The Portland daily press., 1888-05-12
Car Heating by steam.
"a the Editor of the Press !:

To the Editor of the Press:
1t is a great surprise to me, as well as to
many more of your readers, to find the item
in relation to car heating, in the editorial
column Of today's issue Of the PRESS.
Is the PRESS not aware that for the last
two winters trains have daily arrived and
departed from this city. being in constant
daily service steam heated. Is he not aware
that steam heating passenger trains has
passed the stage Of experiment. If not then
little more light is necessary, and hope
you will give place in the column of the
PRESS for the following:
Trains are now successfully heated with
steam on several important lines, extending
from Halifax, N. S., to Denver, Colorado,
and in no instance has this system proved
failure. On the contrary, railway managers,
as well as passengers are thoroughly pleased
with its working and are now making
further equipments at as rapid rate as is
possible The most severe tests have been
made that are possible during the low
temperature of 40o below zero, and also
through the hardest possible snow block
AIDES.
During one severe storm of this kind on
Canadian railway, when the train was
SIdlltu lOl oiAby uOulo db Uut pldCt, ottdul
heat was constantly furnished the train,
during the whole time, and each and every
car way kept at as comfortable temperature
as any house.
In another case on another road train
was stalled in huge drift twenty-four hours,
this train was also heated by steam from
the locomotive. On its arrival at its destina-
tion the conductor said had it not been
for the steam heat his passengers must have
suffered, as the outside temperature was
lnxxr t.fIn
if water heaters or stoves would not have
done as well, he said no, and emphasized it.
No stove or other kind of heater could
have been supplied with coal enough to have
carried them through any such trial. This
man is an enthusiastic advocate of steam
heat from the locomotive now, though he
felt as much opposed to it before using it, as
the spirit of the article in your columns
would seem to be. All these trains were
heated under the very conditions the arti-
Gle above spoken of says are impossible.
In addition allow me to say, the railroad
commissioners of the State of Massachusetts
are men appointed by that State, who by
their knowledge of railway matters and other
qualifications are eminently qualified to at
tend to their duties and their decisions or re-
concentrations always have great weight on
railroad matters, not only in this country,
but they are quoted as authority abroad.
These gentlemen have thoroughly and criti-
cally examined every system for heating
passenger trains now in use, whether by
steam, fire or water, and If their decision is
what their recommendation to the State leg
islature would indicate, that continuous
steam heat is the best, it will be considered
to be SO by the public
ID. ID. SEwALL,
V. p. and General Manager of the Sewall
Safety Car Heating Co.
[The article in question was simply a re-
sumo of the opinions of several New England
railroad superintendents, and that was all it
purported to be. Certainly the public will
be only too glad 20 know that heating from
the locomotive is an unqualified success un-
der all circumstances.