The morning times., 1896-01-12
WAS LONG NEEDED.
Mr.. John MacFarlane Has Invented
a Great Boiler Cleaner

Mr.. John Mac cFarlane Has Invented
Great Boiler Cleaner.
When George Stephenson gave to the
world that wonderful product OF his toll
and ecnius-the first steam engine-hc
placed into the hands OF mankind power
destined 10 change the history OF the human
race and which advanced civilization u
century at = jump.
By its magic, wilderucsSes, lone and unin-
habited, have changed into bustling, popu-
lous commercial centers-seas whose might
no smiling craft dared test have been
crossed in aii security, and on account OF the
Very awfuiness Of its power when employed
in warfare, nations have shuddcrcd To enter
into mutual strife.
But in oar everyday life are its benefits
more felt; II heats our homes, IL generates
the electricity which lights our streets
IN every kind OF mandatory, in printing
even in coiInng the currency OF the land, its
power is Indispensable.
Yet when uncontrolled II changes from a
faithful servant tn Il raging deaIn a $ terri
blc in ITS destruction as 1t Is strong in its
might.
1t has been applied TO every form OF ma
chine and every kind Of ARA ngemcnt. Nat-
made 10 facilitate ills Perhaps the
greatest contriyance which has ever been
perfected III many years by a Washington
man is the patert steam boiler cleaner OF
John MaCFarlane, u young engineer, the
possibilities Of whose machine are un-
limittSl, and whose good cannot be over
rated.
The great curse OF commerce for many
years has been foul boilers in Il literal
buI fh,. ripkI. manner in " high
they operate and their liability to explo-
sion.
This is caused by two reasons. 4 prima-
~ onc-thc water used, aud secondarily, the
lack of some suitable arrangement for
purifying Il so as TO make it proper for
use.
1t IS Il wcll-Snowu fact that in all water
there are certain mineralipgredients whose
presence is most harmful to metal namely.
the chlorides and sulphates OF magnesium
and sodium, along with common mud
and sand and the oxides of iron and alum
mum.
When The water is taken into the boilers
it is 10 all appearances clear, but as soon
as it becomes heated these substances sep
arate and rise 10 the surface in the form
OF Il thick scum. Here this is retained by
the heat currents until night, when the
steam having subsidized, some desccnds to
the bottom and the rest cnugs u the valves
and pipes. This process being repeated
daily, at the end of "a week there is 4
hard crustaCeous formation on the boilers
interior, non-conductive OF heat and iyery
dangerous. r.-.
OF course this on-conductiveness re-
quircs a greater quantity OF fuel TO be used
10 raise the requisite amount OF steam. And
when one reflects that a ton day is not
an unusual amount of coal in even u fair
sized engine room, the unnecessary waste
may easily he realized TO assume fCTmid-
able proportions in a years time. Bat,
however. it is necessary that this incrus-
tation be removed, once 4 month at least,
which operation can only be accomplished
by chipping" This is nothing less than
the term implies-a knocking off of the
boiler crust by Il hammer and chisel. task
which is both slow and laborious and which
entails fun stoppage OF the machinery for
several days.
If this removal he not made on time the
boilers belly or part which receives the
heat, becomes burnt OUT and when
pressure OF steam is applied, being
unable To withstand the force, naturally the
boiler expiodes.
This is the cause of so many steamboat
cXplosions-the water which is used being
taken on more thickly mixed with mud than
that ordinarily in service.
Some engineers cndeavor to clean their
boilers by boiler compound" but any
sensible man realizes that acids which viii