Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-02-02

EDS. APPEAL-As everybody has had
something to say about the nan steam
boat accidents that have occurred in the
last few years, viii you permit me through
! your columns UO~saysOms-hlug on the sub
jsct2 Ihsv6 heard many reasons assigned
why steamboat boilers explode. But the
last one, that Of electricity in the air, IS
the most absurd Of them all. There is but
one cause for explosion, namely: electric
ity or gas in the boiler. Damp steam
never did, and never viii, blow up a
boiler. Fit is possible to blOwUD boiler
with plenty of water in it, then there is
no security. The engineers have no con-
troll over the steam, and there is 90 safety
in reach Of them. II / believed q boiler
could explode with plenty Of water, I
never would go near one, much Tess travel
and sleep over them. But the question IS
asked, why have we more explosions now
than in former years2 I answer fl form
er years steamboats, were ma-=Egl by
river men, who we're raised on Jla water:
now all avs passed by Congress fer tine
management Of steamboats, have proved q
failure and increased the dangers from
steam, All a man wants to make him a
good river man is a government license
in his pocket. The Wner OF boats en-
plOy their creWE, not from the length of
time they have served as apprentices, but
they ask, have you license, vii You work
Cheap " III 10 LLDeE VI AA- Na ltNelaela
take place about the 10 the crew change
watch, or at the time of leaviuF p3.t2 Be
cause, the new Waterman examines the
water Ia the boilers, II he finds The water
low, he lets on afull supply. /. the water
iB below the tops Of the hues, they become
red hot in a few minutes. As soon 81 the
water commences to rise in The boiler t.
comes in contact with the red bot iron and
gas is formed and an explosion Is the re
suit. Sometimes, by listing the boat
in taking on f~reights, the water i'm the
bQlers runs TO the listed side, leaving the
boiler on the opposite side ro8TIv dry.
The boat starts firing up, the ilgGs in the
empty boiler become hot, the boat is
trimmed up, the water runs back to the
hot boiler, and an explosion is tho result. !
In times Of low water, boats ground on 4
sandbars, and in running their pumps
they frequently pump large quantities Of
sand into their boilers. As soon as tho
boat is cooled down, the sand settles, fills
up the connection pipes, and stops a full
flow Of water from boiler to boiler. The
result is, while there is plenty of water
in some of the boilers, there B. scarcity in
Others and the two outside boilers may i
have plenty of water, while The middle
boilers may be dry. Some such causes
have produced all the eX~plOEiCusthat ever /
occurred. Neither bad iron, burnt boilers /
nor leaking boilers ever caused an CEplC-
sion. ] rave steambOated many years. /
have had leEky and burnt and cracked
boilers and, with such boilers, I have
run under a pressure of steam of 200
pounds to the square inch, and I d0u't
know how many CRATES, Wrauchgs and
other weights hitched On the safety
valve-yoJ I had no blOw-uus. ] know
you may have 200 pounds OF steam, you
crack a full sheet, you may burst of
the heads Of twenty rivets i'm q place, you
may burn your boilers until YOU can run
your fist in the hole, and the iron will
them up, 50 long as you keep wajcr above
the dues. Congress had better dismiss
the army of OnCs-h0lders. with their
duck-trouRhs they call pumps, to test
boilers, and let engineers, pilots. captains
and owners be made responsible for their 4
acts, and the owners and crews win not /
fell back on Government licenses when
accidents occur, and we win Lavo fewer
accidents. T.. u. WRIGHT.
The foregoing communication, from
one Of the most intelligent and expert
enced steamboat captains on the
Western waters, strikes Us as well
worthy Of attention. The idea, as he
suggests, Of electricity outside the
causing explosions Is an evil
dent a~bsurdity. If there was any
truth in that, explosions should take
only during thunder storms and
the atmosphere is most highly
charged with the electric fluid. But
such has not been n~oticeabIy The fact,
explosions occurring with nearly equal
frequency in all weathers. When ex-
blossoms take place from an expansion
If steam, air or gas within the boilers,
often collapse, it is true. But that
nay be sufficiently accounted for by
common atmospheric pressure Operat-
on the surface Of the boilers, highly
and in which, by inward eX-
force a vacuum has been first
reated, into which, nature abhoring
vacuum, atmospheric air rushes.
But before the inner explosive force
las overcome the resistance of the
ides Of the boilers, pressure from with
should rather give capacity for re-
iistance to the inner explosive force
II steam, or whatever else the strength
1f iron may be required to keep with
n safe bounds. Captain Wright's
view that damp steam" win not pro-
luce explosions comes near according
experience, if inspections OF
sworn officers are worth anything,