maj
fh0c perfectly ase modes OF uohg steam may 10
deemed Us certain as that there are unsafe ones.
Government Commission is now ma session, exam
ining inventions Of lifcSavng character TOT SIe'n
vessels. As YET few bnt niodcrn VERSIONS us W. ON
devices have been announced Boiieis Oh improved
forms and structure; safety valves ioW-W"ter w
tectOS steam and water gauges; GUARDS AEalHsU
supcrhcated steam aud unequal expansion Oh bOlcr-
plates &c Doubtless. these exhibit much ingenious
thought and mechanical skill. but they have retei-
cncc simply TO details ia the apparatus They touch
nOt the seat source of the evil. bOllers charged
with a fluid danGcrou, and destructive as gunpow-
derl being only dccigncd to keep it in check. Now
thcqicstiOn is should be. these steam tOTpe-
does be dispensed with, aud boilers about as free
in our kitchens take their place Z The
general professional answer VIII be
negative, and not unaccOmpauied with disparagng
"a in religious sects Frce-thnl,rrs are equally de-
rlded by both Still il security against the fatal
effects of explosions lee held first and Indispensable
requisite for and river craft, 1t can be obtained
by adopting atmospheric pressure IN place oil the eX-
panSye force of steam and this, too, with the sane
ton which Nature gives to her own devices. IL rs
not only the safest but the most economical plan. i
am aware how strange and even incredible TO many
this will sound STILL II rs not less true that from
given quantity OF water more power Is evolved by
using low or common steam to excite atmospheric
pressure than from like quantity converted INTO
high steam and used as such
There are two forces in steam expansion and cOIlap
sion. The first is the popular ole. under the belief
that it gives out the most power; While the other is
claimed to have decided advantage on tins nm
pOrtant point and hence the maximum amount OF
force II ia said should not be sought for in high
but her
arises from element in the economy OF the planet
but for which the effect of both forces would De ke
Its influence novelties in mechanism or aught else
can evade diminish. Ii Is the rGgtt OF the atmOs.
phere; and while it remains what 1t Is coapSlon OF
steam under piston must evolve greater amount
of force from atmospheric pressure IMAM can ne rear
lzed from expansion because the latter force has TO
act against tlss weight-has to RAISE IT. while TO col
lapSiOn, which comedies with it, II Is so much gam
Tins it is that than hall the power is lost IN
highpressure engines since the fluid discharged as
waste-1nd nearly all that passes through the
cylinders is discharged as such-retalns more power
than it parts with IN them
IL is manifest that common steanl-Such IA rises
from open cadTOns-let in upon one side OF piston,
has no effect upon it. Ii simply balances the at
mospbere on the other side; hence before il can inn
part moving force 10 the piston OF 10 lbs on the
inch its tension must he raised to 20 lbs.-twice ITS
quantity in the same space In this case, the virtue
of cOllapsiOn is double that OF expansion. In an
other cases-with steam of three, four hive, or nifty
atlnOspheres-l5 lbs. on the inch Is gained. TINS
may be more readily appreh!ended ny cohSlaerlng,
cylinderfull of common steam is adnltted ana as
charged without giving ont any force. II only
serves as an inert base FOR the productive force
steam above atmospheric pressure
As respects other pORts, the danger Is altogether
with the swelling force and safety with the shrink
ing one. Steam has already become the worlds mo
tor. and is evidently designed to be leading one 10
remote future. Everything relating to 1t indicates
this its requisites and elements are the most album
dainty and widely diflused; metals and fuel are
cheap. and air and water cost nothing. Ordained by
Providence one OF the gTandest and most benehceHt
agents of human progress it is incredible that its
employment should he lnseperabiy asSociated, as
hitherto. with the risk OF life and destruction, OF
property 1t is not for instant TO be doubted that
there is way provided for using with perfect con-
fdcnce and safety: that 1t has not been realized the
constantly occurring reports OF persons manned and
killed by it sufficiently prove; and these become more
frequent its applications are extended In ITS evo-
lutien the danger is greatest vivid sense OF nse-
curity is felt in the vicinity OF boilers some OF winch
charged with superheated fluid destrucye as gun
powder They require constant watching; Tor uncer-
tainty of condition attends them ALL the strongest
being often rent asrndeT. So long as the expanding
force is preferred the mania that looks for security
TO the strength OF boilers will tend TO lessen It; for
the stronger they are made, the higher VIII be the
tension and temperature OF the fund raised IN them
The verge of rupture will I've approached now de-
signedly unwlttingy. There can be no end OF the
danger in this way. Ii VIII not however, be aban
ioned till the conviction becomes general that the
further il pursued the greater VIII be the loss IN
i economy as we'll as safety On the other hand, the
apparatus for atmospheric engines may long remain
Imperfect but at presentit offers rather wide
,trast with the preceding. The boilers may be of
metal almost as thin tin plate the pressure being
little over that in open ones thus rendering them
tension slightly exceeding that of common steam |
would be unproftabe ii it were so low that the |
fluid collapsed the instant II filled the cylinder, so
much the better.
1t is of course not TO be supposed that atmospheric
pressure affect 10 any marked extent the use OF
high pressure engines, whose conpaetnesS ana gen
sral applicability have given and Will continue 10
give them in most cases the preference on land
while for and river navigation factories located
rivers and other places where water Tor condensa
ton is convenient ATMOSPHERIC pressure may become
the favOrite power Did it offer no other advantage
than security against explosions in passenger vessel Is
that should lead TO its adoption Adopted or not me
importance of asceTtaining the relative value OF the
expanding and collapsing forces OF steam is not
affected
il would be strange indeed If so recentand import
ant an invention the steam engine should I've
deemed perfect: vet there those who consider 10
incapable of much if any further Improvement.
According to them, neither science nor art can,
through untold ages TO come, add anything mate
rial TO il. II they who give themselves airs of I'M
pOrtance exhibit credentials of impotence these per
sons make manifest their Ignorance OF researches
whence discoveries relating 10 steam the most start
ling are confidently looked for by scientific men, and
especially III the all-impOrtant matter OF fuel. In
our attempts by the steam engine 70 get neat INTO
ordinary useful motion practically realize only
about five per cent of what we strive after 1t is
possible that before the nineteenth century closes
we shall learn how 10 secure ALL nearly ALL Of that
05 per cent which now escapes. When we have that
knowledge each pound of fuel which we use for
generating power may have it's present value multi
piled nearly twenty fold This doctrine. long MAIN
tanned by saVans and laughed at by practical men,
appeared too miraculous 10 be true. 1t was the in
disputabe fact that the larger part OF the steam
which actuates high-pressure engines Is discharged
from them with all the power III had before IL entered
them that anmhilated unbeief in ME and admins
tered q wholesome rebuke to pTecpitate conclusions.
Though indicating almost absolute security against
explosive disasters the plan proposed may be deemed
too sweeping in the required change, beside having
been 30 long and universally ignored by engineers,
to commend itself 10 the Life-Saving Commission.
They hardly take IL into consideration without