The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-08-26
STEAM BOILER INSPECTION.
IN1DEorACT OF THE SYSTEM EN-
PLOYED IN NEW FORK CRY.

Ell ~ "SW AO"A
Hence = Friehtrpi Death Roll rror ExpIo-
sions-Inspeetton az It Is Conducted and
a. It shosis Expert Opinions.
There are nearly 1000 stationary steam boil
ers underground in this city, and, according TO
experts, several Thousand are unsafe and a
menace TO the lives OF citizens a. they pursue
their daily vacations. This state of things
seems especially prevalent In New York, for ac-
cidents in the shape of boiler explosions
such as have occurred here within recent
years are rarely heard Of in the big
cities OF Europe and in many cities in
this country. A boiler explosion such as
occurred in the building Of the Dry Dock, East
Broadway, and Battery car stables in East Four
teenth street last spring never occurs in London,
Paris, or Berlin. The cause Of the unusual fire.
ouency Of such explosions in this city Is the In
efficiency of thh laws governing the inspection Of
steam boilers. The laws under which the in-
s~pections are now made have existed since 1899
and are totally inadequate for the public safety,
so the experts say. At the last session of the
Legislature an effort was made TO secure an
amendment Of the laws, but, IL Ia alleged,
the question was not properly presented
TO the lawmakers, and a more determined
effort will be made at the next session.
Under the inspection laws in Europe many
of the manufacturing concerns and others using
steam boilers for heating and power purposes In
this city would be prosecuted criminally for
using suoh boilers as they do. The matter Of
inspecting the steam boilers Is under tho super
vision of the Police Department, and there is a
special detail of the sanitary squad for that
purpose. The policemen who are detailed to the
work are selected usually for their knowledge of
machinery, but the tests which they make are
said to DO entirely insufficient, and only men
who have a thorough knowledge Of the steam
boiler and can maka what ia known ma "a NV
draulic test should be employed.
That the laws of the United states governing
steam boilers are inadequate for the safety of
its citizens Is shown by the fact that there are
twice as many explosions in this country as
there are In England, France, and Germany
combined. There is no national law in this
country regulating the use and inspection of
boilers except those of steamboats, traversing
waters subject to tides, while in the European
countries named all boilers, land or marine, ex-
cept small house-heating boilers, are subject to q
rigid inspection. In France and Germany
tho installation and use of every boiler
is regulated by law. while here a manufactures
may use any boiler he fancles or can buy most
SfhiG n a ibS m nna ne crd may. WITH rev eScePtions; erect
teneme or in, u great office building.
A few Of. the. States have, however, passed
laws providing Tor the annual inspection of
boilers in their large cities. but nothing has been
done In regard to the kind or size of boiler that
hoy " uS'u WI my bl'h pui pboV' VI Ut my
certain place.
The Sdf,tv ralre has. given considerable atten.
several pertinent articles on the question In the
current number. One article giving some inter
esting statistics regarding explosives contains
the following significant
In no city OF equal size and commercial importance
city. In making ing this comparison n we Is exclude se NS~ p aITs
a ssibs ia m ana S baiieys, as si Ss% y 90 which sisa,lpp fSSpf Say. S9n.
over a far larger AREA and compare our city with Lon.
We may go stiil further and assert with positive
ssSsh that a4S,s tss5s are m s snRIHsIIly SS slyn ons;h@ ona as rI %Sny
h hay ma 2 So iC.sl BTpSls,i@,nn G e. oyer 2,sT,o lSs 900 600 and
population Of 0j,OOO,O0O and 100000 boilers.
Comparing the figures Of carefully collated
tables, for the period from 1854 to 1902 inclu-
plosions occurred in the United states, killing
s,342 persons. there. were but $40 explosions,
explosions, killing 10 persons, in Germany.
Prot. X. II. Thurston. director OF Sibley Col
lego and professor Of steam engineering at
Cornell, an expert on steam boilers, has this to
say on the subject:
"A powder magazine under ono Of our mod
broadway would be objected 10 very seriously
by citizens compelled 10 make that great thor
oughfare their daily walk, and II compelled to
submit to its, threatening presence they would
%c csrSdtniy b ,asis' taken SRRSn u To insure mSis s safe I nsaPIn rst
the liberation of its stored energy. But scores
OF steam boilers are so concealed, and the laws
ineffective character"
A case is cited OF one of the tallest buildings on
Broadway, which contains three Scotch marine
boilers, each 10 feet long and ll,o In diameter,
designed 70 carry 100 poundsof steam: Thlstypo
and, OF course, the owners of tho building and
constructors of the boilers have taken every
one OF the boilers Should explode L would
probably wreck, the building, and the loss
be tnerpouS. sucR boilers Would not SOu be-
allowed BY the governments Of Paris or Berlin,
To the innocent citizen. The laws in Europe are
framed with q, regard not only TO lessening the
to minimizing destructive effects by providing
what kind and size OF boiler shall be used.
It Is argued that, for other than domestic
only should be allowed by law in the
large cities; Destructive explosions Of nj,
Contents are divided into small portions, thus
extent. There have only been two partial eI-
plosions OF safety boilers during the last I'VE
either Of these instances. In this city tho ex-
plosion Of q safety water-tube boiler has yet to
be recorded. A man who recently witnessed an
inspection by one of this city's boiler inspectors
The Inspector had water run into the boiler
until the pressure gauge showed the pressure 10
DO so per cent, more than the steam pressure at
then compared tho two steam gauges to
see that they indicated an, equal amount of
pressure; and xaHi1ed the safety valves
tion Of tho fire box for leaks concluded the
anybody who knows anything about boilers will
admit that with such a test "a boiler might be on
the verge Of exploding and yet undergo the test
satisfactorily. The fact that the sheets were
thin, or the presence Of scale. would not neces-
sarily be revealed 10y this test, but II AN expert
made the test lac could ascertain In a moment by
simply sounding the boiler with a hammer II
either Of those dangerous defects WAS present.
4 single blow would probably discover 10 tho
trained ear ri the eX pert thedefeCts. il there were
any. The expert Is not satisfied with any super
fetal examination. lie Crawls into the boiler
and makes a thorough examination OF the inte-
riOr and examines every bolt and seam. and Is
enabled Ia detect the presence Of scale or rust.
Such tests should he required by law, ami until
they are, the records OF boiler explosions will be
greater in this country than in any other"
Speaking OF tests, Prot. ThurstOn says;
inspection should be made at hxed, regular
intervals; should be conducted by an Inspector
experienced, reliable, OF good Judgment, and alb
solutely conscientious. lie should he accom-
panied In his Inspection by the responsible, man
In charge Of the boiler, and his examination
should be deliberate, thorough, aud unimpeach-
able. The time should be 50 chosen that the