, 1874-02-27
NEW RAILROAD-CAR STOVE.

Northwestern N1achtnc-Shops.
There are no inventors who deserve the good
will and gratitude OF mank1nd moro thaa those
who devise some contrivancc whereby travelling
Is made safer and more comfortable, and humar
Life preserved from danger. y
OF late yeara travelling by rail hns boen rem
deCed far less liable to accidents by the inyon-
ton and adoption by the railroad companies o1
the Westinghouse air-brake, the Miller buffer
and coupler, aud many other devices, and has
been made almost enjoyable By the introduction
Of palace. sleeping, and dining-cars, smoke
OF which very few roads hare yet adopted. In
deed, gas has been introduced into carr
and found to work we'll. In ona direction, how
ever, the same enterprise has not been shown ,
pensive method, yet obtaining, at the sane
time, an apparatus that would insure tho car
from catching f1re in case it should; be oves-
turned by some accident. This is very often
the cause Of the terrible losa OF life in railroad
disasters. II car is thrown down an embank-
menr, the stove becomes upset. and very often
the occupants sre fatally burnt be-
fore they can be rescued In this
age Of railroad disasters, two OF the most shock
the awful su1erings Of the victims. that have oo-
CURED we're those at Ango1a, on the Lake
Shore l. Michigan Southern Railway, and st
Poughkeepsie, on the Hudson River Road. In
the first case the CARS tumbled down the bank,
and in the latter they went through bridge.
Had not the carB taken hre, in neither case
would the loss OF Life have beau q quarter what
it WAS.
Several inventions have been offered to fill
thls great want, but none .s yet have stood the
Yesterday several well-known railroad gentle
men, including representatives from the Rock
Island, the Northwestern, and tho Burlington i
Quincy Roads, met At the shops Of the North
western Road on Chicago avenue, to examine
the practical workings Of stove invented by
John oliphant, Esq. In very clear manner HI.
OIiphant explained the principal characteristics
Of the stove and what VAS claimed for it. It
is 3 cylinder in form. about. 4 feet
high and 2 in diameter. The bottom Of it is
this tank is valve which keeps shut while the
stove keeps its perpendicular, but when it loses
that the valve opens and the water pou1s out
into the stove, completely putting out the fire.
ABOUT t foot t abpye 9p The The tank Is the esate,
nary stove. Unlike most stoves, the stmos-
phere in the car is not overneated,
air being introduced from the outside in pipe,
which is regulated by two dampers, admitting as
much az Ia requered The stove is encased With
about Elk inches between tha stove and it. Here
the fresh air comes in and is heated, and then
passes into pipes that run down the aides of the
car, with register under each seat. The warm
comes in near the floor, Keeping the feet YARN
and not heating the air In tho upper part nt
the car, "a common esoTes do In summer, By
p1acing large cake. Of ice in the stove and
turning on the current Of air, the modt snltry
day can be rendered delightfully."- cool, 80 far as
the car is concerned Many Of the minor i'd
vantages Of tnis stove that we're fully explained
by Mr. Oliphant cannot be detailed here, but it
is sufficient to say that all the. gen tlemen we1e
impressed very favorably with the stove, aud
said if it put out the fire Mr. OIphant claimed
1t would, then it would be al that could DO de-
sired in the form Of etoye fox railway pur-
posos. ..:- -
To test. this question, they went out into the
yard where one Of the stoves had been placed
for the experiment.. It was filed With bitumin-
ous coal and coke, forming u very lot fire.
When the gentlemen we're convinced that it was
hot enough to burn q car up, Mr. 0liphant
turned it over, and the fire was entirely ont With
in ba1f minute. The experiment fully vindi-
Gated all that the inventor claimed for
it. Afterwards \ car belonging to the North
western Company, that was furnishing with the
Ouphant heater, OF stove, was examined, and all
the points raised BY the spectators kindly an
swered by Mr. Olphant. That gentleman stated
to the reporter OF THE TRIBUNE that the Pitts
burgh, Fort Wayne d Chicago Road adopted the
stove some two months aince, and are perfectly
Satisfied with it.