Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-01-08

ward is matter Of considerable interest
TO the people IF Western Texas, and the
route the company may choose means
vast deal to those people who may or
may not be on the proposed line. The
best traffic Inducements now In sight
are those offered by the lire through Has.
kell to connection with the Wichita
Valley at Seymour. None Of the country
along this line is barren, and this route
would give tho road a paying local rev
enue from the opening Of the line for
traffic, and not mile Of e could be con
sidered dead track, while the Anson line
and thence out towards Albuquerque
would prove paying for local traffic only
short distance, say fifty miles below
AnsOn. The Gazette. Of course. Is not
interested as to which way the line may
go, as in any event it will not penetrate
Fort Worth territory TO any appreciate
extern. The question ms 10 the paying
features OF line is one that Is not only
Of interest TO the stockholders, but to the
people along the line. for the moro surely
road can pax It's interest charges the
more are the people benefited from the
fact that It does. A line paying n rea-
sonablc interest ON the investment Is n
standing advertisement Of the country
through which Il runs, and consequently
the location Of q new line through a new
and comparatively undcveloped country
is one wiich vitality interests the people
along It's route. The connection with the
Wichita Valley would give the line a
Denver outlet, while on the other line
Il would be necessary for Il to build clear
into Albuquerque before II could find
an outlet.
The question Of economy in fuel Is n
vital one with the roads OF Texas, and
various devices have been planned and
tried to reduce the consumption OF coal
20 the minimum aud at the same time
maintain maximum degree of steam.
Tho Brown stack was designed to prevent
the throwing Of sparks and cinders by
conveying the cinders from the netting
located ia the top OF the stack TO the ash
PAM Aside from the fact they nrc a
clumsy looking piece Of mechanism. they
not only failed TO prevent setting fires
for the sharp exhaust, aided frequently
by the blower, which was necessary 10
make the engines steam, blew the hot
cinders agaist the netting and soon burn
ed through the mcshes and the scirdcrs
were then scattered like hail along the
right Of way. The straight stack and
extension front has proved great al.
vantage IN aiding the engine 10 steam
while throwing a minimum amount Of
cinders, but II Increases the consumption
Of coal very materially. OF course on
lines which have coal mines located or
near their tracks the question Of the
amount Of coal consumed Is not 80 inn
portnnt rs on lines like those Of Texas.
whore the fuel supply is located hundreds
of miles distant. The various types of
compound engines, and especially those
Of the Vauclain type, which are being
pretty thoroughly tested In Texas. seem
TO have solved the problem to some ex-
tent, but whether the compound engine
Is the most economical, is not yet de-
cided.
A comparatively Inexpensive device Is
the one now in Use on the Kansas City.
st. Joseph and Council Bluffs railroad,
which has been thoroughly tested by
Master Mechanic Chase, and which has
given such satisfactory results that all
the engines on the line are equipped with
It as fast as they come into Tho shops for
repairs, and the engi1rs on the other
lines of the Burlington system are also
being equipped with them. This Is an
expansion nozzle. In the using OF this
device the ordinary straight stack Is
used and the front Is extended just about
onc,half Of the length Of the ordinary
extension front. II has been in use for
two years aud therefore is no longer an
experiment Mr. Chase's reports show
the different engines 20 have made an
average record OF fifty miles To the ton
of coal, against thirty when the old din-
mond stack WAS used, or saving Of
about one-third In fuel alone. When
first tested enginemen said II was due TO
careful and scientific firing, but the same
results were achieved by green hands
ms well as those Of considerable expert
cnce. though Il Is possible TO reduce Il
by careful firing. The use Of this nozzle
produces n strong mud steady, yet not
harsh blast on the fire, while the cinders
are ground 10 on impalpable powder and
blown out Of the stack in ashes as fine
IA -four, aud consequently prairie fires
are impossible The engine win pop of,
when stansling at n station, no matter
what coal may be used, but the steam
does not drop so quickly when the engine
is started, SO il Is possible for a fireman
to keep steam while firing light, even
though his engine may be standing in
n station for more or less considerable
time, All the cnginemeh on the line
speak very highly of the expansion noz-
gle, and the fremen are especially
pleased with it, as a kettle which was
stubborn steamer with the old diamond
stack now steams freely and easily, aud
with lighter fire than before she was
given her expansion nozzle. The usual
openings for removing cinders from the
fornt end were at first provided, but
after the engine had been run for
month il was found Unnecessary, rs she
cleaned her box herself II would seem
this device could be adyantageously tried
ia Tcxas. aud there Is no lrnbt Mr..
Chase win cheerfuly furnish blue prints