Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1889-03-19
A Now system Of steam Heating.

After two years of trials and expert
ments the Pennsyivania Railroad Com
pany has adopted q system for heating
the passenger cars by steam, which ex'
perts declare to be the best, safest and
surest mode Of heating yet devised. The
Philadelphia Times of March l4th thus
describes IT.:
THE system is what is known as the
condensation system. Two straight iron
pipes, two inches In diameter, are placed
under the floor of the car and are con-
nected by cross pipes In the centre. A
small pump is as,ened to one corner OF
the tender and connected with the boiler
by pipe. The steam passes through the
pump,enters one pipe and pssses through
II to the centre OF the car. Here 1t goes
up through valve and branches off into
two iron pipes. These pipes extend across
the width of the car and are Joined to two
long wrought iron tubes running lenRth
wise of the car. Frem these project q
short spur pipe under each car. The
steam goes through these pipes, passes up
through the radiators In each end OF the
car and is then drawn down through a
cast-iron pipe back to the centre of the
car, where 1t passes through valve and
enters the return pipe.
"The little pump on the tender is con-
stantly at work and creates vacuum
which draws back to the pump the con-
deDsed water. In addition to this the ex-
haust from the pumb and the air-brake
are both directed into the tank. The
valve in the centre of the car Is so al
ranged that when the temperature is high
enough, by turning small cock under
the centre seat the supply of steam is
shut of from that car and 1t rushes
through the pipe to the next one. In this
manner one car can be without aHy heat
while the thermometer climbs up In the
nineties in the others. Or In the same
man ner one side of the car can be heat
ed to q higher temperature than the
other, II necessary. When the steam
reaches the centre OF the last ear It goes
up through the va We, enters the heating
pipes and radia' 'ors and then is caught by
the vacuum and drawn back to its starting
place.
GOOD VENTILATION AFFORDED.
mo steam escapes In any place and
the pipes from the rear OF the centre OF
the last car have no steam In them, while
the car itself is well warmed by the
pipes on the inside. By this means no
dripping occurs and the vacuum is 30
strong that the steam pipes are entirely
free from water, and In the event OF q
wreck and the pipes were broken the
vacuum Is 80 powerful that 1t would
suck the air in instead OF allowing the
steam to escape. In making up train
of cars the big pipes under the car floor
are connected by means OF a slip grip
and about foot of strong rubber hose.
Underneath each seat Ia a hole two inches
wide bored through the floor of the car
I'm such manner that when the cold all
rushes in IL 81 likes the hot iron pipes on
the inside and becomes heated.
This arrangement keeps a constant
current OF warm, fresh air in the cars al
all times, aud the vacuum IN the pipes
draws what little water there is in the
pipes, SO that when the cars are un-
coupled there is not a drop of water tc
iall on the road-bed or station floor. IL
requires but little steam to run the
pump, and on yesterdays run from
Philadelphia to New York, with traiI
OF twelve care, but five pounds of steam
pressure was used. This was sufficieu
10 create vacuum In the return pip,
averaging fourteen inches. In the sup.
ply steam pipe 1t averaged fourteen
inches, and on the engine nineteen inchei
or nine and one half pounds. The average
temperature during the run was seventy
| NV NNBAS
EXPERIMENTS WITH THE TEMPERATURES.
Several experiments were made t
find out how high the temperature cou d
be raised. In some of the cars the mer.
curry registered ninety degrees and In
others VIXEN the steam was shut off II
dropped twenty and thirty degrees. Az
the train went rushing along the wind
came through the apertures In the floor
aud purfi d what would otherwise have
been close atmosphere. The iron pipes
are covered with thin wooden sheathinge,
and the passenger who is troubled with
cold feet car warm bis toes as well as II
he had them wrapped up In hot-waieI
bottles. The new system wol ks to per.
fectfon, and not hitch or break has oc.
CURED TO mar the perfect success OF the
system"
| BY this metf cd OF heating every de.
sirable point Is gained. A sufficient
am cunt OF heat can always be secured,
and 1T can be regulated to any desired
temperature. There Is no hot water in
the pipes TO scald or burn In case of ac-
cident, and an ample supply of pure
fresh air Is supplied through the aper.
lures for ventilation.
| On the Introduction of this perfect sys-
tenn OF heating, the car stove with all its
terrible possibilities will be forever dis
carded. The oil lamp has already given
way to The electric light, and with the
abandonment of the stove, the last OBJ
lectionable feature in railway travel will
be happily gotten rid of. No event in
the history of railroading will serve to
| stimulate travel SO greatly.
1t Is expected that all OF the pa senger
cars of the Pennsylvania Railroad Will be
htted with this appliance before another
winter.
-