National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-02-06

Operates and Where II Has Been
Adopted.
The liability Of steam boilers TO explode
or burst from corrosion, imperfection, or
other unseen causes has been so often IA
tally instanced that the best inventive tai
ent of the age has for years been actively
exercised toward the perfection of auto
matte devices by which these dangers
could be obviatcd. What has been sought
for has been some method by which reliable
records Of the pressure to which steam
boilers were from time to time subjected
could be obtained, aud whereby the SER
vices of employees could be criticised i'm
partially by a self.acting recording APP
pliancc. There Is to our knowledge only
one efficient device OF this kind now offered
to steam users, but in the time It has been
in the market II has so well established its
perfect accuracy rs Il standard instrument
and its value as a preventive Of boiler ex-
ploSion that IL Is unlikely that 1t will
ever be the subject Of improvement. We
refer to the Edison recording pressure and
alarm gauge, with time indications by
hand and dial Of tho ever-varyng degrees
in steam pressure carried, aud leaves a rec
ord upon a graduated chart showing what
the pressure has been ut any previous hour
or time, aud gives an alarm whenever the
pressure falls below or when II exceeds any
prescribed limit The gauge therefore
maintains n constant watch on the care and
skill Of the boiler attendant, thereby iutui-
lively prompting to the exercise Of utmost
care leaving indisputablc records, that may
be exceedingly useful IN case Of disastrous
boiler explosions where no human Wit
ncsscs arc left to tell the pressure at the
time Of the accident. In lieu of extended
comment from q pen Incapable Of entering
into u technical description of 50 perfect a
mechanical marvel as the Edison recording
and alarm gauge, we append from clectn-
cal, hydraulic, aud mechanical experts the
following testimonials:
NEW NoHR, Aug. /, lSSj.-u. $. {. Pow.
HArAS, I'd Rate, NAvN YARD, NORFOLK, Va
oct. -, lSS0-Sifs In obedience to the order
of the chief OF the bureau OF steam engineering,
of date Nov. ~, 1879, in relation 10 the Edison
recording ard alarm guagC, and that should,
at the end Of Il ycur, make II report giving Il
description of the instrument aud stating the
advantages and disadvantages for purposes
under the CugnEanCe of the steam bureau,
respectfully submit for your consideration the
following:
since Jan. lG, 1850, whenever steam has been
raised in any OF the boilers of the ship, this
gauge has been In constant use, and by the
uniformity ana correctness of its action, and
the nniailing promptncss with which It has
sounded its warnings, whenever the limit of
pressure was reached. together, also, in view
of the fact OF the very ncOnsidCrablo care nee.
cSsary, TO Keep It IN order am convinced
that there is no disadvantage Whatever, but
rather every advantage that Is claimed for 1t,
attending IT. use on board ship
! am uuhCsatingly of the opinion that all
the steamships of the navy should be provided
with one, ~ ! consider the possession of such
an Instrument OF very obvious importance aud
sgtisiGslion' Very respectfully your o6edient
''' ''''' Chief Engineer. United states Sa,;yy.
To rnglnecgin.thici W. H. sno,K, United
States Navy, Ch!cl of Bureuu
NAVY YArD. NEW NonN, CouMASnAvr'>
olueE-AUl ryTcd. Forwarded nov. 30, ISL
q. II. COurEV,
Com mRndcr comma ding
u. II. MrtNLIA, Lieutenant CUm uunder
Commanding,
UNITED STATE, STEAMER PowuNTAN. NAVY
Yam; y, y" Jan; -, lSssL---,ENyiMEERI SChEr
WI. H. sHuCE. I. :. ~ Chief Bureau steam
Engineering, Washington, y. C.-S',. In for
Warding the report Of Chief Engineer W. q.
Buchcr upon the years trial Of E'!.Dn's team
gauge, under date oct, -, lsSJ no ul,dsiOu was
made 70 the fact IN regard 10 the real "..!t. Of
the charts rs they were daily prDlIced, in.
spCctcd and put on file for future reference,
Therefore wish to mention the ilCt to the
| bureau that the daily charts or records OF
| the steam pressure were, by my order, pasted
| in the steam log, and VIII there be found in
| Nhll'tNlo'l Win OlutE usual NNlN rendered TO
| the steam bureau OF the Navy Department.
| said records have been NutOmically produced
| by Llsun's steam gauge under lock aud key,
| aholdng evidence of facts IN relation 10 steam
! tntIiCl, heretofore never satisfactorily obtain
| able. Very respectfully yOurObedient servant,
Captain United state, Navy, Commanding.
The following Is from high authority,
and IL entitled to entire conhdence
NEW YORK, sept. ], lNSj-I, B. Ep,oN, E>Q.,
| rIG ~ al WF,.tt nod
| your indicating and recording steam preSsurg
| gauge, with the view OF aSCCrtHinngitS meritt
ana u'Gs when applied to steam boilers whether
| on land or uilOut,
Thisgaugc will dOaccuratcly and completely
all that Is claimed iOr 1t do. 1t will indicate
| on inspection the steam pressure in the boiler
| in exactly the same manner any other steam
| pressure gauge, aud 1t will additionally ring
an alarm, or several alarms ii desired placed
| Wherever convenient, to attract the attention
ofihe engineer or other persons, whenever tbs
| pressure intended TO be carried IN the boiler 4
exceeded. This latter attachment Of an "elcc
| uU.mNguCtlC ALARM however need nor bt
used unless required; when used, a small gal
vnniC battery Is employed, with a make am
break arrangement to produce the desired
effect instantly, and vibrating gong ring
constantly until the pressure Is lowered 0nC
the danger ceases.
The recording mechanism which gives thi
gauge It's distinctive character, and to which 1
owes its peculiar value, is extremely simple II
construction, and is very efficient and reliable
| iA' Ha' Va q NISNo'N'Hb a'I1lA Sa,lEy - VI su
| prone importance on marine boilers and OF
lana boilers, because IN their CaSeslt Is mean
| lOf INC preservation OF lie and property, To-
ne discovery Of the causes OF steam boiler eX
P1sUIS WY ~ i2p W. st nSo m"c"oh oi uam
The law should make obligatory the attach
ment of recording pressure gauge ana alarm
to all steam boilers in use on land and water
and should require the diagrams described by
u, and, hnyiihs Ihe name OF the vessel or idr
nyrrcinr. and smicI ~ ni I' rpor ~ W.
10 he supcryIsors or Inspectors of boilers, and
II they show any pressure above that whlci
had been licensed, the engineer, fireman, o
whoever was responsible ior the pressure car
iiiSa5I iiiSa5I sHou'u W u'sii'sseu VI o'hef"Hc pun
that their services be considered essential t,
hocr srny q Sr Iarn S iIG n S Ste, m