The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-01-03
sUPERHEATED STEAM.
III True Nature Explained by an Expcrt-Ths
Conditions Of Danger-ssveral Interesting
Experimentation Can" HsGt
,~9A1 Iron to Herilous Point.


upon the destruction Of Rarnum's
Museum. q representative Of the HERALD called
yesterday afternoon upon Mr. George W. Plmp-
ton, tho professor Of natural philosophy at the
cooper institute, who hiss given special attention
70 this subject for the past few years, and may be
looked upon not only ~ an expert but also ~ an
impartial one. Mr. FimptOn was, as Is his usual
custom on the three .'schoOl' days Of the week,
waiting In the large lecture hall to give counsel to
mechanics and others needing 1t and generally to
answer any questions IN his branch OF science that
might be put to aim. He at once courteously con-
scented to describe as wen as he able, IN an in
formal way, tAe nature and idiosyncracies Of
sUPERHEATED STEAM.
p What is ssuperhested steam ~ began the re-
porter.
''suparneated steam is steam heated apart from
water. Hyou apply heat to water it is converted
into steam at 2l2 degrees Of heat Apply as much
additiohal heat to that as you choose, you get no
superheated steam until there Is no water remain
ing In the presence Of the steam. But when the
steam has been, as it were, drained OF water, and
has become dry, q further application Of heat
makes y spperaeatea atean and its temperature
INGRRAsED INDErNlTELY."
Indefinitely Y''
'1lnean by that up to the point OF association,
"And what is the meaning OF dissertation :" pur-
Sucd the reporter.
'.Thc dissertation OF the two gases-oxygen and
the steam. At certain point these gases sepa-
rate-becOme ASSOCIATED And here may say
that there Is very Interesting and not very I'M
which illustrates this very pretty. II consists Of
. gunharre1 for example-heated at some point to
bright redness The result ID that the oxygen is
only is received the other end That Is one Nay
Of procuring Hydrogen. In order, however, to en-
large the artifcal surface OF metal exposed to the
action OF the steam, and thus make the experiment
as perfect as possible 1t Is customary to partially
nn the tube with iron clippings and filings"
What else , can yom tell US about superheated
''Mell, suppose it is enough to say that steam
once generated and heated apart from water, as
Tor instance, In O separate vessel a'
- BEHAVES IN ITS EXPANSION oss
Nike any other gas. It expands according to a
nH ,s law, when mas been exactly determined by
'Do you uean that the steam can only be super.
heated when ~ Is Ia = vessel entirely separate
".Not at all. In a tube or pipe leading from
boiler and having perfectly free connection with
~ 1t would be quite possible to snpeIheat the
steain.n - - -~.r
9 "Do you agree with MI. Ward in his statement
IN to-day's HERALD that it was quite possible that
the steam in that BAKER 4 Smiths boiler at Bar.
NUNS Museum could have been superheated ~
II have not seen any drawings OF that boiler; but,
say that Is was quite possible" ay| 'sa
''Mr Ward suggests that the
by the brick wall near the boiler; how about the
.cOndnction OF heat from iron to steam ~
"A current OF steam passed over iron win bring
steam. And from iron tasteam there is very rapid
interchange OF heat-that is, where there is an
the steam next the pipe could be Kept perfectly
stationary 1t would be a good n0n-conductor; but
OF course it cannot and II becomes heated through
It's whole mass by what we term the process of
convection. In this case, however, as 1t seems to
me. the whole question hinges upon the power Of
a an
TO ignite the surrounding inhammable material,
and have no doubt myself that 1t could. In this
pertinent that was shOxh q few years ago by
Mr.. Wizard. the same gentleman who wrote the
letter IN today's HERALD. Its purpose was to
show that superheated steam became most dan
gcrous when suddenly brought i'll contact with
10y Dig
heat to II above the level OF the water. This, OF
course, made layer OF superheated steam, and
through this he caused some water TO pass from
above. The result was an immediate explosion
that H. the plug was expelled with very great vlo
lence." -f, t-.Ia rrf-l- .4
''wlat is
THE PRESSURE ld8 -fl
of steam az dincrent degrees OF temperaturefn
"Af boiling point the pressure IL fifteen pounds
TO tue square lnC aud at $50 degrees it il already
double that. Then II rises very rapidly. un TIL at
900 degrees IL Is az much as 24o pounds to the
square inch" gennr eMi ri'rt1
PIRE MARSHAL MsPgD0Ns EXPERIENCE
AGAIN.
He sends Another Commu N lea ton ON
sise Subject OF superheated Steam--s,ro-
po.ai 90 Have = Public denomination
by Practical Experiment Of the Truth
or Fslsity of His Theories. m E n
INV YORK, Jan. 2, 1873.
TO gnr EDITOR ef TUE HERALD
There seems to be such a radical difference of
opinion among engineers and experts in relation to
the question whether superheated steam can set
Area hsiI
result from any OF judgment on my part or Of
practice on the part OF builders operators or owners
OF steam Cor power or for warming purposes are
90 momentous. that deem Il TO be proper that
should explain my views and the reasons which
impclled me 10 make my late reports upon the
cases watch ~ has been my duty 10 examine into.
do not profess 10 be a scientific expert In re-
iaton To this subject but had, very early after
assumed my Once ~ Fire Marshal, q number of
casrs under examination Of so plain character
that could not avoid the conclusion that the first
irntlon had resulted from the heat OF steam pipes
~ some eases the IRE had started az a consider
attic distance from the boiler. and more frequently
than Otherwise tho evidence was 10 the eject that
sac lAIcs bcaaae hotter
OF Withdrawn, and IN the night, when most OF the
usnsl occupants had retired or LEFT the building.
lassf rcInar kalse Developments caused me great
anNist,, aud negan Examinations OF buildings
which had not been burned. but in which the
n sin,lsf manner @ those where the ires I had
artnsiit occurred. And suca evidence as charring
81 we'd. settings. &c, "a proximity TO pipes was
bound 90 ~ almost always present IN this emer-
gcnct 1 th9ught proper 20 call the assistance of
Engineers experts. 70 ms aid, and the arst person
csws ~ contact with who seemed 20 under
stand NE subject vel. MAS Mt. Norman Ward At
iny inssiaisen Af. w.sfd accompanied INC to visit
several
rnssfs1- wnrHf FfKEs Ran oCcrRREp
VITA Nitw - tracing cut all the attendant cir
fuiatsllcNs ANA ~ dttcrtninlng The causes OF the
Nfes. ~ some ~ them ! was taiircly convinced
VA thf heal ~ We steam pipes had caused the
nfa. Hnd thn pain explanation Of The rationale.
gwen thT stOI confirmed me lu All nav rcyious
susptl ienH AM fheutfr. and the result was that
dtfAltd "a ~ duts - tcsin 90 once q rigid cxami
nntl0A of nniifitnNs a. advance, that the danger
mlFat ~ renewed "a pUriornslng tnis duty
fuund ~ a. ~ a tefy 1fs.sreoaliC one tecallsc
o. unth1nkitl iaek ~ have 50 interfere IA