New-York tribune., 1908-06-21
Fire Room of a Modern
BattIeship Like a Tort
ure Chamber.
lCo-,-,ie--- ~. NJ Ho~nauD

(Corvrieht by A NJ Hofu1anD
TIE recent accident to the armored cruiser Ten
sessee is in q sense. one Of the natural risks TO
be run in TIE effort TO win and maintain high
speed Accidents OF a similar character and OF
more or less gravity have happened before in the
United States Navy, and long string OF similar
ishsps have occurred in the various naval vessels
q foreign powers. The utmost vigilance cannot
absolutely fo-estan accidents Of this sort and the
brave men that have 70 toll in the bowels Of the
modern fighting ship do with consclousness
that they are facing in tine Of peace dangers
that may result fatally and without a Doments
warning
The ever increasing cry for speed in the modern
fighting ship calls in for a continually grow
ing demand for steam more steam, and steam OF
still higher pressures 70 meet the more rapidly
revolving propeIlers and the greater velocity OF
al the moving parts of the engines now in our
Eaen-of-yyar To meet these requirements, new
type Of boiler had to be invented and the first OF
these hofIers WIS built TO MI the needs Of the
ear.ie- to~pedo craft It not then thought that
large ships would ever grow 10 such proportions
and 10 such speeds TO call for kindred type
q fast s1eauing" boiler but as a naval develop
Tnents progressed. the old type Of boiler even at
its best found unequal TO the demand fol
steam - higher press,Ires and greater volume.
When the building Of the new navy began the
speed reooirernents modest and steam press
ur=s were relatively low, while the nunoer OF
revolutions 2 minute on the part Of the driving
p-opellers not great ana euedil t'NiN -" pa
duoed fast enough to meet the requirements OF the
moderately rapid stroke Of the motive pistonS
II those days. the steam pressure was IN cne
reighborhood Of a hundred pounds square inch
ana what was then known as the fire tube o0hef
vas able 10 s,lpplv all the steam needful
The layraan does not want TO go into all or lhe
echnicalties involved. but he should ne
IN knowing the essential difference between this type
q steam producer and that which is known as tne
water tube" boiler The FIRE tube" boiler carrleS
larger quantity Of water than the water tupe
snd at the most efficient of evaporation or con-
version q that water into steam II taxes ABOUT
hour 10 change its entire water contents INTO
fropusye vapor as against the ten minutes neeoeo
t0g similar accomplishment in the water tu"
tpe II the fire tube boiler the "at'i i0 AZ
contact with the outer surface of serles Oh tu"oS
through which the flame and gases from the puIi-
Ing coal pass on their way TO the srnokes'ach- an
the rNzrer ruhe' boiler the water 10 be hea'eo 10
inside of The tubes and the outer surfaces oi iio
tubes are subjected 10 the gas ana llaines'
Quantity II water TO be heated is reouceu ~
Result. the smaller pressure or wafer "0H
Quickly raised to boiling point and steam couo pe
Produced y, Largo quantities continuously ana III
rEess~es rroIflrti1-e in the other type OF Doiie7
Nhc tie water may be clean when II enters INC
boilers originally still II takes up, IN us ioii
steam some of the oil used In the luDIlca'ioi %
cylinders through which il passes TINS OH y %
fed into the condenser. and even in spite VI -,
may get into the boilers. When this grease iee
ce heated tubes II clIngs TO the inner
and forms a film between the water 10 pe - -,
aad the metal, thus preventing the neat iioiiI
lube being readily absorbed by the cn
water Now the boiling point OF OILS "a iis
uan the boiling point of water ana this -,
erease by preventing the heat from passing lreeS
through the metal 10 the absorbing wapef' on" ,
'he boiler tube at this point to become poD."' p"
FeFeral hundred degrees hotter. win 'iii0
ine metal expands unevenly the "aIl "i '' -
Point rlptlre is almost certain because me tuIi
l'NeT % the pressure in the boiler ls 5.
.feing the weakened section out ana iui'- ~ -
seala rushes violently through the opeh'hs Win