The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-10-21
BOILER EXPLOSIONS.
TO THE EDITOR OF TIE NEWS.


1t is an established maxim that the best
Judge of any science or art is q person who
has made that science or art his particular
study. Therefore, has the world looked to the
practical engineer for an explanation Of the
causes Of the frequent steam boiler explo'
sions. But the recent examination of the So
called experts shows that the world has been
deceived, and no doubt the experts them
selves equally. The examination goes to
show that the engineers have directed their
study and attention rather to the mechanical
portion and workings of an engine than to the
chemical phenomena produced by the agents
steam boiler may be exploded, but differ, and,
indeed, are quite at fault, as to what combina-
tion of facts must produce this result. Some
confusion of mind seems to exist when the
words "explosion" and. ."bursting" OF boiler
are used. The "bursting OF boiler simply
implies the "breaking ofa segment" of boil
er-escape of steam and water, and consequent
cagelessly placing themselves within range OF
danger; whereas, the 'explosion of boiler"
Is not merely the ''breaking Of segment"
but Is the art of driving OUT with noise and
violence, and, as it Is too well known, In.
wolves not only the life of the careless, and
oft-times ignorant, engineer, but also the
lives of all entrusted to his care.
We are apt TO say, we know the nature of
body when we know several of the uses to
which that body may be applied. and the con-
sequences of such application in greater or
lesser quantities, simply or in combination.
But TO know the nature Ola BODY Is 10 know
the original materials OF its constitution and
the mode OF their combination; and those ma
terals should be known in their primitive or
most simple state, and the knowledge OF
their combination should include all the inter-
mediate changes, in all their details, from the
primitive elements. Therefore, the engineer
should not only study thoroughly his ma
chinery, but also chemistry, at least, so far as
1t relates to those bodies which he is obliged
to use, and should govern. committee OF
men thus educated would not be long In In
vestigating and giving the true cause Of steam
boiler explosions.
We are gravely told, In some OF our school
books on natural philosophy, that expert
ments were made By committee OF the Frank
lin Institute, Philadelphia, at the suggestion
and expense OF the State Treasury Depart
ment, showing that the generation of hydro
gen gas in steam boilers, however high their
heat may be, never takes place. "After many
trials, with the express design OF forming hy-
drogen in steam boiler, if possible, they
never produced trace OF this gas from the de-
composition of water" Again, "even IT the
gas in question were formed In overheated
boilers, no damage could accrue from Its pres.
ence, since hydrogen never expodes without
being mixed with oxygen or common air,
neither of which ever exists In steam boiler
when in use; besides, were these two gases in
the steam boiler ready for explosion, still no
danger would exist, since they never take fire,
except from contact with hame-hence, all
danger from hydrogen in boilers exists only in
the Imagination"
We are told by some chemists from the labor
atory that the spheroidal state Of the water Is
the cause of the explosion, but we know that
the spheroidal state OF the water cannot exist
unless the boiler be overheated; and If there be
suf1ciency of water aud safety-valve the
boiler cannot be overheated; therefore, with
suficlency OF water in the boiler and safety
| valve, We cannot have the spheroidal state of
| the water nor an explosion Of the boiler.
Let us now see what does cause explosion,
and, fist, what Is the effect OF an insuffciency
of water In boiler which Is we'll heated. The
flame or heat passing through f1ue or under
surface of q boiler not covered by water,
soon causes this fue to become red-hot; the
steam generated necessarily comes In contact
with this red-hot iron. Iron decomposes
steam at all temperatures, from dull red 70 q
white heat, appropriatlng its oxygen IL thls
way, or by this continuous chemical action
| time according to the surface OF Iron ex-
posed) to convert the greater portion
Of the steam generated into Its elements,
hydrogen, which remains free IN the
boiler, and oxygen, which the heated
iron fue approprlates to itself, forming
oxide of iron. While the machinery Is not in
motion, or the steam not escaping freely, the
hydrogen fills the upper portion of the boiler,
and does not come in contact with the red-hot
iron, nor its oxide. But any cause which may
produce an expansion or disturbance OF the
gas, so as to bring 1t into contact with the
NoxIde OF iron, heated to the same tempera.
ture as will decompose steam, the gases will
| Immediately become chemically combined"
producing most intense heat-.("the most IN;
| tense heat that can be produced Is caused
by the combustion of hydrogen gas land caus'
ing an explosion, when the .'oxide Of iron iron
will be reduced to its metallic state" lSec
Turner's Chemistry, by Rodgers, page 1881
The simple experiment of burning mixture
| OF the gases in what Is termed q hydrogen
gas" or experimenting with the 'endiome-
ter" In basin OF water, win satisfy any scien-
tifc engineer, not only as to the cause OF ex'
plosions in boilers, but also how they
may be obvlated. JOHN LYNCH, n. D.,
Professor University South Carolina.