, 1870-09-19

French engineer, nsd that wl,ere it stated the
1ye!s WGto four inches apart, II WAS In
ns.tta.ght !. lne, but when they were put zigzag
II WAS only two irches.
Mr. Sellers arked il riyet were four inches |
from centre to centre.
MI: HayA said they were, and their thick
ness 3G 10 4T-100lh Of au inch.
NJ. Sellers eaid it seemed to him that the |
be impossible to keep fhe boiler tight with |
ulat dlsthnce betweeR the rivets. He found !
u very diMcnlt to koop tho boiler tight with |
the rlyets two and one-half inches apart.
NJ. Ha!s said the remarks were merely a
quotation, and not Tho opinion OF the commis-
Mr.. Sellers knew the knowledge Of tho men,
hers OF the committee too vol to suppose that
thcy would hazard any such opinion.
CYLINDER PACKING.
Inc report OF the Committee on Cylinder
Stuihng- box Packing was presented. It stated
heGted With railroad engineering. Answers
had been received from ffty-four companies
in regard to the question as to which WAS best
-" spring" or steam" pscking-aud Of that
and thirty of steam Il had been % domon-
st1ated that steam packing wore most at the
ends. The Chairman, individually. waa OF the
oplnion that the wear was Oh the cylinder, aud
that II the pressure was so regulated as to ne
only sufficient to keep the rings tight, "spring
question seemed to lie betweon the Dunbar
and Stevens packing.
interesting debate.
Mr. Brown, OF the Ens Railroad, was in fa-
vor o. spring packing as the best, for REASONS
q1tIed to keep it in order.
Ill. JAckson. OF the Rome. Watertown l.
Ogdt usburgls Railroad, said be had used Dun
par psck'nE seyen years. He never had to
bore out the cylinder, and tho packing uacd on
their read worked splendidly.
Mr. Nesbitt, Of the Kentucky Central, COIN
eioea with the views Of tho former speakcr,
Mr. Gregg, of the Erie Railroad, was not here
to ADVERTISE any packing, but when packing
gives satisfaction la was in favor of saying
10. He would lave been surprised II any
mneter mechanic would go back to "spfing''
Of steam packing. The Dunhsr was used on
the Erie Read generally.
Mr: Wells, Of the Indianapolis Railroad, had
used both Dunbar and Stevens. The former
Vas the least trouble, az the latter wears the
cylinders nneseu1x. His road had used the
inch steel wire unler the r1ngs to reduce pres
sure, and found 1t to act well.
M1- Bri:ton, Of the Indiana Central, had used
Dunbar With satisfaction.
Mr.. Towne, of the Hannibal / st. Joseph
Nailroad, thought ihe Stevens cheapest and
cspeciallY when using Z. donble rings
1I5. Cummings, Of the Pittsburgh, Fort
Wayne i Chicago, had used Stevens with
double rings on $50 locomotives. They bad
fixed the packing himself 1t Lursted out tho
cylinders. He had never used it since the
Stevens. He first fitted up close to avoid
over pressure. and found its working satis-
factory.
Mr.. Butterie1d, Of the St Paul & Sioux
City Railroad, had used Dunhare SUCCESS
fully, and also used Stevens, but it blowed" "
probably because it was not properly fitted up.
After it was fitted close it run five years.
.Mr. Bill, OF the Atlantic Il Crest Western
1aallrosd, had ten engines that used Stevens,
aid ten Dunbar's, which he considered fair
test. He preferred Dunbar's as in five years
it gave perfect satisfaction to their rosd.
Mr. Burke, Of the Memphis l. Charleston
Railroad. raid in 1859 his company purchased
the tight Of Dunbar fer their road. The en-
CINE passed through the war. The packing
worked badly. He examined the cylinders in
then was induced to t1y Steyena'. This also
WAS unsatisfactory, and he put iu strong pack
| ing afterWard. Gave another trial to Dunbar,
and again took it cut. He WAS surprised At
! the dive1tlty Of opinion on this important
subject. So fat as the labor Of taking on the
head Of the cylinder was concerned, 1t was
! an item on master roads that called for les
! seninE.
| Mr., SeIlerr. of the De6 Sloines rsilroad.
was grafifed 10 hear expressions on Ills yital
subject. pack1ng was prolific source OF
relief when al the snare time Of employees
/ was consumed in taki,,r out nart7nr. Star.
ems used only one rinr in Lis nate5t. but Il
was necessary to substitute two, though the
other was certainly best as measure Of
ring, bore it out, it It enugly. turn out to .
loose fit il tho CYLINDER. and have three grooves
in it. He did not believe in e1porinentinr.
The object was to Get a cheap packing thai
would do the work.
Mr. Johann, Of tie Pacific L st, Louis Rail.
road, Ind tried bot], for ak months. The
Dunbar did very we'll The Stevens not &C
well. Tho ring had too much play, and admit
ted too much steam. He then fitted the rings
| close With the Stevens. which answered we'll
and, being cheapest, he Lad used it for seven
ty.two engines.
Mr.. Young, OF the Cleveland. Cincinnati.
Columbus & Indianapolis Railroad, had fountt
le lad to TT the spring ring very close for The
Stevens. It was cheaper than tie Dunbar
Dut too many renewals made it nearly as dear
The Stevens wears the cylinder at the ond
For passenger enginos le preferred sprinf
packing.
Mr.. Setchell, Of the Little Miami Railroad
had used the Stevens on passenger engines
The uneven wire coon cut, and tho master mo
chanic did not like it. It also cut tho cylinder
Babbitt was applied to no good purpose. The,
they tried spring packing, and he could maxi
the same time with two cars moro as he 1it
with the Stevens or Dunbar packing.
hlr. Gregg, OF the Erie Railroad, explained
that the advantage Of the Dunbar was in it
close fit, and that it constantly worked close
AID preventing the Ct blowing" It casts les
for reraits, and requires less fuel. The Ste
vels worked open, and the engines fitted wit
it Meuld blow, And consequently did less work
Mr, Elliott, OF the Ohio Il Mississippi
Railroad, recommended Dunbar.
Mr. Little, Of tue indianapolis / Junctio
Railroad, has used both with satisfaction, an
Vas unable to atato which was the hest.
Mr. ToVue. of the Hannibal 4 ST. Josep
Railroad, did not think there was much diife,
cree when both were properly attended to.
Dir. Gregg said he would like to have 4 vot
; of the house as to which was the best. H
would move 10 divide the house on the tire
hpds-the old spring, the Dunbar, and th
!, | Steyens.
Mr.. Sellers opposed the motion, az the cor
vention shonld express no opinion. Ho di
not think it would be in order. This WIS
house. He was opposed to advocating IL
claims ct either.
:. Mr. HAYS, OF tho Illinois Central, also o.
> poEeo the vote as an injury to the interests {
!, TIL association, 1t was more question {
iron ard water than OF the kind Of packir
used. lie was IN fayor Of dividing aa
! sp1lnG or steam packing, but not aa to Il
! different varieties Of either.
+, Mr. Setchell moved to lay the matter upe
n ihe table, which WAS agreed to.
: BOILER 1ScnUsrA11oS.
The report of the Committee on Boiler I,
:. crnstatlon was called for; The committ'
It stated that they haf not been able 10 get t
y gether. but that one Of it's members, u
lowne, had Presented paper on that su
!. jcct. in the absence OF regular report W