Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-11-05
o.,o,x-1t will be remember.

Rorrr Explosions. will be rememDsr'
ed by many of our readers, that COnsresS'
during its last session, appointed Commis
sion tn conduct a series of experiments anu
Investigations into the cause OF boiler e4-
Missions. This action was induced ny the
,xtraor jiuary increase throughout the coun-
trv Of this particular kind OF casualty, and
the apparent ignorance of engineers an
builders az to the reasons therefor oDme
no, 70 since the various railroad corpora
tons of New Jersey attempted to reach tne
same end by experimenting with boilers Oh
different makes, and although they expended
ten Thousand dollars in the trial, no satis
factory results were obtained At that time
,t was a theory held by most engineers that
a boiler fully supplied with water could not
.xplode, the only possible accident resulting
from an excess OF steam being rupture
which would act as safety-valve, ana 30
prevent any explosion. A fair trial, now"
ever, showed this belief to be uniounoeu' as
a boiler of great SIZE was completely tofu III
pieces. and fragments weighing several tons
were thrown several hundred yards Anotn-
err boiler OF the same size, containing Tue
same amount Of water, and SUBJECTED 10 tue
same pressure, was merely ruplureu.
the experiments proved nothing ana ieit
things just as they were. Two years ago
the Franklin Institute made a series OF tests
with small house bDiers. which however salts
f,ctory they proved We under conditions no
IkeIy to exist In SUCH boilers as are useo
IN large manu- factories, STEAMBOATS,, ho'eis'
etc. So great diversity OF opinion has
ex ssed, and still exsts, In reg ird TO tne
matter, and go great ls the necessity Tor
thorough and definite settlement OF the ques-
ton, that Congress has wisely determined
upon It's present course OF action.
A Washington despatch Informs us thai
the preparations, which have occupied near
ly four months, are at last concluded, and
that the Commission will enter upon Its ac-
tive labcrs early the present month. That
BODY, which consiets oil eight practic Il sclcn-
tlfic gentlemen, propose 10 begin their ex-
periments by testing the several kinds OF
boilers now in use IN the Eastern States, IN
the ward at Sandy Hook, where the railroads
conducted the expel iments already alluded
to, Eleven BOILERS, four OF them OF the larg-
est size, rave been placed in position, eacn
furnished with recording Iyrometers, Their
mometers and other necessary Instruments,
SO that the pressure and temperature OF the
water and steam may be exactly known.
Duplicates OF each are placed in bombproof
cannot possibly be destroyed. When the
experiments shall have closed at Sandy
Hook, the commission proposes to select
some locality in the West, Tor the purpose
of repea ting 1.-THE experiments with boilers
of the Western make. 1t has already for
warded circulars to the best known authOrl-
ties throughout the country, asking lor sug-
yestions and statement TOR their various
theories, which will doubtless be generally
answered According to this circular, the
first experiment will be as to explosions
caused by the gradual increase OF steam
pressure. The sec Jnd will be as to ezpioS-
IoDs caused by low water and the overhead
ing OF the boiler; the third, 10 explosions
caused by deposits OF sediment, or lncrusts-
tons on the inner surface the fourth, as To
explosions resulting from explosive gases
within the boiler the fifth, as 10 the re-
suits OF electrical action; the sixth, as 10
the pc rcussIVe action Of the water I'D case OF
rupture OF boilers 10 the steam chamber tue
seventh, as to the explosion Gauss by tue
water being deprived of the required amount
OF air; the eighth experiment Will be as To
accident resulting from the spberoidal con-
dItlOD Of the water; the ninth, and final
test, will be as to the repuislon OF water
from the fire surface or splateS. The opln-
ions In regard to those various causes OF tx
oslon are exceedingly diverse, even among
prominent scientists and pract cai engineers,
AMI the commission has no slight work to
perform to decide u pom all the points named.
Indeed, there is lltJie Likelihood that 1t will
achieve SO much; but from the earnestneSs
exhibited by its individual IN mOeTs, and the
high rank they sustain As practical, thought
iul men, it is certain that great AMI per-
manent benefits Will ensue irO their lab
UTs.