Evening star., 1902-01-16
DOMESTIC HEATERS.
suggestions for the Safety of Steam
and Hot Water Plants.


The Star has received several letters on
the subject of the recent domestic boiler
explosion in this city, and has selected the
following for publication as tending to the
instruction of the owners of household
,, heatinf plants:
10 the Editor of The Evening Star:
BY following the below few simple rules
it will not be necessary for any house
owner to be alarmed by an occurrence SIM
liar to the one at 141O 10th street north
west.
l. If you have cutoff valves on hot wa
ter system, send for your steam filter and
tell him to open them wide jam them and
remove handles and put them away until
needed.
2. Do not trust too much to your servant
but look over your heating plant yourself
once ina while or hire careful attendant
Such can be hired.
3. If you have a steam heater in your
house have an automatic feed put on the
water supply. There are a dozen good ones
on the market, and even if they do need
repairing the feeling of safety is worth
more than the reckoning in dollars and
cents.
In conclusion allow me to state that the
general public of this city can rest assured
that 1t is not because of defective heating
apparatus that such accidents occur, but
on account of incompetent persons nired
by house owners. The heating engineers cf
Washington are as rule thorough mast ars
of their business in all its branches
IRWIN ]. FRENCH.
To the Editor of Tie Evening Star:
There seems to have been great mfsap-
prehenslon about the boiler explosion at
Mr Howard's residence. and which has
led to unjust criticism of Mr. Zellers by
myself as well as others
This misapprehension has arisen entirely
from the report of the testimony at the
coroners inquest, in which Mr.. Zellers was
reported as saying that both the boilers
were thoroughly tested before the steam
was turned on The use of the word
steam led all to suppose steam and not
hot water, was used, and hence the aston
Piled.
1t is true, as Mr. Zellers SAYS, that safety
valves are not applied to low-pressure hot
water boilers and are not necessary, be-
cause the upper end of the pipe is left open
to permit the overflow of the water as it
Is expanded by being heated There is a
system OF high-pressure hot-water heating
IN which the water is heated to a much
higher degree and held by safety valves,
but Is very seldom used, and never in pri-
vate residences. but only in large build
lngs, where 1t is under the constant super
vision Of skilled engineers. This method
Is exemplified in the hot-water boilers used
In our kitchens but with them the water
back is so small that the water is never
heated to dangerous degree.
think 1t is evident that the boiler was
burst by letting water into it after it had
become very hot in which case it flashed
into steam instantly, and in which case
no ordinary safety valve would have pre-
vented the catastrophe.
II Is obvious that no such terrific explo-
sion could have been produced by hot
water alone. AS water expands at reg
ular rate as its temperature is increased
and as this expansion is but four gallons
IN one hundred, or about one-twenty- fifth
IN volume when its temperature is raised
from 40 degrees to 212 degrees, 1t is OBJ
Vlous that no such terrific explosion could
nave been produced by hot water alone
On the contrary, as soon as the expansive
force OF the water exceeded the strength
OF the boiler the latter would have been
sion.
It is not at all certain that even If that
valve had been open the explosion would
not have occurred, because IT, as / be-
lieve was the case, the boiler was hot when
the water was let into it, the water in the
pipes would have prevented the escape of
the large volume of steam so instanta-
neously produced, and with such an enor-
nous pressure.
AS matter Of precaution, a card should
nave been tied to those valves, directing
the attendant to be sure that they were
opened before starting fire. as 1 have on
each OF my water heaters cautioning the
attendant not to let the water get above
a certain temperature, which is indicated
by thermometer at the boiler, as If it is
allowed to reach 212 degrees, it will form
steam ana bioW the water out of the radi-
ators and pipes.
1t is surprising that so few accidents oc-
cur with so many steam heating plants
left to the care of servants and others ig-
norant as to their proper management.
Every householder having such heating an
paratus should himself understand their
operation, and be able to instruct the at
tendant In case he is not himself fully
qualified, and then see that he does It,
While 1t is permissible to use two small
boilers. 1t Is much safer and better to use
one, and to have that a size larger than
the contractor will say is necessary. SO
there will never be any necessity for over
taxing 1t at any time. w. C. DODGE.
Charles A. Junken of 1115 Harvard street
has requested of the District Commission
ers that a sidewalk be laid on Harvard
street between 11th and 18th streets. He
has been advised that the Commissioners
are now advertising for objections to the
proposed construction of cement sidewalks
under the assessment system at the points
indicated.