The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1877-04-11
Boiler Explosion Their Causes and
Remedies.
TIoNEsTA, PA, April 3, 1877.
I'm n r.rStrrr TrA

ED. REPCBICAN:--
After reading the
account of the recent boiler explosion
at Rogers q Lsnders' Mill, where two
men were hurled instantly into the
other world, others maimed and Grip.
pied for life, beside the terrible de-
struction Of property, it certainly
passes through the mind of the think
ing portion Of community, that there
ought to be more stringent laws for
the inspection and testing Of steam
boilers, and radical reform in ths
management Of them.
The oil aud lumber interest have
brought great many engines and
boilers into this country, and With
them Il fair amount of good engineers;
but the majority Of the~men that have
charge of boilers here, are men who
are not at all fitted for what they are
employed to do We will start out
and lake the average saw-mill engi.
neer-and by the way he's the fire.
man too now to fire saw-mill boiler
does not require the care and train.
ing that it does to fire a steamboat
boiler, or any boiler that fires with
coal, because the fire is not so liable
to get beyond your c6ntrol as coal
FIRE. You can put a saw>dust fire un-
der ia few minutes, where with a
coal fire you would have to work. half
an hour, and keep your pump going
all the time. On most saw-mills OF
this region the filer has charge Of the
boiler and engine, and if anything
goes wrong compelling them TO shut
down, he is called away to the saw,
either to file or repair, leaving The
boiler in charge of the fireman. Your
average fireman has a certain pride
about him to keep up all the steam
that is needed (and to do SO requires
hard work on his part), SO he fills his
fire box with wood and has the steam
blowing off at about 80 or 100 lbs,
and waits the word to start up, which
he generally does by letting on the
full head of steam. Often the very
act Of starting up so will raise the
safety valve SO that it fairly howls for
Il while, until the circulation has
started in the boiler and all the parti-
cles Of steam and water are iii motion.
Some mills are fitted with what is
called sawyer's valve-a valve that
is opened aud shut by the sawyer at
the saw frame. These the engineer
can only start up slow but before
the circulation has commenced, tie
sawyer opens up the valve, the steam
strikes blow on the piston head, re.
bounds to the boiler, sometimes with
out any visible injury, but some day
under these very conditions, they lose
both their boiler and their lie, and
those left behind wonder how twas
done, thinking or knowing
that such treatment will sooner or lat.
er destroy any boiler in use-and-
grayely inform you that the water
was all right, for they heard the fire.
man try it just before the explosion.
Another bad and dangerous prac.
tice is that Of blowing water out Of
The boiler under pressure, and in some
cases that have come under my no.
tice, never letting tbs water out or
cleaning the boilers during Whole
summer. Some had no blow-oh' at.
tached to Them. The whole trouble
in blowing water out Of boilers under
pressure is, the large amount OF scum
that is on top Of the water, and as the
water lowers in the boiler this scum
sticks to the sides, and it, with the
mud that settles on the bottom, dries
there, by the heat Of the boiler aud
wall, forming a new scale every time
the boiler is blown out. This will
in short time render it unfit for use
beside costing one-third more to run
it. The only and safe way is to let
the water out after the boiler and fur
mace have cooled of, and then wash
it OUT get all the mud off the walls
aud bottom Of the boiler. Go into
the office Of the boiler Inspector of