The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-08-04

NEW YORK. July A--Ssxty years ago
wrought iron ard tool steel were ths
principal metals. both we're costly. The lat
ter brittle. although very hard A big
step forward was rsade Ia 1855. when Sir
Henry Bess@rner perfected his method OF
producing stesi by process which 81 one
stroke reduced the cost per ton from so
70 4is Since then i; has been reduced 70
45- Be$semer was endsavorfng 20 pro-
euce stronger weapon of war for Ma
poieon III. when he discovered that Jets
% air forced into vessel "a converter
filed with molten iron. sIsfrcesi 10 keep
tt IL a boiling state, because Of the carbon
In the iron being consumed. and as it
was only necessary TO remove this carbon
20 make the poorest of iron reliable
steel Il was giaisorne sight TO see Il
efrsrvescing. Thus while the warrior
spirits OF France and Germany we're
pleased with a gun made Of the superior
metal, as with a toy. a great era OF peace
ful trlumphs was inaugurated in Britain.
AS we have said. tire cost was reduced 10
oue-afth what IL had been. and a great
impetus was given to engineering: now
1900, o1e tons are made each year W
bessemsr's method. although other pro-
eesses with a ike Result have been In
troduced.
So long az dimensions OF engines, OF
ships or OF any structure were not great.
strength could be ensured by solidity; but
now efficiency and economy demand that
the highest result must be got Per unit
Of weight. Thus chemist metallCrgist
and engineer have worked 20 give a tan
siie strength OF thirty 10 forty tons On
the square inch for the working parts OF
engines ard notwithstanding that some
parts OF the biggest engines travel at .
rate Of speed equal 10 iso feet per minute
the num5@r Of breakdcwns are SURPRISING
~ few. By this greater strength the
weight OF engines has been reduced by
quite fifty per cent, apart altogether from
the results of the multiple expansions OF
steam consequent on high pressures adj
mIttEng OF Itself OF a reduction in the size
OF engines for 2 given power. The boil
ers now used are made of plates up 10
IL. inches thick for 30 pounds pressure.
This seems the limit: a change must
come In the old boiler the water TO Re
converted into steam and TIE steam ere
within a cylindrical tank with fire tubes
through Il. so that there is need for great
thickness III the outer plating of the tank
u boiler. Under the new system the
water IS within tubes and the Are plays
around them, so that there is no heavy
outside she'll or tank, and the quantity
Of water il less. The saving iH weight is
in the case Of this "water-tube boiler
about forty per cent. Moreover, steam
Is generated much more quickly. higher
rressures are possible. collapse does not
involve tha same danger. and repairs are
more easily made.
AS a result OF increased steam pressures.
superior metals. and improved tools. the
weight of machinery is only two-thirds
what It was sixty years ago. Thus the en-
gines of the first Cunarder. Britannia, OF
sla knots speed, weighed about Ito tons.
although the power was only 40. tor
pedo boat destroyer today has machinery
which develops $50 horse power, and they
only weigh 10 to.s The result Of ala
horsepower for every ton of machinery got
with 30-knot torpedo craft is about the
highest yet attained. II Is probable that
this machinery might not stand the wear
and tear of ocean steaming. but with some
sea going cruisers ~ horse power per ton
is got; with our fastest ocean steamers
IL horse power per ton and with the ordi-
nary tramp steamer : horse power. This
all means greater capacity for carrying a
paying load. Thus. sixty years sseo. the
load carried was only IL per cent of the
total weight driven by the machinery OF a
ship: today steamers are built of the same
speed whose paying load is nearly 70 per
cent. Of the total load.
TIE locomotive OF 1877 was only about Il
to 70 feet long over all. with wagon for
coal behind. The "nun8lastair" is s. feet
inches including the tender. The steam
generating surface which is d measure
OF strength, is now three times greater.
The steam pressure has increased nearly
four-fold. so that the power has gone up
,en-fold The "Dunalastair" as she
stands. is ten feet high from the ground.
weighs Dc tons. and can walk off comfort
ably with 800 tons behind her while the
old-world locomotive painted as If 10 break
her heart while doing one-third of the
speed with fourth OF the load This
change Is magnificent; bat some may ask.
Is IL business? one answer Is that the
quantity OF coal used FER unit Of power or
load IS much less than u used to be. and Is
satisfactorily small II varies with the
speed but for thirty miles an hour thirty
five pounds per mile sufrces. and this. too.
for The heavy corridor train unexcelled I'm
length. weight ard elegance. IL fs "a tons
weight go feet long Thus 500 pounds Of
coal are converted Into energy for each
passenger travelling between London and
Glasgow allowing that the train has its
full complement Of rs: but should one
mere go the stoker need only add four
ounces OF fuel 10 the boiler in the eight
hours. For luggage train one pound Of
coal wifi take ton for a distance OF eigh-
~ miles.
ygish ssich transport by land ard bv sea.
the markets OF the world are now at our
door. The raw produces ara brought from
.aa East and The WeSt. power can - de-
veioped where II IS needed and when Il Is
needed. ard Instead 'ot q fsw working in
an isolated part With a Windmill or water
wheel providing The power there has been
a great aggregation % workers. and 4 ron-
seouer4t reduction en- TIE cost If manage
rnert Thus also there has been scope en-
TIE cheapenirg q steam power by larger
installations. snd IN Tire years y, cone K
VIII AA found t6at electrical ROVER IS mora
easily ard cheaply distributed thar steam.
81 that VS. shall have : wider apnitca sfor
OF mechanical power. even - the mental
tasks Of the kitchen maid We have spe-
ciaifzed work IN these DAYS: men. soys ana
girls are perhaps 100 apg % become q part
az The mechanism. being kent for Years a.
Gre ,oh which only constitutes small
rart cf A cou9plsts prof~ct Tha' how
ever. Is defect for the nsiv!duallst. rot
from the consctivjss pcin: of View.
There X no reliable record for the nun
her ~ machine tools at work. they ara
legion 7. IS computed however. rret ia
o. boilers are in Use IN Great nrfsa9r r-n-
vssIne power ser ire Industrial establish
r~erss saf 4 Is tss. , measure ~ th. Dos
StNNtrfes ~ she future - say nat nulrT
p, F-r7r,e~Fer. combustion - fu-f IN these
rssrfv 81 ~ tors - fuaf a~A wasted ax-
CIV var - That smoke which while PRO
claiming the. glory % manufactures. great
t. fr7{rsra@ heslth What & rrlaxrifca~t
iaea /. wrriId ~ - celebrate ,fsz queens
vear ~ saving this coal sn5 many weak
lungs
Tee utilization ot }his Stearu power Is al
--os. without tlrnst n t'z variety ara pos
esNftf.gss Nature ard sae h-1~7z- sra+a-
~ hsx-a q ~a~seA z7s0v exarsules---A re mt
,esrsaf foFr. - $he arnri, Jsa rs~-srrocai
-+fon - slrogv s1f knee-5zr -ss-s - -
v~e.s - sfas.s~z livery movement svs
81. 4 "a - --est- -ts- 2. -