The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-02-17

effort to burst boiler, but had not sue
ceeded. According to newspaper re.
ports, they had collapsed boiler flue at
Pittsburgh under enormous pressure,
and had damaged few other boilers in
their weakest parts, but nothing like an
explosion had been accomplished. II
was alleged that in their experiments at
Sandy Hook they not only boiled one
boiler dry, and then pumped cold water
into i, but allowed the bottom plates to
get RED hot before starting the pumps.
For many years after he became con.
vinced of the cause of explosions, Mr..
Lawson labored to devise some method
preventing their occurrence, and, not
being successful, communicated his ideas
to number of engineers and scientific
men, in the hope that they might hit
upon a remedy. About two years ago,
no other person having invented the re-
CURED device, he himself discovered a
means of making all new boilers perfect
ly safe, if his theory is correct. This in
vention consists of preventing the con>
cussive strain produced by the impulsive
and intermittent escape of steam from
the superheated water into the cylinder,
and securing an approximately uniform
pressure, by forcing a uniform Liberation
of steam from the water, independent of
the intermittent escape from the steam
space to the cylinder. The means for
accomplishing this consists of a boiler
constructed with a partition between
the flues and the top Of the boiler thus
creating a steam department over the
water compartment, to be supplied with
steam evolved from the water through
valves in the partition. These valves,
to ensure safety, must be smaller in the
aggregate than the port or valve through
which the cylinder is fed from the steam
compartment. BY this means the pres
sure is kept approximately uniform upon
the surface of superheated water, thus
preventing the dangerous conclusive
effect which follows the sudden reducN
ton of pressure on the surface, The
danger arising from sudden condensa-
ton of steam in the boiler is prevented
by carrying the colder feedwater into
the boiler under the water, and with a
downward injection. Anumber ofsmall
valves and perforations in the partition
sheet between the water and steam COM
partments will remedy the very common
annoyance 'ofwater rising to and through
the valves. Patents for this invention
have now been secured in the United
States, Canada and many European
countries.
When questioned in regard to his per-
Sonal history Mr.. Lawson, who is a man
Of middle age, said he was born in Som
erset, Pa, where as boy he received a
fair English education. His mother be-
ing widow of limited means, he enter
ed printing office when sixteen years
old, and at the end of the next three
years had accumulated five hundred
dollars. This sum he devoted to his
further education in English branches
at Allegheny College and elsewhere. He
had natural fondness for the physical
sciences, and through life had devoted
much time to their study. Hi attention
had already been specially directed to
the subject of steam when, in 1874, he
witnessed boiler explosion at Wheelr
ing, Va, on hoard ferry boat, on which
he had failed to be a passenger only
through triAing accident. Every per-
son on board the boat was either killed
or injured, and this incident stimulated
his anxiety to find a means of prevent
ing such disasters.-N Y Post.