The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-07-06
J BOILER EXPLOSIONS.


Their Cause and Their Preventisn-A Ques-
don for the Fire Commissioners.
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
Much has been said upon the subject OF ''boiler
expl0sionsn and the recent Investigations into the
cause Of the sad catastrophe in the Bowery have
resulted IS most such inquiries do ID. e., mo one
to blame'D; ON the contrary, the engineer is dis
missed and censured. will not offer any excuse
for the engineer in this case for he is deserving OF
censure in consenting to take engine that he knew
was out Of repair and insecure to be used at fire.
II the engineer is censurable, how much more
30 the Fire Commissioners for sending the
engine out when they had been informed
OF the danger attending its use Was 1t not their
duty to have examined III they were competent) the
engine, and known from their own observation the
safety or danger attending it's user 1t bad
that they should saddle the blame Of their own ig-
nOrance or wiful neglect upon the shoulders Of the
engineer II the Fire Commissioners are competent
men In the position they the persons to blame II
they are not competent what business have they
deavoring to discharge the duties Of such positonp
do not know how the Commissioners obtain their
appointments but suppose the same as the inspectors
OF ''hulls and boilers, not SO much on account Of
cause Of boiler expiosionss answer, it is simply
o scarcity Of water in the boiler. Many persons
have theorized upon the subject and have given var
GUS reasons: wiz give to your numerous readers
the result Of actual experiments.
EXPERIMENT NUMBER ONE.
A boiler being submitted to hydrostatc pressure
OF 212 pounds to the square inch (cOld water was
filled with steam at pressure Of sixty pounds to
the square inch, as per Ashcrafts steam gauge The
put under the steam boiler or drum, and the same
temperature continued for little time Il have not
the report Of the experiments with me and quote
from memOryo There was no perceptible change In
the pressure indicated by the gauge, when upon
opening valve in the boiler terrific explosion oc'
Cured. What caused the explosion In that caseY
EXPERIMENT NUMBER TWO.
The boiler steam drum was Of the same strength,
&C., as that Of No. Steam generated as before and
boiler containing the water and the one containing
the steam There were inserted into the steam drum
the wires Of heavy electric battery and after get
ting pressure Of sixty pounds to the square inch,
the cock in the connection was closed and the fire
applied to the drum, as In experiment No. /. No in
the electric current was applied there was another
explosion. What caused the explosion In that case
EXPERIMENT NUMBER THREA
This was drum tested by hydr0static pressure
Of three hundred pounds to the square inch. The
same process OF experiment as No. 2 was observed.
to the square inch This explosion was equally as
destructive either of the others. The inside OF all
the steam drums were carefully examined after the
explosions, and found to be considerably Oxydized.
Can there be any doubt as to the nature Of the ee
ment generated in these steam drums9 be-
lieve that according to chemistry steam is
gen seven parts Hydrogen gas is explosive,
and when the oxygen Is consumed by bringing 1t
explodes Oxygen cannot be consumed by passing
heat through water therefore II the water Is kept
above the fire line In any boiler there cannot be any
danger from explosion. l wish to say that firm OF
boiler makers at Pittsburg, Pa made boiler OF the
same proportions as the ones exploded and pres
put upon It without injurng the boiler The pressure
would have been increased until the boiler bursted
there had been any, apparatus by which the
amount OF pressure could have been known. Will
the Fire Commissioners please furnish little light
upon the subject and oblge ny