Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1889-03-23
A New System Of Steam Heating
Adopted on the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad.


ments the Pennsylvania Railroad Compa.
ny has adopted system of heating the
passenger cars by steam, which experts
declare TO be the best, safest and surcsi
mode Of heating yet devised.
The Philadelphia Times of March il,h
thus describes it,
1.-THE system is what is known us the
condensation system. Two straight iron
pipes, two inches In diameter, are placed
under the floor Of the car and are connect.
ed by cross pipes In the centre. A small
pump Is fastened TO one corner Of the ten.
der and connected with the boiler By n
pipe. The steam passes through the pump
enters one pipe and passes through II to
the centre Of the car. Here II goes up
through valve aud branches of into two
iron pipes. These pipes extend across the
width Of the car and are joined to two
long wrought.iron tubes running length.
wise Of the car From these project n
short spur pipe under each seat. The
steam goes through these pipes. passes up
through the radiators in each end of the
car and is then drawn down through a
casi.iron pipe back To the centre Of the
car, where il passes through valve and
enters the return pipe.
The little pump on the tender Is con-
stantly nj work and creates vacuum
which draws back to the pump the con-
densed water. In addition To this the cx.
haust from pump AMI air.brakc are both
,iirccte,! into the tank. The valve in the
centre of the car Is so arranged that when
the temperature is high enough, by turn.
ing small cock under the centre seat the
supply Of steam Is shut of from that car
and II rushcs through the pipe to the next
one. In this manner one car can be with.
out any heat while the thermometer climbs
up in the ninctics In the others. Or in
The same manner one side of the car can
he heated To a higher temperature than
the other, II necessary. When the steam
reaches the centre of the last car II goes
up through the valve, enters the heating
pipes and radiators and then is caught by
The vacuum and drawn back to lis start.
ing place.
GOOD VENTILATION AFFORDED.
No 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
ear itself is well warmed by the pipes ON
the inside BY this means no dripping
occurs and the vacuum is So strong that
the steam pipes ARE entirely free from wa.
ter and in The event OF wreck and the
pipes were broken the vacuum is 80 pow.
erinl that it would suck the air in instead
Of allowing the steam 10 escape. In max.
ing up train of cars the big pipes under
he car floor are connected by means of u
slip grip and about foot of strong rubber
hose. Underneath each seat is hole twu
| inches wide bored through the floor oi
the car in such = manner that when the
| cold air PUSHES in il strikes the hot iron
pipes on the inside aud becomes heated.
This arrangement keeps a consian,
current of warm. fresh air in the cars AT
all times. and the vacuum in the pipes
draws what little water there Is in The
pipes. so that when The cars are mncouplc,l
there is no, drop Of water To fall on. the
roadhcd or station floor. II requires bu,
little steam Ia run the pump, AMI on yes.
tcr,lay's run from Philadelphia To New
York, with u train NJ twelve ears, hut five
pounds of steam pressure was used This
was sufficient Ia create u vacuum in the
return pipe averaging fourteen inches. In
the supply steam pipe il averaged six in.
chcs, aud on the engine ninct } inches
or nine and onc'lmli pounds. ! Z aver.
age temperature during the run scv,
| cnty-iiyc degrees
| EXPERIMENTS WITH the TEMpEHATrHE
Several experiments were made 10 find
out how high the temperature could he
raised. In some Of the cars the mercury
registered ninety degrees aud in other,
| when the steam was shut oil ii dropped
twenty and thirty degrees rs Ike train
went rushing along the wind came through
The apcrtur,s In the floor and purified
what would otherwise have been u chose
atmosphere. The iron pipes are covered
with thin wooden shcaihings, and The pns.
scngcr who is troubled with cold feet can
warm his toes as well us IL lac had them
wrapped NJ in hoi.waier bottles. The
new system works 10 perfection, and moi
u hitch or break has occurred 10 mar III,
perfect success of the system"
BY this method Of heating every dcsira
bic point Is gained. y suillcicn, amount
of heat can always be secured. and il can
bc regulated IL any desired temperature
There is no hot water in the pipes e
scald or burn ~ case Of accident and an
ample supply Of pure fresh AIR is supplied
the apcr,urcs for ventilation.
On The introduction oi This perfect sys
tcm of heating, the car stove with all il,
terrible possibilities will lie forever dis
cardcd. The oil lamp has already given
way To the electric light, and with Ia,
abandonment Of the stove, the last nbicc
lionablc feature in railway travel will b,
happily gotten rid Of NJ event IN III,
history Of railroaling will serve To- s,imu
late travel sO greatly
II is expected that all Of the passenger
cars of the Pennsylvania Railroad will b,
fitted with this appliance before another
" inter.
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