The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-02-17
NO ONE BLAMED.
Continued From First Page)

used as the motive power.
The Midget locomotive, as it was
called has recently been built. Original
ly the wheels and frame work belonged
to an old narrow gauge engine, which
was used many years ago on the Sever
City & Deming railroad. and was known
as locomotive No. 306 Having been sent
to the shops for repairs about six years
ago, it was made over into a standard
gauge locomotive, and was used for
switching purposes at Strong City. At
ter OUTLYING it's usefulness, the engine
finally found its way to the scrap pile
at the Topeka shops and has lain there
for some time.
A short time ago it was deemed adj
visable to build a new shop yard loco
motive for pushing tanks, boilers and
unfinished locomotives from one de-
partment of the shops to another and
the frame work and ~'nee1s of the old
Silver City & Deming engine We're hunt
ed up and pressed into service and a
new boiler was made. Compressed air
was to be the motive power and as
there are many miles of pipes in the
Santa F'e yards, conveying the COM
pressed air to all parts OF the yards
and shops, the air could be convenient
~ secured at almost any place. Plans
were made for the construction of the
large reservoir and the placing of it on
the frame. This reservoir or boiler was
made large so that it would hold n
quantity of air. and would not have to
be refilled often.
PRESSURE OF THE AIR
The compressed air which is used at
the Santa Fe shops in this city is COM
pressed to a pressure varying from rs
pounds to the square inch, to 100 pounds
pressure to the square inch. The aver
age pressure is generally conceded to
be about so pounds In the mornings it
is higher and during the day, when a
great quantity of it is being used, the
pressure diminishes and sometimes gets
as low as 65 pounds 1t is said that on
yesterday the pressure was low, and
was about IS pounds to the square inch.
When the boiler was built in the boil
er shops, it was supposed to he tested.
Presumably this testing of the reser-
voir would mean that it was capable of
withstanding the pressure of the air at
the shops.
After the reservoir was placed on
the frames and all the necessary me-
chanleal fittings We're in place the air
was turned into the reservoir for the
purpose of bringing the locomotive
from the shop where it was constructed
over to the locomotive paint depart
ment, where it was to have the finish
ing touches put on.
on Wednesday of this week the To-
connective was finished, so far as the
machine work was concerned and the
reservoir was filled with compressed
air to the pressure of 20 pounds to the
square inch. The reservoir Withstood
this pressure, and the locomotive was
Drought TO the paint SnOp, WneTe the
painters began their work.
Friday afternoon the first real test
of the compressed air locomotive was
to be made, and the boiler was being
filed preparatory to taking the loco
motive out into the yards and giving
1t test trip. A man who was pass
ing the locomotive q few minutes be-
fore it exploded remarked. as he passed
thai the pressure at that time was VI
to rs pounds. He had only gotten
about 100 feet away when the explo-
sion took place.
UNFORTUNATE NELS LINDEN.
The locomotive was to be tested by
Engineer Amos Beeler, and his fireman
| Nels Linden. These two men had
charge of the testing and trial trips OF
| all locomotives which were turned out
! of the shops here, or had been Sent
/ here from the locomotive works in the
| east 1t was their duty to thoroughly
test the locomotives and report any
| defect when they were returned to the
| round house. Previous to the explosion
| arrang enents were being made to take
| the Midget out on her first trial trip
1t was in getting the locomotive ready
| that The explosion occurred. A. L
! Beardsley was letting the air into tn;
| reservoir from pipe connection from
/ the pit under the locomotive. Fireman
/ Linden was looking over the working
/ parts of the locomotive and it is sup
posed that he had just returned from
4
he had gone to get some oil for thu
/ driving boxes. A can of oil such as h
was accustomed to use for this purpos'
was picked up from the pile of debr.!
made by the explosion. The can wa'
| half full of oil and was denied on on
side. 1t is thought that Linden wa
carrying This can and had gotten il
| front of the locomotive when it blew up
Engineer BeeIer had just come int
! the west door of the round house ant
x4ra- on RI n
While on his way he met VIM. r
/ Carrie who had charge of the con
| struction Of the mechanical part of tn
| locomotive. Together they walked to
wards the Midget. When about IS fee
| away they were stopped by Jud Coe
who spoke to them about some work OF
| another locomotive which he was su
Derintending. and just as they wer
| about to leave the explosion occurred.
| The boiler of the locomotive wa
about eight feet in diameter by abou
twelve feet long. It was made 0
three-eighths inch boiler sheet steel, an
was thought to be strongly braced OF
the inside. A reservoir of this size viii
hold an immense amount of air.
SOME ONE BLUNDERED.
From the fact that the reservoir ha
exploded, and that the pressure of al
on Friday was low, not exceeding s
pounds pressure, then some one ha
made a great mistake either in tn
/ ptdnilInS VI TIE DOlieI VI I6SeINOII y
else in the putting of it together Their
is as vet no known reason why tn
reservoir exploded, especially when i
was expected to withstand the air pres
sure at the shops here, which is some
times as high as 100 pounds to tn
square inch.
Since the explosion has occurre
many theories and reasons are ad
Vanced. Some think that the materia
of which the reservoir was made wa
very poor, while others hold to tn
theory that the ends of the reservoi
should have been rounded instead c
being fiat. The theory which is held b
many, and which is supported by tn
opinion of many machinists, who hav
passed a criticism on the reservoir al
ter looking at it in its wrecked con
dition is that the reservoir was nc
safely constructed.
Mon, TT,