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PRESENTED  BY 

PUBLISHER. 


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COPYRIGHT,  1910,   BY  THE  HARTFORD  STEAM   BOILER  INSPECTION  AND  INSURANCE  CO. 
Vol.  XXVIII.         HARTFORD,  CONN.,  JANUARY  25,  1910.  No.   1. 


Fig.   I. —  Milwaukee  Boiler  Explosion:    General  View  of  the  Wreckage' 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE. 


[January, 


The  Milwaukee  Boiler  Explosion. 

A  fearful  boiler  explosion  occurred  at  4 :20  a.  m.,  on  October  25,  1909,  at 
the  plant  of  the  Pabst  Brewing  Co.,  Milwaukee,  Wis.  Owing  to  the  early 
hour  at  which  the  accident  occurred,  the  only  persons  in  the  boiler  room  at 
the  time  were  two  firemen,  Frederick  Stirn  and  Gottlieb  Jehnert.  Mr.  Stirn 
was  killed,  and  ^Ir.  Jehnert  was  seriously  injured.  The  plant  was  badly 
damao-ed    also,    as    will    be    evident    from    the    illustrations    presented    herewith. 

The  boiler  house,  which  was  totally  wrecked,  had  a  frontage  of  approxi- 
mately so  feet  on  Tenth  street  (the  street  seen  in  Fig.  2),  and  was  161  feet 
deep.'  A  big  malt  elevator  adjoining  the  boiler  plant  on  the  south,  one  corner 
of   which   can   be   seen   at  the  extreme  left  of   Fig.   2,   was   moved   bodily   from 


',<>.'         ;  "  "        Fig.  2.—  General  View  of  Tenth  Street. 

ius-'i'uundjitiftn  by  more  than  three  feet,  and  the  south  wall  of  the  three-story 
taaclline  sh.op  (shown  in  Fig.  2)  was  torn  out  Two  of  the  six  steam  drums 
that '  burst  A'ere  hurled  across  Tenth  street,  landing  on  top  of  a  refrigerator 
iiou^'e  soiHs'.'deventy  feet  high ;  and  Tenth  street  itself  was  buried  under  tons 
of  ;brick  'an'4  iron   debris. 

'.,  V.The 'plant  was  insured  with  the  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Inspection  and 
'■Tri5urance;;  Company,  under  a  policy  for  $150,000,  with  a  limit  of  $50,000  for 
any'  one ''explosion.  The  property  loss  was  estimated,  by  the  assured,  to  be 
rndre  th'an  $114,000;  and  as  soon  as  it  became  apparent  that  the  damage 
axceeded '  $50,000,  the  Hartford  company  tendered  the   owners  of  the  plant  a 


IQIO.J 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE 


check   for  that  sum   in   full.     At  the   liiui    of  writitis  this   article,  however,  the 
matter  has  not  been  closed. 

A  few  weeks  prior  to  the  explosion,  the  boilers  that  were  destroyed  were 
thoroughly  inspected  by  one  of  the;  most  competent  and  painstaking  boiler 
experts  in  our  organization  —  a  man  with  over  twenty  years  of  continuous 
experience  as  a  boiler  inspector,  and  with  previous  experience  as  a  marine 
engineer,  under  a  U.  S.  Government  license.  A  careful  investigation  made 
by  experts  after  the  explosion  showed  that  the  accident  was  not  due  to  any 
cause  that  inspection  could  have  detected. 


Fig.  3. —  Ruptured  Ste.nm  Drum  on  the  Refrigerator  House  Roof. 


3 1G451 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE. 


[January, 


Boilep  Explosions. 

September,  1909. 

(351-)— A  boiler  exploded,  September  i,  at  Flemington,  near  Trenton, 
N.  J.    John  Schenck  was  seriously  injured. 

(352.)— On  September  i  a  boiler  exploded  at  the  Filer  mining  plant, 
Grove  City,  Pa. 

(353-)— A  boiler  ruptured,  September  2.  at  the  plant  of  the  Chicago  In- 
sulated Wire  &  Mfg.  Co.,  Sycamore,  111. 


Fig.  4. —  Another  View  of  the  Wreckage. 

(3S4-)  —  On  September  2  a  tank  used  for  the  storage  of  compressed  air 
exploded  in  the  boiler  room  of  the  Fort  Logan  military  post,  near  Denver, 
Colo.  Fireman  Frank  Becovar  was  seriously  injured,  and  the  property  loss 
amounted  to   several  thousand   dollars. 

(355-) — The  boiler  of  a  threshing  outfit  exploded,  September  2,  at 
Deloraine,  Man.     John  R.  Rogers  was  killed. 

(356.) — A  small  boiler  exploded,  September  2,  at  the  fair  grounds, 
Des  Moines,  Iowa. 

(3S7-) — On  September  3  a  boiler  exploded  on  the  tug  R.  B.  Little,  of  the 
Rugge  Towing  Co.,  near  the  upper  end  of  Blackwell's  Island,  East  River, 
opposite  New  York  City.  John  O'Donald  was  killed,  and  James  Lavin  and 
one  other  man  were  seriously  injured.  The  explosion  occurred  as  the  result 
of  a  collision  between  the  tug  and  a  float. 


igio.] 


Til  !•:    LOCOMOTIVE 


(358.)  —  Four  tubes  burst.  Scptonibir  4,  in  a  boiler  at  the  plant  of  ilic 
Flint  Electric  Light  &  Power  Co.,  Flint,  Mich,  James  K.  Grandy  and  Frederick 
McLail  were  injured,  and  it  was  thought  thai  Grandy  might  not  recover. 

(359-) — A  cast-iron  header  fractured,  September  5,  in  a  water-tube  boiler 
at  A.   H.  Belo  &  Co.'s  printing  plant,   Dallas,  Tex. 

(360.) — A  boiler  exploded,  September  6,  on  the  steam  yacht  Eulic,  at 
Halifax,   N.   S.     One  person   was   severely   injured. 

(361.)  — On  September  7  a  blowoff  pipe  failed  at  the  plant  of  the  Uptcgrove 
Cigar  Box  Lumber  Co.,  Brooklyn,  N.   Y. 


Vk 


One  of  the  Rlttl-ked  13rums. 


(362.)  — A  tube  ruptured,  September  8,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  plant 
of  the  John  C.   Roth  Packing  Co.,  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 

iz^i-) — The  boiler  of  a  freight  locomotive  exploded,  September  8,  at 
Ellensburg,  Wash.  One  man  was  fatally  injured,  and  two  others  were  injured 
severely  but  not  fatally. 

(364.) — A  cast-iron  mud  drum,  attached  to  a  water-tube  boiler,  exploded, 
September  8,  in  a  building  owned  by  the  Corporation  of  Trinity  Church,  and 
located  at  440-444  Canal  St.,  New  York  City. 

(365.)^ — ^Two  tubes  failed,  September  9.  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the 
Evansville  &  Southern  Indiana  Traction  Co.'s  power  plant,  Evansville,  Ind. 

(366.) — A  boiler  exploded.  September  10,  in  Rozelle's  cotton  gin,  at  Full- 
bright,  fourteen  miles  west  of  Clarksville,  Tex.  Engineer  IMcMillan  was 
killed,  and  the  owner  of  the  plant  was  scalded. 


Q  '  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [January, 

(367.) — A  tube  ruptured,  September  10,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the 
plant  of  the  Texas  Refining  Co.,  Greenville,  Tex.  Fireman  John  V.  Russell 
was  scalded. 

(368.) — A  tube  failed,  September  10,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  Pabst 
Grand  Circle  Hotel,  New  York  City.     William  Ander  was  slightly  scalded. 

(369.) — A  heating  boiler  exploded,  September  12,  on  ]\Irs.  J.  D.  Layng's 
estate,  at  ]\Iount  Kisco,  N.  Y.  Hugh  Burcli  was  seriously  injured,  and  the 
boiler  house  was  wrecked. 

(370-) — On  September  12  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the 
plant  of  the  Sioux  City  Gas  &  Electric  Light  Co.,  Sioux  City,  Iowa.  Alfred 
Johnson  and  John  Tilton  were  injured. 

(37'^-)  —  i  he  boiler  of  a  steam  shovel  belonging  to  David  Benjamin  &  Co. 
exploded,  September  13,  at  Buck  ]\lountain,  near  Hazleton,  Pa.  Two  men  were 
injured  very  seriously,  and  six  others  were  injured  somewhat  less  severely. 
The  shovel   was  demolished. 

(272.) — A  boiler  exploded.  September  13,  at  the  Lurlirie  baths,  on 
Geary  street,  San  Francisco,  Calif.  Richard  Damme  and  William  C.  Hansen 
were  severely  injured,   and  one  corner  of  the  building  was  blown   out. 

i373-^ — ^  The  boiler  of  a  traction  engine  exploded,  September  15,  on  Wil- 
liam Haas's  farm,  near  East  Randolph,  N.  Y.  H.  Lee  Bushnell  was  badly 
injured,  and  C.  B.  Stoughton  and  a  man  named  Darling  received  minor  injuries. 
The  machine  was  demolished.     • 

(374.) — The  boiler  of  a  threshing  outfit  exploded,  September  15,  on  the 
Patrick  O'Mera  farm,  ten  miles  southwest  of  Junction  City,  Kans.  Charles 
Kruger  was  instantly  killed,  J.  L.  W^aters  and  Joseph  Smith  were  severely 
injured,   and   several   other  persons  were  badly  bruised. 

(375-) — A  boiler  exploded,  September  16,  in  a  sawmill  at  ^Middle  Fork, 
on  Dog  Creek,  Jackson  county,  W.  Va.  David  and  Bascom  Roggess  were  in- 
stantly killed,  and  Appleton  Garner  was  injured  so  badly  that  he  died  three 
hours  later. 

(376.)  — -A  boiler  exploded,  September  16,  near  River  Falls,  A\'is.  Charles 
R.  Ecker  was  killed. 

(377.) — -On  September  17  a  stop-valve  ruptured  on  a  boiler  at  the 
Pennsylvania   Industrial   Reformatory,    Huntingdon,    Pa. 

(378-) — A  cast-iron  header  ruptured,  September  18,  in  a  water-tube  boiler 
in  the  plant  of  the  American   Steel   &  Wire   Co.,  Waukegan,   111. 

(379) — A  tube  ruptured,  September  18,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the 
]\Ietropolitan  West  Side  Electric  Railway  Co.'s  power  plant.  Van  Buren  and 
Throop   streets,   Chicago,   111. 

(380.) — A  boiler  exploded,  September  18,  in  G.  M.  Lanning's  sawmill, 
several   miles   east  of  Lawrenceburg,   Tenn.     One   man  was   slightly  hurt. 

(381.) — A  slight  boiler  accident  occurred,  September  20,  in  the  Bockstege 
furniture  factory.  Evansville.  Ind. 

(382.) — A  tube  ruptured,  September  21,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the 
Ingersoll-Rand  Co.'s  plant,   Phillipsburg,   N.  J. 

(383.) — On  September  21  a  boiler  accident  occurred  at  the  wood  working 
plant  of  the  Hotchkiss  Bros.  Co.,  Torrington.  Conn.  The  accident  consisted 
in  the  rupture  of  a  triple-riveted  butt  joint,  through  the  plate  at  the  outer  row 
ot  rivets. 


I9IO.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  7 

(384.) — Oil  September  22  a  boiler  exploded  in  Basil  Roberts's  sawmill, 
three  miles  west  of  Crofton,  Ky.  ihrre  sons  of  the  owner,  Houston,  Edgar, 
and   Charles,   were  badly  injured. 

(385.) —  The  boiler  of  a  Canadian  Pacific  locomotive  exploded,  September 
22,  at  St.  Augustin,  r.tar  Montreal,  1'.  Q.  l-'ireniau  lulward  Edwards  was 
instantly  killed.  *' 

(386.) — A  tube  failed,  September  _'3,  in  a  boiler  at  the  Smith  ice  plant, 
Tiffin,  Ohio,  killing  lireman  William   llooveral. 

{3^7-) — ^  small  boiler  exploded,  September  25,  on  the  steamer  .Idviiral 
Sampson,  at  San  Francisco,  Calif.     Mack  Moore  was  terribly  scalded. 

(388.) — A  boiler  exploded,  September  26,  in  the  milk  sterilizing  plant  of 
R.  F.  &  T.  E.  Osborne,  Providence,  R.  I.  Leon  A.  Osborne,  a  brother  of  the 
owners  of  the  plant,  was  fatally  injured,  and  Edward  Ziegler  was  scalded 
seriously  but  not  fatally. 

(389-) — On  September  28  a  boiler  exploded  in  E.  E.  Boone's  sawmill, 
near  Spring  Lick,  Grayson  county,  Ky.  Edward  Boone  (a  son  of  the  owner) 
and  Frank  Westerfield  were  killed,  and  John  Boone.  Charles  Boone,  and  George 
Boone  were  seriously  injured. 

(390.)  — A  boiler  used  for  operating  a  steam  plow  exploded,  September  30, 
at  Manslield,  near  Malette,  S.  Dak.     Clarence  Wilson  was  seriously  injured. 


October,  1909. 

^(39^) — A  tube  ruptured,  October  i,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of 
the   Greenville    Electric   Light,   Heat   &    Power   Co.,    Greenville,    Pa. 

(392.) — -A  tube  ruptured,  October  i,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  H.  C. 
Frick  Coke  Co.'s  Bridgeport  mine,  Brownsville,  Pa. 

(393-) — A  slight  accident  occurred,  October  i,  to  a  boiler  in  the  Dahm  & 
Kiefer  Tanning  Co.'s   plant,   Grand    Rapids,   Mich. 

(394.)- — A  tube  ruptured,  October  i,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the 
Olympia   Cotton    Mills,    Columbia,    S.    C.      Fireman    Isaac    Dixon    was    injured. 

(395)  — On  October  2  a  boiler  exploded  at  a  mine  on  the  Cox  land,  a  mile 
and  a  half  north  of  Joplin,  Mo.  E.  H.  Hover  and  Ramey  Oldfield  were  injured 
badly,  but  not  fatally. 

(396.) — A  tube  ruptured,  October  3,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the 
Standard  works  of  the  H.   C.   Frick  Coke  Co.,   Mt.    Pleasant,   Pa. 

(397-) — A  boiler  exploded,  October  4,  in  the  Poindexter  sawmill,  at 
Addison,  near  Gallipolis,  Ohio.     George  Poindexter  was   fatally  injured. 

(398-)— On  October  4  a  boiler  exploded  in  the  Brighton  flouring  mill, 
Sacramento,  Cal.  The  explosion  wrecked  one  side  of  the  building,  and  the 
destruction  of  the  plant  was  then  completed  by  fire.  The  total  property  loss 
was  estimated  at  from  $50,000  to  $60,000. 

(399-)  — A  tube  ruptured,  October  J,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  National 
Ring  Traveler  Co.'s   plant.   Providence,  R.   L 

(400.)  — An  accident  occurred,  October  4,  to  the  boiler  of  A.  J..  Henry  & 
Co.,   Camden,   N.    Y. 

(401.)— A  boiler  ruptured,  October  4,  in  the  .\merican  Granite  Co.'s  plant, 
Lohrville,  Wis. 

(402.) — A  boiler  exploded,  October  5,  in  Arnold's  feed  mill,  at  Byron, 
near  Owosso,   Mich. 


8  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [January, 

(403.) — The  boiler  of  an  Illinois  Central  freight  locomotive  exploded, 
October  5,  at  Waterloo,  Iowa.     Two  men  were  fatally  injured. 

(404.)— On  October  5  the  drum  of  a  superheater  attached  to  a  boiler 
ruptured   at  the   Jeffersonville   Water   Supply   Co.'s   plant,   Jeffersonville,   Ind. 

(405.)  — A  boiler  belonging  to  the  Pacific  Borax  Co.  exploded,  October  5, 
at  San  Bernardino,  Cal.     Two  persons  were  fatally  injured. 

(406.) — A  boiler  exploded,  October  6,  in  R.  F.  Campbell's  sawmill  and 
ginnerj^  th-ree  miles  southeast  of  West,  Miss.  Dudley  King  and  Otis  McAfee 
were   fatally  injured. 

(407.) — :A  boiler  ruptured,  October  7,  at  the  ]\Iammoth  shaft  of  the 
H.  C.  Frick  Coke  Co.,  Scottdale,  Pa. 

(408.)- — A  boiler  exploded,  October  9,  on  the  Rogers  dredge  boat,  at 
Bishop,  Til.  The  owner  of  the  boat  and  one  fireman  were  seriously  injured, 
and  the  property  loss  was  estimated  as  over  a  thousand  dollars. 

(409.) — On  October  9  a  cast-iron  header  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler 
in  the  Polar  Wave  Ice  &  Fuel  Co.'s  plant,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

(410.) — A  boiler  exploded,  October  9,  in  the  Cincinnati,  Hamilton  & 
Dayton  shops,   at   Fort  Wayne,   Ind.     One   man  was   killed. 

(411.)  — A  tube  ruptured,  October  9,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Carnegie 
Steel  Co.'s  plant,    Duquesne,   Pa. 

(412.) — On  October  11  a  boiler  belonging  to  the  Chicago,  Burlington  & 
Quincy  Railroad  exploded  at  Forest  City,  111.     One  man  was  fatally  injured. 

(413.)- — A  boiler  exploded,   October   12,   in   J.   B.   Hastings'   cotton  gin,   in 

Fork  township,  near  Goldsboro,  X.  C.     Mr.  Hastings  was  instantly  killed,  and 

Tobias  V.  Crocker  and  several  other  men  were  more  or  less  seriously  injured. 

(414.)  — A  boiler  exploded,  October  12,  in  the  pumping  station  at  El  Paso, 

111.     The  fireman  was  killed. 

(415.) — A  boiler  exploded,  Octolier  12,  at  the  ofiice  of  the  Havana 
Metal  Wheel  works,   Havana,  111. 

(416.) — A  boiler  exploded,  October  12,  in  the  West  Side  power  house 
of  the  Amoskeag  Mills,  Manchester,  N.  H.  Joseph  Lyons  and  Edgar  B. 
Harrington  were  injured  so  badly  that  they  died  in  the  hospital  a  few  hours 
later.  Five  other  men  were  also  injured  to  a  lesser  degree.  According  to  the 
local  press,  the  property  damage   amounted   to   some   thousands  of   dollars. 

(417.) — A  boiler  exploded,  October  12,  in  the  Aylmer  Electric  Light  Co.'s 
plant,   Aylmer,    Ont.      One   person    was   killed. 

(418.)— A  boiler  exploded,  October  13,  in  the  Turkish  Bath  Hotel,  at 
Montreal,  Canada.  Arthur  Quelette  was  instantly  killed,  and  Charles  Binks 
was   seriously   injured. 

(_,iQ.)_The  boiler  of  a  donkey  engine  exploded,  October  13,  at  the  Lake 
Whatcom  Logging  Co.'s  Camp  4.  near  Bellingham,  Wash.  Fireman  John 
Larson  and  engineer  George  Beckwith  were  badly  injured,  and  were  conveyed 
to   the   hospital    at    Bellingham,   where   Larson    died. 

(420.)— On  October  15  a  boiler  exploded  at  Harmon's  cotton  gin,  at 
Graham,  near  Ardmore,  Okla.  Fireman  William  Ross  was  instantly  killed, 
and  three  other  persons  were  injured.     The  plant  was  destroyed  by  fire. 

C421.)— A  small  boiler  used  for  heating  water  exploded.  October  15,  in 
the  basement  of  Holyoke  Hall,  at  Massachusetts  avenue  and  Holyoke  street, 
Cambridge,   Mass. 


I9IO.J  THE    LOCO  MOT  IVL.  9 


(422) — A  boiler  ruptured,  October  15,  at  the  Glemi  Lowry  Manufacturing 
Co.'s  cotton  mill,  Whitniire,  S.  C.     (See  also  the  next  item.) 

(.423.) — A  tube  ruptured,  October  16,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Glenn 
Lowry  Manufacturing  Co.'s  plant,  Wliitniire,  S.  C.  (See  also  the  preceding 
item.) 

(424.) — On  October  16  an  east-bound  passenger  train  on  the  St.  Louis  & 
San  Francisco  railroad  was  wrecked  near  Tahlequah,  Okla.  As  a  result  of  the 
wreck,  the  boiler  of  the  locomotive  exploded,  killing  engineer  A.   P.  Vance. 

(425.) — On  October  16  the  main  stop  valve  ruptured  on  a  steam  main 
in   Burch  &   Champagne's   sugar  house,   Glendale    Plantation,   Lucy    P.   O.,   La. 

(426.)  —  A  boiler  belonging  to  the  Ohio  Western  Lime  Co.  exploded, 
October    16,   at   Sugar   Ridge,   Ohio.     One   man   was   seriously   injured. 

(427.) — A  boiler  belonging  to  the  Griffin  Lumber  Co.  exploded,  October 
18,  at  Griffin,  fifteen  miles  south  of  Camden,  Ark.  Seven  persons  were  killed, 
and  three  others  severely  injured.  The  planing  mill  was  demolished  and 
several   neighboring  buildings  were  badly  wrecked. 

(428.)  — .\  heating  boiler  exploded.  October  19,  in  the  United  States  Indian 
School  at  Rapid  City,  S.  D.  Adolph  Russel,  a  pupil  from  the  Pine  Ridge 
reservation,  was  killed,  and  Ronald  Whitefeather,  another  pupil  from  the 
same    reservation,    received    injuries    that   were    believed    to    be    fatal. 

(429.)  — On  October  19  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  plant 
of    the    Lehigh    Portland    Cement   Co.,    Ormrod,    Pa.      One    man    was    injured. 

(430.) — A  cast-iron  header  fractured,  October  21,  in  a  water-tube  boiler 
at  the  plant  of  the  St.  Lawrence  International  Electric  Railroad  &  Land  Co., 
Alexandria  Bay,   N.  Y. 

(431.) — On  October  22  several  tulies  failed  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the 
plant  of  the   Shenango   Furnace  Co.,   Sharpsville,   Pa. 

(432.)  — A  boiler  exploded,  October  22,  at  the  Ratz  sawmill,  at  St.  Clements, 
twelve  miles  from  Berlin,  Ontario,  killing  a  well  driller  and  seriously  injuring 
another  man.  The  mill  was  completely  demolished,  and  the  property  loss 
was  estimated  at  upwards  of  $ro,ooo. 

(433) — On  October  22  a  heater  exploded  in  the  Chateau  Frontenac, 
Quebec,  Canada.     Four  men  were  more  or  less  seriously  injured. 

(434.) — A  boiler  ruptured,  October  23,  in  the  sawmill  of  the  E.  Libby  & 
Sons  Co.,   Gorham.   N.   H. 

(435.)— On  October  21  a  boiler  ruptured  in  the  Iroquois  Creamery  Co.'s 
plant,   Iroquois,   S.   D. 

(436.) — A  heating  boiler  exploded.  October  24,  in  Plamondon  &  Paro's 
dry-goods  store,  Quebec,  P.  Q.  Fire  followed  the  explosion,  and  the  entire 
property  loss  was   about  $1,200. 

(437.) — The  boiler  of  a  freight  locomotive  exploded,  October  24,  about 
a  mile  from  Gano  station,  on  the  Big  Four  railroad,  twenty  miles  north  of 
Cincinnati,  Ohio.  Oscar  Pease  and  Charles  Wycof?  were  killed  outright, 
and  Granville  Fuller  was  fatally  injured.  Two  other  men  were  also  injure! 
more  or  less  seriously,  but  not  fatally. 

(438.)  —  On  October  25  a  terrible  boiler  explosion  occurred  in  the  Pabst 
Brewing  Co.'s  plant,  Milw-aukee,  Wis.  Frederick  Stern  was  killed,  and  one 
other  man  was  injured.  The  property  loss  was  estimated  at  over  $114,000. 
(See  the  illustrated  article  on  this  explosion,  elsewhere  in  the  present  issue 
of  The  LocoMOTn-E.) 


10  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [January, 

(439-) — On  October  25  several  cast-iron  headers  ruptured  in  a  water- 
tube   boiler   in   the   plant   of    the    Elyria   Iron   &    Steel    Co.,    Elyria,    Ohio. 

(440.)  —A  boiler  exploded,  October  26,  at  the  No.  2  mine  of  the  Chicago, 
VVilmmgton  &  Vermilion  Coal  Co.,  Joliet,  111.  Fireman  Jerome  Shenk  was  badly 
scalded. 

(441.) — A  boiler  ruptured,  October  26,  in  the  Norwood  Manufacturing 
Co.'s    plant,    Tupper    Lake,    N.    Y. 

(442.)  —On  October  zy  a  heating  boiler  exploded  in  a  public  school  build- 
ing,  near  Lafayette,   Pa.     The   janitor   was   badly   scalded. 

C443.) — -The  boiler  of  a  Trinity  &  Brazos  Valley  railroad  freight  loco- 
motive exploded,  October  27,  at  Pearland,  Te.x.  Engineer  AI.  E.  Tarver, 
fireman   W.   M.   Murchison,   and   brakeman   F.   Leach   were   seriously   injured. 

(444.) — A  slight  boiler  explosion  occurred,  October  28,  in  the  electric 
lighting  plant  at  Red  Bank,  N.  J.  W.  B.  Sheppard  and  Joseph  Valleau  were 
injured. 

(445.)  — The  boiler  of  a  Grand  Trunk  locomotive  exploded,  October  29,  at 
Montreal,  Canada.  One  man  was  fatally  injured,  and  three  others  received 
lesser   injuries. 

(446.) — A  boiler  exploded,  October  29,  in  a  sawmill  on  David  Dawson's 
farm,  at  Rockford,  near  Clarksburg,  W.  Va.  Arthur  Kringle  and  Curtis  Nutt 
were   instantly   killed,   and   Worthy   Dawson   was   severely   injured. 

(447.) — A  small  boiler  exploded,  October  30.  at  luka.  Miss.  Some  boys 
built  a  fire  under  it  without  authorization,  and  the  explosion  was  the  result. 
Samuel  Kimberly  was  fatally  injured,  and  Sidney  Patterson,  James  Wood,  and 
Joseph   Ross  were   seriously  scalded. 

(448.) — A  boiler  ruptured,  October  30,  on  C.  S.  ]\Iathews'  sugar  planta- 
tion, Mathews,  La. 

(449.) — The  boiler  of  a  freight  locomotive  exploded,  October  30,  on  the 
Coal  &  Coke  railroad,  near  Yankee  Dam,  forty-six  miles  from  Charleston, 
W.  Va.  Engineer  John  Rogers,  firemen  W.  E.  Carruthers  and  T.  J.  Finley, 
conductor  James  Riddle,  and  brakeman  R.  B.  Thomas  were  instantly  killed^ 
and  brakeman   Charles   Patten   was   seriously   injured. 

(450.) — The  boiler  of  Lake  Shore  locomotive  No.  5948  exploded,  October 
31,  just  east  of  Geneva,  Ohio.  Fireman  A.  E.  Crawford  was  instantly  killed, 
and    engineer    Harry    Braymer    was    badly    injured. 


November,  1909. 

(45T.) — A  boiler  ruptured,  November  i,  in  the  pumping  station  of  the 
city  water   works,   Frederick,   Okla. 

(452.) — A  boiler  ruptured,  November  i,  in  the  plant  of  the  Evans  Marble 
Co.,   Baltimore,   Md. 

(453-)  — A  tube  ruptured,  November  2,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  power 
station  of  the  Columbus  Railway  &  Light  Co.,  Columbus,  Ohio.  Fireman 
James   Gaszway   was   injured. 

('454.) — On  November  3  a  boiler  exploded  in  E.  P.  Catron's  sawmill,  at 
Purcell,  Lee  county,  Va.  A.  J.  Deaton  was  instantly  killed,  and  William 
Carroll   was    seriously   injured. 

("455.) — On  November  4  an  accident  occurred  to  a  boiler  in  William 
Booth's  shoddv  mill,  Gladwvne,   Pa. 


iQio.]  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  H 


(456.)  — On  November  4  the  nnul  driiin  of  a  boiler  exploded  in  Wcstphal  & 
Sons'  flouring  mills,  Oakland,  Cal.  Janus  Peterson  was  badly  scalded,  but  at 
last   accounts   his  condition   was   improving. 

(457-) — A  boiler  explosion  occurred,  Novcmljcr  4,  on  the  steamboat 
Gloria,  at  Sterling.  111. 

(458.) — A  tube  ruptured,  Xovcnihcr  5,  in  a  \vatcr-tui)e  boiler  at  the 
power  plant  of  the  Philadelphia  Rapid  Transit  Co.,  Thirty-thir?f  and  Market 
streets,    Philadelphia. 

(459)  —  A  boiler  tube  burst,  Xovcmlicr  5,  on  the  United  States  battleship 
Xortli  Dakota,  while  she  was  on  an  endurance  run  off  Cape  Ann.  Mass.  William 
H.  Qrange,  John  Souden,  A.  Peterson,  and  Peter  McConnell  were  injured. 

(460.) — Several  sections  of  a  cast-iron  heating  boiler  fractured,  November 
5,  in  an  apartment  building  owned  by   ^lary  H.   Ilusted,  Denver,  Colo. 

(461.) — On  November  5  a  boiler  exploded  at  Orangeburg,  S.  C,  killing 
one  person. 

(462.) — The  boiler  of  a  freight  locomotive  exploded,  November  6,  on  the 
New  York  Central  railroad,  at  Belmont,  near  Hornell,  N.  Y.  Engineer 
Chauncey  C.  Green  and  fireman  Christopher  Rider  were  instantly  killed,  and 
three  other  men  were  injured.  The  freight  train  was  wrecked  as  the  result 
of  the  explosion. 

(463.) — A  boiler  exploded,  Novcmlier  6,  in  Keith  &  Thomas'  sawmill, 
Algood,  Tcnn.  Three  men  were  injured,  and  the  property  loss  was  about 
$2,500. 

(464.)  —  A  tube  ruptured,  Novcmlicr  7,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the 
plant  of  the  Sharon  Tin  Plate  Co.,  South  Sharon,  Pa. 

(465.)  — A  boiler  used  in  drilling  an  oil  well  exploded,  November  7,  on  the 
S.   I.   Davis   farm,  on  Big  Wheeling  creek,  near  Wheeling,   W.  Va. 

(466.)  — On  November  g  a  boiler  exploded  in  Charles  Creech's  cotton  gin, 
near  Selma,  N.  C.  L.  S.  Parrish  was  instantly  killed,  three  other  men  were 
injured,   and   the   plant  was   wrecked. 

(467.) — A  boiler  exploded,  November  g,  at  the  plant  of  the  Palatka  Gas, 
Light  &  Fuel  Co.,  Palatka,  Fla.  Walter  Croomer  and  Marshall  Smith  w-ere 
killed,   and   the   property   loss   was   about   $3,000. 

(46S.) — On  November  g  a  boiler  exploded  in  the  brick  and  terra  cotta 
plant  at  Carnegie,  some  thirty  miles  south  of  Stockton,  Calif.  Two  persons  are 
said  to  have  been  injured,   and  the  plant  was  considerably  damaged. 

(46g.) — On  November  10  a  slight  boiler  explosion  occurred  in  the  Samuel 
Mundheim  Co.'s  hat  factory,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  John  Wheeler  and  John  Kurz 
were  scalded  to  death. 

(470.) — A  small  boiler  exploded,  November  12,  in  Brace,  ?iIcGuire  &  Co.'s 
cleaning  works,   Chenango   street,   Buffalo.    N.   Y. 

(471.) — A  heating  boiler  exploded,  November  12,  in  the  basement  of  the 
building  occupied  by  the  post  office,  at  Allegan,  Mich.  The  damage  was 
serious,  but  we  have  seen  no  estimate  of  its  actual  amount. 

(472.) — A  boiler  belonging  to  the  Stewart  Logging  Co.  exploded, 
November   12.   at   Aberdeen,   Wash.     One   man   was  killed. 

(473.)  —  A  tube  ruptured,  November  13,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the 
Pillsbury- Washburn  Flour  Mills  Co.'s  Palisade  j\Iill,  [Minneapolis,  ]\Iinn.  Fire- 
man   Edward    Lafore    was    injured. 

(474.) — A    tube    ruptured,    November    13,    in    a    water-tnlie    boiler    at    the 


12  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [January, 


Dall  Lead  &  Zinc  Co.'s  plant,  Meekers  Grove,  near  Platteville,  Wis.  Firemanj 
Joseph   Raisbeck   was   injured. 

(475-) — The  boiler  of  freight  locomotive  No.  -/-jj  of  the  Seaboard  Air 
railroad  exploded,  November  14,  between  Richmond,  Va.,  and  Petersburg. 
Engineer  Thomas  C.  Ennis  was  seriously  injured,  and  died  within  a  few  hours. 

(476.) — Three  cast-iron  headers  fractured,  November  15,  in  a  water-tube 
boiler   at   the    Kingston    Coal    Co.'s    plant,    Kingston,    Pa. 

(477-) — A  boiler  exploded,  November  15,  at  Storm  &  Corsa's  paper  mill, 
Catskill,  N.  Y.  Five  persons  were  more  or  less  injured,  the  boiler  house  was 
demolished,   and   several   other   buildings   were   damaged. 

(478.)  — On  November  16  a  blowoff  pipe  failed  in  Maley  &  Wertz's  planing 
mill,   Evanville,   Ind.     Henry   Strunk   was   scalded. 

(479.) — Several  tubes  ruptured.  November  17,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at 
the    Havlin   Hotel,    operated   by    The    Havlin   Realty   Co.,    Cincinnati,    Ohio. 

(480.)  — A  boiler  exploded,  November  17,  at  the  Beaver  Dam  Paper  Mills, 
near  Timicula,   Chester  county.   Pa.     One  end  of  the  mill   was  torn  out. 

(481.) — The  boiler  of  a  locomotive  belonging  to  the  New  York  Central 
railroad  exploded,  November  17,  at  Buffalo,  N.  Y.  One  person  was  injured 
fatally,  and  two  others  severely,   but  not   fatally. 

(482.) — On  November  18  a  blowofif  valve  broke  on  a  boiler  at  the  plant 
of    the    North    Shore    Gas    Co.,    Waukegan,    111. 

(483.) — The  boiler  of  freight  locomotive  No.  2046,  of  the  Chicago, 
Burlington  &  Quincy  railroad  exploded,  November  18.  at  Lincoln,  Neb.  Fire- 
man George  Meecham  was  instantly  killed,  and  engineer  George  Pierce  and 
brakeman    Upton    were    seriously    injured. 

(484.) — A  tube  ruptured,  November  18,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the 
plant  of  the  Crescent   Portland   Cement   Co.,   Wampum,   Pa. 

(485.)  — The  boiler  of  a  locomotive  used  in  connection  with  a  construction 
train  exploded,  November  19,  five  miles  west  of  New  Castle,  Ind.  Engineer 
Edward  Walters  was  instantly  killed,  and  fireman  Glessie  Davison  v/as  seriously 
injured. 

(486.) — The  boiler  of  a  locomotive  exploded,  November  20.  on  the 
St.  Louis  &  San  Francisco  railroad,  near  South  Greenfield,  ]\Io.  William 
O'Brien   was  injured   so  badly   that  he   died   on   the   following  day. 

(487.) — A  tube  ruptured.  November  22.  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the 
Beach  street  power  house  of  the  Philadelphia  Rapid  Transit  Co.,  Philadelphia. 
Pa. 

(488.) — On  November  22  a  boiler  exploded  in  E.  B.  Arnold's  steam 
laundry.  Aurora.  Neb. 

(489.) — -A  boiler  ruptured,  November  23,  on  the  dredge  Niagara,  at 
Tonawanda,    N.    Y.      Two   persons   were   seriously    injured. 

(490.) — A  boiler  exploded,  November  24,  on  the  Hunter  farm,  Franklin, 
Pa.     One  person  was  killed,  and  two  others  severely  injured. 

(491.) — A  boiler  exploded,  November  24,  in  a  laundry  at  JopHn,  Mo., 
wrecking  the  building.  Mr.  Loren  Galloway,  w-ho  was  passing  the  place  at 
the    time,    was    seriously    injured,    but    will    recover. 

r492.)— The  boiler  of  a  sawmill  belonging  to  R.  S.  Nickle  and  Riley 
Thompson  exploded.  November  25.  at  Richmond  Falls,  near  Beckley,  W.  Va. 

C493.)— A  heating  boiler  exploded,  November  25,  in  the  Westminster 
Apartments,   Seattle,  Wash.     The  property  loss  was  estimated   at  $3,000. 


I910.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  j^Q 


(494.) — On  November  25  a  boiler  exploded  on  McDowell's  farm,  near 
Tarboro,    N.    C.     One   person    was   killed,    and    one    severely    injured. 

(495) — A  boiler  exploded,  Noveinhor  27,  in  R.  L.  Owens'  shingle  mill, 
four  miles  west  of  Magnolia,  Ark.,  killing  a  child,  and  severely  burning  the 
engineer. 

(496.)  — A  cast-iron  header  fractured,  November  27,  in  a  water-tube  boiler 
in  the  Fairfield  Dairy  Co.'s  plant,  Fairfield,  N.  J. 

(497-) — A  copper  boiler  exploded,  November  27,  in  J.  A.  Wright  &  Co.'s 
silver-polish  plant,  Keene,  N.   H.     The  property  loss  was  estimated  at  $2,000. 

(498.) — A  rotary  boiler  exploded,  November  28,  in  R.  S.  Morehouse's 
paper  mill,  Bridesburg,  Philadelphia,  Pa.  The  entire  first  floor  of  the  plant  was 
wrecked. 

(499.) — A  header  fractured,  November  28,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at 
the    Baldwin    Locomotive    Works,    Philadelphia,    Pa. 

(500.)  —  A  boiler  exploded,  Noveml)cr  29,  in  the  Foreman-Blades  Lumber 
Co.'s  sawmill,  Elizabeth  City,  N.  C.  Henry  Smith  and  Robert  Perry  were 
injured,  and  the  property  loss  was  aljout  $3,800. 

(501.) — Several  cast-iron  headers  fractured,  Novemlier  29,  at  the  Rose 
Hill  Sugar  Refining  Co.'s  plant,  Abbeville,  La. 

(502.)  —  A  boiler  exploded,  November  29,  in  the  J.  A.  Greene  stone  quarry, 
Stone  City,  Iowa.  One  person  was  killed,  and  the  property  loss  was  estimated 
at  $t  0,000. 

(503.) — A  heating  boiler  exploded,  November  30,  in  the  Central  High 
School   building,   Pueblo,   Colo. 

(504.) — On  November  30  the  inner  shell  of  a  steam-jacketed  drier  col- 
lapsed at  the   rendering  works   of   the   F.rie   Reduction   Co.,   Erie,    Pa. 


December,  1909. 

(505.) — A  boiler  exploded,  December  i,  in  Radclift'e  Brothers'  woolen 
mills,  Shelton,  Conn.  One  man  was  instantly  killed,  and  another  was  injured. 
The  property  loss  was  estimated  at   from  $200,000  to  $250,000. 

(506.) — A  tube  ruptured,  December  i,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the 
Brooklyn  Rapid  Transit  Co.'s  power  house,  Kent  and  Division  avenues, 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  George  Williams  and  Robert  Hansen  were  scalded  seriously 
and   probably   fatally. 

(507.) — A  boiler  exploded.  December  i,  in  the  Temple-Belton  Traction 
Co.'s  power  house  at  Midway,  near  Temple,  Tex.  Engineer  Asa  Bunn  was 
injured. 

(508.)  — A  blowofif  pipe  rupturcfl,  December  i,  at  the  Boston  Woven  Hose 
&  Rubber  Co.'s  plant,  Cambridge,  Mass.  Fireman  Abraham  Jones  was  slightly 
injured. 

(509-) — On  December  i  several  tubes  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler 
in  the  Havlin  Hotel,  operated  by  the  John  H.  Havlin  Realty  Co.,  Cincinnati, 
Ohio. 

(Sio.) — A  small  boiler,  intended  for  use  on  a  steam  launch,  exploded, 
December  3,  at  Hudson,  Mich.     Linford  McQueen  was  badly  injured. 

(511.) — A  tube  ruptured,  Derrmber  3,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the 
plant   of   the   L^niversal    Portland    Cement   Co.,    South    Chicago.    Til. 


14  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [January, 


(512.) — A  boiler  exploded,  December  4,  in  St.  Patrick's  Orphanage, 
Ottawa,   Canada.     The  property  loss  was  estimated   at  $3,000. 

(513.)  — A  tube  ruptured,  December  4,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Beach 
street  power  station   of  the   Philadelphia   Rapid   Transit   Co.,    Philadelphia,    Pa. 

(514.) — A  boiler  exploded,  December  6,  at  the  Peccio  coal  slope  just 
north  of  Brazil,  Ind.  Charles  Durgan  and  Felix  Nelson  received  injuries  that 
were  believed  to  be  fatal.  Another  man  was  also  injured  seriously  i)ut  not 
fatally. 

(515.) — A  boiler  ruptured,  December  6,  at  the  Oconee  Mills,  Westminster, 

s.  c. 

(516.) — A  boiler  exploded,  December  6,  in  a  six  story  building  owned  by 
the  Homestead  Realty  Co.,  and  situated  at  910  Broadway,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 
James  Foley  and  James  Cox  were  killed,  and  four  other  men  were  injured, — 
one  of  them,  it  is  believed,  fatally.  The  damage  to  the  building  was  estimated 
at  $7,500.  It  is  also  said  that  there  was  a  stock  of  drugs  on  the  third  floor, 
which  was  damaged  to  the  extent  of  $40,000.  It  is  reported  that  the  explosion 
was  due  to  simple  overpressure,  and  that  between  the  boiler  and  the  safety- 
valve  there  was  a  stop-valve,  which  was  found  to  be  tightly  closed,  after  the 
explosion. 

(517.) — On  December  6  the  crown-sheet  of  locomotive  No.  208,  of  the 
Denver  &  Rio  Grande  railroad,  collapsed  at  a  point  25  miles  north  of  Santa  Fe, 
N.   M.     Fireman   Kincaid  was  injured. 

(518.) — The  boiler  of  a  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  locomotive  exploded. 
December  8,  at  Blanca,  18  miles  east  of  Alamosa,  Cal.  Fireman  W.  B.  Chase 
and  brakeman  Joseph  Wetsenberger  were  injured,  and  the  former  died  of  his 
injuried.a   few   hours  later. 

(519-)  —  On  December  8  a  number  of  sections  fractured  in  a  cast-iroii 
heating  boiler  in  the  opera  house  owned  by  W.  A.  Maurer  and  W.  S.  Keeline, 
Council    Blufifs,    Iowa. 

(520.) — The  boiler  of  a  hot-water  heating  plant  exploded,  December  8, 
in  the  residence  of  D.  W.  R.  Macdonald,  Washington  street,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
The  property  loss  was  estimated   at   about  $1,000. 

(521.) — A  boiler  belonging  to  the  Logan  Gas  Co.  exploded,  December  8, 
at  Avon,  near  Lorain,  Ohio.  Joseph  Wolf  and  William  Cummings  were 
seriously  injured,   and   it   was  believed  that   the    former   would   die. 

(522.) — On  December  9  a  boiler  exploded  at  the  plant  of  the  LTnion 
Phosphate  Co.,  at  Tioga,  nine  miles  west  of  Gainesville,  Fla.  The  plant  was 
completely   demolished. 

(523.) — On  December  9  a  number  of  tubes  failed  in  a  water-tube  boiler 
at   the    Havlin    Hotel.    Cincinnati,    Ohio. 

(524.) — A  boiler  used  for  heating  water  exploded,  December  9,  in  the 
basement  of  a  three-story  house  at  416  West  Forty-second  street.  New  York 
City.  Mrs.  Daniel  O'Keefe  was  slightly  injured.  The  property  loss  is 
estimated  at  $5,000. 

(525.) — The  boiler  of  a  hot- water  heating  plant  exploded,  December  9, 
in  the  basement  of  John  A.  Bubb's  residence,  Williamsport,   Pa. 

(526.) — On  December  9  an  accident  occurred  to  the  boiler  in  the  office 
building   of    Morley    Bros.,    Saginaw,    Mich. 

(527.) — A  hot-water  boiler  exploded,  December  10,  in  the  basement  of 
McVicker's   Theatre,    Chicago,   111. 


igio.J  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  15 


(5JiS.) — On  Dc'ccmhor  lo  lut-Ki.-  sections  of  a  cast-iron  heating  hoilcr 
fractured  in  tlie  I'linnix  Insurance  Cd.'s  office  building,  on  Pearl  St.,  ilartford, 
Conn. 

(5J9. ) — A  cast-iron  header  fractured,  December  10,  in  a  water-tube 
boiler  at  the  plant  of  the  South  Western  Milling  Co.  (owned  by  the  Standard 
Milling  Co.),   Kansas   City,  Kans.  ^ 

(530-) — On  December  10  a  blowoff  pipe  ruptured  in  the  plant  of  the 
Commercial   Sash  &  Door  Co.,   Chicago,   111. 

(531.) — A  heating  boiler  exploded,  December  u,  in  the  Maple  Hall  build- 
ing, Park  City,  Utah.  Fire  followed  the  explosion,  and  the  total  property  loss 
(mainly  from  the  fire)    was  $26,500. 

(532.) — A  tube  ruptured,  Decemlicr  14,  in  a  water-lube  boiler  at  the  plant 
of  the  West  Virginia  Pulp  &  Paper  Co.,  Covington,  Va.  Lawrence  Jones  was 
killed,  and  Lee  Loving  was   injured  slightly. 

(533-) — A.  boiler  exploded,  December  15,  at  the  Earlington  Iron  Works, 
Earlington,  Ky.  William  Patterson,  Frank  Breman,  and  John  Cox  were 
nijured,   and    Patterson    will    die.     The   entire    building   was    wrecked. 

(S34-) — O"  December  16  the  boiler  of  locomotive  No.  476,  of  the  Chicago, 
Milwaukee  &  Puget  Sound  railroad,  exploded  at  Miles  City,  Mont.  Engineer 
James  M.  jMarker,  fireman  P'rank  1:L  Walters,  and  brakeman  James  E.  Bowman 
were  badly  injured.  Walters  died  two  days  later,  and  at  last  accounts  it  was 
thought    that   both    of    the    other    injured   men    might   also    die. 

(535-) — A  hot-water  heating  boiler  exploded,  December  17,  in  the  Great 
Western   automobile   factory,    Peru,   Ind. 

(556.) — A  boiler  exploded,  December  17,  at  the  Oakville  Pin  factory, 
Oakville,    Conn. 

(537) — On  December  17  a  boiler  exploded  at  the  Rayol  plant  of  the 
Robinson  Clay  Product  Co.,  three  miles  from  New  Philadelphia,  Ohio.  David 
Hines   and   Daniel   Aliraham   were   instantly   killed. 

(538-)  —  A  vertical  heating  boiler  exploded,  December  18,  in  the  Railroad 
Department  of  the  Young  Men's   Christian   Association,   Knoxville,   Tenn. 

(539-) — The  boiler  of  a  Baltimore  &  Ohio  locomotive  exploded,  December 
18,  at  the  foot  of  Clark  avenue,  Cleveland,  Ohio.  Fireman  Thomas  Klindel 
was   badly   injured. 

(540.")  — The  boiler  of  locomotive  No.  140,  of  the  Rio  Grande  Western 
railroad,  exploded,  December  19,  at  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah.  Fireman  L.  M. 
Strick   and   brakeman    H.    P>.    Williamson   were   seriously   injured. 

(541.) — On  December  21  five  cast-iron  headers  fractured  in  a  water-tube 
boiler   at   the    Leamy    Home    for    Aged   Ladies,    at    Mt.    Airy    Philadelphia,    Pa. 

(542.) — A  tube  ruptured,  December  21,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the 
Interstate  Iron  &  Steel  Co.'s  rolling  mill,  Cambridge,  Ohio. 

(543-)  — On  December  22  an  accident  occurred  to  a  boiler  in  the  Freiberg  & 
Workum   Co.'s   distillery,   Lynchburg,   Ohio. 

(544.) — A  boiler  exploded,  December  23,  in  Hoffman  Bros.'  lumber  yard. 
Reserve  street,  Youngstown,  Ohio.     The  property  loss  was  about  $1,000. 

(545-) — On  December  23  a  section  fractured  in  a  heating  boiler  in  the 
Methodist   church    at    Sullivan,    Ind. 

(546.)  —  A  tube  ruptured,  December  24,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the 
Astoria  Veneer  Mills,  Astoria,  N.  Y.     Fireman  Frederick  Campo  was  scalded. 


16 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE. 


[Janlary, 


(547.) — A  locomotive  boiler  exploded,  December  24,  in  the  repair  shop 
of  the  Chicago,  Rock  Island  &  Pacilic  railroad,  at  Shawnee,  Okla.  Robert 
Kerr,  John  Johns,  and  a  boy  whose  name  was  not  known,  were  killed,  and 
thirteen  others  were  more  or  less  severely  injured.  The  shop  was  almost 
totally   wrecked,   and   the   property   loss   was   estimated    at   $100,000. 

(548.) — A  slight  explosion  occurred,  December  25,  in  the  boiler  room  of 
Saengerbund    Hall,    Schermerhorn    and    Smith    streets,    Brooklyn,    N.    Y. 

(549.) — A  tube  ruptured,  December  28,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the 
Athens    State   Hospital    for   Insane,    Athens,   Ohio. 

(550-)  — A.  boiler  exploded,  December  29,  at  the  new  power  plant  (now  in 
course  of  erection)  of  the  Metropolitan  Electric  Co.,  West  Reading,  Pa. 
Elmer  Dengler,  Frank  Cole,  Matthew  Lynch,  Clifford  Martin,  and  James 
Cooney   were   instantly  killed. 

(551.) — A  heating  boiler  exploded,  December  30,  on  the  premises  oc- 
cupied by  George  A.  Heiden,  Green  Bay  avenue,  Milwaukee,  Wis.  Fire 
followed  the  explosion,  and  the  total  property  loss  was  estimated  at  about 
$18,000. 


Summary  of  Boiler  Explosions,  from  1886  to  1909  Inclusive. 


Year. 


i8S6 
1887 
188S 
18S9 
1890 

189T 
1S92 

1893 
1894 

1S95 

1896 
1897 
189^ 
1899 
igoo 

1 90 1 
1902 
1903 
1904 
1905 

i9o''i 
1907 
1908 
1909 


Number  of 
Explosions. 


185 
19S 
246 
180 
226 

257 
260 
316 
362 

355 

346 
369 

383 
3S3 
373 

423 
3'Ji 
3  =  3 
391 
450 

431 

471 
a-o 

550 


Persons 
Killed. 


254 
264 

331 
304 
244 

263 
298 
327 
331 
374 

3S2 
398 
324 
298 

268 

312 
304 
293 
220 

3S3 

235 
300 
281 
227 


Persons 
Injured. 


314 
388 
505 
433 
351 

37r 
442 

385 
472 

519 

529 
528 
577 
456 
520 

646 

529 
522 

394 

585 

467 
420 

531 
422 


Total  of 

Killed  and 

Injured 


563 
652 
836 
737 
595 

634 
740 
712 
803 
893 

911 
926 
901 

754 
78S 

958 
833 
815 
614 
968 

702 
720 
812 
649 


igio.]  Tin:     LOCOMOTIVE.  17 


f  $mttlti^> 


A.  D.  RisTEEN,  Ph.D.,  Editor 


HARTFORD,  JANUARY  25.  1910. 

The  LocoMOTlVK.  can  be  obtained  free  by  calling  at  any  of  the  company  s  agencies. 
Subscription  price  ^o  cents  per  year  when  mailed  front  this  office. 
Bound  volumes  one  dollar  each. 


Obituary. 

Charles  B.  Dudlev. 

We  note  with  deep  regret  that  Mr.  Charles  B.  Dudley,  President  of  the 
International  Association  for  Testing  ^Materials,  died,  on  December  21,  at 
Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania.  Mr.  Dudley's  whole  life  had  been  devoted  to  the 
testing  of  materials,  and  to  cognate  studies,  and  it  was  a  high  compliment  to 
him.  and  to  the  engineering  profession  in  the  United  States,  when  the  Inter- 
national Association  elected  him  to  its  highest  office.  He  lived  barely  three 
months  to  enjoy  the  honor  conferred  upon  him.  In  a  special  note,  issued  by 
the  Association  and  signed  by  its  first  vice-president  and  its  general  secretary, 
we  find  the  following  well-merited  tribute:  "For  the  Association  itself  it  is 
indeed  a  most  serious  loss,  that  the  work  of  the  newly  elected  president  should 
come  suddenly  to  so  abrupt  a  conclusion.  From  the  moment  when  j\lr.  Dudley 
accepted  the  difficult  office  of  president,  he  set  to  work  with  positively  youthful 
ardor,  to  smooth  all  paths,  so  as  to  facilitate  the  future  development  of  the 
Association,  to  make  the  attainment  of  its  great  aims  possible,  and  to  ensure 
the  success  of  its  coming  Congress.  As  a  prominent  researcher,  as -a  clear- 
sighted and  untiring  worker,  and  at  the  same  time  as  a  man  both  of  touching 
goodness  and  of  that  fine  simplicity  which  recalls  the  great  men  of  American 
tradition  —  as  such,  the  late  President  will  continue  to  live  in  the  memories 
of  all  who  had  the  happiness  of  knowing  him." 


In  our  regular  list  of  boiler  explosions  for  the  month  of  April,  1909.  as 
printed  on  page  231  of  our  last  issue,  we  gave  an  account  (No.  161)  of  the 
foundering  of  the  tug  George  A.  Floss,  on  Lake  Erie,  with  a  statement  that  her 
disappearance  was  accompanied  by  a  loud  noise  that  was  believed  to  be  due  to 
the  explosion  of  her  boiler.  We  learn  that  the  tug  has  since  been  raised,  and 
that  her  boiler  was  found  to  be  intact,  so  that  it  is  now  in  use  again.  It  is 
of  course  impossible  to  make  the  statements  of  today  agree,  in  every  case,  with 
the  information  that  comes  on  the  morrow;  and  in  the  present  instance  we 
can  only  say  that  our  original  item  was  based  upon  the  best  information  available 
at  the  time  it  was  written. 


±Q  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [January, 

Why  is  it  that  writers  and  periodicals  every  now  and  then  appear  to  be 
obsessed  by  some  devil  that  makes  them  want  to  print  things  that  they  steal 
from  somebody  else?  This  ancient  query,  which  often  occurs  to  the  honest 
purveyor  of  printers'  ink,  is  prompted,  on  the  present  occasion,  by  an  article 
in  the  issue  for  July,  1909,  of  the  Practical  Engineer^  of  Chicago,  and  by  a 
similar  one  in  Ryerson's  Montlily  Journal  and  Stock  List  for  December,  1909. 
The  article  in  the  Practical  Engineer  is  entitled  "  Diagonal  Riveted  Joints," 
and  it  appears  under  the  name  of  Mr.  Norman  S.  Campbell.  It  is,  in  effect, 
an  abstract  of  two  articles  that  have  appeared  in  Tpie  Locomotive,  one  in  the 
issue  for  July,  1897,  and  the  other  in  the  issue  for  July,  1908.  Credit  is  indeed 
given  to  the  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Inspection  and  Insurance  Company,  for 
a  short  table  occupying  something  like  an  inch  of  space,  but  otherwise  we  are 
not  honored  by  the  least  mention,  and  the  implication  is,  that  the  rest  of  the 
article  is  Mr.  Campbell's  own  child.  The  article  in  Ryerson's  Journal  is  con- 
densed from  the  one  put  forth  by  ^Ir.  Campbell,  and  gives  us  precisely  the  same 
notice,  and  no  more. 

The  only  objection  that  we  know  of,  to  giving  credit,  in  this  case,  where 
credit  is  due,  is  that  that  might  involve  granting  the  "  Hartford  "  a  little  free 
advertising.  In  a  case  of  this  kind,  however,  that  argument  appears  to  have 
little  force.  We  did  not  ask  either  paper  to  print  the  article,  and  if  they 
desired  to  do  so  on  their  own  initiative,  it  would  be  only  ordinary  civility  to 
mention  the  fact  that  they  took  it  from  us.  Let  us  hope  that  with  the  new  year 
they  have  turned  over  a  new  leaf,  and  that  hereafter  a  higher  standard  of 
literary  ethics   will   prevail   in   their   offices. 


The  Diseases  of  Boilers.* 

Boilers  are  heirs  to  nearly  as  many  diseases  as  the  human  family.  Some 
are  crippled  from  birth,  owing  to  errors  in  construction.  The  most  marked 
and  important  of  these  congenital  troubles  is  the  one  that  makes  itself  known 
by  the  failure  of  the  lap  seam  along  a  line  which  passes  close  to  the  rivet 
holes,  but  usually  does  not  enter  them,  except  when  radiating  branch  cracks 
are  present. 

There  were  few  failures  from  the  lap  joint  crack  when  iron  plate  was 
exclusively  used  in  the  construction  of  boilers,  and  this  was  doubtless  due  to 
two  main  facts,  • —  first,  the  fact  that  the  plates  then  used  were  small,  and 
second,  the  fact  that  steel  (which  is  now  used  almost  universally  for  boiler 
shells)    is   much   more   likely   than   iron   to   develop   this   particular   defect. 

Certainly  the  workmanship  was  no  better  in  the  days  of  iron  than  it  is 
now,  and  in  fact  it  was,  as  a  rule,  probably  distinctly  inferior ;  and  while  the 
pressures  that  were  carried  were  less  than  they  are  today,  the  boilers  were 
no  better  adapted,  by  reason  of  design  and  construction,  to  bear  those  lower 
pressures,  than  modern  boilers  are,  to  bear  the  higher  ones  that  we  find 
today. 


•From  an  address  before  the  New  England  Association  of  Electric  Lighting  Engineers, 
by  F.  S.  Allen,  Chief  Inspector  of  the  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Inspection  and  Insurance  Com- 
pany, Hartford,  Conn. 


I9IO.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  n  19 


A  more  important  circumstance  was,  that  in  the  use  of  iron  it  was 
impossible  to  obtain  large  plates.  Thus  boilers  four  feet  or  more  in  diameter 
were  made  with  two  plates  to  a  course,  and  a  boiler  sixteen  feet  long  was 
usually  built  in  live  courses,  and  never  in  less  than  four.  The  girth  seams 
doubtless  stiffened  the  plates,  for  in  the  examination  of  a  great  number  of 
boilers  that  had  exploded  by  rupture  of  the  seams  it  was  «iound  that  the 
fractures  commenced  midway  between  the  girth  joints.  In  hundreds  of  cases, 
too.  the  main  line  of  fracture  has  developed  lateral  Ijranch  cracks,  which  have 
been  detected  by  the  inspector  because  they  showed  just  beyond  the  edge  of 
the  inner  lap;  and  then,  by  cutting  out  rivets  and  opening  the  joint  longitu- 
dinal fractures  have  been  discovereil  without  actual  explosion  of  the  boiler. 
Cracks  discovered  in  this  manner  are  always  in  the  center  of  the  course. 
Furthermore,  in  destructive  tests  of  l)oilers  we  have  found  the  distress  to 
begin,  and  failure  to  occur,  at  the  middle  of  the  course.  All  of  these  facts 
show  the  importance  of  the  stiffening  action  of  the  girth  joints  upon  the 
shell. 

Passing  now  to  the  consideration  of  the  effect  of  the  material  itself,  we 
note,  first,  that  iron  withstood  the  severe  treatment  of  whipping  down  the 
ends  of  the  plates  with  sledges,  —  this  practice  having  once  been  nearly 
universal  in  boiler  shops.  The  only  remedy  for  this  is  to  provide  a  massive 
former,  which,  by  heavy  pressure,  finishes  the  ends  of  the  plates  and  brings 
the  laps  to  as  nearly  a  circular  form  as  possible,  though  even  with  this  pre- 
caution there  is  always  some  flattening  at  the   lap. 

Steel  appears  to  resent  the  sledge-hammer  treatment,  and  it  is  also  sensitive 
to  the  slight  local  movements  that  occur  near  the  joint,  owing  to  variations  of 
pressure  in  the  boiler,  and  to  the  fact  that  the  contour  of  the  boiler  shell 
is   not  truly  circular   near  the   joint. 

These  causes,  singly  or  in  combination,  are  very  likely  to  cause  fractures 
at  the  longitudinal  joints,  these  being  undiscoverable  except  by  cutting  the 
plates  apart,  unless  branch  cracks  happen  to  radiate  from  the  main  line  of 
fracture,  and  run  out  from  the  edge  of  the  lap.  Often,  too,  the  plates  are 
not  l)ent  in  the  rolls,  so  that  they  conform  to  each  other  in  shape  at  the 
ends;  and  in  this  case  the  closing  up  of  the  joint,  as  the  rivets  are  driven, 
causes  a  severe  and  permanent  stress  in  the  material,  the  effect  of  which  is 
doubtless  to  hasten   the   formation   of  a  lap  joint   crack. 

Another  defect  that  can  be  produced  in  riveted  joints  is  due  to  neglect 
in  adapting  the  pressure  that  is  employed  for  closing  the  rivets,  in  hydraulic 
riveting  (which  is  the  best  method  of  riveting),  to  the  nature  of  the  joint 
that  is  being  made.  The  pressure  that  is  maintained  upon  the  accumulator 
should  be  varied  according  to  the  diameter  of  the  rivet  that  is  to  be  driven, 
and   the   thickness   of   the   plate   of   which  the   shell   is   to  be   made. 

Ruptures  of  plates  from  these  causes  occur  with  little  reference  to  factors 
of  safety,  or  to  the  age  of  the  boiler.  They  sometimes  develop  within  a  year 
or  two,  while  in  other  cases  they  do  not  appear  until  after  several  years  of 
service. 

Alteration  of  the  structure  of  the  material  of  the  boiler,  under  the  in- 
fluence of  stress  and  temperature,  is  undoubtedly  the  cause  of  failure  in  many 
cases,   and   evidence   of   the    fatigue   of   metal,   which   admittedly   occurs   in   all 


20  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [January, 

classes  of  machinery,  is  found  in  boiler  plates.  Fractures  in  the  plates,  away 
from  the  seams,  have  been  found  occasionally,  and  surface  cracks,  either 
internal  or  external,  may  develop  in  the  shell,  the  plates  being  then  brittle 
enough  to  be  readily  broken  up  with  a  hammer  when  they  have  been  removed 
from  the  boiler.  Such  cracks  are  not  so  frequent,  in  the  central  or  free  parts 
of  the  plate,  as  they  are  near  a  flange  or  some  other  rigid  connection,  where 
the  effect  of  the  movement  of  the  plate  may  be  localized.  The  localization  of 
strains  in  this  way  has  been  the  cause  of  frequent  failure  or  fracture  in 
some  tj'pes  of  boilers,  with  the  result  that  expensive  repairs  have  been  re- 
quired,   and    in    many   cases    explosions   have    resulted. 

We  also  find  evidence  of  profound  alteration  of  the  structure  of  the 
material  in  boiler  tubes,  these  often  losing  their  ductility  after  a  few  years 
of  service,  even  though  they  may  have  been  reasonably  ductile  when  new. 
Undoubtedly  the  skelp  from  which  these  tubes  were  made  was  of  an  inferior 
quality;  and  the  alteration  in  their  structure,  with  the  resulting  liability  of 
fracture,  is  probably  due  to  the  temperature  to  which  they  are  exposed, 
rather    than    to    the    pressure. 

There  is  much  difficulty  in  detecting  alteration  in  the  structure  of  a  boiler 
tube,  although  there  is  not  infrequently  some  unusual  color  to  the  tube,  or 
some  unusual  sound  given  out  under  the  hammer  test,  that  will  attract  the 
attention  of  the  examiner.  A  case  which  came  under  my  own  observation 
related  to  a  large  battery  of  boilers  in  which  the  tubes  showed  no  evidence  of 
thinning,  over-heating,  distortion,  or  sediment.  They  were  found  to  have 
the  full  standard  thickness  required  -for  boiler  tubes  of  their  diameter.  When 
they  were  rubbed  clean  of  soot  and  ash,  down  to  the  original  skin  of  the 
metal,  however,  they  showed  a  peculiar  and  unusual  color,  although  under 
the  file  bright  metal  showed  at  once.  The  appearance  of  the  tubes  was  so 
peculiar  that  two  of  them  were  removed  for  testing,  with  the  result  that 
they  were  found  to  have  lost  their  ductility  almost  entirely.  The  tubes  in 
all  the  boilers  were  subsequently  removed,  and  all  (or  nearly  all)  were  found 
to  be  brittle,  often  breaking  when  one  or  two  blows  were  struck  upon  the 
chisel  in  cutting  them  off.  For  the  sake  of  comparison,  a  tube  that  had 
been  in  service  in  another  boiler  in  the  same  plant  for  23  years  was  removed, 
and  the  physical  tests  that  were  made  upon  it  showed  that  its  condition  was 
excellent.  In  this  case,  however,  the  tube  had  not  been  subjected  to  a  tem- 
perature in  excess  of  that  due  to  125  lbs.  of  steam  pressure,  while  the  boiler 
having  the  defective  tubes  had  been  operated  at  160  lbs.  pressure.  The  old 
tube,  moreover,  which  was  in  good  condition  after  many  years  of  service, 
was  made  of  charcoal  iron,  while  the  others,  which  had  become  brittle,  were 
of  steel. 

Of  late  there  are  many  defective  bolts  found,  among  those  that  are  used 
for  holding  the  tube-caps  on  the  manifolds  in  some  types  of  water-tube 
boilers.  This  is  a  dangerous  defect,  as  most  of  these  boilers  are  operated 
under  high  pressure,  and  the  caps  are  upon  the  outside,  so  that  the  failure 
of  the  bolt  releases  the  whole  contents  of  the  boiler  into  the  fire  room.  This 
matter  is  so  serious  that  it  has  been  taken  up  by  one  of  the  large  electric 
road  operators,  and  chemical  tests  have  been  made  of  the  various  bolts  in  actual 
use,  and  of  the  bolts  purchased.  The  number  of  defective  bolts  found  during 
the   past   year   was    very   great,   while    ten   years    ago   it   was   the   exception    to 


I9IO.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  21 


find  any  such  bolt  defective.  I  cannot  say  what  the  result  of  the  investigations 
now  going  on  in  my  department,  and  among  steam  users,  will  develop,  but 
from  personal  investigation  I  believe  that  the  bolts  that  have  been  used  for 
tlie  past  few  years  are  of  steel,  and  evidently  they  are  commercially-made 
bolts.  The  ductility  of  many  of  the  defective  bolts  is  so  far  reducctl  that, 
though  they  are  an  inch  in  diameter,  a  blow  from  the  light  hammer  used 
by  the  inspector  would  snap  them  off  with  a  single  blow.  Many  were  also 
found   to  be  cracked   partially   through. 

With  regard  to  these  bolts  I  would  say  that  the  remedy,  in  my  opinion, 
would  be  to  use  bolts  that  are  forged  from  the  very  best  quality  of  Swedish 
iron.  These  bolts  are  not  subject  to  alternating  or  intermittent  variations  of 
stress,  and  hence  it  appears  probable  that  the  change  in  molecular  structure  that 
they  undergo  is  to  be  ascribed  to  the  natures  of  the  material  from  which  they  are 
made,  the  alteration  taking  place  as  a  result  of  the  temperature  to  which 
they  are  exposed. 

One  other  cause  of  rapid  deterioration  and  loss  of  efficiency  in  boilers 
is  the  formation  of  incrustation  and  scale.  Water-tube  boilers  are  peculiarly 
sensitive  to  this,  as  their  tubes  are  liable  to  become  overheated,  and  the  thin 
material  of  which  they  are  made  then  becomes  subject  to  distortion,  where 
the  relatively  heavy  plates  of  a  boi-ler  shell  would  remain  comparatively 
unaffected.  A  great  many  cases  of  this  kind  occur  yearly,  and  the  rupture  of 
the   tubes   is   not   infrequent. 

Some  twelve  years  ago  several  tubes  ruptured  in  one  of  our  best  equipped 
and  largest  electric  plants,  and  overheating  of  the  lower  tubes  was  noted 
in  all  the  boilers.  Many  were  quite  badly  affected,  and  others  not  so  seriously. 
Some  of  the  least  affected  tubes  were  selected,  and  many  specimens  taken 
from  them  were  sent  to  Watertown,  Mass.,  for  test.  The  results  were  of 
considerable  value.  Test  pieces  were  taken  from  different  parts  of  the  same 
lube,  and  on  two  tubes,  specimens  taken  from  the  top  of  the  tube,  over 
the  furnace,  gave  an  elongation,  in  a  length  of  8  inches,  of  i8  and  19  per 
cent.,  respectively,  the  ultimate  strength  of  the  material  being  57,800  and 
58,000  lbs.  per  square  inch,  and  the  elastic  limit  38,900  and  39,000.  Specimens 
taken  from  the  same  tubes,  in  the  rear  of  the  bridge  wall,  and  on  the  upper 
side  where  they  were  exposed  to  the  descending  currents  of  heat,  but  not 
quite  at  the  exact  topm.ost  point,  gave  elongations  of  16  and  17  per  cent., 
respectively,  in  a  length  of  8  in.,  the  corresponding  tensile  strengths  being 
55,700  lbs.  and  58,000  lbs.,  and  the  elastic  limits  36.300  lbs.  and  38,000  lbs. 
These  were  the  best  tests,  some  of  the  others  running  somewhat  lower  for 
strips  taken  in  similar  localities.  Test  pieces  taken  from  the  bottom  of  a 
tube,  over  the  furnace,  but  in  locations  selected  so  as  to  avoid  distorted  spots, 
and  to  secure  specimens  that  were  apparently  uninjured,  gave  ultimate  strengths 
running  from  41,500  lbs.  to  46,500  lbs.  per  square  inch,  the  elastic  limit  in 
these  cases  ranging  from  24.000  to  31,000  lbs.  per  square  inch,  and  the  elonga- 
tion, in  a  length  of  8  inches,  from  2  to  9  per  cent.  Another  set  of  tests  gave 
results  better  than  those  just  quoted,  but  in  these  cases  the  specimens  were 
taken  from  the  side  of  the  tube,  just  above  the  center;  the  tensile  strength 
running,  in  these  instances,  as  high  as  47,000  lbs.  per  square  inch,  and  the 
elongation  as  high  as  12  per  cent,  in  a  length  of  8  in. 

The  tests  made  upon  specimens  taken  from  the  top  of  the  tubes  in 
the  upper  part  of  the  boiler,  where  there  was  no 'direct  exposure  to  the  fire, 


22  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [January, 

showed  a  total  strength  and  a  percentage  of  elongation  that  were  practically 
the  same  as  the  corresponding  results  for  new  tubes,  although  the  boilers 
had  seen  some  two  years  of  service.  The  rapid  deterioration  of  the  tubes  was 
considered  to  be  largely  due  to  the  feed  water  and  to  the  nature  of  the 
incrustation.  A  change  was  made  in  the  water  supply,  and  "I  do  not  recall  any 
trouble  with  tubes  that  has  been  experienced  at  this  plant  since. 

The  failure  of  tubes  in  water-tube  boilers  is  not  infrequent.  It  is  some- 
times due  to  defects  in  construction  or  in  welding;  but  I  have  noted  one 
peculiar  fact,  which  has  impressed  me  considerably,  and  that  is,  that  except 
in  cases  in  which  the  weld  was  defective,  I  have  not  noted  a  single  case  in 
which  the  failure  occurred  directly  at  the  bottom  of  a  tube.  This  fact  may 
be  of  little  interest,  but  it  has  impressed  upon  my  mind  the  view  that  structural 
change  in  the  material,  leading  to  the  failure  or  splitting  of  the  tube,  takes 
place  a  little  towards  one  side  of  the  bottom,  or  (say)  at  "about  eight  o'clock" 
in  the  circle  of  the  tube. 

The  increase  of  temperature  attendant  upon  the  use  of  higher  pressures 
has  brought  about  some  new  developments,  detrimental  to  boilers,  in  con- 
nection with  the  formation  of  scale,  and  this  is  especially  true  in  the  fire-bo.'c 
type  of  upright  boilers.  There  is  little  space,  in  these  boilers,  for  the  deposit 
of  scale  upon  the  tube  sheets  directly  over  the  fire,  and  in  view  of  the  large 
amount  of  heating  surface  and  the  normal  evaporation,  the  formation  of  scale 
must  be  very  rapid  upon  the  tube  sheet,  especially  when  the  feed  water  is 
at  all  brackish.  Two  marked  instances  are  worthy  of  notice,  the  observed 
results  seeming  hardly  credible.  In  both  cases  the  boilers  were  nearly  new, 
and  were  of  good  construction,  and  working  under  proper  factors  of  safety. 
Leakage  aroun-d  the  tubes  developed  quite  early.  In  one  of  the  cases  the 
trouble  occurred  in  a  battery  of  very  large  boilers  of  this  upright  type, 
operating  at  a  pressure  of  170  lbs.  per  square  inch;  the  owners  in  this  case 
(as  well  as  in  the  second  one,  presently  to  be  noted)  having  a  large  number 
of  boilers  of  the  same  type  operating  at  125  lbs.  There  had  never  been 
trouble  from  scale,  although  in  the  older  boilers,  operated  at  125  lbs.,  there 
was  a  considerable  deposit  of  mud  which  was  readily  removed  by  periodical 
washings.  No  trouble  from  leakage  had  been  experienced  from  this  sediment 
at  any  time,  in  any  of  the  boilers  of  this  plant,  until  the  new  high-pressure 
boilers  were  installed  for  electric  power;  and  the  plant  was  thoroughly  modern 
and  up-to-date,  and  everything  of  the  best  construction.  An  examination 
of  the  high-pressure  boilers,  after  the  leakage  around  the  tube-ends  had 
developed,  showed  a  thin,  hard  coating  of  sulphate  of  lime  over  the  whole 
tube  sheet,  and  making  a  slight  fillet  around  each  tube.  The  coating  resembled 
an  enamel  lining  more  than  a  scale,  owing  to  its  extreme  thinness,  and  its 
adherence  to  the  plate.  The  fact  that  the  same  water  had  been  used  in 
boilers  in  operation  in  this  plant  for  over  twenty  years,  and  that  no  trouble 
had  occurred  from  scale  or  deposit,  made  it  difficult  to  persuade  the  engineer 
that  the  leakage  was  due  to  the  feed  water,  and  to  scale  formation ;  but  by 
the  judicious  use  of  solvents  the  enamel-like  coating  was  finally  dissolved,  and 
no  leakage  has  occurred  since,  solvents  being  now  used  to  prevent  further 
deposition  of  scale.  The  second  case  w^as  similar  to  the  first,  but  the  plant 
was  many  miles  away,  and  used  an  entirely  different  water.  Nevertheless, 
the  same  kind  of  action  took  place  in  the  boilers  that  were  operated  at  160  lbs., 
although   boilers   in   the    same    room    had   been    operated    on    the    same    water, 


I9IO.J  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  23 

with  entire  success,  for  twelve  years,  at  125  lbs.  This  second  case  also 
yielded  to  treatment,  anil  the  affected  boilers  have  since  been  running  at  their 
inaxiniuni   capacity    without   leakage   or   trouble   of   any   kind. 

By  way  of  explanation  we  may  assume  that  the  difference  between  the 
temperature  due  to  125  ll)s.  pressure,  and  that  due  to  160  lbs.,  was  sufficient  to 
cause  the  precipitation,  in  each  case,  of  a  small  quantity  of  sulphate  of  lime, 
which,  at  the  lower  temperature,  had  remained  either  in  solution,  or  in 
suspension    with    the    mud    that    had    been    washed    out    so    readily. 

The  importance  of  eliminating  all  lubricating  oils  from  boilers  is  almost 
too  well  known  to  be  worthy  of  mention,  yet  oil  continues  to  be  a  great  source 
of  injury  and  destruction,  where  the  water  of  condensation  is  recovered  from 
the  exhaust  steam,  and  used  over  again  in  the  boilers.  Separators  are  put  in, 
having  a  nominal  capacity  based  upon  the  area  of  the  exhaust  pipes,  without 
reference  to  the  volume  of  steam  that  these  exhaust  pipes  are  to  carry.  This 
is  a  grave  error,  in  many  cases.  Separators  have  capacity,  as  well  as  other 
machinery ;  and  in  installing  an  oil  separator,  care  should  be  taken  to  ensure 
for  it  a  capacity  sufficient  to  handle  the  full  volume  of  steam  passing  through 
it. 

There  also  seems  to  be  much  difficulty  experienced  in  removing  oil  from 
boilers,  when  it  has  once  effected  an  entrance.  This  can  be  done  readilj', 
in  some  types  of  boilers,  by  swabbing  the  sheets  and  tubes  with  a  mop  dipped 
in  kerosene  oil,  after  taking  the  highly  important  precaution  of  extinguishing 
all  ol^cn  lights  about  the  boiler,  as  a  measure  of  safety.  In  other  cases,  where 
the  boilers  are  inaccessible  for  mopping,  they  can  be  boiled  out  with  a  strong 
solution  of  soda  ash  (or  caustic  soda  if  the  soda  ash  does  not  prove  effective), 
with  a  generous  addition  of  kerosene  oil,  the  pressure  being  maintained  at 
half  or  two-thirds  of  the  regular  working  pressure  for  from  twelve  to  twenty 
hours.  After  this  treatment  the  oil  can  usually  be  washed  out  in  the  form  of 
a  curd.  (With  respect  to  the  treatment  of  boilers  for  scale  troubles,  see  The 
Locomotive    for    October,    1908.) 

Corrosion,  another  boiler  disease,  is  not  so  common  toda^'  as  formerl}', 
but  it  still  is  an  active  enemy  of  steam  boilers.  I  say  it  is  less  common 
than  it  was  formerly,  because  a  great  change  has  been  made,  in  the  last  few 
years,  in  the  types  of  boiler  in  general  use,  and  those  that  are  at  present 
most  common  are  less  liable  to  corrosive  action  than  were  the  drop  flue, 
hammer  head,  and  similar  types  having  a  poor  circulation  at  the  bottom.  We 
still  have  with  us  some  types  in  which  there  is  a  tendency  to  corrosion,  and 
no  universal  remedy  can  be  relied  upon.  Instead,  each  case  must  be  carefully 
investigated,  and  a  remedy  applied  that  is  appropriate  to  the  cause  of  the 
difficulty.  Where  the  water  is  pure  and  the  boilers  are  operated  intermittently, 
corrosion  is  frequently  found  in  the  form  of  pitting.  This  action  takes  place 
very  often  in  pumping  stations,  and  in  power  plants  and  electric  stations 
where  the  fires  are  kept  banked  for  long  periods,  with  the  water  in  the  boilers 
quiescent,  and  far  less  often  in  boilers  that  are  always  in  active  service.  Boilers 
that  are  used  exclusively  for  heating  purposes  suffer  more  than  any  others 
from   pitting. 

Once  started,  corrosion  is  likely  to  go  on  until  the  material  of  the  boiler 
is  destroyed,  unless  measures  are  taken  to  check  it.  When  corrosion  is  ob- 
served  in  connection   with   the   use   of   a   pure   water,   one   of  the   best   methods 


24  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [January. 

of   treatment   is   to   keep   the   water   alkaline   with   soda   ash,    for   this   tends   to 
check  the  corrosive  action,  and  the  soda  does  not  injure  the  boiler. 

Care  should  be  exercised,  in  selecting  feed  water  for  a  new  plant,  or  for 
a  new  location  of  a  plant,  to  see  that  the  quality  of  the  water  is  good.  Nitrates 
in  the  water  should  be  especially  avoided,  as  they  are  especially  troublesome 
and  dangerous.  The  presence  of  nitrates  commonly  results  in  the  formation 
of  a  light  scale  coating,  under  which  an  active  destruction  of  the  material  of 
the  boiler  goes  on,  the  plates  and  tubes  l)ecoming  wasted  away,  and  the 
braces  and  rivet  heads  cut  off. 

In  certain  types  of  boilers  the  breakage  of  staybolts  is  a  frequent  and 
annoying,  as  well  as  expensive,  occurrence.  Such  bolts  are  often  drilled  with 
a  %6  in.  hole,  which  either  passes  through  the  entire  length  of  the  bolt,  or 
at  least  goes  in  deeper  than  the  thickness  of  the  outside  sheet;  and  such 
holes  are  supposed  to  give  absolute  safety,  so  far  as  the  detection  of  broken 
bolts  is  concerned,  the  theory  being  that  steam  will  escape  from  the  end  of 
the  bolt  as  soon  as  fracture  has  occurred,  and  thereby  call  attention  to  the 
trouble.  The  drilled  hole  is  not  to  be  relied  upon,  however,  because,  in  the 
process  by  which  the  staybolt  fails,  the  fracture  will  creep  into  the  bolt  slowly, 
and  when  it  first  encounters  the  hole,  moisture  from  the  boiler  will  leak  out 
through  it  in  very  slight  quantities,  and  evaporate  without  attracting  any 
attention.  In  evaporating,  however,  the  moisture  leaves  behind  it  a  certain 
amount  of  solid  matter,  and  this  accumulates  until  it  forms  a  hard,  baked 
residue,  completely  choking  the  opening  in  the  center  of  the  bolt,  so  that  the 
apparent  absence  of  leakage  leads  to  a  sense  of  security  which  is  far  from 
corresponding  to  the  actual  facts.  Many  bolts  that  have  been  drilled,  for 
the  purpose  of  providing  security  against  undiscovered  fracture,  have  been 
found  to  be  completely  broken  off,  and  many  others  have  been  found  to  be 
partially  broken,  without  any  noticeable  leakage  occurring  in  either  case. 
It  will  be  plain,  therefore,  that  if  any  reliance  is  to  be  placed  upon  the 
drilled  staybolt,  it  is  important  to  ream  out  the  holes  frequently,  and  keep  the 
openings  free.  The  breakage  of  staybolts  is  sometimes  due  to  circumstances 
connected  with  the  environment  of  the  boilers,  to  their  exposure  to  injury 
from  external  causes,  to  strains  from  varying  temperature  and  differential 
expansion,   and   to   faulty  construction   or  poor  material   in  the  bolt. 

jNIany  of  the  minor  diseases  of  boilers,  such  as  rapid  loss  of  ductility, 
and  development  of  incipient  fractures  at  different  parts  (as  at  the  girth  joints 
in  the  plain  tubular  boiler),  may  be  due  to  the  conditions  under  which  the 
boilers  are  operated,  such  as  to  the  varying  level  of  the  water,  and  to  the 
introduction  of  cold  feed  water,  or  to  blowing  down  the  boilers  under  high 
pressure  and  leaving  the  drafts  on,  so  that  cold  air  may  be  drawn  through 
and  so  give  rise  to  serious  unequal  contraction,  or  to  pushing  the  fires  too 
hard  in  raising  steam  from  cold  water.  Severe  strains,  resulting  in  leakage 
at  the  seams  and  around  the  staybolts  and  tube  ends  of  fire-box  boilers,  are 
frequently  caused  by  the  burning  out  of  the  fire  under  one  boiler  of  a 
battery,  while  this  boiler  is  left  connected  with  the  rest  of  the  battery,  and 
with  the  draft  full  on.  All  these  defects  are  developed  by  poor  practice  or 
management. 

Just  a  word,  in  conclusion,  about  the  action  of  superheated  steam.  When 
superheating  is   done   in   connection   with   steam   generators,   the   elasticity  and 


I910.J  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  25 

strength  of  the  material  are  affected  if  a  high  temperature  is  produced,  and 
1  look  forward  with  considerable  anxiety  to  the  results  that  may  follow  wheti 
boilers  are  operated  in  this  way  for  a  term  of  years.  It  has  been  I)rought 
to  your  knowledge,  I  believe,  or  to  the  knowledge  of  similar  bodies,  and  it 
has  come  under  my  own  observation,  that  cast-iron  is  an  unsuitable  matcri.il 
to  use,  for  exposure  to  superheated  stoam  of  high  temperature.  I  have  in 
mind  some  extra  heavy  valves  of  the  l)cst  make,  with  cast-iron  bodies,  which, 
when  exposed  to  superheated  steam  at  high  temperature,  became  badly  checked 
and  marked,  so  that  the  whole  body  of  the  casting  had  an  appearance  sug- 
gestive of  the  crazy  cracking  observed  on  imperfect  crockery.  These  valves 
were  replaced  by  others  in  which  soft  steel  castings  of  the  best  quality  were 
used  in  the  place  of  the  cast-iron,  and  the  new  ones  have  thus  far,  I  believe, 
shown  no  defects.  Fittings  or  manifolds  of  cast-iron,  connecting  superheaters 
with  the  generator,  should  not  be  endorsed  or  approved  for  superheating  to 
too  degrees  or  over.  In  fact,  I  think  that  cast-iron  for  such  purposes  has 
already  been  abandoned  in  the  best  practice,  forged  or  wrought  iron  being 
substituted  for  it. 


Boiler  Explosions  During*  1909. 

We  present,  herewith,  our  usual  annual  summary  of  boiler  explosions, 
giving  a  tabulated  statement  of  the  numl)er  of  explosions  that  have  occurred 
within  the  territory  of  the  United  States  (and  in  adjacent  parts  of  Canada 
and  Mexico)  during  the  year  iQog,  together  with  the  number  of  persons 
killed  and  injured  by  them.  As  we  have  repeatedly  explained,  it  is  difficult 
to  make  out  accurate  lists  of  boiler  explosions,  because  the  accounts  that  we 
receive  are  not  always  satisfactory ;  but  we  have  taken  great  pains  to  make 
the  present  summary  as  nearly  correct  as  possible.  It  is  based  upon  the  brief 
accounts  that  we  have  published  in  our  regular  lists,  in  The  Locomotive, 
during  the  past  year.  In  making  out  those  lists  it  is  our  custom  to  obtain 
several  different  accounts  of  each  explosion,  whenever  this  is  practicable,  and 
then  to  compare  these  accounts  diligently,  in  order  that  the  general  facts 
may  be  stated  with  a  considerable  degree  of  accuracy.  We  have  striven  to 
include  all  the  explosions  that  have  occurred  during  1909,  but  it  is  quite 
unlikely  that  we  have  been  entirely  successful  in  this  respect,  for  many  accidents 
have  doubtless  occurred  that  have  not  been  noticed  in  the  public  press,  and 
many  have  doubtless  escaped  the  attention  of  our  numerous  representatives 
who  furnish  the  accounts.  We  are  confident,  however,  that  most  of  the  boiler 
explosions  that  have  attracted  any  considerable  amount  of  notice  are  here 
represented. 

The  total  number  of  boiler  explosions  in  1909,  according  to  the  best  infor- 
mation we  have  been  able  to  obtain,  was  550,  which  is  the  greatest  number 
we  have  ever  had  occasion  to  report  in  any  one  year.  There  were  470  in  1908, 
471  in  1907,  431  in  1906,  and  450  in  1905.  But  while  the  number  of  explosions 
was  greater  this  past  year  than  ever  before,  we  note,  with  pleasure,  that  the 
number  of  deaths  was  less  than  it  has  been  for  any  year  since  1904. 

The  number  of  persons  killed  by  boiler  explosions  in  1909  was  227,  against 
281  in  1908,  300  in  1907.  235  in  1906.  383  in  1905,  and  220  in  1904;  and  the 
number   of   persons   injured    (but   not   killed)    in    1909   was   422,    against   531    in 


26 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE. 


[January, 


1908,  420  in  1907,  467  in  1906,  585  in  1905,  and  394  in   1904. 

Tlie  average  number  ol  persons  killed,  per  explosion,  during  1909,  was 
0.413,  and  the  average  number  of  persons  injured  (but  not  killed),  per  explosion, 
was  0.767.  The  average  number  of  persons  that  were  either  killed  or  injured, 
per    explosion,    was    therefore    1.180. 

The  statistics  herein  given  for  the  year  1909,  taken  in  connection  with 
those  given  in  The  Locomotive  for  January,  1909,  show  that  for  the  period 
included  between  October  i,  1867,  and  January  i,  1910,  we  recorded  10,601 
boiler  explosions,  these  being  attended  by  the  deaths  of  ii,iii  persons,  and  by 
the  more  or  less  serious  injury  of  16,056  others. 

It  will  be  noted  that  the  table  gives  the  number  of  explosions  in  April,  1909, 
as  35,  whereas  the  number  actually  reported  for  that  month,  in  our  list  as 
printed  in  the  issue  for  October  last,  was  36.  The  change  is  made  because, 
as  noted  elsewhere  in  the  present  number,  we  have  learned  that  item  No.  161, 
in  the  October  issue,  should  have  been  excluded  from  the  list. 

During  the  year  1909  there  were  many  very  serious  explosions,  but  we  are 
glad  to  be  able  to  record  that  there  was  none  in  which  the  loss  of  life  approached 
the  appalling  total  that  characterized  the  great  explosion  at  Brockton,  Mass., 
in  1905.  or  the  one  on  the  U.  S.  gunboat  Bennington,  in  the  same  year.  The 
worst  boiler  explosion  of  1909,  so  far  as  loss  o£  life  and  injury  to  person  is 
concerned,  was  the  one  that  occurred  in  Denver,  Colo.,  on  June  15.  By  this 
explosion  six  persons  were  killed,  and  six  others  were  more  or  less  seriously 
injured. 

Summary  of  Boiler  Explosions  for  1909. 


Month. 

Number  of 
Explosions. 

Persons 
Killed. 

Persons 
Injured. 

Total  of 

Killed  and 

Injured. 

January,   

February,          

March 

April 

May, 

June 

July. 

August, 

September, 

October 

November,        ..... 
December, 

61 
59 
37 

35 
40 
38 

40 

39 
40 

60 

54 
,  47 

14 
II 
16 

13 
21 
18 

II 

25 
14 

42 
19 
23 

39 
37 
24 

17 
32 
32 

19 

58 
42 

48 
40 
34 

53 
48 
40 

30 
53 
50 

30 

83 
56 

90 
59 

57 

Totals 

550 

227 

422 

649 

The  total  loss  of  property  from  boiler  explosions,  during  the  year,  was  very 
large,  although  we  have  no  complete  figures  relating  to  it.  In  the  Denver 
explosion,  just  cited,  the  immediate  damage  to  property  was  estimated  at 
$60,000,  and  the  total  loss,  including  damage  to  wire  service  and  equipment, 
ar.d   through    failure   to    supply   power    in    accordance   with   contracts,   was    said 


iQio.J  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  27 


to  be  $joo,ooo.  In  tlic  explosion  at  tlic  plant  of  the  Pabst  Brewing  Co.,  Mil- 
waukee, Wis.,  on  October  25,  the  property  damage  was  estimated  by  the  owners 
to  be  in  excess  of  $114,000;  and  we  arc  credibly  informed  that  the  explosion 
at  the  plant  of  Radcliflfe  Bros.,  of  Shclton,  Conn.,  on  December  i,  damaged 
property  to  the  amount  of  $250,000.  The  total  value  of  the  property  destroyed 
by  these  three  explosions  alone  was  thus  estimated  to  be  $564,000.  Other  very 
disastrous  explosions  of  the  year  might  be  included,  if  our  purpese  were  merely 
to  make  as  impressive  an  exhibit  as  possible.  Thus  on  December  24  a  loco- 
motive boiler  exploded  at  Sliawnee,  Okla.,  causing  a  property  loss  reputed  to 
equal  or  exceed  $100,000;  but  we  have  not  included  this  large  sum  with  the 
three  that  are  mentioned  above,  because  we  are  not  equally  well  informed  as  to 
the  accuracy  of  the  estimate. 


A  Terrible  Explosion  in  Iowa. 

The  following  clipping  from  the  St.  Louis  Post-Dispatch  of  January  4  is 
forwarded  to  us  by  Mr.  Victor  Hugo.  Manager  of  our  St.  Louis  department, 
with  a  request  that  we  submit,  for  his  guidance,  some  ruling  as  to  the  size  of 
safety-valve  that  a  duck  should  have,  in  order  that  it  may  be  acceptable  to  us 
as  a  risk,  provided  inspection  shows  it  to  be  in  good  condition  in  other  respects, 
and  free  from  all  discoverable  defects. 

Duck  Eats  Yeast,  Explodes,  and  Puts  Man's  Eye  Out. 

Rhadamanthus  Was  Prize-Winner's  Name,  Before  He  Blew  to  Pieces. 

Des  Moines,  Iowa,  January  4.  —  The  strangest  accident  recorded  in  local 
history  occurred  when  Rhadamanthus,  a  duck,  which  had  taken  prizes  at  the 
recent  Iowa  poultry  show,  exploded  into  several  hundred  pieces,  one  of  which 
struck   Silas   Perkins   in   the   eye,   destroying  the   sight. 

The  cause  of  Rhadamanthus'  untimely  explosion  was  a  pan  of  yeast.  This, 
standing  upon  Perkins'  back  porch,  tempted  the  duck,  which  gobbled  it  all  up. 

Upon  returning  from  church,  Perkins  discovered  his  prize  duck  in  a  logy 
condition.  Taletale  marks  around  the  pan  of  yeast  gave  him  a  clew  to  the 
trouble. 

He  was  about  to  pick  up  the  bird  when  it  exploded  with  a  loud  report  and 
Perkins  ran  into  the  house,  holding  both  hands  over  one  eye.  A  surgeon  was 
called,  and  it  was  found  that  the  eyeball  had  been  penetrated  by  a  fragment 
of  flying  duck.     He  gave  no  hope  that  the  sight  could  be  saved. 

[We  don't  believe  the  yeast  had  a  thing  to  do  with  the  explosion.  The 
accident  was  plainly  due  to  the  presence,  somewhere  in  the  duck,  of  a  concealed 
quack.  —  Editor  The  Locomotive.] 


The  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Inspection  and  Insurance  Company  publishes 
a  small  book  entitled  The  Metric  System,  which  explains  the  metric  system 
and  gives  a  brief  history  of  it,  and  contains  very  complete  tables  for  reducing 
metric  units  to  their  English  and  American  equivalents,  and  the  converse.  One 
distinguished  reviewer  says  "  It  is  a  little  jewel,"  and  we  think  he  is  right. 
It  is  sent,  postpaid  to  any  address,  upon  the  receipt  of  $1.25:  and  a  special 
edition,   printed   upon   bond   paper,   may   be   had   for   $1.50. 


28 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE 


[January, 


Summary  of  Inspectors'  Reports  for  the  Year  1909. 

During  the  year  1909  the  inspectors  of  the  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Inspection 
and  Insurance  Company  made  174,872  visits  of  inspection,  examined  342,136 
boilers,  inspected  136,682  boilers  both  internally  and  externally,  subjected  12,563 
to  hydrostatic  pressure,  and  found  642  unsafe  for  further  use.  The  whole 
number  of  defects  reported  was  169,356,  of  which  16.385  were  considered 
dangerous.  The  usual  classification  by  defects  is  given  below,  and  a  summary 
by  months  is  given  on  page    29. 

Summary,  by  Defects,  for  the  Year  1909. 

Nature  of  Defects. 
Cases  of  deposit  of  sediment, 
Cases  of  incrustation  and  scale. 
Cases  of  internal  grooving,  . 
Cases  of  internal  corrosion. 
Cases  of  external  corrosion, 
Defective  braces  and  stays. 
Settings   defective, 
Furnaces  out  of  shape. 
Fractured  plates,    . 
Burned  plates, 
Laminated  plates,  . 
Cases  of  defective  riveting,  . 
Defective  heads. 
Cases  of  leakage  around  tubes, 
Cases  of  defective  tubes. 
Tubes  too  light, 
Leakage  at  joints, 
Water-gages  defective. 
Blow-offs  defective, 
Cases  of  deficiency  of  water, 
Safety-valves  overloaded. 
Safety-valves  defective. 
Pressure  gages  defective, 
Boilers  without  pressure  gages, 
Unclassified    defects. 


Whole 

Danger- 

Number. 

ous. 

20,644 

1.235 

41,451 

1,251 

3,188 

256 

14,086 

576 

9,782 

706 

2,947 

534 

5.37T 

639 

7.264 

298 

3.278 

520 

4,887 

368 

663 

38 

3.584 

770 

1,469 

204 

13,423 

2,039 

9.523 

2,205 

3.045 

495 

5,184 

340 

2,942 

670 

4,137 

1,234 

307 

76 

1,350 

442 

1,546 

559 

8,781 

454 

466 

466 

38 

10 

Total, 


169,356        16,385 


Comparison  of  Inspectors'  Work  during  the  Years  1908  and  1909. 

Visits  of  inspection  made. 
Whole  number  of  inspections  made,  . 
Number  of  complete  internal  inspections. 
Boilers  tested  by  hydrostatic  pressure. 
Total  number  of  boilers  condemned, 
Total  number  of  defects  discovered. 
Total  number  of  dangerous  defects  discovf 


igo8. 

,  1909. 

167,951 

174,872 

317.537 

342,136 

124,990 

136,682 

10,4-19 

12.563 

572 

642 

151,359 

169.356 

vered. 

15,878 

16,385 

I910.] 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE 


29 


Summary  by  Months  FOk  1909. 


Month. 

Visits 

of 

inspection. 

Number 
of  boilers 
examined. 

No.  inspected 

internally 

and  externally. 

No.  tested 

hydro- 
statically. 

No.  con- 
demned. 

No.  of 
defects 
found. 

No.  of 

dangerous 

defects 

found. 

January, 
February,    . 
March .     .     . 

April,       .     . 
May,  .     .     . 
June,  .     .     . 

July.    .     .     . 
August,  .     . 
September, . 

October, 
November,  . 
December,  . 

14.851 
14,070 
16,069 

14,840 
13.S12 
14,560 

14,684 
12,975 
13,990 

15.010 

14,743 
15,268 

28.570 
27,278 
31.073 

28,763 
27,742 

28,775 

26,504 
25,566 
27.693 

30,013 
29,070 
31,089 

10,987 

9.315 
10,897 

11,878 
12.476 
13.541 

13,934 
11,429 
11,267 

11,366 

9.831 
9,761 

658 
676 
872 

1,088 
1,056 
1,504 

1,448 
1,135 
1. 177 

1,043 

1,001 

905 

62 
22 
40 

47 
43 

55 

78 
79 
50 

71 
53 
42 

12,850 
11.999 
14.723 

15,207 
14,980 
15-948 

16,593 
14.155 
13,810 

13.942 
12,181 
12,968 

1.257 
1,105 
1,180 

1.637 
1,412 

1.525 

1.503 
1,465 
1,286 

1.415 
1,246 

1.354 

Totals,      . 

174,872 

342,136 

136,682 

12,563 

642 

169,356 

16,385 

The  following  table  is  also  of  interest.  It  shows  that  our  inspectors  have 
made  nearly  three  million  visits  of  inspection,  and  that  they  have  made  nearly 
five  million  and  three-quarters  of  inspections,  of  which  nearly  two  and  a  quarter 
million  were  complete  internal  inspections.  The  hydrostatic  test  has  been  applied 
in  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  million  cases.  Of  defects,  more  than  three  and  a 
half  million  have  been  discovered  and  pointed  out  to  the  owners  of  the  boilers ; 
and  more  than  a  third  of  a  million  of  these  were,  in  our  opinion,  dangerous. 
jNIore  than  twenty  thousand  boilers  have  been  condemned  by  us  as  unfit  for 
further  service,  good  and  sufficient  reasons  for  the  condemnation  being  given 
to  the  assured  in  every  instance. 

Grand  Total  of  the  Inspectors'  Work  Since  the  Company  Began  Business, 

TO  January  i,  1910. 
Visits   of   inspection   made, 2,954,134' 


Whole  number  of  inspections  made, 

Complete  internal  inspections, 

Boilers  tested  by  hydrostatic  pressure, 

Total  number  of  boilers  condemned. 

Total  number  of  defects  discovered, 

Total  number  of  dangerous  defects  discovered, 


5  >7 1 3. 658 
2,239,126 

274.349 

20,342 

3.654.065 

375,483 


We  append,  also,  a  summary  of  the  work  of  the  inspectors  of  this  company 
from  1870  to  1909,  inclusive.  The  year  1S78  is  omitted,  because  the  data  that 
Vs-e  have  at  hand  for  that  year  are  not  complete.  Previous  to  1875  it  was  the 
custom  of  the  company  to  publish  its  reports  for  the  year  ending  with  September 
1st,  but  in  that  year  the  custom  was  changed  and  the  summaries  were  thereafter 
made  out  so  as  to  correspond  with  the  calendar  year.  The  figures  given  opposite 
1875,  therefore,  are  for  sixteen  months,  beginning  September  i,  1874,  and  ending 
December  31,  1875. 


30 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE 


1910.] 


Summary 

OF  Inspectors'  Work 

SINCE    1870. 

Year. 

Visits  of 

inspection 

made. 

Whole  num- 
ber of  boilers 
inspected. 

Complete 

internal 

inspections. 

Boilers 

tested  by 

hydrostatic 

pressure. 

882 
1,484 

Total    num- 
ber of 
defects 
discovered. 

Total     num- 
ber of 
dangerous 
defects 
discovered. 

Boilers 

con- 
demned. 

1870 
1871 

5.439 
6,826 

10,569 
13.476 

2,585 
3.889 

4,686 
6,253 

485 
954 

45 
60 

1872 
1873 

10,447 
12,824 

21,066 

24,998 

6,533 
8,511 

2,102 
2,175 

11,176 
11,998     • 

2,260 
2,892 

155 
178 

1874 
1875 

14.368 
22,612 

29,200 
44.763 

9.451 
14,181 

2,078 
3.149 

14,256 
24,040 

3,486 
6,149 

163 
216 

1876 
1877 

16,409 
16,204 

34,275 
32,975 

10,669 
11,629 

2,150 
2,367 

16.273 
15,964 

4,275 
3,690 

89 
133 

1879 
18S0 

17,179 
20,939 

36,169 
41,166 

13.045 
16,010 

2,540 
3,490 

16,238 
21,033 

3,816 
5-444 

246 
377 

1S81 
1882 

22,412 
25.742 

47.245 
55-679 

17.590 
21,428 

4,286 
4,564 

21,110 
33,690 

5,801 
6,867 

363 
478 

1883 
1884 

29,324 
34.048 

60,142 
66,695 

24-403 

24-855 

4,275 
4,180 

40,953 
44,900 

7,472 
7,449 

545 
493 

1885 
1886 

37.018 
39.777 

71.334 
77.275 

26,637 
30,868 

4,809 
5,252 

47,230 
71,983 

7,325 
9,960 

449 
509 

18S7 
1888 

46,761 
51.483 

89.994 
102,314 

36,166 
40,240 

5.741 
6,536 

99,642 
91,567 

11,522 

8,967 

622 
426 

18S9 
1890 

56.752 
61,750 

110,394 
118,098 

44.563 
49,983 

7,187 
7,207 

105.187 
115,821 

8,420 
9.387 

478 
402 

1891 
1892 

71.227 
74.830 

137.741 
148,603 

57,312 
59.8S3 

7,859 
7-585 

127,609 
120,659 

10,858 
11,705 

526 
681 

1893 
1894 

81,904 
94.982 

163,328 
191-932 

66,698 
79,000 

7,86r 
7,686 

122,893 
135,021 

12,390 

13,753 

597 

595 

1895 
1896 

98,349 
102,911 

199,096 
205,957 

76,744 
78,118 

8,373 

8,187 

144,857 
143,217 

14.556 
12,988 

799 
663 

1897 
1898 

105,062 
106,128 

206,657 
208,990 

76,770 
78,349 

7-870 
8,713 

131,192 
130,743 

11.775 
11,727 

588 
603 

1899 
1900 

112,464 
122,811 

221,706 
234,805 

85,804 
92,526 

9,371 
10,191 

157-804 
177,113 

12,800 
12,862 

779 

782 

1901 
1902 

134,027 
142,006 

254,927 
264.708 

99,885 
105,675 

11,507 
11,726 

187,847 
145.489 

12,614 
13,032 

950 
1,004 

1903 
1904 

153.951 
159-553 

293,122 
299.436 

116,643 
117,366 

12,232 
12,971 

147,707 
154,282 

12,304 
13,390 

933 

883 

1905 
1906 

159.561 
159.133 

291,041 
292,977 

116,762 
120,416 

13,266 
13.250 

155,024 
157,462 

14,209 
15,116 

753 
690 

1907 
1908 

163,648 
167,951 

308,571 
317,537 

124,610 
124,990 

13-799 
10,449 

159-283 
151,359 

17,345 
15,878 

700 

572 

1909 

174.872 

342,136 

136,682 

12,563 

169,356 

16,385 

642 

Ttie  Harirom  steam  Boiiei  iDspeciloii  aqd  insurance  Compaiig. 


ABSTRACT  OF  STATEMENT,  JANUARY   1,  1910. 
Capital  Stock,       .         .         .       $1,000,000.00. 

ASSETS. 


Casli   on    liaiul   ami    in   course   of  transmission, 
Premiums   in    course    of   collection, 

Real    estate, 

Loaned  on  bond  and  mortgage,  . 
Stocks  and  bonds,  market  value,  . 
Interest  accrued 


Total  Assets,     . 


LIABILITIES. 


Re-insurance  Reserve,  .... 
Losses  unadjusted,         .... 
Commissions  and  brokerage. 
Other  liabilities   (taxes  accrued,  etc.), 

Capital  Stock, 

Surplus, 

Surplus  as  regards  Policy-holders, 

Total  Liabilities, 


$154,845.83 

228,048.46 

93,600.00 

1,107,060.00 

3,063,476.00 

67.580.50 

$4,714,610.79 


$1,943732.29 

90,939-53 
45,609.69 

41,835-50 


$1,000,000.00 
1,592,493.7s 

$2,592,493.78        2,592,493.78 


$4,714,610.79 


On  January    i,    1910,   The   Hartford  Steam   Boiler  Inspection  and  In- 
surance Company  had  104,589  steam  boilers  under  insurance. 


L.  B.   BRAINERD,  President  and  Treasurer. 

FRANCIS  B.  ALLEN,  Vice-President.  CHAS.  S.  BLAKE,  Secretarv, 

L.   F.   INIIDDLEBROOK.  Assistant   Secretary. 

W.    R.    C.    CORSON,    Assistant    Secretary. 

A.  S.  Wickham,  Superintendent  of  Agencies. 

E.  J.  Murphy.  M.  E.,  Consulting  Engineer. 

F.  M.  Fitch,  Auditor. 


Board   of   directors. 


CHARLES  M.  BEACH,  of  Beach  &  Co., 
Hartford,     Conn. 

GEORGE  BURXHAM,  Baldwin  Locomo- 
tive   Works,    Philadelphia. 

PHILIP  CORBIN,  Prest.  American  Hard- 
ware   Corporation,    New   Britain,   Conn. 

ATWOOD  COLLINS,  Prest.  Security 
Co.,    Hartford,    Conn. 

LUCIUS  F.  ROBINSON,  Attorney, 
Hartford,    Conn. 

JOHN  O.  ENDERS,  U.  S.  Bank,  Hart- 
ford,  Conn. 

LYMAN  B.  BRAINERD,  Director,  Swift 
&    Company. 

MORGAN  B.  BRAINARD,  Treasurer 
..^^tna    Life    Insurance    Co. 


F.  B.  ALLEN,  Vice-Prest.,  Hartford  Steam 
Boiler   Inspection   and  Insurance   Co. 

CHARLES  P.  COOLEY,  Vice-Prest.,  Fi- 
delity Trust  Company,  Hartford,  Conn. 

ARTHUR  L.  SHIPMAN,  Attorney,  Hart- 
ford,   Conn. 

GEORGE  C.  KIMBALL,  President  Smyth 
Manufacturing   Co.,   Hartford,   Conn. 

CHARLES    M.    JARVIS,    ist    Vice-Prest., 

-American   Hardware   Corporation,  New 

Britain,    Conn. 
FRANCIS      T.      MAXWELL,      President, 

Hockanum   Mills   Co..    Rockville,   Conn. 
HORACE       B.       CHENEY,       of       Cheney 

Brothers       Silk       Manufacturing       Co., 

South    Manchester,    Conn. 


Incorporated  1866. 


)arnegie  Libraryj 
i^lttsburgh,  Pas 


Charter  Perpetual. 


me  paiilord  Steaii)  Boiler  inspection  anil  iqsiiraiiGe  GonipBiig 

ISSUES  POLICES  OF  INSURANCE  COVERING 

ALL  LOSS  OF  I^ROPERTY 

AS  WELL  AS  DAMAGE  RESULTING  FROM 

LOSS  OF  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  INJURIES  DUE  TO  EXPLOSIONS 
OF  STEAM  BOILERS  OR  FLY  WHEELS. 

Full  information  concerning  the  Compa7iy's  Operations  can  be  obtained  at 

any  of  its  Agencies. 


Department. 

NEW   YORK,     . 


BOSTON,     . 

PHILADELPHIA, 

BALTIMORE.     . 

ATLANTA, 
BIRMINGHAM, 
NEW  ORLEANS, 
HARTFORD,       . 

BRIDGEPORT, 
PITTSBURG, 
CLEVELAND, 
CINCINNATI, 
CHICAGO,   . 
ST.  LOUIS, 
DENVER,     . 
SAN   FRANCISCO, 
PORTLAND,       . 


Representatives. 
C  C.  Gardiner,  Manager, 
R.  K.  McMuKRAY,  Chief  Inspector, 

C.  E.  Roberts,  Manager, 

F.  S.  Allen,  Chief  Inspector; 

CoRBiN  &  GooDRiGH,  Gen.  Agents, 
Wm.  J.  Farran,  jChief  Inspector, 

Lawford  &  AIcKiM,  Gen.  Agents, 
R.  E.  Munro,   Chief  Inspector, 


W.  M.  FranciSj.  Manager, 

W.  M.  Francis,  Chief  Inspector, 

George  C.  Oliver,  General  Agent, 

H.  E.  Stringfellow,  Chief  Inspector 

Peter  F.  Pescud,  General  Agent, 

R.  T.  Burwell,  Chief  Inspector, 

H.  C.  Long,  Special  Agent, 

F.  H.  Williams,  Jr.,  Special  Agent, 

F.  S.  Allen,  Chief  Inspector, 

W.  G.  Lineburgh  &  Son,  Gen.  Agts., 

F.  S.  Allen,  Chief  Inspector, 

James  W.  Arrott,  Ltd.,  Gen.  Agt.. 

Benjamin  Ford,  Chief  Inspector, 

H.  A.  Baumhart,  Manager, 

H.  A.  Baumhart,  Chief  Inspector, 

W.  E.  Gleason,  Manager, 

p..  F.  Cooper^  Chief  Inspector, 

H.  M.  Lemon.  Manager, 

James  L.  Foord,  Chief  Inspector, 

V.  Hugo,  Manager, 

V.  Hugo,  Chief  Inspector. 

Thos.  E.  Shears,  General  Agent, 

Thos.  E.  Shears,  Chief  Inspector, 

H.  R.  Mann  &  Co.,  General  Agents, 

J.  B.  Warner,  Chief  Inspector, 

McCargar,  Bates  &  Lively,  G.  Agts., 

C.  B.  Paddock,  Chief  Inspector, 


Ofi&ces. 
New  York  City,  N.  Y., 

100  William  St. 
Boston,  Mass., 

loi    Milk   St. 
Providence,   R.    I., 

17  Custom  House  St. 
Philadelphia,  Pa., 

432  Walnut  St. 
Baltimore,   Md., 

14  Abell  Bldg. 
Washington,   D.   C, 

511  Eleventh  St.,  N.W. 
Atlanta,  Ga., 

611-613  Empire  Bldg. 
Birmingham,   Ala., 

Brown-Marx  Bldg. 
New  Orleans,  La., 

833-835  Gravier  St. 
Hartford,  Conn., 

56  Prospect  St. 

Bridgeport,  Conn., 

I  Sanford  Building. 
Pittsburg,  Pa.. 

401  Wood  Street. 
Cleveland,    Ohio, 

Century  Building. 
Cincinnati.  Ohio. 

67-69  Mitchell  Bldg. 
Oiicago.  TIL, 

169  Jackson  Bvd. 
St.  Louis,  Mo.. 

319  North  Fourth  St. 
Denver,  Col..  Room  2, 

Jacobson  Bldg. 
San   Francisco.   Cal., 

Merchants'  Ex.  Bldg. 
Portland.  Ore., 

Failing   Building. 


COPYRIGHT,   1910,   BY  THE  HARTFORD  STEAM   BOILER  INSPECTION  AND   INSURANCE  CO. 

No.   2. 


Vol.  XXVIII.  HARTFORD,  CONN.,  APRIL  25,  1910. 


Explosion  of  a  Fly  Wheel. 

The  accident  described  in  the  present  article  cotisisted  in  the  explosion 
of  a  lly  wheel,  with  disruption  of  the  wheel,  and  the  projection  of  its  parts 
to  considerable  distances.  It  is  well  worth  reporting  and  illustrating  for  its 
own  sake;  and  it  also  derives  an  added  interest  (at  least  for  the  Hartford 
Steam  Boiler  Inspection  and  Insurance  Company  and  its  policy-holders)    from 


Fig.  I.— View    of   the    Wrecked   Wheel.     (Looking    South.) 
the  fact  that  it  is  the  first  loss  of  the  kind  that  we  have  experienced  since  we 
have  been   engaged   in   the   insurance  of   fly  wheels.     Our  activity  in   this  f^eld, 
It  IS  probably  unnecessary  to  say,  is  as  yet  only  a  few  months  old. 

General   Description   of   the    Plant. 
The  wheel  that  burst  was  on  an  engine  generating  some  560  horse-power, 
and  Its  normal  speed  was  100  revolutions  a  minute.     It  was  a  rope-drive  pulley, 


34 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE. 


[April, 


1   I     SHAFT 


5^ 

d   a 
o 

Cl 

o 
a: 


-U- 


"lilH  I       I  isirFT  ■'''^■' 


D 


DYNAMO 


ENGIf 
NO.  3. 


D 


qEMERGENCY 
VALVE 


HEATER 


BOILERS 


Fig.  2. —  Plan  of  Engine  Room. 

(Not  drawn  to  scale.) 


14  feet  in  diameter  with  13  grooves,  and 
it  drove  a  similar  pulle}-,  7  feet  in  dia- 
meter, on  a  line  shaft  50  feet  distant, 
by  means  of  a  i^  inch  continuous 
manila  rope. 

The  general  arrangement  of  that  part 
of  the  power  plant  with  which  we  shall 
have  to  deal  in  the  present  article  will 
be  understood  from  Fig.  2.  On  one 
side  of  the  driven  pulley  there  was 
belted  a  400-kilowatt  direct-current 
dj'namo,  which  was  taking  about  200 
horse-power  at  the  time  of  the  accident. 
On  the  other  side  of  the  driven  pulley 
was  another  7-foot,  8-groove  rope  pulley, 
which  delivered  about  350  horse-power 
to  another  part  of  the  plant,  located  in 
a  separate  building,  some  160  feet  to  the 
north  of  the  engine  room.  Between  the 
fly  wheel  that  burst,  and  the  line  shaft 
pulley  that  it  drove,  there  was  a  frame- 
W'Ork  bearing  auxiliary  pulleys  and  a 
carriage,  for  keeping  the  rope  properly 
taut.  These  details  are  not  shown  in 
Fig.  2,  as  they  were  situated  exactly  in 
line  between  the  fly  wheel  and  the  driven 
pulley,  and  hence  would  lie  directly 
below  the  13  ropes  that  are  there 
indicated.  The  ruined  framework  may 
be  seen  in  Fig.  4,  however,  as  it  appeared 
after  the  accident. 

Gener.-\l  Description  of  the  Explosion. 

The  attendant  in  the  engine  room 
states  that  he  was  about  twenty-five 
feet  from  the  engine,  drawing  some  oil, 
when  he  heard  a  report,  apparently 
between  the  engine  and  the  shaft  pulley. 
He  turned  at  once  toward  the  engine, 
but  before  he  could  reach  the  throttle, 
or  the  rope  to  the  quick-closing  valve 
(presently  to  be  described)  in  the  steam 
line,  debris  was  falling  so  thickly  that 
he  concluded  to  try  to  reach  the  stop 
valves  on  top  of  the  boilers.  He  went 
out  of  the  door  of  the  engine  room  for 
this  purpose,  but  before  he  could  get 
to  the  stop  valves  in  question  the  fly 
wheel  had  ruptured.     The  time,  in  all. 


igio.] 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE 


he  says,  was  not  over  fifteen  seconds.  Men  working  in  the  yard  outside  say 
that  one  fragment  passed  through  the  roof  of  the  building  and  went  600  feet  up 
into  the  air.  Only  one  person  was  injured,  he  being  struck  a  glancing  blow 
and  bruised  about  the  legs  and  arms,  with  the  result  that  he  was  incapacitated 
for  some  days. 

The  first  evidence  of  trouble,  outside  of  the  engine  room  itself,  was  the 
extinguishing  of  the  electric  lights.  The  electrician,  who  was  in  his  work 
house  (a  separate  building),  ran  at  once  to  the  power  plant  to  see  what  was 
the  trouble,  and  as  he  reached  the  engine  room  the  wheel  ruptured.  One  of 
our  own  representatives  afterward  timed  this  man  with  a  stop  watch,  while  he 


Fig.  3. —  View    of   the   Wrecked    Wheel.     (Looking    South.) 

ran  over  the  same  course.  The  time  so  taken  was  just  fifteen  seconds,  so  that 
it  appears  that  the  estimates,  given  independently  by  the  engineer  and  the 
electrician,  that  it  was  fifteen  seconds  from  the  first  indication  of  trouble  up 
to  the  explosion  of  the  wheel,  were  unusually  close  to  the  actual  facts. 


The  Damage  Wrought  by  the  Explosion. 
The  fly  wheel  was  made  in  two  sections,  and  had  eight  arms  in  all.  Its 
general  appearance  after  the  accident  will  be  evident  from  Figs,  i  and  3,  which 
show  it  from  two  slightly  different  positions.  Seven  of  the  spokes  broke 
at  the  hub  of  the  wheel,  but  the  eighth  remained  attached  to  the  hub.  The  hub 
itself  was  not  injured  in  any  way,  and  was  found  to  be  still  tight  upon  the 
shaft.  No  parts  of  the  spokes  were  left  attached  to  the  rim,  but  all  were 
broken  off  close  to  the  rim,  and  all  parts  of  the  spokes  were  found  in  the  rope 


36 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE. 


[April, 


pit.     The   outward   foundation   was   broken,   and   the   anchor   bolts   were   pulled 
loose  in  both  foundations. 

Fragments  of  the  ruptured  rim  were  thrown  about  with  great  violence. 
One  of  the  flanged  joints  was  found  to  be  intact,  the  section  of  rim  in  which 
it  occurred  being,  after  the  rupture,  5J/2  feet  long  as  measured  along  the  curved 
surface.  This  was  the  largest  piece. of  the  rim,  and  in  the  unbroken  wheel  it 
had  extended  from  one  spoke  exactly  to  the  next  one,  the  flanged  joint  being 
in  the  middle  of  its  length.  The  other  flanged  joint  was  broken,  the  line  of 
fracture  passing  through  the  bolt  hole  in  one  of  the  flanges.  A  careful  exami- 
nation of  this  joint  leads  us  to  believe,  however,  that  it  did  not  fracture  at 
the  outset,  but  that  it  was  broken  after  the  failure  of  the  wheel,  by  being 
thrown  violently  against  one  of  the  other  wheels,  or  against  a  shaft.     It  was 


Fig.  4. —  View  of  the  Engine  Room.      (Looking  North.) 


found  in  the  rope  pit.  Apart  from  these  two  sections,  containing  the  respective 
flanged  joints,  the  fragments  of  the  rim  were  of  no  especial  interest,  and  all 
were  broken  into  small  pieces. 

Several  of  the  roof  girders  were  damaged  by  fragments  of  the  wheel,  and 
a  number  of  pieces  went  up  through  the  roof.  Boiler  No.  6  (the  one  seen  in 
Figs.  I  and  3  with  the  manhole  open)  was  struck  in  the  rear  head  and  indented, 
and  it  was  likewise  indented  in  the  water-leg  so  badly  that  the  depression 
there  had  to  be  heated  and  pressed  out  with  jacks.  The  feed-water  heater, 
seen  also  in  these  two  engravings,  was  somewhat  damaged.  The  greater  part 
of  the  fragments  of  the  ruined  wheel-rim  went  northward,  however,  or  in 
the  direction  in  which  the  camera  was  looking  when  the  photograph  shown 
in  Fig.  4  was  taken.     This  view  shows  the  wreck  of  the  framework  on  which 


igio.] 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE 


37 


the  carriage  for  the  rope-tightening  device  traveled.  It  also  shows  the  bent 
shaft  on  which  the  one-groove  winder  pulley  ran.  The  tiirce  pulleys  along  this 
I)ath  were  broken  to  pieces. 

Fir..  6  shows  the  damage  that  was  done  to  one  of  the  large  storage  tanks. 
This  tank  was  i6  feet  in  diameter  and  J5  feet  high,  and  was  built  of  3/16  in. 
tank  steel.  It  was  situated  more  than  200  feet  from  the  fly  wheel,  as  will  be 
understood  from  Fig.  2.  Fragments  of  the  fly  wheel  rim  struck  this  tank  and 
tore  it  badly,  so  that  it  was  necessary  to  replace  380  square  feet  of  it  with 
new  sheets.  « 


Fig.  5. —  Showing  the  Emergency  Valve,  A. 


Eight  days  after  the  accident  enough  steam  was  given  to  the  engine  to  turn 
it  over,  and,  apart  from  a  cracked  main  bearing  cap  and  a  slight  spring  in  the 
crank  shaft,  the  engine  appeared  to  have  sufYered  no  great  injury.  After  the 
crank  shaft  had  been  taken  out,  however,  and  properly  centered  on  two  pins 
fastened  in  two  vertical  12  in.  by  12  in.  timbers,  it  was  found  to  be  sprung 
about  3/16  in.  The  strain  extended  to  the  main  bearing,  as  was  to  be  expected, 
since  the  outboard  bearing  was  shoved  south,  cracking  the  cement  pedestal  on 
which  it  rested,  as  may  be  seen  in  Fig.  i,  on  the  right  and  directly  under  the 
end  of  the  shaft.  The  crank  disk  was  likewise  found  to  be  out  by  z/2^  i"-, 
when  the  shaft  was  turned  on  the  pins.  The  piston  rod  was  then  put  in  a 
lathe  and  was  found  to  be  sprung  about  3/32  in.,  and  the  connecting  rod,  when 
examined  in  the  lathe  in  the  same  way,  was  found  to  be  sprung  about  1/16  in. 
The  total  property  loss  was  about  $4,200. 


38  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [April, 

The  Closing  of  the  Emergexcy  Valve. 
One  singular  and  verj-  fortunate  thing  about  the  accident  here  described 
is  that  the  explosion  of  the  wheel  shut  off  the  steam  from  the  engine,  though 
in  a  most  unexpected  and  unforeseen  way.  In  the  main  steam  line  leading  to 
the  engine,  and  about  24  feet  from  the  cylinder,  was  a  quick-closing,  emergency 
steam  valve,  seen,  though  unfortunately  not  very  distinctly,  at  A  in  Fig  5. 
This  valve  was  supposed  to  be  operated  from  the  floor  by  means  of  a  rope,  a 
jerk  on  the  rope  shutting  off  the  steam  from  the  engine  at  once.  The  frag- 
ment of  the  rim  bearing  the  uninjured  flanged  joint,  which  weighed  about  500 
pounds  and  which  was,  as  we  have  already  said,  the  largest  section  of  the  rim, 
struck  the  girder  B  (seen  in  Fig.  5),  over  which  the  rope  from  the  quick-acting 
valve  hung.  This  girder  was  broken  and  displaced  in  a  southward  direction, 
and  in  moving  it  pulled  the  rope,  closed  the  valve,  and  thereby  shut  off  the 
steam  from  the  engine,  causing  it  to  come  to  a  stop  almost  immediately  after 
the  rim  fractured.  Had  it  not  been  for  this  interesting  and  fortuitous  incident, 
the  engine  would  doubtless  have  torn  itself  to  pieces.  We  may  add  that  the 
flying  fragment  of  rim  that  displaced  the  girder  and  thus  shut  off  the  steam, 
having  given  up  its  momentum  in  this  way,  fell  to  the  floor  after  passing  over 
the  boilers,  and  crashed  down  upon  the  fireman's  chair.  The  chair  was  unoccu- 
pied at  the  time,  to  the  fireman's  subsequent  great  joy. 

The  Governor  Stop. 

The  engine  was  not  provided  with  an  automatic  speed  controlling  device, 
in  the  proper  sense  of  that  term,  although  the  contrary  would  naturall}-  be 
inferred  from  the  earlier  reports  of  the  accident  that  were  made  public.  The 
device  that  was  reported  as  an  automatic  speed  stop  did  not  have  for  its  pur- 
pose the  controlling  of  the  speed  of  the  engine,  but  its  object,  instead,  was  to 
so  regulate  the  action  of  the  governor  balls  as  to  prevent  any  difficulty  in 
starting  up  the  engine,   after  it  had  been  purposely  stopped. 

In  a  centrifugal  ball  governor,  such  as  is  usually  found  upon  engines  of 
the  Corliss  type,  the  balls  drop  when  their  speed  of  rotation  lessens,  and  by  so 
doing  they  cause  more  steam  to  be  admitted  to  the  engine,  and  so  tend  to  bring 
back  the  speed  to  its  correct  value.  Or,  which  amounts  to  the  same  thing,  they 
increase  the  period  of  admission  of  the  steam,  by  lengthening  the  cut-off.  Now 
this  mode  of  operation  is  correct,  so  long  as  the  engine  is  operating  properly. 
It  is  easy  to  see,  however,  that  if  the  governor  belt  (or  whatever  other  means 
of  transmission  is  used  to  drive  the  governor)  should  break,  so  that  the 
governor  slows  up  and  its  balls  fall  without  a  corresponding  slowing  of  the 
engine,  the  result  will  be  to  admit  more  steam  to  the  engine,  and  hence  to 
accelerate  its  motion.  The  governor  belt  being  broken,  the  balls  will  not 
respond  to  this  increase  in  the  speed  of  the  engine,  but  will  continue  to  fall 
lower  and  lower  as  they  lose  their  own  speed,  thereby  admitting  more  and 
more  steam  to  the  engine,  and  causing  it  to  race,  with  serious  results. 

To  guard  against  an  accident  of  this  character,  it  is  now  usual  to  con- 
struct fly-ball  governors  so  that  although  they  increase  the  amount  of  steam 
delivered  to  the  engine  so  long  as  they  do  not  fall  below  a  certain  point,  yet. 
when  they  do  fall  belozv  that  point,  they  cause  the  supply  of  steam  to  be 
diminished,  and  cut  it  off  altogether  when  they  come  into  their  lowest  possible 
position.     Such  a  governor  provides  a  proper  regulation  of  the  speed  of  the 


IQIO. 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE 


39 


engine   under  normal  conditions,   but  brings  the  engine  to   a  standstill   in  the 
event  of  the  breakage  of  the  belt  by  which  the  governor  is  operated. 

The  governor,  modified  as  here  indicated,  is  a  great  improvement  over 
the  earlier  style,  yet  there  is  one  difficulty  in  its  use  that  the  older  form  did 
not  have.  Namely,  when  the  engine  has  been  purposely  stopped,  it  cannot  be 
started  again  by  merely  opening  the  throttle  valve,  unless  further  special 
provision  for  this  contingency  is  made;  because  the  governor,  with  the  balls 
in  their  lowest  position,  will  not  permit  steam  to  enter  the  engine.  In  starting 
up  with  such  a  governor  it  is  therefore  necessary  for  the  engineer  to  block  up 
the  balls  in  some  way,  so  that  the  engine  will  take  steam  when  he  opens  the 
throttle.     Several  methods  are  in  use   for  accomplishing  this  end  conveniently 


Fig.  6. —  Showin'g  thl.   Damaged  Storage  Tank. 


and  safely.  It  is  plain  that  any  device  that  is  employed  for  the  purpose  should 
be  automatically  thrown  out  of  action  when  the  engine  has  once  attained  a 
certain  speed,  because  the  engineer  might  forget  to  attend  to  it  himself,  and 
then,  if  the  governor  belt  should  break,  the  engine  would  run  away  just  as  it 
would  if  the  governor  were  of  the  old-fashioned  type.  Any  device  whose 
purpose  is  to  prevent  the  balls  from  falling  to  their  lowest  possible  position 
when  the  engine  is  intentionally  stopped,  or  to  hold  them  up,  when  the  engine 
is  started,  until  it  attains  a  certain  speed,  is  called  a  "  governor  stop." 

The  engine  whose  wreck  we  are  describing  was  fitted  with  a  form  of 
governor  stop  in  w'hich  a  pin  is  automatically  thrust  under  the  balls,  when  the 
engine  is  stopped  by  closing  the  throttle,  thus  holding  them  up  so  that  when  it 
is  desired  to  start  the  engine  again  it  is  only  necessary  to  open  the  throttle  once 


40  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [April. 

more.  If  the  governor  slows  down  from  any  other  cause  than  the  closing  of 
the  throttle,  however,  the  pin  is  supposed  to  remain  out  of  the  way,  so  that  the 
balls  can  descend  to  their  lowest  possible  position  without  hindrance,  and  thus 
shut  off  the  steam  entirelj^  The  device  was  operated  by  steam,  conveyed  to 
the  governor  through  a  small  pipe  from  a  point  in  the  main  steam  pipe,  below 
the  throttle  valve.  The  pin  was  therefore  supposed  to  be  held  out  of  the  way  so 
long  as  the  throttle  was  open,  but  to  be  promptly  thrust  under  the  balls  when 
the  throttle  was  closed. 

We  have  explained  this  feature  of  the  engine  at  considerable  length,  be- 
cause an  understanding  of  it  is  essential  to  a  clear  comprehension  of  the  way 
in  which  the  accident  herein  described  came  about. 

Cause  of  the  Accident. 

A  superficial  glance  at  Figs,  i  or  3,  where  the  arms  of  the  wheel  are  seen 
to  be  broken  off  at  the 'hub,  might  lead  one  to  think  that  the  accident  was  due 
to  the  throwing  of  a  sudden  overload  upon  the  engine,  this  producing  a  bend- 
ing moment  upon  the  spokes  which  caused  them  to  fracture.  The  condition  of 
the  fragments,  however,  and  the  distances  to  which  they  were  hurled,  when 
taken  in  connection  with  all  the  other  available  evidence,  shows  that  there  is  no 
foundation  for  this  idea,  and  shows,  moreover,  that  the  explanation  outlined 
below  is  the  true  one. 

There  is  no  doubt  but  that  the  first  thing  that  happened  was  the  breakage 
of  one  of  the  ropes  from  the  engine-pulley.  This  may  have  been  a  simple 
break,  or  the  ropes  may  have  piled  up  and  then  jumped  off  and  broken,  or  they 
may  have  jumped  off  without  piling  up,  and  then  broken.  However  these 
particulars  may  have  been,  it  appears  clear  that  the  breaking  of  the  rope  was 
the  initial  cause  of  the  accident,  and  it  was  very  likely  this,  that  the  engineer 
heard,  and  described  as  a  "  report ".  The  rope  was  certainly  found  to  be  broken, 
after  the  accident. 

If  the  spokes  had  fractured  first,  from  overload,  there  would  not  have  been 
the  fifteen  seconds  of  warning  that  the  engineer  and  electrician  both  describe, 
before  the  wheel  went  altogether  to  pieces.  The  fact  that  the  lights  went  out 
some  time  before  the  wheel  burst  into  fragments  also  bears  out  the  view  that 
the  breaking  of  the  drive-rope  was  the  first  thing  that  happened. 

When  the  rope  broke,  it  tore  up  some  160  square  feet  of  two-inch  plank- 
ing, which  was  over  the  rope  pit.  One  of  the  fragments  of  the  planking  struck 
the  governor  belt  and  knocked  it  off.  It  did  not  break  the  belt,  however, 
although  it  tore  it,  and  also  knocked  a  piece  out  of  the  flange  of  one  of  the 
pulleys,  as  may  be  seen  in  Fig.  i.  There  were  but  g  inches  of  space  between, 
the  governor  belt  and  the  fly  wheel,  and  in  this  space  was  the  vertical  wooden 
housing  of  the  wheel,  from  which  fact  it  is  easy  to  account  for  the  throwing- 
off  of  the  governor  belt. 

The  engine,  being  freed  from  its  load  by  the  breaking  of  the  rope,  would 
at  once  begin  to  race.  The  governor  being  thrown  out  of  service  by  the  loss 
of  its  driving  belt,  its  revolving  balls  would  begin  to  slow  up  and  fall  at  once,  and 
while  this  would  mean  the  increased  admission  of  steam  for  a  few  moments, 
the  steam  supply  would  presently  be  cut  off  altogether  by  the  balls  falling  to  their 
lowest  possible  position,  provided  the  automatic  governor  stop  had  acted  as  it 
was  supposed  to  act  under  these  circumstances. 


igio.]  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  41 

But  it  so  happened  that  one  of  the  planks  cast  up  by  the  flying  rope  broke 
the  small  steam  pipe  leading  to  the  governor  stop,  and  this  caused  the  pin  of 
the  stop  to  be  thrust  into  position  so  as  to  prevent  the  balls  from  falling  to 
their  lowest  position,  just  as  it  would  be  if  the  steam  had  been  cut  off  from 
the  engine  by  the  closing  of  the  throttle.  The  result  was  that  the  governor 
balls  fell  until  they  rested  against  the  pin  that  was  intended  to  come  into  play 
only  when  the  throttle  was  closed.  They  could  descend  no  lower,  and  hence 
could  not  shut  off  the  steam.  The  engine  therefore  continued  to  race  at  an 
ever  increasing  speed,  until  the  fly  wheel  burst;  and  nothing  stood  in  the  way 
of  its  utter  annihilation  except  the  fortuitous  closing  of  the  emergency  valve, 
at  A  in  Fig.  5,  when  the  flying  fragment  of  the  rim  of  the  wheel  struck  the 
girder  over  which  the  valve  rope  passed. 

Fortunate  Features  of  the  Accident. 

There  were  many  fortunate  things  about  this  accident, —  many  ways  in 
which  it  would  have  been  far  worse,  if  the  pieces  of  wreckage  had  taken  slightly 
different  directions.  It  was  certainly  a  happy  circumstance  that  nobody  was 
killed,  and  that  only  one  man  was  injured,  and  that  his  injuries  were  not  of  a 
very  serious  nature.  The  remarkable  way  in  which  steam  was  shut  off  from 
the  engine  by  the  emergency  valve  is  also  worthy  of  special  consideration.  We 
wish  to  call  attention,  furthermore,  to  the  fact  that  with  the  boilers  and  steam 
piping  situated  as  they  were,  it  was  little  short  of  providential  that  none  of 
the  sections  of  the  wrecked  wheel  penetrated  the  boilers  nor  broke  the  steam 
main.  Either  of  these  contingencies  would  have  added  a  serious  element  to  a 
situation  already  quite  bad  enough. 

In  designing  a  steam  plant,  the  boilers  and  piping,  as  well  as  any  rooms  in 
which  considerable  numbers  of  workmen  are  congregated,  should  be  kept  well 
away  from  the  plane  of  the  fly  wheel,  whenever  this  is  possible ;  for  the  frag- 
ments of  an  exploding  wheel  are  far  more  likely  to  remain  near  that  plane  than 
they  are  to  depart  from  it  by  any  great  amount.  The  company  insuring  the 
wheels  rareh'  has  an  opportunity  to  make  suggestions  of  this  nature  at  a  time 
when  they  might  be  of  value,  because  the  plant  is  usually  built  and  in  operation 
before  the  insurance  is  sought. 


Generally  speaking,  the  reports  that  we  send  to  our  assured,  after  making 
our  inspections,  are  full  enough  to  give  a  good  idea  of  the  condition  of  the  boiler 
in  all  respects.  Once  in  a  while,  however,  the  routine  is  broken  by  circum- 
stances over  which  the  inspector  has  no  control.  Recently,  for  example,  one  of 
our  assured  received  this  communication,  when  he  was  looking  for  a  report  of 
an  external  inspection :  "  On  account  of  the  smallpox  in  this  section,  the  train 
conductor  had  orders  not  to  stop  at  this  station.     No  inspection  made". 

In  another  recent  case  one  of  our  assured  was  surprised  at  receiving  the 
following  note:  "Will  you  kindly  advise  me  if  the  rat-tail  file  which  Inspector 
Day  found  driven  into  the  fusible  plug  in  your  locomotive  No.  999  has  been 
removed,  and  the  plug  re-filled?" 

By  the  way,  the  use  of  nails,  rat-tail  files,  and  other  infusible  things,  in  the 
repairing  of  "  fusible "  plugs,  is  no  modern  invention.  We  find  this  brilliant 
conception  carried  out  every  little  while,  and  we  illustrated  a  case  of  it  in  The 
Locomotive,  more  than  twenty  years  ago, —  namely,  in  the  issue  for  August,  1889. 


42  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [April, 

Boiler  Explosions. 

January,   1910. 

(l.)  —  On  January  i  a  tube  failed  in  a  boiler  in  the  cotton  gin  of  I.  Dorn- 
bush,  Vicksburg,  ]Miss. 

(2.) — A  cast-iron  sectional  heating  boiler  ruptured,  January  i,  in  the 
Catholic  School  and  Asylum,  Hamlin  and  Schubert  streets,  Chicago,  111. 

(3.) — A  tube  ruptured,  January  i,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  John  H. 
Havlin  Realty  Co.'s  hotel,  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 

(4.)  — A  boiler  belonging  to  R.  J.  Pender  exploded,  January  i,  at  Tarboro, 
N.  C.     One  person  was  seriously  injured. 

(5.)  — A  tube  ruptured,  January  3,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  Germania 
building,  Milwaukee,  Wis. 

(6.) — On  January  3  a  locomotive  boiler  exploded  on  the  Colorado  & 
Southern  railroad,  at  Trinidad,  Colo.     Two  persons  were  seriously  injured. 

(7.) — ^A  flue  collapsed,  January  4,  in  a  boiler  on  a  pumping  boat  at  Safe 
Harbor,  opposite  Industry,  Pa.  George  Young  was  killed,  and  two  other  men 
were  slightl}'  injured. 

(8.)  — On  January  4  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of 
the  American  Steel  &  Wire  Co.,  Waukegan,  111. 

(9.) — 'A  tube  ruptured,  January  5,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  John  H. 
Havlin  Realty  Co.'s  hotel,  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 

(10.) — On  Januarj-  5  a  blowoff  pipe  failed  in  William  H.  Coleman  &  Co.'s 
sawmill  and  finishing  works,  Jackson,  Tenn. 

(11.) — Two  sections  of  a  cast-iron  heating  boiler  ruptured,  January  5,  in 
"  Forbes  House  ",  Milton  Academy,  Milton,  Mass. 

(12.)  — A  boiler  shell  ruptured,  January  5,  in  the  Keokuk  Hotel  Co.'s  hotel, 
Keokuk,  Iowa. 

(13.) — A  boiler  exploded,  January  6,  at  the  American  Dewey  mine,  at 
Porto  Rico,  near  Carthage,  Mo.    John  Jones,  a  miner,  was  seriously  injured. 

(14.) — A  boiler  belonging  to  Walker  Bros,  exploded,  January  7,  at  Herrs 
Island,  Pa.     One  person  was  fatally  injured. 

(15.) — A  tube  failed,  January  7,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Perry  Iron 
Co.'s  plant,  Erie,  Pa. 

(16.)  —  On  January  7  the  boiler  of  a  locomotive  exploded  at  Grand  Junc- 
tion, Colo.    Two  persons  were  killed. 

(17.) — A  heating  boiler  exploded,  January  8,  in  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  building, 
Boise,  Ida.    The  property  loss  was  estimated  at  $2,500. 

(18.) — A  heating  boiler  ruptured,  January  9,  at  the  Terre  Haute  Rose  & 
Carnation  Co.'s  greenhouse,  Terre  Haute.  Ind. 

(19.) — A  heating  boiler  exploded,  January  9,  in  Charles  Utermoehler's 
bakery,  1614  South  Tenth  street,  Philadelphia,  Pa.  Four  persons  were  injured 
and  the  building  was  badly  damaged. 

(20.) — On  January  9,  a  cast-iron  header  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler 
in  the  store  of  the  Emery,  Bird-Thayer  Dry  Goods  Co.,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

(21.) — -A  boiler  ruptured,  January  9,  at  the  Centerville  Water  Works, 
Centerville,  Iowa. 

(22.) — A  heating  boiler 'belonging  to  the  Boston  &  Maine  railroad  ex- 
ploded, January  10,  at  Portland,  Me. 


igio.J  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  43 

(23.)— A  tube  burst,  January  11,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Common- 
wcaltli  Edison  Co.'s  Quarry  street  station,  Chicago,  111.  Fireman  James 
Glennon  was  injured. 

(24.) — A  boiler  exploded.  Jamiar>    11,  at  High  Point,  N.  C. 

(25.) — A  blowoff  pipe  ruptured,  January  12,  at  the  Campbell  Mills, 
Toronto,  Can. 

(26.)  —  A  blowoff  pipe  failed,  January  13,  in  the  Dean  Hotel  Co.'s  hotel, 
Kansas  City,  Mo. 

(27.)  — A  water-tube  boiler  ruptured,  January  13,  in  the  Grasselli 
Chemical  Co.'s  plant,  Grasselli,  Ind. 

(28.)  — A  live  steam  heater,  used  for  heating  feed  water  and  located  on  top 
of  one  of  the  boilers,  exploded,  January  13,  at  the  Central  Kansas  mill,  Lyons, 
Kans.    One  man  was  injured. 

(29.) — Two  sections  of  a  cast-iron  sectional  heating  bpiler  ruptured, 
January  13,  at  Clemson  Agricultural  College,  Clemson  College,  S.  C. 

(30.) — On  January  13  three  tubes  failed  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the 
Athens  State  Hospital,  Athens,  Ohio. 

(31.) — A  heating  boiler  belonging  to  A.  L.  Johnson  exploded,  January  14, 
at  Palmer,  Mass. 

(32.)  — On  January  14  a  connection  to  a  superheater  on  a  water-tube  boiler 
failed  at  the  Edison  Electric  Illuminating  Co.'s  plant.  South  Boston,  Mass. 

(33.) — Three  cast-iron  headers  fractured,  January  15,  in  a  water-tube 
boiler  at  the  North  American  Lace  Co.'s  plant,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

(34.) — A  heating  boiler  exploded,  January  15,  in  the  Seabright  ^^lethodist 
church,  at  Red  Bank,  N.  J. 

(35.) — A  tube  collapsed,  January  15,  in  a  vertical  boiler  at  the  American 
Steel  &  Wire  Co.'s  plant,  Worcester,  ]\Iass. 

(36.) — A  heating  boiler  exploded,  January  15,  at  Southbridge,  Mass.  It 
was  used  for  heating  the  Tremont  theater  and  a  building  adjoining  it. 

(S7-)  — A  boiler  belonging  to  the  Vanderbeck  Ice  Co.  exploded,  January  15, 
at  Dundee  Lake,  near  Paterson,  N.  J.  Richard  Vanderweel  was  seriously 
injured. 

(38.)  — On  January  16  a  tube  ruptured,  and  ten  cast-iron  headers  fractured, 
in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  American  Steel  &  Wire  Co.'s  plant,  Waukegan,  111. 

(39.)  —  A  small  boiler  exploded,  January  16,  at  the  Monongahela  furnace 
plant,  McKeesport,  Pa.     Three  men  were  injured. 

(40.) — A  heating  boiler  exploded,  January  16,  at  Frederick  C.  Witthuhn's 
greenhouse,  Cleveland,  Ohio.  The  boiler  room  was  blown  to  atoms,  and  the 
greenhouse  was  wrecked. 

(41.) — The  boiler  of  a  locomotive  exploded,  January  17,  on  the  Dawson 
railroad,  at  Tucumcari,  N.  M.     Two  persons  were  fatally  injured. 

(42.) — A  flue  collapsed,  January  17,  in  a  fertilizer  drier,  in  Swift  &  Co.'s 
packing  house.  South  Omaha,  Neb. 

(43.)  — A  blowoff  pipe  failed,  January  17,  in  W.  L.  Petty  &  Co.'s  tobacco 
curing  plant,  Lexington,  Ky.    Two  men  were  injured. 

(44.)  —  On  January  17  a  cast-iron  header  fractured  in  a  water-tube  boiler 
at  the  Hammermill  Paper  Co.'s  plant,  Erie,  Pa. 

(45.) — A  slight  accident  occurred,  January  17,  to  a  boiler  in  the  Angola 
Lumber  Co.'s  plant,  Wilmington,  N.  C. 


44  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [April, 

(46.)  —  A  tube  ruptured,  January  17,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Metro- 
politan Street  Railway  Co.'s  power  plant,  Second  and  Grand  streets,  Kansas 
City,  Mo.     One  man  was  slightly  injured. 

(47.) — A  tube  raptured,  January  "19,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  H.  C. 
Frick  Co.'s  plant,  near  Ronco,  Pa.    Two  men  were  injured. 

(48.) — The  boiler  of  locomotive  No.  1208,  of  the  Southern  railway,  rup- 
tured, January  20,  near  Afton,  Tenn.    The  engineer  was  injured. 

(49.)  — A  blowoff  pipe  failed,  January  20,  at  the  Warsaw  Furniture  Manu- 
facturing Co.'s  plant,  Warsaw,  Ky. 

(50.)  — On  January  20  a  boiler  exploded  at  Boyle's  sawmill,  five  miles  from 
Mayesville,  S.  C.  Five  persons  were  fatally  injured,  and  three  others  were 
injured  less  severely. 

(51.) — An  economizer  exploded,  January  21,  in  the  Edison  Electric  Light 
Plant,  Paterson,  N.  J.  Emil  Van  Wounden  was  fatally  scalded,  and  eight  others 
were  severely  injured.     The  property  loss  was  estimated  at  $25,000. 

(52.) — The  boiler  of  a  Pere  Marquette  switching  locomotive  exploded, 
January  22,  at  Saginaw,  Mich.     The  locomotive  was  wrecked. 

(53.)  — On  January  23  a  blowoff  pipe  drew  out  of  the  elbow  at  the  plant  of 
the  Gem  Hammock  &  Fly  Net  Co.,  Milwaukee,  Wis. 

(54.)  — A  small  boiler  exploded,  January  23,  in  the  Hotel  Macatee,  Houston, 
Tex.    A  bell  boy  was  injured. 

(55.) — The  boiler  of  a  Norfolk  &  Western  locomotive  exploded,  January 
24,  at  Roanoke,  Va.    Two  persons  were  seriously  injured. 

(56.)  — The  crown  sheet  of  a  freight  locomotive  failed,  January-  24,  on  the 
Wisconsin  division  of  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern  railroad,  two  miles  south 
of  Barrington,  111.     Engineer  F.  Wooding  and  fireman  A.  Caeder  were  injured. 

(57.)  — Three  cast-iron  headers  ruptured,  January  24,  in  a  water-tube  boiler 
at  the  plant  of  the  American  Steel  &  Wire  Co.,  Waukegan,  111.  One  man  was 
injured. 

(58.)  — The  boiler  of  a  locomotive  exploded,  January  25,  on  the  Denver  & 
Rio  Grande  railroad,  near  La  Veta,  Colo.  Two  men  were  killed  and  two  were 
injured. 

(59.) — A  slight  boiler  explosion  occurred,  January  27,  at  the  Nelsonville 
Electric  Light  &  Water  works,  Nelsonville,  Ohio. 

(60.)  — On  January  27  the  boiler  of  a  donkey  engine  exploded  at  Elmhurst, 
L.  I.     John  Dawson  was  badly  scalded. 

(61.)  —A  tube  ruptured,  January  28,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of 
the  Illinois  Steel  Co.,  Milwaukee,  Wis.     One  man  was  injured. 

(62.) — On  January  28  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the 
Philadelphia  Rapid  Transit  Co.'s  power  station.  Thirty-third  and  Market  streets, 
Philadelphia,  Pa. 

(63.) — A  blowoff  pipe  failed,  January  28,  at  the  Greer-Beatty  Clay  Co.'s 
plant.  Magnolia,  Ohio.     One  man  was  injured. 

(64.)  — A  tube  ruptured,  January  29,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Allegheny 
Steel  Co.'s  plant,  Breckenridge,  Pa. 

(65.) — A  boiler  exploded  January  30,  in  the  plant  of  the  Pennsylvania 
Rubber  Co.,  Jeannette,  Pa.    The  property  loss  was  estimated  at  $4,000. 

(66.) — 'A  boiler  exploded,  January  30,  in  the  William  Strange  Co.'s  silk 
mill,  at  Paterson,  N.  J.     One  man  was  fatally  injured. 


I9IO.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  45 


(67.) — A  blowoflf  pipe  ruptured,  January  31,  at  the  Morss  Hill  Coal  Co.'s 
plant,  Fell  Township,  Pa. 

(68.)  —  A  blowoff  pipe  ruptured,  January  31,  at  the  plant  of  the  American 
Brass  Co.,  Ansonia,  Conn. 

(69.) — On  January  31  two  Hues  ruptured  in  a  boiler  at  the  Mint  Mlectric 
Light  Co.'s  plant,  Flint,  Mich.  Eli  T.  Crump  and  Hiram  Marsh  were  killed. 
(See,  also,  explosion  No.  76,  below.) 


Febku.\rv,  1 9 10. 

(70.) — A  heating  boiler  exploded,  February  2,  in  a  school  building  at 
Culloni,  near  Bloomington,  111. 

(71.) — A  tube  ruptured,  Fel^ruary  2,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Upson 
Nut  Co.'s  plant,  Cleveland,  Ohio. 

{72.) — On  Fcl)ruary  2  a  boiler  exploded  at  Rice  Bros.'  mine,  Tuscaloosa, 
Okla. 

{73.) — On  February  3  the  crown  sheet  of  a  St.  Paul  locomotive  collapsed 
at  Portage,  Wis.    Three  men  were  injured. 

(74.) — On  February  3  a  tube  burst  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of 
the  Mutual  Electric  Light  Co.,  San  Francisco,  Cal. 

(75.)  — On  February  4  the  crown  sheet  of  a  locomotive  type  boiler  collapsed 
at  the  plant  of  the  Allentowai  Non-Freezing  Powder  Co.,  Allentown,  Pa. 

(76.) — 'On  February  5  a  tube  burst  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Flint 
Electric  Light  Co.'s  plant,  Flint,  Mich.  George  Palmer  was  killed,  and  four 
other  men  were  injured.  (The  boiler  that  exploded  in  this  instance  was  next 
to  the  one  that  exploded  in  the  same  plant  on  January  31,  as  described  above, 
under  No.  69.) 

(77.) — The  boiler  of  an  agricultural  engine  exploded,  February  5.  on  the 
Frank  Clay  farm,  near  Quincy,  Ohio.  Four  men  were  badly  injured,  and  a  barn 
was  destroyed  by  fire. 

(78-) — A  tube  failed,  February  7,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  South 
Works  of  the  Illinois  Steel  Co.,  South  Chicago,  111. 

(79-)  —On  February  7  a  boiler  exploded  in  the  lumber  and  spoke  mill  of 
J.  Ezra  Thomas,  at  Thomastown,  near  Scottsburg,  Ind.  One  man  was  fatally 
injured,  one  was  injured  badly  but  probably  not  fatally,  and  some  four  others 
received  lesser  injuries. 

(80.)— A  tube  burst,  February  7,  in  a  heating  boiler  at  the  Lee  avenue 
police  station,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 

(81.) — On  February  9  a  steam  drying  cylinder  exploded  in  the  Frost 
Finishing  Co.'s  factory,  West  Harrington,  R.  I.    Two  men  were  seriously  injured. 

(82.)  —A  heating  boiler  exploded,  February  9,  in  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  building, 
Knoxville,  Tenn.     One  person  was  severely  injured. 

(83.)  —A  tube  ruptured,  February  10,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  Congress 
Hotel,  Chicago,  111.     Two  men  were  killed. 

(84.)  — On  February  10  a  heater  exploded  in  the  Fairchild  &  Shelton  Co.'s 
soap  factory,  Bridgeport,  Conn.     One  man  was  killed. 

(85) — A  boiler  exploded,  February  10,  in  L.  I.  Princing  &  Son's  sawmill, 
near  Crump.  22  miles  northwest  of  Bay  City,  Mich.  Seven  men  were  killed, 
and  six  other  persons  were  injured,  of  whom  it  was  thought  one  would  die. 
The  mill  was  completely  wrecked,  as  was  also  the  neighboring  residence  of  Mr. 
Princing. 


46  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [April, 


(86.) — A  boiler  exploded,  February  lo,  in  a  sawmill  on  Shelton  Laurel 
creek,  in  Madison  county,  near  Marshall,  N.  C.  One  man  was  killed  and  several 
others  were  badly  injured. 

(87.) — 'On  February  11  the  furnace  of  a  locomotive  partially  collapsed  on 
the  St.  Joseph  Valley  railway,  at  La  Grange,  Ind. 

(88.) — A  boiler  exploded,  February  11,  at  the  Snow  Hill  mine,  at  Roscoe, 
near  Monongahela,  Pa.    One  man  was  injured. 

(89.) — A  heating  boiler  exploded,  February  11,  in  the  Dearborn-Morgan 
school,  Orange,  N.  J.    No  pupils  were  present  at  the  time. 

(90.) — A  tube  ruptured,  February  12,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Ohio 
Electric  Railway  Co.'s  power  plant,  Medway,  Ohio. 

(91.) — 'On  February  12  a  boiler  exploded  in  James  Hasey's  grist  mill,  at 
Hardiman,  four  miles  from  Campton,  Ky.  Two  men  were  killed,  and  four 
others  (one  of  whom  will  die)  were  injured. 

(92.) — A  boiler  exploded,  February  13,  in  the  oil  fields  at  Robinson,  111. 
One  person  was  killed. 

(93.)  — The  boiler  of  a  steam  heating  plant  exploded,  February  13,  in  Mrs. 
Mary  C.  Struve's  residence,  Huntsville,  Ala.  Two  men  were  severely  injured, 
and  the  house  was  badly  wrecked. 

(94.)  — A  tube  ruptured,  February  14,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Lacka- 
wanna Steel  Co.'s  plant,  Lackawanna,  N.  Y. 

(95.)  — A  hot-water  heating  boiler  exploded,  February  14,  in  H.  Bernhart's 
residence,  Reading,  Pa. 

(96.) — A  boiler  tube  ruptured,  February  14,  on  the  United  States  torpedo- 
boat  destroyer  Hopkins,  in  the  harbor  of  San  Diego,  Cal.  Fireman  R.  E.  Taylor 
was  scalded  to  death,  and  six  other  men  were  badly  injured.  It  was  thought 
that  one  of  the  injured  could  not  recover.  (This  accident  occurred  close  to  the 
place  where  the  terrible  explosion  on  the  gunboat  Bennington  took  place,  on 
July  21,  1905.     Compare  explosion  No.  144,  page  48.) 

(97.)  — On  February  15  a  boiler  exploded  in  the  Harrison  &  Shraner  grist 
mill.  Tell  City,  Ind.     Four  men  were  seriously  injured. 

(98.) — A  heating  boiler  burst,  February  16,  in  a  public  school  building  at 
Middlesboro,  Ky. 

(99-)  — A  main  stop  valve  failed,  February  17,  in  the  Washington  Ice  Co.'s 
plant.  New  Orleans,  La. 

(100.)  — A  boiler  used  for  heating  a  Pullman  tourist  car  exploded,  February 
17,  in  the  Big  Four  railroad  yards,  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  The  property  loss  was 
estimated  at  $1,000. 

(loi.)  — ^A  boiler  belonging  to  Ward  &  Grisham  exploded,  February  17,  at 
Ironton,  Mo.     Two  men  were  killed  and  one  severely  injured. 

(102.) — 'The  Voelkner  &  Harry  Manufacturing  Co.'s  plant,  Detroit,  Mich., 
was  partially  destroyed,  February  18,  by  a  fire  that  was  said  to  have  been 
started  by  a  boiler  explosion  in  the  basement. 

(103.) — The  boiler  of  switching  locomotive  No.  339,  on  the  Frisco  road, 
exploded,  February  18,  near  Joplin,  Mo.  Two  men  were  killed  and  one  fatally 
injured. 

(104.) — The  boiler  of  a  Reading  railroad  locomotive  exploded,  February 
19,  at  New  Hope,  Pa. 

(105.)  — The  boiler  of  a  Pennsylvania  railroad  locomotive  exploded,  Febru- 
ary 19,  at  Lambertsville,  N.  J 


I9IO.]  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  47 


(io6.) — On  February  20  a  drum  fractured  on  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the 
Summit  Branch  Coal  Mining  Co.'s  plant,  VVilliamstown,  Pa. 

(107.)  —  A  boiler  exploded,  February  21,  at  the  East  Side  coal  mines,  at 
Equality,  near  Shawneetown,  111.    Two  men  were  killed. 

(108.) — A  boiler  flue  burst,  February  21,  at  the  Scranton  Gas  &  Water 
Co.'s  plant,  Scranton,  Pa.     One  person  was  killed. 

(109.)  —  A  blowofF  pipe  failed,  February  21,  in  the  Major  &  Loomis  Co.'s 
saw  and  planing  mill,  Hertford,  N.  C.     One  man  was  injured. 

(no.) — A  blowoff  pipe  failed,  February  22,  at  the  American  Lead  Pencil 
Co.'s  plant,  Murfreesboro,  Tenn.     Four  men  were  scalded. 

(in.)  —  On  February  23  a  boiler  exploded  at  the  Stanley  Motor  Carriage 
Works,  Newton,  Mass. 

(112.) — A  blowoff  pipe  failed,  February  23.  at  the  tannery  of  Thomas  A. 
O'Keefe,  and  M.  J.  O'Keefe,  Peabody,  Mass.     One  man  was  injured. 

(113.) — On  February  23  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the 
Camden  Coke  Works  of  the  Public  Service  Corporation  of  New  Jersey,  Camden, 
N.  J.     One  man  was  injured. 

(114.) — On  February  24  the  boiler  of  a  locomotive  exploded  two  miles 
north  of  Tremonton,  near  Ogden,  Utah.    Two  men  were  injured. 

(115.) — On  February' 25  the  crown  sheet  of  a  locomotive  collapsed  at  the 
logging  camp  of  the  Interstate  Lumber  Co.,  Columbus.  Miss. 

(116.) — On  February  27  a  hot-water  heater  ruptured  at  Bridgeport,  Conn. 
It  was  connected  with  engine  No.  7  of  the  city  fire  department. 

(117.) — A  cast-iron  header  ruptured,  February  27,  in  a 'water-tube  boiler 
in  the  hotel  building  belonging  to  the  estate  of  John  Plankinton,  at  Milwaukee, 
Wis. 

March,   1910. 

(118.)  — On  IMarch  i,  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Portage 
Coal  ^Mining  Co.'s  plant,  Portage,  Pa.    One  man  was  injured. 

(iig.) — The  boiler  of  a  freight  locomotive  exploded,  March  i,  at  Lincoln, 
Neb. 

(120.)  — A  flue  ruptured,  March  i,  in  a  boiler  at  the  City  Hall,  Milwaukee, 
Wis.     One  man  was  severely  scalded. 

(121.)  — A  boiler  exploded.  March  3,  in  the  oil  fields  near  Tiffin,  Ohio. 

(122.) — A  boiler  exploded,  March  4,  at  the  Poll  Hill  mica  mine,  near 
Newdale,  N.  C.     Two  men  were  killed  and  another  was  seriously  injured. 

(123.) — -A  tube  ruptured,  March  5,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Toledo 
Furnace  Co.  plant  of  the  Pickands-Mather  Co.,  Toledo,  Ohio. 

(124.) — A  tube  ruptured,  March  6,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  Baltic 
Mining  Co.'s  stamp  mill,  Redridge,  Mich. 

(125.)  —  On  March  7  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  Illinois 
Maintenance  Co.'s  office  building,  Chicago,  111.    Three  men  were  scalded. 

(126.) — 'The  boiler  of  an  Oregon  Railway  &  Navigation  Co.  locomotive 
exploded,  March  8,  at  Whitman  station,  near  Walla  Walla,  Wash.  Nine  persons 
were  severely  injured. 

(127.) — The  boiler  of  a  freight  locomotive  exploded,  March  8,  on  the  St. 
Louis  &  San  Francisco  railroad,  near  Hoxie,  Ark.     Three  men  were  killed. 

(128.) — A  heating  boiler  exploded,  March  10,  in  the  parish  house  of  the 
Church  of  the  Annunciation,  Chicago,  111.     Property  loss  about  $1,500. 


48  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [April, 

(129.)  — A  tank  used  for  the  storage  of  compressed  air  exploded,  March  11, 
at  the  Herald  mine,  Cave  Springs,  Mo.     Loss  about  $400. 

(130.)  —  Six  cast-iron  headers  fractured,  March  12,  in  a  water-tube  boiler 
at  the  Cass  avenue  plant  of  the  Pressed  Steel  Car  Co.,  Pittsburg,  Pa. 

(131.) — A  cast-iron  mud  drum  ruptured,  March  13,  in  a  water-tube  boiler 
at  the  power  house  of  the  Terre  Haute,  Indianapolis  &  Eastern  Traction  Co., 
Terre  Haute,  Ind. 

(132.) — 'A  boiler  exploded,  March  14,  on  the  towboat  R.  L.  Auhrcy,  off 
Arctic  Springs,  near  Louisville,  Ky.  One  man  was  killed,  one  is  missing  and 
was  probably  killed  also,  and  two  were  fatally  injured.  Three  other  men  were 
injured  less  severely.     The  Aubrey  sank  almost  immediately. 

(133)— 'A  tube  ruptured,  March  14,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Metro- 
politan West  Side  Elevated  Railway  Co's  power  house,  Throop  and  Congress 
streets,  Chicago,  111. 

(134.) — 'On  March  15  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  Phila- 
delphia Rapid  Transit  Co.'s  power  plant,  at  Beach  and  Laurel  streets,  Phila- 
delphia, Pa. 

(135.) — Seven  cast-iron  headers  fractured,  March  15,  in  a  water-tube 
boiler  at  the  Valley  Electric  Co.'s  plant,  New  Brighton,  Pa. 

(136.) — 'The  boiler  of  a  donkey  engine  exploded,  March  17,  at  Bordeaux, 
Mason  county.  Wash.     Arthur  Sapp's  residence  was  demolished. 

(i37-) — 'The  boiler  of  a  sand  dredge  belonging  to  the  Meierhoffer  Sand 
Works  exploded,  March  18,  at  Boonville,  Mo.     Loss  about  $15,000. 

(138.) — Two'  tubes  ruptured,  March  20,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the 
County  Court  and  Jail  building,  Greensburg,  Pa. 

(139) — The  boiler  of  a  Santa  Fe  freight  locomotive  exploded  March  22, 
near  Bakersville,  Cal.     One  man  was  killed,  and  one  fatally  injured. 

(140.) — On  March  22  a  tube  and  six  headers  ruptured  in  Swift  &  Co.'s 
packing  plant,  Kansas  City,  Kans. 

(141.) — -A  tube  ruptured,  March  23,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Home 
Riverside  Coal  Co.'s  No.  3  mine,  Leavenworth,  Kans. 

(142.)  —The  boiler  of  a  basket  factory,  near  Galesburg,  Mich.,  exploded  on 
March  2^. 

(143.)  — 'A  boiler  exploded,  j\Iarch  22,.  in  the  Michigan  Creamery  Co.'s  plant, 
Clare,  Mich.     Three  men  were  injured,  and  the  property  loss  was  $6,500. 

(144.) — On  March  25  several  tubes,  located  in  two  different  boilers,  rup- 
tured on  the  United  States  torpedo-boat  destroyer  Hopkins,  just  outside  the 
Golden  Gate,  near  San  Francisco,  Cal.  (Compare  explosion  No.  96,  page  46.  The 
Hopkins  was  on  her  return  trip  from  San  Diego  and  San  Pedro  to  the  Mare 
Island  Navy  Yard  when  the  present  explosion  occurred,  temporary  repairs 
having  been  made  on  her  boilers  after  the  San  Diego  accident.) 

(145.) — 'A  tube  ruptured,  March  28,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Oak 
Park  Construction  Co.'s  power  plant,  Oak  Park,  111. 

(146.) — On  March  28  a  blowoff  failed  in  the  Fred  L.  Sayles  Co.'s  woolen 
mill,  Pascoag,  R.  I. 

(147.)  — A  boiler  exploded,  March  28,  in  F.  L.  Kister's  sawmill,  Bowling 
Green,  Ky.  One  man  was  killed,  one  was  fatally  injured,  and  three  were 
injured  less  seriously.    The  property  loss  was  estimated  at  $1,000. 

(148.)  — The  boiler  of  freight  locomotive  No.  432,  of  the  Houston  &  Texas 
Central  railroad,  exploded,  March  29,  near  Sherman,  Tex. 


igio.]  THE     LOCOMOTIVE  49 


Changes  in  our  Personnel. 

Mr.  F.  H.  Williams,  Jr.,  who  has  been  a  special  agent  in  our  Hartford 
department  for  some  years,  has  been  appointed  general  agent  in  that  territory, 
in  the  place  of  Mr.  E.   H.  Warner,  whose  resignation  we  announced  recently. 

Mr.  F.  H.  Kcnyon  has  been  appointed  special  agent  in  the  Hartford 
department. 

Mr.  J.  P.  Hagarty,  who  has  been  assistant  to  the  chief  inspector  in  the 
Hartford  department  for  several  years,  has  been  appointed  a  special  agent, 
in  addition  to  his  other  duties.  His  time  will  continue  to  be  mainly  devoted 
to  the   engineering  work   in   which   he  has   heretofore  been   engaged. 

Mr.  John  L.  Mee  has  been  appointed  a  special  agent  for  the  company, 
and    is    temporarily    located    at    the    Hartford    office. 

Mr.  W.  W.  Manning  has  been  appointed  acting  chief  inspector  in  the 
New  York  department,  in  the  place  of  Mr.  R.  K.  IMcMurray,  whose  assistant 
he  has  been  for  a  number  of  years,  and  whose  death  is  announced  in  the 
present  issue. 

Mr.  S.  B.  Adams  has  been  appointed  assistant  chief  inspector  in  the 
Philadelphia  department,  with  which  he  has  long  been  connected,  both  as  an 
inspector  and  as  a  special  agent. 

Mr.  C.  H.  Dennig,  formerly  a  special  agent  for  this  company  at  New 
York,  and  later  at  Denver,  will  hereafter  represent  us,  in  the  same  capacity, 
at  Detroit,  Mich. 


A  Mechanical  ^Minstrel  Joke. —  In  looking  over  an  old  number  of  Power, 
the  other  day,  we  came  across  a  joke  having  for  its  victim  Professor  Jacobus, 
who  is  an  acknowledged  authority  upon  the  flow  of  liquids  through  pipes,  and 
upon  the  loss  of  hydraulic  head  due  to  elbows,  valves,  orifices,  and  the  like.  The 
joke  is  mellow  with  age.  but  it  seems  good  enough  to  resuscitate.  So  here  it  is, 
with  our  apologies  to  the  professor. 

Imagine  yourself,  if  you  please,  at  a  minstrel  show. 

■■  Dat  Professor  Jacobus  is  a  nice  man ",  says  Tambo,  the  end-man. 

■■  Yes ",  says  the  interlocutor,  "  I  think  Professor  Jacobus  is  a  very  nice 
man  ". 

"  Now,  me  and  him  was  talking  dis  afternoon  ",  continues  Tambo,  "  down 
in  the  bar-room  ;  and  — " 

■'What's  that?"  cries  the  horrified  interlocutor.  "You  were  talking  to 
Professor  Jacobus  down  in  the  bar-room?" 

"  Yassir,  an'  he  says  — " 

"  But  you  are  surely  mistaken.  Professor  Jacobus  is  a  very  serious  minded 
and  sober  man.     He  could  not  possibly  have  been  down  in  the  bar-room." 

"■  No,  I  ain't  mistaken.  He  was  thar  all  right,  but  he  had  a  good  right  to 
be  thar". 

"  He  had  a  right  to  be  there,  did  he..  Well,  what  was  Professor  Jacobus 
doing  in  the  bar-room?" 

'■  He  was  collecting  data  on  the  loss  of  head  due  to  the  flow  of  a  liquid 
through  an  orifice  ". 


50 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE. 


[April, 


A.  D.  RiSTEEN,  Ph.D.,  Editor. 


HARTFORD,  APRIL  25,   1910. 

The  Locomotive  can  be  obtained  free  by  calling  at  any  of  the  company  s  agencies. 
Subscription  price  ^o  cents  per  year  when  mailed  from  this  office. 
Bound  volumes  one  dollar  each. 


Robert  Kermit  McMurray. 


I9I0.J  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  5^ 

Obituary. 

Robert  Kekmit  McMlrkay. 

We  record,  with  profound  sorrow,  the  death  of  Robert  Kermit  McMurray, 
who  was  prominently  connected  with  the  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Inspection  and 
Insurance  Company  for  many  years,  and  widely  esteemed  for  his  estimable 
personal  qualities,  and  for  the  breadth  and  soundness  of  his  professional  attain- 
ments. He  was  born  in  Brooklyn,  New  York,  on  February  23,  1837,  and  died  in 
that  city,  of  pneumonia,  on  March  8,  1910.  He  was  ill  only  a  few  days,  and 
was  at  his  desk  on  ^Nlarch  2. 

Mr.  McMurray  was  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  War.  He  enlisted  in  the 
Thirteenth  Regiment,  New  York  Engineers,  on  April  21,  1861,  and  was  assigned 
almost  immediately,  by  General  Benjamin  F.  Butler,  to  the  construction  of  the 
first  military  railroad  of  the  United  States.  This  extended  from  the  wharves 
of  the  military  academy  at  Annapolis.  Maryland,  to  a  point  two  miles  distant, 
where  it  made  a  junction  with  the  Elk  Ridge  railroad.  In  the  execution  of  the 
work  he  was  put  in  command  of  three  thousand  troops,  and  in  four  days  he 
surveyed  and  leveled  the  road-bed,  superintended  the  construction  of  the  road 
itself,  and  ran  the  first  train  over  it.  For  this  service  he  was  commended  by 
the  War  Department,  and  also  honored  by  the  Secretary  of  War,  who  wrote 
him  a  personal  letter  of  thanks. 

On  May  26,  1862,  Mr.  IMcMurray  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  lieutenant 
of  Company  F,  of  the  Thirteenth  Regiment  of  New  York  Volunteers,  and  in 
the  same  year  he  was  in  several  skirmishes  near  Sufifolk  and  Black  Water, 
Virginia.  He  was  discharged  from  the  service  on  July  21,  1863,  his  term  of 
enlistment  having  expired. 

On  December  24,  1867,  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Hartford  Steam  Boiler 
Inspection  and  Insurance  Company,  and  served  continuously  from  that  date 
until  the  day  of  his  death,  as  Chief  Inspector  of  its  New  York  department. 
His  work  as  a  designer  of  boilers  and  settings  is  well  known,  especially  to  the 
steam-using  public  of  New  York  and  New  Jersey.  He  was  one  of  the  pioneers 
in  the  preparation  of  definite  specifications  for  the  construction  of  boilers,  and 
was  an  early  advocate  of  the  use  of  steel  for  boiler  shells.  He  was  famous, 
too,  as  a  designer  of  chimneys.  The  celebrated  brick  stack  of  the  Clark  Thread 
Company's  factory,  near  Newark,  New  Jersey,  was  built  from  his  designs, 
twenty  years  ago  or  more. 

He  was  also  one  of  the  original  few  who  taught  that  steam  boiler  insurance 
should  be  primarily  of  a  preventive  character, —  a  principle  that  has  guided  this 
company  in  its  development,  since  its  earliest  days.  Our  late  president,  Mr.  J.  M. 
Allen,  continually  sought  his  counsel  in  laying  the  foundations  of  our  business, 
and  great  weight  was  assigned  to  his  judgment  upon  all  mechanical  matters. 

At  the  time  of  his  death  Mr.  McMurray  was  a  member  of  the  New  York 
Yacht  Club,  of  the  Thirteenth  Regiment  Veteran's  Association,  of  Grant  Post  of 
the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  and  of  the  Masonic  Club.  In  the  Masonic 
order  he  was  a  member  of  Damascus  Commandery,  a  thirty-second  degree 
Scottish  Rite  Mason,  and  a  member  of  Kismet  Temple  of  the  Mystic  Shrine. 

It  is  impossible  to  estimate  the  value  of  the  services  that  Mr.  McINIurray 
has  rendered  to  the  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Inspection  and  Insurance  Company, 
with  which  he  had  been  identified  practically  from  its  very  start,  and  to  whose 


52  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [April, 

interests  he  had  given  his  unremitting  attention  for  over  forty  years.  Of  his 
personal  quahties  it  is  equally  impossible  to  speak  with  justice.  As  a  token  of 
the  respect  and  affection  that  he  had  inspired  throughout  his  long  term  of  service, 
a  complimentary  dinner  was  given  to  him  in  New  York,  on  February  22,  1906, 
by  his  associates,  in  celebration  of  his  sixty-ninth  birthday.  He  there  received 
the  honorary  title  of  "  Dean  of  Steam  Boiler  Inspection ",  which  fittingly 
expresses  the  light  in  which  his  co-workers  had  long  regarded  him.  In  his 
death  this  company  has  met  with  a  great  loss.  His  personal  and  professional 
influence  will  be  felt  and  remembered  for  many  years. 


The  article  in  our  issue  for  January,  1909,  respecting  the  terrible  boiler 
explosion  on  the  Sultana,  in  1865,  aroused  much  interest.  Mr.  S.  M.  Gaston, 
one  of  the  few  living  survivors,  has  since  given  us  some  further  particulars 
concerning  it,  calling  our  attention,  at  the  same  time,  to  a  letter  written  on 
the  subject  by  him,  and  published  in  Power  for  May,  1897,  page  17.  It  appears 
that  the  Sultana,  arriving  at  Memphis  on  the  afternoon  preceding  the  explosion, 
stopped  there  and  discharged  her  cargo  of  sugar.  She  then  crossed  the  river  and 
took  on  a  supply  of  coal,  after  which  she  proceeded  on  her  way  up  the  river 
toward  Cairo,  111.  Except  for  these  few  additional  details,  the  story  of  the 
explosion  is  as  we  told  it. 

There  is  a  legend  to  the  effect  that  the  late  Samuel  L.  Clemens  ("  Mark 
Twain")  was  pilot,  or  assistant  pilot,  on  the  Luminary,  which  preceded  the 
Sultana  up  the  river ;  but  this  was  not  the  case,  because  Mr.  Clemens,  although 
he  had  been  a  pilot,  left  the  river  when  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  War 
interrupted  traffic  there,  and,  as  related  in  his  Life  on  the  Mississipfi,  he  did  not 
return  to  it  again  for  twenty  years.  A  letter  addressed  by  us  to  Mr.  Clemens, 
asking  for  a  definite  assurance  on  this  point,  brought  back  the  reply  that  on  the 
date  of  the  e.xplosion  of  the  Sultana  he  was  at  San  Francisco,  California. 


Robert  Fulton  or  John  Fitch? 

Since  the  article  with  this  heading  was  printed  in  the  issue  of  The 
Locomotive  for  October,  1909,  our  attention  has  been  called  to  the  second 
volume  of  "  The  Documentary  History  of  the  State  of  New  York  ",  which  was 
printed  at  Albany,  N.  Y.,  in  1850,  and  edited  by  F.  B.  O'Callaghan,  "  under 
direction  of  the  Hon.  Christopher  Morgan,   Secretary  of   State". 

A  portion  of  this  volume  is  devoted  to  the  question  of  priority  in  the  inven- 
tion of  the  steamboat,  so  far  as  it  relates  to  the  rival  claims  of  Rumsey  and 
Fitch.  It  reprints  in  full,  for  example,  "  A  Short  Treatise  on  the  Application 
of  Steam,  etc. ;  by  James  Rumsey,  of  Berkely  County,  Virginia".  This  was 
originally  printed  in  Philadelphia  in  1788,  and  is  an  attempt,  on  the  part  of 
Rumsey,  to  establish  his  claim  to  the  invention  of  the  steamboat.  The  work 
before  us  also  gives,  in  full,  Fitch's  "  The  Original  Steam-Boat  Supported  ;  Or, 
\  Reply  to  Mr.  James  Rumsey's  Pamphlet".  This  was  also  printed  originally 
in  Philadelphia,  in  1788. 

As  there  are   now   few  historians  who  put   forth   any  claim   to  priority  on 


igio.] 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE. 


53 


Rumsey's  behalf,  we  have  not  thought  it  necessary  to  give  any  extracts  from 
either  of  the  pamphlets  noted  above.  The  "Documentary  History",  contains, 
however,  a  lithographed  sheet  about  20  inches  long  and  16  wide,  prepared  by 
John  Ilutchiiigs  and  dated  1846,  which  has  a  direct  and  (as  it  appears  to  us) 
a  very  important  bearing  upon  the  question  of  priority  between  John  Fitch  and 
Robert  Fulton,  l-'or  this  reason  we  have  thought  that  it  would  be  of  interest 
to  reproduce  the  contents  of  the  sheet,  and  this  we  do,  below,  following  the 
original  faithfully,  even  to  the  spelling,  which  is  here  and  there  somewhat 
erratic,   particularly   where   a   certificate   of    Hatchings'    "voracity"    is   given. 


usfeNARO  sr 


^^-"-'^nCH- 


iCHAMBcn  ST. 


MrJIKlUN     ST 


-JU^JT. 


54 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE. 


[AlRIL, 


At  the  top  of  the  sheet  are  the  following  title  and  introduction : 

"  '  Honor  to  Whom  Honor  is  Due  '. 
"  Origin  of   Steam   Navigation. 
"  A  View  of   Collect   Pond  and   its  Vicinity 
in  the  City  of  New  York  in   1793. 
"  On  which  Pond  the  first  boat,  propelled  by  steam  with  paddle 
wheels    or    screw    propellers    was    constructed    by    John    Fitch, 
six  years  before  Robert  Fulton  made  trial  of  his  boat  upon  the 
River    Seine,    in    France,    and    ten    years    prior    to    his    putting 
into  opperation  his  boat  Clermont  in  New  York;  with  a  repre- 
sentation of  the  boat  and  its  machinery,  on  the  Collect  pond. 
"  By  John  Hutchings, 
"No.  2  Wesley  Place,  IVilliamsburg,  L.  Island. 
"  1846." 

Then   follow   the   data  given  below.     The  arrangement  of  the   sheet  is  not 
very  logical,  and  the  story  is  not  as  consecutive  as  it  might  have  been  made ; 


John  Fitch's  First  Boat  Perseverance 


AS   SEEN   ON    THE   DELAWARE   PhILA.    I787.      SpEED  J   MILES   AN   HOUR. 


but  we  should  be  grateful  to  Mr.  Hutchings  for  the  facts  that  he  has  given  us, 
rather  than  critical  respecting  his  imperfect  literary  style. 

"John  Fitch  was  born  in  Conn.  21th  of  June  1743.  First  we  find  him  a 
farmers  boy,  next  an  apprentice  to  a  Watch-maker,  then  in  a  store  at  Trenton 
N.J.  with  a  stock  valued  at  3000  dolls,  all  of  which  was  destroyed,  when  the 
British  took  Trenton  next  a  Lieutenant  in  the  A.  Army,  taken  prisoner  by  the 
Indians,  and  sold  from  one  tribe  to  another  through  the  N.W.  Territory,  until 
he  was  purchased  by  an  Englishman  and  thus  obtained  his  freedom.  During 
this  time  he  became  acquainted  with  that  part  of  the  country  of  which  he  made 
a  map,  and  although  printed  on  a  common  Cider  press  it  had  an  extenive  sale. 
He  was  then  a  Surveyor  in  Kentucky,  then  a  Civil  Engineer  in  Pa.  and  on  the 
Delaware  made  his  first  experiment  of  &  Steam-Boat  with  paddles,  he  then  left 
America,  and  traveled  through  France  and  England,  but  not  meeting  with  the 
encouragement  anticipated,  became  poor  and  returned  home,  working  his 
passage  as  a  common  sailor  to  Boston,  from  there  to  his  native  town  in  Con- 
necticut, thence  to  New  York,  where  he  remained  some  time,  then  back  to 
Kentucky  where  he  died  in  1798. 


19IO.J  TflE    LOCOMOTIVE.  55 

"  Mr.  John  Hutchings 
Sir 

I  have  a  perfect  recollection  of  having  seen  a  Boat  on  the  Collect  Pond  in 
this  City  with  a  screw  Propeller  in  the  Stern  driven  by  Steam  accross  the  Pond. 
I  do  not  recollect  the  year  but  I  am  certain  that  it  was  as  early  as  1796,  it  was 
about  the  size  of  a  Ships  yawl. 

I  am  Sir  Respectfully 
yours  &c. 
"New  York,  July  3(1,  1846.  Anthony  Lamb. 

Residence,    Albion    Place, 
City  N.  York. 


"This  is  to  Certify,  that  we  have  Personally  known  Mr.  John  Hutchings  of 
the  Village  of  \Villianisl)urg  for  the  last  Forty  years  past,  and  have  the  utmost 
confidence  in  him  for  truth  and  voracity.        New  York,  Octr.   loth  1846. 

RiCH.ARD    L.\VCR.\FT.  M.\TT   O.    HaLSTED 

Residence  178  Franklin  st.  City  N.  Y.       Senior  Partner  of  the  Firm  of  Halsted, 
was  a  member  of  the   first   Methodist       Hains  &  Co.  No.  31  Nassau  At.  N.  Y. 
Class   in   the   City   of    N.   Y.   and   has      Family  Residence  Orange  N.  Jersey. 
been    a    Respectable    member    of    the 
M.  E  Church  from  its  commencement 
in  the  U.  S. 

New  York,  July  3th,  1846. 
"To  Mr.  John  Hutchings 
Dear  Sir, 

It  affords  me  much  pleasure,  to  state :  that  I  was  an  eye  witness  to  the 
circumstance  of  a  Boat,  being  propelled  be  Steam  on  the  Collect  Pond  in  this 
City  about  the  Year  1796  as  exhibited  on  your  Map  and  that  I  have  a  perfect 
recollection  of  all  these  localities  as  there  shewn,  and  you  are  perfectly  welcome 
to  use  my  name  in  connection  with  it. 

Yours, 

Wm.  H.  ]\Iietlock* 

Citv  Survevor. 


"  State  of  New  York 

City  and  County  of  New  York  Ss. 
John  Hutchings  of  Williamsburgh  L.  I.  being  duly  Sworn  deposeth  and 
saith  that  the  facts  set  forth  in  the  foregoing  remarks  and  description  by  him, 
subscribed  are  correct  to  the  best  of  this  deponents  remembrance  and  belief 

John  Hutchings 
"  Sworn    before    me,    this    First    day 
of  December  1846. 

Thomas  S.  Henny 

Com.  of  Deeds  &c. 

"  S.  S.  1797.  8  When  his  health  would  allow  of  moderate  exercise,  he  wrought 
upon  a  model  Boat  about  three  feet  in  length,  at  the  shop  of  Mr.  Howell  Its 
machinery  was  constructed  of  brass.  This  model  Boat  had  wheels,  and  has  been 
seen  floating  in  a  small  stream  near  the  Village  by  persons  now  living.  It  was 
burnt  in  Mr.  Cown's  tavern  in  1805  Nelson  Co.  Kentucky. 
(Spark's  American  Biosrraphy) 
New  Series  Vol.  VI. 

*  [The  signatures  on  the  sheet  are  fac  similes  of  the  orieinals,  and  there  is  some  doubt  if 
this  name  is  Mietlock,  as  it  is  hard  to  decipher.— .fiViV^r  The  Locomotive.] 


56 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE. 


[April, 


"  REMARKS.  In  the  Summer  of  1796  or  7  Mr.  Hutchings,  then  a  lad, 
assisted  Mr.  Fitch  in  steering  the  boat,  and  otherwise  attending  to  the  working 
of  the  Machinery.  At  that  time  Robert  R.  Livingston  Esq.  and  Robert  Fulton 
with  Mr.  Fitch  and  the  lad  Hutchings,  worked  or  passed  several  times  around 
the  pond  on  different  occassions,  white  Mr.  Fitch  explained  to  Livingston  & 
Fulton  the  Modus-Operandi  of  the  Machinery  Mr.  Fitch  having  a  patent  for  his 
invention  from  the  State  of  N.  Y.  I  believe  Mr.  Fitch  to  have  been  the 
original  inventor  of  the  application  of  steam  to  boats  as  a  propelling  power  and 
likewise,  the  two  persons  represented  in  the  drawing  (dressed  in  black)  to  have 
been  Robert  R.  Livingston  Esq.  and  Robert  Fulton.  I  being  a  lad  had  conver- 
sation only  with  Mr.  Fitch.  From  hearsay,  I  believe  Colonel  Stevens  of 
Hoboken,  N.  Jersey,  and  another  person  by  the  name  of  Rosevelt  had  some 
knowledge  of  the  enterprise  and  felt  an  interest  in  its  success.  In  conversation 
Mr.  Fitch  remarked  to  Mr.  Fulton  that  in  a  former  experiment  paddle  wheels 
splashed  too  much  and  could  not  be  used  in  Canal  Navigation.  No  one  in  that 
time,  thought  of  having  them  covered  with  boxes.  They  had  no  doubt,  but  the 
boat  might  be  propelled  6  Miles  per  hour,  (though  then  making  something  less.) 
The  steam  was  sufficiently  high  to  propel  the  boat  once,  twice  or  thrice  around 


the  pond,  when  more  water  being  introduced  into  the  boiler  (or  pot)  and  Steam 
generated  She  was  again  ready  to  start  on  another  expedition  — 

"  DESCRIPTION.  The  boat  was  a  common  long  boat,  or  Yawl  about  18  ft. 
in  length  and  6  ft.  beam,  with  square  stern,  and  round  bows,  with  seats.  She 
was  steered  at  the  bow  with  a  small  oar  when  the  propeller  was  used. 

"  The  boiler  was  a  10  or  12  gallon  iron  pot,  with  a  lid  of  thick  plank,  firmly 
fa.«tened  to  it  by  an  iron  bar,  placed  transversely.  The  Cylinders  were  of  wood, 
barrel  shaped  on  the  outside  and  straight  on  the  inside,  strongly  hooped.  The 
main  steam  pipe  led  directly  from  the  boiler  top  into  a  copper  box,  (about  6 
inches  square)  receiver,  or  valve  box.  The  leading  pipes  led  seperately  into  the 
bottom  or  base  (The  one  short  cylinder  F  and  longer  one  E)  seperate  cylinders 
and  each  piston  rod  was  attached  to  the  extremities  of  the  working  beam.  This 
beam  was  supported  by  an  iron  upright,  the  connecting  rod  was  so  arranged  as 
to  turn  the  crank  of  the  propelling  shaft  which  passed  horrizontally  through  the 
stern  of  the  boat  and  was  made  fast  to  the  propeller  or  screw  as  at  L.  The 
valves  were  worked  by  a  simple  contrivance  attached  likewise  to  the  working 
beam  as  will  be  easily  seen  and  understood  by  refTerence  to  the  attached 
perspective  drawings  — 


i9ioJ  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  57 


"Aj  Boiler.  B,  Maine  pipe.  C,  Valve  box.  D,  Smoke  pipe.  E,  Cylinder 
f,  do.  (J,  Supporter  of  beam.  /,  Conneeting  rod.  J,  Valve  rod.  A',  Crank. 
L,  Serew  propeller.  No.  I,  Mr.  Fitch,  2,  Mr.  I'ulton,  3,  R.  R.  Livingston  Esq. 
4,  Lad  Hutchings. 

"  The  boat,  together  with  a  portion  of  its  machinery  was  abandoned,  by 
Mr.  Fitch,  and  left  to  decay  on  the  muddy  shore  of  the  Collect  Pond  and  was 
carried  away  piece  by  piece  by  the  children  of  the  neighbourhood  for  fuel.  In 
the  .Autumn  Mr.  Fitch  left  New-York  for  Kentucky,  being  forced  to  go  by  his 
pecuniary  and  domestic  troubles.  Having  made  his  last  successful  effort,  to 
succeed  in  this  glorious  enterprise  of   Steam  Navigation. 

"John  Fitch  died  in  Kentucky  in  the  year  1798,  and  if  he  or  R.  Fulton  had 
written  their  own  history,  I  have  no  doubt,  either  one  or  both  of  them  would 
have  left  some  account  of  the  transaction  as  related  here  by  me,  but  finding  no 
account  of  it  in  the  history  of  either,  I  have  given  as  e.xact  an  account  of  it  as 
I  possibly  can.  Having  often  spoken  of  it,  I  do  betieve  my  memory  to  be 
perfectly  correct,  li  his  country  had  furnished.  J.  Fitch  the  means,  we  should 
have  been  blessed  with  Steam  Navigation,  ten  or  fifteen  years  sooner  that  we 
were 

"John  Hutchings. 

"The  progress  of  Steam  Navigation  from  that  date  to  the  present  period  is 
such  that  nearly  all  Navigable  waters  on  the  face  of  the  Globe  have  Steam  boats 
on  them,  thus  fulfilling  Fitch's  prediction  in  a  letter  to  Franklin  dated  Oct.  12th, 

1785. 

"Charles  Brownne  built  the  Clermont  for  Livingston  &  Fulton  in  1806  and 
the  machinery  came  from  England.  James  P.  Allaire  who  is  now,  and  has  been 
manufacturing  machinery  for  Steam  boats,  did  the  brass  and  ornamental  Work 
for  the  Boat,  as  I  was  repeatedly  on  board  the  boat  and  Fulton  was  present  and 
I  then  believed  him  to  be  the  same  man  that  was  with  us  on  the  Collect  in  1796 
or  97.  The  Clermont  left  the  wharf  at  Corlears  Hook  &  made  in  speed  from  4 
to  5  miles  an  hour  1807. 

"  The  World  is  indebted  for  the  original  idea  and  to  the  mechanical  genius 
of  JOHN  FITCH,  of  East  Windsor,  Conn. 

"  And  to  the  perseverance  and  indefatigable  attention  to  the  use  of  Steam 
of  Robert  Fulton  Esq.  Pa.  The  wealth  &  exalted  character  of  Robert  R. 
Livingston  Esq.  Chancellor  of  the  State  of  New  York. 

"  Entered  according  to  act  of  Congress  in  the  year  1846  by  JOHN 
HUTCHINGS  in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  Southern 
District  of  N.  Y. 

"  Census  of  the  City  New  York 
Periods. 

1697  .  .  .  4305  1820  .  .  .  123000 

1699  .  .  .  6000  1825  .  .  .  166088 

1756  .  .  .  13040  1830  .  .  .  203005 

1771  •  •  .  21865  1835  •  •  .  259873 

1790  .  .  .  33231  1840  .  .  .  3 127 ID 

1800  .  .  .  60000  1845  .  .  371702 " 

1810  .  .  .  96373 


58 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE, 


[ArRiL, 


The  illustration  showing  Fulton  and  Fitch  on  the  boat  has  no  cut  line 
under  it  in  the  original,  and  is  placed  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner  of  the  sheet. 
The  one  with  the  tiag  and  pennant  flying  has  the  cut  line  here  given  and  stands 
in  the  upper  right  hand  corner  of  the  sheet.  The  map  occupies  the  center  of  the 
sheet,  and  has  no  cut  line.  The  census  ligures  and  the  little  cut  of  the  Bardstown 
boat  are  placed  below  the  map,  the  cut  just  to  the  right  of  the  center  line  of  the 
sheet,  and  the  figures  just  to  the  left,  so  that  the  two  balance  each  other.  The 
cut  line  under  the  small  illustration  is  as  here  given. 

The  Collect  pond  was  filled  up  in  1817,  and  about  1840  the  Tombs  prison 
was  erected  on  the  square  bounded  by  Elm,  Leonard,  Center,  and  Franklin 
streets,  occupying  the  entire  block.  Li  the  map  before  us  this  square  is  marked 
"  Halls  of  Justice  ",  from  which  we  infer  that  in  1846  the  criminal  courts  were 
held  in  the  Tombs  building.  A  few  years  ago  the  New  Criminal  Courts  build- 
ing was  erected  on  the  square  immediately  north  of  the  Tombs,  and  communica- 
tion between  the  two  squares  is  afforded  by  a  covered  bridge  spanning  Leonard 

the  "  Bridge  of  Sighs  ".  The  middle  of  the 
pond  was  on  the  north  side  of  Leonard  street, 
just  west  of  Center.  Quite  recently  the  New 
Criminal  Courts  building  settled  and  devel- 
oped numerous  cracks,  so  that  it  was  con- 
sidered to  be  in  a  dangerous  condition.  A 
glance  at  the  accompanying  map  will  show 
that  the  ground  upon  which  it  stands  was 
formerly  a  bog,  bordering  on  the  north  edge 
The  Model  Boat  of  the  Collect  pond ;  and  it  will  also  be  seen 

AT  Bardstown,  1797-8.  that  the  pond  itself  was  sixty  feet  deep. 

The  most  striking  part  of  jNIr.  Hutchings'  contribution  is  his  testimony, 
given  under  oath  and  wath  no  hope  of  personal  reward,  to  the  eflfect  that  Fulton 
and  Livingston  were  actual  passengers  on  Fitch's  'boat,  on  the  Collect.  This, 
taken  in  connection  with  the  fact  that  Fulton  lived  in  Philadelphia  when  Fitch 
was  operating  his  boat  there,  and  that  Fulton  afterwards  had  possession  of  all 
of  Fitch's  plans  and  specifications  for  several  months*,  would  seem  to  throw 
the  entire  burden  of  proof  upon  whoever  claims  priority  for  Fulton.  On  the 
face  of  things,  he  appears  to  have  no  reasonable  ground  whatever  for  such  a 
claim. 


street,  which  is  locally  known 


Ix  our  issue  for  January,  1910,  we  took  occasion  to  remark  upon  a 
certain  article  that  was  printed  in  the  Practical  Engineer,  of  Chicago,  and 
which,  in  substance,  was  an  abstract  of  two  that  had  appeared  in  The 
Locomotive.  Our  objection  to  the  article  lay  in  the  fact  that  no  credit  was 
given  to  us  for  the  matter  that  was  thus  taken  from  our  pages.  Since  our 
remarks  were  printed,  we  have  received  from  the  managing  editor  of  the 
Practical  Engineer,  assurances  which  abundantly  satisfy  us  that  the  dis- 
courtesy was  offered  entirely  without  his  knowledge  or  approval ;  and  we 
therefore  desire  to  offer  to  him  and  to  his  paper  the  apology  that  is  due,  and  to 
express  our  regret  with  respect  to  the  entire  incident. 
r*See  The  Locomotive  for  October,  igog,  page  250.] 


iQio]  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  59 


Selling  Second-hand  Boilers. 

Engineers  are  concerned  more  or  less  with  the  clastic  properties  of  materials. 
From  gage  glasses  possessing  little  elasticity  to  rubljer  packing  rings  possessing 
a  great  deal,  the  range  is  very  considerable.  The  elastic  qnalities  of  many  of 
the  materials  and  things  that  lie  within  these  limits  arc  interesting,  but  none  is 
more  inexplicable  or  harder  to  understand  than  the  elasticity  of  the  conscience 
of  the  average  steam  user  when  he  wishes  to  sell  a  second-hand  boiler.  He 
may  be  a  pillar  in  the  community,  and  a  most  conscientious  man  in  all  other 
business  transactions,  but  when  it  comes  to  disposing  of  a  second-hand  boiler, 
he  seems  to  take,  as  it  were,  a  moral  holiday,  and  lets  what  is  unscrupulous  in 
him,  and  hidden  from  sight  under  ordinary  conditions,  run  riot  until  the  boiler 
is  sold. 

We  should  expect  such  a  man  to  say:  "  Here  is  a  boiler  that  has  been  con- 
demned, and  because  it  is  not  good  enough  for  me,  it  is  not  good  enough  for  you, 
and  it  is  valuable  only  as  scrap,  and  I  will  accept  no  greater  amount  than  that 
which  its  weight  justifies;  and  I  have  further  caused  the  word  'Condemned'  to 
be  stenciled  on  the  front  head,  so  that  no  unsuspecting  person  may  be  led  to 
use  this  boiler  as  a  steam  generator,  and  thus  endanger  his  life  and  property  and 
the  lives  of  others."  But  does  he  do  this?  No.  He  gives  the  boiler  a  nice  coat 
of  thick  tar  paint  and  chuckles  at  his  shrewdness  as  he  palms  it  of?  on  an  un- 
suspecting public. 

Just  as  all  horses  offered  for  sale  are  three  years  old,  so  all  second-hand 
boilers  are  offered  for  sale  because  the  plant  has  out-grown  them,  and  they 
are  now  too  small  for  the  work.  Possibly  this  may  be  the  case,  and  it  is  also 
possible  that  the  thick  coat  of  tar  paint  which  is  invariably  given  the  boiler 
when  it  is  oflfered  for  sale  may  be  in  the  nature  of  an  affectionate  testimonial 
on  the  part  of  the  owner  in  behalf  of  the  good  service  the  boiler  has  rendered 
in  the  past;  it  may  be  merely  a  natural  pride  in  having  the  object  which  he 
offers  for  sale  appear  at  its  best,  but  we  doubt  it. 

If  a  factory  closes  down  permanently,  and  the  whole  plant  is  sold  piece- 
meal, then  one  would  be  justified  in  assuming  that  the  boilers  offered  for  sale 
were  in  as  good  condition  as  the  length  of  time  they  had  been  in  service  would 
warrant,  and  in  such  a  case  one  can  expect  to  pay  a  reasonable  price,  and  not  to 
get  a  great  bargain ;  but  it  is  seldom  that  a  large  plant  is  abandoned  and  the 
machinery  sold  in  this  manner,  and  generally  when  a  second-hand  boiler  is 
offered  for  sale  by  a  concern  still  in  operation,  it  is  because  that  boiler  is  no 
good.  —  Power. 

[There  is  much  in  the  foregoing  article  that  prospective  purchasers  should 
bear  in  mind.  Yet  there  are  some  honest  sellers  of  second-hand  boilers,  just 
as  there  are  some  honest  plumbers.  A  boiler  may  be  sold,  for  example,  because 
it  is  not  considered  to  be  safe  at  the  pressure  that  the  seller  finds  it  necessary 
to  carry;  but  this  need  not  of  necessity  signify  that  it  would  be  dangerous  at  a 
lower  pressure,  such  as  might  suffice  for  the  man  who  is  to  buy  it.  Yet  buying 
a  second-hand  boiler  is  a  good  deal  like  buying  a  pig  in  a  poke,  unless  the  said 
boiler  has  a  certificate  of  good  character  from  some  competent  inspector  who  has 
known  it  in  its  better  days.—  Editor  The  Locomotive.] 


60  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [April^ 

Water-Back  and  Kitchen  Boiler  Explosions. 

In  our  regular  lists  of  boiler  explosions  we  do  not  include  explosions  of 
water-backs  connected  with  kitchen  ranges,  nor  do  we  include  kitchen  boilers 
of  any  kind,  unless  it  appears  that  they  were  of  a  size  or  design  that  would 
fairly  entitle  them  to  be  classed  as  something  more  than  ordinary  domestic 
tanks.  Kitchen  boilers  and  water-backs  frequently  explode,  however,  and  ofteru 
with  serious  consequences.  A  number  of  cases  of  this  sort  have  come  to  our 
attention  since  the  first  of  the  year,  although  we  make  no  effort  to  collect  data 
regarding  them.     A  few  examples  are  given  below. 

January  5,  1910.  A  hot-water  boiler  attached  to  a  kitchen  range  exploded, 
in  a  dwelling  house  at  327  Sip  avenue,  Jersey  City  Heights,  N.  J.  The  explo- 
sion was  doubtless  due  to  the  freezing  of  the  water-pipe  between  the  tank  and 
the  city  main.  Live  coals  were  scattered  about  by  the  explosion,  and  fire 
ensued,  with  a  resulting  property  damage  estimated  at  $200. 

January  5.  A  hot-water  boiler  exploded  at  240  Main  street,  Everett,  Mass., 
injuring  Mrs.  Esther  Williams.  The  accident  was  due  to  the  freezing  of  the: 
water-pipe 

January  5.  An  accident  of  almost  identically  the  same  nature  occurred  at 
83  Birch  street,  Roslindale,  Mass.,  injuring  Mrs.  Catherine  Hastings. 

January  13.  During  the  course  of  a  fire,  a  kitchen  boiler  exploded  in  the 
residence  of  Albert  Wood,  3224  Pierce  street,  San  Francisco,  Calif.  In  this- 
case  the  explosion  appears  to  have  been  the  result  of  the  fire,  and  not  its  cause. 

February  7.  A  hot-water  boiler  exploded  in  the  kitchen  of  the  Memorial 
Hospital,  Morristown,  N.  J.  Jennie  Hendershot  and  two  other  employees  were 
seriously  burned.  Windows,  doors,  and  walls  were  shattered.  The  kitchen  and 
its  contents  were  wrecked,  and  adjoining  rooms  were  much  damaged.  The 
force  of  the  explosion  may  be  inferred  from  the  fact  that  an  opening  was  blowa 
through  a  twelve-inch  brick  wall.  The  property  loss  was  estimated  at  fromi 
$3,000  to  $4,000,  and  the  probable  cause  of  the  explosion  is  not  stated. 

February  7.  A  water-back  exploded  in  the  cooking  range  of  the  Tiffin? 
Dining  Club,  114  State  street,  Boston,  Mass.,  setting  fire  to  the  place,  with  a. 
resulting  loss  estimated  at  $35,000.  The  explosion  is  said  to  have  been  caused 
by  the  freezing  of  the  water-pipe. 

February  7.  A  hot-water  boiler,  or  tank,  exploded  in  Max  Herzka's 
restaurant.  West  Twenty-eighth  street.  New  York  City.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Herzka 
and  Mary  Phillips  were  badly  burned,  and  it  was  thought  that  Mrs.  Herzka 
could  not  recover.  The  restaurant  was  badly  damaged,  and  the  wreckage  took 
fire,  the  total  property  loss  being  estimated  at  $5,000.  The  accident  was  said 
to  be  due  to  the  freezing  of  the  water-pipe. 

February  10.  A  water-back  exploded  in  A.  E.  Miller's  residence,  Hinton,. 
W.  Va.  The  stove  was  completely  demolished  and  a  number  of  windows  were 
broken.     The  accident  was  attributed  to  the  freezing  of  the  water-pipe. 

February  24.  A  boiler  attached  to  a  gas  range  exploded  in  the  residence 
of  Luther  D.  Wishard,  175  South  Mountain  avenue,  Montclair,  N.  J.  Miss- 
Janet  Wishard,  Laura  Green,  and  Kate  Dawson  were  seriously  injured,  and  it 
was  considered  doubtful  if  any  of  them  could  recover.  The  kitchen  was 
wrecked.  We  have  seen  no  estimate  of  the  property  loss,  nor  any  statement 
as  to  the  probable  cause  of  the  accident. 


igio.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE  g^ 


It  will  be  noted  that  the  reason  assigned  for  the  explosion  in  most  of  these 
cases  is  the  freezing  of  the  supply  pipe,  or  feed  pipe,  extending  from  the  boiler 
or  the  water-back  to  the  city  or  town  main.  A  word  of  explanation  in  regard 
to  this  may  not  be  amiss.  Kitchen  boilers  in  this  country  rarely  are  provided 
with  safety  valves,  though  such  valves  are  in  common  use,  we  arc  informed, 
in  England.  When  the  heating  arrangements  are  operating  as  they  are  intended 
to  operate,  the  pipe  by  which  the  boiler  or  water-back  is  supplied  with  water 
is  freely  open,  and  hence  the  pressure  in  the  boiler  cannot  exceed  that  in  the 
city  main.  If  the  water  in  the  boiler  is  expanded  by  being  warmed,  or  if  the 
fires  are  run  so  vigorously  as  to  generate  steam,  a  portion  of  the  water  in  the 
boiler  merely  backs  out  into  the  water  main,  and  there  is  no  increase  of 
pressure. 

If,  on  the  other  hand,  the  feed  pipe  through  which  water  is  introduced  into 
the  boiler  becomes  sealed  by  freezing,  then  the  boiler  or  water-back  has  no 
means  of  relieving  itself,  and  the  expansion  of  the  water  by  heat  is  attended 
by  the  development  of  a  considerable  pressure;  and  the  formation  of  steam,  if 
it  occurs,  may  easily  cause  the  boiler  or  the  water-back  to  explode  violently. 

It  will  be  seen,  therefore,  that  it  is  highly  important,  before  building  a  fire 
in  a  cold  house  where  the  range  has  a  water-back,  to  assure  one's  self  that  the 
feed  pipe  is  not  frozen.  This  may  easily  be  done  by  opening  the  faucet  at  the 
kitchen  sink,  through  which  hot  water  is  drawn  when  the  range  is  operating 
normally.  If  there  is  a  free  flow  from  it,  we  may  be  assured  that  the  supply 
pipe  is  not  frozen.  There  may,  of  course,  be  a  temporary  flow,  with  but  little 
force,  due  to  the  head  or  pressure  already  in  the  pipes  in  the  house;  but  any 
flow  due  to  this  cause  will  quickly  cease,  and  the  cessation  must  be  interpreted 
as  a  danger  signal. 

Stoppage  of  the  supply  pipe  from  any  cause  other  than  freezing  will  of 
course  have  a  result  similar  in  all  respects  to  that  due  to  the  actual  freezing. 
For  example,  every  house  has  a  "  shut-off "  valve  on  its  water  system,  this 
being  usually  located  where  the  pipe  enters  the  building,  in  the  basement.  If 
this  valve  is  closed  for  any  reason,  the  free  communication  between  the  boiler 
and  the  mains  is  thereby  interrupted,  and  an  explosion  upon  building  a  fire  in 
thp  range  is  the  probable  result.  In  addition  to  the  general  "  shut  off "  in  the 
basement,  a  valve  is  sometimes  placed  upon  the  hot-water  pipe  near  the  kitchen 
range,  on  the  street  side  of  the  range  and  its  boiler,  so  that  the  entire  hot  water 
system  may  be  isolated  without  shutting  off  the  cold  water  supply  from  the 
rest  of  the  house.  Valves  of  this  sort  constantly  invite  trouble.  They  are 
intended  for  use  only  in  case  of  leakage  developing  about  the  boiler  or  the 
piping,  and  they  should  never  be  closed  except  in  real  emergencies  ;  and  when 
they  are  closed,  a  faucet  somewhere  on  the  hot-water  system  should  be  opened 
at  the  same  time,  so  that  the  boiler  may  be  relieved  of  pressure  in  case  the 
fire  in  the  range  generates  steam  in  the  water-back.  It  is  safest  to  fasten  these 
emergency  valves  in  the  open  position  by  wiring  their  wheels,  so  that  they 
cannot  be  accidentally  closed ;  and  if  this  cannot  be  done  conveniently,  the 
valves  should  be  provided  with  tags  warning  the  would-be  operator  not  to 
close  them. 

In  houses  in  which  the  tenants  use  a  basement  laundry  in  common,  valves 
are  almost  invariably  provided  upon  the  hot  water  systems  in  the  several 
kitchens ;  but  these  should  always  be  put  between  the  boiler  and  the  laundry 


62  THE    LOCOMOTIVE  [April. 

tubs,  and  never  between  the  boiler  and  the  city  main.  In  fact,  they  always  are 
so  placed,  except  by  gross  error  on  the  part  of  the  pipe-fitter ;  for  if  they  are 
placed  on  the  wrong  side  of  the  boiler  they  will  not  only  shut  off  communica- 
tion with  the  laundry,  but  will  also  (when  closed)  make  it  impossible  to  draw 
hot  water  even  at  the  kitchen  sink. 

In  some  cases  check  valves  are  placed  between  the  street  main  and  the 
boiler,  to  prevent  hot  water  from  backing  out  through  the  water  meter  in  event 
of  the  generation  of  steam.  This,  of  course,  is  a  dangerous  practice,  since,  as 
we  have  already  sufficiently  explained,  the  safety  of  the  whole  place  depends 
upon  permitting  the  water  to  back  out  freely  in  this  manner ;  and  it  is  far 
more  important  to  protect  the  building  and  its  inmates  than  it  is  to  protect  the 
water  meter.  Moreover,  the  water  meter  may  be  adequately  protected  in  a 
much  better  way, —  namety,  by  placing  a  cold-water  tank  of  generous  capacity 
between  the  boiler  and  the  main,  and  locating  the  meter  on  the  street  side  of 
this  tank.  Hot  water  from  the  boiler  will  then  back  out  into  the  intermediate 
tank,  thereb}'  displacing  cold  water  from  the  tank  out  through  the  meter. 

That  the  placing  of  a  check  valve  upon  the  water-pipe  between  the  boiler 
and  the  main  is  a  real  source  of  danger,  was  abundantly  shown  in  the  issue 
of  The  Locomotive  for  December,  1903,  where  an  explosion  due  to  this  cause 
is  illustrated  and  described. 

Returning  to  the  matter  of  frozen  pipes,  it  should  be  borne  in  mind  that 
the  test  proposed  above,  of  trying  the  hot-water  faucet  before  building  a  fire, 
will  not  detect  stoppage  of  the  pipes  between  the  water-back  and  the  boiler. 
If  both  the  pipes  connecting  these  two  are  frozen  solidly,  the  water-back  will 
be  thereby  shut  off  from  communication  with  the  boiler,  while  the  boiler  itself 
may  yet  be  in  free  communication  with  the  city  main.  Building  a  fire  in  the 
range  will  then  be  very  likely  to  cause  a  disastrous  explosion  of  the  water- 
back,  although  no  harm  would  come  to  the  boiler.  To  prevent  an  accident  of 
this  kind,  judgment  must  be  exercised.  If  it  is  known,  for  example,  that  the 
kitchen  has  been  less  cold  than  the  pipes  have  been  elsewhere,  it  may  be  reason- 
ably inferred  that  the  water-back  is  not  frozen,  provided  the  rest  of  the  pipes 
are  free.  If  there  is  any  doubt,  no  fire  should  be  built  in  the  range  until  the 
kitchen  has  been  heated  by  other  means  (say  by  gas  or  by  lamps  or  by  warm 
air  from  other  rooms)  to  a  temperature  well  above  the  freezing  point  (32° 
Fahr.),  for  a  considerable  time. 

A  frozen  water-back  may  also  be  thawed  out  without  danger  by  keeping  a 
very  light  fire  of  paper  or  shavings  in  the  range,  provided  care  is  taken  to 
prevent  the  range  from  becoming  more  than  moderately  warm  in  the  region  of 
the  water-back.  We  have  some  hesitation  in  making  this  suggestion,  however, 
because  if  the  operation  is  not  carried  out  intelligently,  it  may  lead  to  the  very 
result  that  it  is  designed  to  prevent.  The  running  of  such  a  light  fire,  for  thaw- 
ing the  water-back,  should  certainly  not  be  entrusted  to  an  ordinary  domestic 
servant. 


There  is  a  slight  but  unimportant  error  on  page  253  of  the  issue  of  The 
Locomotive  for  October,  1909,  in  the  article  entitled  "  Robert  Fulton  or  John 
Fitch. "  The  third  signature  should  read  "  Luke  E.  Wood,  Committee", — not 
"  Luke  E.  Wood,  Senate  Committee  ".  The  error  arose  from  a  misunderstand- 
ing of  the  official  record. 


me  Hartlom  Steani  Boiler  lospeciioq  aqd  lusuraqce  Company. 


ABSTRACT  OF  STATEMENT,  JANUARY   1,  1910. 
Capital  Stock,       .         .         .       $1,000,000.00. 

ASSETS. 

Cash   on    hand   and    in   course   of   transmission,        ....  $154,845.83 

Premiums   in    course    of   collection 228,048.46 

Real    estate, 93,600.00 

Loaned  on  bond  and  mortgage, 1.107,060.00 

Stocks  and  bonds,  market  value, 3,063,476.00 

Interest  accrued 67.580.50 


Total  Assets, $4,714,610.79 


LIABILITIES. 

Re-insurance  Reserve, 

Losses  unadjusted, 

Commissions  and  brokerage, 

Other  liabilities    (taxes  accrued,  etc.). 

Capital  Stock, 

Surplus, 

Surplus  as  regards  Policy-holders, 

Total  Liabilities,       .... 


$1,943,732.29 
90,93953 
45,609.69 
41.83550 


^1,000,000.00 

1,592,493.78 


$2,592,493.78        2,592.49378 


$4,714,610.79 


On   January    i,    1910.   The   Hartford   Steam   Boiler  Inspection  and  In- 
surance Company  had  104,589  steam  boilers  under  insurance. 


L.   B.   BRAINERD,  President  and  Treasurer. 

FRANCIS  B.  ALLEN,  Vice-President.  CHAS.  S.  BLAKE,  Secretary. 

L.   F.   MIDDLEBROOK,  Assistant  Secretary. 

W.    R.    C.    CORSON,    Assistant    Secretary. 

A.  S.  WiCKHAM,   Superintendent  of  Agencies. 

E.  J.  Murphy,  1M.  E.,  Consulting  Engineer. 

F.  M.  Fitch,  Auditor. 

Board   of   directors. 


CHARLES  M.  BEACH,  of  Beach  &  Co., 
Hartford,    Conn. 

GEORGE  BURNHAM,  Baldwin  Locomo- 
tive   Works,    Philadelphia. 

PHILIP  CORBIN.  Prest.  American  Hard- 
ware  Corporation,    New   Britain,    Conn. 

ATWOOD  COLLINS,  Prest.  Security 
Co.,    Hartford,    Conn. 

LUCIUS  F.  ROBINSON,  Attorney, 
Hartford,    Conn. 

JOHN  O.  ENDERS,  U.  S.  Bank,  Hart- 
ford,   Conn. 

LYMAN  B.  BRAINERD,  Director,  Swift 
&    Company. 

MORGAN  b'  BRAINARD,  Treasurer 
JEtna    Life    Insurance    Co. 


F.  B.  .A.LLEN,  Vice-Prest.,  Hartford  Steam 
Boiler   Inspection   and   Insurance   Co. 

CHARLES  P.  COOLEY,  Vice-Prest  Fi- 
delity Trust  Company,  Hartford,  Conn. 

ARTHUR  L.  SHIPMAN,  Attorney,  Hart- 
ford.   Conn. 

GEORGE  C.  KIMB.\LL,  President  Smyth 
Manufacturing   Co.,   Hartford,   Conn. 

CHARLES    M.    JARVIS,    ist    Vice-Prest., 

.American   Hardware   Corporation,   New 

Britain,    Conn. 
FRANCIS      T.      M.\XWELL,      President. 

Hockanum   Mills   Co.,    Rockville,   Conn. 
HORACE       B.       CHENEY,       of      Cheney 

Brothers       Silk      Manufacturing      Co.. 

South   Manchester,    Conn. 


'^}xx.,V,.~,,-l, 


Incorporated  1866. 


Charter  Perpetual. 


Tlie  llarKoril  Steani  Boiler  Iqspectioii  aqd  iQSuiaiiGG  Goiqpaiiy 

ISSUES  POLICES  OF  INSURAIfCE  COVERING 

ALL  LOSS  OF  PROPERTY 

AS  WELL  AS  DAMAGE  RESULTING  FROM 

LOSS  OF  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  INJURIES  DUE  TO  EXPLOSIONS 
OF  STEAM  BOILERS  OR  FLY  WHEELS. 

J^u//  information  concerning  the  Co^npany's  Operations  can  be  obtained  at 

afiy  of  its  Agencies. 


Department. 

NEW   YORK, 


BOSTON,     .       . 
PHILADELPHIA, 

BALTIMORE,     . 

ATLANTA, 
BIRMINGHAM, 
NEW  ORLEANS. 
HARTFORD,      . 

BRIDGEPORT, 
PITTSBURG, 
CLEVELAND, 
CINCINNATI, 
CHICAGO,  . 
ST.  LOUIS, 
DENVER,    . 
SAN  FRANCISCO, 
PORTLAND,      . 


Representatives. 
C.  C.  Gardiner,  Manager, 
W.  W.  Manning,  Acting  Chief  Insp., 


C.  E.  Roberts,  Manager, 

F.  S.  Allen,  Chief  Inspector, 

CoRBiN  &  Goodrich,  Gen.  Agents, 
Wm.  J.  Farran,  Chief  Inspector, 
S.  B.  Adams,  Asst.  Chief  Inspector 

Lawford  &  McKiM,  Gen.  Agents, 
R.  E.  MuNRO,  Chief  Inspector, 


W.  M.  Francis^  Manager, 

W.  M.  Francis,  Chief  Inspector, 

George  C.  Oliver,  General  Agent, 

H.  E.  Stringfellow,  Chief  Inspector, 

Peter  F.  Pescud,  General  Agent, 

R.  T.  BuRWELL,  Chief  Inspector, 

F.  H.  Williams,  Jr.,  General  Agent, 

H.  C.  Long,  Special  Agent, 

F.  H.  Kenyon,  Special  Agent, 

F.  S.  Allen,  Chief  Inspector, 

W.  G.  Lineburgh  &  Son,  Gen.  Agts., 

F.  S.  Allen,  Chief  Inspector, 

James  W.  Arrott,  Ltd.,  Gen.  Agt., 

Benjamin  Ford,  Chief  Inspector, 

H.  A.  Baumhart,  Manager, 

H.  A.  Baumhart,  Chief  Inspector, 

W.  E.  Gleason,  Manager, 

B.  F.  Cooper,  Chief  Inspector, 
H.  M.  Lemon,  Manager, 
James  L.  Foord,  Chief  Inspector, 
V.  Hugo,  Manager, 

V.  Hugo,  Chief  Inspector, 
Thos.  E.  Shears,  General  Agent, 
Thos.  E.  Shears,  Chief  Inspector, 
H.  R.  Mann  &  Co.,  General  Agents, 
J.  B.  Warner,  Chief  Inspector, 
McCargar,  Bates  &  Lively,  G.  Agts., 

C.  B.  Paddock,  Chief  Inspector, 


OfBces. 
New  York  City,  N.  Y., 

100  William  St. 
Boston,  Mass., 

loi   Milk  St. 
Providence,   R.   I., 

17  Custom  House  St. 
Philadelphia,  Pa., 

432  Walnut  St. 

Baltimore,  Md., 

14  Abell  Bldg. 
Washington,  D.   C, 

511  Eleventh  St.,  N.W. 
Atlanta,  Ga., 

611-613  Empire  Bldg. 
Birmingham,  Ala., 

Brown-Marx  Bldg. 
New  Orleans,  La., 

833-835  Gravier  St. 
Hartford,  Conn., 

56  Prospect  St. 


Bridgeport,  Conn., 

I  Sanford  Building. 
Pittsburg,  Pa., 

401  Wood  Street. 
Cleveland,   Ohio, 

Century  Building. 
Cincinnati,  Ohio. 

67-69  Mitchell  Bldg. 
Chicago,  111., 

169  Jackson  Bvd. 
St.  Louis,  Mo., 

319  North  Fourth  St. 
Denver.  Col..  Room  2, 

Jacobson  Bldg. 
San  Francisco.  Cal., 

Merchants'  Ex.  Bldg. 
Portland,  Ore., 

Failing   Building. 


COPYRIGHT,   t910,   BY  THE  HARTFORD  STEAM   BOILER  INSPECTION  AND  INSURANCE  CO. 


Vol.  XXVIII.  HARTFORD,  CONN.,  JULY  25,  1910. 


No.  3. 


Watep-Hammer  Action  in  Steam  Boilers. 

"  Water-hammer  action  "  is  the  action  that  occurs,  in  a  steam  boiler  or  in 
steam  piping,  when  a  mass  of  water  is  driven  with  a  considerable  velocity 
against  a  solid  body,  or  against  another  mass  of  water,  in  such  a  way  as  to 
have  its  motion  suddenly  checked  or  destroyed..  Under  these  circumstances  a 
severe  momentary  pressure  is  generated  in  the  region  where  the  collision  occurs, 


Fig.  I.  —  Formation  of  a  Bubble. 

just  as  there  is  when  we  bring  a  heavy  sledge 
hammer  down  forcibly  upon  an  anvil.  If  the 
moving  water  strikes  directly  against  the  boiler  shell, 

the  pressure  is  also  exerted  directly  against  the  shell;  p  The  Cylindrical 

while   if  the   moving   mass   is    stopped   by   colliding  Plug  of  Water 

with  another  rnass  of  water,  the  pressure  arises   in 

the  midst  of  the  fluid,  w'here  the  collision  occurs.  In  the  latter  case,  however, 
a  pressure-wave  is  generated  in  the  water,  and  this  travels  forward  until  it 
presently  comes  to  bear  against  the  shell  of  the  boiler.  In  either  case,  there- 
fore, the  shell  will  be  subjected  to  a  shock,  as  the  result  of  the  sudden  stoppage 
of  the  moving  water;  and  under  suitable  conditions  this  shock  may  be  very 
heavy  indeed  —  quite  sufficient,  in   fact,  to  rend  the  boiler  in  pieces. 

Conditions  for  the  De\telop.ment  of  Water-Hammer  Action. 

It  is  plain,  from  what  has  been  said,  that  the  immediate  conditions  for 
the  development  of  water-hammer  action  are  two  in  number,  (i)  Some  portion 
of  the  water  must  be  caused  to  move  with  a  considerable  speed,  and  (2)  this 
moving  mass  must  strike  against  the  boiler,  or  against  another  mass  of  water, 
in  such  a  way  that  its  own  speed  is  suddenly  checked  or  destroyed.  The  pres- 
sure that  is  generated  is  only  momentary,  but  it  may  be  of  great  intensity  during 
the  instant  that  it  lasts. 

The  violent  commotion  which  precedes  and  leads  to  the  water-hammer 
effect  cannot  arise  unless  there  are  sensible  differences  of  pressure  or  of  tem- 
perature, within  the  boiler.  There  can  be  no  water-hammer  action,  for  example, 
in  a  boiler  whose  contents  are  everywhere  at  the  same  temperature  and  pressure. 


> 


QQ  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [July, 

In  practice  we  find  that  the  action  develops  in  undrained  steam  pipes  when 
steam  is  turned  into  them,  and  in  boilers  that  are  being  cut  in  (*)  with  a  steam 
main  that  is  already  in  communication  with  other  boilers ;  but  in  order  to 
realize  it,  the  conditions  referred  to  above  must  be  fulfilled.  That  is,  the  water 
and  steam  must  be  at  different  pressures,  or  at  different  temperatures. 

When  a  boiler  is  cut  into  a  steam  main,  it  will  be  the  difference  in  pressure 
that  determines  the  action,  provided  the  pressure  in  the  boiler  exceeds  that  in 
the  main ;  for  when  we  open  the  stop-valve  imder  these  circumstances,  the 
water  in  the  boiler  will  tend  to  "  lift,"  and  considerable  masses  of  it  may  be 
thrown  against  the  shell,  with  a  resultant  shock  that  may  be  sufficient  to  produce 
rupture. 

Converse^,  if  the  pressure  in  the  boiler  is  less  than  that  in  the  main,  the 
action  will  be  primarily  due  to  the  difference  in  temperature  between  the  steam 
in  the  pipe  and  the  water  in  the  boiler.     (This  will  appear  later.) 

The  case  in  which  the  pressure  in  the  boiler  is  greater  than  that  in  the 
pipe,  and  the  action  consists  in  the  lifting  of  the  water,  is  undoubtedly  the  better 
understood  of  the  two,  and  we  shall  therefore  dwell,  in  this  article,  upon  the 
second  case,  in  which  the  pressure  in  the  boiler  is  less  than  that  in  the  main. 
This  second  case  appears  to  be  widely  misunderstood  by  engineers  in  general, 
and  yet  it  is  the  one  that  is  most  likely  to  arise  in  practice ;  for  in  firing  up  a 
boiler  that  has  been  out  of  service  for  a  time,  the  attendant  is  far  more  likely 
to  cut  it  in  as  soon  as  the  pressure  approaches  that  in  the  main,  than  he  is  to 
wait  until  it  is  higher  than  that  in  the  main.  In  fact,  it  is  a  more  or  less  common 
(though  highly  dangerous)  practice,  to  cut  in  the  boiler  as  soon  as  the  pressure 
comes  up  to  within  (say)  ten  or  fifteen  pounds  of  that  prevailing  in  the  pipe 
line  at  the  time. 

Our  attention  has  been  called  quite  recently  to  a  plant  in  the  South,  where 
the  practice  was,  for  a  time,  to  fill  up  a  boiler  with  comparatively  cold  water, 
and  then  to  open  its  stop-valve  at  once,  so  that  the  steam  in  the  main  would 
assist  in  bringing  the  water  up  to  the  operating  temperature.  It  seems  incredible 
that  this  can  be  true,  and  the  boiler  still  remain  upon  earth ;  but  from  the 
representations  that  have  been  made  to  us  we  are  forced  to  believe  it.  At  all 
events  the  practice  has  been  discontinued  in  that  particular  plant,  on  account 
of  certain  emphatic  counsel  given  by  our  inspector.  The  superintendent  of 
the  plant  admitted,  by  the  way,  that  the  boiler  occasionally  "jumped  some  "• 
while  it  was  being  warmed  up.  Why  it  didn't  jump  a  couple  of  miles  is  a 
mystery  that  we  cannot  solve. 

The  Two  Points  of  View. 

We  may  look  at  the  water-hammer  problem  from  two  different  points  of 
view.  Thus  we  may  ask  ourselves  (i)  what  pressure  may  be  produced  within 
a  boiler  by  water-hammer  action,  or  we  may  ask  (2)  what  is  the  maximum 
mechanical  work  that  can  be  performed,  under  given  circumstances. 

The  first  of  these  questions  cannot  be  answered  with  any  approach  to  pre- 
cision, partly  because  we  never  know,  in  any  given  case,  just  how  the  water  in 
the  boiler  is  thrown  about,  and  partly  because  the  entire  theory  of  impact  is 
still   in   an   imperfect   state,   as   we   have   already   explained   at   some   length,   in 


*  For  the  benefit  of  the  non-tpchrical  reader,  it  mav  be  well  to  explain  that  "  cuttin;?  in  " 
a  boiler  is  the  act  of  puttinsr  a  boiler  that  has  been  nreviouelv  isolated,  into  full  and  free  com- 
munication with  a  steam  main  that  is  already  carrying  the  pressure  from  other  boilers. 


I9IO.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  ^7 


the   issue   of   The  Locomotive   for   July,    1909.     The   second   question   can   be 
definitely  answered,  however,  since,  in  solving  it,  we  do  not  need  to  know  the 
exact  way  in  which  the  disturbance  of  the  water  takes  place. 
We  shall  take  up  these  two  questions  in  order. 

Nature  ok  the  Disti  kh.xnce  in  the  Boiler. 

In  dealing  with  the  momentary  pressure  that  water-hammer  can  produce 
in  a  boiler,  we  have,  first,  to  go  over  a  line  of  reasoning  very  similar  to  that 
given  in  The  Locomotive  for  July,  1909;  so  that  we  can  here  treat  the  matt«r 
more  briefly  than  might  otherwise  be  permissible,  referring  the  reader,  for  a 
further  elucidation  of  the  principles  involved,  to  the  articles  in  the  issue  cited. 

The  steam  that  is  discharged  into  the  boiler  from  the  main  disturbs  the 
surface  of  the  water  there,  and  generates  waves;  and  the  moment  one  of  these 
waves  breaks,  so  as  to  form  a  sort  of  bubble  enclosing  some  of  the  steam,  the 
water-hammer  action  begins.  (See  Fig.  i.)  For,  by  hypothesis,  the  water  is 
somewhat  cooler  than  the  steam  (on  account  of  the  original  pressure  in  the 
boiler  being  lower  than  that  in  the  main),  and  it  follows  that  the  steam  enclosed 
within  the  bubble  will  condense,  leaving  a  partially  vacuous  space  there.  The 
pressure  acting  upon  the  surface  of  the  water  will  then  close  the  bubble  up 
almost  instantly,  the  water  that  forms  its  upper  wall  being  brought  down  against 
that  which  forms  the  bottom  of  it,  with  great  speed  and  corresponding  violence. 
The  hammering  action  thus  initiated  will  increase  the  disturbance  in  the  water, 
and  larger  and  larger  bubbles  will  be  formed  in  the  same  way,  with  the  pro- 
duction of  increasingly  violent  shocks  when  they  collapse. 

A  more  concrete  idea  may  be  had  of  the  action  by  considering  the  familiar 
operation  of  blowing  steam  into  cold  water  from  a  small  pipe.  A  bubble  of 
steam  forms  momentarily,  and  is  immediately  condensed  by  the  cooler  water, 
the  sides  of  the  bubble  coming  together  with  a  resounding  crack.  In  the 
boiler  the  case  is  similar,  save  that  the  experiment  is  there  performed  on  a 
terrible  scale,  with  steam  furnished  by  a  battery  of  boilers,  through  a  six-inch 
pipe  (perhaps)  instead  of  a  quarter-inch  one.  and  with  the  bubbles,  quite  likely 
as  big  as  water-pails,  collapsing  under  a  pressure  of  100  pounds  or  so,  per 
square  inch,  instead  of  under  simple  atmospheric  pressure. 

Ide.\l  Case  of  a  Cylindrical  Plug  of  Water. 

In  order  to  estimate  the  magnitude  of  the  momentary  pressure  that  is 
produced  in  the  water  by  these  sudden  shocks,  we  proceed  as  follows : 

Consider  first  (as  in  our  previous  article  of  July,  1909,  already  cited),  the 
case  of  a  cylindrical  plug  of  water,  moving  along  the  interior  of  a  smooth, 
cylindrical  tube  which  it  just  fills.  (Sec  Fig.  2.)  Underneath  the  plug  there 
is  a  space  which  is  filled,  at  the  outset,  with  steam  fresh  from  the  main  steam 
pipe,  and  having,  therefore,  a  temperature  higher  than  that  of  the  water  in 
the  boiler.  Now  let  us  suppose  that  the  imaginary  tube  in  which  the  plug 
travels  is  surrounded  by  water  at  the  temperature  that  prevails  in  the  boiler, 
and  that  the  walls  of  the  tube  are  not  real  walls,  of  metal,  but  that  they  are 
imaginary,  permitting  the  free  passage  of  heat,  while  not  allowing  the  water 
composing  the  plug  to  flow  out  sidewise. 

L'nder  these  circumstances  the  steam  under  the  plug,  being  surrounded  by 
water  cooler  than  itself,  will  partially  condense.  Its  pressure  will  promptly 
fall,  in  fact,  to  the  pressure  corresponding  to  the  temperature  of  the  water. 


68  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [July, 

If  we  represent  the  pressure  in  the  steam  main  by  />i,  and  the  reduced  pres- 
sure below  the  plug  by  p2,  and  if  we  also  assume  that  the  sectional  area  of  the 
plug  is  one  square  inch,  we  see  that  (as  indicated  in  Fig.  2)  the  plug  is  subject 
to  a  downwardly-directed  force  equal  to  pi,  and  an  upwardly-directed  force 
equal  to  pi.  Since  pi  is  greater  than  p2,  the  resultant  force  acting  on  the  plug 
is  downward,  and  equal  to  pi  —  p2.  In  forcing  the  plug  downward  through  a 
distance  of  V  inches,  so  as  to  cause  the  space  under  it  to  disappear,  the  work 
done  by  the  steam  is  therefore   (^pi  —  pi)  V  inch-pounds. 

As  soon  as  the  plug  strikes  the  water  below  it,  a  pressure  is  produced  at 
the  surface  where  the  two  come  together,  accompanied  by  a  local  compression 
of  the  water  along  that  surface,  in  the  vertical  direction.  This  pressure  at  the 
surface  of  contact  acts  downward  on  the  free  substratum  of  water,  and  upward 
on  the  water-plug.  The  motion  of  the  plug  is  arrested  at  this  point,  but  the 
rear  (or  upper)  part  of  the  plug  will  continue  to  press  forward,  for  a  moment, 
after  the  front  part  has  become  stationary.  So  far  as  the  pressure  within  the 
water  is  concerned,  the  effect  will  be  as  though  there  were  a  wave  of  com- 
pression transmitted  through  the  water,  traveling  with  the  same  velocity  as 
sound  (since  sound  is  only  a  succession  of  compression  waves).  As  soon  as 
the  wave  of  compression  has  passed  back  through  the  plug  and  reached  its  rear 
(or  upper)  surface,  this  rear  surface  will  also  become  stationary,  and  for  an 
instant  the  entire  plug  will  be  motionless  and  in  a  state  of  uniform  compression. 
The  compressive  stress  to  which  it  is  subjected  at  this  instant,  by  reason  of 
its  own  sudden  loss  of  momentum,  is,  in  fact,  the  "  water-hammer  pressure " 
that  we  are  seeking  to  determine. 

The  water  below  the  plug  will  be  compressed,  in  just  the  same  way  as  is 
the  water  of  the  plug  itself;  and  since  the  compression  wave  will  have  the 
same  velocity,  downward  through  the  free  water,  as  it  has  backward  through 
the  plug  itself,  it  follows  that  at  the  moment  when  the  pressure-wave  reaches 
the  back  end  of  the  plug  (the  length  of  which  we  will  call  W  inches),  it  will 
also  have  penetrated  the  water  below  the  plug  to  the  same  distance.  Hence, 
at  the  instant  the  plug  comes  to  rest,  there  will  be  a  total  volume  of  water  under 
compression,  equal  to  2W  cubic  inches  (the  sectional  area  of  the  plug  being  one 
square  inch)  ;  half  of  this  being  the  volume  of  the  plug  itself,  and  the  other 
half  being  the  volume  of  that  part  of  the  free  water  which  is  also  at  the  same 
time  under  an  equal  compression. 

If  we  think  of  this  volume,  2]]^,  as  being  under  a  momentary  uniform  com- 
pression equal  to  P  lbs.  per  square  inch,  we  may  deduce  the  pressure,  P,  by  the 
following  process:  Let  C  be  what  is  termed  the  "modulus  of  compressibility" 
of  water.  That  is,  C  is  the  pressure,  per  square  inch,  that  would  suffice  to 
compress  the  water  to  nothing,  if  its  diminution  of  volume,  at  indefinitely  high 
pressures,  should  follow  the  same  law  that  holds  for  pressures  that  are  moderate. 
(Of  course  there  is  no  pressure  that  actually  would  compress  the  water  to  a 
zero  volume;  but  the  "modulus  of  compressibility,"  as  defined  above,  is  an 
exceedingly  convenient  thing  to  use,  in  practical  computations.)  Also,  let  x 
be  the  amount  by  which  the  volume  2W  of  tlie  compressed  water  is  reduced 
by  the  actual  (though  as  yet  unknown)  pressure  P.    We  then  have  the  proportion 

P   :  C   ::  X   :  2W. 
And  solving  this  for  x  we  find 

2P\Y 


19IO.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  gg 


The  work  done  in  compressing  a  liquid  is  very  nearly  independent  of  the 
way  in  which  the  compression  is  performed.  (We  mention  this,  because  the 
fact  is  quite  otherwise  with  a  gas  or  vapor.)  Hence  the  potential  energy  stored 
up  in  the  compressed  water  will  be  the  same  (or  sensibly  the  same)  as  it  would 
be  if  we  effected  the  compression  slowly  and  uniformly,  beginning  with  the 
pressure  at  zero,  and  gradually  increasing  it  up  to  P.  Now  in  this  case  the 
flTVM7(/i'  pressure  applied  would  be  \P\  and  multiplying  this  by  x  (the  height 
by  which  the  volume  2\l'  has.  been  reduced),  we  find  that  the  total  work  done 
would  be  itPx.  And  if  we  replace  .r  by  its  value  as  just  found,  above,  we  see, 
finally,  that  the  potential  energy  stored  in  the  2]V  cubic  inches  of  water  under 

P^  IV 

compression  is       

C 

Now  since  energy  cannot  be  created  nor  destroyed,  this  must  be  equal  to 
the  work  done  by  the  steam  in  pushing  the  plug  to  the  end  of  its  cylindrical 
passage ;  and  hence  w-e  have  the  equation 

,J,  J,  ^    T^  -    P'lV 

(/i  —Pa)  ^  =  —^ 
which,  upon  being  solved  for  P ,  gives 


V  \v 

This,  it  is  to  be  remembered,  is  the  expression  for  the  pressure  that  may 
be  produced  in  the  ideal  case,  in  which  a  plug  of  water  is  driven  along  a  cylin- 
drical channel  so  as  to  come  suddenly  and  violently  against  another  mass  of 
water  of  equal  cross  section,  and  extending  indefinitely  in  the  direction  of  the 
length  of  the  channel. 

APPLIC.A.TION    TO    THE    ACTUAL    CaSE. 

In  order  to  see  how  the  foregoing  formula  for  P  applies  in  the  actual  case 
that  arises  in  practice,  let  us  consider  a  bubble  of  rectangular  shape,  such  as  is 
indicated  in  Fig.  3.  This  consists,  as.  will  be  seen,  of  a  sort  of  slab  of  water, 
of  thickness  W ,  raised  to  a  distance  /'.  Let  us  imagine  the  upper  slab,  the 
space  below  it,  and  the  water  that  lies  below  the  space,  to  be  divided  into 
imaginary  cylindrical  tubes,  as  suggested  by  the  dotted  lines.  If,  now,  the 
top  wall,  or  slab,  comes  down  uniformly  in  all  its  parts  when  the  bubble 
collapses,  the  water  in  each  of  these  imaginary  cylindrical  tubes  will  act  just 
as  we  have  supposed  the  plug  to  act,  in  the  ideal  tube  described  above.  There 
w'ill  be  no  sidewise  flow  of  the  water,  or  none  of  any  account,  provided  the 
rectangular  bubble  is  big  enough  in  its  horizontal  dimensions.  Hence  the  for- 
mula w^ill  be  as  applicable  to  this  case,  as  it  is  to  the  case  of  the  single  plug 
in  its  cylindrical  tube. 

Finally,  if  the  bubble,  instead  of  l)eing  rectangular,  is  more  or  less  oval  or 
ellipsoidal,  as  in  Fig.  4,  the  pressure  actually  developed  will  agree  with  the 
calculated  pressure  to  an  order  of  approximation  corresponding  to  the 
(unknown)  degree  in  which  the  conditions  in  the  actual  case  conform  with 
those  that  were  assumed  to  exist,  in  deriving  the  formula. 

After  the  pressure  that  is  due  to  the  impact  has  been  generated,  it  is  trans- 
mitted through  the  water  to  the  boiler  shell.     In  this  transmission  it  will  be 


70 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE. 


[July, 


somewhat  lessened  in  intensity,  and  it  will  be  propagated  mainly  in  the  direction 
in  which  the  top  slab  of  the  bubble  collapses. 

We  have  supposed,  for  the  sake  of  simplicity,  that  the  bubble  collapses 
vertically ;  but  since  the  water  in  the  boiler  is  thrown  about  in  an  utterly  inde- 
scribable manner,  the  actual  collapse  may  take  place  horizontally  or  obliquely, 
and  hence  the  maximum  pressure  may  be  exerted  upon  the  boiler  shell  sidewise, 
or  in  any  other  direction. 

The  formula  may  be  expressed  in  words  as  follows :  First  find  the  difference 
(P1  —  P2)  between  the  pressure  in  the  steam  main  and  that  in  the  boiler  before 
opening  the  valve,  and  multiply  this  by  the  modulus  of  compressibility  of  water 
(C),  which  may  be  taken  as  equal  to  300,000  lbs.  per  square  inch.    Then  multiply 


Fig.  4.  —  Oval  Bubble. 

again  by  the  depth  (F),  in  inches,  of  the  steam  inside  of  the  bubble,  measuring 
this  depth  in  the  direction  in  which  collapse  takes  place.  Finally,  divide  the 
product  so  obtained  by  the  thickness  of  the  upper  layer  (JV)  of  the  bubble,  in 
inches,  and  take  the  square  root  of  the  quotient.  The  result  will  be  the 
momentary  pressure  produced  in  the  water  by  the  collapse  of  the  bubble. 

This  rule,  be  it  understood,  cannot  be  used  to  determine  anything  but  the 
general  order  of  magnitude  of  the  pressures  produced  by  water-hammer.  No 
rule  could  do  more  than  this,  however,  when  applied  to  a  problem  as  indefinite 
as  the  one  with  which  we  are  dealing.  Yet  with  all  its  limitations  the  rule  has 
a  considerable  value,  since  it  shows  that  water-hammer  effects  may  be  exceed- 
ingly serious,  and  that  we  need  to  guard  against  their  production,  with  the 
greatest  care. 

Numerical  Example. 

Let  us  now  apply  the  formula  to  the  calculation  of  the  maximum  possible 
pressure  that  water-hammer  might  produce,  in  a  particular  case.  We  shall 
suppose,  for  this  purpose,  that  a  boiler  is  being  cut  in  with  others,  and  that  the 
pressure  it  carries  is  less  than  that  prevailing  in  the  steam  main  at  the  time. 
We  shall  assume  that  the  pressure  in  the  main  is  95  lbs.  per  square  inch,  and 
that   that    in   the    boiler    is   88   lbs.    per   square    inch. 

In  this  example,  as  in  all  others  of  like  nature,  we  shall  have  to  arbitrarily 
assume  the  thickness  of  the  bubble  and  of  the  top  layer  thereof.  We  cannot 
tell  what  these  thicknesses  were,  but  we  must  endeavor  to  choose  values  for 
them  that  might  reasonably  be  expected  to  occur.  Let  us  suppose  that  the 
thickness  of  the  steam-filled  portion  of  the  bubble  was  6  in.,  and  that  that  of 
the  slab,  or  top  portion,  was  3  in.     Then  our  rule  works  out  as  follows:     The 


igio.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  7-^ 

difference  between  the  pressure  in  the  steam  main  and  that  prevailing  in  the 
boiler  just  before  opening  the  stop-valve  was  95  —  88  =  7  lbs.  per  sq.  in.  This, 
multiplied  by  300,000,  gives  300,000  X  7  =  2,100,000.  Multiplying  again  by  the 
thickness  of  the  steam  space  of  the  bubble,  we  have  2,100,000X6=  12,600,000. 
Then,  dividing  this  by  the  thickness  of  the  top  layer  of  the  !)ubble,  we  have 
12,600,000  -^  3  =  4,200.noo.  And,  finally,  taking  the  square  root  of  this  last 
number,  we  have  v  4,200,000  =  2,049  lbs.  per  sq.  in.,  which  is  the  maximum 
pressure  that  could  be  developed  by  water-hammer  action  in  the  given  boiler, 
under  the  assumed  conditions.  It  is  evident,  here,  that  we  may  make  very 
large  allowances  indeed  for  the  fact  that  the  conditions  may  not  have  been 
just  like  those  prc-supposed,  and  yd  we  shall  have  a  pressure  quite  sufficient 
to  cause  the  rivets,  or  any  other  part  of  the  boiler,  to  snap  at  once  —  especially 
when  we  remember  that  the  in.<;tantaneous  pressure  developed  by  the  water- 
hammer  action  was  in  addition  to  the  normal  load  of  95  lbs.  per  sq.  in.,  which 
the  steam  exerted  upon  the  shell  directly,  as  soon  as  the  stop-valve  was  opened. 
Once  again  we  may  state  that  when  a  boiler  is  burst  by  water-hammer 
action,  the  pressure  that  is  generated  acts  only  for  an  instant,  and  its  efifect 
upon  the  boiler  is  similar  to  that  of  a  sudden  hydrostatic  pressure.  That  is, 
it  disrupts  the  boiler,  but  it  does  not  throw  the  pieces  about.  The  momentary 
water-hammer  pressure  having  separated  the  parts  of  the  boiler,  it  is  the 
normal  steam  pressure  within  the  boiKr  that  docs  the  rest  of  the  work. 

The  Maximum   Amount  of  Mechanical  Work  that  can  de  Performed. 

We  come,  now,  to  the  second  aspect  of  the  water-hammer  question.  Namely, 
we  have  to  look  at  the  case  from  the  following  point  of  view,  which  is  more 
general  than  the  one  from  which  we  have  approached  it  above.  A  boiler  con- 
taining a  mass  of  water  at  a  given  temperature  is  placed  in  free  communication 
W'ith  a  steam  main  capable  of  supplying  a  practically  unlimited  amount  of  steam 
at  a  pressure  higher  than  that  due  to  the  temperature  prevailing  within  the 
boiler.  As  we  have  here  two  bodies,  or  substances,  at  two  different  temperatures 
(namely,  the  steam  in  the  main  and  the  water  in  the  boiler),  the  theory  of 
heat  teaches  us  that  a  certain  amount  of  mechanical  energy  can  be  developed, 
as  an  accompaniment  to  the  process  of  temperature-equalization  which  at  once 
begins.  The  quantity  of  mechanical  energy  that  can  be  so  developed,  however, 
is  strictly  limited  by  the  laws  of  thermodynamics;  and  it  is  not  at  all  diflficult 
to  find  an  expression  from  which  its  maximum  amount  can  be  calculated. 

Let  ti  be  the  temperature  of  the  steam  that  is  admitted  from  the  steam 
main  —  this  being  constant  throughout  the  entire  operation,  since  the  steam 
is  furnished  by  outside  boilers,  at  a  constant  pressure  and  temperature.  Also, 
let  t-  be  the  temperature  that  the  water  in  the  boiler  has  at  the  outset,  just  as 
the  stop-valve  is  opened.  As  soon  as  the  steam,  at  the  higher  temperature  ti, 
enters  the  boiler,  it  comes  in  contact  with  the  cooler  water  there,  and  begins 
to  condense ;  and  although  the  heat  that  it  gives  out  in  condensing  may  be 
partially  converted  into  mechanical  energy,  available  for  throwing  the  water 
in  the  boiler  about,  the  major  portion  of  it  must  go  to  the  direct  heating  of 
the  water,  without  the  production  of  any  such  mechanical  work.  In  fact,  the 
principles  of  thermodynamics,  upon  which  we  have  dwelt  in  many  of  the 
previous  issues  of  The  Locomotive,  show  that  when,  in  the  equalizing  process, 
the  incoming  steam  gives  up  a  small   quantity  of   heat  —  a  quantity  so  small. 


72  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [July, 

namely,  that  it  does  not  materially  alter  the  temperature  of  the  water  in  the 
boiler  as  a  whole  —  we  may  find  the  maximum  quantity  of  mechanical  energy 
that  can  be  developed,  by  multiplying  this  small  quantity  of  heat  (expressed 
in  foot-pounds)  by  the  fraction 

A   -  t^ 
/i  +  459.7°  ' 

the  constant  number  459.7°  being  the  Fahrenheit  temperature  of  the  Fahrenheit 
zero,  on  the  absolute  scale  of  temperature. 

If,  as  in  the  example  worked  out  above  under  the  other  rule,  we  take  the 
pressure  in  the  main  at  95  lbs.  per  square  inch,  and  that  in  the  boiler  before  the 
stop-valve  was  opened  at  88  lbs.,  we  find,  by  consulting  a  table  of  the  properties 
of  steam,  that  the  temperature  (fi)  of  the  steam  in  the  main  was  334.4°,  and 
that  the  temperature  (/-)  of  the  water  in  the  boiler  was  329.5°  Fahr.  Hence 
/i  —  t.  =  334.4°  —  329.5°  =  4.9°,  and  U  +  4597°  =  334-4°  +  4597°  =  794-1  °.  With 
these  values  of  the  temperatures,  the  foregoing  fraction  becomes  equal  to 
4.9 -j- 794.1  =0.00617;  so  that  when  the  entering  steam  begins  to  condense,  the 
first  foot-pound  of  heat  that  it  gives  up  can  generate  0.00617  of  a  foot-pound 
of  mechanical  energy,  which  can  manifest  itself  by  throwing  the  water  about; 
but  the  remaining  0.99383  of  the  foot-pound  must  pass  directly  and  quietly  into 
the  water,  without  appearing  in  the  mechanical  form  at  all. 

As  the  water  in  the  boiler  rises  in  temperature,  owing  to  the  heat  that  it 
is  receiving  from  the  steam,  the  same  sort  of  a  calculation  can  be  made  at 
every  stage  of  the  process.  The  only  difference  will  be,  that  the  value  of  ti 
will  increase  as  the  water  warms  up,  while  the  value  of  t\  remains  constant. 
The  fraction  that  expresses  the  proportion  of  the  heat  that  can  be  converted 
into  mechanical  energy  will  grow  less,  therefore,  as  the  temperatures  become 
equalized.  The  average  value  of  the  expression  given  above  for  the  efficiency 
of  the  conversion  is 

J_         /j   -  /g       . 
2   ■   /j   -I-  459.7°   ' 
and  if  we  multiply  this  last  expression  by  the  total  amount  of  heat  given  up 
by  the  steam,  we  shall  have  the  total  amount  of  mechanical  energ\'  that  can  be 
developed,  within  the  boiler,  as  a  result  of  cutting  it  into  the  steam  line,  at  a 
temperature  (or  pressure)  below  that  of  the  steam  in  the  main. 

Now  the  total  amount  of  heat  that  is  given  up  by  the  steam  is  equal  to 
that  absorbed  directly  by  the  water,  plus  that  which  is  converted  into  mechanical 
energy.  But  since  considerably  more  than  99  per  cent,  of  that  which  the  steam 
gives  up  is  directly  absorbed  by  the  water,  we  shall  not  commit  any  error  of 
the  slightest  practical  importance  if  we  assume,  in  this  particular  calculation, 
that  the  two  are  equal.  If  the  average  specific  heat  of  the  water  between  ti 
and  ti  is  S,  then  each  pound  of  water,  in  becoming  warmed  from  t^  to  fi,  will 
absorb  S  {t^  —  /=)  units  of  heat.  To  express  this  quantity  of  heat  in  foot- 
pounds, which  is  a  more  convenient  way  for  our  present  purposes,  we  have 
merely  to  multiply  it  by  Joule's  equivalent,  which  we  will  take  at  780  foot- 
pounds per  Fahrenheit  heat  unit.  Moreover,  we  may  take  the  specific  heat,  S, 
of  the  water  as  equal  to  unity.  Hence  the  total  quantity  of  heat  absorbed  by 
the  water  is  780  (^  —  ?=)  foot-pounds.  Assuming  that  this  is  equal  to  the 
amount  given  up  by  the  steam  (as  explained  above),  we  have  merely  to 
multiply  it  by  the  fraction  given  in  the  preceding  paragraph,  and  again  by  the 


1910.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  73 

number  of  pounds  (say  w)  of  water  in  the  boiler,  and  we  have  the  total  number 
of  foot-pounds  of  mechanical  energy  that  can  be  developed  when  the  boiler  is 
cut  in  with  its  fellows.     Thus  the  expression  in  question  becomes 

3907f/  (/,  -  /,)» 
/i  +  459.7° 

In  words,  this  may  be  expressed  as  follows:  Find  the  square  of  the  diflfer- 
ence  in  temperature  between  the  steam  in  the  main  and  the  water  in  the  boiler, 
multiply  this  by  the  number  of  pounds  of  water  in  the  boiler,  and  multiply 
again  by  the  constant  number  390.  Then  divide  the  product  so  obtained  by  the 
temperature  of  the  steam  plus  459.7°.  (Fahrenheit  temperatures  are  to  be  used.) 
The  result  is  the  greatest  possible  number  of  foot-pounds  of  mechanical  work 
that  the  water  can  do,  in  being  thrown  about  as  a  consequence  of  the  boiler 
being  cut  in  before  the  pressure  within  it  has  become  equal  to  that  prevailing 
at  the  time  in  the  steam  main. 

Application  to  a  Numerical  Example. 

By  way  of  illustration,  we  shall  apply  this  formula  to  the  same  example 
as  before.  We  have  already  found  the  difference  of  temperature  between  the 
water  and  the  steam  to  be  4.9°.  The  square  of  this  is  4.9X4.9  =  24.01.  We 
shall  throw  away  the  small  decimal,  and  call  it  24.  We  next  need  to  know 
the  total  weight  of  water  in  the  boiler,  and  for  the  purposes  of  illustration  we 
shall  take  this  to  be  12,000  lbs.  Then  proceeding  with  the  application  of  the 
rule,  we  have  12,000  X  24  =  288,000;  and  288,000  X  390  =  112.320,000.  We  have 
already  found  that  fi  +  459.7°  =  794.1.  Hence  we  have  112,320,000 -i- 794.1  = 
141,440  foot-pounds,  which  is  the  maximum  quantity  of  mechanical  energy  that 
could  be  developed  inside  of  the  boiler,  as  a  consequence  of  cutting  it  in  with 
the  others  before  the  pressure  had  become  equalized  to  within  less  than  seven 
pounds  per  square   inch. 

As  before,  this  result  is  merely  a  maximum  one,  but  in  obtaining  it  we  do 
not  have  to  make  any  supposition  respecting  the  proportions  of  the  steam 
bubbles  that  are  formed.  The  result  is  exact,  save  that  we  have  made  certain 
assumptions  of  a  merely  arithmetical  nature,  in  the  interest  of  simplicity  — 
assumptions  which  certainly  do  not  aflfect  our  conclusion  by  more  than  a  few 
per  cent. 

A  mere  fraction  of  this  maximum  available  amount  of  work  would  suffice, 
without  doubt,  to  start  the  rivets  shearing;  and,  as  we  have  several  times 
remarked,  it  is  the  steam  pressure  normally  within  the  boiler  that  throws  the 
parts  asunder,  when  once  the  work  of  disruption  has  been  well  begun.  The 
energy  developed  directly  by  the  water-hammer  does  not  have  to  account  for 
any  portion  of  the  mechanical  work  of  the  explosion,  save  that  which  is 
required  to  stress  some  of  the  parts  up  to  their  breaking  points. 

We  would  direct  attention  particularly  to  the  fact  that  the  quantity  of 
mechanical  energy  that  can  be  developed  within  the  boiler,  and  be  manifested 
by  throwing  the  water  about  with  more  or  less  violence,  varies  as  the  square 
of  the  difference  in  temperature  between  the  water  and  the  steam.  Hence  if 
this  diflference  were  twice  as  great  as  we  have  assumed,  the  quantity  of  mechan- 
ical ener,e^^  that  could  be  developed,  under  otherwise  similar  conditions,  would 
be  four  times  that  calculated  above. 


74  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [July, 


Can  the  Water-Hammer  Action  be  Delayed? 

Water-hammer  action,  if  the  conditions  for  its  occurrence  exist,  usually 
begins  the  moment  the  stop-valve  is  opened.  If,  however,  the  pressure  in  the 
main  exceeds  that  in  the  boiler,  and  the  stop-valve  is  opened  cautiously,  there 
appears  to  be  no  reason  why  the  steam  might  not  enter  quietly.  Part  of  it 
must  condense,  of  course,  on  account  of  the  chilling  action  of  the  water  upon 
it ;  but  this  might  conceivably  occur  without  mechanical  disturbance,  the  super- 
ficial layers  of  the  water  in  the  boiler  becoming  heated,  so  that  a  sort  of 
equilibrium  would  be  established.  If  nothing  should  occur  to  agitate  the 
water,  this  state  might  persist  until  the  entire  bulk  of  the  water  became  heated 
up  to  the  temperature  of  the  steam  in  the  main;  and  after  that  no  water-hammer 
would  be  possible. 

The  pseudo-equilibrium  thus  established  would  be  highly  unstable,  however, 
and  the  least  disturbance  of  the  water,  by  bringing  its  deeper  and  cooler  layers 
to  the  surface,  would  precipitate  water-hammer  action  at  once.  It  would  be 
only  under  the  most  exceptional  circumstances  that  delayed  development  such 
as  we  have  suggested  could  occur,  and  yet  such  delay  is  manifestly  possible. 

Precautions  for  the  Avoidance  of  Water-Ham mer  Action. 

In  conclusion,  let  us  emphasize  the  fact  that  it  is  of  exceeding  importance, 
in  cutting  in  a  boiler,  to  be  sure  that  the  pressure  upon  it  is  as  exactly  identical 
as  possible  with  the  pressure  that  is  prevailing,  at  the  time,  in  the  steam  main. 
Mathematically  exact  equality  can  hardly  ever  be  attained,  however,  partly 
because  commercial  steam  gages  will  seldom  agree  to  within  a  pound  or  so. 
Hence  w-hen  the  equality  of  pressure  is  judged  to  be  exact,  the  stop-valve  should 
be  opened  very  carefully  indeed  —  opened  just  a  bare  crack  at  first,  and  then, 
as  the  slight  outstanding  difference  of  pressure  equalizes  itself,  opened  wider, 
very  slowly,  until  it  is  open  full.  The  complete  operation  should  occupy  a 
couple  of  minutes  or  more,  and  the  attendant  should  hold  himself  in  readiness, 
at  every  instant,  to  close  the  valve  at  once,  if  there  is  the  slightest  evidence  of 
any  unusual  jar  or  disturbance  of  any  kind,  about  the  boiler. 


Boiler  Explosions. 

April,  1910. 

(149.) — A  heating  boiler  exploded,  April  i,  in  the  Portland  Mfg.  Co.'s 
factory,  Portland,  Mich.  One  man  was  injured,  and  the  plant  was  badly 
damaged. 

(150.) — The  boiler  of  a  Milwaukee  locomotive  exploded,  April  2,  at  River 
Junction,  near  La  Crosse,  Wis.     Two  men  were  badly  injured. 

(151-)  — Four  tubes  burst,  April  2,  in  one  of  the  boilers  of  the  U.  S.  cruiser 
Maryland,  near  Santa  Barbara,  Calif.  One  man  was  killed,  two  were  fatally 
injured,  and  two  other  received  lesser  injuries. 

(152.) — A  boiler  flue  failed,  April  4,  at  the  Delaware  River  Steel  Co.'s 
blast  furnace,  Chester,  Pa. 

(i5,'^.) — A  boiler  exploded,  April  5,  in  Horace  M.  Moser's  stone  crushinsr 
plant,  Mount  Carmel,  Pa.  The  boiler  was  throvra  three  blocks,  over  the  tops 
of  a  dozen  houses,  but  nobody  was  hurt. 


1910.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  75 


U54-)— A  portable  boiler,  owned  by  McCarry  &  Co.,  of  Knoxvillc,  Tcnii., 
exploded,  April  5,  near  Newport,  Tenii.     Two  men  were  badly  hint. 

(155) — 'i"li<;  boiler  of  a  Santa  I\''  railroad  locomotive  exploded,  April  6, 
at  Gallup,  N.  M.     One  man  was  killed. 

( 156.)  —  On  April  6  a  blowoflf  pipe  failed  at  the  plant  of  the  IJeaven-Jackson 
Lumber  &  Veneer  Co.,  Evergreen,  Ala. 

(157) — A  slight  explosion  occurred,  April  6,  at  the  Illinoi.s  Steel  Co.'s 
plant,  Joliet,  111.     One  man  was  seriously  injured. 

(158.) — The  boiler  of  a  Michigan  Central  locomotive  exploded,  April  6, 
near  Grayling,  Mich.  One  man  was  killed  outright,  and  two  others  were  fatally 
injured. 

(159.) — A  tube  ruptured.  April  8,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of 
the  Cincinnati  Horse  Shoe  &  Iron  Co.,  Cleves,  Ohio.     Two  men  were  injured. 

(160.) — A  boiler  tube  failed,  April  8,  in  the  power  house  of  the  Oil  Well 
Supply  Co.'s  Twenty-first  street  plant,  Pittsburg,  Pa.     Three  men  were  scalded. 

(161.) — A  tube  ruptured,  April  10,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  blast 
furnace  of  Pickands,  Mather  &  Co.,  Toledo,  Ohio. 

(162.)  — On  April  10  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  Brooklyn 
Rapid  Transit  Co.'s  power  house,  Kent  Avenue  and  Division  street,  Williams- 
burg, N.  Y.     Four  men  were  injured,  two  of  them  fatally. 

(163.)  — A  slight  boiler  explosion  occurred,  April  13,  at  the  American  Sheet 
Sc  Tin  Plate  Co.'s  plant,  Dresden,  Ohio. 

(164.) — A  tube  ruptured,  April  13,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  Lavonia 
Cotton  Mills,  Lavonia,  Ga. 

(165.)  —  A  boiler  exploded,  April  14,  at  the  plant  of  the  Robinson  Water, 
Light  &  Lleat  Co.,  Robinson,  111.  Two  men  were  injured,  and  the  property 
damage  amounted  to  about  $5,700. 

(166.) — A  tube  ruptured,  April  16.  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Crescent 
Portland  Cement  Co.'s  plant.  Wampum.  Pa. 

(167.) — A  boiler  exploded,  April  16,  in  a  new  sawmill  plant  at  ^ladison, 
Boone  county,  W.  Va.    One  man  was  killed  and  three  others  were  fatally  injured. 

(168.) — A  tube  ruptured,  April  16.  in  a  w-ater-tube  boiler  at  the  Omaha 
Electric  Light  &  Power  Co.'s  plant,  Omaha,  Neb.     One  man  was  slightly  injured. 

(169.) — The  boiler  of  a  locomotive  exploded,  April  16,  at  Monterey,  Mex., 
in  the  yards  of  the  National  Railways  of  Mexico.  Eleven  men  were  instantly 
killed,  and  two  others  were  terribly  injured. 

(170.) — A  boiler  exploded,  April  17,  in  the  municipal  light  and  power 
plant,  at  Santa  ]\Iaria,  Calif.  One  man  was  injured,  and  the  boiler  house  was 
wrecked. 

(i/i-)  — A  boiler  exploded,  April  18,  in  the  Miller  sawmill,  at  Casper,  Wyo. 
One  man  was  killed. 

(172.) — A  tube  ruptured,  April  19,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of 
the  National  Malleable  Casting  Co.,  S2d  Avenue  and   nth   street,   Chicago,  111. 

(173.) — A  blowoflf  pipe  failed,  April  20,  at  the  Birmingham  Coal  &  Iron 
Co.'s  plant.  Short  Creek,  Ala. 

(174.) — A  heating  boiler  exploded.  April  21,  in  the  Rich  block.  Maiden, 
Mass.     The  property  loss  was  estimated  at  $3,500. 

(175.')  —  A  tube  failed,  April  21.  in  a  superheater  attached  to  a  water-tube 
boiler  at  the  water  works  and  light  station,  Bloomington,  111. 


76  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [July, 

(176.) — A  boiler  exploded,  April  21,  in  a  small  lumber  mill  operated  by 
George  Noyes,  at  Orneville,  near  Milo,  Me.     Property  loss,  $1,000. 

(177.) — A  boiler  exploded,  April  21,  at  the  Wyoming  Brick  Works,  Wyo- 
ming, Pa.     Fireman  Burke  was  terribly  injured  and  is  likely  to  die. 

(178.)— A  slight  explosion  occurred,  April  21,  at  the  Eleanor  Moore  Hos- 
pital, Boone,  Iowa.     One  person  was  severely  injured. 

(179.) — A  heating  boiler  exploded,  April  24,  in  Julius  Thomesert's  resi- 
dence, 4730  Sheridan  road,  Chicago,  111. 

(180.)  —  On  April  24  a  slight  accident  befell  a  boiler  in  the  Equitable 
Electric  Light  Co.'s  plant,  Lake  Geneva,  Wis. 

(181.)  — A  boiler  belonging  to  A.  Cameron  exploded,  April  25,  at  Chatham, 
Canada. 

(182.) — A  slight  explosion  occurred,  April  25,  in  the  heating  apparatus  in 
the  residence  of  Prof.  H.  G.  Chase,  West  Somerville,  Mass.  Fire  followed, 
and  the  total  property  loss  was  about  $1,000. 

(183.) — The  boiler  of  a  locomotive  on  the  C.  &  O.  R.  R.  exploded, 
April  26,  at  Russell,  Ky.    Three  men  were  severely  injured. 

(184.) — On  April  2"^  an  accident  befell  a  boiler  in  the  No.  i  ice  plant  of 
Victor  Erath,  New  Iberia,  La. 

(185.) — A  small  boiler  exploded,  April  28,  in  the  Wilson  greenhouses, 
Des  Moines,  Iowa. 

(186.) — A  tube  ruptured,  April  28,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  Union 
Special  Machine  Co.'s  plant,  Chicago,  111. 

(187.)  — On  April  28  a  boiler  exploded  in  Tidwell  Bros.'  sawmill,  ten  miles 
east  of  Selmer,  Tenn.  One  man  was  killed,  and  nine  were  injured.  Property 
loss,  about  $1,200. 

(188.)  — A  boiler  belonging  to  W.  A.  Willig  exploded,  April  29,  at  St.  Cloud, 
Minn. 

(189.) — A  blowofif  pipe  ruptured,  April  29,  at  the  City  Water  Works, 
McAlester,  Okla.     One  man  was  slightly  injured. 


May,  1910. 

(190.) — A  boiler  exploded.  May  2,  on  a  steam  dredge,  off  the  foot  of 
Hamburg  place  road,  Newark,  N.  J.  One  man  was  killed  and  eight  were 
severely  injured.  The  dredge,  which  belonged  to  the  Newark  Meadow  Improve- 
ment Co.,  was  wrecked  and  sunk. 

(191.)  —  On  May  2  a  manifold  ruptured  in  a  cast-iron  sectional  boiler  in 
Henry  Joseph  Richter's  school,  at  Grand  Rapids,  INIich. 

(192.) — A  tube  ruptured,  May  3,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Helenbacher 
Forge  &  Rolling  Mills  plant  of  the  American  Car  &  Foundry  Co.,  St.  Louis, 
Mo.     One  man  was  injured. 

(153.)  — The  boiler  of  locomotive  No.  195,  attached  to  the  Pitcairn  express, 
on  the  Pennsylvania  railroad,  exploded,  May  6,  at  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  near  the  old 
Ben  Venue  station.     One  man  was  killed  and  five  were  injured. 

(ig_j_) — The  crown-sheet  of  a  boiler  of  the  locomotive  type  collapsed. 
May  7,  in  the  Sioux  Falls  Gas  Light  Co.  plant  of  the  United  Gas  Improvement 
Co.,  at  Sioux  Falls,  S.  Dak. 

(195.")— A  heating  boiler  exploded.  May  7,  in  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  building, 
Lansing,  ]\Iich.     The  property  loss  was  estimated  at  $500. 


I910.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  77 


(196.) — A  boiler  shell  ruptured,  May  7,  in  the  Pennsylvania  Milk  Product 
Co.'s  dairy,  at  Shippensburg,  Pa. 

(197J — The  boiler  of  a  locomotive  exploded.  May  7,  at  Waycross,  Ga. 
One  man  was  killed. 

(198.)  — A  tube  ruptured.  May  7,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  Armour  &  Co.'s 
glycerine  works,  31st  and  Benson  streets,  Chicago,  111.     Two  men  were  injured. 

(.199.)  —  A  blowoff  ruptured,  May  8,  in  the  water  works  and  electric 
lighting  plant  at  St.  Johns,  Mich. 

(200.)  — A  tube  ruptured.  May  10,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  U.  S.  Port- 
land Cement  Co.'s  plant,  Yocemento,  Kans. 

(201.) — A  boiler  exploded,  May  11,  in  a  sawmill  near  San  Bernardino, 
Calif.     One  man  was  killed. 

(202.) — A  big  hot-water  boiler  exploded.  May  li,  in  the  basement  of  the 
quarters  occupied  by  Troop  L,  Sixtli  cavalry  regiment,  at  Fort  Des  Moines, 
Des  Moines,  Iowa.     The  building  was  partly  wrecked. 

(203.  > — Several  cast-iron  headers  fractured.  May  13,  in  the  American 
Graphite  Co.  plant  of  the  Joseph  Dixon  Crucible  Co.,  Graphite,  N.  Y. 

(204.)  — The  boiler  of  a  New  York,  New  Haven  &  Hartford  railroad  loco- 
motive exploded.  May  13,  at  Green  Haven,  near  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.  Two  men 
were  severely  injured. 

(205.)  — On  May  13  a  slight  boiler  explosion  occurred  in  the  Gisholt  plant, 
Madison,  Wis. 

(206.) — A  boiler  explosion  occurred,  on  May  13,  at  the  ^Icllroy  Belting  & 
Hose  Co.'s  plant,  131  North  Canal  street,  Chicago,  III.  The  plant  was  destroyed 
by  the  fire  that  followed,  the  entire  loss  being  about  $25,000. 

(207.)  — A  blowoff  pipe  failed,  May  14,  at  the  Easley  Cotton  Mills,  Easley, 
S.  C.     One  man  was  fatally  scalded. 

(208.)  — An  internally  fired  water-tube  boiler  exploded,  May  15,  in  the  plant 
of  the  Fremont  Gas  &  Electric  Light  Co.,  Fremont,  Neb. 

(209.) — A  boiler  exploded.  May  15,  at  the  plant  of  the  Diamond  Coal  & 
Coke  Co.,  at  Chewtown,  near  Brownsville,  Pa.  Three  persons  were  killed, 
and  six  seriously  injured.    The  property  loss  was  estimated  at  $25,000. 

(210.) — A  handhole  plate  failed,  May  16,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the 
Barney  &  Smith  Car  Co.'s  plant.  Dayton,  Ohio.     One  man  was  scalded  to  death. 

(211.)  — A  hot-water  boiler  exploded,  on  or  about  May  16,  in  the  basement 
of  the  three-story  dwelling  at  4457  ^Matilda  avenue,  Borough  of  the  Bronx,  New 
York.  A  large  section  of  the  front  of  the  house  was  blown  out,  and  the  damaged 
building  took  fire.     The  total  loss  was  about  $2,000. 

(212.) — A  boiler  exploded,  May  16,  in  O'Neil's  mill,  at  Arthur,  Ont. 
Total  property  loss  estimated  at  $20,000. 

(213.)  — A  boiler  exploded.  May  17,  in  the  McCurdy  Lumber  Co.'s  plant,  at 
Fruithurst,  Ala.,  twelve  miles  west  of  Tallapoosa,  Ga.  One  man  was  killed,  one 
was  fatally  injured,  and  five  others  received  injuries  more  or  less  serious,  but 
not  fatal. 

(214.)  — A  boiler  exploded,  INIay  17,  at  the  plant  of  the  American  Sheet  & 
Tin  Plate  Co.,  Canton,  Ohio.  Thirteen  persons  were  killed  and  fifty  were  in- 
jured, and  the  property  loss  was  many  thousands  of  dollars. 

(215.) — A  boiler  belonging  to  the  Zeir  Oil  Co.  exploded.  May  18,  near 
Los  Angeles,  Calif.     Two  persons  were  severely  injured. 


78  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  Quly, 

(216.)  —  A  cast-iron  header  fractured,  May  18,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at 
shaft  No.  2  of  the  Kingston  Coal  Co.,  Kingston,  Pa. 

(217.) — A  boiler  exploded,  May  19,  at  J.  R.  Brown's  sawmill,  in  Jones 
count}-,  Ga.     Tw^o  men  were  killed  and  the  mill  was  wrecked. 

(218.) — A  tube  ruptured,  ]\Iay  19,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  East 
Palisade  Irrigation  District  plant,  Palisade,  Colo. 

(219.) — A  slight  explosion  occurred,  May  19,  in  the  Monarch  Laundry, 
Shamokin,  Pa. 

(220.)  — On  ]\Iay  19  a  boiler  exploded  in  A.  F.  Sides'  sawmill,  near  Winston- 
Salem,  N.  C.  ]Mr.  Sides  was  slightly  scalded.  The  explosion  was  heard  for 
miles. 

(221.) — On  May  19  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  Waterside 
Station  No.  i  of  the  New  York  Edison  Co.,  New  York  City.  Three  men  were 
injured. 

(222.) — A  boiler  explosion  occurred,  May  20,  in  the  Jefferies  sawmill,  at 
Huntington,  W.  Va.     One  man  was  killed  and  one  fatally  injured. 

(22^.) — A  tube  ruptured,  a\Iay  21,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  North- 
western Iron  Co.'s  plant,  ]\layville,  Wis. 

(224.)  — A  tube  ruptured.  May  2^,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  Commerce 
street  power  station  of  the  Milwaukee  Electric  Railway  &  Light  Co..  Milwaukee, 
Wis.     Two  men  were  badly  scalded. 

(225.)  — A  boiler  exploded.  May  23,  at  the  plant  of  the  Charles  A.  Brickley 
Novelty  Works,  Cranston,  R.  I.     The  property  loss  was  estimated  at  $3,000. 

(226.) — On  May  23  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  hosiery 
mill  of  the  Joseph  Black  &  Sons  Co.,  York,  Pa. 

(227.)  — The  boiler  of  a  freight  locomotive  exploded,  INIay  24,  at  Bluefield, 
W.  Va.     One  person  was  killed  and  one  injured. 

(228.)  — On  May  24  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of 
the  Choctaw  Railway  &  Lighting  Co.,  McAlester,  Okla. 

(229.)  —  A  boiler  exploded,  May  24,  in  the  Simon  Korb  sawmill,  at  Venus, 
Pa. 

(230.)  — On  ]May  24  the  head  blew  out  of  a  steam  drum  on  a  boiler  in  the 
W.  R.  Pickering  Lumber  Co.'s  plant,  Pickering,  La. 

(231.) — On  May  25  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  North 
Adams  Gas  &  Electric  Co.'s  plant.  North  Adams,  ]Mass.     Two  men  were  injured. 

(232.)  — A  boiler  exploded,  l^.Iay  25,  in  the  oil  fields  near  Coalinga,  Calif. 

(233.) — A  boiler  exploded.  May  26,  at  the  Dilworth  Paper  Co.'s  plant, 
Newcastle,  Pa.  One  man  was  killed,  and  one  was  slightly  injured.  The  property 
loss  was  estimated  at  $10,000. 

(234.)  — A  tube  ruptured,  ]\Iay  26,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Philadelphia 
Rapid  Transit  Co.'s  power  house.  Beach  and  Laurel  streets,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

(235.") — On  May  26  a  boiler  exploded  at  Tietjen  &  Lang's  drydock, 
Hoboken,  N.  J.  Three  men  were  badly  injured,  and  two  others  received  minor 
injuries. 

(236.)  —  Seven  cast-iron  headers  fractured.  May  26,  in  a  water-tube  boiler 
at  the  ^Milwaukee  Coke  &  Gas  Co.'s  main  plant,  Milwaukee,  Wis. 

C237.)  —  A  blowoff  pipe  failed.  May  27,  in  the  Bay  City  Gas  Co.'s  plant, 
Bay  City,  Mich. 

(238.)  — A  boiler  exploded,  i\Iay  28,  in  the  Sherman  Cotton  Oil  &  Provision 


I9IO.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  79 

Co.'s  plant,  Slicrinan,  Tex.  One  man  was  seriously  injured.  Property  loss, 
$2,000. 

(239.) — A  boiler  rui)ture(l,  May  j8,  in  Cliaries  J.  Spies'  ilourint^  mill, 
Wykoflf,  Minn. 

(240.) — A  tube  ruptured,  May  30,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of 
the  Savannah  Electric  Co.,  Savannah,  (ia.     Two  men  were  injured. 

(241.) — On  May  30  a  tube  colla])sed  in  a  vertical  boiler  in  Isaac  Frink's 
amusement  park,  Qialfont,  Pa.     One  man  was  injured. 

(242.) — A  blowoff  pipe  ruptured,  May  31,  in  Hillman's  departnuMit  store, 
ChicaTO.  111.     One  man  was  severely  scalded. 

(243.) — A  traction  engine  boiler  exploded,  May  31,  on  tlie  llanlon  farm, 
three  miles  west  of  Ma.xwell,  Iowa.     One  man  was  severely  injured. 


June,   1910. 

(244.)  — A  locomotive  boiler  exploded,  June  i,  on  the  Troy  &  Eastern  rail- 
way, at  Donk  Bros.'  coal  mine,  eight  miles  from  Edwardsville,  near  Alton,  Mo. 
Three  men  were  killed. 

(245.)  — On  June  i  a  blowoff  pipe  failed  at  the  lumber  mill  of  ^IcWilliams 
&  Henry,  Everett,  Wash.     One  man  was  injured. 

(246.)  — An  accident  occurred,  June  i,  to  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  Siegel 
&  Cooper  Co.'s  department  store,  Chicago,  111. 

(247.) — A  blowoff  pipe  failed,  June  2,  at  George  Frank  &  Co.'s  fruit 
packing  plant,  San  Jose,  Calif.     Two  men  were  injured. 

(248.)  — 'The  crown  sheet  of  a  boiler  of  the  locomotive  type  collapsed, 
June  2,  at  the  Roberts-Kingston  Contracting  Co.'s  Union  mine,  at  Eveleth,  St. 
Louis  county,  Minn.     One  man  was  fatally  injured. 

(249.) — On  June  3  a  boiler  exploded  in  the  plant  of  the  Midvalc  Steel 
Co.,  Nicetown,  Philadelphia,  Pa.  Four  men  were  killed  and  two  others  were 
seriously  injured. 

(250.)— A  tube  ruptured,  June  3,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  American 
Iron  &  Steel  Manufacturing  Co.'s  plant,  Lebanon,  Fa. 

(251.)  — On  June  4  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  National 
Works  of  the  American  Sheet  &  Tin  Plate  Co.,  Monessen,  Pa. 

(252.) — A  boiler  exploded,  June  6,  in  Joseph  Clevenger's  sawmill,  seven 
miles  south  of  Nacogdoches,  Tex.     One  man  was  killed  and  two  were  injured. 

(253.)  — An  acident  occurred,  June  6,  to  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Hensel- 
Collod'ay  Co.'s  plant,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

(254.)  — A  boiler  exploded,  June  9,  at  the  Yellow  Pine  Lumber  Co.'s  plant, 
Franklinton,  La.     Three  men  w-ere  injured.     Property  loss,  about  $3,000. 

(255.) — On- June  12  a  boiler  exploded  at 'thfe  Oklahoma  Portland  Cement 
Co.'s  plant,  Ada,  Okla.     The  property  loss  was  estimated  at  $15,000. 

(256.) — On  June  13  a  tube-sheet  fractured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the 
power  plant  of  the  Columbus  Railway.  Light  &  Power  Co.,  Columbus,  Miss. 

(257.) — A  boiler  exploded,  June  16,  on  Joseph  H.  Wagner's  farm,  at 
Woytych   Station,  near  Annapolis,  Md.     Two  men  were  badly  injured. 

(258.)  — On  June  16  the  boiler  of  a  hoisting  engine  belonging  to  the  Pitts- 
burg Sand  &  Supply  Co.  exploded  near  Baden,  Pa.  Two  men  were  severely 
injured,  and  one  of  them  will  die. 


80  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [July, 

(259.)  — A  boiler  exploded,  June  16,  in  the  INIyer  &  Lutz  sawmill,  near 
Clarion,  Pa.  One  man  was  killed,  and  the  entire  upper  end  of  the  mill  was 
wrecked. 

(260.) — A  tube  ruptured,  June  17,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Highland 
Iron  &  Steel  Co.'s  plant,  Terre  Haute,  Ind.     Three  men  were  injured. 

(261.)  — A  feed  water  heater  exploded,  June  18,  at  the  Keeler  Brass  Co.'s 
plant,  Pottsville,  Pa.     One  man  was  seriously  injured. 

(262.)  — Several  cast-iron  headers  fractured,  June  19,  in  a  water-tube  boiler 
at  Jeddo  No.  4  mine  of  the  G.  B.  Alarkle  Co.,  Jeddo,  Pa. 

(263.) — A  boiler  exploded,  June  19,  at  the  Central  colliery  of  the  Erie 
Coal  Co.,  at  Avoca,  Pa. 

(264.) — On  June  20  several  cast-iron  headers  fractured  in  a  water-tube 
boiler  at  the  plant  of  the  Westinghouse  Electric  &  Manufacturing  Co.,  East 
Pittsburg,  Pa. 

(265.; — A  boiler  exploded,  June  21,  at  the  sawmill  operated  by  William 
Hansel  at  Borden  Shaft,  near  Cumberland,  Md.  One  man  was  seriously 
injured,  and  a  man  and  three  children  received  minor  injuries. 

(266.) — A  boiler  exploded,  June  22,  in  the  Vinegar  Bend  Lumber  Co.'s 
plant.  Vinegar  Bend,  Ala.  Two  men  were  killed,  and  the  property  loss  was 
heavy. 

(267.) — On  June  22  a  boiler  ruptured  at  the  rendering  and  ice  plant  of 
the  St.  Joseph  Ice  &  Manufacturing  Co.,  St.  Joseph,  Mo. 

(268.) — A  boiler  exploded,  June  2},,  in  F.  J.  Lutz'  bakery,  Kensington 
avenue  and  Lippincott  street,  Philadelphia,  Pa.  The  property  loss  was  estimated 
at  about  $1,000. 

(269.)  — A  small  boiler  exploded,  June  22,.  at  the  Prosch-Harris  boiler  shop, 
Terre  Haute,  Ind. 

(270.)  — A  boiler  exploded,  June  24,  at  High  Shoals,  near  Bogart,  Ga.  One 
man  was  killed  and  three  others  were  severely  injured. 

(271.)  — On  June  24  a  cast-iron  header  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at 
the  power  station  of  the  Philadelphia  Rapid  Transit  Co.,  Thirty-third  and 
Market  streets,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

{2'j2?i — A  boiler  exploded,  June  26,  in  the  garbage  reduction  plant  at 
Cherry  Hill,  Va.     One  man  was  severely  injured. 

(273.) — On  June  28  a  small  boiler  used  for  vulcanizing  automobile  tires 
exploded  in  T.  E.  Downs'  shop,  Kalamazoo,  Mich.  Mr.  Downs  was  killed,  and 
another  man  was  injured. 

(274.) — A  boiler  exploded,  June  28,  in  the  W.  L.  Judd  malt  drying  plant, 
Aurora,  111. 

(275.) — On  June  29  the  boiler  of  a  switching  locomotive  exploded  in  the 
freight  yards  of  the  Eastern  District  Terminal  Co.,  Brooklj'n,  N.  Y.  Two 
men  were  scalded  seriously  and  perhaps  fatally. 


In  our  issue  for  .\pril,  1908,  we  reprinted  an  article  by  Mr.  William  H. 
Bryan,  entitled  "  A  Color  Scheme  for  Pipe  Lines,"  which  he  originally  pub- 
lished in  Steam.  In  Pozver,  for  April  26,  1910,  there  is  a  similar  article  by 
Mr.  J.  P.  Sparrow,  to  which  we  would  direct  attention,  not  only  because  of 
the  excellence  of  the  text,  but  also  because  the  article  is  illustrated  in  colors. 


igio.]  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  81 


A.  D.  RisTEEN,  Ph.D.,  Editor. 


HARTFORD,  JULY  25.  1910. 

The  Locomotive  can  be  obtained  free  by  calling  at  any  of  the  company  s  agencies. 
Subscription  price  ^o  cents  per  year  when  mailed  from  this  office. 
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A  Reasonably  True  Story,  as  Told  by  a  Two-flue  Boiler.* 

By  Charles  S.  Bl.\ke. 

Some  years  ago  I  had  the  misfortune  of  being  born  but  since  I  came  into 
the  steam  world  I  have  conscientiously  endeavored  to  conduct  myself  in  a 
manner  becoming  my  station  in  life.  I  cannot  tell  where  my  parts  came  from, 
but  they  were  doubtless  from  some  good  place,  because  the  materials  were 
faultless.  My  makeup  was  of  the  ordinary  kind,  but  I  claim  a  lineage  dating 
far  beyond  some  of  the  new  kind  of  so-called  boilers.  I  am  now  about  ten 
years  old.  I  suppose  this  would  be  called  middle-aged,  though  I  am  prematurely 
worn  out.  I  was  purchased  by  a  mine-owner,  who  gave  me  a  permanent  home 
in  the  coal  regions  of  the  Hocking  Valley,  where  I  was  surrounded  by  other 
helpmates.  We  were  placed  side  by  side  so  that  we  could  work  in  harmony, 
and  we  enjoyed  the  same  pleasures  and  suffered  the  same  sorrows. 

We  were  given  water  to  drink,  and  at  most  times  we  had  all  we  wanted. 
This,  too,  was  a  good  feature  of  our  care,  for  our  thirst  seemed  unquenchable 
when  we  were  warm,  and  the  greater  the  temperature,  the  greater  the  thirst 
became.  It  is  upon  this  subject  of  drmking- water  that  I  shall  say  the  most, 
for  the  quality  served  to  us  was,  in  the  end,  the  cause  of  my  downfall.  It  was 
mine-water  that  they  gave  us.  It  was  collected  in  a  reservoir,  and  during  what 
you  would  call  a  dry  season  it  became  quite  roily  and  tasted  bad.  At  times  it 
was  quite  fishy.  However,  we  managed  to  get  along  all  right  by  having  our 
insides  washed  out  once  in  a  while.  We  naturally  grew  a  little  crusty,  and  we 
had  some  sore  spots.  None  of  these  seemed  to  threaten  our  lives,  however, 
until  for  some  inscrutable  reason  we  were  given  a  water  to  drink  that  not  only 
nauseated  us,  but  also  fairly  burned  our  vital  organs.  We  manifested  our 
discomfort,  to  our  master,  by  emitting  blood  from  our  joints.  A  day  or  so 
later  we  had  another  change,  but  while  the  new  water  tasted  somewhat  different, 
it  acted  in  the  same  way  upon  our  constitutions. 

After  one  month  I  realized  that  I  was  going  into  a  rapid  decline.  I  tried 
to  bear  up  under  the  thought,  but  one  day  a  lung  was  punctured  and  I  had  to 
go  out  of  commission  until  my  master  inserted  a  bolt  in  the  opening.  This 
served  to  stop  the  flow  of  blood,  and  I  was  again  "  fired  up."  I  was  very  weak, 
but  rallied  and  tried  to  do  my  duty.     A  few  days  later  one  of  my  companions 


♦Originally  written  for  the  Boiler  Maker. 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE. 


[July, 


iQio.]  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  33 


collapsed  and  died.  I  was  so  grieved  and  indignant  that  on  the  spur  of  the 
moment  I,  too,  rebelled,  collapsed,  and  —  horror  of  horrors  —  killed  my  master. 
I  have  been  very  repentant  ever  since,  but  that  will  not  bring  him  back  again. 
I  knew  he  liked  me,  though  he  had  a  knowledge  of  my  feeble  condition  when 
he  plugged  my  lung. 

I  might  say,  right  here,  that  1  am  able  to  translate  tiiis  story  by  the  aid  of 
an  expert  who  makes  a  specialty  of  investigating  the  causes  of  troubles  such 
as  my  own,  and  holding  autopsies,  lie  was  sympathetic  and  understood  boiler 
talk,  so  1  confided  in  him,  and  he  in  turn  helped  me  translate  my  experiences. 
He  explained  that  the  water  that  iiad  brought  me  to  an  untimely  end  was 
strongly  impregnated  with  sulphur,  which  must  have  come  from  the  mines. 
That  is  what  had  eaten  my  vitals  away  so  rapidly.  What  is  to  become  of  me 
now  I  do  not  know.  I\Iy  boiler  friend  thinks  I  ought  to  be  cut  up  and  worked 
over  into  some  other  product,  where  the  dangers  are  not  so  great.  I  should 
not  object  to  this;  but  if  they  sell  me  to  a  second-hand  dealer,  and  he  tries  to 
repair  my  organs,  puts  a  coat  of  paint  on  me,  and  then  sells  me  for  a  boiler 
"  as  good  as  new,''  I  shall  most  likely  make  a   further  record  as  a  man-killer. 


Steam  Boiler  Explosions  in  the  United  States  during-  1909. 

In  our  issue  for  July,  1907,  we  puldished  a  map  of  the  United  States,  upon 
which  the  location  of  each  of  the  l)oiler  explosions  of  1906  was  marked  by  a 
dot.  In  the  present  issue  we  give  a  similar  map,  prepared  by  Inspector  Royal 
H.  Holbrook  of  our  Cincinnati  department,  and  showing  the  locations  of  the 
boiler  explosions  of  the  year  1909.  Like  its  predecessor,  this  map  is  based 
upon  the  explosion  lists  that  we  print  in  The  Locomotive  regularly,  and  a  short 
account  of  each  of  the  explosions  here  indicated  will  be  found  in  one  or 
another  of  our  last  si.x  issues. 

The  number  of  explosions  represented  upon  the  present  map  is  550,  and 
our  records  show  that  these  were  accompanied  by  227  deaths,  and  by  injuries 
to  422  persons.  Roughly  speaking,  therefore,  every  alternate  dot  represents  a 
death,  and  four  out  of  every  five  of  the  dots  represent  more  or  less  serious 
personal  injuries. 

.•\s  might  be  expected,  the  explosions  of  1909,  like  those  of  1906,  were 
grouped  in  a  marked  manner  about  the  regions  in  which  steam  power  is  most 
extensively  employed.  The  comparative  absence  of  dots  in  the  western  portion 
of  the  map  is  due  in  large  measure  to  the  fact  that  there  are  fewer  boilers  in 
that  part  of  the  country ;  but  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  reports  that  we 
receive  from  regions  west  of  the  Mississippi  are  less  complete  than  those  that 
come  to  us  from  the  northeastern  section,  so  that  the  relative  scarcity  of  the 
dots  in  the  west  is  attributable,  in  some  measure  at  least,  to  the  incompleteness 
of  our  data. 

A  comparison  of  the  two  maps  is  interesting.  It  will  lie  noted,  for  example, 
that  there  is  an  unmistakable  increase  in  the  number  of  explosions  in  states 
which  showed  but  few  in  1906.  Thus  Washington  had  i  in  1906,  but  6  in  1909 ; 
Colorado  had  i  in  1906  and  11  in  1909.  Oklahoma  (including  the  region  known 
as  Indian  Territory  in  igo6)  increased,  similarly,  from  i  to  8,  and  North 
Carolina  increased  from  3  to  11.  Maine,  on  the  other  hand,  fell  off  from  5 
to  2,  and  Vermont  has  the  distinction  of  being  the  only  state  that  hid  -o  boiler 
explosion  in  either  year. 


84  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [July, 


A  New  Mode  of  Inspecting  Boilers. 

In  the  first  volume  of  The  Locomotive  (old  series),  under  the  date  June,. 
1868,  there  is  an  article  with  the  caption  given  above,  which  was  written  by 
our  late  president,  ^Ir.  J.  ^^L  Allen.  If  we  remember  aright,  it  was  based  upon 
an  actual  experience  of  his,  and  as  it  has  doubtless  been  forgotten  by  all  of 
our  friends,  we  reprint  it  below  : 

It  is  a  trite  saying  that  "  we  live  in  an  age  of  progress  " ;  and  because  the 
truth  of  the  thing  is  so  universally  conceded,  we  presume  our  readers  will  not 
be  greatly  surprised  to  learn  of  a  new  application  of  an  old  "  system."  It  came 
to  our  notice  in  this  wise:  A  few  days  ago,  our  editorial  meditations  on  the 
subject  of  boiler  explosions  were  interrupted  by  the  entrance  of  a  stranger, 
who  inquired  (in  a  manner  indicating  the  performance  by  him  of  an  unpleasant 
duty)  respecting  the  whereabouts  of  our  inspector.     Quoth  he,  "I've  got  a  small 

boiler  in  use  out  here  in  (naming  a  village  not  many  miles  away),  which  I 

'pose  I've  got  to  have  inspected,  as  the  law  makes  me  liable  to  a  fine  if  it  ain't 
done.  So  I  called  in  to  see  about  it."  We  gave  him  the  information  he  desired, 
and  then  he  volunteered  this  opinion :  "  I  don't  consider  this  inspection  zi'iith 
anything  to  me,  for  I've  had  my  boiler  inspected  by  a  higher  power."  "  Ah ! 
have  you?  How  is  that?"  we  asked,  with  a  desire  to  learn  of  any  improvement 
that  might  have  been  made  in  our  line  of  business.  He  replied  with  the  air 
of  a  man  communicating  an  important  fact,  and  standing  forth  in  the  calm 
consciousness  of  a  superior  intelligence,  "I  had  a  clairvoyant  examination  of 
my  boiler  a  few  days  ago,  and  the  medium  told  me  it  w-as  all  right  —  clean  and 
nice  inside,  and  safe  to  run."  So  saying,  he  w-ithdrew,  and  left  us  in  deep 
thought. 

This  discovery  may  signify  but  little  to  those  unskilled  in  the  mysteries  of 
boiler  inspection,  but  we  are  sure  it  will  excite  a  peculiar  interest  in  the  minds 
of  our  inspectors,  who  have  been  accustomed  to  regard  the  process  now  in 
vogue  as  a  rather  laborious  way  of  accomplishing  what  the  Frenchman  called 
"  making  his  bread  of  ze  perspiration  of  his  eyebrows." 

In  imagination,  our  men  will  foresee  a  mighty  change.  Instead  of  a  sturdy- 
looking  man.  grimy  with  soot  and  ashes,  clad  in  a  suit  of  well-worn  "  dirt- 
proof,"  and  busying  himself  with  hammer  and  pump,  or  striving,  wath  many 
contortions,  to  pass  himself  through  a  manhole  many  sizes  too  small  for  his 
shoulders,  or  coming  "  to  the  surface  "  for  air  after  trying  to  find  out  how  much 
heat  a  human  being  can  endure  w'ithout  being  converted  into  a  roast  —  instead 
of  all  this,  they  will  see  a  benevolent-looking  old  gentleman,  bidding  defiance 
to  the  summer  sun  in  a  suit  of  spotless  linen  and  a  huge  Panama.  He  enters  the 
boiler  room,  and  after  gazing  abstractedly  about  him  for  a  moment,  sinks  into 
an  easy  chair  and  composes  himself  for  a  siesta,  while  an  attendant  prepares  to 
record  the  words  of  somnolent  wisdom,  as  they  shall  drop  from  his  lips. 

"  General  appearance  of  interior  good,"  he  murmurs,  when  the  trance  is 
well  upon  him;  "slight  incrustation,  i/64th  of  an  inch  thick,  on  the  crown 
sheet.  Some  corrosion  —  of  second  plates  —  around  fourth  and  fifth  rivets  — 
from  rear  end.     Boiler  safe  —  at  a  running  pressure  of  —  eighty  —  pounds." 

Then  his  mild  blue  eye  gently  opens,  he  draws  his  bandanna  across  his 
massive  brow,  affixes  his  signature  to  the  certificate  of  inspection,  and  departs^ 
after  mechanically   depositing  the   fee   in  his   well-lined   wallet. 

You  see,  gentlemen  of  the  inspection  department,  what  an  immense  amount 


iQio.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  85 

of  uncomfortable  experience  would  be  avoided,  should  the  new  system  go  into 
general  use;  and  it  may  be  that  a  few  lessons  would  suffice  to  make  you  all 
adepts  at  it. 


The  Agent  on  the  Spot. 

It  often  happens  that  an  insurance  agent  approaches  a  prospective  patron 
at  the  wrong  time.  Occasionally,  however,  he  arrives  at  the  exact  psychological 
moment,  and  tinds  his  task  unexpectedly  easy.  Mr.  John  R.  Bentley,  a  special 
agent  in  our  Philadelphia  department,  tells  of  an  experience  of  the  latter  kind 
that  recently  befell  him. 

"  Calling  at  the  plant  of  one  of  our  assured,"  he  writes,  "  the  manager 
mentioned  two  canning  establishments  at  the  other  end  of  the  town,  with 
which  he  thought  I  might  be  able  to  do  business.  I  visited  one  of  them  at 
about  six  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  found  that  its  owner  and  manager 
is  a  .woman.  I  spoke  with  her  respecting  the  advisability  of  insuring  the 
three  boilers  in  the  plant,  and  she  admitted  that  it  would  be  well  to  consider 
•  the  subject,  but  said  that  in  their  experience  of  twelve  or  fifteen  years  they 
had  never  had  an  accident.  Before  there  was  time  for  me  to  reply  there  was  a 
terrific  explosion^,  and  I  made  a  hasty  retreat  to  an  open  field.  In  the  course 
of  the  said  retreat  I  passed  through  a  perfect  deluge  of  debris  from  the  .roof 
of  the  plant,  accompanied  by  a  hail  of  cans  of  peas,  exploding  in  the  air  and 
all  around  me  on  the  ground.  I  was  literally  smeared  from  head  to  foot,  with 
overcooked  peas. 

"  Reaching  a  point  on  the  edge  of  the  shower,  I  looked  back  and  saw  the 
employees,  mostly  girls  and  boys,  escaping  through  the  doors  and  windows. 
The  storm  having  subsided,  I  hastened  back  and  found  that  one  of  the  two 
cast-iron  steam*  cooking  kettles  had  blown  up,  the  cover  being  broken  in  half. 
Inside  the  k-ettle  there  were  three  iron  racks,  holding,  I  presume,  a  hundred 
or  more  cans  each.  These  were  throv\Ti  through  the  roof,  tearing  everything 
to  pieces  in  their  passage,  and  scattering  the  exploding  cans  in  every  direction. 

"  The  young  man  in  charge  of  this  kettle  was  sitting  in  front  'of  it  at 
the  time,  and  was  quite  badly  cut  about  the  face  and  arms.  If  he  had  been 
standing,  it  is  likely  that  he  would  have  been  killed,  or,  at  all  events,  far  more 
seriously  injured. 

■'  In  the  morning  a  so-called  tailor  endeavored  to  clean  my  clothes,  while 
I,  being  fortunate  enough  to  have  a  second  suit,  visited  the  proprietress  and 
secured  the  application  on  the  three  boilers.  The  scare  from  the  kettle- 
expriosion  made  further  persuasion  unnecessary." 

Some  of  our  readers,  in  going  over  this  interesting  communication,  may 
wonder  why  the  cans  of  peas  exploded.  A  word  of  enlightenment  on  this  point 
may  therefore  be  acceptable.  The  cans  are  first  filled  with  uncooked  peas,  and 
then,  after  being  sealed,  are  placed  in  the  closed  kettle  and  exposed  to  steam 
at  a  pressure  somewhat  higher  than  that  of  the  atmosphere  until  their  con- 
tents are  properly  cooked.  After  a  time  the  peas  become  heated  up  to  the 
temperature  of  the  steam  by  which  they  are  surrounded,  and  this  rise  in 
temperature  causes  steam  to  be  generated  inside  the  cans,  by  the  evaporation 
of  some  of  the  moisture  there.  In  fact,  the  pressure  inside  the  cans  will 
become   equal   to   that   outside,   as   soon  as  the   temperature   becomes  the   same 


86  THE   LOCOMOTIVE.  [July, 


in  both  places.  When  the  kettle  exploded,  the  pressure  that  had  been  acting 
externally  upon  the  cans  was  suddenly  removed,  while  the  internal  pressure 
upon  them  remained  unaltered.  As  soon  as  the  kettle  gave  way,  therefore, 
the  cans  were  in  the  condition  of  little  boilers  carrying  an  internal  pressure 
too  great  for  them  to  withstand,  and  they  popped  open  by  the  dozen,  be- 
spattering our   respected   representative   with   a   hot   vegetable   diet. 

(The  peas  were  not  literally  "overcooked,"  but  they  exploded  individually 
as  soon  as  the  cans  failed,  and  became  converted  into  a  sort  of  mush.  Grain 
kernels  are  treated  in   this   way   commercially,   and   the  process   is  patented.) 


Bugg-y  and  Shovel  Inspections. 

The  following  is  a  true  story,  save  that  we  have  changed  the  name  of  the 
man  mentioned,  doing  this  because  we  don't  want  to  throw  any  mud  at  state 
inspectors.  The  real  name  is  uncommon  enough  to  make  the  identification  of 
the  place  possible. 

In  soliciting  fly  wheel  insurance  of  Mr.  Jones  (writes  one  of  our  agents), 
he  asked  me  what  kind  of  inspections  we  give  on  fly  wheels. 

"Do   yon    give   buggy    inspections,    or    shovel    inspections?"   he    inquired. 

I  told  him  he  could  have  both  if  he  wanted  them,  and  added  that  there  isn't 
any  kind  of  an  inspection  that  the  Hartford  wouldn't  give  the  assured,  if  he 
desired  it.  But  I  added  that  I  was  unfamiliar  with  the  special  kinds  he  had 
mentioned,  and  asked  him  to  explain. 

He  said  that  a  few  years  ago  they  received  visits  from  an  inspector  who, 
when  his  horse  was  particularly  fractious  or  his  rheumatism  was  bothering 
him,  gave  them  a  buggy  inspection,  by  driving  to  the  engine  room  and  whistling 
to  attract  the  attention  of  the  boiler  man.  Without  alighting  from  his  buggy  he 
would  then  ask  a  few  questions,  after  which  he  would  drive  back  to  the  office 
and  whistle  again  ;  and  when  some  one  from  the  office  went  out  to  him,  he  gave 
them  his  inspection  report.  At  other  times,  when  he  had  a  quiet  steed  that 
would  stand  without  hitchin',  and  Avhen  his  rheumatism  was  not  particularly 
aggressive,  he  sometimes  went  into  the  boiler  room,  opened  the  furnace  door, 
and  poked  at  the  bottom  of  the  boiler  with  a  long-handled  shovel.  If  this  par- 
ticular part  of  the  boiler  seemed  reasonably  solid,  and  his  shovel  did  not 
perforate  it,  he  said  everything  was  all  right. 

I  asked  Mr.  Jones  whom  he  was  insuring  with  at  that  time,  and  he  said 
with  the  Hartford  company.  I  need  not  tell  you  that  I  was  shocked  to  hear 
one  of  our  patrons  give  such  an  acount  of  our  service  as  that.  I  hardly  knew 
what  to  say,  so  I  merely  told  him  that  I  had  never  heard  of  one  of  the  Hartford's 
inspectors  making  any  such  examination  as  that. 

"  Neither  have  I  ",  he  responded.  "It  is  true  that  I  was  insuring  with  the 
Hartford  at  the  time,  but  these  particular  inspections  were  made  by  the  State 
inspector  ". 

At  that  a  great  load  was  lifted  from  my  soul,  and  I  thought  that  if  the 
State  inspector  had  knovvn  that  the  Hartford  was  insuring  the  boilers,  his  own 
examinations  might  have  been  more  carefully  made.  Or  did  he  feel  that  a 
"  shovel  inspection  "  was  good  enough  for  him  to  make,  after  the  Hartford's 
man  had  been  there? 


igio.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  87 


The  Speed  of  Masses  Thrown  by  Boiler  Explosions. 

It  is  occasionally  possible  to  calculate,  with  some  approach  to  accuracy, 
the  initial  speed  with  which  masses  of  matter  are  projected  into  the  air  by 
exploding  steam  boilers.  The  best  example  of  this  that  we  know  of  was  af- 
forded by  the  explosion  at  the  plant  of  the  Denver  Gas  &  Electric  Co.,  at 
Denver,  Colo.,  on  June  15,  1909.  This  was  described  in  the  issue-  of  The 
Locomotive  for  July,  1909,  where  we  showed  how  to  determine,  not  only  the 
initial  velocity  of  the  boiler  shell  and  the  maximum  height  to  which  it  was 
thrown,  but  also  the  actual  path  that  the  shell  followed,  through  the  air. 

It  is  rare  indeed  that  data  enoucfh  are  available  to  compute  the  actual 
initial  velocity  of  a  fragment  of  a  boiler,  or  of  any  mass  that  is  thrown  to  a 
distance  by  a  boiler  explosion ;  but  we  wish  to  draw  attention  to  the  fact 
that  it  is  always  easy  to  find  a  viinimum  limit  to  that  velocity,  —  that  is,  it  is 
always  easy  to  determine  a  velocity  which  is  the  least  that  the  projected  mass 
could  possibly  have  had,  at  the  moment  when  its  flight  began. 

Thus  it  is  not  hard  to  show,  from  the  theory  of  falling  bodies,  that  when 
the  mass  is  tlfrown  in  such  a  way  that  it  first  returns  to  its  original  level  after 
traveling  a  horizontal  distance  of  D  feet,  its  original  speed  rrust  ha\»e  been 
equal,  at  the  very  least,  to  ^ 22D  feet  per  second.  In  other  words,  if  the 
ground  about  the  boiler  is  level,  we  may  conclude  that  the  original  speed  of 
projection  was  certainly  as  great  as  that  calculated  by  the  following  rule: 

Multiply  the  horizontal  distance,  in  feet,  between  the  place  where  the  part 
first  stood  and  the  place  where  it  first  struck  the  ground,  by  z^,  and  then  take 
the  square  root  of  the  product.  The  result  will  be  the  smallest  velocity,  in 
feet  per  second,  that  the  part  could  have  had,  when  it  started  off. 

This  rule  gives  the  actual  initial  velocity,  when  the  starting  point  and  the 
point  of  first  contact  with  the  ground  are  on  the  same  level,  and  when  the 
angle  of  elevation  at  which  the  mass  started  off  was  45°.  In  general,  the  flying 
mass  will  first  hit  the  ground  at  a  point  a  little  lower  than  the  level  that  it 
originally  occupied,  and  neglecting  this  circumstance  will  tend  to  make  the  rule 
give  too  large  a  result.  On  the  other  hand,  the  fact  that  the  actual  angle  of 
elevation  of  projection  will  never  be  exactly  45°,  but  will  always  be  greater  or 
less  than  tWs  by  some  indeterminate  amount,  will  tend  to  make  the  rule  give 
too  small  a  result.  The  two  sources  of  error  will  therefore  tend  to  neutralize 
each  other,  so  that  the  rule  may  be  employed,  with  some  considerable  con- 
fidence, in  the  form  given  above.  Moreover,  the  slope  of  the  ground  about 
the  boiler  may  be  neglected,  unless  it  is  very  marked  indeed. 

In  explosion  No.  214  of  our  regular  list  for  May,  printed  in  this  issue, 
one  of  the  firemen  was  thrown  527  feet,  passing  through  a  wooden  dwelling 
on  the  way.  Let  us  apply  the  foregoing  rule  to  calculate  the  least  possible 
value  of  the  velocity  with  which  the  poor  fellow  started  on  his  fearful  course. 

The  bod\^  must  have  been  retarded  to  some  considerable  extent  bj'  the  two 
walls  of  the  house  through  which  it  crashed,  and  perhaps  we  may  reasonably 
assume  that  it  would  have  traveled  600  feet,  horizontally,  in  all,  if  it  had  not 
been  impeded  in  that  way.  Applying  the  rule  on  this  assumption,  we  have 
600  X  32  =  19,200 ;  and  taking  the  square  root  of  19,200,  we  have  138  feet  per 
second,  which  is  the  least  velocity  it  could  have  had,  as  it  left  the  boiler  room. 
This  is  equivalent  to  about  94  miles  per  hour. 


88  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [July, 

The  Properties  of  Steam. 

Ninth   Paper.  —  The  Experiments  of  Holborn  and  Baumann  at  High 

Pressures. 

Since  the  appearance  of  our  last  previous  paper  on  the  properties  of  steain 
(The  Locomotive,  July,  1909,  page  217),  an  important  and  exceedingly  valuable 
contribution  to  the  subject  has  been  made  by  Messrs.  L.  Holborn  and  A.  Bau- 
mann, who  have  investigated  the  pressure  of  saturated  steam  from  200°  centi- 
grade up  to  the  critical  point  of  water,  —  that  is,  from  a  pressure  of  225  lbs. 
per  square  inch  up  to  a  pressure  of  about  3,200  lbs.  per  square  inch.  Their 
original  paper  is  in  German,  is  entitled  "  Ueber  den  Sattigungsdruck  des  Wasser- 
danipfes  oberhalb  200°"  ("On  the  Pressure  of  Saturation  of  the  Vapor  of 
Water  above  200°  C"),  and  was  published  April  5,  1910.  in  the  Annalen  der 
Physik,  fourth  series,  volume  31,  page  945.  The  paper  is  wholly  experimental, 
and  the  work  was  carried  out  at  the  Physikalisch-Technische  Reichsanstalt, 
Charlottenburg,  Germany,  —  a  fact  which  in  itself  is  sufficient  to  give  great 
weight  to  the  results. 

The  investigation  was  conducted  by  the  static  method  (The  Locomotive, 
July,  1906,  page  diy),  and  the  apparatus  that  was  used  is  shgwn  diagrammatically, 
in  the  accompanying  illustration.  The  steam  was  generated  in  the  steel 
cylinder  S,  shown  on  the  right,  this  being  submerged  in  a  liquid  bath- of  known 
temperature.  By  means  of  steel  tubing,  A^  M  L,  having  a  very  fine  bore,  the 
cylinder  5"  was  placed  in  communication  with  an  apparatus  AZ,  shown  on  the 
extreme  left,  which  served  for  the  determination  of  the  pressures.  The  inter- 
mediate parts  E,  C,  B,  D,  that  appear  in  the  illustration,  were  auxiliary  devices, 
whose   purposes  will  be   explained   below. 

Steam    Generation   and   Temperature   Measures. 

The  cylinder  6"  was  about  ^  in.  in  diameter  internally,  and  6  in.  high, 
enclosing  a  space  of  about  2  cubic  inches.  It  was  not  heated  directly  by  a 
flame,  but  was  submerged  in  a  hot  fluid  bath,  whose  temperature  could  be 
raised  and  controlled  by  means  of  a  heating  coil  of  nickel  resistance-wire, 
through  which  an  electric  current  was  passed.  The  bath  was  arranged  to 
slide  up  and  down  along  vertical  Vvays,  so  that  it  could  be  drawn  away 
from  the  cylinder  5"  at  will.  For  temperatures  below  230°  C.  (that  is,  for 
steam  pressures  below  400  lbs.  per  sq.  in.)  the  bath  was  filled  with  oil,  while 
at  higher  temperatures,  where  the  oil  could  be  no  longer  used,  it  was  filled 
with  melted  saltpeter.  In  each  case  the  bath  was  kept  well  stirred,  so  that  its 
temperature  was  sensibly  the  same  in  all  parts. 

The  temperature  of  the  steam  in  the  cylinder  5"  was  ascertained  by 
measuring  the  temperature  of  the  bath  in  which  it  was  submerged,  a  platinum 
resistance  thermometer  being  used  for  this  purpose.  This  part  of  the  work 
does  not  call  for  extended  explanation  in  the  present  place,  as  it  was  carried 
out  in  the  same  general  way  as  in  Holborn  and  Henning's  experiments,  which 
were  described  in  The  Locomotive  for  April,  1909,*  save  that  in  the  present 
investigation  the  observers  do  not  state  that  there  was  any  secondary  compari- 
son with   the   boiling   points   of   naphthalin   and   benzophenon. 

The  platinum-resistance  thermometer  that  was   used  is  designated  as  "  No. 


*  Pee  paares  i3i  and  iqo  of  that  article. 


iQio.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  89 

II."  Its  constants  were  determined  l)y  observations  at  the  melting  point  of  ice, 
and  at  the  boiling  points  of  water  and  of  sulphur.  In  order  to  test  its 
accuracy,  it  was  further  compared  with  the  Reichsanstalt's  standard  thermometer 
No.  7,  at  200°  C.  and  at  37^°  C.  At  joo°  the  two  agreed  to  within  0.01°  C, 
and  at  373°   to  within  0.03°   C, 

Pressure   Measiremknts.  ^ 

The  pressure-measuring  device,  which  was  designed  by  Thiesen  and  con- 
structed under  his  direction,  consisted  of  a  heavy  brass  cylinder  Z,  fitted  with 
a  plunger,  A',  upon  which  a  known  load  could  be  placed,  by  means  of  the 
weights  shown  at  A.  It  will  be  seen  that  the  apparatus  determined  the  total 
upward  fluid  pressure  against  the  plunger  K  by  balancing  it  directly  against 
the  weights.  This  method  was  proposed  by  Altschul,  and  instruments  based 
upon  the  same  principle  are  in  use  for  the  testing  of  standard  pressure  gages, 
and  for  other  commercial  purposes  where  accuracy  is  desired.  The  chief  dif- 
ficulties to  be  overcome  in  using  this  apparatus  are  two  in  number.  Thus  (i) 
there  will  be  more  or  less  friction  between  the  plunger  A.'  and  the  cylinder  Z, 
unless  means  are  employed  for  its  elimination;  and  (2)  a  small  error  in 
measuring  the  diameter  of  K  may  give  rise  to  an  error  in  the  result  that  would 
be  quite  inadmissible  in  work  of  a  high  degree  of  precision.  In  the  experi- 
ments that  w-e  are  describing  these  two  sources  of  error  were  considered  with 
much  care. 

In  the  ordinary  commercial  form  of  this  apparatus,  the  friction  of  the 
plunger  K  is  eliminated  by  causing  it  to  spin  around  about  its  own  axis 
while  the  measurement  is  being  performed.  In  Holborn  and  Baumann's  ex- 
periments it  was  not  practicable  to  accomplish  the  desired  end  in  quite  this 
way,  but  the  same  purpose  was  achieved  by  causing  the  plunger  K  to  rotate 
back  and  forth  about  its  own  axis  through  an  angle  of  about  18°,  the  rotation 
being  executed  in  a  period  of  approximately  one  second.  The  motion  was 
produced  by  means  of  an  electric  motor,  not  shown  in  the  sketch,  which  operated 
on  K  in  such  a  way  as  to  produce  the  desired  backward  and  forward  oscillations 
about  the  vertical  axis,  while  not  interfering  in  the  least  with  the  entire 
freedom  of  the   plunger   in   a   vertical   direction. 

The  effective  diameter  of  the  plunger  K  was  found  b\-  a  separate  series 
of  experiments,  in  which  pressures  running  up  to  227  lbs.  per  square  inch  were 
measured  by  the  dead-weight  apparatus  shown  in  the  illustration,  and  also, 
simultaneously,  b}'  a  mercury  column.  By  comparing  the  readings  of  the 
mercury  column  with  the  indications  of  the  dead-weight  apparatus,  it  was  found 
that  the  effective  sectional  area  of  K  was  0.99964  square  centimeters  (or  ap- 
proximately 0.15s   sq.   inch.). 

The  sensitiveness  of  the  pressure-measuring  apparatus  was  carefully  in- 
vestigated, and  was  found  to  be  satisfactory.  When  the  pressure  of  the  steam 
was  225  lbs.  per  square  inch,  the  plunger  K  was  sensitive  to  5  grams,  or 
one-sixth  of  an  ounce,  —  the  addition  or  subtraction  of  this  amount  to  or  from 
the  pile  of  weights  A  causing  an  unmistakable  motion  of  the  plunger.  At 
higher  pressures  the  apparatus  became  less  sensitive,  but  when  the  pressure  was 
3.000  lbs.  per  square  inch,  it  was  still  sensitive  to  a  change  in  the  weight-pile  of 
154  ounces. 

The  standard  weights  that  were  used  were  disk-like  in  form,  each  having 


90 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE. 


[July, 


a  radial  slot  so  that  it  could  be  placed  centrally  under  the  plunger,  and  each 
weighing  ten  kilograms  (about  22  lbs.).  For  obtaining  values  intermediate 
between  those  afforded  by  two  successive  standard  weights,  smaller  v/eights 
were  used,  of  the  type  employed   for  ordinary  balances. 

The  Remaining  Parts  of  the  Apparatus. 
The  space  below  the  plunger  K,  in  the  pressure-measuring  device,  was 
filled  with  oil ;  and  since  the  plunger  could  not  fit  the  cavity  in  Z  too  tightly 
without  the  production  of  an  excessive  amount  of  friction,  oil  slowly  exuded 
around  it  during  the  course  of  the  experiments,  the  amount  so  escaping  being 
about  a   quarter  of  a  cubic   inch   per  hour  at  the   highest  pressures   that  were 


Diagram  of  Holborn  and  Baumann's  Apparatus. 

encountered.  On  account  of  this  leakage  it  was  necessary  to  introduce  more 
oil  from  time  to  time,  and  this  was  accomplished  by  means  of  the  device 
shown  at  E.  In  operating  E  the  conical  valve  g  was  first  closed,  and  then 
the  screw  P  was  turned  until  the  frame  in  which  it  worked,  and  which  sup- 
ported the  weights,  was  lowered  so  as  to  rest  against  a  stop  not  shown  in  the 
illustration.  £y  this  means  the  plunger  K  was  relieved  of  its  load,  the  pres- 
sure being  at  the  same  time  relieved  in  the  cavity  in  Z.  Then,  by  opening 
the  valve  f,  oil  could  be  introduced  into  the  interior  of  Z  by  means  of  F. 
Upon  closing  f  and  opening  g,  the  apparatus  was  again  ready  for  use,  with  an 
additional  supply  of  oil  in  the  cavity  of  Z. 

To  prevent  the   water  in  S   from  becoming  contaminated   by   contact   with 
the   oil   in  the  pressure-measuring  device,   the   horizontal   tubes   C   and   D   were 


igio.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  91 


provided.  The  lower  half  of  each  of  these  was  hlled  with  inerciiry,  the  upper 
half  of  D  being  tilled  with  water  and  tne  upper  half  of  C   with  oil. 

Between  the  tubes  C"  and  D  there  was  an  apparatus  shown  at  B,  whose 
main  purpose  was  to  vary  the  volume  occupied  by  the  steam  iu  6'.  This  ap- 
paratus, B,  consisted  essentially  of  a  plunger  \V ,  which  could  be  forced  into 
the  cylinder  to  a  variable  distance,  by  means  of  a  hand  wheel  and  screw  that 
are  not  shown.  At  the  upper  end  of  this  apparatus  there  were  three  conical 
valves,  a,  b,  c,  by  means  of  which  the  space  in  B  could  be  placed  in  communica- 
tion with  the  steam  space  S,  or  with  the  pressure-measuring  apparatus,  or  (by 
means  of  the  tube  H)   with  an  air-pump  or  any  other  external  device. 

In  order  to  free  the  entire  apparatus  of  air  as  completely  as  possible,  the 
tubes  C  and  D  and  the  device  B  were  placed  in  communication  with  one 
another  and  pumped  out  by  means  of  the  openings  r  and  /.  Then  the  necessary 
quantity  of  mercury  (for  partly  filling  C  and  D)  was  allowed  to  flow  in  through 
the  tube  H,  after  which  the  space  remaining  in  the  tube  D  was  filled  with  water 
through  the  opening  t,  and  that  in  the  tube  C  with  oil  through  the  opening  r. 
Finally,  by  taking  every  precaution  against  the  admission  of  air,  the  tube  N 
was  secured  to  D  at  t,  and  the  tube  M  was  similarly  secured  to  C  at  r.  When 
the  plunger  K  was  loaded,  after  putting  the  whole  apparatus  together,  it  was 
easy  to  tell,  from  its  motion,  whether  all  the  air  had  been  expelled  from  the 
apparatus  or  not,  and  if  any  were  present  it  could  be  located  by  successively 
closing  the  intermediate  conical  valves  c  and  a. 

IMaxipul.vtion. 

Before  bringing  the  hot-bath  up  around  the  cylinder  S,  the  plunger  IV 
was  drawn  back  so  as  to  make  room  for  the  expansion  of  the  water  in  6". 
This  was  particularly  important  at  the  higher  temperatures,  where  the  ex- 
pansion  of   the   water   was   very   marked. 

Shortly  before  each  series  of  observations  was  begun,  the  plunger  W  was 
run  into  the  receiver  B  until  the  pressure  produced  by  any  further  motion 
showed  that  the  apparatus  was  entirely  filled  with  fluid.  Under  these  cir- 
cumstances there  would  be  no  steam-space  in  the  cylinder  S,  but  any  desired 
amount  of  space  could  be  produced  there  by  withdrawing  the  plunger  W  by 
a  measured  amount.  This  feature  of  the  apparatus  was  extremely  important, 
since  it  enabled  the  experimenters  to  vary  the  volume  in  the  cylinder  .S"  at  will. 
If  there  were  no  air  nor  other  fixed  gas  present,  the  pressure  should  depend 
entirely  upon  the  temperature,  and  be  entirely  independent  of  the  volume  of 
the  steam  space  in  S;  whereas  if  air  or  other  similar  gas  were  present,  the 
observed  pressure  would  vary  to  some  extent  with  the  volume  of  the  space 
occupied  by  the  steam.  Ordinarily,  each  series  of  observations  for  obtaining 
the  pressure  corresponding  to  a  given  fixed  temperature  was  divided  into  two 
parts,  one  being  executed  with  one  fixed  value  of  the  steam  space,  and  the 
other  with  a  materially  different  value.  A  practically  identical  agreement  of 
the  various  parts  of  the  series  so  taken  was  assumed  to  prove  the  absence 
of  air  or  other  fixed  gas. 

Previous  observers  have  maintained  that  water  does  not  attack  the  steel 
containing  vessel  to  any  noticeable  extent,  even  at  the  highest  pressures ;  but 
Holborn  and  Baumann  do  not  agree  with  this  conclusion.  They  state  that  after 
the  cylinder  5"  had  been  repeatedly  heated  to  above  300°,  a  small  quantity  of 


92 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE. 


[July, 


iron  went  into  solution,  so  that  upon  standing  in  contact  with  air  the  water 
became  somewhat  colored,  and  finally  threw  down  a  precipitate  of  oxide  of 
iron.  This  action  appeared  to  be  attended  by  the  production  of  a  small 
quantity  of  gas  (undoubtedly  hydrogen)  in  the  cylinder  S.  Direct  evidence  of 
the  presence  of  such  gas  was  afforded,  indeed,  by  the  observed  fact  that  when 
the  same  mass  of  water  had  been  used  for  a  long  time  above  300°,  the  satura- 
tion pressures  which  were  subsequently  obtained  with  it  at  lower  temperatures 
were  no  longer  independent  of  the  steam  volume.  Observations,  which  we 
have  not  thought  it  necessary  to  reproduce,  are  given  by  Holborn  and  Baumann 
to  illustrate  this  point.  The  data  that  we  give  in  present  article  are  believed 
to  be  free  from  error  due  to  this  cause,  since,  to  guard  against  its  occurrence, 
the  water  in  the  cylinder  S  was  renewed  at  frequent  intervals. 

The  Final  Data. 

The  experimental  data  obtained  by  Holborn  and  Baumann  will  be  found 
in  the  accompanying  table.  In  tlie  original  paper  the  observations  are  all  given 
separately,  but  inasmuch  as  they  were  made  in  groups,  with  the  temperatures 
in  each  group  almost  identically  constant  throughout,  we  have  thought  it 
sufficient  to  reprint  only  the  mean  value  as  obtained  from  each  individual  group, 
indicating  in  every  case,  however,  the  number  of  separate  observations  that 
were  combined  to  yield  the  result  as  given.  The  entire  range  of  temperature 
comprised  in  any  one  group  did  not  ordinarily  exceed  a  tenth  of  a  degree  or 
so.  The  result  that  we  give  for  the  temperature  336.15°,  for  example,  is  the 
mean  of  six  separate  observations,  taken  at  the  respective  temperatures  336.10°, 
336.12°,  336.16°,  336.16°,  33620°,  and  336.17°. 


Experiments  by  Holborn   and  Baumann, 

ABOVE    200°     C. 

Temperature. 

Pressure. 

No.  of  ob- 

Temperature. 

Pressure. 

No.  of  ob- 

(Centigrade.) 

(Kg.  per  sq.  cm.) 

servations. 

(Centigrade  ) 

(Kg.  per  sq,  cm.) 

servations. 

200.98° 

16.168 

12 

336.15° 

141.61 

6 

202 . 14 

16.553 

11 

341-33 

151-03 

10 

214.07 

21.061 

12 

347-25 

162.50 

9 

219.86 

23-574 

12 

348.34 

164.85 

7 

230.90 

28.952 

12 

353-88 

176.18 

II 

241.05 

34-713 

13 

356.72 

182.44 

6 

250.41 

40.750 

13 

358.29 

185.76 

14 

261.97 

49-315 

12 

362.25 

194.92 

16 

271.78 

57-560 

11 

364.73 

200.61* 

9 

281.34 

66.629 

12 

365.31 

202.13 

3 

292.07 

78.061 

11 

368.38 

209.71 

3 

301.82 

S9-75 

6 

370. 25t 

214. 3o| 

10 

311.14 

102.14 

12 

370.96 

216.43 

3 

321.61 

117.40 

11 

373-39 

222.67 

4 

330.44 

131-57 

14 

374.o8§ 

224.47 

7 

335-11 

139.60 

2 

*  200. 7g  in  the  original,     t  370.26  in  the  original     X  214.28  in  the  original.     §  374.07  in  the  original. 
(The  changes  here  noted  were  made  because  the  averaging  in  the  original  appears  to  be 
erroneous.) 


1910.]  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  93 

Holborn  and  Ikuiniaiin  arc  not  ([uite  so  explicit  as  \vc  could  wish,  with 
reference  to  the  nature  of  their  therniometric  scale,  but  if  we  understand  them 
correctly,  their  temperatures  are  suppo.>^ed  to  be  given  on  the  scale  of  the  normal, 
constant-volume  hydrogen  thermometer.  We  may  also,  without  material  error, 
regard  tiiem  as  given  on  the  absolute  thermodynamic  scale,  since  this  scale, 
according  to  Berthelot,  is  almost  identically  the  same  as  that  of  the  hydrogen 
thermometer. 

The  pressures  are  expressed  in  kilograms  per  square  centimeter,  and  they 
have  been  corrected  for  all  recognized  experimental  errors,  such  as  for  the  fact 
that  the  bottom  of  the  plunger  A'  was  not  at  precisely  the  same  level  as  the 
surface  of  the  water  in  the  cylinder  S,  the  connections  between  5"  and  Z  being 
filled  with  water,  oil,  and  mercury.  The  barometric  pressure  acting  upon  the 
top  of  the  plunger  K  was  of  course  taken  into  account  also,  and  all  pressures 
have  been  reduced  to  the  values  they  would  have  had  if  observed  at  sea-level 
in  latitude  45°. 

We  rind  nothing  in  Holborn  and  Baumann's  paper  respecting  the  purity 
of  the  water  that  was  employed,  save  in  respect  to  the  absence  of  air  and  other 
free  "  fixed "  gases,  nor  do  we  find  any  statement  as  to  the  density  of  the 
mercury  in  the  gage  that  was  used  in  determining  the  eflfective  diameter  of  the 
plunger  A',  as  described  above.  The  following  words  that  we  used  in  our 
seventh  paper,  in  speaking  of  a  similar  omission  in  the  paper  of  Holborn  and 
Henning,  apply  here  with,  equal  force :  "  It  would  have  been  exceedingly 
reassuring  if  explicit  statements  respecting  these  points  had  been  given,  and 
the  omission  is  most  unfortunate.  As  it  is,  we  have  to  depend  upon  the  known 
reputation  of  the  observers  for  accuracy  and  care,  and  upon  the  fact  that  all 
that  emanates  from  the  Reichsanstalt,  where  these  measures  were  made,  is 
distinguished  by  a  faithful  attention  to  details  of  this  sort.  According  to 
experiments  made  at  the  Reichsanstalt,  a  cubic  centimeter  of  pure  mercury, 
at  o"  C,  weighs  13.59593  grammes  at  sea-level  in  latitude  45°  ;  and  in  the 
absence  of  further  information,  we  shall  have  to  assume  that  this  was  the 
density  of  the  mercury  used  in  the  experiments  herein  described."  If  this 
assumption  be  made,  then  the  pressures  of  Holborn  and  Baumann,  which  are 
expressed  in  kilograms  per  square  centimeter,,  may  be  reduced  to  their  equivalent 
/alues  in  millimeters  of  mercury  by  multiplying  them  by  the  number  735.5141 
(whose   common   logarithm   is   2.8665910). 

The  Critical  Temperature  of  Water. 
As  we  have  previously  explained  in  The  Locomotive  (see,  for  example, 
the  issue  for  November,  1891,  page  173),  there  is  a  temperature,  known  as 
the  "  critical  temperature,"  at  which  water  and  its  vapor  cease  to  be  dis- 
tinguishable, and  above  which  the  expression  "  saturated  steam "  has  no 
meaning.  In  The  Locomotive  for  July,  1907,  we  described  the  methods  used 
by  Battelli  and  by  Cailletet  and  Colardeau  for  the  determination  of  this 
temperature.  Holborn  and  Baumann  carried  their  experimental  work  up  to 
the  same  point,  and  determined  the  value  of  the  critical  temperature  with  much 
care.  Battelli  found  it  to  be  364.3  C,  and  Cailletet  and  Colardeau  found  it 
to  be  365°.  Holborn  and  Baumann  found  it  to  be  a  fraction  of  a  degree  above 
374°,  and  although  their  result  differs  by  nearly  ten  degrees  from  those  just 
cited,  it  will  probably  be  accepted  in  preference  to  the  earlier  values,  since 
the  experimental  evidence   upon  which   it  is  based  appears   to  be   of  a  higher 


94  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [July. 

order  of  precision.  Moreover,  the  value  found  by  liolborn  and  Baumann  agrees 
almost  perfectly  with  that  obtained  by  Traube  and  Teichmann  (namely,  374°) 
in  1904,  by  a  totally  different  method.  (See  the  Annalcn  der  Physik,  volume 
13,  page  620.) 

Eriefly  described,  the  method  used  by  liolborn  and  Baumann  for  finding 
the  critical  temperature  was  as  follows :  So  long  as  there  were  both  steam  and 
v.ater  in  the  cylinder  S,  and  no  air  or  other  fixed  gas,  the  observed  pressure 
depended  upon  nothing  but  the  temperature,  —  a  slight  change  in  the  volume 
cf  the  steam-space  making  no  difference  whatever  in  the  pressure,  so  long  as 
the  temperature  remained  constant.  As  the  temperature  at  which  the  trials 
were  made  became  progressively  higher,  it  was  found  that  at  374.08°  C.  there 
was  still  a  distinctly  recognizable  difference  between  the  steam  and  water  in  S, 
so  that  a  slight  change  could  be  made  in  the  steam-volume  without  any 
consequent  change  resulting  in  the  pressure.  At  374.62°  C,  however,  this  was 
found  to  be  no  longer  possible,  for  at  this  temperature  and  at  higher  ones, 
the  contents  of  the  cylinder  i'  behaved  like  a  homogeneous  gas,  the  pressure 
upon  which  could  be  varied  at  will,  while  the  temperature  was  kept  constant. 
Somewhere  between  374.08°  C.  and  2)7-\-^^°  C.,  therefore,  the  distinction  between 
v/ater  and  steam  ceases  to  exist.  Holbom  and  Baumann  do  not  give  a  close 
estimate  of  the  exact  point  at  which  this  occurs.  They  merely  say :  "  Die 
kritische  Temperatur  liegt  .  .  .  bei  374°  "  ("The  critical  temperature  is  close 
to  374°  ").  From  an  examination  of  the  diagram  given  on  page  966  of  their 
original  paper,  we  are  of  the  impression  that  a  close  analysis  of  their  results 
would   indicate   that   the   critical   temperature   of   water   is   about   374-5°    C. 


Eel  Oil  as  Boiler  Fuel. 

The  following  astonishing  item  was  printed  in  a  recent  issue  of  the  Syra- 
cuse, N.  Y.,  Herald,  and  it  purports  to  be  a  "  special "  from  Dugway.  We  don't 
know  Dugway.  Dugginsville,  Mo.,  we  know,  and  Dugdemona,  La.,  and  Dug- 
down,  Ga.,  and  Dugout,  W.  Va. ;  but  Dugway  is  outside  the  pale  cf  our  geog- 
raphy. '  Anyhow,  here  is  what  the  item  says : 

"  For  the  last  month  the  sawmill  here  has  been  running  on  a  fuel  which 
puzzled  the  fireman  of  the  boiler,  and  not  until  Friday  did  he  solve  the  enigma. 

"  Several  weeks  ago  the  fireman  was  feeding  the  firebox  a  cord  of  four-foot 
wood  a  day ;  while  today  he  uses  only  a  few  sticks  in  the  morning  to  start  the 
fire.  The  boiler  is  fed  from  a  creek  back  of  the  mill,  a  three-inch  pipe  running 
from  the  boiler  to  the  stream.  This  creek  is  noted  for  its  small  eels.  The  eels 
ran  up  the  pipe  to  the  injector  on  the  boiler  and  were  forced  into  the  flues  [  !  ]. 
The  hot  water  soon  cooked  the  eels,  and  investigation  showed  that  the  boiler 
contains  several  barrels  of  eel  oil.  The  flues  of  the  boiler  leak, —  not  badly, 
but  just  enough  to  let  the  oil  into  the  firebox,  where  it  keeps  us  a  seething  flame." 

[Shades  of  Louis  de  Rougemont !  In  comparison  with  the  author  of  that 
item,  we  shall  have  to  count  Ananias  among  the  minor  prophets.] 


We  can  still  furnish  copies  of  our  little  book,  "  The  Metric  System."  It  is 
the  best  thing  to  be  had,  for  comparing  metric  measures  with  our  own.  Bound 
in  sheep,  it  costs  $1.25.     A  special  bond  paper  edition  for  $1.50. 


THe  HanfOFd  Steaiq  Boilei  iDspeciioii  and  Insuraqce  Conipaiiij. 


ABSTRACT  OF  STATEMENT,  JANUARY   1,  1910. 
Capital  Stock,       .         .         .       $1,000,000.00. 

ASSETS. 


Cash   on   hand   and   in   course   of  transmission, 
Premiums   in    course    of   collection, 

Real    estate 

Loaned  on  bond  and  mortgage,  . 
Stocks  and  bonds,  market  value,  . 
Interest  accrued 


$'5-4.845-83 
228,048.46 

93,600.00 
1,107,060.00 
3,063.476.00 

67.580.50 


Total  Assets, $4,714,610.79 

LIABILITIES. 

Re-insurance  Reserve, $1,943,732.29 

Losses  unadjusted, 90,939-53 

Commissions  and  brokerage, 45,609.69 

Other  liabilities   (taxes  accrued,  etc.),       .        .        .  41.835.50 

Capital  Stock, $1,000,000.00 

Surplus, 1,592,493.78 

Surplus  as  regards  Policy-holders,        .        .      $2,592,493.78  2.592,49378 


Total  Liabilities, 


$4,714,610.79 


On   January    i,    1910,   The   Hartfokd   Steam    Boiler   Inspection    and   Ln- 
SURANCE  Company  had  104,589  steam  boilers  under  insurance. 


L.  B.   BRAINERD,  President  and  Treasurer. 

FRANCIS  B.  ALLEN,  Vice-President.  CHAS.  S.  BLAKE,  Secretary. 

L.   F.   MIDDLEBROOK,  Assistant   Secretary. 

W.    R.    C.    CORSON,    Assistant    Secretary. 

A.   S.  WiCKHAM,  Superintendent  of  Agencies. 

E.  J.  Murphy,  M.  E.,  Consulting  Engineer. 

F.  M.  Fitch,  Auditor. 

BOARD    OF     DIRECTORS. 


GEORGE    BURNHAM,    Baldwin    Lnromo- 
tive    Works,    Philadelphia. 

PHILIP  CORBIN,  Prest.   American  Hard- 
ware  Corporation,    New   Britain,   Conn. 

ATWOOD      COLLINS.      Prest.      Security 
Co.,    Hartford,    Conn. 

LUCIUS       F.       ROBINSON,       Attorney, 
Hartford,    Conn. 

JOHN    O.    ENDERS,    U.    S.    Bank,    Hart- 
ford,   Conn. 

LYMAN   B.    BRAINERD,   Director,    Swift 
&   Company. 

MORGAN      B.      BRAINARD,      Treasurer 
.i^tna    Life    Insurance    Co. 


F.  B.  ALLEN,  Vice-Prest.,  Hartford  Steam 
Boiler   Inspection   and   Insurance   Co. 

CHARLES  P.  COOLEY,  Vice-Prest.,  Fi- 
delity Trust  Company,  Hartford,  Conn. 

ARTHUR  L.  SHIPMAN,  Attorney,  Hart- 
ford,   Conn. 

GEORGE  C.  KIMBALL,  President  Smvth 
Manufacturing   Co.,   Hartford,   Conn. 

CHARLES    M.    JARVIS,     ist    Vice-Prest.. 

.American    Hardware   Corporation,    New 

Britain,    Conn. 
FRANCIS      T.      MAXWELL.      President. 

HnrVanum   Mill";   Cr,..    Rockville.   Conn. 
HORACE       B.       CHENEY,       of       Cheney 

Brothers       Silk       Manufacturing       Co. 

South    Manchester,    Conn. 


uUf!^^ 


Incorporated  1866. 


r\V^*' 


Charter  Perpetual. 


vi« 


me  Harilord  Steaiq  Boiler  iqspectioii  ami  Insurance  Gonipaiiji 

ISSUES  POLICIES  OF  INSURANCE  COVERING 

ALL  LOSS  OF  PROPERTY 

AS  WELL  AS  DAMAGE  RESULTING  FROM 

LOSS  OF  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  INJURIES  DUE  TO  EXPLOSIONS 
OF  STEAM  BOILERS  OR  FLY  WHEELS. 

Full  information  concerning  the  Companf  s  Operations  can  be  obtained  at 

any  of  its  Agencies. 


Department. 

NEW   YORK,     . 
BOSTON,     . 
PHILADELPHIA, 

BALTIMORE,     . 

ATLANTA, 
BIRMINGHAM, 
NEW  ORLEANS, 
HARTFORD,       . 

BRIDGEPORT,  . 
PITTSBURG,      . 
CLEVELAND,     . 
CINCINNATI,     . 
CHICAGO,   . 
ST.  LOUIS, 
DENVER,    . 
SAN  FRANCISCO, 
PORTLAND,       . 


Representatives. 

C.  C.  Gardiner,  Manager, 

W.  W.  Manning,  Acting  Chief  Insp. 


C.  E.  Roberts,  Manager, 

F.  S.  Allen,  Chief  Inspector, 

CoRBiN  &  Goodrich,  Gen.  Agents, 
Wm.  J.  Farran,  Chief  Inspector, 
S.  B.  Adams,  Asst.  Chief  Inspector, 


r 

Lawford  &  McKiM,  Gen.  Agents,     I 
R.   E.  Munro,   Chief  Inspector,        i 

W.  M.  Francis,  Manager, 

W.  M.  Francis,  Chief  Inspector, 

George  C.  Oliver,  General  Agent, 

H.  E.  Stringfellow,  Chief  Inspector, 

Peter  F.  Pescud,  General  Agent, 

R.  T.  BuRWELL,  Chief  Inspector, 

F.  H.  Williams,  Jr.,  General  Agent, 

H.  C.  Long,  Special  Agent, 

F.  H.  Kenyon,  Special  Agent, 

F.  S.  Allen,  Chief  Inspector, 

W.  G.  Lineburgh  &  Son,  Gen.  Agts., 

F.  S.  Allen,  Chief  Inspector, 

James  W.  Arrott,  Ltd.,  Gen.  Agt., 

Benjamin  Ford.  Chief  Inspector, 

H.  A.  Baumhart,  Manager, 

H.  A.  Baumhart,  Chief  Inspector, 

W.  E.  Gleason,  Manager, 

B.  F.  Cooper^  Chief  Inspector, 
H.  M.  Lemon,  Manager, 
James  L.  Foord.  Chief  Inspector, 
V.  Hugo.  Manager, 

V.  Hugo,  Chief  Inspector, 
Thos.  E.  Shears.  General  Agent, 
Thos.  E.  Shears.  Chief  Inspector, 
H.  R.  Mann  &  Co.,  General  Agents, 
J.  B.  Warner.  Chief  Inspector, 
McCargar,  Bates  &  Lively,  G.  Agts., 

C.  B.  Paddock,  Chief  Inspector, 


Offices. 
New  York  City,  N.  Y., 

100  William  St. 
Boston,  Mass., 

loi   Milk   St. 
Providence,   R.   I., 

17  Custom  House  St. 
Philadelphia,  Pa., 

432  Walnut  St. 

Baltimore,  Md., 

14  Abell  Bldg. 
Washington,  D.  C, 

511  Eleventh  St.,  N.W. 
Atlanta,  Ga., 

61 1 -613  Empire  Bldg. 
Birmingham,   Ala., 
,     Brown-Marx  Bldg. 
New  Orleans,  La., 

833-835  Gravier  St. 
Hartford,  Conn., 

56  Prospect  St. 


Bridgeport,  Conn., 

I  Sanford  Building. 
Pittsburg,  Pa., 

401  Wood  Street. 
Cleveland,    Ohio, 

Century  Building. 
Cincinnati,  Ohio. 

67-69  ]\Iitchell  Bldg. 
Chicago.  111., 

169  Jackson  Bvd. 
St.  Louis,  Mo., 

319  North  Fourth  St. 
Denver,  Col.,  Room  2, 

Jacobson  Bldg. 
San   Francisco,   Cal., 

339-341  San  some  St. 
Portland,  Ore., 

Failing   Building. 


8heyot0m0tite 

COPYRIGHT,  1910,  BY  THE  HARTFORD  STEAM  BOILER  INSPECTION  AND  INSURANCE  CO. 


Vol.  XXVIII.  HARTFORD,  CONN.,  OCTOBER  25,  191^ 


No.  4. 


The  Stiffening-  Effect  of  Girth  Joints. 

From  time  to  time  we  have  pointed  out,  in  The  Locomotive,  that  the  girth 
joints  in  a  steam  boiler  have  a  stiffening  effect  upon  the  shell  which  is  of 
considerable  importance  on  the  score  of  safety.  In  the  issue  for  October,  1909, 
for  example,  we  discussed  the  number  of  courses  that  have  been  recommended 
and  used  in  the  manufacture  of  boiler  shells,  and  we  there  said  that  "  the 
stiffening  action  of  the  girth  joint  is  quite  an  important  element  in  a  boiler 
shell,  and  its  absence  was  doubtless  one  of  the  causes  of  failure  of  the  single 
bottom-sheet  type." 

The  correctness  of  our  contention  is  beautifully  shown  by  the  accompany- 
ing photograph,  which  represents  an  ammonia  tank  that  exploded  recently  in  an 


Illustrating  the  Stiffness  of  a  Girth  Joint. 

ice-manufacturing  plant  at  Coffeyville,  Kans.  The  building  was  destroyed  by 
fire,  and  the  ammonia  tank  became  overheated  in  consequence,  so  that  it  was 
unable  to  sustain  the  pressure  to  which  it  was  subjected.  The  tank  was 
originally  cylindrical,  with  the  same  diameter  throughout,  and,  as  will  be  seen, 
the  two  end  courses  toward  the  right  of  the  photograph  were  swelled  out  by 
the  pressure,  so  that  one  of  them  assumed  an  almost  perfectly  spherical  form, 
drawing  down  in  thickness  at  the  same  time  until  a  rent  opened  in  the  shell, 
lengthwise. 

The  main  thing  to  which  we  would  draw  attention   is   the  fact  that  not- 
withstanding the  severe  overheating  to  which  the  shell  was  exposed,  the  girth 


93  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [October, 

joint  between  the  first  and  second  courses  retained  its  diameter,  almost  without 
any  change  whatever,  while  the  shell  bulged  to  a  very  marked  extent  on  each 
side  of  it. 

If  the  shell  had  not  been  provided  with  girth  joints,  it  is  highly  probable 
that  it  would  have  swelled  out  through  a  considerable  part  of  its  length,  and 
that,  instead  of  merely  opening  locally,  it  would  have  exploded  violently,  with 
much  more  serious  results. 


Steam  Boiler  Insurance.* 

Origin  of  "  Uxderwritixg." 

It  is  recorded  that  no  serious  attempt  was  made  to  engage  in  the  business  of 
insurance,  in  any  form,  until  after  the  great  fire  of  1666,  in  London,  England ; 
and  I  cannot  find  definitely  whether  fire  or  marine  hazards  were  the  first  to  be 
covered,  although  the  evidence  appears  to  favor  the  latter.  One  historian, 
however,  states  that  an  ofiice  was  opened  in  1681  "  at  the  back  side  of  the 
Royal  Exchange,"  to  insure  against  loss  by  fire.  About  the  same  time,  or  at 
any  rate  not  later  than  1687  or  1688,  the  Lloyd's  method  was  conceived,  grew 
into  favor,  and  met  with  success. 

Many  things  have  been  charged  against  coffee,  our  common  beverage.  I 
have  heard  persons  say  they  had  coffee  hearts  or  coffee  heads,  and  some, 
affected  in  the  limbs,  have  laid  this  trouble  to  coffee  also.  Now  I  find  that  at 
least  one  form  of  insurance  had  its  inception  in  a  coffee  house,  where  it  was 
probably  inspired  by  that  delicious  stimulant,  and  I  am  not  sure  but  that  some 
of  the  troubles  of  present  day  companies  can  be  traced  to  too  much  coffee. 

Edward  Lloyd  was  one  of  a  number  to  open  a  place,  in  the  latter  part  of 
the '  seventeenth  century,  for  the  purpose  of  serving  what  then  was  a  new 
beverage,  called  "  kauphy."  It  was  first  located  in  Tower  Street,  London, 
England,  but  in  1692,  some  two  hundred  years  after  the  discovery  of  America, 
it  was  removed  to  Lombard  Street.  Certain  merchants  and  ship-owners  were 
wont  to  gather  there  to  talk  over  their  cargoes  and  profits,  and  other  matters, 
and  to  discuss  the  merits  of  different  vessels,  including  their  speed  and  safety. 

The  English  are  reputed  to  have  been  great  betters,  and  in  the  early  reign 
of  George  the  Third,  about  one  generation  after  Edward  Lloyd's  time,  an 
extraordinary  mania  for  betting  had  developed.  Human  nature  still  tends 
somewhat  in  that  direction,  even  (I  might  add)  in  insurance  circles.  In  fact, 
insurance   is  a  legalized   form  of  chance-taking. 

It  is  my  theory  that  the  frequenters  of  Lloyd's  first  began  to  bet  on  the 
vessels  in  which  they  were  interested,  and  it  seems  but  a  step  from  betting  to 
the  acceptance,  as  then  practiced,  of  individual  responsibility  for  others'  loss. 
The  patrons  of  Lloyd's  were  wealth}^  and  they  agreed  to  assume  limited 
individual  liability  upon  vessels  and  their  cargoes.  After  setting  down  in  a 
document  (or,  as  one  historian  has  said,  "on  a  blackboard")  the  sum  they 
were  willing  to  guarantee,  they  would  write  their  names  under  the  amount; 
hence  the  term   "underwriting"   sprang  into  being.     I   can   fii ':  rlier  use 

of  this  word.  In  Dickens'  "All  the  Year  Round"  (May,  iS;''.  ;  i  article 
entitled   "Who's   Llovd's?"    where    it    is    said    that   the    insurei,  ..rwrote" 


♦An  address  before  the  Insurance  Institute  of  Hartford,  by  Charles  ■    :•   n        Secretary 
of  the  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Inspection  and  Insurance  Co. 


I9IO.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  99 


their  names  to  contracts  of  insurance,  and  were  hence  known  as  "underwriters." 
Edwards,  in  "Words,  Facts  and  Plirases"  (London,  1901)  also  states  that  the 
word  originated  at  Lloyd's. 

We  arc  not  told  what  part  LIomI  himself  originally  took  in  underwriting 
at  his  kauphy  house,  but  either  through  his  intcrc.-t  in  it,  or  through  the  asso- 
ciations of  the  place,  the  method  or  i)ractice  took  his  name,  and  became  known 
as  Lloyd's.  Later  on  he  did  take  an  active,  personal  part  in  gatUcring  maritime 
news,  and  in  marine  underwriting. 

The  same  association  of  merchants  and  owners  continued  the  underwriting 
with  varying  degrees  of  success,  but  with  the  lapse  of  time  certain  loose  and 
unsatisfactory  practices  crept  in,  and  finally,  after  130  years,  the  institution  was 
reorganized  to  correct  the  said  troubles.  In  1871  Lloyd's  was  granted  all  the 
rights  and  privileges  of  a  corporation  by  the  English  Parliament.  The  same 
230-year-old  Lloyd's  is  still  in  business,  making  money,  and  continuing  prac- 
tically the  same  old  form  of  contract.  The  early  form  of  guaranteeing  has  been 
broadened,  and  developments  have  taken  place  in  systems,  but  the  original 
term  "underwriting"  has  been  retained,  and  is  now  applied  to  all  forms  of 
insurance.  Indeed,  it  is  commonly  used  in  connection  with  many  forms  of 
contract,  to  designate  the  guarantors  thereof. 

Boiler  Underwriting. 

Boiler  underwriting  is  the  practice  of  insuring  against  losses  arising  from 
boiler  explosions.  An  owner  or  operator,  having  a  steam  boiler  or  boilers, 
is  approached,  and  when  the  terms  of  the  contract  have  been  agreed  upon, 
a  document  in  the  form  of  a  policy  is  executed  and  signed  by  the  authorized 
officials.  It  then  becomes  the  instrument  to  decide  all  questions  which  may  arise 
under  the  contract.  The  act  performed  by  the  insurer  is  termed  "underwriting," 
and  the  company  issuing  the  policy  is  the  underwriter. 

Boiler  underwriting,  like  marine  and  fire  underwriting,  was  first  practiced  in 
England.  An  inspection  company  was  organized  at  Huddersfield  in  the  fifties 
of  the  last  century  (I  have  not  been  able  to  obtain  the  exact  date),  and  was 
called  "  The  Huddersfield  Association  for  the  Prevention  of  Steam  Boiler 
Explosions." 

In  1859  The  Steam  Boiler  Assurance  Company  was  organized,  at  Man- 
chester, England,  to  inspect  and  insure  boilers;  and  in  i860  it  absorbed  the 
Huddersfield  Association.  This  company  was  probably  the  first  to  issue  a 
guarantee,  or  policy  of  insurance,  covering  steam  boilers,  and  the  present  Vul- 
can Boiler  &  General  Insurance  Company,  by  reason  of  its  being  the  ultimate 
successor  of  the  Steam  Boiler  Assurance  Company,  claims  to  be  the  oldest 
company  writing  this  form  of  insurance. 

The  Steam  Boiler  Assurance  Company,  as  I  infer  from  its  records,  started 
as  a  mutual  company,  but  in  November,  1864,  it  became  a  stock  company,  and 
a  change  of  name  made  it  The  Boiler  Insurance  &  Steam  Power  Company,  Ltd., 
under  which  title  it  had  a  varied  experience  of  ups  and  downs  until  a  little 
over  thirteen  years  ago,  in  December,  1896,  when  it  was  again  reorganized  as 
The  Vulcan  Boiler  &  General  Insurance  Company,  Ltd. 

Late  in  1854  numerous  meetings  were  held  in  the  "  Town  Hall  Buildings," 
at  Manchester,  England,  for  the  purpose  of  organizing  an  association  to  lessen 
the  dangers  in  the  use  of  steam,  and  to  study  its  economy.  At  this  meeting  a 
resolution  was  adopted,  to  the  effect:     "That  an  Association  be  formed  under 


iQO  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [October, 

the  title  of  '  The  Association  for  the  Prevention  of  Steam  Boiler  Explosions, 
and  for  Effecting  Economy  in  the  Raising  and  Use  of  Steam.'  "  The  asso- 
ciation does  not  appear  to  have  been  actually  formed,  however,  until  the  public 
meeting  in  January,  1855. 

At  first,  this  organization  did  not  contemplate  the  insuring  of  boilers,  but 
between  1861  and  1864  its  business  of  inspecting  boilers  and  indicating  engines 
fell  off  to  such  an  extent  that  it  was  decided,  in  December  of  the  latter  year, 
to  guarantee  the  safety  of  boilers.  The  loss  of  business  to  which  I  refer  was 
attributed  to  the  inroads  made  by  The  Steam  Boiler  Assurance  Company, 
which  insured  as  well  as  inspected  boilers.  It  was  first  proposed  that  the 
members  voluntarily  subscribe  a  sum  of  money  as  a  guarantee,  and  that  they 
be  reimbursed  at  the  rate  of  6s.  8d.  per  boiler  per  annum;  but  most  of  the 
members  had  such  confidence  in  the  inspection  service  that  they  refused  to 
accept  any  bonus  or  profit.  Thirteen  members  came  forward,  at  first,  and  put 
up  ii.ooo  each,  and  afterwards  five  others  came  in  on  a  like  basis,  making  the 
total  guarantee  fund  £18,000  (or  about  $90,000).  The  name  of  the  company  was 
changed  to  "  The  Manchester  Steam  Users'  Association  for  the  Prevention  of 
Boiler  Explosions  and  for  the  Attainment  of  Economy  in  the  Application  of 
Steam."  Strange  as  it  may  seem,  the  company's  own  history  does  not  show 
when  this  change  was  made.  So  far  as  the  length  of  title  goes,  the  last  one 
slightly  outdistances  its  predecessor. 

There  was  an  antagonistic  feeling  abroad  in  the  early  sixties  concerning  the 
combination  of  inspecting  and  insurance  by  one  company,  but,  as  a  compromise, 
the  last-named  company  issued  a  guarantee  in  which  it  undertook  to  make 
good  the  owners'  loss,  if  a  boiler  under  its  inspection  care  should  explode. 
While  in  this  sense  a  guarantee  and  a  policy  of  insurance  are  synonymous,  the 
Manchester  Association  evidently  preferred  to  keep  to  the  form  of  a  wager, 
and  to  bet  on  its  work,  instead  of  issuing  a  contract  of  indemnity,  as  its  com- 
petitor did. 

There  are  several  other  companies  abroad,  with  from  20  to  30  years'  expe- 
rience, Canada  having  one, —  The  Boiler  Inspection  &  Insurance  Company  of 
Canada  —  which  was  organized  on  English  lines  35  j-ears  ago,  and  is  to-day  the 
leading  company  of  the  Dominion. 

The  pioneer  company  of  this  continent  was  organized  in  1866,  in  this  city 
of  Hartford.  It  was  then,  as  now,  known  as  The  Hartford  Steam  Boiler 
Inspection  and  Insurance  Company. 

In  the  spring  of  1876,  the  Knickerbocker  Plate  Glass  and  Accidental  Insur- 
ance Company  was  organized  in  New  York.  Its  name  was  soon  changed  to 
the  Knickerbocker  Casualty  Insurance  Company,  and  shortly  afterward  it  was 
again  changed  to  the  Fidelity  &  Casualty  Company,  which  it  still  retains.  As 
the  name  indicates,  this  company  transacts  a  general   casualty  business. 

In  1883,  the  now  defunct  American  Steam  Boiler  Insurance  Company,  de- 
voted solely  to  boiler  insurance,  was  formed  in  New  York,  and  in  more  recent 
times  many  companies  have  entered  the  field,  to  underwrite  boiler  insurance. 

Since  the  days  of  the  American  Steam  Boiler  Insurance  Company,  there  has 
been  strenuous  competition  in  the  business.  There  are  today  no  less  than  14 
companies  writing  boiler  insurance  in  the  United  States,  but  only  two  are  con- 
fining themselves  exclusively  to  the  underwriting  of  the  hazards  pertaining  to 
steam  —  one  of  these.  The  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Inspection  and  Insurance 
Company,  operates  in  all  the  states  of  the  Union,  while  the  other.  The  Mutual 


I9IO.]  THE     Lui  O  MOTIVE.  ^Ql 


Boiler  Insurance  Company  of  Boston,  confines  its  operations  to  the  State  of 
Massachusetts.  All  the  remaining  cmnpanies  are  doing  various  lines  of  under- 
writing, such  as  liability,  plate  glass,  automobile,  burglary,  and  so  on,  one  of 
them  priding  itself  on  the  multiplicit\  of  its  lines,  of  which  it  has,  not  fifty- 
seven  varieties,  but  sixteen. 

A  number  of  multiple-line  companies  have  retired  from  the  boiler-insurance 
field,  finding,  after  an  honest  endeavor  to  maintain  an  adcqtfete  inspection 
service  on  a  necessarily  small  preminm  income,  that  it  is  impossible  to  do  so 
to  the  satisfaction  of  the  assured,  witliout  severe  loss  to  the  stockholders. 

While  there  are  still  14  companies  trying  to  build  up  boiler  departments,  it 
is  necessarily  slow  work,  not  because  their  efforts  are  not  well  directed,  but 
because  the  field  is  not  developing  so  as  to  keep  pace  with  industrial  advances. 
At  first  thought  you  will  charge  me  with  being  a  pessimist,  but  when  I  tell 
you  the  facts  about  the  narrowing  field,  you  will  readily  understand  what  I 
mean,  and  I  think  you  must  also  admit  the  truth  of  my  contention. 

Up  to  a  few  years  ago  the  boiler-making  industries  were  keeping  pace  with 
other  advances,  but  in  more  recent  times  there  has  been  a  tendency  toward  the 
use  of  larger  units  of  power,  and  this  means  a  reduction  in  the  number  of 
boilers  used  for  the  development  of  a  given  power.  The  smaller  steam  powers 
are  also  giving  way  to  internal-combustion  engines  that  do  not  require  the 
generation  of  steam.  Indeed,  there  are  some  large  and  notable  power  plants 
abroad,  as  well  as  in  our  own  country,  where  no  boilers  are  employed,  at  all, 
except  possibly  in  a  small  way  as  auxiliaries,  for  furnishing  steam  for  minor 
purposes. 

It  is  the  intention  of  one  of  the  largest  and  latest  equipped  boiler  shops  of 
this  country  to  go  out  of  the  boiler  business  entirely,  and  engage  in  the  man- 
ufacture of  internal  combustion  engines.  This  shop  has  had  a  capacity  for  pro- 
ducing from  2,500  to  3,000  boilers  per  annum,  and  has  actually  turned  out 
that  number  when  business  was  fairly  good.  Every  day  some  owner  gives  up 
boiler  insurance  because  he  has  substituted  eitlier  gas,  gasoline,  or  kerosene 
engines,  for  steam  power.  We  have  also  to  reckon  with  the  concentration  of 
power,  as  it  is  observed  in  public  utility  corporations,  supplying  electric  power 
to  the  smaller  consumers,  and  displacing  a  corresponding  number  of  the  minor 
steam  power  plants. 

Successful  methods  of  transmitting  electric  power  over  long  distances  have 
permitted  the  utilization  of  great  and  heretofore  undeveloped  water  powers,  and 
made  it  possible  to  bring  the  electric  current  generated  therefrom  within  the  zone 
of  power  users,  and  this  has  still  further  checked  the  multiplication  of  steam- 
power  plants.  The  number  of  boilers  so  being  discontinued  is  startling,  yet 
every  year  some  new  company  is  formed  to  insure  boilers  (with  other  lines 
of  casualty  insurance),  or  some  casualty  company  adds  boiler  insurance  to  the 
lines  it  is  already  carrying. 

Boiler  owners  have  been  fairly  well  educated  to  perceive  the  need  of 
inspection  service,  and  of  protection  in  case  of  loss,  although  there  are  occasional 
exceptions  where  they  are  still  unfamiliar  with  the  subject,  or  indifferent  to  it. 
The  education  has  been  brought  about  by  liberal  advertising  upon  the  part  of 
the  companies  engaged  in  the  business,  and  by  severe  penalties  exacted  from 
uninsured  boiler  owners  in  the  courts,  in  suits  for  recovery  for  personal  injuries. 
Competition  is  so  keen  that  little  or  no  business  comes  in,  as  one  would  say 
commercially,  '"  over  the  counter."     It  is  mostly  secured  by  personal  solicitation. 


^02  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [October, 

Boiler  insurance  differs  from  some  other  forms  of  insurance  in  the  fact  that 
the  contracts  or  poHcies  offered  by  the  various  companies  are  widely  different, 
there  being  no  two  absolutely  alike.  Occasionally  a  company  will  undertake  to 
furnish  a  duplicate  form,  but  will  balk  at  some  one  or  two  clauses,  so  that 
there  is  never  any  real  identity  in  the  contracts. 

I  intended  to  point  out  the  differences  in  the  policy  forms  that  are  in  actual 
use,  but  as  I  found  that  it  would  take  an  entire  evening  to  do  so,  I  shall  have 
to  confine  myself  to  a  brief  review  of  the  most  important  points. 

Taking  a  composite  view  of  those  that  exist,  we  have  a  policy  covering,  in 
blanket  form,  the  property  of  the  assured,  as  well  as  the  property  of  others, 
and  also  any  personal  injuries  for  which  the  assured  may  be  liable, —  provided 
such  injuries  and  losses  are  caused  directly  by  the  explosion  of  the  insured 
boiler. 

All  contracts  agree,  within  certain  limits,  to  absolutely  indemnify  the  assured 
for  his  own  property,  wherever  it  may  be  located,  and  whether  it  consists  of 
boilers,  buildings,  machinery,  or  stock ;  and  while  some  contracts  permit  the 
owner  to  exercise  an  option  as  to  whether  his  own  property  loss  shall  be  paid 
first,  or  before  the  policy  contributes  to  other  claims,  others  do  not  do  so.  In 
my  own  experience,  extending  over  25  years,  I  have  never  known  an  owner  to 
ask  the  suspension  of  payment  for  his  own  property  loss,  in  order  to  first 
determine  his  legal  liability  for  his  neighbors'  property,  or  to  ascertain  the 
outcome  of  the  adjudication  of  personal  injury  claims,  both  of  which  settlements 
might  conceivably  be  drawn  out  for  years.  An  insuring  company  may  some- 
times be  asked,  however,  to  first  settle  personal  injurj^  claims  of  a  minor 
character,  when  it  is  evident  that  there  would  be  a  remaining  sum  large  enough 
to  cover  the  property  loss.  Self-preservation  is  the  first  law  of  nature,  so 
naturally  the  owner  would  always  prefer  to  have  his  own  direct  property  loss 
paid  first. 

It  is  my  opinion  that  under  the  optional  clause,  a  coinsuring  liability  company 
could  force  the  boiler  policy  to  participate  in  the  personal  injury  claims  before 
the  property  claims  could  be  paid  out  of  it;  hence,  under  certain  conditions, 
the  owner  might  suffer  a  loss  that,  under  a  contract  covering  property  first,  he 
might  be  saved.  I  base  my  opinion  upon  this  reasoning :  Assuming,  of  course, 
that  liability  insurance  is  also  carried,  if  the  owner  should  hold  an  optional 
boiler  contract  at  the  time  of  an  explosion,  and  if  he  had  not  indicated  prior 
thereto  which  character  of  loss  should  first  be  paid,  the  personal  injury  indemnity 
would  be  in  full  force  at  the  moment  of  the  explosion,  and  it  would  therefore  be 
subject  to  pro  rate  Avith  other  insurance  of  like  nature,  and  it  would  be  beyond 
the  power  of  the  holder  to  discriminate  against  another  insuring  company. 

As  all  liability  companies  make  conditions  in  their  policy  contracts  providing 
that  they  shall  participate  in  personal  injury  claims  only  in  the  proportion  that 
their  limits  bear  to  the  whole  amount  applicable  at  the  time  of  the  accident, 
the  liability  company  can  force  either  the  boiler  policy  or  the  assured  to  con- 
tribute, inasmuch  as  at  the  moment  of  the  explosion  there  zvas  contributing 
insurance. 

The  optional  contract  seems  analogous  to  the  following:  If  the  assured 
carries  a  like  or  similar  insurance  in  another  company,  and  one  company  fails 
after  the  accident,  the  solvent  company  cannot  be  held  for  more  than  its  propor- 
tion of  insurance  carried  by  the  assured  at  the  time  of  the  accident,  for  at  that 
moment  the  insurance  of  the  defunct  company  was  in  force.     A  policy  which 


1910.]  THE    L(jCO  MOTIVE.  lOS 


makes  the  payment  of  death  and  injury  claims  secondary,  and  effective  only 
after  the  payment  of  property  damaj^e,  cannot  be  made  to  contribute  until  the 
property  claim  is  settled,  as  it  is  not  contributing  at  the  moment  of  the  explosion. 

Boiler  policies  do  not  cover  fire,  whether  it  is  caused  by  an  explosion  or  not. 

The  maximum  pressure  allowed  on  the  insured  boilers  is  sometimes  fixed 
in  the  policy.  This  is  a  better  plan  than  the  one  followed  by  some  companies 
of  having  it  fixed  by  the  reports  or  certificates  of  the  inspectors,  because  under 
the  latter  system  changes  with  intent  or  by  error  can  easily  be  made  by  the 
insuring  company,  and  overlooked  by  the  policy-holder;  —  and  then,  in  case 
a  claim  arises  under  the  policy,  there  is  a  loophole  provided,  which  may  enable 
the  insuring  company  to  escape  payment,  if  it  should  Ije  disposed  to  make  the 
attempt. 

An  increase  of  pressure  beyond  that  allowed  l)y  the  policy  or  certificate, 
comes  within  the  general  clause  of  "  Changes  material  to  the  risk,"  and  thus 
makes  the  contract  void.  The  same  clause  is  necessary  in  all  contracts,  to  avoid 
liability  for  damages  caused  by  a  weakening  of  the  structure,  and  within  the 
control  of  the  assured ;  for  otherwise  the  hazard  might  be  increased  without 
the  knowledge  of  the  insuring  company. 

The  definition  of  an  explosion,  under  the  composite  view,  is  "  a  violent 
separation  of  the  metal,  or  of  the  component  parts  of  the  boiler,"  and  the  con- 
tract is  usually  extended  to  cover  all  pipes  —  water  or  steam  —  up  to,  and 
including,  the  first  shut-off  valve  in  each  pipe.  A  necessary  provision  is,  that 
the  explosion  shall  be  caused  by  the  pressure  of  steam.  You  may  ask.  What 
else  would  burst,  explode,  or  rupture  a  boiler?  To  which  I  answer.  Dynamite, 
gas,  ice,  or  a  number  of  other  agencies  that  it  would  be  easy  to  enumerate.  I 
have  personally  observed  results  from  the  three  causes  mentioned,  and  I  have 
known  of  a  case  in  which  a  boiler  was  destroyed  by  a  landslide. 

No  company  agrees,  in  its  policy  contract,  to  make  inspections,  although  it 
provides  that  its  inspectors  shall  have  all  reasonable  opportunity  to  inspect  the 
insured  boilers  and  the  appliances  on  which  their  safety  depends.  Very  properly, 
all  companies  reserve  the  right  to  suspend  the  insurance  at  once,  in  the  event"  of 
urgent  need;  —  for  example,  in  case  a  dangerous  defect  were  found  in  a  boiler, 
and  the  local  persons  in  charge  of  the  boiler  should  insist  upon  its  continued  vise. 
There  is  but  little  difference  among  policies  in  the  matter  of  the  terms  of  can- 
cellation. The  inspection  service  being  quite  expensive,  it  is  necessary  to  provide 
that  in  the  event  of  cancellation  by  the  assured,  the  cost  of  the  inspections  ren- 
dered shall  be  included  in  the  charge  to  the  assured. 

It  is  imperative  that  immediate  notice  of  accident  shall  be  rendered  to  the 
insuring  company,  so  it  may  have  an  opportunity  to  investigate  the  cause,  as 
well  as  to  determine  the  extent  of  the  damage. 

Sufficient  consideration  is  not  always  given  to  fixing  the  amount  of  insurance 
needed  to  properly  protect  the  assured.  It  has  been  common  practice  to  deter- 
mine the  amount  of  the  policy  by  allowing  $5,000  per  boiler,  but  such  a  custom 
is  illogical,  and  inconsistent  with  the  best  interests  of  either  of  the  parties  con- 
cerned. There  are  many  one-boiler  or  two-boiler  plants,  carrying,  on  that  basis, 
$5,000  or  $10,000  of  insurance,  respectively,  while,  by  reason  of  their  locations, 
in  proximity  to  expensive  buildings  or  to  a  large  number  of  persons,  they 
should  be  carrying  $50,000  to  $75,000.  A  boiler  is  equally  capable  of  exploding 
and  causing  death  and  destruction,  whether  it  be  isolated  or  set  in  company  with 
a  number  of  others. 


•104  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [October, 

In  these  days  of  aggregations  and  combinations,  many  companies  owning 
boilers  have  consolidated,  so  that  a  demand  has  arisen  for  a  form  of  policy 
covering  a  number  of  individual  plants  under  one  contract,  and  commonly  known 
as  a  "  schedule  form."  Such  a  contract  is  sometimes  demanded,  also,  by  owners 
having  a  number  of  boilers  in  one  plant,  and  desiring  a  coverage  beyond  the 
usual  limit  for  one  explosion.  In  these  cases  a  policy  is  issued  having  a  limit 
fixed  for  any  one  accident,  and  a  larger  or  principal  sum,  which  would  cover  two 
or  more  accidents  of  the  same  limit.  Such  a  policy  has  the  advantage  of  afiford- 
ing  continued  protection  to  the  remaining  boilers  in  a  battery,  if  their  use  were 
continued  immediately  after  the  destruction  of  one  of  them. 

Occasionally  an  owner  desires  to  cover  property  loss  only,  with  no  provision 
for  personal  injuries  and  death  claims.  This  appears  to  me  to  be  the  best  way, 
for  I  believe  boiler  policies  should  cover  property  only,  leaving  claims  for  per- 
sonal injuries  and  deaths  to  the  liability  policies.  But  as  such  protection  against 
personal  injury  claims  was  demanded  and  provided,  before  any  employers' 
liability  or  public  liability  insurance  was  written  in  this  country,  it  has  become 
a  fixed  feature  in  connection  with  boiler  insurance. 

That  part  of  the  hazard  which  relates  to  compensation  for  the  destruction 
of  property  belonging  to  persons  other  than  the  owner  of  the  boiler,  stands  upon 
exactly  the  same  basis  as  death  claims  and  claims  for  personal  injury;  that  is, 
the  insurance  is  really  and  legally  applicable  only  to  the  liability  of  the  policy- 
holder. In  general  practice  this  part  of  the  loss  is  usually  settled  by  the  insuring 
company,  and  upon  the  same  basis  as  that  adopted  in  settling  for  the  property  of 
the  assured, — •  namely,  the  actual  cash  value  of  the  property  at  the  time  of  the 
explosion. 

Death  and  personal  injury  indemnity,  under  a  boiler  policy,  is  really  a  pro- 
tective feature  that  can  be  classed  as  liability  insurance,  pure  and  simple. 
» 

Inspection  Service. 

A  full  evening  would  be  required,  to  treat  this  part  of  the  subject  properly, 
and  hence  I  shall  try  to  interest  3-ou  in  a  few  things  only. 

The  success  of  a  boiler  insurance  company  depends  very  largely  upon  the 
nature  of  its  inspection  service.  The  organization  and  maintenance  of  an 
inspection  department  seems  a  simple  thing,  even  to  shrewd  business  men  and 
engineers;  but  high  efficiency  in  this  work  implies  familiarity,  on  the  part  of 
the  employees,  with  an  enormous  mass  of  facts  respecting  boiler  design,  con- 
struction, operation,  defects,  and  so  on,  and  it  takes  many  years  to  fully  train 
an  inspector;  and  his  superior  must  have  had  much  more  experience,  in  order 
to  lay  out  the  work  and  guide  the  men,  and  then  to  pass  upon  doubtful  points. 
Boiler  inspectors  are  selected  from  a  class  of  men  who  have  had  experience  in 
as  many  of  the  following  branches  as  possible :  Boiler  designing,  construction 
and  operation,  and  the  manufacture  of  the  different  elements  that  go  to  make 
up  a  boiler  and  engine  plant. 

The  company  with  which  I  have  had  the  pleasure  to  be  connected,  endeavors 
to  inspect  all  boilers  offered  for  insurance  before  their  acceptance,  and  thereafter 
it  makes  periodical  inspections,  characterized  as  internal  and  external,  and  often 
applies  a  hydrostatic  test. 

Internal  inspections  are  made  when  the  boilers  are  prepared  by  having  their 
fires  drawn,  and  being  slowly  cooled.  All  parts  must  be  open,  and  must  be  clean 
and   accessible  to  the   inspector,  who   examines   every  visible   part,   sounds  with 


I910.J  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  105 


a  hammer  any  part  liable  to  be  afYecUd,  and  takes  the  dimensions  of  all  parts  of 
the  boiler  subject  to  strain,  lie  tests  the  steam  gages,  examines  the  gages  for 
determining  water-levels,  inspects  the  safety-valves,  and  closely  scrutinizes  all 
the  other  apparatus  of  the  boiler  plant  upon  which  safety  depends. 

The  external  inspection  is  made  when  the  plant  is  working  under  the  regular 
running  conditions,  and,  contrary  to  the  opinion  of  many  persons,  it  is  really  a 
highly  important  detail.  Some  of  the  appliances  can  best  be  tested  when  the 
boilers  are  in  operation,  this  being  true,  in  particular,  of  the  water  and  steam- 
gages  and  the  safety-valves.  The  inspector  is  also  able,  at  this  time,  to  observe 
the  general  attention  given  to  the  oj)eration,  to  detect  leaks  in  the  boiler  con- 
nections, to  observe  the  efficiency  of  the  feeding  methods,  and  to  form  some 
opinion  of  the  duty  required  of  the  boilers  and  of  their  attendants. 

The  hydrostatic  pressure  is  applied  only  under  certain  conditions  or  in  con- 
formity with  special  requirements.  In  the  City  of  Philadelphia  a  water-pressure 
must  be  applied  annually,  and  before  the  certificates  are  issued. 

Each  day  brings  some  new  lesson  with  regard  to  defective  boilers,  and  it 
is  here  that  long  experience  better  qualifies  a  man  or  a  company  to  decide  the 
future  of  a  boiler.  In  our  own  practice  the  inspectors  figure  up  the  pressure 
allowable  upon  the  boilers  under  examination,  according  to  the  requirements  of 
the  company,  and  of  any  state  or  municipal  laws  that  may  apply  to  them, — 
making  due  allowance  for  defects  and  deterioration.  The  result  is  passed  on  to 
the  chief  inspector  of  the  department,  who,  in  turn,  checks  up  the  data  and  the 
figures,  and  forwards  them  to  the  home  of^ce,  where  a  corps  of  experts  review 
the  work  of  both  the  inspector  and  the  chief  inspector. 

New  conditions,  new  types  of  boilers,  and  rare  defects  are  reported  daily, 
and  taken  up  with  the  experts  at  the  home  office,  who  keep  in  close  touch  with 
all  the  chief  and  field  inspectors,  and  give  the  benefits  of  a  wide  range  of 
experience  to  the  assured. 

The  average  man  does  not  always  understand  how  much  trouble  and  expense 
an  inspector  may  cause,  by  an  immature  judgment.  If  he  fails  to  grasp  the 
significance  of  certain  defects,  and  permits  the  use  of  the  boiler  without  repairs, 
an  explosion  or  rupture  may  follow,  and  frequently  docs  follow,  causing  damage 
to  property,  and  very  likely  loss  of  life  and  personal  injurj^  On  the  other  hand, 
if  his  judgment  is  equally  imperfect  in  the  opposite  direction,  he  may  cause  great 
expense  by  ordering  unnecessary  repairs,  or  he  may  even  require  the  installation 
of  a  new  boiler,  when  the  old  one  is  really  quite  safe  and  fit  for  several  more 
years  of  service. 

Some  time  ago,  in  this  state,  and  not  far  from  Hartford,  an  inspector  of  a 
liability  company  reduced  the  pressure  on  a  boiler  so  greatly  that  it  could  not 
perform  its  accustomed  work,  and,  if  the  inspector  had  been  the  court  of  last 
resort,  the  boiler  would  have  had  to  be  removed.  In  the  particular  case  I  have 
in  mind,  the  owner  did  not  accept  the  judgment  of  the  inspector,  but  cancelled 
his  insurance  and  placed  the  boiler  with  arother  company  that  had  insured  it 
previously,  and  whose  men  were  familiar  with  the  risk.  The  pressure  was 
thereupon  restored,  and' the  installation  of  a  new  boiler,  with  its  attendant 
expense,  was  postponed, —  for  how  long  I  cannot  yet  tell,  but  more  than  four 
years  have  elapsed  since  the  incident,  and  the  boiler  is  still  doing  effective  duty. 

It  would  be  impossible  for  me  this  evening  to  tell  you  how  to  discover  defects, 
or  where  to  look   for  them   in   a  boiler.     Corrosion,   structural   weakness,   bad 


-[06  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [October, 


workmanship,  the  formation  of  scale,  and  many  other  things,  go  to  make  boilers 
unsafe,  and  different  types  are  differently  affected. 

I  will  take  this  opportunity  to  say  that  firemen  and  engineers  are  too  often 
blamed  for  causing  explosions,  especially  if  either  has  lost  his  life  and  cannot 
be  present  to  defend  his  acts.  It  is  so  easy  for  those  who  are  inexperienced, 
or  who  do  not  know  the  actual  conditions,  to  attribute  an  explosion  to  low 
water,  or,  the  attendants  being  killed,  to  say  that  they  alone  could  tell  the  cause. 
Whenever  the  facts  justify  an  exoneration  of  the  engineer  or  fireman,  I  take 
great  pleasure  in  freeing  him  from  the  criticism  and  stigma,  for  those  attend- 
ants, as  a  class,  have  been  unjustly  condemned,  on  many  occasions. 

Adjusting. 

Even  though  a  boiler  insurance  company  has  enjoyed  the  fullest  confidence 
of  its  assured  for  many  years,  and  has  been  trusted  in  all  its  dealings,  these 
facts  are  often  forgotten  after  an  explosion,  and  the  company  is  put  to  a  severe 
test  in  facing  the  problem  of  adjusting  a  loss.  Save  for  the  facilities  it  has 
for  rendering  valuable  mechanical  service,  one  company  is  as  good  as  another 
until  that  test  of  tests  comes, —  the  adjusting  and  settling  of  the  losses. 

An  explosion  occurs,  a  telegram  is  received,  and  immediately  two  persons 
who  have  never  known  each  other  personally  are  brought  together  to  settle  a 
purely  business  transaction,  involving  many  thousands  of  dollars.  Confidence 
on  the  part  of  both  is  most  needed  at  this  time,  and  it  is  a  hard  position  for 
either  the  claimant  or  the  adjuster.  I  think  there  is  no  other  line  of  business, 
outside  of  insurance,  in  which  two  strangers  are  suddenly  brought  face  to  face, 
to  transact  a  business  deal  involving  so  large  an  expenditure. 

It  is  highly  important  for  the  adjuster  to  show  a  friendly  disposition  from 
the  very  outset.  He  should  so  conduct  himself  as  to  inspire  confidence,  not 
only  in  the  company  he  represents,  but  also  in  himself ;  for  unless  he  commands 
confidence  personally,  he  cannot  obtain  it  for  his  company. 

Time  and  again  have  I  appeared  on  the  scene  of  an  accident  for  the  purpose 
of  investigating  the  cause  of  a  boiler  explosion  and  settling  the  claims  arising 
therefrom,  and  found  the  owners  anxiously  waiting  to  see  with  what  kind  of  a 
man  they  were  to  reckon.  The  adjuster  is  always  looked  upon  with  suspicion, 
and  the  belief  is  held  that  he  is  the  sharpest  man  that  could  be  selected  to  drive 
a  bargain  with  a  claimant.  At  such  a  time  he  should  be  most  discreet,  even  in 
his  manner  of  expressing  sympathy, —  a  single  injudicious  remark,  or  a  single 
misunderstood  action  being  sufficient  to  broaden  the  gulf  that  appears  to  stand 
between  the  assured  and  the  insuring  company.  Even  commonplace  conversation 
with  employees,  or  with  people  of  the  town,  is  sometimes  looked  upon  with 
suspicion,  as  though  one  were  working  up  a  case  against  the  assured,  instead 
of  being  friendly  and  acting  in  his  interests.  Every  movement  of  the  adjuster 
is  watched,  and  note  is  made  of  where  he  goes,  what  he  does,  whom  he  talks 
with,  and  what  he  says. 

In  my  experience  I  have  found  most  men  honest,  and  I  have  had  but  little 
difficulty  in  arranging  satisfactory  terms  of  agreement ;  but  occasionally  I  have 
found  a  person  who  has  deliberately  set  out  to  defraud  the  company.  When 
dishonesty  or  fraud  is  thus  resorted  to  by  the  assured,  it  forces  the  adjuster 
to  assume  the  defensive,  much  to  his  dislike.  It  then  becomes  legitimate,  in 
fact,  for  him  to  stifle  his  natural  tendency  towards  liberality,  and  to  adhere  t' 
the  strict  letter  of  the  contract,  and  compel  the  assured  to  do  the  same. 


19IO.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  \QJ 


I  believe  most  insurance  companies  have  a  desire  to  be  fair  with  their 
patrons,  and  that,  if  treated  right,  thiy  will  leave  the  claimant  in  the  same  mood 
in  which  I  found  a  jeweler  in  a  Southern  city  a  few  years  ago.  Upon  dis- 
covering that  I  had  been  adjusting  a  loss,  he  told  me  that  some  months  before 
he  had  suffered  from  fire  and  water  —  mostly  the  latter.  He  said  he  thought 
insurance  companies  were  honest  and  liberal,  as  he  spoke  from  experience. 
After  his  loss  had  been  scheduled  and  paid,  and  the  repairs  to  Bliildings,  show- 
cases, etc.,  were  all  completed,  he  found  that  he  was  two  thousand  dollars  ahead. 
"Don't  you  think  that  was  pretty  good?"  he  asked.  I  agreed  with  him,  espe- 
cially after  running  my  eye  over  his  place  of  business. 

It  has  been  my  practice  in  adjusting  losses  to  fmd  out  what  had  existed  before 
the  explosion,  and  to  get  the  assured  to  agree  upon  two  or  more  reputable 
contractors  for  each  character  of  construction  involved,  and  have  these  men 
estimate  the  loss.  With  their  figures  as  a  basis,  and  a  reasonable  allowance  for 
depreciation,  it  is  usually  not  a  hard  matter  to  arrive  at  the  true  cash  value  of 
the  property  destroyed.  Losses  on  boilers  and  machinery  may  be  determined 
largely  by  the  same  process.  Owing  to  fluctuations  in  the  price  of  materials 
and  labor,  the  cost  of  restoring  property  may  be  either  greater  or  less,  at  the 
time  of  an  explosion,  than  tlie  original  first  cost. 

The  value  of  stock  in  the  raw  state,  or  in  process  of  manufacture,  can  usually 
be  determined  from  the  assured's  records,  which  are  commonly  preserved.  The 
market  price  is  always  available,  and  in  case  of  need,  advice  as  to  the  cost  of 
carrying  the  materials  through  the  various  stages  of  production  can  be  had  from 
neighboring  factories,  although  one  is  sometimes  compelled  to  send  outside  the 
zone  of  influence  of  the  local  company  for  such  assistance. 

Consequent  losses,  or  losses  incurred  subsequently  to  an  explosion,  are  not 
covered,  except  under  special  contracts.  Hence  they  are  absolutely  ruled  out  of 
consideration  when  a  boiler  policy  alone  covers. 

A  knowledge  of  buildings,  and  of  mechanics  as  applied  to  boiler  construction 
and  operation,  is  positively  essentia!  to  the  satisfactory  adjustment  of  losses 
arising  from  boiler  explosions.  It  is  also  important  to  have  some  knowledge 
of  machinery,  general  and.  special,  because  many  questions  arise  concerning  all 
those  things  —  sometimes  when  you  are  many  miles  away  from  anyone  with 
whom  you  might  consult.  In  Florida  I  once  encountered  a  most  singular  sit- 
uation in  relation  to  the  immediate  use  of  a  boiler  thrown  out  of  its  setting  by 
the  force  of  the  explosion  of  another  one.  It  was  at  an  ice  manufacturing 
plant,  far  from  a  boiler  shop,  and  to  get  the  boiler  back  into  immediate  service 
we  had  to  devise  a  method  of  making  repairs  that  had  never  before  been  used, 
so  far  as  I  am  aware.  We  met  the  emergency,  however,  and  effected  the  repairs, 
and  for  all  that  I  know  to  the  contrary,  the  boiler  is  still  in  use. 

After  the  adjuster  has  gained  the  confidence  of  the  assured,  he  can,  if  so 
trained,  render  valuable  advice  concerning  temporary  expedients,  as  well  as  the 
permanent  restoration  of  the  power  plant.  Each  case,  since  it  necessarily 
involves  persons  and  questions  peculiar  to  itself,  must  be  carefully  studied  by 
the  adjuster,  who  should  be  a  student  of  human  nature.  To  be  successful,  he 
must  be  open  and  frank,  and,  above  all,  honest;  taking  no  advantage  of  the 
assured  even  in  little  things.  But  his  duties  nevertheless  require  him  to  be  firm, 
and  this  attitude  he  can  maintain  with  dignity  and  courtesy,  so  as  to  command 
the  hearty  respect  of  the  assured. 


108  THE    LOCOMOTIVE  [OcrcBER, 


A.  D.  RiSTEEN,  Ph.D.,  Editor. 


HARTFORD,  OCTOBER  25,  1910. 

The  Locomotive  can  be  obtained  free  by  calling  at  any  of  the  company's  agencies. 
Subscription  price  ^o  cents  per  year  when  mailed  from  this  office. 
Recent  bound  volumes  one  dollar  each.     Earlier  oftes  two  dollars. 


Obituary. 

Charles  Mason  Beach. 

It  is  with  profound  regret  that  we  record  the  death  of  Mr.  Charles  Mason 
Beach,  who  passed  away  on  June  27,  1910,  at  his  home  at  Vine  Hill,  West 
Hartford,  Connecticut.  He  was  born  at  Hartford  on  February  18,  1826, 
the  son  of  George  and  Harriet  Bradley  Beach,  and  was  one  of  seventeen  chil- 
dren, of  whom  but  one,  Isaac  T.  Beach  of  Atlantic  City,  New  Jersey,  is  now 
living.  He  began  his  business  career  as  a  clerk  in  the  store  of  Howe,  Mather 
&  Company,  on  Asylum  Street,  Hartford,  and  in  1848,  in  company  with  two 
of  his  elder  brothers,  he  organized  the  firm  of  Beach  &  Company,  to  deal  in 
dye-stuffs  and  chemicals.  This  is  still  in  active  existence,  and  Mr.  Beach 
retained  his  connection  with  it  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  although  for  the 
last  two  years  or  so  he  had  taken  no  active  part  in  its  management. 

Mr.  Beach  was  widely  known,  also,  on  account  of  his  agricultural  interests, 
and  at  Vine  Hill  he  maintained  a  farm  which  was  managed  in  accordance  with 
strictly  scientific  methods,  .and  was  regarded  as  a  model,  particularly  in  respect 
to  the  raising  and  handling  of  sheep  and  dairy  cattle.  He  was  one  of  the 
founders  of  the  American  Jersey  Cattle  Club,  and  of  the  American  Guernsey 
Cattle  Club,  and  he  was  a  director  of  the  Phoenix  Insurance  Company,  the 
Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Inspection  and  Insurance  Company,  the  Phoenix  National 
Bank,  the  Connecticut  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Company,  the  Hartford  Carpet 
Corporation,  and  the  Holyoke  Water  Power  Company.  For  many  years,  too, 
he  was  a  director  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company,  resigning  only  a 
short  time  ago,  on  account  of  his  age. 

At  a  meeting  held  on  September  26,  the  Directors  of  the  Hartford  Steam 
Boiler  Inspection  and  Insurance  Company  adopted  the   following  minute : 

"  In  the  death  of  Mr.  Charles  INIason  Beach,  this  Board  loses  a  valuable 
counsellor,  and  its  members  lose  a  friend  who  was  universally  respected  and 
esteemed.  He  was  elected  to  the  directorate  on  Octol)er  6,  1866,  when  the  com- 
pany was  first  organized,  and  he  had  served  upon  it,  continuously  and  faithfully, 
to  the  end.  In  his  departure  we  have  lost  the  sole  remaining  member  of  the 
first,  historic  board,  that  laid  the  foundations  of  our  success. 

"  Mr.    Beach    was    the    first   vice-president    of    the    company,    holding    that 


I9IO.]  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  109 


position  from  the  outset  up  to  1873,  when  the  pressure  of  his  own  affairs  forced 
him  to  relinquish  it.  In  Januarj-,  1904,  he  was  again  elected  to  the  same  office, 
accepting  the  second  tenure  temporarily,  pending  the  appointment  of  a  perma- 
nent incumbent. 

"  Mr.  Beach  was  markedly  optimistic,  with  a  philosophy  that  was  cheerful 
and  full  of  hope,  and  his  confident  and  reassuring  counsel  was  largely  instru- 
mental in  preventing  the  dissolution  of  this  company,  shortly  after  its  first 
organization.  His  years  were  spent  in  Hartford  and  its  suburbs,  and  he  had 
been  closely  identified  with  many  phases  of  the  city's  business  life.  With 
increasing  age  he  had  retired  from  many  of  the  activities  of  earlier  days,  but 
he  retained  a  prominent  connection  with  numerous  institutions  of  a  varied 
character,  in  an  advisory  capacity,  his  counsel  being  widely  sought  and  highly 
prized. 

"  He  was  a  kind-hearted,  generous  and  considerate  man,  showing  a  courte- 
ous regard  for  others  in  all  relations,  whether  business  or  social.  He  was  a 
man  of  the  finest  instincts,  with  a  keen  sense  of  personal  honor  and  integrity. 
He  passed  away  full  of  years,  venerated  by  all,  and  commanding  the  deepest 
respect  and  the  tenderest  regard  of  hosts  of  friends  and  associates." 


In  the  last  issue  of  The  Locomotive  we  printed  a  short  article  under  the 
heading  "  Buggy  and  Shovel  Inspections."  Some  of  our  readers  have  taken  it 
for  granted  that  the  story  relates  to  Connecticut,  but  this  assumption  is  entirely 
incorrect.  The  incidents  really  occurred,  precisely  as  we  related  them,  but  not 
in  Connecticut,  nor  anywhere  near  Connecticut. 


We  beg  to  announce  that  Mr.  A.  S.  Wickham,  our  former  superintendent 
of  agencies,  has  associated  himself  with  Messrs.  Corbin  &  Goodrich  in  the 
management  of  our  Philadelphia  department,  under  the  firm  name  of  Messrs. 
Corbin,  Goodrich  &  Wickham,  General  Agents. 

Messrs.  Corbin  &  Goodrich  opened  an  office  in  Philadelphia  in  August, 
1867,  and  through  their  efforts  the  Philadelphia  department  has  been  built 
up  and  established,  as  since  that  date  they  have  been  the  company's  sole  repre- 
sentatives. Under  their  long  and  able  management,  the  department  has  grown 
until  it  now  ranks  as  one  of  the  largest  and  most  important  of  the  company, 
doing  annually  a  volume  of  business  approximating  the  total  volume  done  by 
the  entire  company  in  any  one  of  its  first  fifteen  years,  and  today,  with  but 
two  exceptions,  the  premium  receipts  of  their  department  exceed  the  total 
premiums  paid  for  steam  boiler  insurance  to  any  one  of  the  fifteen  other  com- 
panies now  writing  this  line  of  insurance. 

Mr.  Wickham  first  entered  the  employ  of  the  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  In- 
spection and  Insurance  Company  in  September,  1899,  as  senior  special  agent 
in  the  New  York  department,  which  position  he  held  until  March,  1908,  when 
he  was  invited  to  come  to  the  home  office  and  assume  the  responsibilities  of 
superintendent  of  agencies.  He  has  filled  these  various  positions  with  credit  to 
himself,  and  acceptably  to  the  company,  and  from  his  varied  and  extended 
experience  and  natural  adaptability  we  consider  that  he  is  peculiarly  qualified 
to  render  Messrs.  Corbin  &  Goodrich  the  assistance  they  now  need  in  the 
executive  management  of  a  department  so  large  and  important. 


^^0  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [October, 

Wooden  Boilers. 

The  following  extract,  from  a  recent  issue  of  the  New  Haven  Evening 
Register,  may  be  of  interest  to  those  who  were  unaware  that  wood  was  some- 
times used  as  structural  material  for  the  manufacture  of  boilers,  in  the  early 
days  of  steam  engineering. 

"  The  newspapers  of  New  London,  Conn.,  have  long  occupied  a  prominent 
place  in  the  opinion  of  those  who  seek  accurate  information  respecting  marine 
affairs.  This  was  so,  even  back  in  1817,  when  the  New  London  Gazette  was  being 
pulled  out  of  the  press;  for  that  paper  'explained'  the  real  reason  for  the 
accident  that  '  befell  the  Norwich  steamboat  on  July  2,  1817,'  and  the  points 
brought  out  were  so  important  that  the  Connecticut  Herald  of  Tuesday,  July  15, 
1817,  reprinted  the  Gacette's  story  of  the  accident,  assigning,  as  its  cause,  the 
fact  that  a  wooden  boiler  was  used.  Think  of  a  wooden  boiler,  and  figure  out 
where  the  ocean-skimmers  would  wind  up.  if  such  boilers  were  used  nowadays ! 

•'"  The  Gazette  disliked  the  idea  of  misleading  the  public,  as  do  all  good 
newspapers,  and  herewith  is  reproduced  the  true  story  of  the  accident  to  the 
Norwich  boat,  which,  as  shown,  was  due  entirely  to  the  desire  of  someone  to 
save  money : 

"  '  The  account  given  of  the  accident  which  befell  the  Norwic.i  steamboat 
on  the  2nd  instant,  and  running  through  the  public  papers,  is  calculated  to  mis- 
Jcad  those  who  are  unacquainted  with  steamboats.     The  facts  are  as  follo'ws. 

" '  The  boat  in  question  is  a  small  vessel,  lately  built,  and  owned  by  a 
few  individuals  in  Norwich,  to  ply  between  Norwich  and  New  London.  The 
proprietors,  wishing  to  save  the  expense  of  Fulton  and  Livingston's  patent 
right  and  an  expensive  engine,  have  put  into  her  a  simple  engine  upon  a  new 
■construction,  and  entirely  experimental,  with  high-pressure  cylinders  and  (ex- 
traordinary as  it  may  seem)  wooden  boilers,  without  condensers,  safety-valves, 
or  balance  wheels.  As  was  predicted,  her  wooden  boilers  burst,  and  three 
persons   were  hurt,  though   not   dangerously. 

"  '  It  is  a  fact  worthy  of  notice  that  the  steamboats  upon  the  North  river 
and  Long  Island  sound,  constructed  upon  the  Fulton  and  Livingston  plan,  have 
been  running  ten  years  without  a  single  person  ever  being  injured;  and  it  is 
impossible  that  any  serious  injury  should  happen  to  them,  since  their  safety- 
valves  are  calculated  to  relieve  an  excess  of  steam  spontaneously.* 

"  '  Editors  who  think  the  public  ought  to  be  correctly  informed  upon  this 
subject  are  requested  to  publish  the  above.' 

"Great  boiler  this, — ^  made  of  wood  without  balance  wheels,  condensers,  or 
safety-valve. 

"The  Connecticut  Herald,  from  which  the  foregoing  presumably  truthful 
account  of  this  accident  is  taken,  is  a  well-preserved  copy,  owned  by  John  Lucy, 
former  station  master  at  the  Union  station.  New  Haven,  Conn.  The  Herald 
was  published  by  Steele  &  Gray,  printers,  on  State  street.  New  Haven." 

We  are  not  quite  sure  whether  the  next-to-last  paragraph  of  the  foregoing 
was  evolved  by  the  present  management  of  the  Register,  or  by  his  respected 
fellow-townsman,  the  former  editor  of  the  Herald,  long  since  gone  to  his  reward. 
If  we  did  know  with  certainty,  we  should  try,  by  United  States  post  or  through 
some  efficient  spiritualistic  medium,  to  let  the  responsible  individual  know  that 


♦The  serene  confidence  in  the  safetv-valve,  here  shown,  has  hardly  been  justified  by  sub- 
sequent experience  !  — £i/?V(?r  The  Locomotive. 


igio.] 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE. 


Ill 


balance  wheels  and  condensers  arc  not  regarded  as  in  any  way  essential  to  the 
safety  of  steam  boilers,  whether  the  said  boilers  be  made  of  sleel,  or  wood,  or 
putty. 

Wooden  boilers  were  used  to  a  limited  extent  when  the  steam  engine  was  in 
its  infancy,  and  when  the  pressures  that  were  employed  were  to  be  measured, 
as  we  might  say,  in  ounces  per  sciuare  inch,  instead  of  poinds.  (The  term 
"  high  pressure,"  as  employed  in  the  foregoing  extract,  is  not  to  be  interpreted 
in  the  modern  sense,  of  course,  but  merely  as  meaning  a  pressure  higher  than 
was  commonly  employed  in  other  boilers  at  the  same  period.)  Tlie  Scientific 
American  Supplement  of  November  4,  1876,  gives  some  highly  interesting  data 
respecting  a  wooden  boiler  that  was  in  regular  use   for  nearly   four  years,  in 


^yma^^  ^y 


Wooden  Boiler  ix  the  Center  Square  W'ater  Works,  Philadelphia. 

the  pumping  station  of  the  Center  Square  Water  Works,  at  Philadelphia,  Pa 
This  boiler  began  its  service  on  January  21,  1801,  and  its  use  was  continued 
up  to  December  i,   1804. 

The  Center  Square  boiler  had  the  form  of  a  rectangular  chest,  and  was 
made  of  white  pine  planks,  five  inches  thick.  It  was  nine  feet  square  inside, 
at  the  ends,  and  fourteen  feet  long  in  the  clear.  It  was  braced  upon  the 
sides,  top,  and  bottom  with  oak  scantling,  ten  inches  square,  the  whole  being 
securely  bolted  together  by  inch-and-a-quarter  iron  rods,  passing  through  the 
planks.  Inside  of  this  chest  was  placed  a  fire-box  12  feet  6  inches  long,  6  feet 
wide,  and  i  foot  10  inches  deep,  with  vertical  flues,  six  of  15  inches  diameter 
and  two  of  12  inches  diameter.  Through  these  flues  the  water  circulated,  the 
fire  actnig  around  them  and  passings  up  into  an  oval  flue  situated  just  above 
the  fire-box. 


^12  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [October, 

The  illustration  shows  the  boiler  with  one  side  removed.  It  was  fired  at 
the  left-hand  end,  the  fire-doors  not  being  shown.  The  black,  elliptical  patches 
represent  the  flues  through  which  the  water  circulated.  The  gases  of  com- 
bustion passed  horizontally  to  the  right,  through  the  shaded  fire-box  and  com- 
bustion chamber,  and  then  up  into  the  smoke-flue  at  A,  passing  toward  the  front 
end  of  the  boiler  along  A  B,  and  then  back,  and  finally  out  to  the  chimney, 
along  C  D. 

The  fire-box  and  the  water-flues  appear  to  have  been  made,  at  first,  entirely 
of  cast-iron.  A  wrought-iron  fire-box  was  next  tried,  the  water-flues  still  being 
of  cast-iron.  This  arrangement  was  found  to  be  unsatisfactory  on  account 
of  leakage,  which  was  attributed  to  the  unequal  expansion  and  contraction  of 
the  two  metals,  and  eventually  the  water-flues  were  also  made  of  wrought-iron. 

So  far  as  we  can  judge  from  the  data  at  hand,  the  smoke-flue,  A  B  C  D, 
was  made  of  wrought-iron  from  the  first.  Thus  under  date  of  July  4,  1800, 
Thomas  Cope  says  of  a  similar  plant,  having  a  similar  wooden  boiler  and  located 
on  the  Schuylkill  river  at  the  foot  of  Chestnut  street,  "  The  wrought-iron  for 
the  flue  of  the  boiler  over  the  fire  will  be  imported  from  England,  and  is  in 
sheets  38  inches  by  32  inches.  That  yet  made  in  this  country  is  clumsy  stuff 
of  diff^erent  sizes,  the  largest  being  36  inches  by  18  inches,  with  rough  edges, 
which  have  to  be   cut   smooth  by  the   purchaser." 

The  low  heat-conducting  power  of  wood  was  supposed  to  be  of  great  ad- 
vantage on  the  score  of  economy,  and  the  water-flues  running  vertically  through 
the  fire-box  were  also   supposed  to  be  highly  important   for  like   reasons. 

As  might  be  expected,  great  difficulty  was  experienced  in  keeping  these 
wooden  boilers  tight,  and  the  one  at  the  Center  Square  works  was  replaced, 
on  December  i,   1804,  by  a  boiler  having  a  cast-iron  shell. 


Boiler  Explosions. 

July,  1910. 

(276.) — A  sectional  boiler  exploded,  July  2,  in  the  Hahnemann  Hospital, 
Philadelphia,  Pa.,  where  it  was  being  installed.     One  man  was  killed. 

(277.) — On  July  2  a  boiler  exploded  at  Endicotte,  near  Littleton,  W.  Va. 
One  man  was  killed  and  one  fatally  injured.     The  boiler  house  was  destroyed. 

(278.)  — On  July  3  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Hammond 
plant  of  the  National   Packing  Co..  Union  Stock  Yards,  Chicago,  111. 

(279.)  — The  boiler  of  freight  locomotive  No.  949,  of  the  Santa  Fe  railroad, 
exploded,  July  3,  at  Yucca,  near  Needles,  Calif.  One  man  was  killed,  and  one 
was  fatally  injured. 

(280.) — A  tube  ruptured.  July  5,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  American 
Steel  &  Wire  Co.'s  plant,  De  Kalb,  111.     One  man   was  injured. 

(281.)— The  boiler  of  Jenkins  Bros.'  laundry  exploded,  July  5,  at  Laconia, 
N.  H.  One  man  was  killed  and  seven  were  injured,  and  the  building  was 
badly  wrecked. 

(282.)— A  boiler  ruptured,  July  5,  at  the  No.  i  plant  of  the  Washington 
Coal  &  Coke  Co.,  Star  Junction.  Pa. 

(283.)— On  July  7  a  boiler  ruptured  at  the  plant  of  the  Appleton  Brewing 
&  Malting  Co.,  Appleton.  Wis. 


I9IO.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  1^3 


(284.) — A  boiler  exploded,  July  8,  in  John  L.  McQueen  &  Co.'s  mill, 
eight  miles  from  Butler,  Johnson  county,  Tenn.     One  man  was  instantly  killed. 

(285.) — A  tube  ruptured,  July  X,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  Johnstown 
Passenger  Railway  Co.'s  power  plant.  Johnstown,   Pa.     One  man  was  injured. 

(286.) — On  July  9  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of 
Spang,   Chalfant  &   Co.,   Etna,   Pa.     One  man   was   injured. 

(287.) — A  boiler  used  by  the  Good  Roads  Commission  for  operating  a 
rock  crusher  exploded,  July  10,  four  miles  southeast  of  Los  Angeles,  Calif. 
One  man  was  instantly  killed. 

(288.) — A  boiler  ruptured,  July  12,  in  F.  L.  Jones'  laundry,  Fort  Wayne, 
Ind. 

(289.)  — On  July  12  a  tlue  ruptured  in  a  boiler  in  the  pumping  station  at 
California,   Ohio,   near   Cincinnati.     One   man   was   fatally    scalded. 

(290.) — A  boiler  exploded,  July  13,  at  Ncave's  coal  mine,   Sheffield,  111. 

(291.) — On  July  13  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  Detroit 
Salt  Co.'s  plant,  Detroit,  Mich.     (Sec,  also,   No.  299,  below.) 

(292.) — On  July  15  a  boiler  exploded  in  the  plant  of  the  Peoria  Auto 
Tire  Co.,  Peoria,  111.     One  person  was  severely  injured. 

(293.) — A  boiler  exploded,  July  15,  in  James  Webb's  sawmill,  eight  miles 
west  of  Cove,  Ark.  Three  men  were  killed  and  seven  injured,  and  the  mill 
was  demolished. 

(294.) — On  July  18  a  boiler  exploded  in  Gay's  sawmill,  near  Smithfield, 
Va.  One  man  was  killed  and  two  were  seriously  injured.  The  mill  was 
demolished. 

(-95-) — A  boiler  ruptured.  July  19,  at  the  No.  7  mine  of  the  Boone  Coal 
&  Mining  Co.,  Fraser,  Iowa. 

(296.)  — The  boiler  of  a  threshing  outfit  exploded,  July  20,  on  the  Hunting- 
ton ranch,  two  miles  south  of  Redondo  Beach,  near  Los  Angeles,  Calif.  Two 
men  were  injured. 

(297.) — A  boiler  exploded,  July  21,  in  the  United  Portland  Cement  Co.'s 
plant,  at  Lehunt,  five  miles  from  Independence,  Kans.  The  engineer  was 
fatally  scalded. 

(298.)  —  On  July  2T,  a  boiler  exploded  in  Hill  Bros.'  sawmill,  near  Atlee, 
Ark.     One   man    was    fatally    injured. 

(299.) — A  tube  ruptured,  July  24,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Detroit 
Salt  Co.'s  plant,  Detroit,  Mich.     (Compare  No.  291,  above.) 

(300.)  — A  boiler  exploded,  July  24,  in  the  B.  &  O.  S.  W.  plant,  Cincinnati, 
Ohio.     One  person   was  killed,  and  one  seriously  injured. 

(301.) — -On  July  25  a  boiler  exploded  on  a  dredge  boat  in  the  Nixon 
special  drainage  district,  near  Weldon,  111. 

(302.)^  A  tube  ruptured.  July  25,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  Indiana 
Provision  Co.'s  ice  and  cold  storage  plant,  Indiana,  Pa.  (Compare  No.  309, 
below.) 

(303.)  —  A  boiler  exploded.  July  26,  in  the  Coquille  Mill  &  Mercantile  Co.'s 
sawmill.  Coquille  City.  Ore.  One  man  was  killed,  and  his  wife  was  seriously 
injured.     The  property  loss  was  estimated  at  $10,000. 

(304.) — A  boiler  belonging  to  the  New  York  Coal  Co.  exploded,  July  27, 
at  Hamley  Run,   Ohio.     One   person    was   severely  injured. 

(305.)— The    boiler    of    a    threshing    outfit    exploded,    July    27,    on    A.    L. 


■114  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [October, 

Scott's  farm,  four  miles  north  of  Lincoln,  Neb.  One  man  was  killed,  and  three 
were    injured. 

(306.) — A  slight  explosion  occurred,  July  27,  on  the  tugboat  Peerless,  at 
Spedden's  wharf,  Baltimore,  Md.  One  man  was  killed,  and  two  others  were 
seriously  injured. 

(307-) — 'The  boiler  of  a  threshing  outfit  exploded,  July  28,  on  a  farm  oc- 
cupied by  Daniel  Dearwachter,  at  ]\IcGillstown,  Lebanon  county,  Pa.  Two 
persons  were  injured. 

(308.) — On  July  29  the  boiler  of  Santa  Fe  freight  locomotive  No.  975 
exploded  at  McConnico,  near  Kingman,  Ariz.  One  man  was  killed,  and  one 
fatall}^  injured. 

(309) — A  tube  ruptured,  July  30,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of 
the  Lidiana  Provision  Co.,  Indiana,  Pa.     (Compare  No.  302,  above.) 

(310.) — A  boiler  ruptured,  Jul}'  30,  at  the  department  store  of  Hillman's, 
Inc.,   on   State   street,   Chicago,   111. 

(311.) — On  July  30  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Dayton 
Arcade  Co.'s. office  and  market  building,  Dayton,  Ohio. 


August,   1910. 

(312.)  — A  boiler  exploded,  August  i,  in  J.  O.  McMillan's  sawmill,  at 
New   Prospect,   near   Spartanburg,    S.    C.     Some   four  persons  were   injured. 

(313-)  — The  boiler  of  a  traction  engine,  used  at  the  time  for  sawing  wood, 
exploded,  August  2,  on  Union  avenue,  just  outside  of  Saginaw,  Mich.  One  man 
was  seriously  injured. 

(314.) — 'The  boiler  of  a  threshing  outfit  exploded,  August  3,  on  J.  A. 
Doner's  farm,  seven  miles  east  of  Celina,  Ohio.     Two  men  were  killed. 

(315.)  —  On  August  3  a  boiler  exploded  in  C.  W.  Shimp's  sawmill,  two 
miles  west  of  Germantown,  Ohio.  Tw^o  men  were  seriously  injured,  and  the 
mill  was  wrecked. 

(316.) — 'A  boiler  exploded,  August  4,  in  the  oil  fields  at  Nowata,  Okla. 
One  man  w-as   seriously   injured. 

(317.) — On  August  4  a  boiler  tube  burst  on  the  fishing-excursion  steamer 
Satellite,  off  Spectacle  Island,  near  Boston,  Mass.  Tw-o  men  were  killed  and 
one   was   fatally   injured. 

(318.) — The  boiler  of  a  Boston  &  Maine  locomotive  exploded,  August  S, 
at  Oak  Island,  near  Boston,  Mass.  The  rupture  occurred  in  the  firebox.  The 
engineer  and  fireman  were  injured. 

(319-) — O"  August  6  a  fertilizer  drier  ruptured  in  the  packing  house  of 
Schwartzschild   &    Sulzberger,   Kansas    City,    Kans. 

(320.) — -A  cast-iron  header  ruptured,  August  7,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in 
the  plant  of  the  North  American  Cold  Storage  Co..  Chicago,  111. 

(321.) — ^A  boiler  exploded,  August  8,  in  C.  A.  Durbin's  shingle  mill, 
Keenan,  Tex.     Five  men  were  killed  and  one  was  fatally  injured. 

(322.)  — On  August  8  a  boiler  ruptured  at  the  brick  works  of  the  Harbison- 
Walker    Refractories    Co.,    Layton,    Pa. 

(323.) — A  hot-water  boiler  exploded,  August  8,  in  the  rear  of  Simon 
Newman's  bakery,  at  the  corner  of  Clinton  and  Broome  streets.  New  York  City. 
Two  men  were  badly  scalded,  and  the  basement  of  the  building  was  considerably 
damaged. 


iQio.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  115 


(324.)  — On  August  10  an  upriylu  boiler  used  for  hoisting  exploded  on  tlie 
dock   of    the    Farist    Steel    Co.'s    plant,    Bridgeport,    Conn. 

(325.) — A  boiler  exploded,  on  or  about  August  11,  in  tlie  oil  fields  near 
Childcrs,  Okla.     One  man  was  fatally  injured. 

(.326.) — A  boiler  of  the  locomotive  type  exploded,  August  11,  in  the  Chess- 
Wymond  Co.'s  stave  factory,  at  Duttouville,  near  Jackson,  Miss.  One  man  was 
killed  and  one  was  severely  scalded.      Three  others  also  received  minor  injuries. 

(:}i27.) — A  locomotive  boiler  exploded,  August  12,  on  the  Chicago  &  Nortli- 
western  railroad,  Chicago,  111.  One  man  was  killed,  and  one  was  seriously 
injured.  ' 

(328.) — The  boiler  of  William  Jackson's  threshing  outfit  exploded,  August 
12,  at  Wintcrsct,   Iowa.     One  man  was  seriously  injured. 

(329.) — On  August  13  a  boiler  exploded  in  J.  G.  Peery's  sawmill,  at  Rich 
Valley,  near  Big  Stone  Gap,  Va.  Three  men  wore  killed  and  one  was  fatally 
injured. 

(330)  —  A  boiler  exploded,  August  13,  on  the  steam  schooner  Phoenix, 
about  ten  miles  north  of  Point  Arena,  Calif.,  and  100  miles  north  of  San 
Francisco.  Two  men  were  killed  outright,  two  died  within  a  few  hours,  and 
three  others  were  more  or  less  injured.     The  schooner  was  lost. 

(331.) — A  boiler  exploded,  Aiigust  13,  in  the  Robinson  Land  &  Lumber 
Co.'s  mill,  at  Chicora,  three  miles  west  of  Buckatunna,  IMiss.  Two  men  were 
instantly   killed,   and   two  _  were  badly   injured. 

(332.) — The  boiler  of  John  Donart's  threshing  outfit  exploded,  August  14, 
at  New  Corydon,  Ind.     One  person  was  killed,  and  two  were  seriously  injured. 

(333-) — On  August  14  a  boiler  exploded  on  a  jet-boat  used  in  dredging 
out  the  channel  at  the  Government  dam,  at  Fernbank,  near  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 
One  man  was  badly  burned,  and  the  machinery  and  cabin  of  the  boat  were 
completely    w-recked. 

(334-) — On  August  17  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the 
Columbia   Chemical   Co.'s   plant,   Barberton,   Ohio. 

(335)— The  boiler  of  Larson  Bros.'  threshing  outfit  exploded,  August  18, 
at  Geddes,  S.  D. 

(SS^-) — 'A  tube  ruptured,  August  18,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  Baltic 
Mining  Co.'s  stamp  mill,  Redridge,   ^lich. 

(337-) — On  August  18  a  slight  boiler  accident  occurred  in  Glen  D.  Finney's 
ice  plant.   Eureka,  Kans. 

(338-)  —  Four  cast-iron  headers  ruptured,  August  19,  in  a  water-tube  boiler 
at  the  How-ell-Hinchman  Co.'s  tannery,  Middletown,  N.  Y. 

(339) — A  tube  ruptured,  August  22,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  Thomas 
Steel  Co.'s  rolling  mill,  Niles,  Ohio.     One  man  was  injured. 

(340.) — 'On  August  22  a  boiler  exploded  in  Mullen  &  St.  Onge's  meat 
market,  Willimantic,  Conn. 

(341.)  — A  boiler  exploded,  August  22,  in  the  Maverick  hotel,  San  Antonio, 
Tex. 

(342.)  — ^  On  August  23  a  tube  rujjtured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  power 
house  of  the  Northern  Cambria  Street  Railway  Co.,  St.  Benedict,  Pa. 

(343-) — A  boiler  exploded,  August  23,  in  the  Nicholas  sawmill,  at  Mossy 
Head,  near  Pensacola,  Fla.  Two  men  were  killed  and  two  were  badly  injured, 
and  the  mill  was  wrecked. 

(344.) — The   boiler   of   a    Cincinnat:.    TTamilton   &    Dayton    locomotive    ex- 


±iQ  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [October, 

ploded,  August  2^.  at  Barr's  station,  near  Dayton,  Ohio.  Three  men  were 
injured. 

(345-) — A  tube  ruptured,  August  23,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  power 
plant    of   the    Qioctaw    Railway    &   Lighting    Co.,    ^McAlester,    Okla. 

(346.)— A  boiler  exploded,  August  24,  on  the  Compton  oil  lease,  at 
Reward,   near    Sapulpa,   Okla.     One   man  was   killed. 

(347.)^ — -On  August  24  a  cast-iron  header  failed  in  an  economizer  at  the 
Arlington  Mills,  Lawrence,  ^^lass. 

(348.) — A  tube  failed.  August  25,  in  a  w^ater-tube  boiler  in  the  Selma 
Oil,  Ice  &  Fertilizer  Co.'s  plant,   Selma,  Ala. 

(349-)  —  On  August  26  a  boiler  exploded  in  the  oil  fields  at  Earlsboro, 
Okla.     One  man  was  killed. 

(350-)  — On  August  27  a  boiler  exploded  in  the  plant  of  the  McAllister  Dry 
Dock  &  Shipbuilding  Co..  at  West  New  Brighton.  Staten  Island,  X.  Y.  The 
building  in  which  the  boiler   stood  was  badly  damaged. 

(351.) — A  tube  exploded,  August  29,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  plant 
of  the  West  Virginia  Pulp  &  Paper  Co.,  Luke,  Md.  One  man  was  killed  and 
one  severely  injured. 

(352.) — On  August  29  a  •boiler  exploded  at  the  Val  Dukey  coal  bank, 
near  Catlin,  111.  One  man  was  seriously  injured,  and  the  boiler  room  was 
wrecked. 

(353-^ — -'^  slight  boiler  accident  occurred,  August  29,  in  the  A.  ^lerriam 
Co.'s  plant,  South  Acton,  Mass. 

(354-) — The  boiler  of  Michael  Alcorn's  threshing  outfit  exploded,  August 
31,   near  Sedalia,  Mo.     One  man  was  badly  injured. 

(3S5-) — A  portable  boiler,  used  for  hoisting,  exploded,  August  31,  at 
Speed,  Ind.,  ten  miles  north  of  Jeflfersonville.  Two  men  were  killed  and  one 
was  fatally  injured,  and  three  others  also  received  less  serious  injuries.  The 
explosion  resulted  from  the  overturning  of  the  boiler,  consequent,  apparently, 
upon  the  breaking  of  a  guy  rope. 


September,  1910. 


(356.)  —  On  September  i  a  blowofif  pipe  failed  in  the  J.  R.  Williams 
Lumber  Co.'s  sawm.ill.  Bay  St.   Louis,  Miss. 

(357-)  — ■  On  September  3  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the 
Denver  Tramway  Power  Co.'s  plant,  Denver,   Colo.     One  man  was  scalded. 

(358)  — A  boiler  exploded,  September  4,  at  the  Crane  Iron  Works,  Oxford, 
N.  J.     One  man  was  killed. 

(359-) — 'A  slight  boiler  explosion  occurred,  September  5,  at  the  Arcade, 
Cleveland,   Ohio.     Two  men   were   injured. 

(360.) — The  boiler  of  a  threshing  outfit  exploded,  September  6,  on  Hayes 
Jarret's  farm,  near  Middleburg,  Pa.  One  man  was  fatally  injured,  and  two 
others  were  injured  seriously. 

(361.)  — The  boiler  of  a  threshing  outfit  exploded,  September  7,  at  Danville, 
near  Martinez,   Calif.     One  man  was  killed,   and  one  was  fatally  injured. 

(362.) — The  boiler  of  a  Santa  Fe  locomotive  exploded,  September  7,  at 
White's  Ranch,  near  Galveston,  Tex.,  while  drawing  a  freight  train  on  the 
Gulf   &   Interstate    railway.      One    man    was   killed,    and    one   was   injured. 


I9IO.]  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  ^^7 


(3^3)  — A  tube  failed,  September  8,  in  a  horizontal  tubular  boiler  in  the 
Ensley-Pratt  Ice  Co."s  plant,   Ensley,  Ala.     One  man  was  injured. 

(364.) — A  boiler  exploded,  September  9,  in  Simmons'  sawmill,  near 
Florence,  Ala.     Two   men   were  killed  and  one   was   injured. 

(365-) — A  boiler  exploded,  September  10,  at  an  oil  well  at  Eaton  Rapids, 
Mich. 

(366.)  —  On  September  11  a  blowoff  pipe  failed  at  the  plant  of  the  American 
Candy  Mfg.   Co.,   Selma,  Ala. 

(3^7-) — On  September  11  a  boiler  exploded  in  the  pumping  station  of  the 
T.  &  O.  C.  railroad,  at  New  Lexington,  near  Zanesville,  Ohio.  One  man  was 
killed   and   two   were    fatally   injured. 

(368.) — 'On  September  12  a  boiler  accident  occurred  in  the  plant  of  the 
Macomb    Electric   Light   &   Gas    Co.,    Macomb,    111. 

(369.) — A  boiler  exploded,  September  12,  on  the  tug  Joseph  Peenc,  at 
Yonkers,  N.  Y.     One  man  was  severely  injured. 

(.37^-) — A  number  of  cast-iron  headers  fractured,  September  12,  in  a 
boiler   at  the   Chittenden   Hotel,   Columbus,    Ohio. 

(371.)  —  On  September  13  a  boiler  ruptured  in  the  Madison  Brewing  Co.'s 
plant,   Madison,   Ind. 

(.372-) — The  boiler  of  a  locomotive  drawing  a  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas 
passenger  train  exploded,  September  15,  near  Coffey ville,  Kans.  One  man  was 
killed  and  one  was   fatally  injured,   and  the  locomotive  was  wrecked. 

{373-)  — .On  September  15  a  boiler  ruptured  at  the  Standard  No.  2  plant 
of  the  H.   C.  Frick   Coke  Co.,   J\It.   Pleasant,   Pa. 

(374-) — -On  September  16  a  blowoff  pipe  failed  at  the  Home  Laundry, 
Paducah,  Ky. 

(37S-) — A  tube  ruptured,  September  17,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the 
Inland   Steel   Co.'s  plant,  Indiana  Harbor,  Ind. 

(376.) — A  boiler  ruptured,  September  20,  at  the  plant  of  the  City  Ice 
Delivery  Co.,  Cleveland,  Ohio. 

(377.)— On  or  about  September  20,  the  boiler  of  a  locomotive  exploded 
in  the  shops  of  the  Chicago  &  Northwestern  railroad,  Chicago,  111.  One  man 
was  killed,  and  one  was  seriously  injured.  (It  is  said  that  the  explosion  was 
due  to  an  attempt  to  calk  the  flues  of  the  boiler  while  it  was  under  pressure.) 

(378-) — The  boiler  of  the  locomotive  drawing  the  south-bound  "Meteor 
express "  on  the  St.  Louis  &  San  Francisco  railroad  exploded,  September  20, 
near  Olathe,  Kans.  Two  men  were  instantly  killed,  and  one  person  was 
injured. 

(379-) — A  cast-iron  header  fractured,  September  21,  in  a  water-tube  boiler 
in  A.  PI.  Belo  &  Co.'s  publishing  plant,  Dallas,  Tex. 

(3S0.)  — The  boiler  of  a  threshing  outfit  exploded,  September  21,  on  Wright 
Bros.'  farm,  near  IModale,  Iowa.     One  man  was  scalded. 

(381.) — On  September  22  the  boiler  of  John  M.  Lee's  threshing  outfit  ex- 
ploded near   Selma,   Iowa.     Mr.   Lee    was   fatally   scalded. 

(382.) — On  September  23  a  blowoff  pipe  failed  in  the  Brushy  Gin  Co.'s 
cotton  gin,  at  Brushy,  near  Montague,  Tex. 

(v383.) — 'Three  cast-iron  headers  fractured,  September  23,  in  a  water-tube 
boiler  at  the  Edge  I^.Ioor  Iron  Co.'s  plant,  Edge   Moor,  Del. 

(384.)  — A  tube  ruptured,  September  23,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Hot 


lis  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [October, 

Springs  Water  Co.'s  electric  lighting  and  water  works,  Hot  Springs,  Ark.  One 
man  was  injured. 

(385-) — On  September  25  three  tubes  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler 
at   the  Jacob   Dold   Packing   Co.'s   plant,   Wichita,   Kans. 

(386.) — A  tube  ruptured,  September  26,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the 
Sharon  works  of  the  American  Steel  &  Wire  Co.,  Sharon,  Pa.  Two  meh  were 
injured. 

(387-) — On  September  27  a  tube  failed  in  a  boiler  in  the  convent  of  the 
Sisters  of  Charity  of  Our  Lady   Mother  of   Mercy,   Baltic,   Conn. 

(388.)  —  On  or  about  September  28  a  boiler  exploded  at  St.  Francis' 
Hospital,  Topeka,  Kans. 


The  Properties  of  Steam. 

Tenth   Paper.  —  The  Experiments  of  Scheel  .\nd  Heuse,  at  Temper.\tures 
between    0°    c.   and   50°    c. 

Messrs.  Karl  Scheel  and  Wilhelm  Heuse  have  recently  published  a  valuable 
series  of  experimental  results  respecting  the  pressure  of  saturated  steam  at 
temperatures  between  o°  C.  and  50°  C.  (32°  Fahr.  and  122°  Fahr.).  The  data 
previously  obtained  by  Thiesen  and  Scheel  within  this  interval,  and  published 
in  The  Locomotive  for  October,  1907,  were  classed  by  us  as  "  exact  deter- 
minations," because  they  were  apparently  of  a  higher  order  of  precision  than 
any  that  had  been  published,  up  to  that  time,  for  the  same  range  of  temperature. 
Those  that  they  made  at  the  frec::mg  point  itself  are  still  to  be  regarded  in  the 
same  light.  Their  measures  above  tlie  freezing  point  were  professedly  pro- 
visional, however,  and  we  presume  that  the  data  now  furnished  by  Scheel  and 
Heuse  constitute  the  additional  investigations  that  were  then  foreshadowed, 
although  the  apparatus  used  in  the  present  research  is  different  from  that 
employed  by  Thiesen  and  Scheel. 

The  paper  that  we  are  about  to  review  is  printed  in  the  German  language, 
under  the  title  "  Bestimmung  des  Sattigungsdruckes  von  Wasserdampf  zwischen 
0°  und+  50°  "  ("  Determination  of  the  Pressure  of  Saturated  Water  Vapor 
between  0°  and  +50°  C'),  and  was  published  on  March  15,  1910,  in  the 
Annalcn  dcr  Pliysik,  fourth  series,  volume  31,  page  715.  It  is  wholly  experi- 
mental in  character,  and  the  work  was  carried  out  at  the  Physikalisch-Technische 
Reichsanstalt,   Charlottenburg,   Germany. 

The  static  method  was  used  (see  The  Locomotive,  July,  1906,  page  87), 
and  all  the  work  was  done  with  the  care  characteristic  of  the  observers,  and  of 
the  institution  at  which  the  research  was  carried  out.  The  apparatus  of  Scheel 
and  Heuse,  as  well  as  their  experimental  methods,  varied  somewhat  according 
as  the  temperature  of  the  water  was  higher  or  lower  than  that  of  the  room  in 
which  the  apparatus  stood.  Roughly  speaking,  three  fifths  of  the  experiments 
were  made  at  temperatures  below  that  of  the  room,  and  two  fifths  at  temper- 
atures higher  than  that  of  the  room. 

Form  of  the  Apparatus  at  Temperatures  below  that  of  the  Room. 

The  apparatus  that  was  used  at  temperatures  below  that  of  the  room  is 
shown  diagrammatically  (with  the  exception  of  the  manometer)   in  Fig.  I.     The 


I9IO.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  119 


part  of  the  apparatus  containing  the  water  and  the  water-vapor  was  constructed 
entirely  of  glass,  and  the  water  itself  was  contained  in  two  tubular  receptacles, 
i<i  and  H2-  'i'^o  i^u^'h  receptacles  were  provided,  instead  of  one,  in  order  to 
avoid  error  from  the  supercooling  that  is  produced  when,  by  reason  of  a  sudden 
connection  of  the  water-vapor  space  with  some  part  of  the  tubing  that  is  highly 
exhausted,  a  considerable  quantity  of  vapor  is  generated  very  quickly.  The 
rapid  evaporation  under  these  circumstances  chills  the  water  that  gives  off  the 
vapor,  so  that  its  temperature  is  no  longer  exactly  equal  to  that  of  the  bath 
in  which  it  is  submerged.  One  of  the  water-tubes  was  therefore  used  exclusively 
for  the  production  of  the  major  portion  of  the  vapor  required  under  these 
circumstances,  while  the  other  was  reserved  for  effecting  the  final  adjustment 
of  the  pressure,  and  for  maintaining  its  constancy  while  the  measurements  were 
made. 

The  manometer  could  be  put  into  communication  with  cither  of  the  water- 
tubes,  ui  and  «2,  or  with  the  condenser  K  (which  was.  surrounded  by  a  mixture 
of  alcohol  and  solid  carbon  dioxide),  by  means  of  the  mercury-valves,  (/i,  U2, 
U:\.  The  mode  of  operation  of  these  valves  will  be  sufficiently  obvious  from  the 
illustration.  By  causing  mercury  to  flow  up  or  down  through  the  lower  stems 
of  these  valves,  the  corresponding  connections  could  be  sealed  or  opened.  In 
the  illustration  the  manometer  is  in  communication  with  the  tube  wo,  while  it  is 
shut  off  from  u\  and  K.  The  condenser  K  was  used  in  order  to  ascertain  the 
position  of  the  "  zero-point "  of  the  manometer.  For  when,  by  closing  Ui  and 
f/o  and  opening  U-.^,  the  manometer  was  shut  off  from  u\  and  M2  and  placed  in 
communication  with  K,  it  measured  the  pressure  in  K,  and  this  could  be  taken  to 
be  :iero.  since  it  is  known  that  the  pressure  of  water-vapor  at  the  temperature 
of  solid  carbon  dioxide  is  less  than  o.ooi  mm.,  or,  in  other  words,  practically 
indistinguishable  from  zero. 

Before  beginning  the  work,  the  entire  apparatus  was  exhausted  as  perfectly 
as  possible,  by  means  of  a  Gaede  air  pump.  While  the  observations  were  being 
made,  the  pump  was  sealed  off  from  the  rest  of  the  apparatus  by  means  of  a 
mercury  valve,  shown  on  the  right. 

The  water-tubes  were  submerged  in  a  water-bath,  which  was  kept  well 
stirred  by  means  of  a  screw  stirrer,  and  the  temperature  of  the  bath  was 
measured  by  means  of  a  platinum-resistance  thermometer.  The  cooling  of  the 
bath,  and  the  maintenance  of  the  lower  temperatures,  were  effected  by  passing 
into  the  water-bath  a  continuous  stream  of  chilled  water,  whose  flow  could  be 
closely  regulated  by  a  stopcock,  and  which  had  been  drawn  through  crushed  ice, 
and  so  brought  to  0°  C.  An  overflow  was  provided,  so  that  the  water  in  the 
bath  was  kept  at  a  constant  levei. 

Form  of  the  Apparatus  for  Temperatures  Higher  than  that  of  the  Room. 

In  the  part  of  the  research  where  the  temperature  of  the  water  was  higher 
than  that  of  the  room,  it  was  necessary  to  modify  the  apparatus  somewhat, 
because  the  conditions  that  had  to  be  fulfi^ed,  in  order  to  ensure  accuracy, 
were  then  different  from  those  that  prevailed  before  the  temperature  relations 
between  the  apparatus  and   its  environment  were  reversed. 

If  we  have  a  piece  of  apparatus  sealed  up  hermetically,  and  entirely  free 
from  air,  but  containing  water  in  two  different  places,  then  if  one  of  these 
masses  of  water  is  warmer  than  the  other,  the  warmer  mass  will  become  con- 
tinuously diminished  by  evaporation,  and  the  cooler  mass  will  be  simultaneously 


120 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE, 


[October, 


increased  by  condensation.  The  pressure  of  the  vapor  within  the  apparatus  will 
always  tend  towards  that  particular  value  which  corresponds  to  the  temperature 
of  the  cooler  of  these  masses  of  water.  It  may  happen  (if  the  evaporation  is 
active  enough)  that  the  actual  pressure  at  any  given  moment  stands  a  little 
above  the  value  due  to  the  temperature  of  the  cooler  mass,  but  it  will  never 
be  as  high  as  the  value  due  to  the  temperature  of  the  warmer  mass. 

The  bearing  of  these  facts  upon  the  experiments  under  consideration  is 
plain.  They  show,  namely,  that  if  the  pressure  that  we  measure  in  our  apparatus 
is  to  be  the  pressure  corresponding  to  the  temperature  of  the  water  in  the  tubes 
III  "2  'in  Fig.  i),  then  the  water  in  these  tubes  must  be  cooler  than  any  other 
part  of  the  apparatus  that  the  vapor  can  reach  at  the  time  the  measurement  is 
made.  For  if  there  is  any  other  part  that  is  cooler  than  »i  7/0,  vapor  will  con- 
dense upon  this  cooler  part,  and  thereafter  the  pressure  will  not  be  that  due  to 
the  temperature  in  iii  112,  but  will  be  less  than  this,  and  nearly  equal,  in  fact,  to  the 
pressure  due  to  the  temperature  of  the  cooler  spot  where  the  condensation  has 
occurred. 

No  error  from  this  cause  could  arise  when  the  water  in  »i  112  was  below 
tlie  temperature  of  the  room ;  but  in  order  to  avoid  such  error  when  the  water 


MERCURY   VALVES 


Fig.  I.  —  Di.\GR.\M  of  the  Low-Pressure  Apparatus. 

was  wanner  than  the  room,  it  was  necessary  to  heat  the  entire  apparatus  — 
manometer,  connecting  tubes,  and  all,— to  a  temperature  higher  than  that  of 
the  water  in  ii\.  112- 

Under  these  changed  circumstjinces,  it  was  not  convenient  to  make  use  of 
mercury  valves,  and  the  omission  of  these  valves  made  it  necessary  to  dis- 
pense with  one  of  the  water-tubes,  the  remaining  tube  being  fused  directly  to 
the  manometer,  by  a  glass  connection.  In  the  first  part  of  the  work,  at  the 
lower  temperatures,  the  zero-point  of  the  manometer  was  noted  before  and  after 
each  separate  observation.  At  the  higher  temperatures,  however,  where  the 
omission   of  the   mercury  valves  made  it   necessary  to  dispense   also  with   the 


igio.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  -j[21 


condenser  K,  the  zero-point  of  the  manometer  was  taken  only  at  the  beginning 
and  end  of  each  scries  of  oliservatioiis,  the  \vater-tul)e  being  surronndcd,  for 
thiis  purpose,  with  solid  carbon  dioxide,  in  order  to  reduce  the  pressure  within 
the  apparatus  sensibly  to  zero.  As  in  the  earlier  experiments,  the  entire 
apparatus  was  freed  from  air  by  the  (iaede  pump,  before  beginning  the  work; 
but  in  the  later  experiments  the  coimection  to  the  air  pump  was  fused  off  after 
the  exhaustion  was  completed,  instead  of  being  sealed  by  a  mtfrcury  valve. 

At  the  higher  temperatures  the  bath  in  which  the  water-tube  was  submerged 
was  filled  with  mineral  oil  instead  of  with  water,  and  it  was  surrounded  by  a 
vacuum  jacket,  to  reduce  the  loss  of  heat  from  radiation.  The  temperature  was 
maintained  bj^  means  of  an  electric  heating  coil  surrounding  the"  stirrer  and  kept 
in  an  upright  position. 

Some  experiments  were  executed  with  the  oi]-l)alh,  at  temperatures  slightly 
lower  than  that  of  the  room.  To  maintain  these  temperatures,  use  was  made, 
with  good  results,  of  a  "  cooling  wire,"  which  could  be  submerged  to  a  greater 
or  lesser  depth  in  the  bath.  This  cooling  wire  was  soldered  to  the  bottom  of  a 
metal  vessel,  which,  according  to  the  desired  degree  of  chilling  to  be  produced, 
was  filled  with  cold  water,  ice,  or  solid  carbon  dioxide.  (The  effectiveness  of 
the  wire  depended,  it  will  be  understood,  upon  its  removing  more  or  less  of  the 
heat  in  the  bath,  by  conduction,  to  the  cold  vessel  above.) 

Throughout  the  experiments  of  Scheel  and  Heuse,  it  was  found  that  the 
temperature  of  the  bath  could  be  kept  constant  for  a  long  period  of  time,  to 
within  a  few  thousandths  of  a  degree. 

Pressure  Measurements. —  Manometer  No.  3. 

Two  different  forms  of  manometer  were  used  in  the  experiments,  one  for 
temperatures  below  that  of  the  room,  and  the  other  for  the  higher  temperatures. 
The  manometer  used  at  the  lower  temperatures  is  shown  in  Fig.  2.  (A  full 
account  of  this  instrument  is  given  in  the  Zcitschrift  filr  Instrumentcnkunde , 
1909,  volume  29,  page  347.)  The  tube  C2  here  communicated  with  the  vapor 
whose  pressure  was  to  be  measured,  while  Ci  communicated  with  a  space  that 
had  been  exhausted  of  air  as  perfectly  as  possible,  by  a  pump. 

The  tubes  C\  and  C2  were  fitted  with  a  pair  of  spherical  bulbs,  Bi  Bo, 
which  were  partially  filled  with  mercury,  and  united  by  the  long,  thin,  flexible 
glass  tube  H.  The  difference  in  pressure  between  Cj  and  C2  was  then  measured 
by  noting  the  difference  in  height  of  the  mercury  in  the  bulbs  Bi  and  Bo,  to 
each  of  which  there  was  fused,  internally,  a  downwardly-projecting  glass  point, 
or  spur;  the  mercury  surfaces  being  so  adjusted,  in  making  the  observation, 
that  each  of  these  spurs  either  touched  its  own  image  in  the  brilliant,  reflecting 
surface  below,  or  came  within  a  certain  very  small,  measured  distance  of  it. 

The  bulb  Bo  was  adjustable  in  a  vertical  direction,  it  being  attached,  for 
this  purpose,  to  a  sliding  piece,  L,  which  was  operated  by  a  screw  S.  By  turning 
this  screw  the  bulb  Bo  could  be  lowered  by  any  desired  amount,  within  the 
range  of  the  apparatus ;  and  by  means  of  the  barometric  tube  extending  down- 
ward from  Bi,  mercury  could  be  introduced  into  the  bulbs  or  withdrawn  from 
them,  so  that  the  level  could  be  brought  to  the  ends  of  both  of  the  glass  inde.x 
points  simultaneously. 

When  the  adjustment  we  have  just  described  had  been  effected,  it  only 
remained  to  measure  the  difference  in  level  between  the  two  glass  points.  For 
doing  this,  the  bulbs  were  provided  with  glass  tubes,  G\  Go,  projecting  upward. 


122 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE. 


[October, 


and  made  flat  and  horizontal  on  their  tops.  Across  the  upper  ends  of  the  two 
there  lay  a  sort  of  little  table,  T,  which  was  provided  with  three  tiny,  conical 
feet,  two  of  these  resting  upon  Pi  and  the  third  upon  Fo-  Secured  to  this  table 
w^as  a  small  mirror  N,  whose  inclination  from  the  vertical  position  could  be 
observed  by  means  of  a  telescope  and  scale.  Then,  knowing  this  inclination 
and  the  length  (between  supports)  of  the  little  table  T,  a  simple  calculation 
gave  the  difference  in  level  of  the  two  ends  P\  P2,  from  which  the  corresponding 
difference  in  level  between  the  glass  points  in  the  bulbs  below  followed  at  once. 
The  lengths  of  the  tubes  Gi  G2  were  so  selected  that  when  the  bulb  Bo  was 
at  the  highest  point  to  which  it  could  be  raised,  the  flat  ends  Pi  P2  were 
approximately  upon  the  same  level  with  each  other.  With  this  disposition  of 
the    apparatus,    pressures    up    to    about    5    millimeters;   of    mercury    could    be 

Nl 


P 

1 

G 


^.. 


Fig.  2.  —  Manometer  No.  3.     (For  the  lowest  pressures.) 

measured  with  ease.  When  the  pressure  in  Bo  became  greater  than  5  milli- 
meters, however,  the  inclination  of  the  little  table  T  became  inconveniently 
large;  hence  for  higher  pressures  the  table  was  not  allowed  to  rest  directly 
upon  Po,  but  upon  a  glass  plate  of  known  thickness,  that  was  first  laid  upon  Po- 
Observation  and  calculation  then  proceeded  as  before,  save  that  allowance  had 
to  be  made  for  the  known  thickness  of  the  interposed  plate.  Further  increases 
of  pressure  were  provided  for  in  the  same  way,  either  by  inserting  several 
plates  of  equal  thickness,  or  by  inserting  a  single  plate  of  a  greater  thickness. 
This  manometer  had  a  useful  pressure-range  extending  from  zero  up  to 
about  30  millimeters  of  mercury.  In  other  words,  it  could  be  used,  con- 
veniently and  accurately,  from  the  lowest  temperatures  encountered  in  the 
research,  up  to  about  30°  C.  (or  86°  Fahr.). 


I9IO.] 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE. 


123 


Pressure  Measurements. —  Manometer  No.  4. 
As  already  explained,  it  was  necessary  to  heat  every  part  of  the  apparatus, 
in  carrying  out  the  experiments  that  were  made  at  temperatures  higher  than 
that  of  the  room.  The  manometer  that  was  used  for  these  higher  temperatures 
was  therefore  constructed  with  especial  reference  to  the  possibility  of  heating 
it  conveniently.  It  was  designated  as  "  No.  4,"  and  is  shown  diagramatically  in 
Fig.  3.  (It  is  also  described,  at  length,  in  the  Zcitsclirift  fiir  Instrumcntenkunde, 
1910,  volume  30,  page  45.)  It  consisted  essen- 
tially of  a  U-shaped  glass  tube  of  about  25  mm. 
(i  in.)  diameter,  whose  closed  branch  (shown 
on  tlie  left)  was  free  from  air,  and  whose 
branch  upon  the  right  communicated  with  the 
water,  the  pressure  of  whose  vapor  was  to  be 
measured. 

The  heights  of  the  mercury  columns  in  the 
branches  of  the  manometer  tube  were  deter- 
mined by  the  aid  of  sighting-collars,  Bi  B-z, 
which  encircled  the  manometer  tube  closely,  ])ut 
without  actually  touching  it.  These  collars  were 
operated  by  means  of  the  screws  S\  S2,  and 
were  supported  by  forks  of  nickel-steel,  having 
a  small  but  known  coefficient  of  expansion. 
The  positions  of  the  sighting-collars  could  be 
determined  by  means  of  the  nickel-steel  milli- 
meter scale,  N,  the  errors  of  whose  graduations 
were  known  to  within  +^  0.005  mm.  Each  of 
the  fork-shaped  pieces  was  provided  with  an 
index-mark  (/i  I2),  which  traveled  along  the 
scale,  and  a  micrometer  eye-piece,  not  shown 
in  Fig.  3,  was  used  for  accurately  determining 
the  positions  of  these  index-marks  relatively  to 
the  scale  divisions  next  above  and  below  them. 

The  manometer  was  enclosed  in  a  double- 
walled  metallic  case,  M,  and  was  jacketed  with 
the  vapor  of  boiling  acetone  (56°  to  57°  C), 
which  passed  through  the  hollow  cover  as  well 
as  through  the  lower  portion  of  the  case,  as 
indicated  by  the  arrows.  A  thermometer  was 
provided,  for  ascertaining  the  exact  temperature 

of  the  interior  of  the  case  of  the  manometer, 

^,    ^  ^,  , .  •  u^  1         1  Fig.  3.  —  jManometer  No.  4. 

so  that  the  necessarj'  correction  might  be  subse-  •-' 

quently  applied,  for  reducing  the  height  of  the  mercury  column  as  read,  to  the 

value  that  would  have  been  observed  if  the  mercury  in  the  gage  had  been  ice-cold. 

The  tube  V,  which  connected  the  manometer  to  the  tube  containing  the 
water  whose  vapor  pressure  was  to  be  determined,  was  wound  with  an  elec- 
trically-heated spiral  of  wire,  from  the  point  where  it  left  the  manometer  case 
up  to  the  point  where  it  entered  the  bath  containing  the  water-tube.  In  this 
way  its  temperature  was  kept  at  10°  to  20°  C.  above  the  temperature  of  the  bath. 

Windows   were   provided   in   the   casing   of   the   manometer,   through   which 


124  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [October, 

the  sighting-collars  on  the  mercury-tubes  could  be  seen.  It  was  found  that  this 
arrangement  gave  a  higher  degree  of  accuracy  than  could  be  had  by  taking 
direct  observations  of  the  mercury  columns  by  means  of  a  cathetometer, 
through  windows  damp  with  acetone. 

All  the  manometer  readings  were  reduced  to  the  values  they  would  have  had, 
if  the  mercury  had  been  ice-cold  (/.  e.,  at  o°  C),  and,  further,  they  were 
reduced  to  the  values  they  would  have  had  if  the  experiments  had  been  made 
at  sea  level,  in  latitude  45°.  (This  last  correction  is  important  in  all  accurate 
work  of  this  kind,  in  order  that  measurements  made  in  various  parts  of  the 
world  may  be  strictly  and  immediately  comparable  with  one  another.) 

Temperature  Measurements. 

The  temperatures  of  the  baths  surrounding  the  water  whose  vapor  pressure 
was  under  investigation  were  obtained  by  means  of  a  platinum-resistance  ther- 
mometer, which  had  been  in  use  for  several  years  in  the  Reichsanstalt.  This 
part  of  the  work  was  carried  out  similarly  to  that  executed  by  ]Messrs.  Holborn 
and  Henning,  and  described  on  pages  181  and  190  of  the  issue  of  The 
Locomotive  for  April,  1969.  The  constants  of  the  thermometer  were  obtained 
by  observations  made  at  0°  C,  iao°  C,  and  the  boiling  point  of  sulphur, —  the 
boiling  point  of  sulphur  being  taken  to  be  445.0°,  on  the  scale  of  the  hydrogen 
thermometer.  The  temperatures  given  by  Scheel  and  Heuse  may  therefore  be 
regarded  as  given  on  the  international  hydrogen  scale ;  and  if  we  accept  the 
present  view  of  physicists,  to  the  effect  that  the  hydrogen  scale  is  practically 
identical  with  the  absolute  thermodynamic  scale  (save  for  the  addition  of  a 
constant),  we  may  also  assume  that  the  temperatures,  as  given,  are  sensibly 
the  same  as  they  would  be  if  stated  upon  the  absolute  scale. 

The  temperatures  were  mainly  determined  by  means  of  one  particular 
platinum-resistance  thermometer,  designated  as  "  R  6."  In  addition,  however, 
certain  measurements  were  made,  for  purposes  of  verification,  with  a  second 
thermometer  of  like  nature,  designated  as  "  N."  The  constants  of  thermometer 
"  N  "  were  determined  by  observations  at  the  freezing  and  boiling  points  of 
water,  and  at  the  boiling  point  of  naphthalene  (about  218°  C).  In  general,  the 
observations  made  by  these  two  thermometers  were  very  close,  so  that  the 
mean  of  the  readings  of  the  two  instruments  might  have  been  taken,  when  both 
were  used.  Messrs.  Scheel  and  Heuse  were  of  the  opinion,  however,  that 
thermometer  No.  R  6  was  the  more  trustworthy,  and  hence  they  used  its  read- 
mgs  alone  for  the  definitive  determinations  of  the  temperatures,  employing  the 
other  one  solely  as  a  check. 

Results  of  the  Observations. 

The  accompanying  table  gives  the  results  that  were  obtained  by  the  exper- 
iments we  have  described  (save  for  a  few  at  0°  C,  presently  to  be  mentioned). 
The  arrangement  of  the  table  will  be  understood  at  a  glance.  The  first,  third, 
and  fifth  columns  give  the  observed  temperatures  of  the  bath  in  which  the 
w-ater  under  investigation  was  immersed,  while  the  second,  fourth,  and  sixth 
give  the  corresponding  observed  pressures  of  the  saturated  vapor.  The  pres- 
sures are  given  in  millimeters  of  mercury,  and  (as  already  noted)  they  have  all 
been  corrected  to  the  values  they  would  have  had,   if   the  mercury  in  the  ma- 


I9IU.J 


THE    LUCUMOTIVE. 


125 


nomctcr  gages  had  been  at  o°  C,  and  if  the  experiments  had  been  performed  at 
sea-level  in  latitude  45'.  Nothing  is  said  respecting  the  density  of  the  mercury 
employed,  but,  as  we  stated  in  our  hist  paper  in  this  series,  experiments  made 
at  the  Reichsanstalt  indicate  that  mercury,  purified  by  the  method  there  used, 
has  a  density  such  that  a  cubic  centimeter  of  it,  at  the  temperature  0°  C,  weighs 
13.59593  grammes,  at  sea-level  in  latitude  45°.  As  Scheel  and  Heuse's  exper- 
iments were  made  at  the  Reichsanstalt,  it  is  fair  to  assume,  iri'  the  absence  of 
further  information,  that  the  mercury  in  their  manometer  tubes  had  this  density. 

T.\1!I.E   OK   THE    Exi'EKl.MEM  AI,    RESULTS    OK    SCHEEL   AND    HeUSE. 

(Pressure  of  Saturated  Water  Vapor  between  0°  C.  and  50°  C. ) 


Temperature. 
(C.) 

Pressure. 
(  mm. ) 

Temperature. 
(C.) 

Pressure, 
(mm.  ) 

Temperature. 
(C.) 

Pressure, 
(mm. ) 

I. 520" 

3.100 

3.766 

5. 116 

5-725 
6.004 

14.424° 

14-927 

15-479 

12.318 

12.735 
13.192 

23.155" 
23.611 

24- 133 

21.256 
21.856 
22.570 

4-574 
4  837 
5.612 

6.352 
6.467 
6.833 

16.659 
16.744 
16.757 

14-225 
14.306 
14-321 

27.806 
27.819 
29.995 

28.036 
28.074 
31-824 

6.988 
7-158 
7.760 

7.511 
7.602 
7. 911 

17.306 

17.889 
18.903 

14.821 
15-384 
16-377 

31-725 
34.478 
34-619 

35-133 
40.985 

41-311 

8.295 
8.998 
9.278 

8.209 
8.602 

8.772 

19.049 
19-154 
19.923 

16.536 
16.642 

17-457 

34-652 
34-887 
37-473 

41    392 
41.918 

48-315 

9-454 

9-578 

10.972 

8.904 
8.950 
9.824 

19.959 
20.279 
20.304 

17-499 
17.846 
17. 868 

39-379 
41.619 
41.710 

53-490 
60.305 
60.565 

11.168 
11-539 
"•935 

9-950 
10.202 
10.473 

2 I . 000 
21.067 
21.830 

18.648 

18.734 
19.640 

46.010 
49 . 200 
49.293 

75.667 
88.940 
89.356 

12.749 

12.774 
13-448 

11.047 
11.071 
11.564 

22.222 
22.293 
22.476 

20.101 
20.171 
20.420 

50.026 

92.707 

The  Pressure  of  Water  Vapor  at  0°  C. 

By  way  of  testing  the  manometers  that  were  used,  separate  experiments 
were  made  for  determining  the  pressure  of  saturated  water-vapor  at  the  freez- 
ing point  of  water.  With  manometer  No.  3,  the  result  was  4.576  mm.,  and  with 
manometer  No.  4  the  result  was  4.580  mm.  These  values  agree  very  satisfactorily 
indeed  with  the  careful  determination  made  by  Thiesen  and  Scheel  some  years 
ago,  and  also  with  the  later  determination  by  Scheel  and  Heuse  in  1909.  The 
result  of  Thiesen  and  Scheel's  researches  (see  The  Locomotive,  October,  1907, 
page  250)  was  4.579  mm.,  and  that  obtained  by  Scheel  and  Heuse  (Annalen 
der  Physik,  1909,  volume  29,  page  729)  was  4.5788  mm.  We  may  also  note 
that  the  value  obtained  by  Marvin,  according  to  the  re-calculation  made  in  our 


126  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [OcToiiER, 

eighth  paper  on  this  subject  (The  Locomotive,  July,  1909,  page  222),  was 
4.578  mm.  The  experiments  of  Scheel  and  Heuse,  in  the  paper  to  which  the 
present  article  is  devoted,  were  not  intended  to  correct  the  previously  accepted 
value  (4.579  mm.)  of  the  pressure  of  saturated  water  vapor  at  0°  C,  but  were 
executed  merely  to  test  the  apparatus  and  methods  that  they  were  using  in 
this  research. 

Concluding  Remarks. 

Especial  care  appears  to  have  been  taken  by  Scheel  and  Reuse,  to  ensure 
accuracy  in  all  respects,  and  the  various  known  sources  of  error  have  been 
eliminated  by  the  design  of  the  apparatus  and  the  mode  of  conducting  the 
experiments,  or  else  nullified  by  the  subsequent  application  of  corrections  cal- 
culated from  known  data.  The  influence  of  mercury  vapor  upon  the  observed 
pressures  was  studied  by  varying  the  temperature  of  manometer  No.  4,  and 
corrections  were  applied  to  eliminate  error  from  this  source.  Corrections  were 
also  applied  for  the  slight  static  pressure  arising  from  the  fact  that  the 
surfaces  of  the  water  in  the  water-tube  and  of  the  mercury  in  the  manometer 
were  not  at  the  same  level,  though,  since  the  density  of  water  vapor  is  very 
small  at  the  temperatures  at  which  these  experiments  were  conducted,  the  cor- 
rections thus  called   for  were   trivial,  though  not  absolutely  negligible. 

There  is  no  statement  in  Scheel  and  Heuse's  paper  respecting  the  purity  of 
the  water  that  was  used.  This  omission  has  characterized  several  of  the  most 
important  papers  upon  the  vapor  pressure  of  water  that  have  appeared  in  recent 
years,  and  it  is  to  be  deplored.  In  the  present  case  we  may  rest  fairly  well 
assured  that  the  water  was  as  pure  as  it  could  be  made,  since,  as  we  said  in  our 
ninth  paper,  "  all  that  emanates  from  the  Reichsanstalt,  where  these  measures 
were  made,  is  distinguished  by  a  faithful  attention  to  details  of  this  sort." 

Scheel  and  Heuse  give  a  table  in  which  the  pressure  of  saturated  water- 
vapor,  as  inferred  from  their  own  experiments,  is  given  for  every  degree,  from 
0°  C.  to  50°  C.  They  consider  that  the  results  therein  summarized  are  likely 
to  be  correct  to  within  about  0.005  "im-  ^t  20°  C,  and  to  within  about  0.05  mm. 
at  50°  C. 

The  two  final  sections  of  Scheel  and  Heuse's  paper  are  devoted  to  a  con- 
sideration of  the  relation  of  their  own  measurements  to  those  made  by  other 
experimenters  just  above  50°  C,  and  just  below  0°  C.  They  conclude  that 
their  own  results  do  not  suffer  by  the  comparison,  and  in  connection  with  the 
work  of  their  predecessors  they  make  a  few  remarks  to  which  attention  should 
be  given  by  anyone  engaged  in  the  preparation  of  a  final  table  of  the  pressure 
of  saturated  steam.  The  consideration  of  these  remarks  must  be  deferred, 
however,  until  a  later  paper  of  the  present  series,  in  which  we  propose  to  give  a 
critical  discussion  of  points  of  this  nature. 


An  esteemed  correspondent  writes:  "Yours  of  the  29th,  referring  to  fly 
wheels  bursting,  came  duly  to  hand.  I  think  a  firm  ought  to  be  put  in  state 
prison  for  allowing  such  murderous  work.  It  is  all  nonsense,  to  have  a  wheel 
fly  to  pieces."  We're  sorry  our  good  friend  considers  the  fly  wheel  problem  so 
simple.  He's  got  a  lot  to  learn.  He'll  learn  it  quick,  too,  if  one  of  his  own 
wheels  goes   up. 


Tlie  Hartloril  Sieao)  Boiler  iDspeciiOQ  aqil  \m\m  GompaQy. 


ABSTRACT  OF  STATEMENT,  JANUARY   1,  1910. 
Capital  Stock,      .        .        .       $1,000,000.00. 

ASSETS. 

Cash   on   hand   and   in   course  of   transmission,        ....  $154,845.83 

Premiums   in   course   of  collection 228,048.46 

Real    estate, 93,600.00 

Loaned  on  bond  and  mortgage, 1,107,060.00 

Stocks    and    bonds,    market    value, 3,063,476.00 

Interest  accrued 67.580.50 

Total  Asset6; $4,714,610.79 

LIABILITIES. 

Re-insurance  Reserve, $1,943,732.29 

Losses  unadjusted, 90>939-53 

Commissions  and  brokerage 45,609.69 

Other  liabilities   (taxes  accrued,  etc.),       .        .        .  41,835.50 

Capital  Stock, $1,000,000.00 

Surplus, 1,592,493.78 

Surplus  as  regards  Policy-holders,        .        .      $2,592,493.78  2,592,493.78 

Total  Liabilities $4,714,610.79 


On   January   I,   1910,   The   Hartford   Steam    Boiler   Inspection    and  In- 
surance Company  had  104,589   steam  boilers  under  insurance. 


L.  B.  BRAINERD.  President  and  Treasurer. 

FRANCIS  B.  ALLEN,  Vice-President.  CHAS.  S.  BLAKE,  Secretary. 

L.   F.  MIDDLEBROOK,  Assistant  Secretary. 

W.    R.    C.    CORSON,   Assistant    Secretary. 

E.  J.  Murphy,  M.  E.,  Consulting  Engineer. 
F.  M.  Fitch,  Auditor. 


BOARD    OF     DIRECTORS. 


GEORGE    BURNHAM,    Baldwin    Locomo- 
tive   Works,    Philadelphia. 

PHILIP   CORBIN,   Prest.   American  Hard- 
ware  Corporation,   New   Britain,   Conn. 

ATWOOD      COLLINS,      Prest.      Security 
Co.,    Hartford,    Conn. 

LUCIUS       F.       ROBINSON,       Attorney, 
Hartford,    Conn. 

JOHN    O.    ENDERS.    U.    S.    Bank,    Hart- 
ford,  Conn. 

LYMAN   B.   BRAINERD,   Director,   Swift 
&   Company. 

MORGAN      B.      BRAINARD,      Treasurer 
.(Etna    Life    Insurance    Co. 


F.  B.  .\LLEN,  Vice-Prest.,  Hartford  Steam 
Boiler   Inspection   and   Insurance   Co. 

CHARLES  P.  COOLEY,  Vice-Prest  Fi- 
delity Trust  Company,  Hartford,  Conn. 

ARTHUR  L.  SHIP.MAN,  Attorney,  Hart- 
ford.   Conn. 

GEORGE  C.  KIMBALL,  President  Smyth 
Manufacturing   Co.,   Hartford,   Conn. 

CHARLES  M.  JARVIS,  ist  Vice-Prest., 
American  Hardware  Corporation,  New 
Britain,    Conn. 

FRANCIS  T.  MAXWELL,  President, 
Hockanum   Mills  Co.,    Rockviile.   Conn. 

HORACE  B.  CHENEY,,  of  Cheney 
Brothers  Silk  Manufacturing  Co., 
South  Manchester,   Conn. 


of  Pittsijurg'd 


Incorporated  1866. 


Charter  Perpetual.   * 


Tim  Haittorii  steaq  Boiler  liispeciioii  and  Insurance  GoiQpaiiji 

ISSUES   POLICIES  OF  INSURANCE  COVERING 

ALL  LOSS  OF  PROPERTY 

AS  WELL  AS  DAMAGE  RESULTING  FROM 

LOSS  OF  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  INJURIES  DUE  TO  EXPLOSIONS 

OF  STEAM  BOILERS  OR  FLY  WHEELS. 

Full  infortnation  concerning  the  Company s  Operations  can  be  obtained  at 

any  of  its  'Agencies. 


Department. 

NEW   YORK, 


BOSTON,     .       . 
PHILADELPHIA, 

BALTIMORE,     . 

ATLANTA, 
BIRMINGHAM, 
NEW  ORLEANS, 
HARTFORD,       . 

BRIDGEPORT, 
PITTSBURG, 
CLEVELAND, 
CINCINNATI, 
CHICAGO.  . 
ST.  LOUIS, 
DENVER,    . 
SAN  FRANCISCO, 
PORTLAND,       . 


Representatives.  Offices. 

C.  C.  Gardiner,  Manager,  New  York  City,  N.  Y., 

W.  W.  Manning,  Acting  Chief  Insp.,     lOO  William  St. 

r  Boston,  Mass., 
C.  E.  Roberts,  Manager,  J      loi    Milk  St. 

F,  S.  Allen,  Chief  Inspector,  1  Providence,   R.   I., 

__,  L      17  Custom  House  St. 

Corbin,  Goodrich  &  Wickham,  G.  Agts.,  Philadelphia,  Pa., 
Wm.  J.  Farran,  Chief  Inspector,  432  Walnut  St. 

S.  B.  Adams,  Asst.  Chief  Inspector, 

.1  f  Baltimore,  Md., 

Lawford  &  McKiM^  Gen.  Agents,     J       14  Abell  Bldg. 
R.  E.  MuNRO,  Chief  Inspector,        )  Washington,  D.  C, 

J  I     511  Eleventh  St.,  N.W. 

W.  M.  Francis,  Manager,  Atlanta,  Ga., 

W.  M.  Francis,  Chief  Inspector,  611-613  Empire  Bldg. 

George  C.  Oliver,  General  Agent,      Birmingham,  Ala., 
H.  E.  Stringfellow!,  Chief  Inspector,     Brown-Marx  Bldg. 
Peter  F.  Pescud,  €*eneral  Agent,        New  Orleans,  La., 
R.  T.  Burwell,  Chijef  Inspector,  833-835  Gravier  St. 

F.  H.  Williams,  Jr.,  General  Agent,  Hartford,  Conn., 
H.  C.  Long,  Special  Agent,  56  Prospect  St. 

F.  H.  Kenyon,  Special  Agent, 
F.  S.  Allen,  Chief  Inspector, 

W.  G.  LiNEBURGH  &■  Son,  Gen.  Agts.,  Bridgeport,  Conn., 
F.  S.  Allen,  Chief  Inspector,  i  Sanford  Building. 

James  W.  Arrott,  Ltd.,  Gen.  Agt.,     Pittsburg,  Pa., 
Benjamin  Ford,  Chief  Inspector, 
H.  A.  Baumhart,  Manager, 
H.  A.  Baumhart,  Chief  Inspector, 
W.  E.  Gleason,  Manager, 

B.  F.  Cooper^  Chief  Inspector, 
H.  M.  Lemon,  Manager, 
James  L.  Foord.  Chief  Inspector, 
V.  Hugo,  Manager,' 
V.  Hugo,  Chief  Inspector, 
Thos.  E.  Shears,  General  Agent, 
Thos.  E.  Shears,  Chief  Inspector, 

H.  R.  Mann  &  Co.,  General  Agents,    San  Francisco,  Cal.. 
J.  B.  Warner,  Chief  Inspector,  339-341  Sansome  St. 

McCargar,  Bates  &  Lively,  G.  Agts.,  Portland,  Ore., 

C.  B.  Paddock,  Chief  Inspector,  Failing   Building. 


401  Wood  Street. 
Cleveland,    Ohio, 

Century  Building. 
Cincinnati,  Ohio. 

67-69  Mitchell  Bldg. 
Chicago.   III., 

169  Jackson  Bvd. 
St.  Louis,  Mo., 

319  North  Fourth  St. 
Denver,  Col..  Room  2, 

Jacobson  Bldg. 


8he|[Dt0mattte 

COPYRIGHT,  19t1,  BY  THE  HARTFORD  STEAM   BOILER  INSPECTION  AND  4)ISURANCE  CO. 


Vol.  XXVIII.  HARTFORD,  CONN.,  JANUARY  25.  191 1. 


No.  5. 


Boiler  Explosion  near  Midvale,  Ohio. 

Our  leading  illustrations  in  this  issue  show  the  damage  wrought  by  a  boiler 
explosion  that  occurred  some  montlis  ago,  at  Factory  No.  6  of  the  Robinson 
Clay  Products  Co.,  located  at  Uhriciisville,  Ohio.  Two  men  were  killed,  the 
body  of  one  of  them  being  thrown  to  a  distance  of  900  feet.  The  destruction 
of  property  was  also  large,  as  will  be  understood  from  the  illustrations,  and 
we  are  credibly  informed  that  it  amounted  to  approximately  $25,000. 

The  factory  in  which  the  explosion  occurred  was  a  four-story  brick  build- 
ing.    All    the   floors   gave    way,    allowing  the   entire    machinery   to    fall    to   the 


Fig.   I. —  Genekal  View  of  Ruins. 

ground,  and  damaging  it  badly.  Tliere  were  six  boilers,  set  in  a  single  battery. 
Only  one  of  them  exploded,  but  all  were  destroj'ed,  and  the  large  engine  was 
also  practically   ruined. 

The  exploded  boiler  w-as  of  the  horizontal  tubular  type,  and  was  built  in 
two  courses,  the  top  half  of  the  shell  being  composed  of  one  sheet  and  the 
bottom  half  of  another,  so  that  there  were  no  girth  joints  save  at  the  ends, 
where  the  heads  were  attached.  (The  construction  will  be  understood  from 
Fig.  4) 

The  shell  plates  were  of  steel,  1 1  ^32  in.  thick.     No  brand  was  to  be  readily 


-V 


130 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE 


[January, 


found,  but  Poii-cr  states  that  the  material  composing  the  shell  was  tested,  after 
the  explosion,  and  found  to  have  a  tensile  strength  of  about  67,000  pounds  per 
square  inch.  This,  of  course,  is  a  rather  high  tenacity  for  boiler  plates,  in 
which  it  is  particularh^  important  to  secure  not  only  strength,  but  also  ductility ; 
and,  as  is  well  known,  these  two  properties  are  to  a  certain  extent  incompatible 
with  each  other,  high  tenacity  being  usually  accompanied  by  a  reduced  ductility, 
and  a  smaller  reduction  of  area  upon  fracture.  The  boiler  had  a  flush  front, 
and  was  built  by  the  Stearns  ^lanufacturing  Co. 

The  longitudinal  joints  were  of  the  lap-riveted  type,  the  rivet  holes  being 
13/16  in.  in  diameter,  and  pitched  3  in.  from  center  to  center.  The  heads  were 
of  steel,  7/16  in.  in  thickness,  and  there  were  40  lap-welded  tubes,  each  4  in.  in 
diameter  and  16  feet  long.  All  the  tubes  were  beaded.  There  were  thirteen 
one-inch  square  braces  to  each  head  above  the  tubes,  and  two  similar  braces  to 
each  head  below  the  tubes. 

The  boiler  was  provided  with  two  manhole  openings,  one  in  tlie  top  of  the 


Fig.  2. —  Gexeral  View  of  Ruixs. 

shell,  and  the  other  in  the  front  head,  below  the  tubes.  Tlie  manhole  frame- 
at  the  upper  opening  was  of  cast-iron,  with  the  dimensions  and  sectional  form 
indicated  in  Fig.  5..  The  blowoff  pipe  was  2  in.  in  diameter,  and  was  connected 
at  the  bottom  of  the  shell,  near  the  rear  head.  The  feed  water  was  taken  from 
a  neighboring  creek,  and  was  of  fairly  good  quality.  It  was  introduced  at  the 
top  of  the  shell,  and  an  open  heater  was  used.  The  boiler  was  provided  with 
a  three-inch  pop  safety-valve,  and  it  had  no  fusible  plug.  We  are  informed 
that  the  stipulated  pressure  allowed  by  the  company  carrying  the  insurance  was 
no  lbs.  per  square  inch,  and  that  the  boiler  was  in  operation  at  this  pressure 
when  the  explosion  occurred. 

There  were  no  evidences  of  external  corrosion  or  leakage,  nor  were  any 
of  the  plates  or  tubes  burned.  There  was  a  slight  internal  deposit,  and  we 
should  pronounce  the  general  condition  of  ♦^he  boiler  to  be  fair,  so  far  as  it. 
could  be  determined  by  an  inspection  made  under  unfavorable  circumstances. 


1911. J 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE. 


i31 


I'lc.  3.— Shki.l  i>f  Exploded  Hoilek. 

The  positions  and  soncral  nature  of  the  lines  of  rupture  in  the  shell  are- 
shown  in  Figs.  6,  7.  and  8.  The  initial  rupture  occurred,  so  far  as  could  be 
judged  by  an  examination  of  the  ruins,  along  the  center  line  of  the  boiler,  on 
top.  where  indicated  in  Fig.  6.  ( .According  to  Pon'cr,  the  company  insuring 
the  boiler  maintained  that  the  initial  rupture  was  on  the  top  of  the  boiler,. 
ttz^'ards  the  back  head;  but  we  cannot  agree  with  this,  from  our  own 
examination  of  the  plate.) 

It  will  be  noted  that  the  manhole  opening  in  the  shell  was  so  placed  that 
its  length  extended  in  the  direction  of  the  length  of  the  boiler.  This  design; 
was  formerly  more  or  less  common,  and  is  still  met  with  occasionally,  though 
it  is  not  to  be  commended.  When  a  boiler  is  under  pressure,  the  stress  in  the 
plate  is  twice  as  great  in  the  girthwise  direction  as  it  is  in  the  direction  of  the 
length  of  the  boiler.  Therefore  the  manhole  opening  should  be  cut  so  that 
its  least  diameter  comes  in  the  longitudinal  direction.  In  the  exploded  boiler 
there  was  a  ligament  of  plate  only  fourteen  inches  long  between  the  edge  of 
the  manhole  opening  and  the  edge  of  the  steam  pipe  opening,  and  it  was  appar- 
ently along  this  ligament  that  the  initial   rupture  occurred. 


Fig.  4. —  Illustr.\ting  thi    Construction  of  the  Shell. 


132 


Tin-:     LOCOMOTIVE 


[January, 


The  front  head  of  the  boiler 
was  blown  clear  of  the  shell,  and 
the  back  head  was  1)ent  into  the 
shape  suggested  by  the  dotted  line 
on   the   right   of   Fig.   7. 

At  the  time  of  the  explosion, 
one  of  llic  men  that  were  killed 
appears  to  have  been  on  the  top  of 
the  boiler.  We  have  been  advised 
that  leakage  appeared  along  the 
upper  part  of  the  shell  somewhere, 
a  short  time  before  the  explosion, 
and  that  the  fireman  went  up  to 
ascertain  the  nature  of  the  trouble. 
The  theory  of  the  cause  of  the 
explosion  that  was  put  forth  by 
the  company  insuring  the  boiler 
V,  as.  that  there  was  a  water-liammer  effect  produced  by  the  sudden  lifting  of 
the  pop  safety-valve,  and  that  it  was  this  that  caused  the  shell  to  suddenlj- 
give  way.  It  ajjpears  to  us  doubtful  if  this  explanation  is  tenable,  in  the  case 
under  consideration. 


Fig.  5. —  Section  of  ]\I.\xiioi.k  Frame. 


Fig.  6. —  Top  View  of  P)Oiler,  Showing  Initial  Rupture. 

We  were  also  advised  that  the  boiler  was  cleaned,  the  day  before  the  explo- 
sion, and  that  it  was  supposed  to  have  been  connected  with  the  main  steam 
line  during  the  night,  or  early  in  the  morning,  before  the  accident.  We  have 
Ijeen   unable   to   determine   whetlier   the   stop  valve   to  the  exploded  boiler   was 

*■'  FLANGE 


■z'fLAhiaa. 
Fig.  7. —  Right-Hand  Side  of  Boiler,  Showing  Lines  of  Rupture. 


igii] 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE 


133 


i<lHMi  whtu  ii  was  fomul,  or  not.  If  it  wvn-  closed,  and  it  no  jtroof  were 
fortliconiinp  to  show  tliat  tlic  safety-x  alve  was  in  a  i)ropcr  operating  condition, 
we  niiglit  have  to  add  this  exjjlosion  to  tlie  list,  already  far  too  long,  of  those 
due  to  not  cutting  a  Ixiiler  in  pr()ptrl\,  when  it  had  hccn  out  of  service  for  a 
time.  ^ 

Taking   ail   the   ascertained    facts   together,   we   are   of   tlie   opinion   tiiat   the 
explosion   v.as  due  either  to  a   weakness  deveioiK-d   at   or  near  the  manhole,   or 


XL 


LINt     OF     RUPTURE 


Fig.  8. —  Left-Hand   Side  of   Ijoilek,    .Showing   Lines   of   Rupture. 

to  simple  over-pressure  from  the  boiler  not  being  properly  cut  in  with  the  rest 
of  the  battery,  when  it  was  supposed  to  be. 

In  conclusion,  let  us  add  that  the  dimensions  and  other  data  given  above, 
in  connection  with  this  explosion,  were  obtained  under  difficulties.  We  believe 
them  to  be  correct  in  all  essential  particulars,  but  they  may  contain  slight  inac- 
curacies, of  no  serious  import.  The  parties  most  nearlj'  interested  in  the  explo- 
sion were  unwilling  to  give  our  representatives  access  to  the  ruins  for  purposes 
of  examination,  and  the  photographer  who  took  the  views  refused  to  furnish  us 
with  copies  of  them,  so  that  we  had  to  obtain  them  in  another  way. 


Boiler  Explosions. 

October,  1910. 

(3<*^) — The  boiler  of  Hradec  Bros.'  threshing  outfit  exploded,  September 
16,  on  the  John  Calelly  farm,  near  Clarkson,  Neb.  One  man  was  killed,  and 
another  received  minor  injuries.  (This  account  was  received  too  late  to  be 
given  in  its  proper  place,  in  the  regular  list  for  September.) 

(.390.) — A  boiler  exploded,  October  i,  in  a  planing  mill  at  \\'cst  Augusta, 
near  Staunton,  Va.     One  person  was  killed. 

(.391)  — On  October  i,  the  boiler  of  a  Northern  Pacific  locomotive  exploded 
at  Missoula,  ]^Iont.     One  man  was  killed  and  two  were  severely  injured. 

(392.)  — The  boiler  of  a  Denver  &  Rio  Grande  locomotive  exploded,  October 
I,  at  Tennessee  Pass,  near  Leadville,  Colo.     Two  men  were  killed. 

(393.)  —  On  October  2  the  boiler  of  a  C.  &  O.  locomotive  exploded  at 
Fowlerton.  Ind.     Two  men  were  severely  injured. 

(.194)  — A  boiler  exploded,  October  3,  in  W.  R.  Fossett's  gin  and  grist  mill, 
Toomsboro,  Ga.  Five  persons  were  injured,  and  it  was  thought  that  two  of 
these  might  not  recover. 

(.395) — Two  tubes  failed.  October  3,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Inland 
Steel  Co.'s  rolling  mills.  Indiana  Harbor,  Ird. 


134  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [January, 

(396.) — Eight  cast-iron  headers  ruptured,  October  3,  in  a  water-tube 
boiler  at  Swift  &  Co.'s  packing  house,  East  St.  Louis,  111. 

(.397-)  — On  October  4  a  slight  accident  occurred  to  a  boiler  in  an  apart- 
ment building  owned  by  the  Weissinger-Gaulbert  Real  Estate  Co.,  Louisville,  Ky. 

(398)  —  Nine  cast-iron  headers  fractured,  October  5,  in  a  water-tube  boiler 
at  the  Shoenberger  Works  of  the  American  Steel  &  Wire  Co.,  Pittsburg,  Pa. 

(399)  — On  October  5  an  accident  occurred  to  a  boiler  in  the  plant  of  the 
Rowesville  Cotton  Oil  Co.,  Rowesville,  S.  C. 

(400.)  — The  boiler  of  a  narrow  gage  locomotive  exploded  October  5,  at  the 
plant  of  the  Lackawanna  Steel  Co.,  Buffalo,  N.  Y.  One  man  was  severely  in- 
jured. 

(401.)  — A  tube  ruptured,  October  6,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  Swift  &  Co.'s 
plant.  South  Omaha,  Neb.     One  man  was  injured. 

(402.) — A  boiler  exploded,  October  6,  in  the  Breise  sawmill,  at  Frederick 
House,  Ont.     One  man  was  killed,  and  two  were  seriously  injured. 

(403.) — The  boiler  of  a  Chesapeake  &  Ohio  freight  locomotive  exploded, 
October  7,  at  Losantville,  near  Newcastle,  Ind.     One  man  was  fatally  injured. 

(404.) — The  boiler  of  a  Cleveland  &  Pittsburg  locomotive  exploded,  Octo- 
ber 7,  at  Newburg,  Ohio.    Three  men  were  killed,  and  two  were  severely  injured. 

(405.) — On  October  8,  a  flue  burst  in  a  heating  boiler  at  New  Jersey 
avenue  and  E  street,  Washington,  D.  C.     One  man  was  seriously  scalded. 

(406.) — An  accident  nearly  identical  with  No.  405  occurred  October  8,  in 
the  District  Pumping  Station,  W^ashington,  D.  C.  One  man  was  seriously  in- 
jured, his  skull  being  fractured.     He  may  not  recover. 

(407.)  ^-The  boiler  of  a  Pennsylvania  freight  locomotive  exploded,  Octo- 
ber 8,  near  Bedford,  Ohio.     Three  men  were  fatallj'  injured. 

(408.)  — On  October  10,  the  crown  sheet  of  a  boiler  of  the  locomotive  type 
collapsed  in  the  plant  of  the  iNI.  Rumely  Co.,  La  Porte,  Ind.  One  man  was 
injured. 

(409.)  — A  boiler  belonging  to  Witham  &  Bowen  exploded,  October  11,  at 
L'nion  City,  Ind.     One  man  was  severely  injured. 

(410.)  —  On  October  12,  an  accident  occurred  to  a  boiler  in  the  Richmond 
Baking  Powder  Co.'s  plant,  Richmond,  Ind. 

(411.) — On  October  12,  a  boiler  exploded  on  the  Marion  Oil  Co.'s  lease, 
three  miles  north  of  Lafayette,  Ohio.  One  man  was  instantly  killed,  and  another 
was  seriously  injured. 

(412.) — A  boiler  belonging  to  J.  W.  Boyd  exploded,  October  14,  at  Lewis- 
ton,  111.     One  person  was  seriously  injured. 

(413.)  —  A  boiler  exploded,  October  14,  in  W.  T.  Carroll's  sawmill,  at  Dun- 
mor,  near  Russellville,  Ky.  Two  men  were  killed,  and  two  were  seriously  in- 
jured. 

(414.) — A  tube  ruptured,  October  14,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  blast 
furnace  of  the  R.  Heckscher  &  Sons  Co.,  Swedeland,  Pa. 

(415.) — A  boiler  exploded,  October  16,  at  the  shops  of  the  National  Rail- 
ways of  Mexico,  Mexico  City,  ]\Iex.  Two  men  were  injured,  and  a  fire  fol- 
lowed, which  caused  a  heavy  property  loss. 

(416.) — The  boiler  of  a  Kansas  City  Southern  locomotive  exploded,  Octo- 
ber 17,  at  Dequeen,  Ark.     Two  men  were  killed  and  two  were  severely  injured. 

(417.)  —  The  mud  drum  of  a  water-tube  boiler  exploded,  October  17,  in  the 


1911]  THE     LOCOMOTIVE,  -135 


department  store  of  the  luiu-ry-Hird-  I  h.iyer  Dry  Goods  Co.,  Kansas  City.  .Mo, 
<  )iie  man  was  injured. 

(418.)  — Tlie  boiler  of  a  tliresliin.i;  macliine  oiitlU  explnded  ()ctol)er  iS,  near 
Lawrence,  Kan.     One  man  was  fatally  iniure<l. 

(419.) — A  boiler  exploded,  October  18,  in  the  Uertig  Supply  Co.'s  cotton 
gin,  at  Jonesboro,  Ark. 

(.4JO.) — A  cast-iron  header  ruptured,  October  iS,  in  a  water-tul)e  I)f)iler  at 
the  plant  of  the  Great  Western  Sugar  Co.,  Longmont,  Colo. 

(421.) — Three  sections  of  a  cast-iron  heating  bf)iler  fractured,  October  \<), 
in  William  Buthorn's  hotel,  Grand  Junction,  Colo. 

(422.) — On  October  20,  a  blow-off  pipe  failed  at  tlie  power  ])lani  of  ilie 
Marquette  City  &  Presque  Isle  Railway  Co.,  Marquette,  Mich. 

(42,^) — .A.  tube  ruptured,  October  JO.  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  power 
plant  of  the  American   Railways  Co.,   Scranton,   Pa.     One  man   was   scalded. 

(424.) — An  accident  occurred,  October  20,  to  a  lK)iler  in  the  Richmond 
Cotton  Oil  Co.'s  plant,  Holcomb,  Mo.     One  man  was  scalded. 

(425.) — A  boiler  exploded,  October  20,  in  the  bagging  and  rope  plant  of 
the  American  Manufacturing  Co.,  at  Green  Point,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  Six  men 
were  killed  and  two  were  seriously  injured,  and  one  of  the  injured  men  subse- 
quently died.     The  property  loss  was  $20,000. 

(426.)  — The  boiler  of  a  freight  locomotive  exploded,  October  20,  at  Hart- 
wick,  near  Belle  Plains,  Iowa.  One  man  was  instantly  killed,  one  was  fatally 
injured,  and  a  third  was  injured  so  Ividly  that  his  recovery  was  considered 
doubtful. 

(427.) — On  October  22,  an  accident  occurred  to  a  boiler  in  Brandon  & 
Bcal's  brewery,  Leavenworth,  Kans. 

(428.) — A  tube  ruptured,  October  24,  in  the  Eettendorf  Axle  Co.'s  plant, 
Bettendorf,  Iowa. 

(429.) — On  October  24,  a  section  ruptured  in  a  heating  boiler  in  the  Penn- 
sylvania railroad  station  at  Nescopeck,  near  Bloomsburg,  Pa. 

(430.) — A  boiler  exploded,  October  25.  in  Enos  Fuller's  sawmill,  near 
Emory,  Tex.  Two  men  were  scalded  so  badly  that  they  may  not  recover.  The 
plant  was  badly  wrecked. 

(431.)  — A  tube  ruptured,  October  25,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  tlie  Chicago 
Coated  Board  Co.'s  plant.  North  Water  Street,  Chicago,  III. 

(432.)  — On  October  25.  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiher  at  the  plant 
of  the  Semet-Solvay  Co.,  Ensley,  Ala. 

(433-)— On  October  25,  a  boiler  exploded  on  the  steamer  City  of  Berlin, 
Sturgeon  Bay,  Wis.     One  person  was  killed. 

(434.) — A  tube  collapsed,  October  26,  in  a  boiler  in  C.  C.  Barton's  sugar 
house,  Albemarle,  La. 

(435-) — The  boiler  of  a  traction  engine  exploded,  October  28,  at  Scuffle- 
town,  some  four  miles  northeast  of  Eaton,  Ohio.  Two  young  men,  owners  of 
tlic  outfit,  were  badly  injured. 

(436.) — The  boiler  of  a  Frisco  loci:>motive  exploded,  October  28.  at  Poca- 
hontas. Ala.     The  fireman  was  badh'  scalded. 

(437-) — On  October  28.  a  tube  ruptured  and  ten  cast-iron  headers  frac- 
tured in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  Savannah  Lighting  Co.'s  power  station.  Savan- 
nah, Ga. 


136  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [January, 


(438.)  — A  tube  collapsed  and  ruptured,  October  28,  in  a  si.gar  house  boiler 
on  R.   Chauffe   Bros.'   Ruth   Planation,  "Breaux  Bridge,  La. 

(.439-)  — ^On  October  28,  a  blow-o!?  pipe  failed  on  a  cotton  gin  boiler  oper- 
ated by  Henry  E.  Wynn,  ilfear  Bremen,  Ga.     Mr.  Wynn  was  fearfully  scalded. 

(440.) — On  October  30,  a  blow-off  pipe  failed  at  the  plant  of  Henry  A. 
Silsbee,  Brookline  street,  Lynn,  Mass. 

C441.) — On  October  30,  an  accident  occurred  to  three  boilers  at  the  Lock- 
hart  Iron  &  S^^eel  Co.'s  plant,  McKees  Rocks,  Pa. 

(442.) — On  October  31,  a  boiler  exploded  in  Blackwell's  cotton  gin,  Mays- 
ville,  Ga.     Two  persons  were  seriously  injured. 

(443.)  — A  boiler  belonging  to  E.  R.  Earley  exploded,  October  31,  at  Louis- 
ville, Ky.     One  person  was  injured. 

(444.) — A  tube  ruptured,  October  31,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Kim- 
berly-Clark Co.'s  paper  mill,  Appleton,  Wis.     One  man  was  scalded. 


November,    1910. 

(445.)  — On  November  i  the  boiler  of  a  threshing  outfit  exploded  at  Rich's 
Corners,  near  Lapeer,  Mich.     Three  men  were  killed. 

(446.) — A  boiler  used  in  drilling  an  oil  well  exploded,  November  2.  at 
Martinsville,  111.     One  man  was  killed. 

(447.) — The  boiler  of  a  Northern  Pacific  freight  locomotive  exploded, 
November  2,  at  Newton  Station,  near  Billings,  Mont.  One  man  was  killed,  one 
was  fatally  injured,  and  two  others  were  injured  seriously  but  not  fatally. 

(448.) — -On  November  2,  several  tubes  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at 
the  Old  76  Distilling  Co.'s  plant,   Finchtown,  Ky. 

(449.) — A  water-tube  boiler  ruptured,  November  3,  in  the  Sharon  Tin 
Plate  Co.'s  works,  South  Sharon,  Pa. 

(450.) — The  boiler  of  a  Big  Four  locomotive  exploded.  November  3,  at 
Newcastle,  Ind.     One  man  was  seriously  injured. 

(451.)^ — ^  On  November  3,  a  boiler  exploded  on  the  Ohio  River  Sand  Co.'s 
dredge  boat  Ohio,  at  Ambridge,  Pa.  One  man  was  killed,  and  six  persons  were 
injured. 

(452.) — The  boiler  of  a  traction  engine,  used  for  shredding  corn,  exploded, 
November  4,  on  C.  G.  Lee's  farm,  at  Putnamville,  near  Greencastle,  Ind.  Two 
men  were  killed  and  one  was  seriously  injured. 

(453) — A  tube  failed,  November  4.  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Warren 
Manufacturing  Co.'s  plant,  Milford,  N.  J.     One  man  was   severely  scalded. 

(454.) — The  boiler  of  a  N.  &  W.  locomotive  exploded,  November  5,  in 
the  yards  at  Columbus,  Ohio.     The  locomotive  was  wrecked. 

(4E5-)  — A  hot-water  heating  boiler  exploded,  November  7,  in  A.  H.  Lamm's 
residence,  on  Grand  Boulevard,  Qiicago,  111.  The  property  loss  was  estimated 
at  $500. 

(456.) — A  tube  ruptured,  November  7,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  Kim- 
berly-Clark Co.'s  paper  mill,  Appleton,  Wis.     One  man  was  scalded. 

(457)  —  On  November  7,  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boilet  at  the 
power  house  of  the  Edison  Electric  Co.,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.     Six  men  were  injured. 

(458.)— A  boiler  exploded,  November  8,  in  the  Deemer  Manufacturing 
Co.'s  plant,  Deemer,  ]\Iiss. 


igii.j  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.     •  137 


(459.)  — On  November  9,  a  liibr  failed  in  a  water-tube  Ijoiler  at  the  power 
house  of  the  Johnstown  Passenger  Railway  Co.,  Johnstown,  Pa. 

(460.) — A  boiler  used  for  agricultural  purposes  exploded,  Novenilxr  10, 
at  Lewiston.  111.     One  person  was  severely  injured. 

(461.) — A  tube  collapsed,  November  11,  in  a  boiler  at  the  Dc"  Run  Lead 
Co.'s  plant,   Flat  River,  Mo.     One  man  was  killed  and  two  were  injured. 

(462.)  — A  sawmill  boiler  exploded,  November  11,  at  Byhalia,  near  Kenton, 
Ohio.     Four  men  were  killed. 

(463.) — A  slight  boiler  cxpiosidii  occurred,  November  13,  in  the  press 
room  of  the  Index-Appeal,  Petersbur^i,  Va.     One  man  was  injured. 

(464.) — The  boiler  of  a  Grand  Rapids  &  Indiana  locomotive  exploded, 
November  13,  at  Vicksburg,  Mich.      Tliree  men  were  injured. 

(465.)  —  Two  sections  of  a  cast-iron  heating  l)oilcr  fractured,  November  14, 
in  Canodc's  hotel,  Amarillo,  Tex. 

(466.) — Two  tubes  ruptured,  November  15,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the 
Spring  street  power  plant  of  the  Columbus  Railway  &  Light  Co.,  Columbus, 
Ohio. 

(467.)  —  A  boiler  used  for  agricultural  purposes  exploded,  November  15, 
at  Dime,  near  Vandergrift,  Pa.  One  man  was  injured  seriously  and  perhaps 
fatally. 

(468.)  — A  tube  ruptured,  November  15,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  power 
plant  of  the  Philadelphia  Rapid  Transit  Co.,  on  Thirty-third  and  Market  streets, 
Philadelphia.  Pa. 

(469.) — On  November  16,  several  sections  of  a  cast-iron  heating  boiler 
fractured  in  a  business  and  apartment  building  at  77-79  Second  avenue.  New 
York  City. 

(470.) — On  November  16,  a  boiler  accident  occurred  in  the  plant  of  the 
Beaver  Dam  Light,  Heat  &  Power  Co.,  Beaver  Dam,  Wis. 

(471.) — 'On  November  16,  a  boiler  exploded  in  J.  P.  Mosher's  sawmill,  at 
Tunmouth  Creek,  near  St.  Martin's,  N.  B. 

(472.) — The  boiler  of  a  traction  engine  exploded.  November  17,  on  Lind- 
sey  Reese's  farm,  near  Pana,  111.     Four  men  were  injured. 

(473)  — A  tube  ruptured,  Novemlicr  17,  in  the  Highland  Park  Manufactur- 
ing Co.'s  cotton  mill,  Charlotte,  N.  C.     One  man  was  injured. 

(474.") — On  November  17,  an  accident  occurred  to  a  boiler  owned  by  the 
Hinsdale  Sanitarium  &  Benevolent  Association,  Hinsdale,  111. 

(475.) — The  boiler  of  a  Texas  &  Pacific  locomotive  exploded,  November 
18,  at  Sulphur  river,  near  Texarkana.  Tex.  Tw'o  men  were  killed  and  a  third 
w-as  fatally  injured. 

(476.") — .\  heating  boiler  exploded,  November  19,  in  the  Methodist  Church 
at  Califon,  N.  J.  The  boiler  was  new.  and  had  been  installed  during  the  past 
summer. 

(477.) — The  boiler  of  a  freight  locomotive  exploded,  November  19,  in  the 
Pennsylvania  yards  at  Altoona.  Pa.,  cau-^ing  a  wreck  which  resulted  in  the  death 
of  three  men  and  injuries  to  three  others. 

("478.") — A  boiler  exploded,  November  20,  in  the  electric  lighting  plant  at 
Long  Prairie,  near  Sauk  Center,  Minn.  The  property  loss  was  estimated  at 
$1,500. 


138  '^HE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [January, 

(479.) — A  cast-iron  header  ruptured,  November  20,  in  a  water-tube  boiler 
at  the  Philadelphia  Rapid  Transit  Co.'s  power  station,  on  Thirty-third  and 
^Market   streets,   Philadelphia,   Pa. 

(480.)  —  On  November  21,  a  heating  boiler  exploded  in  a  school  building 
at  Ainsworth,  near  Omaha,  Neb. 

C481.) — A  boiler  exploded,  November  22,  on  the  Braun  farm,  near  Grand 
Rapids,  Wis.    Two  men  were  badly  injured. 

(482.) — A  blow-oflf  pipe  failed,  November  22,  in  the  oil  refinery  of  the 
A.  D.  Miller  Sons  Co.,  Pittsburg,  Pa.     One  man  was  injured. 

(.483.)  — On  November  2^,  a  tube  failed  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Hyde 
Park  Manufacturing  Co.'s  cotton  mill,   Charlotte,  N.  C. 

(484.)  — The  boiler  of  a  freight  locomotive  exploded,  November  24,  on  the 
Pittsburg  division  of  the  Pennsylvania  railroad,  at  ]\Ianor,  near  Greensburg,  Pa. 
One  man  was  killed  and  two  were  injured. 

(485.)  — A  heating  boiler  ruptured,  on  or  about  November  26,  in  the  South 
Chester  Methodist  church,  South  Chester,  Pa. 

(486.)  — A  boiler  exploded,  November  26,  in  the  basement  of  Joseph  Berko- 
witz's  glazier  store,  775  Westchester  avenue,  the  Bronx,  New  York  City.  T'our 
persons  were  slightly  injured,  and  the  property  loss  was  estimated  at  $1,000. 

(487.)  —  On  November  26,  an  accident  occurred  to  a  boiler  at  the  Hoyle 
Lurnbering  Co.'s  plant,  South  Carver,  Mass. 

(488.)  — Two  tubes  ruptured,  November  2y,  in  the  Omaha  Electric  Light  & 
Power  Co.'s  plant,  Omaha,  Neb. 

(489.) — On  November  28,  a  mud  drum,  attached  to  a  boiler,  exploded  at 
the  No.  ID  shaft  of  the  St.  Joseph  Lead  Co.,  Gumbo,  Mo. 

(490.)  — A  boiler  belonging  to  Wheeler  &  Howes,  coal  merchants,  ruptured, 
November  28,  at  Bridgeport,  Conn. 

(491.) — The  boiler  of  a  Big  Four  locomotive  exploded,  November  28,  at 
Tilden,  Ind.     Three  men  w-ere  injured. 

(492.) — A  boiler  belonging  to  the  Bell  L'nion  Coal  Co.  exploded,  Novem- 
ber 28,  at  Bell's  mines,  on  Tradewater  river,  near  Sturgis,  Ky.  Two  mei:  were 
instantly  killed. 

(493.)  — A  tube  ruptured,  November  30,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Omaha 
Gas  Co.  plant  of  the  L^nited  Gas  Improvement  Co.,  Omaha,  Neb. 


December,  1910. 

(494.) — A  boiler  ruptured,  December  i,  in  the  Akron  Laundry  Co.'s  plant, 
Akron,   Ohio. 

C495.) — On  December  2  a  blowoff  pipe  ruptured  at  a  power  plant  under 
the  charge  of  Deliver  A.  Spaulding,  Trustee,  Plainville,  ]\Iass.  One  man  was 
injured. 

(496.) — The  boiler  of  a  freight  locomotive  exploded.  December  3,  on  the 
Denver  &  Rio  Grande  railroad,  at  Soldier  Summit,  near  Salt  Lake  City.  Utah. 
Three  men  were  killed. 

(497.) — A  blowofif  pipe  ruptured,  December  3,  in  the  plant  of  the  Wor- 
cester Lumber  Co.,  Chassell,  Mich. 

("498.)  —  A  heating  boiler  ruptured.  December  5,  in  the  North  School  build- 
in?,  Ada,  Okla. 


iQii]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  139 


(499) — A  slight  lx)ilcr  accident  mcurred,  December  5,  in  G.  A.  Robertson 
&  Co.'s  paper  mill,  Hinsdale,  N.  H. 

(500.) — On  December  5  a  boiler  i  xplodcd  at  Boyce,  near  Alexandria,  La., 
in  Dr.  Robinson  James's  shingle  mill.  Dr.  James  was  killed,  and  another  man 
was  injured  badly. 

(SOI.) — A  tube  cxi)lo(lcd,  Dccciiilicr  6,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  plant 
of  the  Pueblo  &  Suburban  Traction  \  Lighting  Co.,  Pueblo,  Colo.  One  man 
was  killed,  and  one  was  injured. 

(S02.)  — On  December  6  one  or  more  tubes  failed  in  a  boiler  at  the  power 
house  of  the  Aurora,  Elgin  &  Chicago  lines,  at  Batavia,  111.  One  man  was 
severely  injured. 

(503.) — A  blowofF  pipe  failed,  December  6,  in  the  plant  of  the  Traders' 
Paper  Board  Co.,  Bogota,  N.  J.     One  man  w'as  slightly  scalded. 

(.S04.) — A  tube  ruptured,  Deccml)(.T  6,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Inland 
Steel  Co.'s  plant,  Indiana  Harbor,  Ind. 

(505) — On  December  7  a  boiler  accident  occurred  in  the  plant  of  the 
Mountain  Ice  &  Coal  Co.,  Pueblo,  Colo. 

(506.) — A  boiler  belonging  to  A.  W.  Allen  &  Co.  exploded,  December  g. 
at  New  Bedford,  Mass.  Seven  men  were  injured,  three  of  them  seriously.  The 
building  was  said  to  be  a  total   loss. 

(507.) — A  boiler  exploded,  December  10,  in  the  butcher  shop  of  Mrs. 
Lizzie  Landis,  Palmyra,  Pa. 

(508.)  — A  small  boiler  exploded,  December  to,  in  the  laundry  of  the  Mount 
Mercy  hospital,  Buffalo,  N.  Y.     One  man  was  badly  scalded. 

(509.) — A  cast-iron  header  ruptured,  December  11,  in  a  water-tube  Ijoilcr 
at  the  Rose  Hill  Sugar  Refining  Co.'s  plant,  Abbeville,  La. 

(510.) — A  tube  ruptured,  December  12,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  office 
building  of  the  Union  Savings  Bank  &  Trust  Co.,  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  One  man 
was  injured. 

(Sii.)  — The  boiler  of  locomotive  No.  261,  of  the  IMissouri,  Kansas  &  Texas 
railroad,  exploded,  December  12,  some  seven  miles  north  of  Dallas,  Tex.  Two 
men  were  killed  and  another  was  injured. 

(512.) — On  December  12  a  boiler  exploded  at  Weatherly,  Pa.,  in  the  plant 
of  Read  &  Lovatt,  silk  throwsters.  Two  men  were  killed,  and  the  property 
loss  was  estimated  at  $22,000. 

(513-) — A  freight  locomotive,  drawing  an  International  &  Great  Northern 
freight  train,  exploded  its  boiler,  December  13,  at  Aldine,  between  Houston  and 
Palestine,  Tex.  Three  men  were  injured,  and  it  was  believed  that  one  of  these 
could  not  recover. 

(514.)  — A  tube  ruptured,  December  [3,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Brooks 
works  of  the  American  Locomotive  Co.,  Dunkirk,  N.  Y. 

(515.) — On  December  15  a  tube  luptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the 
Southern  Iron  &  Steel  Co.'s  plant,  Alabama  City,  Ala. 

(516.) — Two  boilers  exploded  almost  simultaneously,  on  December  15,  in 
the  plant  of  the  Bendure  Steam  Heating  Co.,  Fredonia,  N.  Y.  One  man  was 
killed,  and  another  received  injuries  which  imay  result  fatally.  The  building 
was  completely  demolished,  and  all  buildings  within  a  radius  of  300  feet  were 
damaged.  The  property  loss  was  estimated  as  high  as  $250,000,  but  it  is  likely 
that   it  did  not  materially  exceed  $150,000. 

(517-)  —  A  heating  boiler  exploded.  December  16,  in  the  county  buildings 
at  Riverhead,  L.  I.     One  man  was  se\erely  scalded. 


140  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [January, 

(518.) — The  boiler  of  a  camel-back  locomotive  exploded,  December  17,  on 
the  Erie  railroad,  at  Cresthill,  N.  J.     The  fireman  was  fatally  scalded. 

(519-) — On  December  20  a  boiler  belonging  to  T.  J.  Treadwell  exploded 
at  Burke,  Tex. 

(520.)  — On  December  21  a  section  ruptured  in  a  cast-iron  sectional  heating 
boiler  in  the  Allied  Investors'  Realty  Co.'s  apartment  house,  18-20  West  107th 
street,  New  York  City. 

(521.) — As  the  result  of  a  collision,  the  boiler  of  the  locomotive  drawing 
the  "Manhattan  Fl3'er"  on  the  Pennsylvania  railroad  exploded,  December  21, 
at  West  Fifty-seventh  street,  Chicago,  111.  One  man  was  fatally  bruised  and 
scalded.  Ten  other  persons  were  also  injured  in  a  lesser  degree,  by  the  shock 
due  to  the  collision. 

(522.) — A  small  boiler,  used  in  a  tunneling  operation,  exploded.  December 
21,  at  Belleville,  N.  J.     Three  men  were  injured. 

(523.) — A  tube  ruptured,  December  22,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  plant 
of  the  Electric  Storage  Battery  Co.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

(524.)  — On  December  22  a  slight  explosion  occurred  on  freight  locomotive 
No.  92  of  the  Grand  Trunk  railroad,  at  Battle  Creek,  Mich.  Two  men  were 
badly  injured,  and  one  of  them  cannot  recover. 

(525.) — A  slight  boiler  explosion  occurred,  December  22.  in  the  plant  of 
the   Standard   Manufacturing  Co.,   Council   Bluffs,   Iowa. 

(526.) — A  boiler  explosion  occurred,  December  22.  in  the  electric  lighting 
plant  at  Alexandria,  La. 

(527.) — A  boiler  belonging  to  the  J.  Wood  ^lanufacturing  Co.  exploded, 
December  24,  at  Conshohocken,   Pa.     One  person  was  injured. 

(528.)  — On  December  24  a  boiler  exploded  at  the  Pueblo  smelter.  Pueblo. 
Colo.     One  man  was  injured  seriously  and  perhaps  fatally. 

(529.) — A  boiler  used  for  heating  the  Grand  Trunk  railway  station  at  St. 
Catharine's,  Ont.,  exploded  on  December  25. 

(530.) — A  flue  ruptured.  December  25,  in  a  boiler  at  the  Rail-Light  power 
house,  Detroit  avenue  and  Virginia  street,  Toledo,  Ohio.     One  man  was  killed. 

(531.) — Several  cast-iron  headers  fractured,  December  26,  in  a  water-tube 
boiler  at  the  paper  manufacturing  plant  of  M.  &  W.  H.  Nixon,  Manayunk,  Pa. 

(532.)  —  On  December  26  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Louis 
Bergdoll  Brewing  Co.'s  plant,   Philadelphia,   Pa. 

(533-) — Three  cast-iron  headers  fractured,  December  28.  in  a  water-tube 
boiler  at  the  Anson-Gilkey  &  Hurd  Co.'s  sash,  door,  and  blind  factor\',  Merrill, 
Wis. 

(534-) — A  boiler  exploded,  December  29,  at  the  plant  of  the  Morewood 
Lake  Ice  Co.,  Morewood  Lake,  near  Pittsfield,  Mass.  Thirteen  men  were  killed, 
and  some  twenty  others  were  injured. 

(535-)  —  Several  cast-iron  headers  fractured,  December  30,  in  a  water-tube 
boiler  in  the  Marion  Hotel  Co.'s  hotel,  Little  Rock,  Ark. 

(536.)  —  A  blowoff  pipe  failed,  December  30.  at  the  sawmill  of  E.  B.  Norman 
&  Co..  Louisville,  Ky.     Five  men  were  injured. 


We  can  still  furnish  copies  of  the  little  book  entitled  The  Metric  System. 
Ordinary  edition,  one  dollar  each  ;  bond  paper  edition,  a  dollar  and  a  quarter. 
Address  our  Hartford  office. 


X91I.] 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE 


141 


Boiler  Explosions  During*  1910. 

We  present,  licrcuitli,  uiir  usual  annual  sunnnary  of  boiler  explosions, 
giving  a  tabulated  statement  of  the  nunil)er  of  such  explosions  that  have  occurred 
within  the  territory  of  the  United  States  (and  in  adjacent  parts  of  Canada  and 
Mexico)  during  the  year  1910,  together  with  the  number  of  persons  killed  and 
injured  by  them.  As  we  have  repeatedly  explained,  it  is  difficult  to  make  out 
accurate  lists  of  boiler  explosions,  because  the  accounts  that  we  receive  are  not 
always  satisfactory;  but,  as  usual,  we  have  taken  great  pains  to  make  the  present 
sunnnary  as  nearly  correct  as  Rossil)!e.  It  is  based  up<jn  the  chronologically 
arranged  lists  of  explosions  that  are  regularly  published  in  The  Locomotive; 
and  in  making  out  these  lists  it  is  our  custom  to  obtain  several  different  accounts 
of  each  explosion,  whenever  this  is  practicable,  and  then  to  compare  these 
accounts  diligently,  in  order  that  the  general  facts  may  be  stated  with  accuracy. 
We  have  striven  to  include  all  the  explosions  that  have  occurred  during  1910, 
but  it  is  quite  unlikely  that  we  have  been  entirely  successful  in  this  respect,  for 
many  accidents  have  doubtless  occurred  that  have  not  been  noticed  in  the  public 
press,  and  many  have  doubtless  escaped  the  attention  of  our  numerous  repre- 
sentatives who  furnish  the  accounts.  We  are  confident,  however,  that  most  of 
the  boiler  explosions  that  have  attracted  any  considerable  amount  of  notice  are 
here  represented.  Moreover,  we  can  assure  our  readers,  with  the  utmost  posi- 
tiveness,  that  no  statistics  of  boiler  explosions,  at  all  comparable  in  accuracy 
with  those  given  in  The'  Locomotive,  can  be  had  from  any  other  source  whatever. 

In  three  cases,  during  the  year  1910,  our  attention  has  been  called  to  the  fact 
that  the  source  from  which  we  drew  our  information  was  incorrect,  and  that 
<ur  accounts  were  correspondingly  in  error.  The  cases  in  question  were  as 
fallows  : 

No.  Ill,  February  2^,  Stanley  Motor  Carriage  Works,  Newton,  Mass. 

No.  174,  April  21,  Rich  block.   Maiden,  Mass. 

No.  182,  April  25,  residence  of  Prof.  H.  G.  Chase,  West  Somerville,  Mass. 

Summary  of  Boiler  Explosions  for  1910. 


MOXTH. 

Number  of  j 
Explosions.  1 

Persons 
Killed. 

Persons 
Injured. 

1      Total  of 
Killed  and 
Injured. 

January,              .         .         .         . 

February, 

March 

April, 

May, 

June, 

July 

August 

September,         .... 

October, 

November,          .... 
December.           .... 

69 
47 
31 

39 
54 
3- 

36 
44 
34 

55 
49 
43         , 

17 

27 
13 

26 
30 
15 

21 

33 
17 

30 
23 
28 

44 
53 
24 

36 

102 

29 

32 

^5 

39 
44 
50 

61 

80 

\           37 

i 

1           62 

132 

44 

53 
71 
32 

69 
67 
78 

Totals 

533         ' 

2S0 

506 

78') 

142  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [January, 

In  these  three  instances  the  accidents  that  occurred  could  not  properly  be 
described  as  boiler  explosions,  and  we  have  therefore  omitted  them  in  preparing 
the  present  summary. 

The  total  number  of  boiler  explosions  in  1910,  according  to  the  best  infor- 
mation we  have  been  able  to  obtain,  was  533,  which  is  somewhat  smaller  than  the 
number  we  recorded  in  1909.  There*  were  550  in  1909,  470  in  1908,  471  in  1907, 
431  in  1906,  and  450  in   1905. 

The  number  of  persons  killed  by  boiler  explosions  in  1910  was  280,  which 
is  almost  identically  the  same  as  the  number  in  1908.  There  were  227  persons 
Icilled  in  1909,  281  in  1908,  300  in  1907,  235  in  1906,  and  383  in  1905. 

The  number  of  persons  injured  (but  not  killed)  was  506  in  1910,  against 
422  in  1909,  531  in  1908,  420  in  1907,  467  in  1906,  and  585  in  1905. 

The  average  number  of  persons  killed,  per  explosion,  in  1910,  was  0.525 ; 
the  average  number  of  persons  injured  (but  not  killed),  per  explosion,  was  0.949; 
and  the  average  number  of  persons  that  were  cither  killed  or  injured  was  1.474 
per  explosion. 

A  summary  of  the  .boiler  explosions  that  we  have  recorded  as  occurring  in 
the  United  States,  Canada,  and  Mexico,  between  October  i,  1867,  and  January  i, 
1909,  is  given  in  The  Locomotive  for  January,  1909.  Correcting  the  figures 
there  given  so  as  to  bring  them  down  to  date,  we  find  that  between  October  i, 
1867,  and  January  i,  191 1,  we  recorded  no  less  than  11,134  boiler  explosions, 
and  that  these  resulted  in  the  deaths  of  11,391  persons,  and  in  more  or  less 
serious  injuries  to  16.562  others  —  the  total  number  of  persons  that  were  either 
.killed  or  injured  by  boiler  explosions  during  this  period  being  no  less  than  27,953. 


At  the  quarterly  meeting  of  the  directors  of  the  Hartford  <6team  Boiler 
Inspection  and  Insurance  Company,  held  at  Hartford  on  Januar}?  2,  1911,  Mr. 
D.  Newton  Barney  and  Dr.  George  C.  F.  Williams  were  elected  members  of 
the  board.  Mr.  Barney  is  treasurer  of  the  Hartford  Electric  Light  Company 
and  a  director  of  the  New  York,  New  Haven  and  Hartford  Railroad,  and  Dr. 
Williams  is  vice-president  and  general  manager  of  the  Capewell  Horse  Nail 
Company,  and  a  director  of  the  Standard  Fire  Insurance  Company,  of  Hart- 
ford, and  of  the  Hartford  National   Bank. 


Mr.  Sherwood  F.  Jeter,  recently  appointed  supervising  inspector  of  the 
Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Inspection  and  Insurance  Company,  is  a  native  of  the 
south.  He  was  born  at  Columbus,  Georgia,  on  December  5,  1872,  attended  the 
public  schools  of  New  York  and  Atlanta,  and  was  graduated  in  the  class  of 
1893  from  the  Georgia  School  of  Technology.  He  entered  the  mechanical 
department  of  this  company  at  New  Orleans  in  1898,  and  (save  for  a  short 
period)  continued  with  us,  at  New  Orleans,  Pittsburg,  and  Hartford,  until  1906, 
when  he  became  associated  as  mechanical  engineer  with  The  Bigelow  Company, 
a  well  known  boiler  manufacturing  concern  of  New  Haven,  Connecticut.  Mr. 
Jeter  is  a  member  of  the  American  Society  of  Mechanical  Engineers,  is  a  fluent 
writer  on  boilers  and  related  subjects,  and  is  peculiarly  fitted,  by  education, 
experience,  and  temperament,  to  perform  the  duties  of  the  office  to  which  he 
has  been  called. 


iQii.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  |4^ 


tt* 


A.  D.  RisTEEN,  Ph.D.,  Editor. 


HARTFORD,  JANUARY  25,  191 1. 

The  Locomotive  can  be  obtained  free  by  calling  at  any  of  the  company's  agencies. 
Subscription  price  ^o  cents  per  year  when  mailed  from  this  office. 
Recent  bound  volumes  one  dollar  each.     Earlier  ones  two  dollars. 


Obituary. 

Philip  Corbix. 

Philip  Corbin,  one  of  the  foremost  citizens  of  Connecticut,  died,  November  3, 
at  his  home  in  New  Britain,  Connecticut,  at  the  age  of  eighty-six.  Born  a  poor 
boy,  he  made  his  way,  by  his  own  efforts,  to  the  high  position  that  he  occupied 
in  the  industrial  life  of  the  state,  and  his  life  history  should  be  thoughtfully 
considered  by  all  young  men  who  aspire  to  a  like  advancement. 

Mr.  Corbin  was  born  at  \\'illington,  Connecticut,  October  26,  1824,  and 
was  one  of  a  family  of  ten  children.  He  had  few  educational  advantages,  his 
experience  in  this  direction,  outside  of  the  ordinary  public  schools,  being  limited 
to  a  term  and  a  half  at  the  West  Hartford  Academy.  Up  to  the  time  that  he 
was  nearly  twenty  he  worked  at  farm  labor,  but  on'  March  18,  1844,  he  went  to 
New  Britain  and  entered  the  employ  of  Matteson,  Russell  &  Company,  a  concern 
later  known  as  the  Russell  &  Erwin  Manufacturing  Company,  where  he  earned 
fourteen  dollars  a  month,  eking  out  his  revenue  by  sweeping  the  factory  for  an 
additional  fifty  cents  a  week.  In  the  fall  of  1844  he  entered  the  shops  of  North 
&  Stanley,  where  he  worked  for  a  lock  contractor  at  nineteen  dollars  a  month, 
spending  his  evenings  with  another  contractor,  who  taught  him  the  trade  of 
lock-making.  He  soon  began  to  take  contracts  for  the  manufacture  of  locks, 
and  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  had  nineteen  men  working  for  him,  and  four 
years  later  his  force  numbered  thirty.  In  June,  1849.  he  married  Francina  T. 
Whiting,  of  New  Britain,  and  the  union  proved  a  happy  and  altogether  for- 
tunate ond,  up  to  the  time  of  Mrs.  Corbin's  death,  in  February,  1909. 

In  1848  Mr.  Corbin,  together  with  his  brother  Frank  and  a  brass  founder 
named  Edward  Doen,  formtd  a  partnership  under  the  name  of  Doen,  Corbin 
&  Company,  to  manufacture  hardware,  each  of  the  partners  contributing  three 
hundred  dollars  to  the  capital.  Six  hundred  dollars  were  expended  for  land 
and  a  building,  and  a  hor^e  and  tread-mill  were  installed  to  supply  power  for 
the  machinery,  which  consisted  of  two  lathes,  a  grindstone,  and  an  emery-wheel. 
Work  was  begun  in  ^lay,  1849,  and  the  first  shipment  of  goods  was  made  on 
July  4,  1849.  Mr.  Corbin  usually  began  work  at  daylight,  and  did.  each  day, 
labor  probably  equivalent  to  what  three  or  four  paid  employees  would  have 
performed. 

On  September  i.  1849,  Mrs.  Corbin's  father  bought  out  Doen's  interest  in 
the  concern,  and  this  interest  he  re-sold,  in  the  fall  of  1851,  to  the  two  Corbin 
brothers.     The  firm  then  became  knnwn  as  P.  &  F.  Corbin.  under  which  name 


^44  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [January, 

it  is  still  doing  business,  after  the  lapse  of  nearlj^  sixty  years.  In  1858  Andrew 
Corbin,  another  brother,  joined  the  firm,  and  from  that  date  down  to  Andrew's 
death,  on  January  .;,  1907,  he  and  Philip  were  inseparably  associated.  Dr.  Styles, 
who  had  been  intimate  with  these  two  brothers  for  nearly  thirty  years,  said  they 
were  two  of  the  finest  men  he  had  ever  known,  and  there  are  multitudes  of 
others  who  will  give  this  sentiment  their  heartiest  approval. 

The  growth  of  the  business  interests  of  the  Corbin  brothers  was  rapid  and 
continuous,  and  as  they  expanded,  new  companies  were  organized  for  dealing 
with  the  special  branches  of  manufacture,  though  all  were  under  the  same 
central  management.  The  Corbin  Cabinet  Lock  Company  was  formed  in  1882, 
the  American  Hardware  Corporation  on  ]\Iarch  13,  1902,  the  Corbin  Screw  Cor- 
poration on  May  2,  1903,  and  the  Corbin  Motor  Vehicle  Corporation  on  June  11, 
1903.  During  Mr.  Corbin's  career,  the  invested  capital  under  his  management 
increased  from  nine  hundred  dollars  to  ten  million  dollars,  and  the  number  of 
persons  employed  increased  from  the  original  three  to  approximately  ten 
thousand. 

He  was  a  Christian  of  the  most  genuine  kind,  and  a  man  generous  in  his 
gifts  of  money  and  of  counsel.  Save  under  exceptional  circumstances,  he  was 
careful  not  to  have  his  name  known  in  connection  with  his  benevolences,  and 
hence  no  man  can  tell  how  great  these  may  have  been.  It  is  known,  however, 
that  they  were  far  in  excess  of  any  estimate  of  them  that  has  yet  been  made,  and 
in  some  years  his  gifts  exceeded  his  income.  He  did  not  leave  a  great  fortune, 
as  fortunes  are  now  reckoned,  because  he  preferred  to  expend  his  wealth  in  the 
doing  of  good,  during  his  own  life. 

yir.  Corbin  had  no  desire  for  public  office,  but  he  served  New  Britain  as 
representative  in  the  general  assembly  in  1884,  and  as  senator  in  1888.  He  was 
also  one  of  the  presidential  electors  in  1892.  As  corporator,  director,  vice- 
president,  and  ultimately  president,  of  the  New  Britain  Savings  Bank,  he  gave 
his  ser\'ices  to  the  public  without  any  recompense  whatever,  and,  as  Mr.  C.  E. 
Mitchell  has  well  said,  "  His  integrity  was  of  that  rock-ribbed  order  ^vhich  is 
based  upon  a  man's  recognition  of  his  responsibility  to  God." 

It  is  a  rare  man  indeed,  whose  departure  is  felt  as  deeply  as  that  of  Philip 
Corbin. 

The  following  minute  was  adopted  by  the  directors  of  the  Hartford  Steam 
Boiler  Inspection  and  Insurance  Company,  at  a  meeting  held  on  January  2.  iQii: 

"  With  profound  sorrow  we,  the  directors  of  the  Hartford  Steam  Boiler 
Inspection  and  Insurance  Company,  record  the  death  of  our  venerated  associate, 
Mr.  Philip  Corbin,  who  passed  away  at  his  home  in  New  Britain,  Connecticut, 
on  November  third,  beloved  by  thousands  of  his  fellow  citizens,  and  respected 
and  esteemed  by  all.  Born  in  182J,  he  had  been  actively  engaged  in  business  for 
sixty-six  years,  and  the  remarkable  development  of  the  city  in  which  he  lived 
was  due  in  no  small  measure  to  his  influence.  He  became  a  member  of  this 
Board  on  February  sixteenth,  1892,  and  served  upon  it  continuously  from  that 
time  until  his  death.  The  great  industries  that  grew  up  and  prospered  under 
his  guidance  tell  eloquently  of  his  ability  as  an  organizer  and  an  executive,  and 
his  name  was  the  symbol  of  integrity  and  honor.  His  loss  will  be  keenly  felt, 
and  he  will  long  be  gratefully  and  kindly  remembered  by  his  associates,  and 
by  legions  of  others  who  knew  him  for  the  fame  that  his  noble  character  had 
won." 


191 1.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  145 


Flywheel  Explosions  during"  the  Year  1910. 

We  present,  below,  a  list  of  the  flywheel  explosions  that  occurred  in  the 
United  States  during  the  year  1910,  so  far  as  they  have  come  to  our  attention, 
it  is  doubtless  incomplete,  although  wc  have  tried  to  make  it  as  comprehensive 
as  possible.  .\ny  of  our  friends  who  may  be  interested  in  statiatics  of  this  nature 
can  help  us  materially  in  the  collection  of  the  data,  by  giving  us  notice  of  any 
flywheel  accidents  that  may  happen  in  their  own  neighborhood,  and  assistance 
of  this  nature  will  be  most  gratefully  received.  Newspaper  accounts  should 
always  be  marked  with  the  name  .uid  date  of  the  paper  from  which  they  are 
taken,  and  the  name  and  location  of  the  plant  at  which  the  accident  occurs 
should  also  be  accurately  stated. 

In  the  67  accidents  here  recorded  there  were  16  men  killed  and  28  more  or 
less  seriously  injured.  In  many  cases  there  were  very  narrow  escapes  from  loss 
of  life  on  an  appalling  scale,  and  hence  we  ought  not  to  assume  the  figures  for 
1910  to  be  fairly  representative  of  extended  experience  in  the  matter  of  deaths 
and  injuries.  Some  of  the  averted  possibilities  of  1910  may  become  gruesome 
actualities  in  191  r. 

The  total  property  loss  from  flywheel  explosions  in  1910  cannot  be  stated 
with  anj'  approach  to  accuracy.  The  loss  is  given  whenever  we  knew  what  it 
was,  and  the  sum  total  for  the  year,  counting  only  the  estimates  that  are  cited, 
was  $i53.6co.  Yet  a  perusal  of  the  facts  as  given  in  the  list  shows  that  this  is 
far  short  of  representing  the  true  loss.  Thus  in  Xo.  21  '"  the  engine  was 
destroyed,"  though  the  loss  is  not  stated;  in  No.  36  "  the  building  and  machinery 
were  damaged  so  that  it  was  said  that  the  department  could  not  be  operated 
for  several  weeks,"  and  yet  no  estimate  of  the  damage  is  given  ;  in  No.  40  it 
is  said  that  "  the  mill  was  shut  down  for  three  weeks  as  a  resu'.r  of  the  accident  " ; 
in  No.  48  "  the  engine  room  was  totally  wrecked  "  ;  and  so  on.  It  is  not  at  all 
unlikely  that  the  actual  total  loss  of  propert}-  from  the  accidents  that  we  have 
listed  e.xceeded  half  a  million  dollars. 


Flywhkfx   Exn.n.sioxs    Dtkixc,    tqio. 

(i.) — A  flywheel  burst,  January  10,  at  the  plant  of  tlie  Vaughn  Manufac- 
turing Co.,  Columbia,  Tenn.  The  accident  appears  to  have  been  due  to  the 
working  loose  of  a  set  screw  in  one  of  the  goverr.or  gears,  permitting  the  engine 
to  race.     Property  loss  estimated  at  $500. 

(2.)  — A  flywheel  burst,  January  10,  at  a  gas  well  in  Chesterfield.  Iiid. 
Property  loss  estimated  at  $100. 

-  (3.) — On  February  18  a  flywheel  and  wood  chipper  burst  in  the  plant  of 
the  Brevard  Tannin  Co.,  at  Pisgah  Forest,  near  Asheville,  N.  C.  .apparently 
the  wood  chipper  went  to  pieces  first,  and  then  the  governor  of  the  engine  failed 
to  operate  properly,  so  that  the  engine  raced  on  account  of  the  removal  of  its 
load.  The  flywheel  was  nine  feet  in  diameter,  and  the  property  loss  was  said 
to  be  between  $5,000  and  $6,000. 

(4.) — .A.  flywheel  exploded,  February  2^.  in  th.e  Boehme  &  Ranch  mill, 
Monroe,  Mich. 

(5.) — The  flywheel  of  a  gasoline  engine,  ufcd  for  driving  a  pump,  rup- 
tured, on  or  about  February  25,  in  the  city  water  works,  Stockton,  Kans.  The 
wheel  was  55  in.  in  diameter,  and  we  are  informed  that  the  rim-  was  not  broken. 


146  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [January, 

The  hub  was  defective,  and  a  new  key  was  fitted  —  the  said  key  being  driven 
so  hard  as  to  split  the  hub.     There  was  no  racing,  so  far  as  we  are  aware. 

(6.)  — A  flywheel,  80  in.  in  diameter  and  normally  making  200  revolutions 
a  minute,  exploded,  February  26,  in  the  Provident  Coal  Co.'s  plant,  St.  Clairsville, 
Ohio.  The  accident  was  caused  by  the  fracture  of  a  bolt  securing  a  leaf  spring 
in  the  shaft  governor.  The  engineer  was  within  a  few  feet  of  the  engine,  yet 
the  wheel  exploded  before  he  could  shut  off  the  steam.  Property  loss  estimated 
at  $2,000. 

(7.)  —  On  February  27  a  flywheel  burst  at  AI.  C.  Harper's  brick  pit,  McKees- 
port,  Pa.     Property  loss  estimated  at  $2,000. 

(8.)  — On  March  2  a  flywheel  exploded  in  tlie  plant  of  the  Ashgrove  Lime 
&  Portland  Cement  Co.,  at  Ashgrove,  near  Chanute,  Kans.  The  wheel  that 
burst  was  a  rope-drive  whtel,  14  feet  in  diameter,  on  an  engine  generating  some 
560  horse-power.  Apparently  the  driving  rope  ruptured  or  ran  off  the  wheel, 
breaking  the  governor  belt  in  so  doing.  The  engine,  being  thus  relieved  of  its 
load,  and  freed  from  the  regulating  action  of  the  governor,  ran  away.  As  soon 
as  the  wheel  burst,  a  fragment  of  the  rim  accidentally  struck  and  closed  the 
emergency  valve  on  the  rnam  steam  pipe  to  the  engine,  thus  shutting  off  any 
further  supply  of  steam.  The  propertj'  loss  was  estimated  at  $4,200.  (An  illus- 
trated account  of  this  accident  is  given  in  the  issue  of  The  Locomotive  for  April, 
1910.) 

(9.)  — A  flywheel  burst,  March  17,  at  the  plant  of  the  Central  City  Veneer- 
ing Co.,  Huntington,  W.  Va.     Property  loss  estimated  at  $1,500. 

(10.)  — On  IMarch  19  a  fl3-wheel  exploded  in  the  power  house  of  a  mine  at 
Ducktown,  Tenn. 

(11.)  — A  flywheel  weighing  some  15  tons  exploded,  March  2^,  on  a  Corliss 
engine  in  the  paper  mill  of  the  C.  G.  Weeks  Co.,  near  Mott\alle,  N.  Y.  After 
the  accident  it  was  found  that  the  main  belt  was  broken,  but  it  does  not  appear 
whether  this  was  the  cause  of  the  explosion,  or  one  of  its  results.  The  broken 
wheel  is  said  to  have  sho\ui  no  flaws,  and  the  owners  of  the  plant  stated  that 
there  was  no  unusual  duty  on  the  engine  at  the  time. 

(12.) — A  flywheel  exploded,  March  26,  in  the  IMershon  shops,  at  Sagi- 
naw,  Mich.     One   man   was   fatally   injured. 

(13.)  — On  March  27  a  pulley  burst  in  the  plant  of  the  Central  Massachu- 
setts Electric  Light  Co.,  Palmer,  Mass. 

(14.) — A  flywheel  exploded,  April  i,  at  the  Universal  Stone  Co.'s  plant, 
Ives,  Wis. 

(15.)  —  On  April  5  a  flywheel  burst  at  the  Never  Sweat  mine.  Anaconda, 
Mont.     One  man  was  killed. 

(16.) — A  flywheel  burst,  April  5,  in  Butler  county.  Pa.  One  man  was 
killed. 

(17.)  — On  April  14  an  eight-foot  flywheel  exploded  at  the  Pittsburg-Buffalo 
mines,  Marianna,  near  Monongahela,  Pa.  Fragments  of  the  wheel  broke  two 
ten-inch  steam  mains,  so  that  for  a  time  it  was  impossible  to  enter  the  building. 
The  chief  engineer's  skull  was  fractured  by  the  flying  wreckage,  and  he  was 
scalded  to   death  by  the  escaping  steam. 

(18.)— A  pulley  exploded,  April  28,  in  the  Meade  paper  mill,  Chillicothe. 
Ohio.  The  accident  was  apparently  due  to  the  speeding  up  of  the  engine  from 
some  cause.  It  is  thought  that  the  man  in  charge  of  the  engine  tried  to  stop 
it,  but  just  as  he  reached  it  a  hea\'y  pulley  on  another  shaft  exploded,  killing 


19II.]  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  -[47 


liim  instantly.  It  was  found  tliat  tlu  engine  was  uninjured,  save  for  tlie  break- 
ing of  a  steam  pipe  that  was  struck  by  a  fragment  of  t\ve  wrecked  pulley. 

(19.) — A  six-foot  flywheel  e.\[)loded,  April  30,  at  the  Stegcr  piano  factory, 
Steger,  111.     The  chief  engineer  was  instantly  killed. 

(20.) — On  May  5  a  serious  accident  occurred  in  the  pow-er-house  of  the 
Owosso  &  Corunna  Electric  Co.,  Owosso,  Mich.  The  exact^jature  of  the  acci- 
dent is  not  clear,  but  so  far  as  wc  can  judge  from  the  data  at  hand,  it  was  a 
flywheel  explosion.  Apparently  the  governor  failed  to  operate  properly,  and 
the  engine  ran  awa}'.  The  engine  itself  was  practically  destroyed,  and  a  dynamo 
is  said  to  have  been  seriously  damaged.  The  property  loss  was  estimated  at 
$t  0,000. 

(21.) — A  ten-loot  flywheel  exploded.  May  6.  at  the  plant  of  the  Westport 
Paving  Brick  Co.,  Westport,  Md.  It  is  said  that  '"  one  of  the  ball  springs  of 
the  throttling  governor  worked  out  of  place,  preventing  the  governor  from 
regulating  the  admission  of  steam,  with  the  result  that  the  engine  ran  away." 
The  engine  was  destroyed,  and  one  fragment  of  the  flywheel  was  found  a 
thousand  feet  from  the  engine  room. 

(22.)  —  On  May  7  a  flywheel  exploded  in  the  Miller-Link  sawmill,  at  New- 
ton, near  Orange,  Tex. 

(23.) — A  flywheel  exploded,  May  9,  at  Freeport,  Long  Island,  X.  Y.,  in 
Ira  H.  I'l-fommedieu's  bakery.  The  governor  broke  and  permitted  the  engine 
to  run  away.     Mr.  L'Hommedieu  was  badly  inj-  red. 

(24.'* — A  four-foot  fl>^■heel  exploded.  May  2',  i.i  the  electric  light  plant 
at  Kennett  Square,  Philadelphia,  Pa.     The  building  was  badly  wrecked. 

(25.) — A  four-foot  driven  pulley  burst.  May  24,  at  the  plant  of  Russe  & 
Burgess,  Inc.,  Memphis,  Tenti.  The  normal  speed  of  the  i  ulley  was  210  revo- 
lutions per  minute.     (See  also  Nos.  59  and  65,  below.) 

(26.) — On  May  25  a  twelve-fix)t  flywheel  exploded  in  the  Weyerhaeuser 
planing  mill.  Everett,  Wash.  The  roof  of  the  building  and  one  of  the  walls 
were  damaged. 

(27.) — On  May  31  a  large  flywheel  exploded  in  the  plant  of  the  Escanaba 
Manufacturing  Co.,  Escanaba,  Mich.  Three  employees  were  slightly  injured, 
and  many  had  narrow  escapes  from  death. 

(28.)  —A  flywheel  exploded,  June  8,  in  the  Stafford  Mill,  Fall  River.  Mass. 

(29.) — A  flywheel  exploded.  June  11,  at  the  Empire  Plow  Works.  Cleve- 
land, Ohio.     One  man  was  injured. 

(30.) — On  June  12  a  pulley,  70  in.  in  diameter,  exploded  in  Frost  &  Son's 
paper  mill,  Napanoch,  N.  Y.  One  man  was  killed,  and  two  others  were  injured. 
(See  also  No.  39,  below.) 

(31.) — The  flywheel  of  a  400  horse-power  Bates-Corliss  engine  exploded, 
June  12,  at  the  plant  of  the  Oklahoma  Portland  Cement  Co.,  Ada.  Okla.  One 
■man  was  slightly  injured,  and  fragments  of  the  wheel  were  thrown  to  a  distance 
of  600  feet.  The  wheel  was  t6  feet  in  diameter,  weighed  about  twenty  tons,  and 
carried  a  i6-inch  belt.  It  is  said  that  the  governor  belt  broke,  and  that  the 
safety  cams,  which  are  supposed  to  throw  out  the  valve  mechanism  under  these 
circumstances,  were  improperly  adjusted  and  inoperative.  The  engine  raced, 
and  the  flywheel  burst  before  steam  could  be  shut  off. 

(32.) — On  or  about  June  17  a  fly-wheel  exploded  at  Cambridge,  Iowa,  in- 
juring H.  M.  Bennington  so  badly  that  he  died  a  week  later. 


-148  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [January, 


(33.) — The  flywheel  of  an  Overland  automobile  exploded,  June  19,  while 
the  machine  was  being  tested  in  a  garage  at  Somerset,  Pa.  One  man  was  in- 
jured. The  wheel  broke  into  five  pieces,  one  of  which  passed  through  two 
plank  floors  and  an  inch  of  concrete,  and  the  others  went  through  the  ceiling 
and  walls. 

(34.)  — On  June  23  a  large  flywheel  burst  at  the  Russell  oil  well,  near  New 
Carlisle,  Ind.     One  man  was  injured. 

(35.) — A  flywheel,  80  in.  in  diameter  and  13  in.  across  the  face,  exploded, 
June  23,  in  the  MorgaiUown  &  Kingwood  railroad  shops,  Morgantown,  W.  Va. 
One  man  was  killed. 

(36.) — On  June  2S  a  flywheel  exploded  in  No.  i  rod  mill  of  the  Illinois 
Steel  Co.,  Joliet,  111.  One  man  was  slightly  injured.  The  building  and  machi- 
nery were  damaged  so  that  it  was  said  that  the  department  could  not  be  operated 
for  several  weeks. 

(37-) — A  flywheel  -exploded,  July  2,  in  the  file  room  of  the  Disston  Saw 
Works,  at  Tacony,  Philadelphia,  Pa.  One  man  was  injured.  The  wrecked 
wheel  was  hurled  througb  a  sixteen-inch  brick  wall. 

(38.)  — On  July  2  a  flywheel  exploded  in  the  plant  of  the  Neosho  Electric 
Light  Co.,  Neosho,  Mo.  It  is  said  that  a  generator  pulley  broke  first,  thereby 
removing  the  load  from  the  engine,  and  that  the  governor  failed  to  shut  off 
the  steam,  so  that  the  engine  raced.    The  estimated  property  loss  was  $2,800. 

(39.)  — A  particularly  interesting  pulley  explosion  occurred,  July  5,  at  the 
Frost  &  Son's  paper  mill,  Napanoch,  N.  Y.  After  the  explosion  at  this  plant 
on  June  12  (see  No.  30,  above),  a  new  pulley  was  constructed  to  take  the  place 
of  the  one  that  was  destroyed,  and  especial  care  was  taken  to  have  the  new 
one  strong  and  safe.  It  was  70  in.  in  diameter,  with  a  rim  ;^  in.  thick,  and  it 
weighed  about  1,800  lbs.,  and  ran  at  350  revolutions  per  minute.  The  new  pulley 
exploded  on  July  5,  after  running  15  hours. 

(40.) — At  12.15  a-  rn.,  on  the  morning  of  July  9,  a  twelve-foot  flywhe.l 
exploded  in  the  factory  of  the  Akers  &  Taylor  Manufacturing  Co.,  at  Qiarlton 
City,  Mass.  It  was  running  at  93  revolutions  per  minute,  and  formed  part  cf  a 
George  H.  Corliss  engine,  which  was  not  provided  with  a  separate  safety  stop. 
The  factory  was  running  all  night  at  the  time,  and  the  engineer  in  charge  had 
not  been  in  the  engine  room  for  about  half  an  hour.  Suddenly  the  lights  began 
to  grow  dim,  and  the  engineer  ran  to  the  boiler  room  at  once,  and  proceeded 
to  the  top  of  the  boiler  to  shut  off  the  steam.  While  he  was  there  the  wheel 
exploded.  One  spoke,  weighing  about  500  lbs.,  passed  up  through  three  stories 
of  the  mill,  and  fell  again,  through  another  part  of  the  building,  into  the  cellar. 
Another  part  of  the  wheel  tore  through  the  outside  wall  of  the  building,  and 
landed  some  distance  away,  in  a  field.  It  is  said  that  the  mill  was  shut  down 
for  three  weeks,  as  a  result  of  the  accident.  No  cause  has  been  definitely 
assigned,  but  the  fact  that  the  lights  grew  dim  just  before  the  explosion  would 
naturally  lead  one  to  infer  that  the  load  was  taken  from  the  engine  (by  the 
breaking  of  the  main  belt  or  otherwise),  and  that  the  engine  then  ran  away. 

(41.") — The  flywheel  of  an  automobile  exploded.  July  13,  at  the  Pittsburjr 
Automobile  Academy,  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  while  the  machine  was  undergoing  a 
test.     Two  men  were  injured. 

(42.) — The  flywheel  of  an  automobile  belonging  to  Dr.  Laidlaw  exploded, 
July  17,  at  Bluffton,  Ind.     One  person  was  severely  injured. 


19"]  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  ^49 


(43.)  —On  July  21  a  flywheel  exploded  at  the  plant  of  the  Burlington  Flour- 
ing Co.,  Winooski,  Vt.     The  property  loss  was  estimated  at  $4,000. 

(44.) — A  flywheel  exploded,  July  28,  in  the  plant  of  the  Lebanon  Valley 
Iron  &  Steel  Co.,  Lebanon,  Pa.,  killing  one  man.  The  engine,  which  was  used 
to  operate  a  train  of  rolls,  ran  away,  and  the  wliecl  burst  before  steam  could 
be  shut  off.  ^ 

(45.)— An  eight-foot  flywheel  e.xploded,  July  29,  in  the  Friend  Paper  Co.'s 
plant,  West  Carrollton,  Ohio.  The  engine  was  a  Buckeye,  running  at  138  revo- 
lutions per  minute,  and  the  rim  of  the  wheel  was  3  in.  thick  and  24  in.  wide. 
It  is  said  that  the  accident  was  cau.sed  by  the  rocker  arm  key  working  out,  and 
rendering  the  cut-off  inoperative.  One  fragment  of  the  wheel  passed  through 
the  roof,  80  feet  above  the  engine,  and  came  down  on  the  tracks  of  the  Ohio 
Electric  Co.,  600  feet  away.  Another  passed  through  a  17-inch  brick  wall  and 
down  through  a  floor,  where  it  broke  oflf  a  four-inch  pipe. 

(46.) — On  August  9  a  flywheel  burst  in  the  pickling  department  of  the 
Cambridge  plant  of  the  American  Sheet  &  Tin  Plate  Co.,  Cambridge,  Ohio. 
One  man  was  killed  almost  instantly.     The  wheel  was  eight  feet  in  diameter. 

(47-)  —  On  August  18  a  flywheel  belonging  to  Edson  J.  Neighbor  exploded 
at  Vernoy,  N.  J. 

(48) — The  engine  room  of  the  Bicking  Paper  Mills,  at  Bridgeport,  near 
Norristown,  Pa.,  was  totally  wrecked,  August  26,  by  the  explosion  of  a  flywheel. 
One  man  was  slightly  injured.  The  engine  house  was  unroofed,  and  one  side 
was  torn  out.  It  is  said  that  the  main  belt  ran  off^  the  wheel,  and  that  the  engine 
then   raced. 

(49-) — A  thirty-ton  flywheel  exploded,  August  29.  in  the  Arkansas  Lum- 
ber Co.'s  plant  at  Warren,  Ark.  Seven  men  were  injured,  and  it  was  thought 
that  two  of  these  could  not  recover.  The  plant  was  also  wrecked,  and  the  prop- 
erty loss  was  estimated  at  $90,000.  Some  of  the  flying  fragments  of  wreckage 
cut  off  twelve-inch  timbers.  The  main  drive  belt  broke,  and  one  end  of  it 
struck  the  governor  and  rendered  it  inoperative.     The  engine  then  ran  away. 

(50-) — A  flywheel  exploded,  September  6,  in  the  Standard  Sanitary  Manu- 
facturing Co.'s  plant,  Louisville,  Ky.,  killing  the  engineer.  The  engine  was  of 
the  Corliss  typ.e  making  72  revolutions  per  minute,  and  the  wheel  was  14  feet 
in  diameter,  and  built  in  two  sections.  The  accident  was  caused  by  the  racing 
of  the  engine.  Apparently  the  governor  belt  broke.  The  engine  was  not 
equipped  with  a  broken-belt  stop,  nor  with  an  automatic  stop  of  any  kind. 
Every  spoke  of  the  wheel  was  broken  off  close  to  the  hub,  and  the  engine  was 
completely  wrecked. 

(51.) — The  flywheel  of  an  automobile  belonging  to  E.  L.  Sprague,  of 
Brandon,  Vt.,  exploded,  September  11,  at  Syracuse,  N.  Y.  The  chauffeur  was 
seriously  injured.  He  had  just  cranked  up  the  engine,  and  the  wheel  had  come 
up  to  speed,  but  the  automobile  itself  was  not  in  motion.  The  wheel  flew  into 
hundreds  of  pieces,  and  the  entire  machine  was  badly  damaged. 

(52.) — -On  September  16  a  flywheel  burst  in  the  Hanover  mill,  at  Whip- 
pany,  N.  J.  The  engine  had  been  shut  down,  and  for  some  reason .  (probably 
for  repair  purposes)  the  governor  had  been  removed,  or  disconnected.  It  is 
said  that  an  unauthorized  workman,  unaware  of  the  true  state  of  things,  started 
up  the  engine  for  the  purpose  of  doing  a  small  job.  The  engine  at  once  devel- 
oped great  speed,  and  the  workman,  becoming  alarmed,  ran  out  of  the  building, 
instead  of  shutting  off  the   steam.     One  piece  of  the  wheel  passed  throuch  a 


150  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [January, 

brick  wall,  and  landed  500  feet  away.     Another  fragment,  weighing  nearly  500 
pounds,  went  out  through  the  side  of  the  building. 

(S3-) — A  flywheel  exploded,  September  16,  in  the  Pittsburg  Coal  Co.'s 
power  station,  at  Scott  Haven,  Pa.  The  chief  engineer  was  instantly  killed. 
The  wheel  was  12  feet  in  diameter,  and  31  in.  across  the  face.  Its  normal  speed 
was  148  revolutions  per  minute.  The  main  shaft  was  thrown  fifteen  feet,  and 
the  engine  was  damaged  beyond  repair.     Property  loss  estimated  at  $6,000. 

(54-) — A  driven  pulley,  48  in.  in  diameter,  exploded,  September  30,  in  the 
Roswell  Manufacturing  Co.'s  plant,  Roswell,  Ga.  The  engine  was  connected 
with  a  water-wheel.  The  belt  ran  off  of  the  pulley  driven  by  the  water-wheel, 
and  the  engine  then  ran  away,  the  governor  being  inoperative. 

(55.) — A  flywheel  exploded,  September  30,  in  the  canning  factory  at 
Onarga,  near  Loda,  111.     One  man  was  badly  injured. 

(56.)  — The  flywheel  of  Joseph  C.  Hutchinson's  automobile  exploded,  Octo- 
ber 6,  on  South  Thirtieth  street,  Philadelphia,  Pa.  Three  men  were  slightly 
injured,  and  the  automobile  was  ruined.  Fragments  of  the  wheel  also  damaged 
a  near-by  house. 

(57.) — On  October  12  a  flywheel  exploded  in  the  Demmler  Plate  Co.'s 
plant,  McKeesport,  Pa.     Property  loss  estimated  at  about  $25,000. 

(58.)  — -A  flywheel  belonging  to  F.  Wayne  exploded,  October  15,  at  James- 
town, N.  D.     One  person  was  seriously  injured. 

(59.) — On  October  15  a  driven  pulley,  48  in.  in  diameter,  and  running  at 
210  revolutions  per  minute,  exploded  at  the  plant  of  Russe  &  Burgess,  Inc., 
Memphis,  Tenn.  This  pulley  was  installed  on  May  26,  to  take  the  place  of  the 
one  whose  explosion  is  noted  luider  item  No.  25,  above.  (See  also  No.  65, 
below.) 

(60.)  —  On  October  29  a  flywheel  exploded  in  the  plant  of  the  Fostoria 
Glass  Co.,  Moundsville,  W.  Va. 

(61.) — On  November  3  a  flywheel  exploded  in  the  Scranton  Electric  Co.'s 
power  plant,  Scranton,  Pa.     One  person  was  injured. 

(62.) — -A  flywheel  exploded,  on  or  about  November  14,  in  the  Grafton 
Roller  Mills,  Grafton.  N.  D. 

(63.) — The  flywheel  of  a  threshing  outfit  exploded,  November  18.  at 
Staunton,  Va.  One  man  was  instantly  killed.  The  accident  was  due  to  the 
failure  of  the  governor,  the  belt  of  wdiich  either  broke  or  ran  off  its  pulleys. 

(64.)  — A  flywheel  exploded,  December  2,  in  W.  D.  Byron  &  Sons'  tannery. 
Mercersburg,  Pa.  One  man  was  killed  and  another  was  severely  injured.  It  is 
said  that  the  engine  raced,  and  that  the  men  ran  to  shut  off  the  steam,  but  that 
the  explosion  occurred  before  they  could  do  so.  A  piece  of  the  wheel  struck 
the  main  steam  pipe  and  broke  it. 

(65.) — ^  On  December  8  a  48-inch  driven  pulle}-,  running  at  210  revolutions 
per  minute,  exploded  at  the  plant  of  Russe  &  Burgess,  Inc.,  Memphis,  Tenn. 
This  pulley  was  installed  on  October  16,  to  take  the  place  of  the  one  whose 
failure  is  recorded  above,  in  item  No.  59.     (See  also  No.  25.) 

(66.)  — On  December  18  an  unusual  flywheel  accident  occurred  in  the  Lona- 
coning  Electric  Light  Co.'s  plant,  Lonaconing,  Md.  A  spring  broke  on  the 
shaft  governor,  within  the  flywheel,  and  some  part  of  the  governor  flew  out- 
ward against  the  rim  of  the  wheel.  The  rim  was  a  foot  or  so  in  width,  and 
two  inches  thick,  but  the  shock  cracked  it  completely  through.  The  engineer 
succeeded  in  stopping  the  engine  before  further  trouble  ensued. 


TUE    L  O  C  ()  M  O  T  I  V  K.  ^  5  ^ 


(67.)  — On  December  20  a  flywlucl  exploded  in  the  plant  of  William  Ayres 
&  Son,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 


Some  Boiler  Mathematics. 

Here  is  a  problem  upon  which  any  of  our  readers  who  may  be  so  inclined 
can  try  tlioir  malhcmatical  teeth.  It  came  up  in  actual  practice,  although  we 
h.ivc  changed  the  figure:,  somewhat,  so  as  to  make  the  calculations  a  little 
simpler. 

A  certain  Ixiilor  had  two  availa!)le  sources  of  feed  water,  either  one  of 
which  was  quite  sufficient  to  supply  all  that  was  needed,  under  ordinary  cir- 
cumstances. One  of  the  sources  was  a  brook,  and  the  other  was  a  well. 
Experience  showed  that  when  the  boiler  was  running  on  the  brook  water  alone, 
it  had  to  be  opened  and  cleaned  every  eight  weeks,  while  when  it  was  running 
on  the  well  water  alone,  it  had  to  be  cleaned  every  three  weeks. 

The  past  summer  being  an  unusually  dry  one  in  the  locality  in  question, 
it  was  found  that  neither  source  would  furnish  enough  water,  by  itself,  to 
meet  the  needs  of  the  plant.  The  two  waters  were  therefore  used  together, 
being  run  into  a  storage  tank  in  the  proportion  of  1,600  gallons  of  the  brook 
water  to  900  gallons  of  the  well  water.  The  problem  is.  to  determine,  from 
the  data  here  given,  how  often  it  would  be  necessary  to  clean  the  boiler  when 
running  with  the  mixed  feed. 

Please  note  that  this  is  a  purely  mathematical  problem.  In  other  words, 
it  is  to  be  assumed  that  the  character  of  the  solid  matter  deposited  by  the  two 
waters  is  identically  the  same,  and  it  is  also  to  be  assumed  (although  this  would 
not  be  the  case  in  practice)  that  in  the  dry  season  each  of  the  waters  carries 
just  the  same  amount  of  solid  matter,  per  gallon,  that  it  does  when  the  rainfall 
is  more  plentiful. 

We  shall  take  pleasure  in  printing  the  solution  of  this  problem,  some  time  in 
the  near  future ;  but  we  must  utterly  and  absolutely  and  unconditionally  decline 
to  enter  into  correspondence  about  it.  We  make  this  explanation  so  that  our 
friends  will  spare  us  a  repetition  of  the  experience  we  had  once  before,  when  we 
printed  some  problems  without  making  this  stipulation  about  writing  letters. 
The  editor  then  had  stacks  of  them  to  answer,  so  that  before  he  had  finished 
the  task,  he  accumulated  a  great  and  unprofitable  weariness  of  the  spirit. 


Inspectors'  Reports. 

On  pages  152  to  155,  inclusive,  we  present  general  summaries  of  the  work 
done  by  the  inspectors  of  the  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Inspection  and  Insurance 
Company,  showing  the  number  of  delects  of  various  kinds  that  were  discovered 
during  each  of  the  twelve  months  of  the  year  1910.  The  number  of  visits  of 
inspection,  the  total  number  of  inspections  (both  internal  and  external),  and 
the  number  of  complete  internal  inspections,  as  well  as  the  number  of  hydro- 
static tests  performed,  and  the  number  of  boilers  condemned,  during  these 
respective  months,  are  given  in  the  "  Summary  by  Months,"  which  will  be 
found  on  page  157. 


152 


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Cases  of  deposit  of  sediment. 
Cases  of  incrustation  and  scale, 
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Ca.ses  of  internal  corrosion. 
Cases  of  external  corrosioi'. 
Defective  braces  and  stays, 
Settings  defective. 
Furnaces  out  of  shape. 
Fractured  plates, 
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Cases  of  defective  riveting. 
Defective  heads, 
Cases  of  leakage  around  tubes 
Cases  of  defective  tubes,  . 
Tubes  too  light. 
Leakage  at  joints, 
Water-gages  defective, 
Blow-offs  defective,   . 
Cases  of  deficiency  of  water, 
Safety-valves  overloaded, 
Safety-valves  defective,    . 
Pressiu-e  gages  defective, 
Bc^ilers  without  pressure  gages 
LTnclassified  defects, 

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156 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE 


[Janlary, 


Summary  of  Inspectors'  Reports  for  the  Year  1910. 

During  the  year  19 lo  the  inspectors  of  the  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  In- 
spection and  Insurance  Company  made  177,946  visits  of  inspection,  examined 
347,25s  boilers,  inspected  138,900  boilers  both  internally  and  externally,  sub- 
jected 12,779  to  hydrostatic  pressure,  and  found  625  unsafe  for  continued  in- 
surance. The  whole  number  of  defects  reported  was  169,202,  of  which  16.746 
v/ere  considered  dangerous.  The  usual  classification  by  defects  is  '^ivcu  be- 
low, and   a  summary  by  months  is   given  on   page    157. 

Summary,    by    Defects,   for   the    Yi:ak    1910. 

Nature  of  Defects. 
Cases  of  deposit    of   sediment, 
Cases  of  incrustation    ard    scale, 
Cases  of  internal    groov^ing. 
Cases  of  internal   corrosion. 
Cases  of  external    .orrosion. 
Defective  braces   .md   stays. 
Settings   defective, 
Furnaces  out  of  shape, 
Fractured    plates, 
Burned  plates, 
Laminated    plates. 
Cases   of   defective   riveting. 
Defective    heads. 
Cases   of   leakage   around   tubes. 
Cases    of    defective    tubes. 
Tubes    too    light. 
Leakage  at  joints. 
Water-gages   defective, 
Blow-ofifs    defective,    . 
Cases  of  deficiency  of  v?ter, 
Safety-valves  overloaded,   . 
Safety-valves  defective. 
Pressure    gages    defective, 
Boilers  without  pressure  gages 
Unclassified    defects,    . 


Total, 


Whole 

Danger- 

Number. 

ous. 

19,471 

1-367 

43,663  • 

1,468 

2,830 

229 

13,781 

611 

9,668 

Soi 

2,611 

524 

5.677 

687 

7,674 

402 

3,654 

5-' I 

5,174 

478 

565 

50 

3,225 

610 

1,204 

166 

13.015 

1.789 

9,691 

2.50S 

2,009 

552 

5,956 

353 

3,402 

668 

4,436 

1,288 

430 

122 

1,209 

354 

1,334 

356 

8,145 

469 

369 

369 

9 

4 

169,202 


16.746 


Comparison    of   Inspectors'    Work    during  the    Years    1909  and    1910. 

Visits  of  inspection   made 

Whole  number  of  inspections  (both  interna!  and  external), 
N,.mber  of  complete  internal  inspections. 
Boiler.-,  tested  by  hydrostatic  pressure,    . 
1  otal  number  of  boilers  condemned. 
Total  number  of  defects  discovered, 
Total  number  of  dangerous  defects  discovered. 


1909. 

IQIO. 

174.872 

T  77.946 

342.136 

?:  17,^55 

136,682 

138,900 

12,563 

T  2,779 

642 

625 

169.356 

169.20.? 

T6.385 

16.746 

igii] 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE, 


157 


Summary  by  Months  for  1910. 


Month. 

Visits 

of 

inspection. 

15.431 
13.944 
15.732 

15.503 
14.671 

14,329 

14,104 
13.772 
14,211 

16.143 
13,701 
14,405 

Number 
of  boilers 
examined. 

No.  inspected 

internally 
and  externally. 

No.  tested 

hydro- 
statically. 

No.  con- 
demned. 

No.  of 
defects 
found. 

No.  of 

dangerous 

detects 

found. 

January, 
February,    . 
March,     .     . 

April,       .     . 
May.   .     .     . 
June,  .     .     . 

July,    .     .     . 
August,  .     . 
September, . 

October, 
November,  . 
December,  . 

30,978 

27,275 
30,831 

29,913 
29,716 

26,934 

26,529 
26  276 
27.937 

31.754 
30,082 
29,030 

347,255 

10,647 

8.520 

11,157 

12,359 
12,821 
13,232 

14,304 
11,863 
1 1 ,902 

12,079 

10.979 

9,037 

138,900 

784 

898 

1,079 

1,251 
1,097 
1,119 

1,334 
1,134 
1,292 

1,194 
913 
684 

41 

45 
52 

69 
44 
64 

77 
39 
50 

60 
38 
46 

Ik 

15,601 
12,476 
14.787 

15.470 
15.723 
14,908 

15,298 
13.141 
13.721 

13.695 
12.943 
11,439 

1.503 
1.246 
1.350 

1.547 
1.531 
1,304 

1,468 
1.233 
1.492 

1.365 
1,418 
1,289 

Totals,      . 

177,946 

12,779 

625      169,202 

16,746 

The  followintj  table  is  also  of  interest.  It  shows  that  our  inspectors  have 
nnde  over  three  million  visits  of  inspection,  and  that  they  have  made  over 
six  million  inspections,  of  which  more  than  two  and  a  third  million  were  com- 
plete internal  inspections.  The  hydrostatic  test  has  been  applied  in  more 
than  a  quarter  of  a  million  cases.  Of  defects,  more  than  three  million  and 
three-quarters  have  been  discovered  and  pointed  out  to  the  owners  of  the 
boilers;  and  nejirly  four  hundred  thousand  of  these  were,  in  our  opinion, 
dangerous.  Nearly  twenty-one  thousand  boilers  have  been  condemned  by  us 
as  no  longer  insurable,  good  and  sufficient  reasons  for  the  condemnation  being 
given  to  the  assured  in  every  instance. 

Grand  Total  of  the  In.spectors'  Work  from  the  Time  the  Company  Began 

Business,  to  January  i,  191  i. 
A'isits   of   inspection   made 3,132,080 


Whole  number  of  inspections  (both  internal  and  external), 

Complete   internal    inspections, 

Boilers   tested   by   hydrostatic   pressure, 
'I'otal  number  of  boilers  condemned,      .... 
Total  number  of  defects  discovered,       .... 
Total  number  of  dangerous    defects    discovered, 


6,060,913 
2.378,026 

287,128 

20,967 

3,823,267 

392,229 


We  append,  also,  a  summary  of  the  work  of  the  inspectors  of  this  company 
from  1870  to  T910  inclusive.  The  year  1878  is  omitted,  because  the  data  that 
we  have  at  hand  for  that  year  are  not  complete.  Previous  to  1875  it  was  the 
custom  of  the  company  to  publish  its  reports  for  the  year  ending  with  September 
I.  but  in  that  year  the  custom  was  changed  and  the  summaries  were  thereafter 
made  out  so  as  to  correspond  with  the  calendar  year.  The  figures  given  opposite 
1875,  therefore,  are  for  sixteen  months,  '.leginning  September  r,  1874,  and  ending 
December  31,  1875. 


158 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE 


[January. 


Summary  < 

3F  Inspectorf    Work 

SINCE    1870. 

! 

Boilers 

Total     num- 

Total    num- 

Visits of 

Whole  num- 

Complete 

tested  by 

ber  of 

ber  of 

Boilers 

Year. 

inspection 

ber  of  boilers 

internal 

hydrostatic 

defects 

dangerous 

con- 

made. 

inspected. 

inspections. 

2.385 

pressure. 

discovered. 

defects 
discovered. 

demned. 

1870 

5.439 

10,569 

882 

4,686 

485 

45 

1871 

6,826 

13,476 

3,889 

1,484 

6.253 

954 

60 

1872 

10,447 

2i,o65 

6.';33 

2,102 

11,176 

2,260 

155 

1873 

12,824 

24,998 

0.511 

■   2,175 

11,998 

2,892 

178 

1874 

14,368 

29,20c 

9.451 

2,078 

14,256 

3.486 

163 

1875 

22,612 

44,76; 

.4,181 

3,149 

24,040 

6,149 

216 

1876 

16,409 

34,275 

30,669 

2,150 

16,273 

4.275 

89 

1877 

16,204 

32,97E 

11,629 

2,367 

15,964 

3,690 

133 

1879 

17,179 

36,169 

13.045 

2.540 

16,238 

3,816 

246 

1880 

20,939 

41,166 

16,010 

3.490 

21,033 

5.444 

377 

1881 

22  41  i. 

47,245 

17.590 

4,286 

21,110 

5.801 

363 

1882 

25    742 

55.679 

21,428 

4.564 

33.690 

6,867 

478 

1883 

29,324 

60, 142 

24,403 

4.275 

40,953 

7,472 

545 

1884 

34.048 

66,695 

24,855 

4,180 

44,900 

7.449 

493 

1885 

37.018 

71.334 

26,637 

4.809 

47,230 

7,325 

449 

1886 

39.777 

77.275 

30,868 

5.252 

71.983 

9,960 

509 

1887 

46,761 

89,994 

36,166 

5.741 

99,642 

11,522 

622 

1888 

51,483 

102,314 

40,240 

6,536 

91.567 

8,967 

426 

1889 

56,752 

110,394 

44,563 

7,187 

105,187 

8,420 

478 

1890 

61,750 

118,098 

49,983 

7.207 

115,821 

9.3S7 

402 

1891 

71,227 

137.741 

57.312 

7,859 

127,609 

10,858 

526 

1892 

74.830 

148,603 

59.883 

7.585 

120.659 

11,705 

681 

1893 

81,904 

163,328 

66,698 

7.861 

122,893 

12,390 

597 

1894 

94,982 

191,932 

79,000 

7,686 

135,021 

13,753 

595 

1895 

98,349 

199,096 

76,744 

8.373 

144.857 

14,556 

799 

1896 

102,911 

205,957 

78,118 

8,187 

143,217 

12,988 

663 

1897 

105,062 

206,657 

76,770 

7,870 

131,192 

11,775 

588 

1898 

106,128 

208,990 

78,349 

8,713 

130.743 

11.727 

603 

1899 

112,464 

221,706 

85,804 

9.371 

157.804 

12,800 

779 

1900 

.  122,811 

234.805 

92,526 

10,191 

177,113 

12,862 

782 

1901 

134,027 

254.927 

99,885 

11.507 

187.847 

12,614 

950 

1902 

142,006 

264,708 

105.675 

11,726 

145.489 

13,032 

1,004 

1903 

153.951 

293,122 

116,643 

12,232 

147,707 

12,304 

933 

1904 

159.553 

299.436 

117,366 

12,971 

154,282 

13,390 

883 

1905 

159.561 

291,041 

116,762 

13,266 

155,024 

14,209 

753 

1906 

159.133 

292,977 

120,416 

13.250 

157.462 

15,116 

690 

1907 

163,648 

308,571 

124,610 

13,799 

159,283 

17,345 

700 

1908 

167,951 

317,537 

124,990 

10,449 

151.359 

15,878 

572 

1909 

174,872 

342,136 

136,682 

12,563 

169,356 

16,385 

642 

1910 

177,946 

347,255 

138,900 

12,779 

169,202 

16,746 

625 

To  avoid  possible  misunderstanding  with  respect  to  the  figures  in  the  last  column  of  this 
table,  we  would  direct  attention  to  the  fact  that  no  insurance  company  has  the  power  to  cause 
the  use  of  a  boiler  to  be  discontinue!.  In  other  words,  when  we  say  we  "condemn  "  a  boiler, 
we  merely  mean  that  we  pronounce  it  unfit  for  the  continuance  of  the  insurance. 


me  Paitloril  Sieani  Boiler  iDspeciion  aqil  iQSiiraiice  Gonipaiiir. 


ABSTRACT  OF  STATEMENT,  JANUARY   1, 
Capital  Stock,      .        .        .       $1,000,000. 


ASSETS. 


Cash  on  hand  and  in  course  of  transi 
Premiums  in  course  of  collection. 

Real   estate 

Loaned  on  bond  and  niortgasjio.  . 
Stocks  and  bonds,  market  value. 
Interest    accrued,     .... 


1911. 
00. 


$174,137-52^ 
209,440.08 , 

91,400.00, 
1,140,810.00, 
3,180,527.72 

71,231.96. 


Total    Assets, $4,867,547.28, 


LIABILITIES. 

Premium  Reserve,  .... 

Losses  unadjusted,  .... 

Commissions  and  brokerage. 
Other  liabilities   (taxes  accrued,  etc.). 

Capital    Stock, 

Surplus  over  all  liabilities,  . 

Surplus  as  regards  Policy-holders, 

Total    Liabilities, 


$1,000,000.00 
1,638,967.31 


$2,638,967.31 


$2,010,733.76 

130,809.04 

41,888.01 

45.149.16 


2,638,967.31 

$4,867,547.28 


L.   B.  BRAINERD,   President  and  Treasurer. 

FRANCIS  B.  ALLEN.  Vice-President.  CHAS.  S.  BLAKE,  Secretary, 

L.  F.  MIDDLEBROOK,  Assistant  Secretarv. 

W.  R.   C.  CORSON,  Assistant  Secretary. 

S.  F.  Jeter.  Superv^ising  Inspector. 

E.  J.  Murphy,  M.  E.,  Consulting  Engineer. 

F.   M.   Fitch,  Auditor. 


BOARD     OF     DIRECTORS. 


GEORGE    BURXHAM, 

The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works,   Phila- 
delphia,   Pa. 
ATWOOD     COLLINS,     President. 

The    Security    Co.,    Hartford,    Conn. 
LUCIL'S       F.        ROBINSON,       Attorney, 

Hartford,    Conn. 
JOHN   O.    ENDERS,    United   States   Bank, 

Hartford,    Conn. 
LYMAN    B.    BRAINERD, 

Director,    Swift    &    Company. 
MORGAN  B.   BRAINARD, 

Vice-Pres.    and    Treasurer.    The    .-Etna 

Life    Insurance    Co.,    Hartford,    Conn. 
FRANCIS     B.     ALLEN.     Vice-Pres.,     The 

Hartford    Steam    Boiler   Inspection   and 

Insurance    Company. 
CHARLES    P.    COOLEY,    Vice-Pres.. 

The     Fidelity     Trust     Co.,     Hartford, 

Conn. 


ARTHUR    L.    SHIPM.VN,    Attorney, 

Hartford,    Conn. 
GEORGE    C.    KIMBALL,    President,    The 

Smyth    Mfg.    Co..    Hartford,    Conn. 
CHARLES    M.    JARVIS,    President,    The 

American   Hardware   Corporation,   New 

Britain,   Conn. 
FRANCIS      T.      MAXWELL,      President, 

The   Hockanum   Mills   Company,    Rock- 

ville,    Conn. 
HORACE    B.    CHENEY,    Cheney   Brothers 

Silk    Manufacturing    Co.,    South    Man- 
chester,    Conn. 
D.    NEWTON    BARNEY.    Treasurer,    The 

Hartford      Electric      Light      Co.,      and 

Director   N.   Y..   N.    H.   and   H.    R.    R. 

Co. 
DR.    GEORGE   C.    F.    WILLIAMS,    Treas, 

&     General     Manager,     The     Capeweli 

HoTse  Nail  Co.,   Hartford,   Conn. 


Incorporated  1866. 


Charter  Perpetual. 


THe  Haitforil  Sieani  Boilei  Inspeclioi)  aqd  Igsuiaiice  Gonipaiiji 

ISSUES  POLICIES  OF  INSURANCE  COVERING 

ALL  LOSS  OF  PROPERTY 


Department. 

ATLANTA,  Ga.,         .       ■ . 
611-613  Empire  BIdg. 

BALTIMORE,  Md.,  . 
13-14-15  Abell  Bldg. . 

BOSTON.    Mass., 
loi   Milk  St. 

CHICAGO,  III.,  . 

160  West  Jackson   St. 

CINCINNATI,  Ohio, 
67-69  Mitchell   Bldg. 

CLEVELAND,   Ohio,       ,. 
Century  Bldg. 

DENVER,  Colo.. 

Room  2,  Jacobson  Bldg. 

HARTFORD,   Conn., 
56  Prospect  St. 

NEW  ORLEANS,  La.,      . 
833-835   Gravier  St. 

NEW  YORK,  N.  Y.,  . 
100  William  St. 

PHILADELPHIA,    Pa.,    . 
432  Walnut  St. 

PITTSBURG,  Pa.,      . 
401  Wood  St. 

PORTLAND,  Ore.,     . 
Failing  Bldg. 

SAN  FRANCISCO.  Cal..  . 
339-34^    Sansome   St. 

ST.  LOUIS,  Mo., 

319   North    Fourth    St. 


AS  WELL  AS   DAMAGE  RESULTING  FROM 

LOSS  OF  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  INJURIES  DUE  TO  EXPLOSIONS 
OF  STEAM  BOILERS  OR  FLY  WHEELS. 

wF«//  information  concerning  the  Company s  Operations  can  be  obtained  at 

any  of  its  Agencies. 

Repres^Jltatives. 

W.  M.  Fr.\ncis,  • 

Manager  &  Chief  Inspector. 

L.wvFORD  &  jMcKim,  General  Agents. 
R.  E.  MuNRO,  Chief  Inspector. 

C.  E.  Roberts,  Manager. 

V.  S.  ALLEifj  Chief  Inspector. 

H.  M.  Lem'ON,  Manager. 

James  L.  ^oord.  Chief  Inspector. 

J.  T.  ColeS^an,  Assistant  Chief  Inspector. 

\\'.  E.  GlE^son.  Manager. 

B.  I"".  CocirER,  Chief  Inspector. 

H4  A.  BaVmhart, 

Manager  &  Chief  Inspector. 

Thos.  E.   ^hears. 

General  Agent  &  Chief  Inspector. 

I'.  H.  Wii^iAMS,  Jr.,  General  Agent. 
F.  S.  Alle^,  Chief  Inspector. 

Peter  F,^  Pescud,  General   Agent. 
R.  T.  Bu~kWELL,  Chief  Inspector. 

C.  C.  Garimner,  Manager. 
W.  W.  Manning,  Acting  Chief  Inspector. 

CoRBiN,   G(jiPDKiCH   &  WiCKHAM,  General   Agents. 

Wm.  J.  Fa-rran,  Chief  Inspector. 

S.  B.  Adaji^s,  Assistant  Chief  Inspector. 

James  W.^Arrott,  Ltd.,  General  Agent. 
BenjaminiFord,  Chief  Inspector. 

]\[cCargar|  Bates  &  Lively.  General  Agents. 
C.  B.  Padqock,  Chief  Inspector. 

H.  R.  Mann  &  Co.,  General  Agents.  \ 

J.  B.  Warner,  Chief  Inspector. 

V.  Hugo;  | 

Manjlgcr  &  Chief  Inspector. 


jkay'^ 


COPYRIGHT,   19t1,   BY  THE  HARTFORD  STEAM   BOILER  INSPECTION  AND  INSURANCE  CO. 


Vol.  XXVIII.  HARTFORD,  CONN.,  APRIL  25,  1911. 


No.  6. 


A  Fly-Wheel  Explosion  at  Towanda,  Pa. 

Tlic  bursting  of  a  wheel  on  atC  "  automatic "  engine  in  the  plant  of  the 
Towanda  Electric  Illuminating  Co.,  at  Towanda,  Pa.,  in  the  early  morning 
of  April  20,  191 1,  gives  striking  evidence  of  the  incorrectness  of  the  popular 
opinion  that  engines  of  this  class  arc  immune  from  such  explosions.  A  brief 
description  of  the  attendant  conditions,  and  a  discussion  of  the  probable  cause 
of   failure,   should   therefore   be   of  interest. 


.   Fk;.  I. —  Showing  the  Broken  Wheel  and  Governor. 

The  wheel  in  question  was  mounted  upon  one  of  a  pair  of  center-crank, 
automatic,  slide-valve,  simple  engines,  each  of  which  was  belted  to  an 
electric  generator.  Each  engine  was  equipped  with  a  shaft  governor  of 
the  Rites  inertia  tj-pe,  the  governor  on  the  south  engine  (on  which  the 
failure  occurred)    involving  the  use  of  a  very  heavy  weight-bar. 


-162  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [April, 

During  the  evening  of  April  19  this  south  engine  had  been  in  operation 
alone,  and  it  was  easily  carrying  the  station  load.  At  about  12.30  a.  m. 
of  April  20  the  night  engineer,  standing  in  the  front  doorway  of  the  room, 
heard  a  noise  from  the  engine  as  though  something  was  thrown  from  it.  He 
states  that  the  lights  immediately  grew  dim,  and  he  thinks  they  went  out 
completely.  In  the  darkness  he  hurried  back  to  the  rear  of  the  room,  intend- 
ing to  shut  off  steam  at  the  throttle.  He  had  reached  the  throttle  and  had 
started  to  turn  its  hand  wheel,  when  suddenly  the  engine  speeded  up, 
the  lights  grew  intensely  bright,  and,  as  he  expressed  it,  "  things  began  to  fly." 
Under  the  circumstances  he  prudently  and  hurriedly  sought  refuge  in  the 
adjacent  boiler  room.  In  a  brief  time  the  commotion  in  the  engine  room 
ceased,  and  upon  returning  he  found  the  engine  at  rest  with  its  valve  gear 
broken.  He  then  completed  the  closing  of  the  throttle  valve,  and,  with 
assistance,  soon   had  the  north  engine   in  operation. 

When  opportunity  afforded,  an  examination  was  made  of  the  wrecked 
engine,  and  it  was  found  that  the  eighty-inch  governor  wheel  had  lost  a 
section  of  its  rim,  that  one  end  of  the  governor  weight-arm  was  missing, 
and  that  the  remainder  of  this  arm  had  swung  around  on  its  pin  so  as  to 
wedge  against  the  rim.  The  springs  were  still  attached  to  the  weight-arm, 
but  the  rod  or  bolt  by  which  they  had  been  secured  to  the  rim  was  broken 
at  the  lock-nut,  close  to  the  spring-yoke,  the  portion  which  passed  through 
the  wheel  rim  not  being  found.  A  structure  of  cast-iron,  fastened  to  the 
inner  face  of  the  rim  and  forming  stops  to  limit  the  motion  of  the  governor 
arm,  had  been  torn  apart  and  destroyed.  The  eccentric  rod  and  rocker  arms 
were  irreparably  damaged,  and  the  foundation  was  so  cracked  and  broken 
that  rebuilding  will  be  necessary.  The  general  appearance  of  the  engine, 
after  the  accident,   is  shown  in   Figs,    i   and  5. 

The  damage,  except  to  the  engine  itself,  was  fortunately  small.  The  slightest 
imaginable  deviation  of  the  fragments  from  the  courses  they  actually  took 
would  probably  have  resulted  in  heavy  losses,  however.  One  fragment  of  the 
rim  passed  through  the  ceiling  and  roof  of  the  building,  narrowly  missing 
the  main  steam  pipe.  A  larger  piece  had  apparently  been  thrown  on  a 
descending  tan-gen-t  against  the  light  floor,  which  it  crushed,  and  from  which 
it  rebounded  against  the  face  of  the  main  switch  board.  It  merely  sheared 
off  a  pair  of  pilot  lamps  from  this  board,  and  then  carromed  aside  and 
finally  came  to  rest  just  short  of  the  dynamo.  The  heavy  weight-arm  end  also 
bounded  from  the  floor  against  the  resistance  box  of  a  voltage  regulator, 
destroying  this  resistance  and  cracking  the  marble  panel  to  u-iiich  it  was 
attached,  but  not  damaging  the  delicate  mechanism  of  the  regulator  itself, 
nor  even  breaking  its  glass  case. 

Happily  no  one  was  injured  by  the  flying  wreckage,  though  it  is  almost 
certain  that  one  death  would  have  resulted,  if  the  accident  had  occurred  a 
few  minutes  later.  One  of  the  attendants  was  purposing  to  change  the  load 
from  the  south  engine  to  the  other  one,  and  this  operation  would  have  taken 
him  to  the   front  of  the   switchboard,   directly  in   the   path   of  the   fragments. 

In  fly-wheel  accidents,  especially  when  they  occur  on  shaft-governed 
engines,  it  is  often  most  difficult  to  determine  the  primary  cause  of  the 
failure.  In  this  case,  however,  the  behavior  of  the  engine  immediately 
before  "  things  began  to  fly "'  tells  a  pretty  fairly  intelligible  story,  which 
we  proceed  to  relate,   so   far  as  we  have  been  able  to   read  it. 


19"] 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE, 


163 


iMg.  2  is  an  outline  drawing  of  the  wheel  and  the  governing  apparatus. 
AH  is  a  heavy  arm,  called  the  "fiovernor  arm",  which  is  secured  to  one 
of  the  spokes  bj'  means  of  a  pivot,  I'.  At  the  respective  ends  of  the  governcjr 
arm  are  cast-iron  boxes,  A  and  B,  within  which  are  weights,  firmly  bolted 
in  position  so  that  they  cannot  sliift  about  during  the  operation  of  the 
engine.  The  little  cross  indicates  tlie  center  of  the  shaft,  an4»  the  point  .1/ 
shows  the  pcxsiiion  of  the  center  of  mass  of  the  arm  and  its  weights.  If  the 
weights  in  A  and  B  were  exactly  eipial,  and  were  also  similarly  placed,  the 
point  M  would  coincide  with  the  gcdmetrical  center  of  the  governor  arm- 
In  the  actual  case,  however,  more  weij^hts  are  placed  in  B  than  in  A,  so  as 
to  make  the  center  of  mass  of  the  governor  arm  lie  a  little  towards  B,  as 
indicated.  At  R  is  a  pin,  known  as  the  "  eccentric  pin  ",  which  operates  the 
slide  valve  of  the  engine,  and  at  S  is  a  device  for  limiting  the  motion  of 
the  governor  arm  in  both  directions. 

In  Fig.  2  the  governor  is  shown  with  the  arm  close  to  the  position  giving 
the  maximum  cut-off.  When  the  wheel  is  revolving  at  a  uniform  speed  the 
governor  arm  is  subject  to  a  centrifugal  force  which  tends  to  throw  its 
center    of    mass,    \I,    further    away    from    the    center    of    rotation    (which    is 


Fig.  2.  Fic.  3.  Fic.  4. 

Diagrams  Illustrating  the  Action  of  the  Governor. 


marked  by  the  cross).  This  tends  to  make  the  governor  arm  turn  about 
the  pin  P  in  the  direction  in  which  the  hands  of  a  clock  move.  To  oppose 
this  tendency  a  pair  of  springs  are  provided,  as  shown,  and  when  the 
apparatus  is  properly  adjusted,  the  centrifugal  force  of  the  arm  is  balanced 
against  the  tension  of  the  springs  in  such  a  way  that  the  cut-off  of  the 
engine  has  the  proper  value,  at  the  speed  at  which  the  engine  is  designed 
to  run. 

If,  now,  th€  engine  were  to  gradually  speed  up,  the  centrifugal  force 
developed  in  the  governor  arm  would  also  gradually  increase  at  the  same 
time,  and  this  would  cause  the  point  M,  in  Fig.  2,  to  recede  further  from 
the  little  cross,  the  governor  arm  turning  about  the  pin  P,  and  simulta- 
neously stretching  the  springs.  In  this  way  the  eccentric  pin,  E,  would 
be  brought  nearer  to  the  center  of  the  shaft,  and  the   cut-off  shortened. 

Furthermore,  if  the  engine  were  to  speed  up  suddenly  (instead  of  gradually), 
as  might  happen,  for  example,  from  the  breakage  of  the  main  driving  belt, 
the  wheel  itself  (which  is  revolving  in  the  direction  of  the  arrow)  would 
jump  forward  quickly,  but  the  heavy  governor  arm,  AB,  would  not  do  so, 
on    account    of    its    inertia.     As    a    result,    the    wheel    would    almost    instantly 


164 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE. 


[April, 


gain    on    the    arm,    and    the    cut-ofif    of    the    engine    would    be    reduced    with 
corresponding    promptness. 

It  will  be  seen,  from  the  account  here  given,  that  in  a  governor  of 
this  type  it  is  the  inertia  of  the  arm  that  regulates  the  cut-off  when  the 
change  of  speed  is  sudden,  while  it  is  the  centrifugal  force  '  acting  upon 
the  arm  that  effects  the  regulation  when  the  change  of  speed  is  gradual. 
The  mechanism  is  ingenious,  and  under  ordinary  circumstances  it  is 
also  quite  efficient.  It  has  the  disadvantage,  however,  that  any  sudden 
variation  in  the  speed,  even  though  it  be  but  slight  in  amount,  causes  the 
governor  arm  to  be  brought  smartly  against  one  or  the  other  of  the  limiting 
^tops    at    S:    and    we    are    of    the    opinion    that    the    shocks    so    produced    are 


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& 

^^SB*'-  -*^''^T^^ 

i^B^w^  -Jr^s 

■i."z5 

Fig. 


Showing  the  Damaged  Foundation. 


likely,  sooner  or  later,  to  weaken  the  cast-iron  parts  upon  which  these 
shocks  are  thrown.  Care  should  therefore  be  taken  to  detect  such  incipient 
•cracks  as  may  form  in  any  part  of  the  stop  device,  S,  or  in  the  projection 
from  A  that  engages  with  these  stops,  or  along  the  lines  where  the  boxes 
A  and  B  join  the  central  portion  of  the  governor  arm. 

Returning,  now,  to  a  consideration  of  the  accident  which  serves  as  a 
text  for  these  remarks,  we  may  assume  that  prior  to  the  accident  the  arm 
was  approximately  in  the  position  shown  in  Fig.  2,  although,  as  the  load 
was  light,  it  probably  was  swung  on  its  pin  so  as  to  produce  a  somewhat 
shorter  cut-ofT  than  that  here  indicated.  Now  the  engineer  first  heard  a 
noise    as    of    something    thrown    from    the    wheel,    and    immediately    thereafter 


1911.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  165 


the  electric  lamps  grew  dim  ;iiiil  perhaps  went  out  entirely.  Of  course 
the  dimming  of  the  lamps  indicates  a  slowing  of  the  engine  speed,  and 
with  undiminished  steam  admission  pressure,  the  reduced  speed  -suggests 
a  shortening  cut-ofT.  ihc  bolt  holding  the  springs  to  the  rim  of  the  wheel 
was  found  to  be  broken,  after  the  accident,  and  it  appears  almost  certain 
that  it  was  this  bolt  that  gave  out  first,  its  breakage  releasing  the  spring 
tension  and  permitting  the  governor  arm,  under  the  influcrtte  of  centrifugal 
force,  to  fly  around  to  its  position  of  minimum  cut-off,  as  shown  in  Fig.  3. 
The  broken  end  of  the  spring  bolt  was  probably  thrown  from  the  wheel 
at  the  outset,  and  it  was  very  likely  this  that  made  the  noise  that  first 
attracted  the  engineer's  attention.  Our  theory  that  it  was  the  spring  bolt 
that  lirst  failed  would  seem  to  explain  each  circumstance  of  the  early  events 
that  were   noted.     We  proceed,   ne.xt,   to  trace  the  later  consequences. 

Had  the  governor  arm,  under  the  action  of  centrifugal  force,  remained 
in  the  position  shown  in  Fig.  3,  the  engine  should  gradually  have  come  to 
rest  without  further  damage.  This  would  doubtless  have  been  the  actual 
course  of  events,  except  for  the  inertia  of  the  governor  arm  itself,  which  in 
this  type  of  apparatus  (as  we  have  explained  above)  is  utilized  to  secure 
close  regulation.  As  the  wheel  slowed  down,  it  presently  reached  a  speed 
where  the  centrifugal  force  of  the  governor  weight  was  insufficient  to  hold  the 
arm  in  its  extreme  position,  against  the  tendency  of  its  mass  to  maintain  its 
own  velocity  of  rotation.  When  this  state  of  affairs  had  been  attained,  the 
slightest  additional  retardation  of  the  engine  would  cause  the  governor  arm 
to  advance  relatively  to  the  wheel,  until  it  was  again  in  the  position  shown 
in  Fig.  2,  with  the  eccentric  pin  in  the  position  of  maximum  cut-off.  This 
movement,  when  it  took  place,  was  undoubtedly  very  sudden,  and  the  engine, 
then  acting  under  the  stimulus  of  a  long  cut-off,  at  once  leaped  to  high  speed, 
generating  the  brilliant  lights  noted  by  the  attendant. 

Reasoning  along  the  lines  here  indicated,  it  will  be  seen  that  we  might 
logically  anticipate  an  alternate  retarding  and  speeding  of  the 
wheel,  which  might  continue  without  any  great  damage  until  the  throttle  was 
closed.  Experiences  of  this  sort  are  not  uncommon,  wnth  broken  springs 
upon  shaft  governors.  In  the  case  now  before  us,  however,  the  rapid  accelera- 
tion of  the  wheel  was  attended  by  a  powerful  effort  of  the  arm  —  due  to 
inertia,  acting  this  time  in  conjunction  with  centrifugal  force  and  unopposed 
by  the  spring  —  to  seek  the  position  shown  in  Fig.  3.  Apparently  the  effort 
was  so  great  that  the  rim  stop  at  5"  was  broken  away,  and  the  arm  ceased  its 
individual  motion  only  when  the  weight  box.  B,  had  wedged  against  the  rim 
as  shown  in  Fig.  .j.  The  shock  of  this  sudden  stop  was  severe  enough  to 
snap  off  the  weight  box  A,  which  may  have  been  already  weakened  in  fractur- 
ing the  stop  5".  The  box  A,  flying  against  the  rim,  then  broke  it  out  at  the 
point  shown  in  the  illustrations.  The  flange  of  the  broken  portion  of  the  rim 
shows  evidence  of  contact  with  the  weight  box,  and  thus  corroborates  the 
foregoing  theory   of  the   accident. 


We  can  still  furnish  copies  of  the  little  book  entitled  Tlic  Metric  System. 
It  gives  many  tables  for  converting  metric  measures  into  our  own,  and  the  reverse. 
We  believe  it  to  be  the  handiest  and  best  thing  of  its  kind  to  be  had.  Price 
$i..25.      (Bond  paper  edition  $1.50.) 


166  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [April, 

Boiler  Explosions 

January,  191  i. 

(i.) — On  January-  i  a  slight  boiler  explosion  occurred  in  Secor's  green- 
houses  at  Forest   Cit}-,  Iowa. 

(2.) — Several  headers  fractured,  January  i,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the 
power  house  of  the  Lima-Honeoye  Electric  Light  &  Railroad  Co.,  Lima,  N.  Y. 

(3.) — A  tube  ruptured,  January  i,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  power 
plant  of  the  Pueblo  &  Suburban  Traction  &  Lighting  Co.,  Pueblo,  Colo.  Two 
men  were  injured. 

(4.)  — On  January  2  a  blowoff  pipe  failed  at  the  water  works  and  electric 
light  plant,   Appleton,   Minn.     The  engineer  was   scalded. 

(5.) — A  blowoff  fractured,  January  3,  in  the  Colburn  Mills,  IMcPherson, 
Kans.     Three  persons  were  severelj^  injured. 

(6.)  — A  cast-iron  section  ruptured,  January  3,  in  a  heater  at  the  Staples 
School,  Bridgeport,  Conn. 

(7.)  — A  boiler  flue  burst,  January  4,  on  the  Big  Four  railroad,  at  Brooks 
Station,  Ohio.     Four  persons  were  severely  injured. 

(8.) — On  January  4,  a  blowoff  pipe  failed  at  the  New  Mohn  Laundry, 
Cincinnati,  Ohio.     One  man  was  scalded. 

(9.) — A  boiler  belonging  to  C.  A.  Lindan  exploded.  January  4,  at  Duluth, 
Minn. 

(10.)  — A  blowoff  pipe  ruptured,  January  4,  in  the  Warrant  Warehouse  Co.'s 
Cotton   Compress,   Birmingham,   Ala.     The  fireman   was   injured. 

(11.)  — On  January  4  a  blowoff  pipe  failed  in  E.  B.  Norman  &  Co.'s  saw- 
mill, Louisville,  Ky. 

(12.) — A  tube  ruptured,  January  4,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  light, 
power  and  water  works  plant  of  the  City  of  Monroe,  La. 

(13.) — A   boiler   exploded,   January  5.   in    a    seminary   at   Manchester,   Vt. 

(14.)— A  hot  water  boiler  exploded,  January  5,  in  the  high  school  build- 
ing at  St.  Paul,  Neb. 

(15.)— A  tube  ruptured,  January  5,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Joliet 
plant  of  the  Illinois   Steel   Co.,  Joliet.  111.     One  man  was   injured.^ 

(16.)— On  January  5  a  return  bend  failed  in  a  pipe  boiler  in  the  plant 
of  O.  J.  Maigne  &  Co.,  New  York  City. 

(i7.)_0n  Januarj^  5  a  hot  water  boiler  exploded  in  the  Collegiate  In- 
stitute, St.  Catharines,  Ont. 

(18.)— A  tube  failed,  January  5.  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  Charles  Pope's 
beet  sugar  factory,  Riverdale,   111.     One  man  was  injured.      (Compare   No.  3^ 

below.) 

(19.)  _0n  January  5  a  heating  boiler  exploded  in  the  Hotel  Royal.  Altoona, 

Pa. 

(20.)— On  January  5   a  boiler   ruptured   in  the  Duff  Grain   Co.'s   elevator, 

Nebraska   City,    Neb. 

(21.)— The  boiler  of  a  locomotive  exploded.  January  6.  on  the  Burhngton 
Railroad,  at  Bachester,  Wyo.  Two  persons  were  killed  and  one  was  fatally 
injured. 

(22.)  _  A  tube  ruptured,  Janiwry  6,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Union 
Buffalo  Mills,  Union,  S.  C.     One  man  was  injured. 


19".]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  lt)7 


(-'3) — Four  cast-iron  licackrs  riii)tured,  January  7,  in  a  water-tube  boiler 
at  the  plant  of  the  Ingersoll-Rand  Co.,  Easton,  Pa. 

(24.)— A  boiler  belonging  to  O.  C.  Hcggen  exploded,  January  8,  at  Des 
Moines,  Iowa,     l-'our  persons  were  severely  injured. 

(25.) — On  or  about  January  8  ;i  boiler  exploded  in  the  central  heating 
plant  of  the  George  Junior  Republic,  at  Freeville,  N.  Y. 

(26.) — The  boiler  of  a  Chesapeake  &  Ohio  locomotive  exploded,  January 
8,  fifteen  miles  east  of  Frankfort,  Ky.  One  man  was  fatally  injured,  and  two 
were  injured  less  seriously.  The  explosion  consisted  in  the  failure  of  the 
crown  sheet. 

{27.) — A  slight  boiler  explosion  occurred,  January  8,  at  the  sanitarium 
of  the  Kneipp  Water  Cure  Co.,  New  Orleans,  La. 

(28.)  — A  heating  boiler  exploded,  January  9,  in  the  residence  of  Julian  H. 
Hill,  Richmond,  Va.     The  property  loss  exceeded  $3,000. 

(29.)  — On  January  9,  at  the  plant  of  the  Light,  Heat  and  Power  Co.,  Fair- 
bury,  111.,  a  spring  broke  in  a  pop  safety  valve  while  under  steam  pressure, 
causing  the  rupture  of  the  bonnet  of  the  valve. 

(30.) — On  January  9,  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  A.  J. 
Stahl's  electric  light  and  hot  water  heating  plant,  Belvedere,  111.  One  man  was 
injured. 

(31.) — A  boiler  exploded,  January  10,  in  Charles  Hearst's  saw  and  grist 
mill,  near  Little  Rock,  Ark.     Two  men  were  severely  injured. 

(32.) — On  January  10,  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the 
plant  of  the  Michigan  Alkali  Co.,  Wyandotte,  Mich. 

(33.) — On  January  10,  a  slight  boiler  explosion  occurred  in  a  bakery  at 
Elyria,  Ohio. 

(34.) — On  January  11,  a  tube  failed  in  a  horizontal  tubular  boiler  at  the 
Ce^ntral  Grammar  School,  Grand  Rapids,  Mich. 

(35.)  — A  boiler  exploded,  January  12,  in  the  city  hall  at  Crookston,  Minn. 
One  person  was  injured. 

(36.) — The  crown  sheet  of  a  locomotive  belonging  to  the  Longdale  Iron 
Co.  exploded,  January  12,  at  Longdale,  Va. 

(37.) — The  boiler  of  a  Southern  Pacific  locomotive  exploded,  January  12, 
near  Flatonia,  Texas.     Two  men  were  killed. 

(38.)  — A  tube  failed,  January  12,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  Charles  Pope's 
beet  sugar  factory,  Riverdale,  111.  One  man  was  injured.  (Compare  No.  18 
above.) 

(39.) — A  locomotive  boiler  exploded,  January  13,  on  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad,   at  Kankakee,  111.     Three  persons  were  severely  injured. 

(40.) — A  tube  ruptured,  January  13,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  plant 
of  the  Southern  Iron  &  Steel  Co.,  Alabama  City,  Ala.  One  man  was  scalded. 
(Compare  Nos.  43,  71,  93,  and   109  below.) 

(41.)  — On  January  13  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  plant 
of  the  Lackawanna  Steel  Co.,  Lackawanna,  N.  \'.     (Compare  No.  45,  below.) 

(42.) — A  boiler  exploded,  January  14,  in  the  electric  light  and  power 
house  at  Rushville,  Mo.     Two  men  were  killed  and  the  plant   was  demolished. 

(43.) — A  tube  ruptured.  January  14,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  plant 
of  the  Southern  Iron  &  Steel  Co.,  Alabama  City,  Ala.  (Compare  Nos.  40,  71, 
93,  and  109.) 


168  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [April, 

(44-,) — On  January  14  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the 
Electric   Storage  Battery  Co.'s  plant,   Philadelphia,   Pa. 

(.45-) — A  tube  ruptured,  January  15,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  plant 
of  the  Lackawanna  Steel  Co..  Lackawanna,  N.  Y.  ( Compare  No.  41,  above. 
The  accidents  were  on  different  boilers.) 

(46.)  — A  tube  ruptured,  on  January  16,  in  the  J.  L.  Hudson  Co.'s  depart- 
ment  store,   Detroit,   Mich. 

(47) — A  slight  explosion  occurred,  January  16,  in  a  heating  boiler  in  a 
public  school  building  at  White,  S.  D. 

(48.)  — A  boiler  exploded.  January  16,  on  the  towboat  T.  N.  Davis,  on  the 
Ohio  River,  six  miles  above  Cairo.  111.  One  man  was  killed  and  the  boat  was 
badl}'  damaged. 

(49.)  — On  January  16,  a  boiler  exploded  at  Cleary's  Stone  Works,  Marietta, 
Ohio.     Two  men  were  killed  and  one  w-as  seriously  injured. 

(50-) — A  boiler  exploded,  January  17,  in  the  Archer  sawmill,  at  Eagle 
Point,  twelve  miles   north  of  New   Boston,  111.     One  man   was   killed. 

(51.) — On  January  17,  three  headers  failed  in  a  boiler  on  the  V.  S. 
battleship  Dclaix.'are,  as  she  was  nearing  Hampton  Roads.  Va.  Eight  men  were 
killed  and  one  received  injuries  that  were  believed  to  be   fatal. 

CS^) — A  heating  boiler  burst,  January  18.  in  the  high  school  building  at 
Wethersfield,  Conn. 

(53-) — A  tube  ruptured,  January  18,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  plant 
of  the  Old  "76  Distilling  Co.,   Finchtown,  Ky. 

(54)  — The  boiler  of  a  New  York  Central  freight  locomotive  exploded,  Jan- 
uary 18,  at  Wende,  twentv  miles  east  of  Buffalo.  N.  Y.  Three  men  were 
killed. 

(55-)  — A  cast-iron  header  fractured,  January  19.  in  a  water-tube  boiler 
at  the  power  station  of  the  Philadelphia  Rapid  Transit  Co.,  Thirty-third  and 
Market   streets,   Philadelphia,    Pa.      (Compare   No.   134.  below.) 

(56.)  — A  boiler  exploded,  January  19,  in  the  primary  school  building,  at 
Hopkinton,  Iowa. 

(57-) — A  cast-iron  header  fractured,  January  19.  in  a  water-tube  boiler 
at  the  power  station  of  the  Terre  Haute,  Indianapolis  &  Eastern  Traction  Co., 
Terre   Haute,   Ind. 

(58.)  — On  or  about  January  19  a  boiler  exploded  in  Benjamin  Hendrickson's 
greenhouse,  Delphi,  Ind.  Two  men  were  injured,  and  the  property  loss  was 
estimated  at  $400. 

(59.) — A  tube  failed.  January  19.  in  a  boiler  at  the  power  house  of  the 
Lehigh   Coal   &   Navigation   Co.,   Lansford,   Pa.     One  man   was   fatally   injured. 

(60.)- — h.  heating  boiler  exploded.  January-  19,  during  the  course  of  a 
revival   in   the   Wesley   Methodist   Episcopal   Church,   Georgetown,   Del. 

(61.) — A  tube  ruptured,  January  20,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  power 
house  of  the  Elast  Liverpool  Traction  &  Light  Co.,  East  Liverpool,  Ohio.  Two 
men   were  injured. 

(62.) — A  boiler  exploded,  January  20,  in  the  Sunday  Creek  Coal  Co.'s 
plant.   Cedar  Grove,  W.   Va.     Two  persons  were  severely   injured. 

(63.) — A  cast-iron  header  fractured,  January  20,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in 
the   Savannah  Lighting  Co.'s  plant.   Savannah,   Ga. 


19II.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  169 


(64.) — A  blowoff  pipe  failed,  January  20,  in  E.  H.  Plank's  elevator  mills, 
Lodi,  Ohio.     One  man  was  slightly  injured. 

(,t>5. ) — On  January  20,  a  hlovvofT  i)ii)e  ruptured  in  tlic  Lucke  Cotton  Mili.^,, 
Concord,  X.  C.     Two  men  were  injured. 

(66.)  — A  small  boiler  exploded,  January  21,  in  the  basement  of  the  Sweet- 
water College  Preparatory  School  building,  Sweetwater,  Tenn.  The  property 
loss  was  estimated  at  from  $500  to  $600. 

(67.) — Two  tul>es  ruptured,  January  21,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the 
Chittenden   Hotel,  Columbus,  Ohio.     (Compare  No.  88,  below). 

(68.) — On  January  24,  a  l)oiler  exploded  in  a  public  school  buildinf>:  at 
Greensboro.  N.  C. 

(69.) — A  cast-iron  header  ruptured,  January  24.  in  a  water-tube  boiler 
operated  by  the  Philadelphia  Rapid  Transit  Co.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

(70.) — .\  boiler  exploded,  January  24,  In  tlie  St.  Germain  Garage,  St. 
Cloud,  Minn. 

(71.)  — A  tube  ruptured,  January  25.  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  Southern 
Iron  &  Steel  Co.'s  plant,  Alabama  City,  Ala.  (Compare  Nos.  40,  43,  93,  and 
109.) 

(72.)  — On  January  26,  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  .Mkali 
Rubber  Co.'s  plant,   Dubuque,  Iowa. 

(73.) — A  boiler  belonging  to  Barkley  Bros,  exploded,  January  27,  in  the 
Cannon  oil  field,  near  Sour  Lake,  Tex. 

(74.) — On  January  27,  a  cast-iron  header  fractured  in  a  water-tube  boiler 
at  the  Philadelphia  Rapid  Transit  Co.'s  power  house,  Ninth  and  Dauphin  streets, 
Philadelphia,  Pa. 

(75.) — On  January  29,  five  sections  of  a  cast-iron  sectional  heating  boiler 
fractured  in  the  buildirg  of  Tintic  Lodge  No.  711,  B.  P.  O.  E.,  Eureka,  LUah. 

(76.) — -A  tube  ruptured,  January  31,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  New- 
berry Cotton  Mills,  Newberry,  S.  C. 


February,  191  i. 

(77.) — A  boiler  exploded,  February  T,  in  a  grist  mill  at  Bruin,  Elliott 
county,  Ky.     Two  persons  were  killed  and  two  others  were  fatally  injured. 

(78.) — A  tube  failed,  February  i.  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  Colonial 
Theater,  Boston,   Ma.ss. 

(79.) — On  February  2  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  City 
Light  &  Water  Works,  Fairbury,  Neb. 

(80.)  — On  February  2  a  blowoff  pipe  connected  to  a  digester  fractured  in 
the  Champion  Fibre  Co.'s  plant,  Canton,  N.  C.     Five  men  were  scalded. 

(81.) — Three  sections  of  a  cast-iron  sectional  heating  boiler  fractured, 
February  3.  in  the  Skelton  Publishing  Co.'s  plant.  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah.  (Com- 
pare No.   119,  below.) 

(82.) — A  blowoff  pipe  failed,  February  3,  in  the  L.  B.  Southwick  Co.'s 
tannery,  Peabody,  Mass.     Two  men  were  injured. 

(83.)  — A  tube  ruptured,  February  5,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  Northern 
Cambria   Street  Railway  Co.'s  plant,  St.  Benedict,   Pa. 

(84. ') — On  February  5  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  Ohio 
Electric  Railway  Co.'s  plant,  Medway.  Ohio. 


170  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [Aikil, 

(85-) — On  February  6,  a  hot  water  boiler  exploded  in  a  tenement  house 
on  East  Sev^enty-seventh  Street,  New  York  City.  Fire  followed  the  explosion, 
and  the  building,  which  was  known  as  the  "  House  of  All  Nations  "  (on  account 
of  the  varied  nationalities  of  its  tenants),  was  badly  damaged. 

(86.) — On  February  6  a  blowoff  pipe  failed  in  the  boiler  plant  of  the 
Michigan  Agricultural  College,  Lansing,  Mich.     One  man  was  injured. 

(87.)  — A  blowoff  failed,  February  6,  in  the  American  Carving  Mfg.  Co.'s 
plant,  Grand  Rapids,  Mich. 

(88.) — A  cast-iron  header  ruptured,  February  7,  in  a  water-tube  boiler 
at  the  Chittenden  Hotel,  Columbus,  Ohio.     (Compare  No.  67,  above.) 

(89.) — The  boiler  of  a  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  locomotive  exploded, 
February  8,  in  the  roundhouse  at  Smithville,  Tex.  Ten  men  were  instantly  killed 
and  nine  were  injured.     The  property  loss  was  estimated  at  $20,000. 

(90.)  —  Several  tubes  ruptured,  February  8,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the 
plant  of  the  Waterloo,  Cedar  Falls  &  Northern  Railway  Co.,  Waterloo,  Iowa. 

(91) — A  boiler  exploded,  February  10,  in  Franks'  steam  laundry,  West 
Third  street.  Little  Rock,  Ark.    Three  persons  were  slig'htly  injured. 

(92.) — On  February  10,  a  boiler  exploded  in  Thomas  King's  sawmill  at 
Parksville,  six  miles  south  of  Benton,  Tenn.  Four  men  were  killed  and  three 
were   seriously  injured. 

(93.) — On  February  14  two  tubes  failed  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the 
Southern  Iron  &  Steel  Co.'s  plant,  Alabama  City,  Ala.  (Compare  Nos.  40,  43, 
71,  and  109.) 

(94.)  —  The  boiler  of  a  Great  Western  freight  locomotive  exploded,  Feb- 
ruary 14,  near  Ingalton,  111.  One  man  was  instantly  killed  and  five  others  were 
injured.     It  was  believed  that  one  of  the  injured  could  not  recover. 

(95.) — On  February  14  a  boiler  exploded  in  the  basement  of  the  candy 
factory  of  H.  Nuss  &  Co.,  Philadelphia,  Pa.     One  man  was  killed. 

(96.) — On  February  15,  a  blowoff  pipe  failed  in  the  Taylor-Burt  Co.'s 
paper  mill,  Holyoke,  Mass.     One  man  was  injured. 

(97.) — A  section  fractured,  February  17,  in  a  cast-iron  heating  boiler  in 
the  public  library,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 

(98.)  — A  boiler  exploded,  February  17,  at  Fiborn  Quarry,  Mackinac  county, 
Mich.  One  man  was  killed  and  seven  were  injured.  The  property  loss  was 
estimated  at  $10,000. 

(99.)  — On  February  18  a  boiler  ruptured  in  St.  Joseph's  Retreat,  an  insane 
asylum  at  Dearborn,  Mich. 

(100.) — A  boiler  exploded,  February  18,  at  the  pumping  station  of  the 
Hooks  Oil  Co.,  at  Vinton,  La.     One  man  was  killed. 

(loi.) — ^A  boiler  exploded,  on  or  about  February  18,  in  a  saw-mill  near 
Montreal,  P.  Q.     Three  men  were  killed. 

(102.) — On  February  19  an  accident  occurred  to  a  boiler  at  the  hospital 
of  the  Congregation  of  St.  Agnes,  Fond  du  Lac,  Wis. 

(103.) — A  flue  collapsed,  February  20,  in  a  boiler  in  the  Randolph  Mill- 
ing Co.'s  flouring  mill,  Baldwin,  111. 

(104.) — The  boiler  of  a  Baltimore  &  Ohio  locomotive  exploded,  February 
20,  near  Rockville,  Md.,  some  twelve  miles  northwest  of  Washington.  Thr^e 
men  were  injured,  one  of  them  fatally  so. 

(105.) — On  February  20  several  sections  fractured  in  a  cast-iron  heating 
boiler  in  the  city  hall,  Taunton,  IMass. 


igii.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  171 

(,o6.)— On  I'cbruary  20  a  tiihi-  failed  in  a  boiler  at  the  Southern  Lumber 
&   Mfg.   Co.'s  plant,   Naslwillc,    Itnn. 

(,07.) — The  boiler  of  a  Grand  Irunk  locomotive  exploded.  February  20, 
at  Ionia,  Mich.     One  person  was  injured  fatally  and  two  others  seriously. 

^lo8.)  — A  tube  ruptured,  February  20,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  Sparks 
Milling  Co.'s  flouring  mill  at  Alton,  111.    One  man  was  injured. 

(109.) — A  tube  ruptured,  February  21,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  tlie 
Southern  Iron  &  Steel  Co.'s  plant,  Alabama  City,  Ala.  (Compare  Nos.  40,  43, 
71,  and  93,  above.) 

(no.) — On  February  21  a  tube  burst  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  Phila- 
delphia Rapid  Transit  Co.'s  power  station,  Beach  and  Laurel  streets,  Phila- 
delphia, Pa. 

(ill.)  — On  l'\'bruary  21,  a  slight  accident  befell  a  boiler  in  the  McUermott 
Oil  Co.'s  plant,  Fairmont,  W.  Va.  One  person  was  killed. 

(112.) — A  tube  ruptured,  February  22,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  Grand 
Rapids  Railway  Co.'s  power  station.  Grand  Rapids,  Mich.    One  man  was  injured. 

(113.)  — A  boiler  exploded,  February  22,  in  the  Timpson  Lumber  Mill,  two 
miles  west  of  Silas,  Tex.  Two  men  were  fatally  injured,  two  were  injured 
seriously  but  not  fatally,  and  three  others  received  minor  injuries. 

(114.)  — A  small  hot  water  boiler  exploded,  February  22,  in  the  basement 
of  the  Angle  Hotel,  Decatur,  111.  The  owner  of  the  hotel  was  killed,  and  his 
wife  was  slightly  injured. 

(115.)  — On  February  22  five  sections  of  a  cast-iron  heating  boiler  fractured 
in  E.  J.  Hines  &  Co.'s  hotel.  Independence,  Kans. 

(116.)  — On  February  24  a  slight  accident  befell  a  boiler  in  tlie  Cyril  Jolin- 
son  Woolen  Co.'s  plant,  Stafford  Springs,  Conn. 

(117.) — A  tube  ruptured,  February  26,  in  a  water-tirbe  boiler  in  the  Pratt 
street  station  of  the  LInited  Railways  &  Electric  Co.,  Baltimore,  Md.  One  man 
was  injured. 

(118.)  — On  February  28  the  boiler  of  a  locomotive  exploded  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  Wellington  street  subway,  at  Point  St.  Charles,  near  Montreal,  P.  Q. 
One  man  was  badly  hurt. 

(119.) — Several  sections  of  a  cast-iron  heating  boiler  ruptured,  February 
28,  in  the  Skelton  Publishing  Co.'s  plant.  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah.  (Compare  No. 
81,  above.) 

(120.)— A  boiler  exploded,  February  28,  in  the  Ideal  Steam  Laundry  at 
Verona,  a  suburb  of  Pittsburg,  Pa.  Two  men  were  injured,  and  the  property 
loss  was  estimated  at  $10,000.  The  boiler  went  hig"!!  into  the  air,  and  in  coming 
down  it  crashed  through  two  floors  of  the  Zimmerman  building,  half  a  block 
away. 


March,    191  i. 

(121.) — A  boiler  exploded,  March  i,  in  Capt.  Ogden  Candy's  lumber  mill, 
at  Dennisville,  near  Ocean  City,  N.  J.     Two  men  were  seriously  injured. 

(122.)  — A  tube  burst,  March  i,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Portland  Iron 
&  Steel  Co.'s  plant.  South   Portland,  Me.     Two  men  were  injured. 

(123.)  — On  March  i  an  accident  occurred  to  a  boiler  in  one  of  the  power 
stations  of  the  Philadelphia  Rapid  Transit  Co.,  Philadelphia,  Pa.  One  man 
was  injured. 


172  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [April, 

(124.)  — A  boiler  exploded,  March  3,  at  a  mine  at  Sligo,  Ala.  A  boy  was 
fatally  injured,  and  two  men  were  injured  seriously. 

(125.)  — A  boiler  used  for  operating  a  wood-cutting  outfit  exploded,  March 
3,  on  the  Melvin  White  farm,  near  Wyalusing.  Bradford  county,  Pa.  Five  men 
were  injured,  and  it  was  thought  that  one  of  them  would  die. 

(126.) — A  boiler  ruptured,  March  4,  in  the  Taylor  Chair  Co.'s  plant, 
Bedford.  Ohio. 

(127.)  — On  March  4  a  boiler  exploded  in  the  plant  of  the  Atlantic  Coast 
Lumber  Co.,  Georgetown,  S.  C.  Five  mer*  were  instantly  killed  and  another  was 
fatally  injured.     The  property  loss  was  estimated  at  $25,000  to  $30,000. 

(128.)  — The  boiler  of  a  logging  locomotive  exploded,  ^Nlarch  4,  at  Estacada, 
Oregon.     Five  men  were  killed  and  four  were  injured. 

(129.) — A  boiler  exploded,  March  4,  in  the  Blackburn-Gambill  distillery, 
on  Howards  Creek,  Breathitt  county,  Ky.  Three  children  and  a  man  were  killed, 
and  six  other  persons  were  injured. 

(130.) — A  cast-iron  hot  water  heating  Iwiler  exploded,  March  4,  in  the 
basement  of  Andrew  M'arelli's  restaurant.  South  Twelfth  street,  Philadelphia, 
Pa.     The  basement  was  totally  wrecked. 

(131.)  — A  tube  ruptured,  March  5,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  Kimberly- 
Clark  Co.'s  paper  mill,  Appleton,  Wis.     One  m-an  was  slightly  scalded. 

(132.) — On  March  6  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  plant 
of  the  Leavenworth  Light,  Heat  &  Power  Co.,  Leavenworth,  Kans. 

Ci33-) — A  blowoff  pipe  failed,  March  6,  in  the  Hamilton  Woolen  Co.'s 
plant,  Amesbury,  Mass.     One  man  was  injured. 

(134.) — A  cast-iron  header  fractured',  March  6,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in 
the  power  station  of  the  Philadelphia  Rapid  Transit  Co.,  Thirty-third  and 
Market  streets,  Philadelphia,  Pa.     (Compare  No.  55,  above.) 

(135.) — A"  tube  ruptured,  March  6,  in  a  w^ater-tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of 
the  American  Locomotive  Co.,  Sch'ertectady,  N.  Y.     One  person  was  injured. 

(136.) — -A  hot  water  heating  boiler  exploded,  ]\Iarch  9,  on  a  Lehigh 
Valley  transit  car,  AUentown,  Pa. 

(137.) — The  Russ  building,  San  Francisco,  Cal.,  was  destroyed,  March  10, 
by  a  fire  accompanied*  by  a  boiler  explosion.  It  is  not  clear  whether  the 
explosion  was  a  consequence  of  the  fire,  or  its  cause.  The  total  property  loss 
was  estimated  at  $125,000. 

(138.) — A  boiler  used' for  heating  water  exploded,  ]\Iarch  14,  in  the  Y.  M. 

C.  A.  building  at   BloMningtoi'k,   111. 

(139.)  — A  boiler  ruptured,  March  14,  in  the  electric  light  and  water  works 
plant  at  Downers  Grove,  III. 

(140.) — A  boiler  exploded,  March  14,  i"  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  com- 
pany's power  house  at  East  Altoona,  Pa.  One  man  was  injured  seriously  and 
perhaps  fatally.     Tlie  property  loss  was  probably  about  $2,000. 

(141.) — On  March  15  a  boiler  exploded  at  John'  HuffuTan's  coal  slope, 
three  miles  north  of  Brazil,  Ind".     O'ne  mbn  was  instantly  killed. 

(142.) — A  tube  ruptured,  March  16,  in  the  Athens  State  Hospital  for  the 
Insane,  Athens,  Ohio. 

(143.)  — On  March  17  a  boiler  explosion,  followed  by  a  fire,  occurred  in  the 

D.  P).    Martin    Co.'s   fertilizer    factory,   at   the    Union    Abattoir,    Baltimore,   Md. 
One  man  was  killed,  and  the  property  loss  was  estimated  at  $20,000. 


19II.]  THE  Locomotive.  173 


(144.) — On  March  jo  tv\t>  corrugated  furnaces  collapsed  in  an  iiilcrnallj 
fired  boiler  at  the  Lane  Cotton  Mills,  Xew  Orleans,  La. 

(145.) — On  March  20  the  shell  i.f  a  boiler  fractured  in  Pomeroy  &  Co.'s 
flouring  mill,  Barrinnton,  111. 

(146.) — A  small  boiler  used  for  luating  water  exploded,  March  21,  in  the 
Abercrombie  apartment  building,  on  West  165th  street,  New  York  City.  The 
basement  doors  and  windows  were  lilown  out. 

(147.) — A  tube  ruptured,  March  Ji,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  Crane 
Co.'s  plant,  Chicago,  111. 

(148.)  — A  boiler  exploded,  March  ji,  in  Lowder's  sawmill,  live  miles  south 
of  Albemarle,  X.  C.  The  owner  of  the  plant  was  fatally  injured,  and  several 
others  received  minor  injuries. 

(149.) — On  March  22  a  section  fractured  in  a  cast-iron  power  boiler  in 
the  Lycoming  Opera  House,  Williamsport,  Pa. 

(150.) — The  boiler  of  a  Union  Pacific  locomotive  exploded.  March  22, 
<it  Cheyenne,  Wyo.     The  fireman  was  killed. 

(151.) — On  March  22  a  cast-iron  section  fractured  in  a  heating  boiler  in 
a  building  owned  by  the  Estate  of  John  C.  Haynes,  Boston,  Mass. 

(152.)  — A  tube  ruptured,  March  23,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  Scranton 
suburban  plant  of  the  American  Gas  &  Electric  Co.,  Scranton,  Pa.  One  man 
was  fatally  scalded. 

(153.) — .^  boiler  ruptured,  ^larcli  22,,  at  the  coal  plant  of  the  Henry  C. 
Qark  Estate,  Providence,  R.  L 

(154.) — A  boiler  exploded,  March  24,  in  the  Cobourg  Apartments,  on 
Stanley  street,  Montreal,   P.  Q.     One  man  was  killed. 

(155.) — A  boiler  used  for  operating  a  pile  driver  exploded.  March  24. 
at  the  new  Southern  Railway  steel  bridge,  Augusta,  Ga.  Tw-o  men  were  killed, 
and. 'two  others  were  seriously  injured. 

(156.) — On  March  25  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiier  in  the  plant 
of  the  Thomas  Phillips  Paper  Co.,  Akron,  Ohio.     Two  men  were  injured. 

(157.) — A  boiler  exploded,  March  29,  in  Phillips  &  Bros.'  sawmill,  near 
Campbellsville,  Ky.  niree  men  were  instantly  killed,  and  another  received 
minor  injuries.  The  mill  was  destroyed,  and  part  of  the  wreckage  was  thrown 
half  a  mile. 

(158.) — On  ]\Iarch  30  a  boiler  explosion  occurred  in  the  Harrison  Boiler 
Works.  Philadelphia.  Pa.  A  fireman  was  injured  so  badly  that  he  will  probably 
die. 

(^159) — A  boiler  exploded,  March  31,  in  the  Rocheport  flouring  mill,  at 
Rocheport,  Mo.  Three  persons  were  injured.  Fire  followed  the  explosion,  and 
the  total  loss  was  estimated  at  $10,000. 


We  receive  many  letters  from  persons  seeking  employment  in  the  inspection 
corps  of  this  compan3\  It  sometimes  happens  that  these  applications  do  not 
receive  direct  acknowledgment,  but  they  are  always  filed  for  future  reference. 
In  making  such  applications  our  friends  would  do  well  to  address  the  nearest 
department  of  the  company,  as  their  communications  would  be  referred  to  that 
department  in  any  event,  before  any  favorable  action  were  taken.  A  list  of  our 
principal   offices  will  be  found  on  the  last  page  of  this   issue. 


174  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [April. 

Fly-Wheel  Explosions. 

(i.) — On  January  3  a  16- foot  fly-wheel  exploded  in  the  engine  room  of 
the  Champion  Coated  Paper  Co.'s  plant,  at  Hamilton,  Ohio.  One  man  had  his 
leg  crushed.  A  piece  of  the  wheel  weighing  over  a  ton  flew  through  a  con- 
crete floor  to  the  roof,  passed  fifty  feet  into  the  air,  and  finally  fell  upon 
a  big  paper  making  machine.     The  floor,  roof,  and  machine  were  badly  damaged. 

(2.)  — The  fly-wheel  of  an  outfit  run  by  horse-power,  and  used  for  sawing 
wood,  exploded,  January  3,  at  Nappanee,  Ind.     One  man  was  badly  injured. 

(3.) — A  16-foot  cast-iron  fly-wheel  exploded,  January  5,  in  the  Lafean 
paper  mill,  at  York,   Pa.     The   engine  was  wrecked. 

(4.) — On  January  9  the  fly-wheel  of  a  corn  grinding  machine  exploded 
in  Stark  &  Plunkett's  elevator,  at  Perry,  JNlich.     One  man  was  injured. 

(5.) — A  20- foot  fly-wheel  exploded,  January  9,  in  the  B.  B.  &  R.  Knight 
Co.'s  cotton  mill,  at  Manchaug,  near  Sutton,  Mass.  The  main  driving  belt 
broke  and  the  wheel  ran  away,  wrecking  the  engine  room  when  it  burst. 
Half  the  roof  of  the  engine  house  was  torn  off.  One  fragment  of  the  wheel, 
weighing  some  1,200  pounds,  passed  high  into  the  air  and  came  down  through  the 
roof  of  another  building,- and  a  second  piece,  weighing  half  a  ton,  came  down 
through  the  ell  of  a  neighboring  gas  house.  Estimates  of  the  property  loss 
range  from  $1,000  to  $20,000.     It  very  likely  was  $6,000  or  so. 

(6.) — On  January  ir  a  fly-wheel  burst  in  the  Thompson  Roller  Mills, 
Thompsontown,    Pa. 

(7.) — Two  large  wheels,  one  connected  with  an  engine  and  the  other 
with  a  water  wheel,  exploded,  January  ii,  at  the  plant  of  the  American  Ax 
&  Tool  Co.,  East  Douglas,  Mass.  The  belt  connecting  the  two  wheels  broke, 
and  both  wheels  (as  we  understand  the  reports)  then  ran  away.  The  property 
loss  was  probably  about  $500. 

(8.)  —  On  January  16  a  fly-wheel  exploded  in  the  mill  and  elevator  plant 
at  McKinney,  Tex.  On«  section  of  the  wheel,  weighing  about  1,000  pounds, 
was  thrown  through  the  roof,  and  landed  about  100  feet  from  its  original 
position.  The  engine  is  said  to  have  run  away.  The  property  loss  was  estimated 
at  $3,000. 

(9.)— A  fly-wheel  burst,  January  17,  in  the  electric  lighting  plant  at 
Richmond",    Mich.     One    person    was   injured,   and    the    plant    was    wrecked. 

(10.) — On  January  19  a  fly-wheel  exploded  in  the  National  Casket  Co.'s 
plant,  at  Louisville,  Ky.     One  person  was  fatally  injured. 

(11.) — A  fly-whoel  exploded,  January  20,  in  the  city  electric  lighting  plant 
at  Nelsonville,  Ofliio.  The  night  engineer  of  the  plant  wa3  killed,  and  the 
property  damage  was  very  heavy.     The  engine  ran  away. 

(12.) — On  January  21  a  fly-wheel  exploded  in  the  Jackson  Veneering 
Co.'s  plant,  Jackson,  Tenn..,  as  the  result  of  the  racing  of  the  engine.  One  man 
was  injured  severely  and  perhaps  fatally,  and  the  north  wall  of  the  engine 
roorrif  was  torn  away.  Two  or  three  pieces  of  the  wheel  imbedded  themselves 
in  the  machinery  of  the  sawmill  department,  after  crashing  through  the  walls. 
Our  account  says  that  "the  buildings  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  engine 
room  looked  as  though  they  Kad  been  bombarded  by  a  battery  of  heavy 
artillery."    The   property  loss  was   severe. 


igiij  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  ^jp^ 

(13.) —  Ihc  tl)-\vhccl  of  an  cnj;iiK'  belonging  to  Louis  Sapolsky  exploded, 
January  25,  at  ConncUsville,  Pa.     One  person  was  fatally  injured. 

(14.) — On  January  26  a  fly-wheel  exploded  in  the  Boott  Mills,  at  Lowell, 
Mass.  The  engine  to  which  the  wheel  belonged  was  of  the  cross  compound 
condensing  Corliss  type,  running  at  61  to  65  revolutions  per  minute,  and 
generating  about  1,200  horse-power.  The  fly-wheel  carried  three  24-inch  belts. 
It  is  presumed  that  the  governor  belt  was  broken,  or  forced  (M  by  one  of  the 
24-inch  belts.  At  all  events  th^  engine  raced  with  disastrous  results,  and  the 
wheel,  in  exploding,  practically  destroyed  the  engine,  the  economizer,  the 
smoke  flue,  and  the  14-inch  steam  main  and  its  branches,  besides  damaging 
shafting  and  looms  on  five  floors.  One  section  of  the  wheel  passed  up  through 
the  entire  five  floors  and  the  roof  of  the  building.  Other  sections  were  thrown 
sidewise  through  the  brick  walls,  penetrating  them  as  though  they  were  paper. 
The  property  loss  was  estimated  at  $50,000.  No  one  was  hurt  save  a  young 
Greek  girl,   who  received  minor  injuries. 

(15.)  — A  fly-wheel  burst,  February  i,  in-  Schrade's  cutlery  shop,  at  Walden, 
N.  Y. 

(16.) — On  February  11  a  fly-wliccl  burst  in  the  Wise  Manufacturing  Co.'s 
plant  at  Watertown,  N.  Y.     The  property  loss  was  estimated  at  $400. 

(17.) — A  fly-wheel  burst,  February  20,  in  B.  D.  Blake  &  Co.'s  redrying 
plant,  at  Springfield,  Ky.  The  wheel  was  totally  destroyed,  the  rim  and  spokes 
all  being  broken.     The  property  loss  was  estimated  at  $1,000. 

(18.) — On  March  i  a  fly-wheel  exploded  in  the  trial  assembling  depart- 
ment of  the   Buick  plant,   Flint,   IMich. 

(19.) — A  fly-wheel  exploded,  ^larch  2,  in  the  plant  of  the  Bromwell 
Brush  &  Wire  Co..  Greensburg,  Ind.  It  appears  that  the  governor  belt  broke 
and  the  engine  tlien  raced  until  the  wheel  burst.  Fragments  of  the  wheel 
were  thrown  through  the  walls  of  the  building,  and'  one  large  piece  was  found 
500  feet  from  the  engine.  Estimates  of  the  property  loss  ranged  from  $1,500 
to  $3,000. 

(20.) — On  March  3  a  fly-w^heel  belonging  to  Hodgkinson  &  Kennelly  ex- 
ploded  at   Charlotte,   Mich. 

(21.)  — A  fly-wheel  burst,  March  14,  in  the  Belmont  bleachery,  at  Fairview, 
N.  J.     One  person  was  severely  injured. 

(22.) — On  March  17  a  fly-wheel  burst  in  the  rod  mill  of  the  steel  plant 
at  Pueblo,  Colo.  Three  men  were  instantly  killed,  and  nine  others  were  injured. 
Tlie  wheel  that  burst  operated  a  rope  drive.  It  appears  that  the  cable  broke, 
and  that  the  engine  then  ran  away,  its  governor  being  presumably  damaged 
by  the  flying  end  of  the  cable.  Pieces  of  the  wheel  were  thrown  through  the 
brick  walls  of  the  mill.  The  total  property  loss  was  measured  by  thousands  of 
dollars,   although   we  have   seen   no   exact  estimate   of   it. 

(2^.) — The  fly-wheel  of  a  corn-shredding  machine  exploded,  April  6,  at 
John  Ruble's  place,  near  Springbrook,  Iowa.  Mr.  Ruble  was  seriously  injured, 
one  of  the  spokes  of  the  wheel  penetrating  his  lung. 

(24.)  —  On  April  6  a  fly-wheel  exploded  in  the  Griswold  Worsted  mill, 
at  Darby,  a  suburb  of  Philadelphia,  Pa.  One  young  woman  was  killed,  and 
five  other  persons  were  injured.     The  young  woman  who  was  killed  w-as  struck 


176  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [AiRii, 


uy  a  fragment  of  the  wheel  that  crashed  up  through  the  second  floor  of  the 
mill.  Another  fragment  took  a  horizontal  course,  and  tore  a  hole  ten  feet  in 
diameter  through  one  of  the  walls  of  the  engine  room.  It  appears  probable 
that  the  governor  belt  broke  or  becanie  loose. 

(-35)  —A  fly-wheel  exploded,  April  12,  in  the  power  plant  of  the  Richmond 
Electric  Co.,  at  Richmond,  Ky.  Apparently  the  engine  raced,  on  account  of 
the  failure  of  the  governor  to  operate  properly.  The  wheel  was  torn  into  many 
pieces,  and  these  were  thrown  about  with  great  violence.  The  engine  (which 
was  new,  and  of  the  Corliss  type)  was  badly  damaged,  a  new  generator  was 
seriously  injured,  and  one  side  of  the  building  was  torn  out.  The  property 
loss  was  undoubtedly  as  great  as  $5,000. 

C26.) — On  April  17  a  shaft  governor  broke  on  an  automatic  slide-valve 
engine  in  the  plant  of  the  Ludowici  Celdon  Co.,  Chicago  Heights,  111.  The 
governor  was  somewhat  similar  to  the  one  whose  explosion  is  illustrated  else- 
where in  the  present  issue,  and  the  arm  broke  into  three  pieces,  one  of  which 
struck   and   killed   the   engineer.     The   wheel,   proper,   was   not    injured.    • 

(27.) — On  April  20  a  fly-wheel  accident  occurred  in  the  plant  of  the 
Towanda  Electric  Illuminating  Co.,  Towanda,  Pa.  (An  illustrated  account  of 
this   accident   is   given   on   another   page.) 

(28.) — A  fly-wheel  accident  occurred,  April  26,  in  the  machine  shop  of 
Harrison  Bros.'  paint  works.  Thirty-fifth  street  and  Gray's  Ferry  road,  Phila- 
delphia, Pa.  One  man  received  injuries  that  were  believed  to  be  fatal.  We 
have  been  unable  to  obtain  further  particulars. 


Explosion  Freaks. 

The  drag-net  that  we  have  out  for  data  for  our  regular  list  of  boiler  ex- 
plosions occasionally  brings  us  a  queer  fish.  Here  is  an  item  from  Ida  Grove, 
Iowa:  "The  oldest  daughter  of  Mrs.  Gibelstein  was  terribly  burned  about  the 
face  and  neck  by  the  explosion  of  a  can  of  water.  A  molasses  can  filled  with 
water  exploded,  and  the  scalding  water  and  steam  burned  the  little  girl  severely." 
We  don't  know  what  a  rrtolasses  can  is,  b-ut  presumably  is  is  something  that 
can  be  closed  up  tight  with  a  screw  top,  and  probably  it  was  placed  upon  a 
stove  to  heat  the  water,  and  left  there  too  long. 

Here  is  another  item  frorrr  Kenton,  Ohio :  "  John  Willian>  Exline,  J2  years 
old,  is  awake  after  a  sleep  of  thirtj'  years, —  just  ten.  j'ears  longer  than  Rip 
Van  Winkle's, —  and  is  face  to  face  with  the  wonders  that  science  and  invention 
have  accomplished  since  his  niemory  was  blasted  by  a  boiler  explosion,  in  1880. 
Before  he  received  this  injury  he  had  thought  of  the  possibility  of  men  flying 
like  birds,  and*  had  even  discussed  the  subject  with  his  fellow-workmen,  a 
few  moments  before  the  explosion  took  place.  '  We  flew  that  day,'  says  Exline. 
rather  grimly,  'and  now  they  tell  me  that  men  can  fly  without  waiting  for 
somebody  to  blow  thenf  up.     Oh,  I  can  se^  I  have  a  great  deal  to  learn.'  " 

In  our  explosion  lists  for  1880  we  do  not  find  anybody  of  the  name  of 
Exline  mentioned  among  the  injured.  Nevertheless,  the  foregoing  item  may  be 
truthful,  because  our  list  of  the  names  of  the  injured  is  not  complete.  In  some 
cases  we  merely  knew  how  many  were  hurt,  without  knowing  who  they  were. 


igii]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  177 


t  Stttmttitt 


A.  D.  RiSTEEN,  Ph.D.,  Editor. 


HARTFORD,  APRIL  25,  1911.  "^ 

The  LocOMOTlVK  can  be  obtained  /ret  by  calling  at  any  of  the  company's  agencies. 
Subscription  price  JO  cents  per  year  -when  mailed  from  this  office. 
Recent  bound  volumes  one  dollar  each.      Earlier  ones  two  dollars. 


Sulphite  Dig-ester  Accidents. 

The  failure  of  a  wood-pulp  digester,  in  a  paper  mill,  is  one  (jf  the  worst 
forms  of  accident  that  we  meet  with  in  connection  with  apparatus  carrying 
pressure.  The  digester  itself  is  a  huge  upright  cylindrical  tank,  built  of  heavy 
steel  plates,  and  lined  with  cement  and  acid-proof  brick.  It  is  often  big  enough 
to  hold  fifty  cords  of  wood  chips  at  one  filling.  In  operating  it  the  chips  are 
first  introduced,  and  after  the  cover- plate  has  been  put  on,  a  solution  of  bisul- 
phite of  lime  is  run  in.  Steam  is  then  blown  into  the  mass,  and  as  the  pulping 
process  requires  an  elevated  temperature,  the  pressure  that  is  carried  may  be 
moderately  heavy.  The  bisulphite  of  lime  dissolves  the  gummy  matter  by  which 
the  wood}'  particles  are  cemented  together  in  the  natural  tree,  and  after  a  time 
the  chips  are  reduced  to  a  homogeneous  mass  of  loose,  disconnected  fibres,  suit- 
able for  the  manufacture  of  paper.  Large  quantities  of  sulphur  dioxide  (the 
suffocating  gas  produced  by  burning  sulphur)  are  also  given  off  by  the  bisulphite 
solution  at  the  same  time.  When  this  stage  of  the  process  has  been  reached, 
the  contents  of  the  digester  are  blown  off  into  a  cement-lined  room,  and  allowed 
to  drain  and  cool. 

Some  years  ago  a  digester  of  this  sort  exploded  near  Bangor,  Me.,  and  blew 
the  major  portion  of  the  big  plant  from  the  face  of  the  earth.  These  tanks  are 
so  large  that  their  contents  have  a  tremendous  storage  capacity  for  heat,  and 
the  damage  wrought  when  an  explosion  occurs  is  correspondingly  great. 

A  blowoff  valve  ruptured,  recently,  on  a  digester  in  the  International  Paper 
Co.'s  plant  at  Fort  Edward,  near  Glens  Falls,  N.  Y.,  overwhelming  the  night 
superintendent  of  the  mills  with  tons  of  hot  chips,  boiling  water  and  chemicals. 
There  was  no  possible  way  of  rendering  him  aid.  Two  other  men  were  also 
badly  injured  at  the  same  time. 

We  recall  a  similar  case  at  another  plant,  where  a  workman  apparently  fell 
asleep  in  the  blowoff  room.  His  companions,  receiving  no  response  when  they 
called  out  to  know  if  all  was  clear,  concluded  that  the  room  was  empty,  and 
discharged  the  entire  contents  of  a  digester  upon  him.  When  he  was  found, 
later,  nothing  having  any  definite  form  was  left  of  him,  save  his  bones. 

The  consequences  of  digester  accidents  are  so  terrible  that  it  behooves 
paper  mill  operators  to  exercise  every  care  for  their  prevention.  Among  other 
things,  the  protective  value  of  good  insurance  should  be  considered ;  for  although 
a  cash  indemnity  will  not  restore  the  life  of  a  man  who  is  killed,  the  inspections 
that  go  with  the   insurance  will  materially  reduce  the  chance  of  accident.     It 


178 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE, 


[April, 


should  not  be  forgotten,  however,  that  digester  inspection  is  a  highly  specialized 
form  of  work,  and  that  there  are  few  boiler  insurance  companies  that  employ 
men  skilled  at  it.  The  Hartford  has  such  men,  and  it  makes  inspections  of  the 
very  highest  order. 


Calking"  and  Making-  Repairs  under  Pressure. 

Never  do  any  calking  nor  make  any  repairs  whatsoever,  upon  a  boiler, 
or  a  pipe,  or  a  fitting,  that  is  under  pressure ! 

We  have  given  this  counsel  over  and  over  again,  and  we  shall  keep  en 
giving  it  until  our  mortal  career  is  ended ;  because  experience  shows  that  this 
particular  lesson,  simple  as  it  is,  is  hard  to  learn. 

Consider,  for  example,  the  accident  that  occurred  some  months  ago  at  the 
Merrimack  Woolen  Mills,  Dracut,  Mass.  According  to  the  information  that 
we  have  at  hand,  "  Pierre  Pelletier  was  engaged  in  calking  a  joint  when  the 
accident  occurred.  It  was  in  the  boiler  room  in  the  rear  of  the  big  mill,  and 
he  was  i6  or  i8  feet  from  the  floor.  He  used  a  hammer  in  the  course  of  his 
work,  and  while  hammering  a  pipe  that  carried  somewhere  in  the  neighborhood 
of   lOO  lbs.  of  steam  to  the  square   inch,  it  blew  out   at  the  joint   that  he   was 


Before. 


After. 


calking  and  hurled  him^  with  terrific  force  against  a  stone  Avail.  His  head 
struck  the  wall  and  death  was  instantaneous.  Even  though  he  had  not  been 
killed  by  the  fall,  he  would  have  died  from  llis  scalds."  The  unfortunate  man 
is  survived  by  a  wife  and  seven  children.  We  reproduce,  herewith,  two  pictures 
from  the  Lowell  Sun,  which,  though  they  are  but  crude  newspaper  sketches, 
illustrate  graphically  the  nature  of  the  accident,  and  may  serve  to  fix  the  danger 
of  ^he  thing  in  the  mind  of  the  next  man  who  is  tempted  to  try  it.  The  very 
fact  of  leakage  shows  that  something  is  loose  or  corroded  or  wrong  in  some  way, 
and  it  is  the  height  of  folly,  while  the  steam  pressure  is  on,  to  pound  upon  the 
weakened  place  with  a  hammer. 

Another  somewhat  similar  accident  came  to  our  attention   in   October.     In 
this  case  two  men  were  engaged  in  connecting  a  six-inch  steam  pipe  to  an  engine. 


19".]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  179 


W'c  have  ]wi:n  unahlo  Ui  ascertain  tin  details  in  full,  hut  it  appears  that  the 
men  were  working  ahont  tiie  pipe  wiiile  it  was  under  pressure,  and  that  it 
suddenly  gave  waj-,  releasing  the  stean>  froin>  three  hoilers  upon  them.  One  of 
the  men  was  fatally  injured,  and  the  other  was  injured  so  Ijadly  that  it  was 
thought  to  he  douhtful  if  he  could  live. 

In  November  another  case  of  this  kind  came  to  our  notice,  in  which  three 
men  were  fatally  scalded.  Our  informant  says  that  "it  was  another  case  of 
atten>pting  to  make  repairs  to  the  pii)e  while  it  was  under  pressure,  and  was  a 
shining  example  of  things  as  they  ought  not  to  be."  "  It  scents  too  bad,"  he 
continues,*  "  that  such  accidents  can  occur  in  these  enlightened  times,  but  in 
spite  of  all  warning  engineers  seem  to  make  it  a  common  jKactice  to  attempt  to 
tighten  joints  under  pressure,  the  all  too  frequent  result  being  that  a  hurry  call 
is  scn-t  out  foir  the  undertaker." 

In  another  more  recent  example  a  man  was  killed  by  a  steam  pipe  failure, 
and  his  employers  were  held  to  be  responsible  for  his  death.  Naturally  they 
werci  reticent,  under  the  circumstances,  about  giving  out  particulars;  but  as 
nearly  as  we  could  learn,  the  accident  was  due  to  the  use  of  some  kind  of  a 
patent  clamp,  in  an  efifort  to  stop  a  leak  at  a  joint.  The  joint  itself  was  said 
to  be  a  bad  one,  only  a  few  threads  on  the  pipe  having  engaged  in  the  fitting. 
It  had  been  leaking  considerably,  and  we  understand  that  the  engimeer  was 
endeavoring  to  tighten  the  bolts  on  the  clamp  when  the  explosion  occurred. 

In  January  of  the  present  year  an  accident  apparently  du'e  to  manipulating 
a  fitting  while  under  pressure  occurred  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  In  this  case  "  some- 
thing went  wrong  with  one  of  the  pipes  connected  with  a  boiler,  and  the 
foreman  with  three  helpers  went  down  into  the  basement  to  repair  the  damage. 
He  found  that  there  was  a  leak  in  the  pipe  which  ran  along  the  floor  overhead, 
and,  getting  a  ladder,  he  climbed  up  to  make  a  closer  examination.  An  explosio-n 
followed  shortly  afterward.  The  sound  w^s  heard  in  the  engine  room  above, 
and  in  a  few  moments  clouds  of  scalding  steam  were  rolling  up  the  stairway. 
One  of  the  helpers,  though  badly  burned,  succeed-ed  in  reaching  the  engine  room 
alone,  and  the  other  two  were  rescued  by  fellow  employees.  Steam  was  shut 
off  from  the  pipe  at  the  boiler,  and  the  foreman  was  then  found  to  be  dead, 
oi>  the  basement  floor.  Beside  him  lay  the  fragments  of  a  valve  that  had  b'urst 
from  the  pipe." 

We  should  like  to  say  something  that  would  convince  every  boiler  attendant 
in  tiie  land  of  th£  grave  danger  of  doing  any  kind  of  work  upon  a  pipe  ar 
fitting  that  is  under  pressure,  but  if  a  perusal  of  such  accounts  as  we  have  given 
above  will  not  accomplish  this  object,  we  do  not  know  how  it  can  be  done. 
Whenever  there  is  a  leakage  or  a  sign  of  weakness  of  any  kind,  the  thing  to  do, 
of  course,  is  to  shut  ofT  the  steam  from  the  affected  pipe  or  fitting,  and  investi- 
gate the  trouble  zvhen  the  pressure  is  off.  All  too  frequently  the  difificulty  is 
tlxat  some  pipe  thread  has  not  been  made  to  standard,  or  has  not  been  screwed 
into  place  properly.  Poor  pipe  fitting  is  unfortunately  quite  common,  and 
leakage  at  a  joint,  when  it  is  due  to  this  ca.use,  indicates  that  there  is  liability 
of  failure  in  the  ordinary  course  of  events.  The  stress  upon  the  pipe  threads, 
if  the  joint  is  not  properly  made  up,  may  have  caused  them  to  yield  a  little, 
so  as  to  allow  steam'  to  escape  around  them.  Then  a  little  injudicious  hammer- 
ing, or  the  application,  of  a  pipe  wrench  or  a  calking  tool,  may  be  like  the  last 
stisaw  that  broke  the  camel's  back.     We  dealt  with  the   subject  of  poor  pipe 


180  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [Aikil, 


luting  at  some  length   in   the  issue  of  The  Locomotive  for  January,    1905,   to 
whidi  the  reader  is  referred  for  furtlier  information  along  that  line. 

Never  do  anj^  calking,  nor  make  any  repairs  whatsoever,  upon  a  boiler,  or 
a  pipe,  or  a  fitting,  that  is  under  pressure ! 


An  Eng"ineer  for  Two  Hours.* 

Jones,  Smith  &  Co.  were  extensive  manufacturers,  who  owned  and  operated 
a  mill  in  one  of  the  interior  towns  of  this  state.  Jones  and  Smith  were  capitalists, 
and  resided  in  New  York;  while  Robinson,  who  was  the  "Company,"  lived  near 
by,  and   superintended  the  concern's  operations. 

The  mill,  a  very  modest  affair  when  first  constructed,  bad  been  furnished 
with  two  boilers  and  an  engine,  of  sufficient  power  for  the  work  tlrat  the  firm 
contemplated  doing.  The  needs  of  their  business  required  additional  buildings 
and  machinery  from  time  to  time,  and  at  the  period  of  which  we  write  the 
aggregate  horse  power  required  was  more  than  double  that  used  when  the  mill 
first  started. 

The  boilers,  the  engineer  said,  had  been  used  twelve  years  when  he  took 
charge  of  them  fifteen  years  before  ;  and  now  he  began  to  have  fears  of  their 
safety  under  the  high  steam  pressure  required  to  do  the  work,  and  he  often 
spoke  to  ]\Ir.  Robinson,  recomm^ending  him  to  buy  new  ones  or  at  least  to  have 
the  old  ones  thoroughly  examined,  and  repaired  if  they  were  worth  it.  The 
general  reply  was,  "  We  must  run  along  awhile  yet :  can't  stop  now.  We'll 
think  of  it.  They  are  good  enough  for  tire  short  time  we  shall  use  them." 
Next  year,  when  business  slackened  up.  Greaser,  the  engineer,  spoke  again 
about  new  boilers  and  a  new  engine,  and  said  it  would  be  a  capital  time  to  make 
the  change,  while  the  mill  could  be  idle  without  loss.  But  Jones  &  Smith  thought 
the  outlook  for  business  was  very  bad,  and  perhaps  thej'  might  never  need  the 
factory  again.  Anyway,  they  were  opposed  to  spending  so  much  money  just 
then,  when  so  little  wvts  coming  in. 

Bu'siness  began  to  boom  in  the  following  fall,  and  at  the  mill  they  were  very 
soon  head  over  ears  in  work,  demanding  more  and  more  power,  and  running 
overtime.  Robinsoai  said  it  was  a  pity  they  did  not  overhaul  when  they  had  a 
chance,  but  that  they  could  not  help  that  now.  It  was  no  use  crying  over 
spilt  milk.  "  Keep  her  going.  Greaser,  till  we  get  another  chance."  And  so  the 
years  came  and  we-nt,  and  the  old  boilers  steamed  away,  while  the  v/heezy 
engine  squirmed  as  though  it  nlight  jump  off  its  bed  some  da-y,  and  va'k  out 
in  disgust. 

The  faithful  engineer,  tired  out  trying  to  keep  things  together,  and  alarmed 
for  his  own  safety  and  for  that  of  his  fellow  employees,  had  been  talking  about 
a  new  engine  and  new  boilers  so  iruuch  th'at  he  had  been  voted  a  nuisance  by 
the  firm.  They  thought  he  made  more  fuss  than  was  necessary  about  what  they 
regarded  as  a  small  matter. 

About  this  time  certain  changes  in  the  market  called  for  a  new  class  of 
goods,  and  another  line  of  shafting  for  some  additional  machinery  was   added. 

*  This  sketch  originally  appeared  in  the  issue  of  the  American  Machinist  for  April  22,  1882, 
where  it  was  credited  to  "A  Traveling  Engineer".  The  real  author  was  Mr.  Francis  B.  Allen, 
now  vice  president  of  the  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Inspection  and  Insurance  Co.  The  article  is 
reproduced  here,  because  the  lesson  it  contains  is  still  good,  and  still  needed. 


X9I1.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  -[Q  ]^ 


Greaser  said  it  was  no  use  trying  any  longer, —  he  "' might  as  well  give  it  up 
first  as  last."  He  was  pacitied  for  a  liiiic.  Having  a  large  family,  and  no  other 
job  offering,  he  conohulcd  to  try  it  a  wliile  longer;  but  his  conversation  showed 
he  was  very  much  dissatislied.  Wluii  this  was  reported  at  the  ofhce,  Smith 
thought  they  ought  to  look  out  for  another  man  "not  so  full  of  old  woman's 
notions."  Jones  said:  "If  we  employ  another  regular  engineer  he  will  be  just 
as  cranky  as  this  one."  Me  was  not  in  favor  of  paying  eighteciii' dollars  a  week 
to  sucli  a  man  for  finding  fault  with  their  management.  "  They're  all  alike," 
said  he.  "We'd  better  get  one  of  our  own  mei>  and  train  him  for  the  business 
as  we  want  it  done.  I'll  ask  Robinson  if  he  can't  find  such  a  man."  Of  course 
it  never  for  a  moment  occurred  to  Jones  that  a  man  might  be  trained  (that  is, 
taught  all  the  firm  knew  about  the  tluties  of  an.  engineer),  and  still  be  very 
lightly  equipped. 

Robinson  agreed  with  his  partners,  and  thought  he  had  just  the  man  they 
wanted  in  the  person  of  Jimmy,  who  at  the  time  was  driving  an  ox  cart,  hauling 
in  coal  and  carrying  away  ashes.  He  had  been  about  the  fire  room  a  great  deal, 
and  had  often  been  ordered  to  "  lend  a  hand  "  in  helping  the  engineer.  Almost 
any  one  could  be  an  engineer,  declared  Robinson,  if  he  would  only  keep  the  fires 
up,  and  oil  the  engine. 

Jimmy  was  approached  and  offered  an  increase  of  pay  to  twelve  dollars 
a  week,  if  he  thought  he  could  run  the  engine.  He  thought  he  could,  if  he 
watched  around  for  a  w.eek  or  so.  So  he  was  told  to  post  himself  in  that  way, 
and  at  the  end  of  the  week  they  would  discharge  the  old  engineer  and  give  him 
the  job.  Foi'  the  next  few  days  Jimmy  kept  his  eyes  and  ears  open  and  did 
his  level  best  to-  acquire  the  needed  education,  and  in  due  time  the  engineer  was 
called  up,  paid  ofY,  and  told  that  his  services  were  not  wanted  there  any  longer, 
as  they  had  employed  another  man  in  his  place.  He  complained  that  it  w-as 
pretty  short  notice,  but  obtained.'  no  satisfaction;  so  he  picked  up  his  tools  and 
other  cfifects  and  started  ofT  for  home,  feeling  relieved  at  getting  away  from  the 
old  boilers,  but  yet  sad  at  the  prospect  of  being  out  of  work. 

On  Monday  morning  the  new  shaft  was  coupled  on,  and  Jimmy  busied 
himself  about  the  fires  and  the  engine,  feeling  the  importance  of  his  new 
position.  The  superintendent  —  or  the  "super,"  as  he  was  more  familiarly 
known  —  was  in  and  out  of  the  engine  room  several  times,  to  ask  how  things 
were   going.      He  got   satisfactory   replies,   and   things   certainly  were   humming. 

About  nine  o'clock  Robinson  came  to  the  mill,  and,  meeting  the  "  super," 
asked  how  Jimmy  was  getting  along, 

"  Everything  is  running  finely,"'  was  the  reply.  "  I  never  saw  shafting  run 
faster.     You  can  see  for  yourself.     Aird  all  our  work  is  on." 

"  Glad  I  made  the  change,"  said  Robinson.  "  We  didn't  get  rid  of  that 
other  fellow  any  too  soon.  Those  engineers  are  always  wanting  some  foolish 
thing  done.  If  we  had  satisfied  him  then,  the  next  thing  we  knew  he  would 
have  wanted  the  boiler  fronts  nickel  plated." 

"  Sure  as  you  live  he  would,"  said  the  "  super." 

"  Let's  go  'round  to  the  engine  house,"  proposed  Robinson. 

They  found  that  Jimmy  had  just  finished  firing  one  of  the  furnaces. 

"Good  morning,  Jimmy,"  said  Robinson  with  a  sly  wink  at  tlie  "super;" 
''this  is  better  than  engineering  the  ox  cart,  eh?  " 

"  You're   right,   boss,"  was   Jimmy's   reply. 


182  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [April, 


"Any  trouble  to  keep  steam?" 

"Oh,  no;  it's  as  easy  as  rolling  off  a  log." 

"  Well,  Jimmy,  you  attend  to  your  business,  and  we'll  do  well  by  you,"  said 
the  "  super,"  by  way  of  encouragement. 

i\Ieanwhile  Robinson  was  looking  intently  at  the  water  glass,  and  he 
now  began  to  try  the  gage  cocks.  Fmding  no  signs  of  water  with  either,  he 
called  out,  "Hey,  Jimm\',  where's  your  water?" 

"  I  guess  it's  there,"  said  Jimmy ;  "  I  didn't  change  it  any.'' 

"What!  haven't  you  put  on  your  pump  this  morning?" 

"What's  that?  Pump?  I  don't  know,"  was  the  bewildered  reply  of  the 
whilom  ox  cart  manrager. 

"  Haul  your  fires ;  the  water's  all  out  of  your  boilers  !  "  shouted  Robinson  as 
he  fled  from  the  fire  room,  the  "  super  "  close  at  his  heels.  Jimmy,  thoroughly 
demoralized,  did  not  stop  to  haul  any  fires,  but  took  to  his  heels  also ;  and  later 
in  the  day  the  boiler  makers  pronounced  the  old  boilers  unfit  to  repair.  Robinson 
then  sent  a  messenger  after  Greaser,  the  former  engineer,  informing  him  that 
his  discharge  was  a  mistake,  which  arose  from  a  misunderstanding  on  the  part 
of  the  "  super."  He  was  to  come  back  at  once,  and  go  right  on  repairing  his 
engine  and  o.ther  machinery,  so  that  all  would  be  ready  when  the  new  boilers 
were  in. 

Several  of  Greaser's  friends,  engineers  at  other  mills  about  the  town,  came 
around  to  his  house  that  evening,  and  all  seemed  greatly  amused  at  what  he 
told  them:  —  how  Jimmy  had  fired  up  that  morning  on  less  than  one  gage  of 
water,  had  followed  too  literally  the  injunction  of  the  firm  to  "keep  a  good  fire 
and  oil  his  engine,"  had  gone  on  evaporating  water  in  blissful  ignorance,  and 
finally  had  burned  the  boilers  so  badly  that  they  were  to  be  taken  out  and  con- 
signed to  the  scrap  heap.  His  friends  agreed  with  him  that  there  had  been  a  lucky 
escape  from  a  bad  boiler  explosion,  and  all  felt  that  there  might  perhaps  yet  be 
a  chance  for  experienced  engineers  who  had  learned  their  business  in  the  good 
old  way.  Anyhow,  so  far  as  can  be  judged  from  present  indications,  it  is  not 
likely  that  there  will  be  another  opening  for  a  "trained  engineer"  about  the 
plant  of  Jones,  Smith  &  Co.  for  some  time  to  come. 


Don't  Touch  any  Valve  Whatsoever! 

Every  little  while  there  is  a  serious  accident  from  the  careless  turning  of 
steam  into  a  boiler  in  which  a  man  is  at  work.  A  man  who  enters  a  boiler  that 
forms  part  of  a  battery,  some  of  the  other  units  of  which  are  in  service  at  the 
same  time,  always  takes  a  chance  that  some  stupid  or  careless  or  irresponsible 
person  will  scald  him  to  death,  and  the  wonder  to  us  is,  that  fatal  results  do 
not  occur  oftener. 

Not  long  ago  there  was  an  accident  of  this  sort  at  Akron,  Ohio.  Our  account 
reads  thus :  "  While  John  Kabazas,  partially  stripped,  was  inside  a  boiler  at 
the  Diamond  rubber  plant,  cleaning  it,  the  engineer  turned  on  the  steam  and 
scalded  him  before  his  cries  were  heard.  The  engineer  knew  Kabazas  had  gone 
inside,  but  he  saw  him  come  out  again,  and  supposed  he  was  through  with  his 
work.  He  had  gone  back  into  the  boiler  however.  His  flesh  is  parboiled,  and 
he  will  not  live." 

Here  is  another  recent  accident  of  the  same  general  order:  "Andrew  Gurko 


19II.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  183 

was  scalded  to  death,  on  March  i8,  at  Horatio,  four  miles  from  Puiixsutawney, 
Pa.  Gurko  and  William  Coy  were  ck-aniiig  a  pair  of  boilers,  and  Coy,  thinking 
the  blow'off  pipe  connecting  the  two  hollers  was  closed,  turned  steam  into  one 
boiler.  It  escaped  into  the  boiler  in  which  Gurko  was  working,  and  before  it 
could  be  turned  off,  Gurko  was  dead."  Probably  the  reporter  didn't  get  the 
details  of  this  accident  just  right,  for  it  is  hard  to  understand  why  a  man  should 
turn  steam  into  an  empty  boiler.  Hut  whatever  the  said  details  rtiay  have  been, 
the  final  result  was  all  the  same, —  one  man  was  scalded  to  death  by  another 
one  opening  a  valve  upon  him. 

Many  other  cases,  analogous  to  these,  could  be  given.  It  will  be  observed 
that  in  each  of  the  instances  here  cited  the  man  who  did  the  wrong  thing 
"  thought "  something  was  so,  when  it  wasn't  so  at  all.  It  reminds  one  strongly 
of  the  old  '■  didn't-know-it-\vas  loaded  "  excuse. 

The  man  who  goes  into  a  boiler  should  always  notify  the  engineer  in  charge 
of  the  room  that  he  is  about  to  do  so,  and  after  that  the  engineer  should  make  it 
his  particular  personal  business  to  see  that  no  valve  whatsoever  is  touched  by 
anyone  until  the  man  who  entered  the  boiler  has  given  formal  notice  that  he 
is  through  with  his  work.  This  is  a  very  simple  and  reasonable  precaution 
to  take,  and  its  uniform  observance  would  save  many  lives. 

A  still  safer  way  would  be,  for  the  man  entering  the  boiler  to  actually  lock 
all  the  valves  that  could  do  him  any  harm,  if  opened ; —  unlocking  them  again 
upon  finally  leaving  the  boiler.  This  would  require  inspectors  to  carry  chains 
and  padlocks  with  them,  as  locks  could  not  be  expected  at  every  plant  visited. 
The  lock  plan  would  w-ork  very  well  on  globe  valves  or  gate  valves,  but  it 
would  not  be  easy  to  apply  it  effectively  to  plug  cocks  on  blowoff  pipes.  We  find, 
moreover,  that  some  men  object  to  using  a  lock  on  the  ground  that  it  is 
suggestive  of  timidity;  but  we  consider  that  any  sentimental  objection  of  this 
kind,  on  the  part  of  the  man  who  is  risking  his  life,  springs  from  an  unsound 
and  unjustifiable  view  of  the  case.  The  man  who  puts  a  lock  upon  a  valve  does 
so  because  he  knows,  quite  well,  that  every  once  in  a  while  somebody  gets 
killed  because  he  didn't  do  likewise ;  the  lock,  therefore,  doesn't  show  timidity 
—  it  only  shows  good  horse  sense. 

Tags,  bearing  the  words  "  Danger :  Do  not  Touch,"  are  sometimes  affixed 
to  the  valves  in  the  place  of  locks.  These  are  good,  so  far  as  they  go.  They 
afford  a  considerable  amount  of  protection,  but  they  are  less  efficient  than  locks. 
Many  plants  employ  men  who  cannot  speak  or  read  English,  and  against  these 
the  tag  would  be  ineffective.  Moreover,  if  any  emplo3'ee  doesn't  have  his  wits 
about  him  enough  to  remember  the  man  in  the  boiler  without  having  his 
intellectuals  jogged  up  by  a  sign,  there  is  always  some  doubt  about  his  noticing 
the  tag,  or  reading  what  it  says. 

On  the  whole,  we  strongly  recommend  the  use  of  chains  and  padlocks ; 
but  if  the  man  entering  the  boiler  is  unwilling  to  go  to  the  trouble  that  they 
involve,  or  if  he  feels  the  sentimental  objection  to  which  we  have  already 
referred,  and  finds  it  unconquerable,  then,  as  a  substitute  measure,  we  recommend 
the  plan  first  suggested,  of  making  the  engineer  in  charge  of  the  room  personally 
responsible  for  even*'  valve  about  the  boiler.  But  it  should  be  remembered  that 
this  plan  is  not  absolutely  effective,  for  however  good  the  intentions  of  said 
engineer  may  be,  his  attention  may  be  temporarily  drawn  to  something  else, 
or  he  may  not  see  all  that  is  going  on,  or  he  may  be  called  from  the  room  for 


184  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [April, 

a  short  time; — and  any  one  of  the  few  moments  during  which  his   vigilance 
is  relaxed  may  be  the  fatal  one. 


"Some  Boiler  Mathematics." 

Under  this  heading  we  published  a  problem  in  the  January  issue  of  The 
Locomotive,  promising  a  solution  of  it  in  an  early  issue.     This  was  the  problem: 

"  A  certain  boiler  had  two  available  sources  of  feed  water,  either  one  of 
which  was  quite  sufficient  to  supply  all  that  was  needed,  under  ordinary  cir- 
cumstances. One  of  the  sources  was  a  brook,  and  the  other  was  a  well. 
Experience  showed  that  when  the  boiler  was  running  on  the  brook  water  alone, 
it  had  to  be  opened  and  cleaned  every  eight  weeks,  while  when  it  was  running 
on  the  well  water  alone,  it  had  to  be  cleaned  every  three  weeks. 

"  The  past  summer  being  an  unusually  dry  one  in  the  locality  in  question, 
it  was  found  that  neither  source  would  furnish  enough  water,  by  itself,  to 
meet  the  needs  of  the  plant.  The  two  waters  were  therefore  used  together, 
being  run  into  a  storage  tank  in  the  proportion  of  i,6oo  gallons  of  the  brook 
water  to  900  gallons  of  the  well  water.  The  problem  is,  to  determine,  from 
the  data  here  given,  how  often  it  would  be  necessary  to  clean  the  boiler  when 
running  with  the  mixed  feed." 

Now  for  the  solution,  which  is  to  be  effected  thus.  First  we  find  out  how 
much  solid  matter  will  be  thrown  down  in  one  zveek  by  each  kind  of  water, 
when  running  zvith  that  kind  alone.  Then  we  find  out,  for  each  kind  of  water 
separately,  how  much  deposit  will  be  formed,  in  one  week,  by  the  quantity  of 
that  particular  kind  of  water  that  is  actually  used  when  running  with  the  mixed 
feed.  By  adding  the  respective  quantities  of  deposit  so  calculated,  we  ascertain 
the  total  amount  of  solid  matter  that  will  be  thrown  down  by  the  mixed  water 
in  one  week,  and  having  found  this,  we  can  tell,  at  once,  how  many  weeks  the 
boiler  can  run,  with  the  mixed  feed,  before  cleaning  is  required. 

In  the  original  statement  of  the  problem  we  tried  (and  we  hope  with  success) 
to  make  it  plain  that  the  boiler  is  to  be  cleaned  when  the  total  amount  of  solid 
matter  that  has  been  formed  in  it  reaches  a  certain  amount.  That  amount  was 
not  given,  but  it  was  supposed  to  be  the  same  in  all  cases.  For  example,  if  the 
boiler,  running  with  well  water  alone,  has  to  be  cleaned  when  (say)  800  lbs. 
of  solid  matter  have  accumulated,  then  it  also  has  to  be  cleaned  when  800  lbs. 
have  been  precipitated  in  either  of  the  other  cases, —  that  is,  whether  we  run 
with  the  brook  water  or  with  the  mixed  water.  Moreover,  the  total  quantity 
of  water  used,  per  week,  is  supposed  to  be  the  same  in  all  cases. 

Now  when  running  with  the  mixed  water,  out  of  every  2,500  gallons  that 
are  used,  1,600  are  from  the 'brook  and  900  are  from  the  well.  In  other  words, 
i6/2Sths  of  the  mixed  water  come  from  the  brook,  and  9/25ths  of  it  come  from 
the  well. 

If  the  feed  water  were  all  taken  from  the  brook,  then  in  one  week  we 
should  have  a  deposit  equal  to  ;^th  of  the  greatest  allowable  quantity.  But  when 
running  with  the  mixed  feed,  only  i6/2Sths  of  the  supply  is  from  the  brook. 
Hence,  in  running  one  week  with  mi.xed  water,  the  quantity  of  deposit  that  will 
be  thrown  down  from  that  part  of  the  feed  that  conies  front  the  brook  will  be 
only  i6/25ths  of  Vsth  of  the  greatest  allowable  quantity. —  or  2/25ths  thereof 
(since  16/25  "^  Vs  —  16/200  =  2/25). 


igii.]  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  185 


Similarly,  if  all  llu'  \vatt.r  wore  trnni  the  well,  tiicii  in  out  week  \vc  should 
have  a  deposit  equal  to  '/.jrd  of  the  greatest  allowable  quantity.  When  running 
with  the  mixed  feed  we  draw,  from  the  well,  only  p/jsths  as  much  w-ater  as  we 
do  when  we  are  using  this  water  exclusively.  Mence  in  one  week  <jf  use  of 
the  mixed  feed,  that  part  of  the  water  tliat  is  draz>.'ii  from  the  well  will  deposit 
9/25ths  of  i/3rd  of  the  greatest  allowable  quantity  of  solid  matter, —  or  3/25ths 
thereof  (since  9/25  X   1/3  =  9/75  =  .V25). 

Hence  we  see  that  when  we  run  for  one  week  with  the  mixed  feed,  that 
part  of  it  which  comes  from  the  brook  will  deposit  2/25ths  as  much  sediment 
as  would  call  for  cleaning,  and  that  part  of  it  which  comes  from  the  well  will 
deposit  3/25ths  as  much  as  would  call  for  cleaning.  Together,  therefore,  the 
two  parts  of  the  mixed  water  would  deposit  2/25ths  plus  3/25ths,  or  5/25ths  (  = 
I  5th)  of  the  amount  of  solid  matter  that  would  require  the  boilers  to  be 
cleaned.  It  follows  that  when  running  with  the  mixed  water  we  should  have 
to  clean  the  boiler  every  five  weeks. 

Despite  the  uninviting  remarks  that  we  made  in  our  last  issue  concerning 
correspondence  about  this  problem,  we  received  quite  a  number  of  solutions  of  it. 
We  were  glad  to  have  them,  and  we  looked  them  all  over  with  interest.  The 
majority  were  correct,  but  some  of  our  friends,  when  they  examine  this  present 
solution,  will  see  that  they  didn't  quite  grasp  tiie  principle  upon  which  the  thing 
must  be  worked  out. 


An  Instructive  Boiler  Explosion. 

In  the  present  article  we  shall  treat  of  a  recent  boiler  explosion  which 
serves  to  illustrate  the  value  of  inspections,  and  the  importance  of  attending 
to  the  verdict  that  is  given  by  an  expert  inspector,  when  he  has  looked  a  boiler 
over  and  pronounced  judgment  upon  it. 

The  boiler  that  exploded  was  one  of  a  large  battery,  and  when  it  gave 
way  it  wrecked  all  of  the  other  boilers  save  two,  and  destroyed  the  boiler 
house  and  part  of  the  mill.  The  total  property  loss  was  between  $25,000  and 
?30,ooo.  Several  men  were  also  killed.  The  two  boilers  that  were  still  left  in 
jiosition  had  their  steam  pipes  stripped  off.  Very  little  damage  was  done  to 
the  big  engine,  nothing  but  the  governor  attachments  being  injured.  The 
engine  room,   however,  was   practically   destroyed. 

The  exploded  boiler  was  of  the  horizontal  tubular  type,  and  was  built  in 
three  courses.  Judging  from  an  examination  of  the  ruins,  the  initial  rupture 
was  at  the  longitudinal  joint  of  the  middle  course,  the  fracture  running  the 
entire  length  of  this  course,  along  tlie  calking  edge  of  the  plate.  Tlie  teai 
then  continued  around  the  girth  joints  at  either  end  of  the  middle  course, 
the  rivets  of  these  girth  joints  splitting  out  through  the  edge  of  the  plate  for 
the  most  part.  The  middle  course,  being  thus  freed  from  the  rest  of  the  boiler, 
passed  out  through  the  end  of  the  brick  power  house  and  landed  about  fifty 
feet  away  from  the  building,  on  the  outside.  Nearly  all  of  the  tubes  of  the 
boiler  were  pulled  out,  but  the  two  end  courses  of  the  shell  remained  attached  to 
their  respective  heads,  and  the  heads  themselves  were  held  together  by  the 
through  braces. 


186  THE.    LOCOMOTIVE.  [April, 

The  exploded  boiler  was  60  in.  in  diameter,  and  by  calipering  along  the 
fracture  of  the  middle  course  at  a  point  where  no  thinning  could  be  detected, 
the  thickness  of  the  plate  was  found  to  be  %2  in.  The  rivet  holes  were  ^%q 
in.  in  diameter,  and  the  longitudinal  joints  were  of  the  double-riveted  lap  type, 
with  rivets  pitched  2%  in.  from  center  to  center.  The  plates  were  of  iron, 
and  while  no  stamps  could  be  found,  and  no  tests  have  been  made,  so  far  as 
we  are  aware,  since  the  explosion,  it  is  probably  fair  to  assume  that  the 
material  of  the  plate  had  a  tensile  strength  of  about  50,000  lbs.  per  square  inch 
of  sectional   area. 

Calculation  will  readily  show  that  the  longitudinal  joint  of  this  boiler  is 
weakest  as  regards  fracture  along  the  ligaments  of  the  plate,  between  the 
rivet  holes.  The  length  of  one  such  ligament  is  2%  in.  —  ^%Gin.  =  2.75  in.  — 
0.8125  in.  =  1.9375  in.  Hence  the  efficiency  of  the  joint,  as  respects  fracture 
along  the   ligaments   of  the   joint,   is    1.9375  "^  2.75  =  70.45  per  cent. 

For  the  sake  of  simplicity  in  the  calculation,  we  may  take  the  efficiency  of 
the  joint  as  an  even  70  per  cent.  Then  with  the  other  data  as  given  above,  we 
find  the  theoretical  bursting  pressure  of  the  boiler  as  follows  :  Bursting  pressure 
=  (50,000  X  0.70  X  %2)  -^  30  =  9,844 -^  30  =  328  lbs.  per  square  inch.  At  a 
working  pressure  of  70  lbs.  per  square  inch  this  boiler  would  therefore  have  a 
calculated  factor  of  safety  of  4.68,  whereas  at  a  working  pressure  of  100  lbs. 
per  square  inch  (the  pressure  actually  carried)  the  factor  of  safety  would  be 
only  3.28.  The  factor  of  4.68  is  as  small  as  would  be  justifiable;  while 
the  actual  factor  of  3.28  was  altogether  too  small,  and  (according  to  our 
lights)  merely  invited  the  destruction  that  actually  came. 

Sir  Arthur  Conan  Doyle,  in  "  The  White  Company ",  well  says  that  "  It  is 
easy  to  sit  in  the  sunshine  and  preach  to  the  man  in  the  shadow."  We 
are  going  to  indulge  in  a  little  preaching  of  this  kind,  but  it  is  with  a  full 
knowledge  of  the  ease  of  the  thing,  and  our  only  purpose  is  to  try  and 
prevent  a  recurrence  of  certain  of  the  incidents  involved  in  the  history  of  the 
present  case.  We  are  not  simply  saying  "  I  told  you  so ",  but  we  are  point- 
ing out  that  an  expert  inspection  has  a  real  value,  and  we  are  appealing  to 
all  boiler  owners  to  bear  in  mind  such  lessons  as  the  present  case  may  afford. 

Some  years  ago  three  boilers  that  had  been  bought  second-handed  were 
offered  to  us  for  inspection,  and  although  our  inspector  discouraged  any 
consideration  of  them,  the  purchasers,  who  were  then  insured  with  the 
Hartford,  insisted  upon  our  making  a  record  of  our  opinion,  and  we  complied 
by  making  out  the  two  following  reports.  The  first  covers  two  of  the  boilers, 
and   the  other   one   covers   the   third. 

This  is  the  first  report : 

"Internally:  —  The  inner  surfaces  are  practically  clean.  The  laps  of  the 
seams  and  the  flanging  of  the  heads  show  no  fractures  nor  other  defects. 
The  shell  plates  show  some  grooving  below  the  water  line.  Some  of  the 
rivet  heads  on  the  longitudinal  seams  are  partially  gone,  but  not  sufficiently 
to  make  it  necessary  to  put  in  new  ones  at  this  time.  New  braces  were 
being  put   in   at   the   time   of   the   inspection. 

"  Externallj^:  —  The  fire  surfaces  are  free  from  fire  cracks,  bulges  or 
other  effects  of  overheating.  A  new  half  sheet  has  been  put  on  the  No.  2 
boiler,  which  has  not  been  calked.  The  manholes  in  the  rear  heads  are  being 
closed  with  a  patch,  and  new  ones  are  being  put  in  the  top  of  the  shell. 
The  external   surfaces  are   corroded,  and  the  corrosion   has   thinned   the   plates 


19".]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  137 

considerably,  the  plates  being  less  than  J4  in.  thick  in  places.  The  boilers  arc 
not  worth  the  repairs  being  made  to  them,  and  if  a  iiigh  pressure  is  desired, 
we  would  advise  against  their  being  set.  After  the  repairs  are  completed,  and 
the  boilers  are  subjected  to  a  hydrostatic  pressure  of  105  lbs.,  a  pressure  of 
70  lbs.  to  the  square  inch  can  be  allowed   for  the  present." 

Here   follows   the   second   report : 

"Intemariy:  —  A  light  incrustation  was  noted  on  the  plates  and  tubes, 
which  is  not  sufficient  to  give  any  trouble  at  this  time.  The  laps  of  the 
seams  and  the  flanges  of  the  heads  show  no  fractures  nor  other  defects. 
The  braces  are  sound  and  taut.  The  shell  plates  below  the  tubes  have  been 
pitted  through  in  four  or  five  places,  and  the  holes  plugged   with   rivets. 

"Externally:  —  IHie  lire  surfaces  show  no  effects  of  overheating,  and  the 
seams  and  tube  ends  show  no  leakage.  The  three  lower  rows  of  tubes  are 
getting  thin  and  should  be  renewed  before  the  boiler  is  put  into  service. 
We  should  advise  that  a  fusible  plug  be  placed  in  the  rear  head,  two  inches 
above  the  top  of  the  tubes.  The  flange  on  the  nozzle  to  the  mud  drum  is 
entirely  gone,  and  if  the  mud  drum  is  to  be  used  it  will  be  necessary  to  put 
on  a  new  nozzle.  A  pressure  of  70  lbs.  to  the  square  inch  will  be  allowed 
after   repairs   are   completed." 

Our  position,  at  the  time  of  the  inspections,  will  be  sufficiently  clear 
after  perusing  the  foregoing  reports  that  were  made  upon  the  boilers.  Never- 
theless, the  purchasers  of  the  boilers  were  not  satisfied  that  we  were  right, 
and  they  proceeded  to  spend  very  nearly  the  price  of  new  boilers  in  fixing 
up  these  old  ones,  and  they  afterwards  set  them  and  connected  them  with  a 
number  of  other  high-pressure  boilers,  running  the  battery  at  100  lbs.  pressure 
per  square  inch.  As  we  would  not  insure  them  at  this  pressure,  the  insurance 
was  given  to  another  company  that  was  not  so  critical  as  to  the  pressure 
carried. 

One  of  the  old  boilers  exploded  about  six  months  after  they  were  put  in 
service,  and  now  another  one  has  gone  up.  We  are  not  sure  whether  the 
third  one  is  still  doing  duty,  or  not.  Possibly  it  was  one  of  those  that  were 
destroyed  by  the  present  explosion.  At  all  events,  the  moral  of  the  tale  plainly 
is,  that  it  is  foolish  to  keep  a  dog  and  then  do  your  own  barking.  If  the 
inspector,  who  knows  a  lot  more  about  boilers  than  you  do,  says  your 
boilers  ought  not  to  carry  the  pressure  that  you  want,  you  had  better  listen  to 
him,  and  govern  yourselves  accordingly.     It  pays,  in  the  long  run. 


How  to  Make  a  Locomotive. 

Items  having  a  combined  theological  and  mechanical  bearing  are  not  very 
common,  but  here  is  one  that  has  been  making  the  rotinds  of  the  press,  and  we 
are  going  to  add  our  mite  towards  its  perpetuation.  It  emanated  from  Dr. 
Hiram  C.  Cortlandt,  of  Des  Moines,  Iowa. 

"  Thomas  A.  Edison  tells  us,"  says  the  doctor,  "  that  he  thinks  the  soul 
is  not  immortal.  But,  after  all,  what  does  this  great  wizard  know  about  souls? 
His  forte  is  electricity  and  machinery,  and  when  he  talks  of  souls  he  reminds 
me  irresistibly  of  the  young  lady  who  visited  the  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works, 
and  then  told  how  a  locomotive  is  made. 


■188  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [April, 

"  ■  You  pour  a  lot  of  sand  into  a  lot  of  boxes,'  she  said,  '  and  you  throw  old 
stove-lids  and  things  into  a  furnace,  and  then  you  empty  the  molten  stream  into 
a  hole  in  the  sand,  and  everybody  yells  and  swears.  Then  you  pour  it  out,  and 
let  it  cool,  and  pound  it,  and  then  you  put  it  in  a  thing  that  bores  holes  in  it. 
Then  you  screw  it  together  and  paint  it,  and  put  steam  in  it,  and  it  goes 
splendidly,  and  they  take  it  to  a  drafting  room  and  make  a  blueprint  of  it. 

" '  But  one  thing  I  forgot  —  they  have  to  make  a  boiler.  One  man  gets 
inside  and  one  gets  outside,  and  they  pound  frightfully;  and  then  they  tie  it 
to  the  other  thing,  and  you  ought  to  see  it  go !  '  " 

We  don't  know  how  this  will  strike  the  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works,  but 
we  guess  it  will  hold  Mr.  Edison  for  a  while,  —  if  he  sees  it. 


Legislation  and  Engine  Accidents, 

Many  of  the  states  have  factory-inspectors,  whose  duty  it  is  to  inspect 
factories  and  call  attention  to  conditions  inimical  to  health  and  safety.  The 
duties  of  these  inspectors  are  often  laid  out  with  a  precision  which  leaves  them 
little,  if  any,  discretion,  and  in  most  cases,  beyond  calling  attention  to  actual 
violation  of  the  law,  they  have  no  power  to  enforce  their  recommendations. 

A  matter  which  naturally  receives  general  attention  is  the  placing  cf 
guards  about  moving  machinery,  the  prohibiting  of  projecting  set  screws  upon 
revolving  shafts,  etc.  One  of  the  provisions  directed  at  the  reduction  of 
injury  from  accidental  entanglement  with  shafting,  or  from  a  machine  gone 
wrong,  is  the  requirement  of  a  clutch  upon  each  floor,  by  means  of  which  the 
motive  power  may  be  cut  off  in  case  of  accident.  While  this  may  occasionally 
serve  its  purpose  (although  the  damage  has  usually  been  done  before  the 
clutch  can  be  thrown),  it  has  in  it  the  possibility  of  aggravating  trouble  and 
precipitating  a  catastrophe  which  might  otherwise  be  averted.  If  the  engine 
commences  to  race  and  the  machines  to  run  wild,  the  natural  impulse  of  some- 
body on  every  floor  will  be  to  throw  the  clutch,  taking  the  load  off  from  the 
engine  and  aiding  it  in  its  race  to  destruction.  The  fragments  of  a  big  fly- 
wheel plowing  their  way  through  the  several  floors  may  be  the  result. 

A  much  more  logical  and  safer  arrangement  is  a  number  of  reliable  circuit 
closers  or  other  devices  conveniently  distributed  throughout  the  building,  by  the 
use  of  which  the  engine  may  be  shut  down  in  case  of  accident.  The  mechanism 
by  which  this  is  effected  may  be,  and  usually  is,  arranged  to  be  operated  auto- 
matically by  a  device  attached  to  the  engine  itself,  and  independent  of  the 
governor  in  case  the   speed  increases  beyond  a  fixed  limit. 

In  some  of  the  states,  automatic  engine  stops  are  required  by  law,  hut 
the  law  is  not  always  sufficiently  explicit  to  require  an  engine  stop  in  the  true 
sense.  It  might  be  maintained,  for  instance,  that  the  usual  safety-cams  on  a 
Corliss  engine  constitute  an  "  automatic  engine  stop,"  preventing,  as  they  do, 
the  hooking  on  of  the  valves  and  the  admission  of  steam  when  the  govenor 
halls  fall  below  a  certain  plane.  But  this  is  really  a  part  of  —  an  attachment 
to  —  the  primary  governor,  and  subject  to  derangement  with  that  governor. 
If  the  governor  belt  breaks  and  the  balls  drop,  it  will  act;  but  if  the  belt  slips, 
so  that  the  governor  runs  slowly  enough  to  permit  a  late  cut-off,  but  not  so 
slowly  as  to  bring  the  safetA'-cams   into  play,  there  may  be  an  accident.     It   is 


igii.]  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  139 


a  too  common  practice,  moreover,  to  leave  in  place,  while  the  engine  is  running, 
the  pin  which  holds  the  safety-cams  out  of  action  while  starting  up,  although 
most  modern  engines  are  fitted  with  latches  which  automatically  drop  out 
of  the  way  when  the  governor  collar  rises  away  from  them. 

A  rider  upon  the  governor  belt,  arranged  in  any  of  the  usual  ways  to  shut 
off  the  steam  when  the  belt  breaks  and  the  rider  falls,  might  be  construed  as 
satisfying  the  requirements  of  the  law;  but  it  is  far  from  a  positive  safeguard. 

The  law  should  require  specilically,  and  every  provident  engine  owner 
should  install  whether  the  law  requires  it  or  not,  a  device  entirely  independent 
of  the  main  governor,  which  will  positively  cut  off  the  supply  of  steam  when 
the  speed  becomes  excessive.  The  danger  in  a  mass  of  swiftly  rotating  metal 
is  very  real,  and  destructive  explosions  of  fly-wheels  are  not  uncommon.  Such 
an  explosion  may  be  far-reaching  in  its  effects.  The  fragments  of  a  wheel  fly 
for  hundreds  of  feet,  and  are  ugly  and  destructive  missiles.  Persons  who  live 
and  pass  near  industrial  establishments,  as  well  as  those  who  are  obliged  to 
spend  their  working  hours  within  the  range  of  fly-wheels,  should  have  the 
assurance  that  something  more  than  a  two-inch  belt  and  a  fallible  ball  governor 
stands  between   them  and  eternity. —  Pozccr. 


The  explosion  of  a  kitchen  range  boiler  at  Racine,  Wis.,  early  in  January, 
lias  brought  about  some  legal  complications.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Joseph  Kadowsky 
were  killed  by  the  explosion,  and  it  is  important  to  determine  which  one  of  them 
died  first.  This  problem  will  have  to  come  up  before  the  court  that  is  charged 
with  the  disposition  of  the  Kadowsky  estate,  valued  at  $8,000.  Each  of  the 
victims  had  been  married  before,  and  each  left  children  from  the  earlier  marriage. 
The  two  sets  of  children  cannot  agree,  and  the  court's  decision  will  probably 
turn  upon  which  of  the  parents  lived  the  longer.  Even  though  the  survival  was 
but  a  fraction  of  a  minute,  it  would  suffice  to  determine  the  course  of  the 
inheritance. 


A  Few  Home-Office  Confidences. 

Some  time  ago  we  received  the  following  letter  from  a  corporation  that 
had  a  sort  of  lukewarm  desire  to  insure  its  boilers,  if  the  thing  could  be  done 
without  any  great  trouble  : 

"  Our  experience  in  the  past  with  boiler  insurance  people  and  their  boiler 
inspectors  has  been  anything  but  satisfactory.  At  the  beginning  of  the  policy 
the  inspectors  are  reasonable.  On  one  occasion,  however,  we  purchased  a  three- 
year  policy,  and  some  six  or  eight  months  ago  an  inspector  was  here  and 
undertook  to  impose  such  unreasonable  and  unnecessary  repairs  and  work  on 
our  boilers  and  furnaces  that  we  refused  to  do  the  work  and  had  the  policy 
cancelled. 

"We  should  like  to  carry  insurance  on  our  boilers  if  your  inspectors  will 
be  men  of  common  sense  and  reason,  and  provided  also  that  all  internal 
inspections  can  be  made  at  a  time  tliat  will  not  interfere  with  the  operation 
of  our  plant.  This  can  seldom  be  done  when  the  plant  is  closed  down,  for  the 
reason  ^hat  we  never  close  except  on  Sundays,  or  in  the  event  of  an  accident. 


190  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [April. 

Accidents  are  very  unusual  that  will  close  us  down  for  more  than  one  day  at 
a  time,  and  in  such  cases  we  could  not  give  you  sufficient  notice  to  have  an 
inspector  here.  We  have  found  it  troublesome  to  have  the  manholes  opened  and 
closed  on  Sundays,  as  our  men  are  not  required  to  do  work  on  Sunday  except 
when  it  is  absolutely  necessary.  We  should  not  object  to  your  making  an 
internal  inspection  then,  however,  provided  your  men  would  remove  the 
manhole  plates  and  put  them  back  again  in  time  to  fire  up  the  boilers  by 
midnight  Sunday  night.  We  have  never  had  any  insurance  with  your  company, 
and  therefore  w^e  know  nothing  of  your  manner  of  inspecting,  nor  of  your 
general  business  methods.  We  shall  be  glad  to  hear  from  you  with  reference 
to  same,  unless  you  would  prefer  to  send  a  man  to  see  our  plant  and  talk 
the  matter  over.     This  would  probably  be  more  satisfactory." 

Here  is  a  letter  that  came  from  a  man  who  was  about  to  insure  his  boiler. 
It  is  brief,  but  it  bears  a  tale  of  hard  luck : 

"  Yours  received.  Sorry  to  say  we  shall  not  need  to  have  the  boiler  inspected, 
as  the  mill  is  burned  and  the  boiler  blown  up.     Didn't  leave  enough  to  inspect." 

Here  is  something  from  a  discouraged  manufacturer  in  Tennessee,  in 
response  to  a  request  from,  us  for  a  date  for  inspection : 

"  Replying  to  your  letter  of  the  i6th  in  regard  to  coming  here  to  inspect 
our  boiler,  I  would  say  that  we  are  not  going  to  run  our  plant  this  season, 
and  hence  the  inspection  will  not  be  necessary.  From  our  experience  it  would 
seem  that  we,  the  stockholders,  are  the  ones  that  need  inspection,  rather  than 
the  boiler;  for  we  are  certainly  in  danger  of  bustin',  on  account  of  the  low 
prices  of  the  products  we  make.  If  we  run  next  season  we  will  take  up  the 
matter  of  inspection  then." 

Here,  again,  is  an  extract  from  a  report  that  we  recently  made  upon  a 
boiler  that  was  in  use  in  a  hotel : 

"  All  parts  of  the  boiler  are  heavily  coated,  internally,  with  scale,  and  the 
fire  sheets,  in  particular,  are  heavily  coated  with  loose  scale  and  mud.  The 
tubes  and  shell  are  extremely  corroded  and  pitted ;  the  braces  are  tight,  but 
they  are  small  and  poorly  designed.  The  side  seams  are  also  poorly  designed, 
and  they  are  below  the  top  tubes,  and  nearly  inaccessible  for  inspection.  From 
the  condition  in  which  we  found  the  boiler  we  doubt  if  the  manhole  covers  have 
been  removed  since  the  boiler  was  installed.  Among  the  things  that  we  found 
inside  the  boiler  was  a  box  containing  a  water-column  with  gage  cocks  and 
glass  fittings,  a  steam  gage,  and  two  pieces  of  pipe.*  These  fittings  were  evi- 
dently in  the  boiler  when  it  was  shipped  from  ....  three  years  ago, 
and  had  not  been  removed.  The  boiler  is  about  twenty  years  old,  and  of  poor 
design.  Externally,  the  shell  plates  and  tube  ends  are  corroded  and  thin, 
and  several  of  the  tubes  are  leaking.  As  the  boiler  is  practically  worthless 
for  any  useful  pressure,  we  advise  that  it  be  thrown  out  and  a  new  one  installed 
in  its  place."  We  can't  help  wondering  whether  or  not  the  writer  of  the  first 
letter  quoted  above  would  consider  this  report  to  be  "  unreasonable."  Probably 
he  would  think  it  is  conservative  and  excellent  in  all  respects,  if  he  were 
stopping  at  the  hotel  where  the  boiler  was  in  use. 


*  This  reads  as  though  the  thing  inspected  was  a  museum  instead  of  a  boiler. 


me  tlartlord  Sisani  Boiler  lospeciion  and  iQSuiaqce  Gonipaiiy. 


ABSTRACT  OF  STATEMENT,  JANUARY   1,  1911. 
Capital  Stock,       .        .        .       $1,000,000.00. 


ASSETS. 

Cash  on  hand  and  in  course  of  transmission, 
Premiums  in  course  of  collection, 

Real    estate 

Loaned  on  bond  and  mortgage,  . 
Stocks  and  bonds,  market  value, 
Interest    accrued,     .... 

Total    Assets,    . 


$174,137-52 
209,440.08 

91,400.00 
1,140,810.00 
3,180,527.72 

71,231.96 

p4,867o47-28 


LIABILITIES. 

Premium  Reserve, $2,010,733.76 

Losses   unadjusted, 130,809.04 

Commissions   and  brokerage 41,888.01 

Other  liabilities   (taxes  accrued,  etc.), 45,149.16 

Capital    Stock, $1,000,000.00 

Surplus  over  all   liabilities, 1,638,967.31 

Surplus  as  regards  Policy-holders,        .        .       $2,638,967.31  2,638,967.31 

Total    Liabilities $4,867,547.28 


L.  B.  BRAINERD,   President  and  Treasurer. 

FRANCIS  B.  ALLEN,  Vice-President.  CHAS.  S.  BLAKE,  Secretary. 

L.  F.  MIDDLEBROOK.  Assistant  Secretary. 

W.  R.   C.  CORSON,  Assistant  Secretary. 

S.  F.  Jeter,  Supervising  Inspector. 

E.  J.  Murphy,  M.  E.,  Consulting  Engineer. 

F.  M.  Fitch,  Auditor. 


BOARD    OF    DIRECTORS. 


GEORGE    BURNHAM, 

The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works,  Phila- 
delphia,   Pa. 
ATWOOD     COLLINS,     President, 

The    Security    Co.,    Hartford,    Conn. 
LUCIUS       F.        ROBINSON,       Attorney, 

Hartford,    Conn. 
JOHN    O.    ENDERS,    United   States   Bank, 

Hartford,    Conn. 
LYMAN    B.    BRAINERD, 

Director,    Swift    &    Company. 
MORGAN  B.   BRAINARD, 

Vice-Pres.    and    Treasurer,    The    .(^tna 

Life    Insurance    Co..    Hartford,    Conn. 
FRANCIS     B.     ALLEN,     Vice-Pres.,     The 

Hartford    Steam    Boiler   Inspection   and 

Insurance    Company. 
CHARLES    P.    COOLEY,    Vice-Pres., 

The     Fidelity     Trust     Co.,     Hartford, 

Conn. 


ARTHUR    L.    SHIPMAN,    Attorney, 

Hartford,     Conn. 
GEORGE    C.    KIMBALL,    President,    The 

Smyth    Mfg.    Co.,    Hartford,    Conn. 
CHARLES     M.     JARVIS,     President,     The 

American    Hardware    Corporation,    New 

Britain,   Conn. 
FRANCIS      T.      MAXWELL,      President, 

The    Hockanum   Mills   Company,    Rock- 

ville.    Conn. 
HORACE    B.    CHENEY,    Cheney   Brothers 

Silk    Manufacturing    Co.,    South    Man- 
chester,    Conn. 
D.    NEWTON    BARNEY,    Treasurer,    The 

Hartford      Electric      Light      Co.,      and 

Director   N.   Y..   N.   H.   and   H.    R.    R. 

Co. 
DR.   GEORGE   C.    F.    WILLIAMS,    Treas. 

&     General     Manager,     The     Capewell 

Horse  Nail  Co.,   Hartford,  Conn. 


Incorporated  1866. 


Charter  Perpetual. 


Tiie  HaiUoril  Steani  Boiler  IqspeGlioq  and  iQsuraiite  Gonipaqg 

IS3UES   POLICIES  OF  INSURANCE  COVERING 

ALL  LOSS  OF  PROF»ERTY 

AS  WELL  AS   DAMAGE   RESULTING  FROM 

LOSS  OF  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  INJURIES  DUE  TO  EXPLOSIONS 
OF  STEAM  BOILERS  OR  FLY  WHEELS. 

Full  information  concerning  the  Cotnpany's  Operations  can  be  obtained  at 

any  of  it,s  Agencies. 

■"■Representatives. 

W.  M.  Francis, 

Manager  &  Chief  Inspector. 

Lawfoed  &  McKiM,  General  Agents. 
R.  E.  MuNRO,  Chief  Inspector. 

C.  E.  Roberts,  Manager. 

F.  S..  Allen,  Chief  Inspector. 

H.  M.  Lemon,  Manager. 

James  L.  F"oord,  Chief  Inspector. 

J.  T.  Coleman,  Assistant  Chief  Inspector. 

W.-fi.  Gleason,  Manager. 
B.'F.  Cooper,  Chief  Inspector. 

H^  A.  Baumhart, 

Manager  &  Chief  Inspector. 

Trio's.  E.  Shears, 

General  Agent  &  Chief  Inspector. 


Department. 

ATLANTA,  Ga., 

611-613  Empire  Bldg. 

BALTIMORE,  Md.,  . 
13-14-15  Abell  Bldg. 

BOSTON,    Mass., 
loi  Milk  St. 

CHICAGO,  111.,  . 

160  West  Jackson   St. 

CINCINNATI,  Ohio, 

First  National  Bank  Bldg 

CLEVELAND,   Ohio, 
Century  Bldg. 

DENVER,  Colo., 

Room  2,  Jacobson  Bldg. 

HARTFORD,   Conn., 
56  Prospect  St. 

NEW  ORLEANS,  La.,      . 
833-835   Gravier  St." 

NEW  YORK,  N.  Y.,  . 
100  William  St. 

PHILADELPHIA.    Pa.,    . 
432  Walnut  St. 

PITTSBURG,  Pa.,      . 

1801-1802  Arrott  Bldg. 

PORTLAND,  Ore.,     . 
Failing  Bldg. 

SAN  FRANCISCO,  Cal.,  . 
339-341   Sansome   St. 

ST.  LOUIS.  Mo.. 

319   North    Fourth    St. 


F.  H.  Williams,  Jr.,  General  Agent. 
F^^s^AirxEN,  Chief  Inspector. 

Peter  F.  Pescud,  General  Agent. 
R.  X  BuRWELL,  Chief  Inspector. 

C.  C.  Gardiner,  Manager. 

W.  W.  Manning,  Chief  Inspector. 

CoRBiN,  Goodrich  &  Wickham,  General  Agents. 

Wm.  J.  Farran,  Chief  Inspector. 

S..  B.  Adams,  Assistant  Chief  Inspector. 

C.  D.  AsHCROFT,  Manager. 
Be^^JAMin  Ford,  Chief  Inspector. 

McCargar,  Bates  &  Lively,  General  Agents. 
C.  B.  Paddock,  Chief  Inspector. 

H.  R.  Mann  &  Co.,  General  Agents. 
J.  B.  Warner,  Chief  Inspector. 

V.  Hugo, 

Manager  &  Chief  Inspector. 


Shcj[0r0motite 


COPYRIGHT,   1911,  BY  THE  HARTFORD  STEAM  BOILER  INSPECTION  AND  INSURANCE  CO. 
Vol..  XXVIII.  HARTFORD.  CONN.,  JULY  25,  1911.  No.  7. 


SUGGESTIONS 

For  the  Management  and  Care  of 

STEAM     BOILERS 

Used   for   Power  Purposes,  and  Insured  by 

The  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Inspection 

and  Insurance  Company. 


1. 

Water  Level.       The  first  duty  of  the  attendant,  upon  entering  the  boiler  room 

in  the  morning,  is  to  find  out  where  the  water  level  is  in  the  boilers. 

J^^^^  Xci'cr  unbank  nor  replenish  the  £res  until  this  is  done.     Neglect 

of   this   precaution   has   caused   many   accidents,    and    ruined    many 

boilers. 

If  there  arc  valves  on  the  pipes  connecting  the  water-column 
with  the  boiler,  make  sure  that  they  are  open.  Then  open  the 
mud  valve  at  the  bottom  of  the  water-column,  letting  the  water 
blow  out  freely  for  about  one  minute,  so  that  the  column  may  be 
thoroughly  flushed.  Then  close  this  valve  and  open  the  pet  cock 
at  the  bottom  of  the  glass  gage,  letting  water  and  steam  blow 
out  for  some  time,  so  that  the  gage  connections  may  be  well 
flushed.  Blow  out  the  column  and  the  glass  in  this  way,  alternately, 
several  times,  to  make  sure  that  everything  is  in  good  order.  See 
that  the  water  returns  to  the  glass  gage  freely.  The  entire  opera- 
tion here  described  should  be  repeated  several  times  a  day,  or  on 
each  shift  of  the  attendants. 

See  that  there  are  no  steam  leaks  from  the  upper  part  of  the 
water  column,  nor  in  any  of  the  piping  between  the  gage  glass  and 
the  boiler.  Such  leaks  cause  the  water  in  the  glass  to  stand  at 
a  false  level,  so  as  to  indicate  more  water  in  the  boiler  than  is 
actually  present.  For  the  same  reason  it  is  bad  practice  to  draw 
steam  from  any  part  of  the  water  column  or  its  connections,  for 
operating  tube  cleaners  or  injectors,  or  for  any  other  purpose  for 
which  an  actual  flow  of  steam  is  required.  The  steam  gage  may 
properly  be  attached  to  the  water  column,  however,  because  it  does 
not  call   for  such  flow. 


^A 


194  The  Hartford  Steam  Boiler 

Do  not  rely  entirely  upon  the  gage  glass  for  determining  the 
level  of  the  water  in  the  boiler.  The  gage  cocks  are  there  to 
verify  the  indications  of  the  glass,  and  they  should  be  used  for 
that  purpose,  regularly.  Try  all  of  these  cocks  several  times  a 
day,  to  make  sure  they  are  clear  and  in  good  working  order,  and 
that  their  indications  agree  with  those  of  the  glass  gage. 

Keep  the  w^ater  in  the  boiler  at  as  even  a  level  as  possible,  at 
all  times.  Keep  the  glass  gage  clean,  so  that  the  position  of  the 
water  in  it  can  always  be  plainly  seen.  Have  the  glass  gage  and 
the  steam  gage  well  lighted,  so  that  there  can  be  no  difficulty  in 
reading    their    indications. 

See   also   suggestion   No.   8,  below. 

2. 
Leaks  After  having  assured  himself  that  the  boilers  contain   plenty  of 

water,  and  that  the  appliances  for  showing  the  position  of  the 
water  level  are  in  good  order,  the  attendant,  before  starting  up 
his  fires,  should  open  each  door  about  the  settings,  and  carefully 
look  for  leaks  at  every  visible  point.  He  should  note  particularly 
if  there  are  any  leaks  about  the  tubes  in  the  combustion  chambers, 
or  (if  the  boilers  are  of  the  water-tube  type)  around  the  tube 
ends  or  the  covers  of  the  openings  on  the  headers,  front  and 
rear. 

When  leaks  are  discovered  (whether  it  be  before  starting  up 
the  fires,  or  later,  in  the  regular  operation  of  the  boiler)  they 
should  be  located  and  repaired  as  soon  as  possible.  (Give  par- 
ticular attention,  however,  to  the  caution  expressed  in  suggestion 
No.  9,  warning  against  setting  up  bolts  and  nuts,  calking,  and 
making  other  changes  and  repairs  while  the  boiler  or  pipe  is  under 
pressure.) 

In  water-tube  boilers  having  cast-iron  mud  drums,  if  leakage 
appears  at  the  mud  drum  ends  of  nipples  entering  the  headers, 
the  nipples  should  be  removed  and  the  drums  thoroughly  examined 
for    cracks. 

If  leaking  occurs  at  any  time  at  the  longitudinal  (or  fore-and- 
aft)  seams,  the  boiler  should  be  put  out  of  service  at  once,  and  the 
HARTFORD  STEAM  BOILER  company  should  be  promptly  noti- 
fied, at  its  nearest  office.  (The  addresses  of  its  chief  offices  are  given 
on  the  last  page  of  this  issue  of  The  Locomotive.)  This  is  highly 
important,  whether  the  attendant  considers  the  leakage  to  be  serious 
or  not;  and  it  is  especially  important  when  the  boiler  has  a  single 
bottom  sheet,  or  is  of  the  two-sheet  type. 

3. 

Filling  up  When  a  boiler  has  been  emptied  of  water,  it  should  not  be  filled 

the  Boiler.         again    until   it   has   become   cold.      Cold   water,   when   pumped    into 

hot   boilers,   causes   contraction   strains   that   are   very   injurious. 

4. 

Tight  Joints  In   preparing   to  get    up   steam   after   a   boiler   has   been    out   of 

and  service,  great  care  should  be  exercised  in  making  the  manhole  anc 

Good  Gaskets.,       ji    i      ■    ■  ^     ..•   i  ^ 
handhole  jomts  tight. 


Inspection  &  Insurance  Co.  195 


Never  use  lead  gaskets  after  they  have  become  thin  and  hard,  and 
avoid  all  gaskets  of  other  metals,  unless  they  are  corrugated  or  soft 
and  pliable.  It  is  difticnlt  to  make  a  tight  joint  when  using  a  hard 
gasket,  without  setting  u])  the  cover-plate  bolt  with  great  force. 
Bolts  and  cover-plates  are  often  cracked  by  the  severe  strain  thus 
thrown  upon  them. 

5.  *• 

Getting  up  First  of  all,  the  boiler  should  he  vented  in  some  way,  to  permit 

Steam.  ^\y^.  escape  of  air.     hor  this  purpose  the  steam  space  may  be  put 

in    free    communication    with    the    atmosphere    by    any    convenient 

method.     Opening  the  upper  gage  cock  is  sufficient,  unless  the  bore 

of  this  cock  is  unusually  small. 

Water  should  next  be  run  (or  pumped)  into  the  boiler,  until 
it  stands  at  the  proper  level.  Special  care  should  be  exercised 
with  regard  to  this  point,  because  boilers  are  often  fired  up  while 
empty,  and  thereby  ruined.  If  the  water  column  is  correctly 
located  upon  the  boiler,  it  is  sufficient  to  bring  the  water  level  to 
a  point  just  above  the  second  gage. 

Fuel  may  then  be  placed  upon  the  grate,  the  damper  opened, 
and  the  fire  started.  If  the  chimney  or  stack  is  cold  and  does 
not  draw  properly,  the  trouble  may  be  remedied  by  burning  some 
oily  waste  or  light  kindlings  inside  of  the  chimney,  at  the  base. 
Start  the  fires  in  ample  time,  so  that  it  will  not  be  necessary  to 
urge  them  unduly,  in  order  to  have  the  pressure  up  at  the  required 
hour.  When  steam  issues  from  the  vent  opening,  close  this  open- 
ing, and  thereafter  pay  strict  attention  to  the  steam  gage.  If  the 
boiler  that  is  being  fired  up  is  to  be  cut  in  with  others  that  are 
already  under  steam,  pay  careful  attention  to  suggestion  No.  7, 
below. 

6. 

Gas  When  gas  or  oil  is  used  as  fuel,  care  should  be  taken  to  adjust 

^.,  ^    ,  the   burners    so   that   the   flame   cannot    impinge    directly   upon    the 

heating  surfaces.  Checker-work,  when  used  in  such  furnaces, 
must  also  be  arranged  so  that  it  will  not  concentrate  the  flame 
upon  the  boiler  surfaces.  Suitable  peep-holes  should  be  provided 
for  observing  the  fire  surfaces  during  the  operation  of  the  boiler. 
W^hen  the  settings  or  the  flues  running  to  the  chimneys  have  blind 
pockets  or  spaces  where  gas  can  accumulate,  suitable  vent  openings 
should  be  provided  at  the  highest  points  of  these  pockets,  to  permit 
the  gas  to  escape  from  them.  In  firing  up  a  boiler  with  oil  or  gas, 
it  is  very  important  that  steam  be  raised  slowly:  —  that  is,  no 
faster  than  would  be  possible  when  using  coal  as  fuel.  Serious 
damage  may  otherwise  be   done. 

In  using  gas  or  oil  fuel,  the  greatest  caution  should  be  observed, 
before  lighting  the  fire,  to  see  that  the  drafts  are  open  for  a  suf- 
ficient length  of  time  to  remove  any  gas  that  may  have  accumulated 
in  the  setting.  Never  turn  on  the  fuel  supply  when  starting  up, 
nor  after  the  snapping  out  of  a  burner,  without  first  introducing  a 
lighted  torch,  or  a  piece  of  burning  waste,  into  the  furnace.  Dis- 
regard of  these  precautions  is  likely  to  result  in  a  serious  accident. 


Oil  Fuel. 


196 


The  Hartford  Steam  Boiler 


Cutting 
In. 


When  a  boiler  is  tired  up  after  having  been  out  of  service  for 
a  time,  extreme  care  should  be  taken  in  cutting  this  boiler  in  with 
others  that  are  already  in  service,  and  communicating  with  the  same 
steam  main.  It  is  a  more  or  less  common  (though  highly  danger- 
ous) practice,  to  cut  in  the  boiler  as  soon  as  the  pressure  upon  it 
comes  within  (say)  ten  or  fifteen  pounds  of  that  prevailing  in  the 
steam  main  at  the  time.  This  should  never  be  dune  Many  fear- 
ful explosions  have  resulted  from  management  of  this  kind.  In 
cutting  in  a  boiler  with  others,  it  is  of  exceeding  importance  to  be 
sure  that  the  pressure  upon  it  is  as  nearly  identical  as  possible  with 
the  pressure  that  is  prevailing,  at  the  time,  in  the  steam  main.  When 
the  equalit}'  is  judged  to  be  exact,  the  stop-valve  of  the  boiler  that 
is  to  be  cut  in  should  be  opened  very  carefully  indeed, —  opened 
just  a  bare  crack  at  first,  and  then,  as  the  slight  outstanding  dif- 
ference of  pressure  equalizes  itself,  opened  wider,  very  slowly, 
until  it  is  open  full.  The  complete  operation  should  occupy  a  couple 
of  minutes  or  more,  and  the  attendant  should  hold  himself  in  readi- 
ness, at  every  instant,  to  close  the  valve  at  once,  if  there  is  the 
slightest  evidence  of  any  unusual  jar  or  disturbance  of  any  kind, 
about  the  boiler. 

Correctl}'  designed  steam  pipe  lines  will  not  have  pockets  in 
which  water  of  condensation  can  be  trapped.  If  any  such  pockets 
exist,  they  must  be  provided  with  drain-pipes,  and  all  condensed 
water  must  be  removed  from  the  piping  by  means  of  these  drain 
pipes,  before  cutting  in  the  boiler.  Neglect  of  this  precaution  is 
likely  to  lead  to  water-hammer  action,  which  may  destroy  the 
boiler,   and  perhaps  the   whole  plant. 


Low  Water.  In  case  of  low  water. at  any  time,  immediately  cover  the  fire  with 
ashes,  or,  if  no  ashes  are  at  hand,  use  fresh  coal.  Close  the  damper 
and  the  ash-pit  doors,  and  leave  the  fire  doors  open.  If  oil  or  gas 
is  used  as  fuel,  shut  off  the  supply  from  the  burners.  Don't  turn  on 
the  feed  under  any  circumstances,  and  don't  open  the  safety  valve 
nor  tamper  with  it  in  any  way.  Let  the  steam  outlets  remain  as 
they  are.  Get  your  boiler  cool  before  you  do  anything  else. 
See  also  suggestion  No.  i,  above. 


Repairs 

under 

Pressure. 


No  repairs  of  any  kind  should  be  made,  either  to  boilers  or  to 
piping,  while  the  part  upon  which  the  work  is  to  be  done  is  under 
pressure.  This  applies  to  the  calking  of  pipes  and  joints,  to  setting 
up  nuts  and  bolts,  and  to  every  other  operation  by  which  extra  stress 
is  thrown  upon  any  part  that  is  already  under  a  steam  load.  Acci- 
dents of  the  most  serious  nature  are  common,  from  neglecting  this 
caution. 

Many  water-tube  boilers  have  their  tube-holes  covered  by  outside 
caps  or  plates, —  that  is,  caps  so  fitted  that  the  boiler  pressure  is  ex- 
erted upon  the  bolts  that  hold  the  caps.     If  leakage  should  occur 


Inspection  &  Insurance  Co.  -197 


arouiKl  such  joints,  do  not  screw  up  the  bolts  while  the  boiler  is 
under  pressure,  and  do  not,  under  any  circumstances,  bring  an  un- 
due strain  upon  the  bolts,  in  order  to  stop  the  leakage.  When  the 
pressure  is  off,  find  out  why  the  joint  cannot  be  kept  tight  with  a 
suitable  tension  on  the  bolt,  and  apply  the  proper  remedy.  The  bolt 
itself  may  be  faulty,  and  by  tightening  it  beyond  reason  you  may 
be  merely  aggravating  the  trouble,  and  you  may  bring  about  a 
failure  that  will  result  in  loss  of  life  or  in  serious  personal  injury. 
Similar  caution  should  be  used  in  manipulating  the  blowoff  valve. 
If  it  does  not  open  easily,  do  not  exert  unreasonable  force  upon  it, 
but  when  the  pressure  is  off,  find  out  what  ihe  trouble  is,  and  have 
it  remedied. 

10. 
Care  of  The  safety-valve  must  not  be  set,  upon  any  boiler,  to  blow  at  a 

V^^v*^'  pressure  higher  than  that  permitted  by  tiie  HARTFORD  STEAM 

150ILER  company.  The  attendant  should  ascertain,  from  his  em- 
ployer, the  limiting  pressure  permitted  on  each  boiler,  and  should 
make  a  written  memorandumi  of  this  limit,  in  order  to  avoid 
possibility  of  error  with  respect  to  it. 

Try  all  safety  valves  cautiously,  every  day,  easing  them  gently 
from  their  seats,  until  it  becomes  evident  that  they  are  free.  Other- 
wise they  are  liable  to  stick,  and  thus  become  useless  for  the  pur- 
pose for  which  they  are  intended.  As  a  further  test  of  the  condi- 
tion of  the  safety  valve,  it  is  well,  under  ordinary  conditions,  to 
run  the  pressure  up,  every  day,  to  the  point  at  which  the  valve  is 
supposed  to  blow,  and  see  that  it  does  blow  at  this  pressure.  When 
the  regular  working  pressure  is  a  good  many  pounds  lower  than 
the  blowing  point,  however,  it  is  better  to  run  up  the  pressure  less 
frequently,  though  the  valve  should  still  be  tried  in  this  way  often 
enough  to  make  sure  that  it  is  always  in  good  working  order, 
and  that  it  agrees  with  the  gage.  In  case  the  actual  blowing  pres- 
sure as  shown  by  the  gage  exceeds  the  pressure  at  which  the  valve 
is  supposed  to  blow,  inform  your  employer  immediately,  so  that 
notice  may  be  sent  to  the  HARTFORD  STEAM  BOILER  company 
promptly,  at  its  nearest  office.  (The  addresses  of  the  Hartford's 
principal  offices  are  given  on  the  last  page  of  this  issue  of  The 
Locomotive.) 

The  outlet  of  each  safety-valve  should  everywhere  have  a  di- 
ameter at  least  equal  to  the  diameter  of  the  discharge  opening  in 
the  casing  of  the  valve.  There  should  be  no  attachment  upon  the 
safety-valve  outlet,  except  the  valve  itself.  In  particular,  there 
must  be  no  stop-valve  in  the  safety-valve  pipe,  between  the  safety- 
valve  and  the  boiler,  nor  on  the  other  side  of  the  valve.  The 
discharge  pipe  of  the  valve  should  preferably  pass  out  of  the  boiler 
room  horizontally,  or  with  a  slight  downward  inclination.  Vertical 
discharge  pipes,  passing  up  through  the  roof,  are  objectionable 
unless  thoroughly  drained,  because  they  will  accumulate  water  of 
condensation  in  case  the  valve  leaks. 


198 


The  Hartford  Steam  Boiler 


Use  of 

Scale 

Solvents. 


11. 

Soda  ash  is  widely  used  as  a  scale  solvent,  when  the  feed  water 
is  hard  enough  to  make  a  troublesome  deposit  of  scale.  It  is 
effective  under  most  circumstances,  and  it  has  the  advantage  of  be- 
ing cheap.  The  amount  required  will  vary  according  to  the  nature  of 
the  feed  water  and  the  duty  required  of  the  boiler.  If  the  water 
is  of  average  quality,  and  the  boiler  to  be  treated  is  of  the  horizon- 
tal tubular  type,  72  inches  in  diameter  and  with  tubes  18  feet  long, 
ten  pounds  of  soda  ash  may  be  introduced  at  the  start,  when  the 
boiler  is  first  filled  up,  and  after  that  two  or  three  pounds  may  be 
introduced  each  day.  The  same  amount  may  be  tried  in  boilers 
of  other  types,  but  of  like  capacity.  This  suggestion  is  made  for 
the  guidance  of  those  inexperienced  in  the  use  of  soda  ash,  and 
it  should  be  understood  that  the  actual  amount  of  solvent  required 
is  to  be  found  by  trial.  If  the  water  is  bad  and  deposits  an  un- 
usual amount  of  scale,  the  quantity  of  soda  ash  used  should  be 
greater  than  the  estimate  here  given ;  and  if  it  is  unusually  soft 
and   pure,    a   correspondingly   smaller   quantity   may   be    sufficient. 

The  soda  ash  should  be  dissolved  before  it  is  introduced  into 
the  boiler ;  and  when  badly  scaled  boilers  are  treated  with  soda 
ash,  or  with  any  other  scale  solvent,  they  must  be  frequently  opened 
and  cleaned,  to  avoid  burning  of  the  fire  surfaces  from  the  lodg- 
ment of  fragments  of  loose  scale  upon  them.  (See  suggestion 
No.  22.) 

12. 

The  blowoff  pipe  is  highly  useful  in  the  regular  opera- 
tion of  the  boiler,  especially  when  the  feed  water  carries  a  con- 
siderable amount  of  sediment,  because  it  enables  the  attendant  to 
remove  large  quantities  of  deposit  without  opening  the  boiler.  In 
using  it  for  this  purpose,  the  blowoff  should  be  opened  in  the 
morning,  before  steam  is  raised,  and  before  the  fires  have  been 
started  up.  The  water  having  stopped  circulating  during  the  night, 
a  considerable  amount  of  sediment  will  have  settled  at  the  bottom 
of  the  boiler,  and  much  of  this  will  be  removed  if  the  blowoff  is 
opened  before  the  circulation  has  started  up  again.  If  the  boiler 
is  used  night  and  day,  the  blowing  should  be  done  at  the  end  of 
the  noon  hour,  or  at  some  similar  time,  when  the  sediment  has 
had  a  reasonable  chance  to  settle. 

The  blowoff  valve  should  be  opened  and  closed  gradually,  in 
order  to  avoid  the  violent  shocks  that  are  almost  certain  to  be  pro- 
duced by  opening  or  closing  it  suddenly.  But  when  it  is  opened, 
it  should  be  opened  wide,  if  only  for  a  few  moments.  This  will 
give  any  fragments  of  scale  that  may  have  lodged  in  the  pipe  an 
opportunity  of  passing  out  through  the  blowoff  valve.  They 
might  be  trapped  by  it  and  retained  in  the  pipe,  if  the  valve  were 
only  partially  opened. 

In  general,  boilers  should  be  blown  down  at  least  one  gage 
daily,  though  no  fixed  recommendation  can  be  made  in  this  respect, 
that  will  apply  to  all  the  widely  varying  conditions  of  water  and 


Routine 
Use  of  the 

BlQWOff. 


Inspection  &  Insurance  Co. 


199 


of  duty  required  of  the  boilers.  When  the  water  is  bad,  and  the 
duty  of  the  boiler  is  litavy,  the  blowofF  should  be  opened  oftencr 
than  is  necessary  undor  more  favorable  conditions.  When  the 
feed  water  carries  a  large  amount  of  scale-forming  matter  and 
considerable  quantities  of  scale  solvent  are  used,  blowing  should 
be  frequent,  fresh  water  licing  fed  into  the  boiler  to  take  the  place 
of  that  so  removed.  'Ihis  tends  to  prevent  the  water  in  the  boiler 
from  becoming  unduly  saturated  with  dissolved  solid  matter. 
Under  any  circumstances,  however,  the  blowoff  valve  should  be 
opened  at  least  once  a  day,  sufficiently  to  thoroughly  flush  out  the 
blowofF  pipe.  Upon  closing  the  blowoflF  valve,  see  that  it  shuts 
tight.  If  it  is  held  partially  open  by  the  lodgment  of  some  foreign 
substance  upon  its  seat,  the  water  in  the  boiler  may  quickly  be- 
come low.  If  the  blowofF  pipe  is  so  situated  that  there  is  a  pos- 
sibility of  its  discharge  injuring  passers-by,  or  children  playing  about, 
see  that  nobody  is  near  it  when  the  valve  is  opened.  (Compare, 
also,  suggestion  No.  21.  and  the  latter  part  of  No.  9.) 

When   surface  blowoffs  are  used,  they  should  be  opened  often, 
for  a   few  moments  at  a  time. 


Foaming. 


Oil 

in 

Boilers. 


13. 

If  foaming  is  observed,  check  the  draft  and  cover  the  fires  with 
fresh  coal  (or  shut  off  the  burners,  if  oil  or  gas  is  used  as  fuel). 
Then  close  the  throttle  and  keep  it  closed"  long  enough  to  show 
the  true  level  of  the  water.  If  that  level  is  sufficiently  high  to 
permit  doing  so,  blow  down  some  of  the'  water  in  the  boiler,  and 
feed  in  some  fresh  w^ter,  repeating  the  operation  several  times, 
if  necessary.  If  t\\is  does  not  remedy  the  trouble,  draw  the  fires 
and  blow-  and  feed  alternately.  When  the  boiler  and  the  brick- 
work are  sufficiently  cool,  empty  the  boiler  and  wash  it  out,  as- 
certain the  cause  of  the  foaming,  and  take  such  measures  as  may 
be  necessary  to  prevent  its  recurrence. 

14. 

Care  should  be  taken  to  prevent  cylinder  oil  from  entering  the 
boilers  with  the  feed  water.  It  is  very  likely  to  get  in  from  the 
exhaust  of  the  engines,  pumps,  etc.,  when  open  feed-water  heaters 
are  used,  and  hundreds  of  boilers  are  ruined  ever>'  year  by  lack 
of  proper  caution  in  this  respect.  Even  a  thin  coating  of  cylinder  oil 
(or  other  non-volatile  or  "heavy"  oil)  on  the  tubes  or  drums  or 
shell  sheets  may  cause  serious  damage,  and  lead  to  extensive 
repairs.  Oil  showing  in  the  glass  gage  indicates  oil  in  the  boiler, 
and  yet  the  attendant  must  not  rely  upon  its  showing  itself  in 
this  way.  because  oil  is  often  present  in  the  boiler  in  large  amounts. 
when  none  is  to  be  seen  in  the  glass. 

When  a  horizontal  tubular  boiler  is  badly  affected  with  cylinder 
oil.  it  may  be  treated  in  either  of  two  ways: — (i)  by  the  direct 
removal  of  the  deposit  by  scraping  and  scrubbing,  or  (2)  by 
"  boiling  out "  the  boiler  with  kerosene  and  soda  ash.  A  com- 
bination of  these  two  methods  is  useful  in  particularly  bad  cases. 


200  The  Hartford  Steam  Boiler 


In  attacking  the  deposit  directly,  the  handhole  plates  should  be 
removed  (or  the  manhole  cover  on  the  front  head,  if  there  be  one), 
and  the  shell  and  all  other  accessible  surfaces  thoroughly  scraped, 
and  then  scrubbed  vigorously  with  a  stiff  brush  attached  to  the 
end  of  a  pole,  and  wet  with  kerosene.  The  boiler  should  also  be 
entered  from  above,  and  the  oil  scum  that  has  collected  upon  the 
side  sheets  about  the  water  line  scraped  and  scrubbed  off  in  like 
manner.  Thorough  washing  and  ventilation  of  the  boiler  should 
follow.  Oily  deposits  may  be  removed  from  the  tubes  of  water- 
tube   boilers   by  the   use   of  a   swab   dipped   in   kerosene. 

The  method  indicated  above  will  remov^e  considerable  quantities 
of  the  oily  deposit,  but  more  or  less  of  it  will  be  lodged  where  it 
can  be  reached  only  by  the  "boiling  out"  process.  To  apply  this 
process,  put  the  boiler  out  of  service,  close  its  outlets,  and  fill 
it  to  the  top  of  the  gage  glass  (in  order  that  the  oily  scum  just 
above  the  normal  water  line  may  be  covered)  with  water  in  which 
from  100  to  175  pounds  of  soda  ash  have  been  dissolved,  and  to 
which  from  10  to  25  gallons  of  kerosene  have  been  added.  The 
boiler  being  of  the  horizontal  tubular  type,  100  pounds  of  soda 
ash  and  10  gallons  of  kerosene  may  be  used,  if  it  is  6o  inches  in 
diameter  with  18-foot  tubes,  and  175  pounds  of  soda  ash  and  25 
gallons  of  kerosene  if  it  is  72  inches  in  diameter  and  has  20-foot 
tubes.  The  proper  quantities  for  use  in  horizontal  tubular  boilers 
of  other  sizes  will  vary  with  the  capacities  of  the  boilers,  and  may 
be  estimated  with  sufficient  accuracy  from  the  data  here  given. 
If  the  boiler  to  be  treated  is  of  a  different  type, —  for  example, 
if  it  is  of  the  water-tube  type, —  the  quantities  used  should  be  the 
same  as  would  be  employed  in  a  horizontal  tubular  boiler  of  similar 
horse-power.  When  the  boiler  has  been  filled  as  indicated,  build 
a  light  fire  under  it  (all  its  outlets  being  closed),  and  carry  a  low- 
pressure  (ten  pounds  per  square  inch  or  thereabouts)  upon  it  for 
not  less  than  12  to  24  hours.  If  tiine  will  permit,  it  is  better  to 
continue  the  boiling  for  two  or  three  days.  Then  run  off  the  water, 
ventilate  the  boiler  well,  and  wash  it  out  thoroughly  with  a  strong 
stream  of  water. 

When  treating  a  boiler  with  kerosene,  keep  all  open  lights 
away  from  the  handhole  and  manhole  openings,  both  zvheii  af^f'lyiiig 
the  kerosene  and  upon  opening  up  the  boiler  again.  If  strict  at- 
tention is  not  paid  to  this  point,  serious  vapor  explosions  may 
result.  If  incandescent  electric  lamps  are  not  available,  sufficient 
light  for  examining  the  internal  condition  of  the  boiler  may  be  had 
by  reflection  from  a  mirror  held  at  some  distance  (several  feet) 
from  the  openings.  A  second,  smaller  mirror  may  be  used  inside 
the  boiler,  when  necessary,  to  direct  the  light  into  the  dark  corners. 

Distilled  (or  pure)  water  is  a  valuable  scale  solvent,  and  if  the 
feed  carries  much  scale-forming  matter,  it  is  well  to  recover  a 
large  amount  of  water  of  condensation  for  use  in  feeding,  w'hen 
it  is  practicable  to  do  so.  In  putting  this  plan  into  practice  it  may 
be  necessary  to  use  serviceable  oil  separators  and  filters  to  remove 
the  oil  from  the  exhaust  steam,  and  render  the  condensed  water 


Inspection  &  Insurance  Co. 


201 


Blisters, 
Bulges,  and 
Laminations, 


Suspended 
Boilers. 


Fusible 
Plugs. 


fit  for  use ;  and  in  sucli  casts  all  the  sttaiii  tliat  is  to  be  condcnst-tl 
for  use  as  feed  water  sli(»iild  jfo  throuf^h  tlie  separator,  whether  it 
comes   from  tl\i-  ennines  or   from   immps  or  other  auxiliary  devices. 

15. 

When  a  blister,  IjuIkc,  or  laminalion  appears,  it  sliouid  \k-  care- 
fully examined  at  once,  and  its  exact  nature  determined.  Small 
blisters  are  usually  unimportant,  calling  for  no  special  treatment 
except  trimming;  Imt  an  extensive  lamination  should  receive  such 
attention  as  its  condition  derminds.  A  bulge  usually  indicates 
tlie  presence  of  scale  or  oil  inside  of  the  boiler  at  the  affected 
region,  and  any  sucii  coating  or  deposit  should  be  removed  before 
the  boiler  is  again  used.  If  a  bulge  appears  upon  a  tube  in  a 
water-tube  boiler,  it  is  best  to  replace  the  tube  as  soon  as  possible, 
if  the  trouble  is  at  all  serious.  Otherwise  the  bulge  forms  a  lodging 
place  for  scale  and  sediment  and  is  likely  to  give  further  trouble, 
because  the  tube  cleaner  will  pass  over  the  depression  without 
removing  the  deposit  that  it  contains. 

16. 

When  a  boiler  is  suspended  from  overhead  beams,  see  that  each 
of  the  hanger  bolts  is  kept  drawn  to  a  proper  tension,  so  that 
each  will  carry  its  own  fair  share  of  the  weight.  To  maintain 
this  equality  of  tension  it  will  probably  be  necessary  to  set  up 
or  slacken  certain  of  tlu  nuts  on  the  suspension  lx)lts  from  time 
to   time. 

In  suspended  water-lube  boilers,  see  that  the  lower  drums  and 
boxes  are  free  from  contact  with  the  floor  of  the  setting,  or  with 
any  other  obstruction  that  may  interfere  with  their  free  motion,  as 
the  boilers  expand  and  contract  in  service.  Otherwise,  severe 
strains  will  be  thrown  upon  the  drums  and  their  connecting  nipples. 
The  drums  may  have  been  correctly  hung  when  the  boilers  were 
installed,  and  may  have  come  in  contact  with  the  setting  subse- 
quently, through  the  settling  of  the  supporting  columns.  Such  set- 
tling should  be  detected  as  soon  as  it  occurs.  If  it  is  slight  in 
amount  its  effects  may  be  neutralized  by  setting  up  the  nuts  on  the 
suspension  bolts,  so  as  to  raise  the  boiler  again  to  its  proper 
position. 

17. 

Fusible  plugs  are  often  used  in  boiler.^,  and  in  some  states  and 
cities  they  are  required  by  law.  In  a  horizontal  tubular  boiler  the 
plug,  when  used,  should  be  screwed  into  the  back  head,  not  less  than 
two  inches  above  the  to])  of  the  highest  tube.  In  any  type  of 
boiler  they  should  be  so  placed  that  they  will  melt  out,  under  the 
influence  of  the  heated  gases,  before  the  water  line  has  reached  a 
dangerous  low  level.  In  a  boiler  of  the  locomotive  type  the  fusible 
plug  should  be  inserted  in  the  crown  sheet.  In  water-tube  boiler^ 
having  horizontal  steam  drums  exposed  to  the  heat  of  the  fire,  the 
plugs  should  be  inserted  in  these  drums  at  their  hottest  parts,  and 
at  least  six  inches  (measured  in  a  vertical  direction)  higher  than 
their  lowest  points. 


202 


The   Hartford   Steam   Boiler 


In  the  vertical  tubular  boiler  it  is  a  somewhat  common  practice 
to  insert  the  fusible  plug  in  the  crown  sheet.  When  properly  set, 
such  a  plug  will  usually  afford  sufficient  protection  to  the  crown 
sheet  in  case  the  water  becomes  low,  although  the  tubes  (since 
they  will  then  become  uncovered  throughout  their  entire  length 
before  the  plug  melts)  may  become  hot  enough  to  warp  and  make 
trouble.  The  HARTFORD  STEA^I  BOILER  company  recom- 
mends that  in  the  ordinary  vertical  tubular  boiler  the  fusible  plug 
be  screwed  into  one  of  the  outer  tubes,  as  is  required  in  marine 
practice  by  the  United  States  Board  of  Supervising  Inspectors. 
A  handhole  must  then  be  cut  in  the  shell  opposite  the  plug,  so  it 
can  readily  be  inserted,  examined,  and  replaced ;  and  the  tube 
in  which  the  plug  is  inserted  should  preferably  be  an  extra-heavy 
one,  so  that  the  threaded  joint  between  tube  and  plug  may  be 
made  tight.  When  located' in  a  tube,  the  plug  should  be  at  least  one- 
fourth  of  the  length  of  the  tube  above  the  crown  sheet,  and  some 
authorities  require  it  to  be  above  the  lozvcr  third  of  the  tube.  In 
a  vertical  tubular  boiler  having  a  submerged  upper  head,  the  plug 
should  be  inserted  in  the  upper  head. 

Fusible  plugs  should  always  project  into  the  water  space  of  the 
boiler  by  three-quarters  of  an  inch  or  more,  and  they  should  be 
filled  with  pure  tin.  Alloys  are  objectionable,  because  their  melting 
points  are  liable  to  change  upon  prolonged  exposure  to  heat.  The 
fusible  plug  should  be  renewed  or  refilled  every  year,  or  as  often 
as  may  be  necessary  in  order  to  keep  it  in  good,  effective  condition. 


Removing 
Ashes. 


18. 

Ashes  should  not  be  allowed  to  accumulate  in  the  ash-pit,  because 
they  obstruct  the  flow  of  air  and,  check  the  radiation  of  heat,  and  so 
lead  to  the  burning  out  of  the  grate  bars.  The  combustion  chamber 
back  of  the  bridge  wall  of  a  horizontal  tubular  boiler  should  be 
kept  clean  at  all  times,  since  a  heavy  accumulation  of  ash  in  this 
space  tends  to  choke  the  draft  and  prevent  proper  combustion,  and 
so  cuts  down  the  efficiency  of  the  boiler.  When  the  blow-off  pipe 
runs  along  the  floor  of  the  combustion  chamber,  many  engineers 
consider  it  to  be  good  practice  to  leave  a  light  layer  of  ashes  over 
the  pipe  for  its  better  protection.  We  advise  keeping  the  chamber 
well  swept  out,  however.  If  protection  is  wanted  for  the  pipe,  lay 
a  small  l)rick  channel  for  it,  and  use  loose  bricks  for  the  covering- 
layer,  so  the  pipe  can  be  readily  examined. 


19. 
Banking  The   fires  should  be  cleaned  previously  to  hanking,   and   a  good 

the  Fires.  body  of  coals  should  be  returned  and  pushed  back  against  the  bridge 
wall,  and  well  covered  with  fresh  coal.  The  ash-pit  doors  should 
be  closed.  The  damper  should  also  be  nearly  closed,  but  it  must 
not  be  shut  absolutely  tight  at  any  time  when  fresh  coal  has  been 
placed  on  the  fires,  because  coal  gas  would  then  collect  in  the 
combustion  chamber  and  the  other  passages,  and  its  sudden  ignition 
will  give   rise  to  an  explosion  that  will  endanger  the  brick  work, 


Inspection  &  Insurance  Co.  203 

and  perhaps  lead  to  consequences  even  more  serious.  Many 
dampers  are  loosely  fitted,  to  make  it  impossible  to  close  them  per- 
fectly tight.  The  fire  d(K)rs  should  be  opened  by  a  slight  amount, 
so  that  air  may  enter  to  sweep  out  the  coal  gas.  Leaving  the  fire 
doors  zvidc  open,  however,  is  liable  to  strain  the  boiler  l)y  the  con- 
traction caused  by  the  cold  air  striking  the  heated  shell,  and  leakage 
at  the  joints  is  likely  to  result.  Be  particular  to  sec  that  the  ash- 
pit doors  arc  closed  tij^ht,  and  the  dampers  properly  adjusted. 

20. 
Cooling  Off  In  cooling  a  boiler  preparatory  to  emptying  it,   first   let  the   fire 

die  out,  and  then  close  all  doors  and  leave  the  damper  open,  until 
the  steam  gage  shows  that  the  pressure  has  fallen  to  the  value  at 
which  it  is  proposed  to  blow  oflF.  (See  suggestion  No.  21,  on  this 
point.)  Clean  the  furnace  of  all  coal  and  ashes,  and  allow  the 
brickwork  to  cool  down  for  at  least  two  hours  before  opening 
the  blowoff  valve.  When  it  is  desired  to  make  the  boiler  ready 
for  a  man  to  enter  it,  first  cool  it  as  here  indicated,  and  then, 
after  the  vrater  has  been  drawTi  oflf,  leave  the  boiler  as  it  would  be 
if  it  were  in  service,  —  the  fire  doors,  the  front  connection  doors, 
and  the  cleaning  door  or  doors  in  the  setting  being  closed,  while 
the  damper  and  the  ash-pit  doors  are  left  wide  open.  By  this 
means  a  good  circulation  of  air  is  drawn  through  the  setting, 
around  the  boiler,  and  through  thie  tubes,  and  the  cooling  proceeds 
rapidly  and  effecJ:ivel)i.  If  it  is  found  that  this  procedure  inter- 
feres too  much  with  the  draft  of  other  boilers  that  are  still  in 
operation  in  connection  with  the  same  stack,  check  the  flow  of 
cold  air  as  much  as  may  be  necessary',  by  partially  closing  the 
damper  on  the  boiler  that  is  being  cooled.  ^lany  engineers,  in 
attempting  to  cool  boilers  for  entering  them,  open  the  front  con- 
nection doors.  This  retards  the  cooling,  however,  because  it  pre- 
vents a  proper  circulation  of  cold  air  through  the  boiler,  and  heated 
air  collects  in  all  the  high  parts  of  the  setting  and  passes  out  only 
verv  slowly. 

21. 

Emptying  When    it    is    desired     to     empty    the     boiler,    the   boiler   and    its 

the  Boiler,  setting  should  first  be  cooled  in  the  way  explained  in  the  first  part 
of  suggestion  No.  20.  A  pressure  exceeding  ten  or  fifteen  pounds 
per  square  inch,  by  the  gage,  should  not  be  allowed  when  boilers 
are  blown  out.  If  they  are  emptied  under  a  much  greater  pressure 
than  this,  the  heat  that  is  retained  by  the  setting  walls  will  sub- 
sequently cause  t-lie  deposit  in  the  boiler  to  bake  into  a  needlessly 
solid  incrustation  upon  the  sheets  and  tubes.  It  is  better  to  run 
the  water  out  practically  without  pressure,  when  it  is  feasible  to 
do  so.  The  scale  and  deposit  can  then  be  washed  out  much  more 
easily.  The  manhole  plates  and  the  covers  to  the  other  openings 
should  be  removed  immediately  after  the  boiler  is  empty.  When 
the  boiler  that  is  to  be  emptied  is  one  of  a  battery,  care  should 
be  taken  to  open  the  proper  blowoff  valve;  for  if  the  wrong  valve 
is  opened,  and  the  water  is  drawn  off  from  a  boiler  having  a  fire 


204  The  Hartford  Steam  Boiler 


Sediment. 


under  it,  the  sheets  may  become  badly  burned,  or  an  explosion  may 
result,  before  the  mistake  is  discovered.  (Compare,  also,  suggestion 
No.   12.   and  the  latter  part  of  No.  9.) 

22. 
Removing  Ihc    accumulation    of    scale    and    other    forms    ot    deposit    in    a 

Deposit  and  holler  interferes  with  the  economical  generation  of  steam,  and  it 
is  also  likely  to  give  rise  to  overheating  of  the  boiler,  with  con- 
sequent burning,  distortion,  or  cracking  of  the  metal.  Hence  the 
boiler  should  be  opened  as  often  as  may  be  necessary,  for  examina- 
tion and  cleaning.  The  frequency  with  which  a  boiler  should  be 
opened  varies  widely  with  the  nature  of  the  feed  water  and  the 
duty  required  of  the  boiler.  When  the  duty  is  heavy  and  the  water 
contains  a  considerable  amount  of  scale  matter,  it  may  be  necessary 
to  open  the  boiler  and  clean  it  every  week.  On  the  other  hand, 
some  plants  are  fortunate  enough  to  have  feed  water  so  soft  and 
pure  that  cleaning  once  in  three  or  four  months  is  sufficient.  The 
engineer  should  carefulh'  watch  the  internal  condition  of  his  boilers, 
and  determine  for  himself  how  often  he  will  have  to  open  them 
up  and  clean  them,  in  order  to  keep  them  in  proper  condition. 
When  kerosene  has  been  introduced  for  loosening  «p  scale,  or 
when  a  large  ampunt  of  scale  solvent  of  any  kind  has  been  used, 
or  when  the  feed  water  becomes  unusually  soft  (as  almost  in- 
variably happens  in  the  spring  of  the  year),  scale  that  may  have 
fornied  upon  the  tubes  and  plates  at  other  times  i?  almost  certain 
to  be  thrown  down  upon  the  fire  sheets  in  considerable  quantities. 
Under  these  conditions,  therefore,  the  boilers  must  be  opened  much 
oftener  than-  usual. 

In  cleaning  the  interior  of  the  boiler,  always  remove  the  hand- 
hole  and  manhole  plates,  and  use  either  the  hose  service  or  hand 
tools  (or  both)  for  removing  the  scale  attached  to  the  shell  plates 
or  deposited  upon  the  fire  sheets.  It  is  highly  important  to  remove 
all  scale  or  sediment  that  inay  accumulate  on  the  fire  sheets,  or  tipon 
any  part  of  the  boiler  that  is  subject  to  an  intense  heat.  Never  rely 
upon  water  let  in  through  the  feed  pipe  in  washing  the  boiler,  be- 
cause effective  results  cannot  be  obtained  in  this  way.  A  hose 
should  be  used  that  delivers  a  stream  of  considerable  force,  and 
it  is  important  to  wash  the  tubes  of  horizontal  tubular  boilers  froin 
above,  as  well  as  from  below.  Always  pass  a  light  into  the  boiler 
after  washing,  to  see  that  no  deposit  remains,  and  that  no  tools 
have  been  left  behind.  (Note,  however,  the  caution  in  suggestion 
No.  14,  respecting  open  lights  al)out  boilers  that  have  been  treated 
with  kerosene.) 

For  advice  respecting  oily  or  greasy  deposits,  see  suggestion 
No.  14. 

23. 

To  Avoid  When  the  boiler  that  is  opened  for  cleaning,  or  repairs,  or  in- 

Scaldmg  Menspgcj-JQ^^  jg  Q^g  of  ^  battery,  some  portion  of  which  is  still  ui]der 

pressure,  every  care  must  be  taken  to  prevent  the  scalding  of  any 

person  who  may  be  inside  of  the  empty  boiler,  by  the  thoughtless 


Inspection  &  Insurance  Co. 


205 


opening  of  valves  thai  iiUKlit  discharge  sleaiii  ur  hut  water  into  it. 
Extreme  aiutio)!  should  be  exercised  in  this  respect,  because  such 
^accidents  are  by  no  means  uncommon.  Ihe  man  in  cliargc  of  the 
boiler  room  shoiihl  personally  take  it  upon  himself  to  see  that  no 
2'alz'e  zchatsoex'cr  is  touciied,  in  any  port  of  the  room,  while  anyone 
is  inside  of  a  boiler  under  bis  care,  n<.r  until  all  the  men  who  may 
have  been  at  work  upon  ilie  boiler  have  personally >reported  to  bini 
that  they  have  left  tiie  interior  permanently,  lie  should  likewise 
see  that  all  other  persoi..-,  in  the  boiler  room  arc  notilied  to  the 
same  efifect.  It  is  not  sufficient  to  see  a  man  come  out  of  the  boiler, 
because  he  may  do  so  merely  to  obtain  some  necessary  tool,  and 
may  be  back  inside  again,  a  few  moments  later. 

The  blov\'off  valve  upon  the  empty  boiler  should  be  closed  before 
the  boiler  is  entere<l,  so  that  steam  or  water  cannot  back  up  through 
the  pipe  in  case  the  foregoing  suggestion  is  violated,  and  a  bhnvoff 
valve  is  opened   upon   some  other  boiler. 

Whenever  a  boiler  is  shut  down  and  cooled  off.  its  stop  valve 
should  be  closed  tightly,  under  all  circumstances.  If  the  boiler  has 
an  automatic  valve,  the  hand  valve  should  be  closed,  nevertheless; 
and  when  all  the  boilers  of  a  battery  are  shut  down,  the  stop  valve 
should  be  closed  upon  each  one  separately.  Furthermore,  before 
anyone  enters  a  boiler,  he  should  make  sure  that  all  the  valves 
to  the  boiler  are  shut  tight. 


24. 
Cleaning  In    water-tube    l)oilers    liaving   horizontal    or    inclined    tubes,    the 

the  Tubes  of  i>,jvers   over  the  openings   in   the  headers  opposite   the  ends  of  the 

Water-tube      ,  ,  '-       ,  ,       ,  i  ,  ,         \-, 

Boilers  three  lower  rows  ot  tulx's  should  be  taken  off  once  a  month,  and 

the  tubes   thoroughly  scraped  and  washed  out;   and   all  the  tubes 

should  be  thoroughly  scra])ed  and  washed  out,  at  least  once  in  four 

months.       ( The    frequency    here    indicated    is    for    feed-water    of 

average  quality.     If  the  water  is  bad,  the  cleaning  should  be  done 

oftener;  and  in  some  cases,  when  the  water  is  exceedingly  good,  it 

may  be  safe  to  do  the  cleaning  at  somewhat  longer  intervals.) 

The  principle  here   given   applies  also   to  water-tube  boilers   in 

which  the  tubes  are  vertical,  instead  of  horizontal  or  inclined.    That 

is.  the  tubes  that  are  most  directly  exposed  to  the  lire  should  be 

cleaned   far  otteixT  tnan  those  that  are  less  directly  exposed. 


Mechanical 

Tube 

cleaners. 


25. 

In  either  lire-tube  or  water-tube  boilers,  when  mechanical  ham- 
mers or  cleaners  are  employed  for  retnoving  scale  from  tubes,  the 
l)ressure  used  to  operate  them  should  be  kept  as  low  as  possible, 
consistently  with  doing  the  work.  An  unnecessarily  high  pressure 
is  liable  to  damage  the  tube,  by  causing  the  cleaner  to  act  upon  it 
with  excessive  force.  It  is  also  important,  in  using  these  devices, 
to  prevent  the  cleaner  from  operating  for  more  than  a  few  seconds 
at  a  time  upon  any  one  spot,  as  continuous  application  to  one  limited 
region  is  liable  to  injure  the  tube  at  that  place.  Whatever  the  type 
of  cleaner  used,  alway-   sc.    that  it  goes  entirely  through  the  tul)e. 


206  The  Hartford  Steam  Boiler 

High  temperatures  should  be  avoided  in  the  steam  or  water 
used  to  operate  mechanical  cleaners,  as  otherwise  the  tendency  of 
the  heat  to  expand  the  tube  that  is  being  cleaned,  while  the  other 
tubes  remain  at  their  normal  length,  may  give  rise  to  severe  strains, 
and  bring  about  loosening  of  the  tubes,  or  even  cause  fracture  of 
some  part  of  the  boiler. 

26. 

Records  It  is  advisable  to  keep  a  complete  written  record  of  the  work 

i^D^"'"^  that  is  done  in  cleaning  and  repairing  the  boilers,  including  a  full 
'  and  definite  statement  of  the  condition  in  which  they  were  found 
when  opened,  and  the  condition  in  which  they  were  left  when  closed 
up  again.  Any  defects  that  may  have  been  found  should  also  be 
described,  and  a  statement  recorded  concerning  such  measures  as 
may  have  been  taken  to  remedy  them,  the  exact  nature  and  loca- 
tion of  each  repair  being  clearly  described.  Keeping  a  record  of  this 
kind  will  improve  the  character  of  the  cleaning  and  repair  service, 
and  thus  tend  to  reduce  the  number  of  accidents  from  bursting  tubes 
and  other  causes.  The  record  would  be  of  almost  inestimable  value, 
too.  in  the  event  of  a  disaster,  as  it  would  enable  the  engineer  to 
show  that  he  had  done  his  duty. 

27. 

Laying  Up  When  a  boiler  is  to  be  out  of   service   for  a  considerable  time, 

iJouers.  jj   should  be   cooled,   emptied,   and   thoroughly  cleaned,  both   inside 

and  outside.  All  scale  and  deposit  of  every  kind  should  be  care- 
fully removed  from  the  interior,  and  the  external  surfaces  should 
be  scraped  and  swept  so  as  to  be  entirely  free  from  soot  and  ashes. 
All  chambers  and  passages  in  the  setting  should  likewise  be  cleaned 
out,  the  side  walls  of  the  setting  being  brushed  down,  and  all  coal 
and  ashes  rem.oved  from  the  grates  and  the  ash-pit.  The  handhole 
covers  and  manhole  plates  should  be  left  off.  When  the  interior 
of  the  boiler  has  been  cleaned  and  washed,  it  should  be  allowed 
to  drain,  and  (if  the  boiler  is  an  isolated  one)  it  should  then  be 
dried  out  thoroughly  by  burning  a  few  newspapers  under  it.  This 
operation  should  be  carried  out  by  a  man  of  good  judgment,  be- 
cause it  is  easy  to  damage  a  boiler  by  building  even  a  light  fire 
under  it,  when  it  is  dry.  Use  newspapers, —  not  shavings  nor 
wood, — -and  be  careful  not  to  heat  the  metal  hot  enough  to  make 
it  painful  to  the  touch.  If  another  boiler  is  under  steam  by  the 
side  of  the  one  that  is  being  shut  down,  and  in  the  same  battery 
with  it,  the  newspaper  fire  may  be  omitted,  because  enough  heat 
will  then  be  conducted  through  the  side  walls  to  complete  the 
drying-out  process. 

The  boiler  once  being  well  dried  out,  care  should  be  taken  that 
no  moisture  can  collect  upon  it  or  within  it,  or  trickle  down  over 
it,  either  from  leaky  valves  or  from  any  other  source.  If  the 
boiler  forms  one  of  a  battery,  some  of  the  remaining  members 
of  which  are  to  be  continued  in  service,  see  to  it  that  the  stop 
valve,  feed  valve,  and  blowoff  valve  upon  the  boiler  that  is  laid 
up  are  tight,   so  that  no  moisture  can   enter  through  any  of  them. 


Inspection  &  Insurance   Co.  207 


If  the  i)()ilcr  is  to  lie  laid  off  in  the  winter  season  in  our 
northern  latitudes,  take  care  to  empty  the  siphon  below  the  steam 
gage,  so  that  tlie  gaf;e  may  not  be  damaged  by  freezing.  It  is 
better  to  remove  the  gage  entirely,  storing  it  in  a  safe  place  until 
it   is   again    wanted. 

28. 
Corrosion.  Care  should  be  taken  that  no  water  comes  tn  contact  with  the 

exterior  surfaces  of  the  boiler  at  any  time,  either  from  leaky  joints 
or  otherwise.  The  furnaces  of  internally  tired  boilers  should  be 
carefully  cleaned  of  ashes  when  put  out  of  service,  since  such 
ashes,  if  allowed  to  remain  in  contact  with  the  plates,  are  likely 
to  absorb  moisture  and  give  rise  to  corrosion. 

In  water-tube  boilers,  external  corrosion  frequently  occurs  on 
mud  drums,  on  mud  drum  nipples,  at  the  rear  ends  of  horizontal 
and  inclined  tubes,  and  in  other  places  that  are  more  or  less 
likely  to  be  overlooked  or  neglected  by  the  engineer,  by  reason  of 
their  being  out  of  the  way,  or  not  readily  accessible.  As  such  cor- 
rosion is  usually  due  to  leakage,  and  to  wet  sooty  matter  being 
allow-ed  to  remain  in  contact  with  the  parts,  it  is  imiportant  that 
leaks  be  promptly  stopped,  and  that  the  affected  surfaces  be  kept 
free  from  soot. 
[[^^^  If  evidences  of  iittcnial  corrosion  should  be  found,  report  the 
matter  to  the  ofifice,  so  that  the  HARTFORD  STEAM  BOILER 
company  may  be  notified  at  once.  Prompt  attention  to  this  may 
avert   trouble. 

29. 
Baffle  Walls  When    cleaning    water-tube    boilers,    examine    the    baffle    walls 

carefully,  and  see  that  there  are  no  bricks  or  tiles  displaced,  so 
as  to  allow  any  considerable  portion  of  the  furnace  gases  to  pass 
to  the  chimney  by  a  short  cut,  without  following  the  course  that 
the  builders  of  the  boilers  intended.  Attention  to  this  point  will 
tend   to   save    fuel. 

30. 

Brickwork  The   brick-work   of   the    setting   should   be   kept   in   good   repair 

^".'^  at  all  times.     For  if  the  setting  leaks  air,  either  through  the  brick- 

work itself,  or  around  the  fire  doors  or  the  back  connection  doors, 
or  if  air  can  enter  it  in  any  other  way  except  through  the  fuel 
on  the  grate,  the  hot  gases  from  the  furnace  will  be  correspondingly 
chilled,  and  the  result  will  be  a  loss  of  efficiency.  That  is,  it  will 
be  necessary  to  burn  more  fuel  in  order  to  perform  a  given  amount 
of  work. 

31. 

Miscel-  Whenever    boilers    are    laid    off,    the    engineer    should  carefully 

laneous        examine  them  in   all   accessible  parts,  to  see  that  they  are  every- 

i>uggestions.  ^^.j^^j.^  jj^  good  condition.  At  all  times  he  should  keep  the  sheets 
and  other  parts  of  the  boiler  that  are  exposed  to  the  fire  per- 
fectly clean  both  inside  and  outside.  All  tubes,  flues,  and  connec- 
tions should  also  be  kept  well  swept.  This  is  particularly  neces- 
sary when  wood,  soft  coal,  or  waste  gases  are   used  as   fuel.     In 


208 


The  Hartford  Steam  Boiler 


firing,  rcnu-mbcr  that  small  (|uantities  of  fuel,  fed  into  the  furnace 
frequently,  are  more  effective  than  large  quantities  fed  at  longer 
intervals.  In  water-tube  boilers,  the  feed  water  should  be  in- 
troduced into  the  upper  drum,  and  under  the  water-line.  A  mud 
pan  or  other  suitable  receptacle  should  be  placed  under  its  dis- 
charge end,  and  this  should  be  provided  with  a  blowoff  pipe,  so 
that  sediment  can  be  blown   out  of  the  pan. 

Keep  everything  about  the  boiler  room  in  a  neat  and  orderly 
condition.  See  that  all  doors  about  the  settings  are  kept  securely 
fastened,  except  when  the  operation  of  the  boiler  recjuires  them  to 
be  open.  When  anything  needs  repairing  or  renewing,  see  that 
it  receives  the  attention  it  demands.  Give  especial  care  to  the 
safety-valve,  the  feed  pump  or  injector,  the  gage  cocks,  the  glass 
gage,  and  the  pressure  gage.  It  is  common  to  find  the  gage  cocks 
in  very  poor  condition.  They  are  highl_v  important,  however,  and 
should  be  kept  in  first  class  repair  in  all  respects.  Keep  the  face 
of  the  pressure  gage  clean,  so  that  the  pointer  can  be  clearly 
seen,  and  have  the  gage  glass  and  the  pressure  gage  well  lighted. 
f^*^  If.  at  any  time,  you  consider  it  possible  that  serious  trouble  is 
impending,  shut  down  the  boiler  at  once.  Take  no  chances,  and  if 
you   err.   err  on   the  safe   side. 

32. 

In  many  states  and  cities  there  are  special  laws  and  ordinances 
respecting  the  duties  of  engineers  and  firemen.  The  boiler  superin- 
tendent, or  engineer  in  charge,  should  inform  himself,  fully,  with 
respect  to  any  legal  requirements  that  may  apply  to  him  or  to  the 
plant  with  which  he  is  associated.  If  there  be  any  such,  he  must 
obey  them  faithfully, —  giving  them  unquestioning  preference  over 
the  suggestions  herein  contained,  in  case  the  two  should  chance  to 
conflict. 


Local  Laws 
and 

Ordinances. 


The  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Inspection  and  Insurance  Com- 
pany's Inspectors  Will  be  Pleased  to  Give  Special  Advice  and 
Counsel,  in   Cases  Not   Covered  by  These   Suggestions. 

11-  .\  BOILF.R  SHOWS  DISTRESS,  OR  ANY  UNUSUAL 
BEHA\'10R.  THE  HARTFORD  STEAM  BOILER  CO.\l- 
PANY  SHOULD  BE  NOTIFIED  AT  ONCE,  AT  ITS 
NEAREST  OFFICE.  The  addresses  of  its  principal  depart- 
ments are  given  on  the  back  page  of  this  issue  of  The  Locomotive. 


Inspection  &  Insurance  Co.  209 


Boiler  Explosions. 

\iK];  ,    lyl  1. 

(160.) — On  April  i  a  stctiini  fractured  in  a  ca>t-irun  luatinj^  boik-r  in  an 
apartment  house  bclouKing  to  tlu-  Mlird  Investors  Realty  Co.,  West  107th  street, 
New  York  City.  ^ 

(lOi.)  — A  hot  water  heater  e.\i)l()<le(l.  April  2,  in  the  basement  of  Dr.  B.  A. 
Cheney's  sanitarium.  New  Haven,  Conn.  The  jiroperty  loss  was  estimated  at 
$1,000. 

(162.) — A  boiler  exploded,  April  3.  in  a  sawmill  at  Louisville.  Ky.  .\  boy 
was  killed. 

(  163.  >  — The  boiler  of  a  freight  locomotive  exploded,  April  4,  on  the  Puget 
Scpuiul  extension  of  the  Milwaukee  railroad,  three  miles  east  of  Mcintosh,  S.  D. 
Three  men  were  killed  and  the  locomotive  was  wrecked. 

(  164. )  —  A  tube  ruptured,  April  5,  in  the  State  Insane  .Asylum  at  Athene, 
(  )hio. 

(165.) — ^  On  April  6  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  J.  R. 
Williams  Lumber  Co.'s  sawmill.  Bay  St.  Louis,  Miss. 

(  166.) — A  boiler  exploded,  April  6,  in  Brumley  &  Jones's  sawmill,  near 
Mt.  Washington,  Ky.  One  man  was  killed  and  four  others  were  injured.  The 
building  was  also  totally  destroyed. 

(167.) — A  tube  failed,  April  7,  in  a  water-tube  l^oiler  in  the  .Mgoma  Steel 
Co.'s  plant,  Sault  Ste.  Marie,  Ont.     One  man  was  injured. 

(168.) — A  cast-iron  header  fractured,  April  7,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in 
the  Philadelphia  Rapid  Transit  Co.'s  power  house,  at  Thirteenth  and  INIt.  Vernon 
-treets,  Philadelphia.   Pa. 

(169.)  —  On  April  7  a  blowoff  pi])e  tailed  in  the  Hygeia  Refrigerating  Co.'s 
cold  storage  plant,  Elmira,  N.  Y<     One  man  was  slightly  injured. 

( 170.)  —  On  April  8  two  tubes  ruptured  and  six  ca.st-iron  headers  frac- 
tured in  a  w^ater-tube  boiler  at  the  Union  Ice  Co.'s  plant,  Pittsburg,  Fa. 

(171.) — The  boiler  of  a  locomotive  exploded,  April  10,  at  Northfork. 
W.  Va.     One  man  was  severely  injured. 

(172.)  — On  April  10  an  accident  occurred  to  a  boiler  in  the  Elizabeth  City 
Cotton  Mills,  Elizabeth  City,  N.  C. 

(173.) — Five  sections  of  a  cast-iron  heating  boiler  fractured.  April  10.  in 
a  business  block  owned  by  the  Geo.  Q.  Cannon  Association,  Salt  Lake  City. 
Utah. 

(174.; — A  tube  ruptured.  April  12.  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Westing- 
house  Electric  Manufacturing  Co.'s  lamp  works,  Bloomfield,  X.  J.  One  man  was 
scalded. 

(175.) — The  boiler  of  a  San  Antonio  &  Aransas  Pass  railroad  locomotive 
exploded,  April  14,  at  Waco,  Tex.     One  man   was  seriously  injured. 

(176.)  — On  April  14  a  cast-iron  header  fractured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at 
the  plant  of  the  Philadeljjhia  Rapid  Transit  Co.,  Thirty-third  and  Market 
streets.  Philadelphia.  Pa. 

(177.) — A  tube  ruptured,  April  16.  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  rod  and 
wire  mill  of  the  Southern  Iron  &  Steel  Co.,  Alabama  City.  Ala. 

(178.)  — On  April  16  an  accident  occurred  to  a  boiler  in  the  Hughes  Eyelet 
Co.'s  plant.  Taimtnn.  Mass. 


210  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [July. 

(lyg.)  — On  April  i8  a  boiler  exploded  at  tlie  plant  of  the  Thompson  Lum- 
ber Co.,  Centerville,  Ala.  One  person  was  injured,  and  the  property  loss  was 
large. 

(i8o.)  — A  copper  boiler,  used  for  beating  water  in  the  laundry,  exploded, 
April  i8,  in  the  basement  of  the  Christian  Home  for  Working  Girls,  Pittsburg, 
Pa.  The  boiler  passed  up  through  the  building  until  it  was  stopped  by  a  steel 
girder  in  the  ceiling  of  the  second  floor.  The  property  loss  was  estimated  at 
$i,ooo. 

(iSi,) — A  boiler  exploded,  April  18,  in  the  Acme  Laundry,  West  Pittston, 
Pa.    Two  persons  were  injured. 

(182.) — Two  sections  of  a  cast-iron  heating  boiler  ruptured,  April  19,  in 
Edwin  Wilcock's  apartment  house,  Boston,  Mass. 

(183.)— The  boiler  of  an  Oregon  Short  Line  locomotive  exploded,  April 
19,  some  four  miles  west  of  Shoshone,  Idaho  One  man  was  killed,  one  was 
fatally  injured,  and  a  third  was  injured  seriously  but  not  fatally. 

(184.)— On  April  20  a  slight  accident  occurred  to  a  boiler  in  the  plant  of 
the  Holmes  Brick  Works,  Holmes,  Pa. 

(185.)— A  boiler  ruptured,  April  20,  at  the  Eddy  Paper  Co.'s  plant.  Three 
Rivers,  ]\Iich. 

(186.)  —  Six  cast-iron  headers  fractured,  .\pril  20-,  in  a  water-tube  boiler 
at  the  plant  of  the  Georgia  Steel  Co.,  Aubrey,  Ga. 

(187.) — A  stearh  "cooker,"  used  for  cooking  grain  in  the  manufacture  of 
yeast  and  whisky,  exploded,  April  20,  in  the  Fleischmann  Company's  distillery, 
at  Riverside,  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  One  man  was  killed,  another  was  fatally  injured, 
and  four  received  injuries  more  or  less  serious,  but  not  fatal.  The  property  loss 
was  estimated  at  $2,000. 

(188.) — Twa  tubes  ruptured,  April  24,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  rod 
and  wire  mill  of  the  Southern  Iron  &  Steel  Co.,  Alabama  City,  Ala. 

(189.) — A  boiler  ruptured.  April  24,  in  the  box  factory  of  the  Illinois 
Glass  Co.,  Alton,  111. 

(190.)  — On  April  24  two  tubes  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  State 
Insane  Asylum,  Athens,  Ohio. 

(191.) — A  tube  ruptured.  April  26,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  Ellicott 
Square  Co.'s  general  office  building,  Buffalo,  N.  Y.     One  man  was  fatally  injured. 

(192.) — The  boiler  of  a  Baltimore  &  Ohio  railroad  locomotive  exploded, 
April  27,  at  Parkersburg,  W.  Va.     Two  persons  were  fatally  injured. 

(193.)  — Two  tubes  ruptured,  April  27,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Lacka- 
wanna Steel  Co.'s  plant,  Wehrum,  Pa. 

(194.)  — On  April  27  two  tubes  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  blast 
furnace  of  the  Southern  Iron  &  Steel  Co.,  Alabama  City,  Ala. 

(195.)  — A  tube  ruptured,  April  27,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  rod  and 
wire  mill  of  the  Southern  Iron  &  Steel  Co.,  Alabama  City,  Ala. 

(196.)  — A  boiler  exploded,  April  28,  in  La  Carona  factory,  Callejon  Pradito, 
Miex.     Two  persons  w^ere  killed  and  four  were  seriously  injured. 

(197.)  — -On  April  28  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Sherwin- 
Williams  Co.'s  paint  manufacturing  plant.  Pullman,  111. 

(igS.) — The  boiler  of  an  Atlantic  Coast  Line  locomotive  exploded.  April 
29,  at  Ocala,  Fla.     One  person  was  severely  injured. 


19".]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  g^  211 


May,  iqii. 

(199.)  — On  May  i  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Sliawmont 
pumping  station,  near  Manayunk,  Pa.     Three  men  were  injured. 

(.200.) — On  May  i  the  cross  connection  between  tlie  drums  of  a  water- 
tube  boiler  failed  at  the  plant  of  the  Schwartzschild  &  Sulzberger  Co.,  Kansas 
City,  Kans. 

(201.)  — An  accident  occurred,  May  i,  to  a  boiler  in  Dani«i  F.  Water's  dye 
works,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

(202.) — On  May  2  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Southern 
Iron  &  Steel  Co.'s  rod  and  wire  mill,  Alabama  City,  Ala.  • 

(203.)  — On  May  3  a  tube  failed  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  blast  furnace 
of  the  Southern  Iron  &  Steel  Co.,  Alabama  City,  Ala.     One  man  was  injured. 

(204.) — A  cast-iron  header  ruptured.  May  3.  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the 
power  house  of  the  Philadelphia  Rapid  Transit  Co.,  Thirty-third  and  Market 
streets,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

(205.)  — A  heating  boiler  exploded,  May  3,  at  the  plant  of  the  Union  Elec- 
tric Light  &  Power  Co.,  St.  Louis,  Mo.  Three  men  were  injured  so  badly  that 
they  died  shortly  afterward. 

(206.)  — A  boiler  exploded,  May  4,  on  the  steamer  State  of  Ohio,  at  Cleve- 
land, Ohio.     Nine  persons  were  injured,  two  of  them  being  injured  fatally. 

(207.) — A  tube  ruptured.  May  4.  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Duquesne 
works  of  the  Carnegie  Steel  Co.,  Duquesne,  Pa. 

(20S.)  — A  boiler  exploded.  May  4,  in  the  Manly  &  Colvin  Mill,  at  Arcadia, 
La.     Two  men  were  injured  seriously  and  perhaps  fatally. 

(209.) — The  boiler  of  a  traction  engine  exploded,  ^May  6,  near  St.  Joseph 
111.    One  man  was  injured. 

(210.) — A  hot-water  boiler  belonging  to  the  Tamaqua  Courier  exploded. 
INIay  8,  at  Tamaqua.  Pa. 

(211.)  — On  May  9  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  Pittsburg 
Railways  Co.'s  Brunot  Island  power  house,  Pittsburg,  Pa.    One  man  was  injured. 

(212.)  — On  ^lay  10  a  tube  ruptured  in  the  water-tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of 
the  Allentown  Portland  Cement  Co.,  Allentown,  Pa.  One  man  was  slightly 
injured. 

(213.) — A  tube  ruptured,  May  10,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  Larson 
Lumber  Co.'s  planing  mill,  Bellingham,  Wash.     Two  men  were  injured. 

(214.)  — A  boiler  belonging  to  J.  B.  Wood  exploded.  May  10,  at  Peet,  Bur- 
nett county.  Wis.  Two  person?  were  killed  and  two  others  were  injured 
seriously. 

(215.)  — On  May  11  a  boiler  belonging  to  Grover  Hall  exploded  at  Temple 
Hill.  Ky. 

(216.)  — A  boiler  exploded,  May  12,  in  a  sawmill  at  Grantsburg,  near  Green 
Bay,  Wis.,    One  man  was  killed,  and  two  others  were  seriously  injured. 

(217.) — The  boiler  of  a  Milwaukee  freight  locomotive  exploded,  May  12, 
at  Frontenac,  Minn.     One  person  was  killed  and  one  was  injured. 

C218.) — A  boiler  used  for  operating  a  pile-driver  exploded.  May  13,  at 
Clinton,  Iowa.  One  man  was  injured  fatally,  and  another  received  lesser 
injuries. 

(219.) — The  boiler  of  a  Chesapeake  &  Ohio  locomotive  exploded,  May  15, 
at  Frontenac,  Minn.     One  person  was  killed  and  one  was  injured. 


212  %  I'HE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [July, 


(220.) — The  boiler  of  a  locomotive  attached  to  the  Southern  Pacific  "Sun- 
set Express"  exploded.  May  15,  at  Brjn  Mawr,  near  San  Rcrnardino,  Cal.  One 
man  was  killed  and  another  was  seriously  injured. 

(221.) — The  boiler  of  locomotive  No.  68,  on  the  St.  Paul  road,  exploded. 
May  16,  three  miles  west  of  Lake  City,  Minn.  One  man  was  instantly  killed, 
and  another  was  fatally  injured. 

(222.) — The  mud  drum  of  a  water-tube  boiler  ruptured,  May  17.  at  the 
Lane  Cotton  Alills,  New  Orleans,  La. 

(,223.) — A  tube  ruptured,  May  18,  in  a.  water-tube  boiler  at  the  riouring; 
mills  of  the  Sparks  ^Tilling  Co.,  Alton,  111.     One  man  was  scalded. 

(224.) — A  boiler  exploded  at  Port  Fulton,  Ky.,  May  18,  on  a  boat  belong- 
ing to  the  Monongahela  Coal  Co. 

(225.)  — On  May  19  a  small  vertical  boiler,  used  in  excavating  for  a  foun- 
dation, exploded  at  the  corner  of  La  Salle  and  Madison  streets,  Chicago,  111. 
The  engineer  was  fatally  scalded,  and  five  other  men  received  serious  injuries 
also. 

(226.) — -On  i\lay  20  a  boiler,  used  in  the  construction  of  tlie  W'liite  Rock 
reservoir,  exploded  at  Dallas,  Tex.     The  fireman  was  killed. 

(227.) — A  boiler  exploded,  JNIay  23,  at  the  Jones  &  .\danis  mine,  Spring- 
field, 111.     One  person  was  injured. 

(228.)— A  boiler  explosion  occurred.  May  2.^,  at  the  Kosniosdale  cement 
plant,  West  Point,  Ky.     The  fireman  was  fatally  injured. 

(229.)  — On  ^lay  23  two  cast-iron  headers  of  a  water-tube  boiler  fractured 
at  the  pumping  station  of  the  Troy  water  works,    Troy,  Ohio. 

(230.) — A  blowoff  pipe  failed,  INlay  23,  in  W.  E.  Parker's  ice  and  cold 
storage  plant,  Winnfield,  La. 

(231.) — A  boiler  ruptured.  May  23.  at  the  Lake  Erie  Eorging  Co.'s  plant, 
Cleveland,  Ohio. 

(232.) — A  tube  ruptured,  ALiy  24,  in  a  water-tube  Ixiiler  at  the  W.  J. 
McCahan  Sugar   Refining  Co.'s  plant,   Philadelphia,   Pa. 

(^33-) — A  flue  burst,  May  25,  on  a  Lehigh  Valley  loco;:iniive  at  Eastnn, 
Pa.     One  man  was  injured. 

(234.) — A  boiler  exploded.  May  26,  at  the  electric  power  sta:ion  of  the 
Illinois  Glass  Co..  Alton,  111.  Two  men  were  injured,  and  one  of  them  died  a 
few  days  later.     The  property  loss  was  about  $4,500. 

(235.)  — A  slight  accident  occurred.  May  26,  to  a  boiler  in  the  plant  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Warehousing  &  Safe  Deposit  Co.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

(236.)— On  May  26  an  accident  occurred  to  a  boiler  at  the  plant  of  the 
iSIissouri   Cotton  Yarn   Manufacturing  Co.,   St.  Louis,   Mo. 

{237.) — A  tube  ruptured,  May  28,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  owned  by  the 
Pocahontas  Consolidated  Collieries  Co.,  Pocahontas,  Va.     One  man  was  injured. 

(238.) — A  hot-water  heating  boiler  exploded.  May  29,  in  the  residence  of 
George  E.  Rogers,  Springfield,  ^lass.  A  portion  of  the  heater  was  blown  up 
through  the  kitchen,  and  the  house  was  otherwise  damaged. 

(239.) — On  May  30  a  flue  burst  in  a  boiler  owned  by  Shaun  &  llhlinger, 
Philadelphia,  Pa.     Two  persons  were  injured. 

(240.)— On  May  30  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Georgia 
Steel  Co.'s  plant,  Aubrej',  Ga.     One  man  was  scalded. 

(241.) — A  boiler  exploded.  May  30.  in  the  electric  lighting  plant  at  Wayne- 
town.  Tnd. 


1911.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  213 


June,  lyii. 

(242.) — On  June  I  a  blowotT  pipe  ruptured  at  the  Aurora  Electric  Co.'s 
electric  light  and  water  works,  Aurora,  Neb.     One  man  was  scalded. 

(243.)  —  On  June  I  an  accident  occurred  to  a  boiler  in  the  Johnson 
Service  Co.'s  plant,  Milwaukee,  Wis.     One  person  was  severely  injured. 

(.244.)  — The  boiler  of  a  Union  Pacific  freight  locomotiv^j^exploded,  June  _>, 
six  miles  west  of  North  Platte,  Xeb.     Three  trainmen  were  killed. 

(245.) — The  boiler  of  freight  locomotive  No.  672,  on  the  Chesapeake  & 
Ohio  railroad,  exploded,  June  S.  at  Hurricane,  Putnam  county,  W.  Va.  Three 
men  were  injured,  and  one  of  them  died  on  the  following  day. 

(246.) — The  boiler  of  a  donkey  engine  exploded,  June  9,  at  Camp  23  of 
the  North  Coast  Timber  Co.,  near  Orting.  Pierce  county.  Wash.  One  man 
was  killed  outright,  and  another  was  fatally  injured. 

(247.) — A  tul)e  ruptured,  June  10,  in  the  Philadelphia  Rapid  Transit  Co.'s 
power  house.  Beach  and  Laurel  streets,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

(248.)  — A  boiler  ruptured,  June  11.  in  Charles  F.  .Vntz's  ice  factory,  Jefifer- 
sonville,  Ind. 

(249.) — On  June  11  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  bla>t 
furnace  of  the  Southern  Iron  &  Steel  Co.,  Alabama  City,  Ala. 

(250.) — A  tube  ruptured.  June  12,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  blooming 
mill  of  the  Southern  Iron  &  Steel  Co..  Alabama  City,  Ala. 

(251.)  — A  cast-iron  header  fractured.  June  12,  at  the  plant  of  the  Lawrence 
Portland  Cement  Co..  Siegfried.  Pa. 

(252.) — A  tube  ruptured,  June  12,  in  a  water-tul)e  boiler  in  the  Chittenden 
Hotel,  Columbus,  Ohio. 

(253.) — A  tube  ruptured,  June  13.  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  power 
station  of  the  Tri-State  Railway  &  Electric  Co.,  East  Liverpool,  Ohio.  One 
man  was  fatally  injured. 

(254.) — The  boiler  of  a  Baltimore  &  Ohio  locomotive  exploded.  June  14. 
at  Fairmont,  W.  Va.     One  person  was  seriously  injured. 

(255.) — A  boiler  exploded,  June  14,  during  the  course  of  a  tire  at  the 
Hurricane  Lumber  Co.'s  mill,  near  Bay  Minette.  Baldwin  county,  Ala.  The 
explosion  scattered  burning  brands  to  every  part  of  the  structure,  and  the  entire 
plant  was  destroyed,  with  a  loss  of  $75,000. 

(256.) — The  boiler  of  a  traction  engine  exploded.  June  14.  on  the  main 
street  of  Yoe.  York  county,  Pa.  Four  men  were  burned  and  scalded  —  two  of 
them  so  badly  that  it  was  considered  doubtful  if  they  could  recover. 

(257.) — A  boiler  exploded,  June  16.  on  the  steam  yacht  Ji'atcrboy.  fifty 
miles  east  of  Pensacola,  Fla.  The  vessel  took  fire  and  sank  in  six  fathoms  of 
water.  The  crew  was  rescued  by  fishermen  whose  attention  was  drawn  to  the 
wreck  by  the  flames. 

(258.) — Two  cast-iron  headers  fractured.  June  17.  in  a  water-tube  boiler 
in  the  Lawrence  Portland  Cement  Co.'s  plant,  Siegfried.  Pa. 

(259.) — A  boiler  ruptured.  June  18.  in  the  Columbia  ^L'lnufacturing  Co.'s 
plant,  Dallas,  Tex. 

(260.) — On  June  19  a  cast-iron  header  fractured  in  a  water-tube  boiler 
in  the  Provider.ce  plant  of  the  American  Locomotive  Co.,  Providence,  R.  L 

C261.) — A  boiler  exploded,  June  19,  in  the  J.  F.  Kainerer  Co.'s  sawmill, 
at  Union  City.  Pa.  Two  men  were  slightly  injured,  and  the  property  loss  was 
estimated  at  $15,000. 


214  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [July, 

(262.)  — A  boiler  ruptured,  June  20,  in  the  plant  of  the  Xew  York  &.  Penna. 
Co.,  Johnsonburg,  Pa. 

(263.) — -The  boiler  of  a  passenger  locomotive  exploded,  June  20,  on  the 
Chicago  &  Eastern  Illinois  railroad,  one  mile  south  of  Kensington,  Chicago,  111. 
One  man  was  severely  scalded,  the  locomotive  was  wrecked,  and  traffic  on  three 
railroads  was  delaj^ed  some  two  hours. 

(264.) — A  boiler  exploded,  June  2^,  in  the  J.  B.  Berlin  sawmill,  at  Cas- 
sandria,  near  ^larksville,  La.  One  person  was  killed  and  one  was  seriously 
injured. 

(265.)  — A  small  hot-water  boiler  exploded.  June  24,  in  the  Saranac  Lake 
Laboratory,  Saranac  Lake,  N.  Y. 

(266.) — A  boiler  exploded,  June  24,  on  the.  ^Mississippi  river  packet  City 
of  St.  Joseph,  seven  miles  below  rvlemphis,  Tenn.  Seventeen  men  were  killed, 
and  three  others  were  fatally  injured. 

(267.)  — On  June  26  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Monon- 
gahela  works  of  the  American  Sheet  &  Tin  Plate  Co.,  Pittsburg,  Pa.  One  man 
was  scalded. 

(268.) — A  hot-water  heater  exploded,  June  2'.  in  the  National  Ice  Cream 
Co.'s  plant  at  Taylorsville,  Ky.  One  man  was  badly  injured  (his  skull  being 
fractured),  but  it  was  said  that  he  will  recover. 

(269.) — A  boiler  ruptured,  June  28,  in  the  Lexington  Brewing  Co.'s  plant, 
Lexington,  ^Mo. 

(270.) — A  boiler  ruptured,  June  29,  in  the  Case  &  Martin  Co.'s  bakery, 
Chicago,  111. 

(271.) — On  June  30  a  cast-iron  header  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in 
the  Philadelphia  Rapid  Transit  Co.'s  power  station,  Thirty-third  and  Market 
streets,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

(272.)  — On  June  30  a  boiler  exploded  in  the  power  house  of  the  Marmet 
Coal  Co.'s  mine,  at  Hernshaw,  near  Marmet,  W.  Va.  Two  little  girls  were 
killed,  two  men  were  injured,  and  the  power  house  was  demolished. 


Until  within  quite  recent  times,  it  was  almost  universal,  whenever  a  boiler 
burst,  to  attribute  the  accident  to  low  water.  "  Boilers  never  explode,"  said  the 
wise  ones,  "unless  the  water  is  low."  Of  course  this  opinion,  which  we  have 
been  lighting  for  many  years,  has  now  pretty  well  died  out,  though  it  still  crops 
up  occasionally,  and  sometimes  in  the  most  unexpected  places. 

These  remarks  are  prompted  by  an  accident  that  occurred,  March  i,  at 
Roxbury,  Mass.  The  account  that  we  have  received  reads  thus :  "  Several 
hundred  gallons  of  beer  in  a  Roxbury  brewery  proved  too  strong  for  a  vat  today, 
and  in  bursting  its  bonds  the  liquid  hurled  three  workmen  violently  against  the 
walls  of  the  building,  with  the  result  that  one  man  sustained  a  fractured  skull 
and  two  others  were  severely  injured." 

We  dare  say  some  of  the  "  old  timers "  would  have  been  ready  to  argue 
that  the  beer  was  too  low. 


IQii.]  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  215 


Vice  President  Allen's  Seventieth  Birthday. 

Mr.  Francis  B.  .-Mien,  vice-president  of  the  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Inspec- 
tion and  Insurance  Company,  reached  the  age  of  three-score  years  and  ten,  on 
June  I.  Shortly  before  that  date  word  was  passed  around,  privately,  and  the 
employees  of  the  company  conspired  to  see  that  Mr.  Allen  was  reminded  of 
the  day  from  many  points  of  the  compass.  When  he  entered  ms  office  in  the 
morning,  he  was  surprised  to  find  a  silver  loving  cup  there,  bearing  the  inscrip- 
tion "  Presented  to  Francis  Burke  .-Mien  in  respectful  remembrance  of  his  seven- 
tieth birthday  by  his  office  associates,  June  i,  191 1."  At  four  o'clock  the 
employees  of  the  home  office  gathered  in  the  vice-president's  room,  and  Pres- 
ident Brainerd  made  the  formal  presentation  address.  Mr.  Allen  thanked  those 
assembled  for  remembering  him,  and  then  exhibited  a  second,  similar  cup  that 
he  had  received  during  the  day  from  Mr.  J.  M.  Lawford,  general  agent  of  the 
company  at  Baltimore.  Maryland.  A  very  fine  gold-handled  umbrella  was  also 
received  from  Mr.  Pescud,  general  agent  at  New  Orleans,  and  telegrams  poured 
ir    all   day  long,    from  every   part   of   the  country. 


The  Wooden  Boilers  of  the  "Argyle." 

There  was  a  slight  accident,  recently,  on  the  steamer  Argylc,  near  Toronto, 
Ont..  and  the  report  of  it  that  was  given  in  the  Toronto  Globe  was  far  more 
interesting,  in  some  respects,  than  the  accident  itself.   • 

'■  The  Argyle,"  said  the  Globe,  "  is  equipped  with  two  wooden  and  two  steel 
boilers,  and  the  wooden  boilers  (which  are  the  easiest  on  the  rest  of  the 
machinery)  had  been  right  through  the  season  up  to  yesterday.  Yesterday 
morning,  however,  the  steel  boilers,  which  cause  much  strain  on  the  machinery, 
were  installed,  and  this  was  the  cause  of  all  the  trouble. 

"When  the  Argylc  started  out,  the  greater  vibration  of  these  proved  too 
much  of  a  strain  on  the  rest  of  the  machinery,  the  trouble  being  made  more 
apparent  owing  to  a  wooden  patch  with  which  one  of  them  has  been  repaired. 
It  was  the  added  vibration  of  these  that  jarred  the  valve  pin  out  of  place, 
and  thus  cutting  the  steam  off,  caused  the  machinery  to  stop  and  the  side 
wheels  to  come  to  a  standstill.  Had  the  steamer  been  kept  going  with  the 
valve  pin  out  of  place,  the  piston  rods  would  have  knocked  in  among  the 
cylinders  and  very  serious  consequences  would  have  resulted. 

"  As  soon  as  the  passengers  were  landed,  the  six  members  of  the  engi- 
neering department  of  twelve,  who  were  on  duty,  were  at  once  put  to  the 
work  of  replacing  the  steel  boilers  with  the  wooden  ones.  Before  morning 
they  expect  to  have  made  the  change,  and  with  a  new  valve  pin  replacing 
the  one  that  was  shaken  out,  the  machinery  will  be  in  good  working  order  again. 
With  the  wooden  boilers  in  place,  it  is  stated  that  the  machinery  works  in 
first  class  shape,  and  no  further  trouble  is  looked  forward  to." 

This  account,  the  reading  of  which  gives  one  strabismus,  was  written  by 
a  guileless  reporter  who  was  innocent  of  any  knowledge  of  steam  engineering. 
Some  of  the  fresh-water  "  old  salts ''  on  the  Argyle's  staff  had  merely  been 
trying  to  see  what  he  could  be  made  to  believe,  and  he  swallowed  the  bait, 
hook,  line,  and  sinker. 


216  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [July, 

Wooden  boilers  luivc  been  used  in  the  past,  however,  when  the  steam  pres- 
sure carried  was  measured  in  ounces  rather  than  in  pounds.  In  the  issue  of 
The  Locomotive  for  October,  rgio.  there  will  be  found  an  illustration  of  a 
lioiler  of  this  kind,  that  did  service  in  Philadelphia  for  nearly  four  years, 
about  a  century  ago 


The  Melting-  Point  of  Tin. 

Pure  tin  makes  the  best  tilling  for  the  fusil)le  plugs  of  steam  boilers,  alloys 
being  objectionable  because  those  that  have  been  tried  for  the  purpose  appear 
to  undergo  a  gradual  change  when  exposed  continuously  to  heat,  so  that  their 
melting  points  do  not  remain  constant.  F"our  closely  accordant  and  apparently 
quite  accurate  determinations  of  the  melting  point  of  tin  have  been  made,  with 
the   following   results  : 

Date.  Observers.  ^Melting-  Point. 

1892     Callendar  and  Griffiths,  ^3i-7°  C. 

1895     Heycock  and  Neville,  ^3^-9 

1900     Reinders,  232.0 

1902     KUrnakow   and    Puschin,  ^31-5 


Average,  231.8°   C. 

This  corresponds,  on  the  Fahrenheit  temperature  scale,  to  449.2°  Fahr,, 
which  is  likely  to  be  within  a  few  tenths  of  a  degree  of  the  true  melting  point 
of  pure  tin. 

According  to  the  formula  given  by  Marks,  on  page  573  of  the  Journal 
of  the  American  Society  of  Mechanical  Engineers  for  May,  191 1,  the  pressure  of 
saturated  steam  at  449.2°  Fahr.  is  378.0  pounds  per  square  inch,  above  a  vacuum; 
so  that  it  will  be  seen  that  a  tin-filled  plug  will  not  melt  out  from  the  natural 
heat  of  the  steam  until  the  pressure  of  the  steam  becomes  363.3  pounds  per 
square  inch  greater  than  the  ordinary  pressure  of  the  atmosphere.  The  tin 
might  perhaps  soften  at  a  somewhat  lower  temperature,  sufficiently  to  blow  otit, 
but  between  the  highest  pressure  now  used  in  the  generation  of  power,  and  the 
pressure  at  which  pure  tin  will  melt  from  the  heat  of  the  steam  alone,  there  is 
evidently  a  margin  wide  enough  to  take  care  of  any  contingency  of  this  kind, 
without  the  slightest   uncertaintv. 


A  Boiler  Explosion  in  a  Sawmill. 

Our  illustrations  show  the  efifects.  in  part,  of  a  boiler  explosion  that 
occurred  some  months  ago  in  the  A.  W.  Allen  Co.'s  sawmill,  New  Bedford, 
Mass.  The  boiler  that  exploded  was  thrown  through  the  roof  of  the  building, 
to  a  height  estimated  at  from  sixty  to  seventy  feet.  Three  men,  including  Mr. 
Allen,  were  badly  injured,  and  four  others  received  minor  injuries.  One 
account  of  the  explosion  says  :  "  The  center  of  the  roof  disappeared  entirely, 
broken  shingles  and  pieces  of  timber  being  scattered  over  surrounding  roofs 
and  in  the  street,  and  the  sides  of  the  building  bulged  outward  in  the  middle. 
The  two  ends  of  the  roof  sagged  toward  the  missing  center,  forming  a  sort  of 
blanket  to  cover  the  scene  of  havoc  within."  The  property  loss  was  large, 
but  we  have  seen  no  estimate  of  its  amount. 

The  boiler  was  not  insured   in  the  Hartford. 


IQII.J 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE 


217 


Fig.  I. —  Shoui.\(,  ,,i,.  LAiLi.i.Eu  JJoi 


Fig.  2. —  Some  Details  of  the  Wreckage. 


218  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [July, 

On  the  Firing  of  Boilers  Having*  External  Furnaces. 

In  the  issue  of  The  Locomotive  for  March,  iSgr,  we  gave  a  description 
of  the  external  furnace  invented  by  President  J.  M.  Allen,  of  this  company, 
and  in  our  issue  for  June,  1893,  we  gave  a  further  illustration  of  the  way  in 
which  this  furnace  may  be  applied  to  upright  boilers.  In  both  cases  we  had 
a  few  words  to  say  concerning  the  best  method  of  firing  with  these  furnaces, 
but  as  we  have  learned  b}'  experience  that  firemen  have  some  difficulty  with 
handling  waste  tan  bark,  sawdust,  and  other  such  material,  until  they  have 
served  a  considerable  apprenticeship  at  the  business,  we  have  thought  it  well 
to  print  a  short  article  dwelling  especially  upon  the  art  of  handling  such  fuel 
to  the  best  advantage. 

The  main  thing  to  provide  for,  in  handling  fuel  of  this  kind,  is  an  abund- 
.  ant  supph-  of  oxygen.  When  burning  coal  or  wood  in  ordinary  furnaces  the 
oxygen  is  easily  had,  because  the  fuel  is  of  sufficiently  open  character  to  allow 
air  to  be  drawn  through  it  by  the  chimney  draft ;  but  the  refuse  that  is  burned 
in  external  furnaces  is  ordinarily  of  such  a  character  that  it  lies  in  heavy 
masses  on  the  grates,  and  is  so  solid  that  no  draft  could  draw  air  through  it. 
unless  it  were  strong  enough  to  pull  the  whole  mass  up  the  stack.  It  is  there- 
fore necessary  to  burn  this  fuel  largely  from  the  surface.  Some  air  should 
be  admitted  at  the  ash-pit  doors,  because  there  will  be  holes,  here  and  there, 
in  the  mass  of  fuel,  through  which  air  can  be  drawn.  Air  should  also  be 
admitted,  to  a  limited  extent,  through  the  fire  doors,  and  through  the  feed 
openings.  It  is  important  not  to  admit  too  much  air,  however,  because  (just 
as  in  burning  fuel  of  other  kinds)  an  excess  of  air  would  chill  the  furnace 
gases,  and  so  make  the  boiler  less  efficient.  A  l)rief  experience  will  enable 
the  fireman  to  estimate  very  well  whether  he  is  admitting  the  correct  amount  of 
air  or  not.  if  he  will  remember  that  the  object  to  be  attained  is  a  good,  bright 
fire,  which  is  burning  over  every  part  of  the  mass  that  is  upon  the  grates. 

It  is  important  to  stir  up  the  fuel  from  time  to  time,  as  it  lies  upon  the 
grate,  always  drawing  it  up  from  the  bottom  as  much  as  possible,  so  as  to 
loosen  the  mass  and  expose  fresh,  unburned  surfaces  constantly  to  the  action 
of  the  fire.  Fuel  is  sometimes  fed  to  these  external  furnaces  through  hoppers 
inserted  in  the  feed  openings,  but  while  this  practice  may  do  very  well  with 
some  kinds  of  fuel,  with  other  kinds  it  is  by  no  means  advisable.  When  the 
fuel  has  been  thrown  into  the  hoppers  in  such  quantity  that  they  remain  par- 
tially filled,  it  is  impossible  for  air  to  pass  down  through  them,  unless  the 
fuel  is  of  a  very  porous  nature.  The  result  is  that  the  hopper  becomes  heated 
and  warped  out  of  shape,  and  the  fuel  in  it  begins  to  char  from  the  heat,  and 
to  distil  off  objectionable  vapors,  which  form  a  source  of  unnecessary  annoy- 
ance to  the  fireman.  When  the  fires  are  managed  in  this  way,  it  is  also  diffi- 
cult to  stir  them  up  properl}^  and  it  is  almost  impossible  to  regulate  the  draft 
through  the  feed  openings.  It  is  much  better  to  dispense  with  the  hoppers 
altogether  in  most  cases,  and  to  cover  the  feed  openings  with  cast-iron  plates 
that  can  be  slid  about  over  the  floor.  The  draft  can  then  be  regulated  niceh' 
by  sliding  the  covers  to  one  side  far  enough  to  admit  as  much  air  as  is  desired  ; 
and  the  fireman  can  easily  introduce  more  fuel  by  pushing  it  across  the  floor 
and  allowing  it  to  fall  into  the  opening.  Care  should  always  be  taken  to  keep 
the  floor  around  the  feed  openings  swept  up  clean,  after  the  furnace  has  been 
freshly  fired,  because  if  this  is  not  attended  to  there  is  danger  that  the  fuel  on 


I9II.J  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  219 


the  floor  will  lake  fire,  and  the  flames  may  then  spread  to  the  main  heap  from 
which  the  supply  is  being  drawn.  When  the  fuel  is  damp  the  sweeping  of  the 
floor  is  not  so  important,  l)Ul  it  must  not  he  neglected  under  any  circum- 
stances when  the  fuel  is  of  a  dry  and  greasy  character,  so  that  it  I)urns  readil\. 


Loss  of  Heat  by  Painting*  Radiators. 

It  is  generally  believed  that  iIkt^  is  a  great  loss  in  efficiency  from  painting 
radiators.  We  do  not  agree  with  this  opinion,  however,  and  it  has  long  t^'en 
our  custom  to  require  piping  and  radiators  to  be  painted  in  colors  appropriate 
to  the  finish  of  the  rooms  in  which  they  are  placed.  Prof.  C.  L.  Norton,  of 
Boston,  Mass.,  made  a  long  series  of  experiments  upon  the  transmission  of 
heat  through  and  from  painted  surfaces.  His  results  are  highly  interesting, 
and  are  recorded  in  the  nineteenth  volume  (1898)  of  the  Transactions  of  the 
American  Society  of  Mechanical  Engineers.  They  have  seemingly  never  at- 
tracted the  attention  they  deserve.  Taking  the  amount  of  heat  radiated  from 
a  new  pipe  as  100,  Professor  Norton  obtains  the  following  relative  values  for 
the  heat  radiated,  under  similar  conditions,  from  pipe  treated  as  indicated: 

LOSS   OF    HE.\T   AT   200   POUXns    PRESSL"RE    FROM    E.\RE   PIPE. 

New  pipe,   lOO 

Fair  condition 1 16 

Rusty  and  black,    iig 

Cleaned  with  caustic  potash,  inside  and  out ii6 

Painted  dull  white 120 

Painted  glossy   white 100.5 

Cleaned  with  potash  again 116 

Coated  with   cylinder  oil I16 

Painted  dull   black 120 

Painted    glossy    black lOi 

It  appears  from  the  foregoing  results  that  the  color  of  the  pipe  has  little 
or  no  effect  upon  the  radiation  of  heat,  though  the  condition  of  the  surface 
with  respect  to  glossiness  or  dulness  has  quite  a  sensible  influence.  Thus  a  dull 
surface,  w-hether  it  be  white  or  black,  has  a  radiative  power  of  120,  and  a  glossy 
surface,  whether  white  or  black,  has  a  corresponding  power  of  only  about  loi. 
These  results  accord  well  with  our  experience,  which  is  to  the  etifect  that  there 
is  no  loss  in  efliciency  through  making  pipes  and  radiators  harmonize  with  the 
general  color  scheme  of  the  rooms  in  which  they  occur,  provided  glossy  finishes 
are  avoided. 


Fly-Wheel  Explosions. 

(29.)  — A  fly-wheel  burst,  April  4.  in  the  plant  of  the  Hess  Spring  &  Axle 
Co.,  Carthage,  Ohio.     One  person  was  killed. 

(30.)  —  On  April  10  a  fly-wheel  exploded  in  the  clock  case  factory  at 
Pen  Argyl,   Pa. 

(31.) — A  fly-wheel  accident,  which  resulted  in  the  serious  injury  of  one 
man,  occurred.  May  i,  in  the  Simpson  sawmill  at  Carbon,  near  Brazil.  Ind. 
A  block  of  wood  which  had  been  attached  to  the  wheel,  presumably  for  strength- 


220  I'l^^    LOCOMOTIVE.  [July, 


ening  some  part  of  it  temporarily,  broke  away  and  struck  the  unfortunate  man 
in   the   face,   crushing  a  number   of  the    facial   bones. 

(32.) — On  May  13  a  fly-wheel  exploded  m  paper  mill  "A,"  at  Franklin, 
N.  H. 

(^2-)  —  A  fly-wheel  exploded,  May  13,  in  the  electric  lighting  plant  at 
Temple,  Tex.  The  fragments  of  the  ruptured  wheel  tore  off  a  large  section  of 
the  roof  of  the  building  in  which  the  engine  was  located.  The  property  loss 
was  estimated  at  $2,000. 

(34.)  — A  fly-wheel  exploded,  June  23,  at  Wheeling,  W.  Va.,  severely  injur- 
ing one  person. 

(35.) — On  June  30  a  fly-wheel  exploded  in  the  drying  room  at  the  coke 
ovens  at  Sault  Ste.  Marie,  Ont.  Two  men  were  killed  instantly,  and  a  third 
died  before  he  could  be  removed  to  the  hospital.  The  damage  to  property  was 
estimated  at  $1,500. 

(36.)  — Damage  to  the  extent  of  $18,000  was  done,  July  4,  by  the  bursting 
of  a  fly-wheel  in  the  power  house  of  the  Fitchburg  &  Hudson  division  of  the 
Worcester  Consolidated  street  railwaj',  at  West  Berlin,  near  Clinton,  Mass. 
The  engineer  was  also  injured.  The  fragments  of  the  wheel  broke  steam 
pipes,  demolished  the  engine  room,  and  passed  through  the  roof  and  one  end 
of  the  building.     Some  of  them  were  found  200  yards  from  the  engine. 

(^y.)  — The  plant  of  the  Mooresville  Water,  Light,  Heat  &  Power  Co.,  of 
Mooresville,  Ind.,  was  wrecked,  July  5,  by  the  explosion  of  a  fly-wheel  on  an 
ice  machine.  Large  holes  were  torn  in  the  walls  and  roof  of  the  building,  and 
the  machinery  of  the  lighting  plant  was  badly  damaged.  The  night  engineer 
was  also  slightly  injured.  The  flying  wreckage  destroyed  an  ammonia  tank, 
and  a  number  of  persons  living  near  the  plant  were  obliged  to  flee  in  their 
night  clothes,  to  avoid  suffocation.  The  accident  is  said  to  have  been  due  to 
the  racing  of  the  engine. 

(38.) — A   fly-wheel    exploded,   July   14.   at   Coshocton,    N.    Y. 

(39.) — On  July  27  a  fly-wheel  exploded  at  the  Rome  Brick  Co.'s  plant. 
Rome,  Ga.  Tlie  engines  were  wrecked,  the  building  was  badly  damaged,  and 
one  man  was  injured. 


The  Plumber  and  the  Kitchen  Boiler. 

[The  following  imaginative  effort  is  from  a  book  of  humor  that  was  pub- 
lished some  years  ago,  and  which  is  too  often  overlooked  by  readers  in  search 
of  material  for  the  beguiling  of  a  few  hours.  The  said  book  is  called  "  Out  of 
the  Hurly-Burly,"  and  it  was  written  by  a  man  known  to  librarians  and  to 
the  police  as  "  Max  Adeler,"  but  known  to  textile  workers,  to  the  Sunday 
school  of  which  (we  believe)  he  is  superintendent,  and  to  the  registrar  of 
voters,  as  Charles  Heber  Clark.  Parts  of  this  extract  seem  like  passages  from 
our  own  experience,  for  though  this  be  fiction,  yet  the  truth  about  the  plumber 
is  often  stranger  than  the  fiction.] 

We  have  had  a  great  deal  of  trouble  recently  with  our  kitchen  boiler, 
which  is  built  into  the  wall  over  the  range.  It  sprang  aleak  a  few  weeks  ago. 
and  the  assistance  of  a  plumber  had  to  be  invoked  for  the  purpose  of  repair- 
ing it.  I  sent  for  the  plumber,  and  after  examining  the  boiler  he  instructed 
the   servant   to   let   the   fire   go   out   that   night,    so    that   he    could   begin    oper- 


19". J  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  221 


atioiis  early  the  next  morning.  His  order  was  obeyed,  but  in  tlie  morning 
the  plumber  failed  to  appear.  We  had  a  cold  and  very  uncomfortable  break- 
fast, and  on  niy  way  to  the  depot  I  overtook  the  plumber  going  in  the  same 
direction.  He  said  he  was  sorry  to  disappoint  me,  but  he  was  called  suddenly 
out  of  town  on  imperative  business,  and  he  would  have  to  ask  me  to  wait 
until  the  next  morning,  when  he  would  be  promptly  on  hand  with  his  men. 
So  we  had  no  fire  in  the  range  upon  that  day,  and  the  family  breakfasted  again 
upon  cool  viands  without  being  cheered  with  a  view  of  the  plumber.  Upon 
calling  at  tlfe  plumber's  shop  to  ascertain  why  he  had  not  fultilled  his  promise, 
1  was  informed  by  the  clerk  that  he  had  returned,  but  that  he  was  com- 
pelled to  go  over  to  Wilmington.  Tl^e  man  seemed  so  thoroughly  in  earnest 
in  his  assertion  that  the  plumber  positively  would  attend  to  my  boiler  upon 
the  following  morning  that  we  permitted  the  range  to  go  untouched,  and  for 
the  third  time  we  broke  our  fast  with*  a  frigid  repast.  But  the  plumber  and 
his  assistants  did  not  come. 

As  it  seemed  to  be  wholly  impossible  ta  depend  upon  these  faithless 
artisans,  our  cook  was  instructed  to  bring  the  range  into  service  again  without 
waiting  longer  for  repairs,  and  to  gi\t  the  family  a  properly  prepared  meal 
in  the  morning.  WTiile  we  were  at  breakfast  there  was  a  knock  at  the  gate, 
and  presently  we  perceived  the  plumber  and  his  men  coming  up  the  yard 
with  a  general  assortment  of  tools  and  materials.  The  range  at  the  moment 
of  his  entrance  to  the  kitchen  was  red  hot ;  and  when  he  realized  the  fact, 
he  flung  his  tools  on  the  floor  and  expressed  his  iirdignation  in  the  most 
violent  and  improper  language,  while  his  attendant  tiends  sat  around  in  the 
chairs  and  growled  in  sympathy  with  their  chief.  When  I  appeared  upon 
the  scene,  the  plumber  addressed  me  with  the  air  of  a  man  who  had  suffered 
a  great  and  irreparable  wrong  at  my  hands,  and  he  really  displayed  so  much 
feeling  that  for  a  few  moments  1  had  an.  indistinct  consciousness  that  I  had 
somehow  been  guilty  of  an  act  of  gross  injustice  to  an  unfortunate  and 
persecuted  fellow-being.  Before  I  could  recover  myself  sufficiently  to  present 
my  side  of  the  case  with  the  force  properly  belonging  to  it.  the  plumbers 
marched  into  the  )-ard,  where  they  tossed  a  quantity  of  machinery  and  tools 
and   lead  pipe  under  the   shed,  and   then  left. 

We  had  no  lire  in  the  range  the  next  morning,  but  the  plumbers  did 
not  come  until  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  then  they  merely  dumped  a 
cart-load  of  lime-boxes  and  hoes  upon  the  asparagus  bed  and  went  home. 
An  interval  of  four  days  elapsed  before  we  heard  of  them  again,  and  mean- 
while the  cook  twice  nearly  killed  herself  by  stumbling  over  the  tools  while 
going  out  into  the  shed  in  the  dark.  One  morning,  however,  the  gang  arrived 
before  I  had  risen,  and  when  I  came  down  to  breakfast  I  found  that  they 
had  made  a  mortar  bed  on  our  best  grass  plot,  and  had  closed  up  the  prin- 
cipal garden  walk  with  a  couple  of  loads  of  sand.  I  endured  this  patiently 
because  it  seemed  to  promise  speedy  performance  of  the  work.  The  plumbers, 
however,  went  away  at  about  nine  o'clock,  and  the  only  reason  we  had  for 
supposing  they  had  not  forgotten  us  was  that  a  man  with  a  cart  called  in 
the  afternoon  and  shot  a  quantity  of  bricks  down  upon  the  pavement  in 
such  position  that  nobody  could  go  in  or  out  of  the  front  gate.  Two  days 
afterward   the  plumbers  came   and   began   to  make  a  genuine   efifort   to   reach 


222  THE     LOCOMOTIVE,  [July. 

the  boiler.  It  was  buried  in  the  wall  in  such  a  manner  that  it  was  wholly' 
inaccessible  by  any  other  method  than  by  the  removal  of  the  bricks  from 
the  outside.  The  man  who  erected  the  house  evidently  was  a  party  with  the 
plumber  to  a  conspiracy  to  give  the  latter  individual  something  to  do.  They 
labored  right  valiantly  at  the  wall,  and  by  supper-time  they  had  removed  at 
least  twelve  square  feet  of  it,  making  a  hole  large  enough  to  admit  a  loco- 
motive. They  then  took  out  the  old  boiler  and  went  away,  leaving  a  most 
discouraging  mass  of  rubbish  lying  about  the  yard. 

That  was  the  last  we  saw  of  them  for  more  than  a  week.  Whenever 
I  went  after  the  plumber  for  the  purpose  of  pursuading  him  to  hasten  the 
work,  I  learned  that  he  had  been  summoned  to  Philadelphia  as  a  witness  in 
a  court  case,  or  that  he  had  gone  to  his  aunt's  funeral,  or  that  he  was  taking 
a  holiday  because  it  was  his  wife's  birthday,  or  that  he  had  a  sore  eye.  I 
have  never  been  able  to  understand  why  the  house  was  not  robbed.  An  entire 
brigade  of  burglars  might  have  entered  the  cottage  and  frolicked  among 
its  treasures  without  any  diiificulty.  I  did  propose  at  lirst  that  Bob  and  I 
should  procure  revolvers  and  take  watch  and  watch  every  night  until  the 
breach  in  the  wall  should  be  repaired,  but  Bob  did  not  regard  the  plan  with 
enthusiasm,  and  it  was  abandoned.  We  had  to  content  ourselves  with  fas- 
tening the  inner  door  of  the  kitchen  as  securely  as  possible,  and  we  were 
not  molested. 

Finally  the  men  came  and  began  to  fill  up  the  hole  with  new  bricks. 
That  evening  the  plumber  walked  into  ni}-  parlor  with  mud  and  mortar  ,  on 
his  boots,  and  informed  me  that  by  an  unfortunate  mistake  the  hole  left 
for  the  boiler  by  the  bricklayers  was  far  too  small,  so  that  he  could  not 
insert  the  boiler  without  taking  the  wall  down   again. 

"  ]\Ir.  Nippers,"  I  said,  "  don't  you  think  it  would  be  a  good  idea  for  me 
to  engage  you  permanently  to  labor  upon  that  boiler?  From  the  manner 
in  which  this  business  has  been  conducted,  I  infer  that  I  can  finalh'  be  rid  of 
annoyance  about  such*  matters-  by  employing  a  perennial  plumber  to  live 
forever  in  my  back  3'ard,  and  to-  spend  the  unending  cycles  of  eternity  banging 
boilers  and  demolishing  walls. ' 

■■  Mr.  Nippers,"  I  continued,  "  I  am  going  to  ask  a  favor  of  you.  I  do 
not  insist  upon  compliance  with  mj'  request.  I  know  that  I  am  at  your 
mercy.  Nippers,  you  have  me,  and  I  submit  patiently  to  my  fate.  But  my 
family  is  suffering  from  cold,  we  are  exposed  to  the  ravages  of  thieves,  we 
are  deprived  of  the  means  of  cooking  our  food  properly,  and  we  are  made 
generally  uncomfortable  by  the  condition  of  our  kitchen.  I  ask  you,  there- 
fore, as  a  personal"  favor  to  a  man.  who  wishes  you  prosperity  here  and 
felicity  hereafter,  and  who  means  to  settle  your  bill  promptly,  to  fix  that 
boiler  at  once." 

Mr.  Nippers  thereupon  said  that  he  always  liked  me,  and  he  swore  a 
solemn  oath  that  he  would  complete  the  job  next  day  without  fail.  That 
was  on  Tuesday.  Neither  Nippers  nor  his  men  came  again  until  Saturday, 
and  then  they  put  the  boiler  in  its  place  and  went  awaj^,  leaving  four  or  five 
cart-loads  of  ruins  in  the  yard.  On  Sunday  the  boiler  began  to  leak  as  badly 
as  ever,  and  I  feel  sure  Nippers  must  have  set  the  old  one  in.  again,  although 
when  he  called  early  Monday  moraing  with  a  bill  for  $237.84  (which  he 
wanted  at  once  because  he  had  a  note  to  meet),  he  declared  upon  his  honor 
that  the  boiler  was  a  new  one,  and  that  it  would  not  leak  under  a  pressure  of 
one   thousand   pounds   to   the    square   inch. 


Ttie  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  lospectioq  aqu  losurance  Gompaity. 


ABSTRACT  OF  STATEMENT,  JANUARY   1,  1911. 
Capital  Stock,       .         .         .       $1,000,000.00. 

ASSETS. 


Cash  on  hand  and  in  course  of  transmission, 
Premiums  in  course  of  collection. 

Real    estate 

Loaned  on  bond  and  mortgage, 
Stocks  and  bonds,  market  value, 
Interest    accrued,     . 


Total    Assets, 


I. 


Premium  Reserve, 

Losses  unadjusted, 

Commissions  and  brokerage, 

Other  liabilities   (taxes  accrued, 

Capital    Stock, 

Surplus  over  all  liabilities,  . 


Surplus  as  regards  Policy-holders, 


lABILITIES. 


etc. ) 


$174,137-52 
209,440.08 

91,400.00 
1,140,810.00 
3,180,527.72 

71,231.96 

$4,867,547.28 


$2,010,733.76 

130,809.04 

41,888.01 

45.149.16 


$1,000,000.00 
1,638.967.31 


$2,638,967.31    2,638,967.31 


Total    Liabilities, 


$4,867,547.28 


L.   B.  BRAINERD,   President  and  Treasurer. 

FRANXIS  B.  ALLEN.  Vice-President.  CHAS.  S.  BLAKE.  Secretary. 

L.  F.  MIDDLEBROOK.  Assistant  Secretary. 

W.  R.   C.  CORSON.  Assistant  Secretary. 

S.  F.  Jeter.  Superyising  Inspector. 

E.  J.  Murphy,  M.  E..  Consulting  Engineer. 

F.   M.   Fitch,  Auditor. 


BOARD     OF     DIRECTORS. 


GEORGE    BURXH.AM, 

The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works,  Phila- 
delphia,   Pa. 
ATWOOD     COLLINS,     President, 

The    Security    Co.,    Hartford,    Conn. 
LUCIUS       F.        ROBINSON,       Attorney, 

Hartford,    Conn. 
JOHN    O.    ENDERS,    United   States   Bank. 

Hartford,    Conn. 
LYMAN    B.    BRAINERD. 

Director,    Swift    &    Company. 
MORGAN  B.    BRAINARD, 

\'ice-Pres.    and    Treasurer,    The    .^tna 

Life    Insurance    Co.,    Hartford,    Conn. 
FR.ANCIS     B.     ALLEN,     Vice-Pres..     The 

Hartford    Steam    Boiler   Inspection   and 

Insurance    Company. 
CHARLES    P.    COOLEY,    Vice-Pres., 

The     Fidelity     Trust     Co.,     Hartford, 

Conn. 


ARTHUR    L.    SHIPMAN,    Attorney, 

Hartford,     Conn. 
GEORGE    C.    KIMBALL,    President,    The 

Smyth    Mfg.    Co.,    Hartford,    Conn. 
CPIARLES    M.    JARVIS,    President,    The 

American   Hardware   Corporation,   New 

Britain,   Conn. 
FRANCIS      T.      MAXWELL,      President. 

The   Hockanum   Mills   Company,    Rock- 

ville.    Conn. 
HOR.ACE    B.    CHENEY,    Cheney   Brothers 

Silk    Manufacturing    Co.,    South    Man- 
chester,    Conn. 
D.    NEWTON    BARNEY.    Treasurer.    The 

Hartford      Electric      Light      Co.,      and 

Director   N.   Y.,    N.    H.   and   H.    R.    R. 

Co. 
DR.    GEORGE   C.    F.    WILLIAMS,    Treas. 

&•     General     Manager,     The     Capewell 

Horse  Nail  Co.,   Hartford,   Conn. 


Incorporated  1866. 


Cflrnegb  Lib 


Charter  Perpetual. 


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®heJor0matJtie 


COPYRIGHT,   1911,  BY  THE  HARTFORD  STEAM  BOILER  INSPECTION  AND  INSURANCE  CO. 


Vol.  XXVI II. 


HARTFORD,  CONN.,  OCTOBER,  1911. 


No.  8. 


Some  Studies  of  Welds.* 

By  E.  F.  Law,  W.  II.  AIerriott,  ^nd  W.  P.  Digby. 
At  the  outset  the  author.s  feel  it  advisable  to  define  the  sense  in  which  the 
word  "  weld  "  is  used  in  this  paper,  —  namely,  as  designating  an  actual  fusing 
together  of  similar  or  allied  metals.  Mere  intimacy  of  contact  without  such 
fusion  cannot  be  regarded  as  a  weld  in  its  real  sense.  The  common  impression 
that  tensile  tests  really  give  the  last  word  on  the  subject  is  erroneous.  The 
authors  urge  that  other  comparisons  are  necessary.  Consideration  should  be 
given   to  the  nature   of  the   fracture,  and  to  alterations  in   the   character  and 


Fig.  I.  —  Welded  Steam   Pipe,  Showing  Defective  Weld. 

composition  of  the  metals  from  the  somewhat  drastic  thermal  treatment.  These 
alterations  may  not  seriously  afifect.  the  strength  of  the  weld,  and  yet  they  may 
make  themselves  apparent  by  an  increased  liability  to  corrosion,  and  in  other 
ways. 

The  present  contribution  to  the  study  of  this  subject,  by  calling  attention 
to  the  well-defined  abnormalities  peculiar  to  certain  methods  of  welding  when 
imperfectly  executed,  will,  it  is  hoped,  explain  the  reasons  for  the  admittedly 
wide  variations  in  mechanical  properties,  as  well  as  indicate  the  points  requir- 

*  Abstract  of  a  paper  read  before  the  Iron  and  Steel  Institute.     Reproduced,  here,  from 
Vulcan. 


226 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE, 


[October, 


ing  special  attention  during  the  operations  that  the  various  processes  involve. 
It  is  also  hoped  that  the  present  paper  will  facilitate  the  enunciation  of  a 
metallurgical  standard  of  excellence  to  which  all  welds  should  attain. 

Resistance  Welds.  —  The  authors' 
investigation  of  resistance  welds  in  steel 
began  with  some  experiments  upon  bars 
that  had  been  welded  together  with 
plain  butt  joints,  some  of  these  bars 
being  round  with  a  diameter  oi  lYz  in., 
while  others  were  rectangular,  with  a 
section  2  in.  by  2^  in.  A  round  test 
bar  was  turned  from  the  center  of  each 
of  the  round  specimens,  the  extruded 
metal  of  bulbous  shape  at  the  point  of 
junction  being  thereby  removed.  The 
rectangular  specimens,  on  the  other  hand, 
were  first  sawn  longitudinally  down  the 
middle,  and  each  half  was  then  again 
sawn  down  the  middle  in  a  similar  way. 
From  each  of  the  four  rectangular  bars 
thus  prepared,  a  test  piece  was  turned. 
None  of  the  specimens  described  in 
Tables  i  and  2  were  in  any  way  worked  or  annealed  after  welding. 


Fig.  2. 


-Section  of  Steam  Pipe  and 
Flange.     (Etched.) 


Table  i. —  Tensile  Tests  of  Resistance  Welds  on  25^  in.  by  2  in.  Bars,  with 

Butt  Joints. 


Weld 
No. 

Breaking 
stress. 

Lbs.  per 
sq.  in. 

Elastic 

limit. 

Lbs.  per 

sq.  in. 

Elongation 
on  2  in. 
Per,  cent. 

Reduction 
of  area  at 

fracture. 

Per  cent. 

Remarks. 

2A 

55,400 

36,330 

15.0 

31-25 

Broke  at  weld.  Fracture 
mainly  crystalline. 

2B 

43.790 

33,260 

5.0 

8.97 

Splintered  fracture.  Slight 
crystalline  area. 

2C 

61,150 

45,400 

35-0 

65.70 

Original  steel.  Normal  frac- 
ture. 

3A 

36,780 

31,250 

4.0 

7.61 

Splintered  fracture.  Slight 
crystalline  area. 

3B 

28,220 

20,830 

3-0 

4-33 

Splintered  fracture.  Slight 
crystalline  area. 

3C 

S9.400 

41,840 

34-5 

63.30 

Original  steel.  Normal  frac- 
ttire. 

Ba 

39.310 

32,300 

4.0 

12.09 

Splintered  fracture. 

Bb 

60,700 

44.910 

1 

33-0 

65.60 

Original  steel.  Normal  frac- 
ture. 

19".] 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE. 


227 


Two  examples  of  resistance  welds  of  wrought  iron  may  be  cited  as  typical 
of  average  practice.  Upon  etching,  each  of  tiiese  showed  a  line  of  oxidation  at 
the  point  of  juncture  (in  one  case  distinctly  pronounced),  with  large  crystal- 
lization in  the  neighborhood  of  the  weld.  A  test  piece  from  the  sample  show- 
ing the  oxidation  less  markedly  broke  at  51,400  lbs.  per  square  inch,  with  an 
elastic  limit  of  34,500  lbs.  per  square  inch,  an  elongation  of  ten  per  cent,  on 
two  inches,  and  a  reduction  of  area  of  15.65 
per  cent.  The  test  piece  from  the  speci- 
men showing  the  distinct  and  pronounced 
line  of  oxidation  broke  at  37,900  lbs.  per 
square  inch,  with  an  elastic  limit  of  26,630 
lbs.  per  square  inch,  an  elongation  of  only 
three  per  cent,  on  two  inches,  and  a  re- 
duction of  area  of  2.95  per  cent.  Tlie 
former  sample  showed  a  fibrous  fracture 
with  slight  indication  of  crystallization. 
The  latter  sample  showed  more  crystalli- 
zation, yet  its  fracture  was  mainly  of  a 
fibrous  character. 

Perhaps  the  best  examples  of  success- 
ful resistance  welds  were  found  in  a  cliain 
made  by  the  acetylene  wielding  process. 
Each  link,  upon  etching,  showed  crystalliza- 
tion adjacent  to  the  weld.  The  very  effec- 
tive working  given  while  the  link  was  still 
toward  extrusion   of  metal. 


Fig.     3.  —  Arc-welded     Pipe     .\m? 
Flange. 

plastic    prevented    any    tendency 


HoT-FLAME  Welds  with  Acetylene. —  Various  examples  of  acetylene  weld- 
ing passed  through  the  hands  of  the  authors.  Four  tensile  tests  of  one  series, 
with  butt  joints,  are  given  in  Table  3.  The  average  tensile  strength  of  54,020 
lbs.  per  square  inch  and  the  average  elastic  limit  of  38,100  lbs.  per  square  inch 
are  both   fairly  good. 


T.\BLE 

2. —  Tensile  Tests  of  Resistance  Welds 
Butt  Joints. 

ON  i^  IN.  Round  Bars,  with 

Weld 
No. 

Breaking 
stress. 

Lbs.  per 
sq.  in. 

Elastic 

limit. 

Lbs.  per 

sq.  m. 

Elongation 

on  2  in. 

Per  cent. 

Reduction 
cf  area  at 

fracture. 

Per  cent. 

Remarks. 

4A 
4B 
4C 
Aa 
Ab 

62,940 
48,880 
60,370 
61,940 
57.570 

47,200 
43,680 
40,320 
45.140 
46,260 

10. 0 

3-5 
35-0 
37.0 
12.0 

12.40 

5-34 
63.70 
63.30 
13.65 

Crystalline      fracture  ;     over- 
heated. 

Crystalline      fracture  ;     over- 
heated. 

Original  steel.     Normal  frac- 
ture. 

Original   steel.     Normal  frac- 
ture. 

Crystalline      fracture ;     over- 
heated . 

228 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE. 


[October^ 


Another  process  in  which  acetylene  is  emploj'cd  for  welding  boiler  plates 
deserves  mention.  The  plates  are  here  shaped  to  a  V  end,  and  the  weld  effected 
by  melting  Swedish  iron  into  the  depressions  on  either  side.  Upon  etching  a 
section  of  a  weld  prepared  by  this  process  the  iron  and  steel  areas  were  found 

to  be  quite  distinct.  The  tests 
given  in  Table  4  were  made 
upon  samples  of  this  nature, 
sometimes  without  any  treat- 
ment, and  sometimes  after  heat 
treatment  of  the  nature  indi- 
cated in  the  table. 

Reviewing  these  results,  it 
is  apparent  that  mechanical  ir- 
regularity of  juncture,  through 
imperfect  fusion,  far  outweighs 
any  improvements  that  may  be 
introduced  by  the  heat  treat- 
ment. The  differences  between 
the  two  annealed  specimens  of 
either  pair  receiving  a  specified 
heat  treatment  exceed  the  dif- 
ference between  the  means  of 
the  two  pairs.  The  authors 
would  regard  this  process  as 
a  good  one  for  filling  cavities 
in  castings,  or  for  other  work 
of  that  general  character,  but 
they  could  not  recommend  it  seriously  for  cases  in  which  mechanical  strength 
is  of  prime  importance. 


Fig.     4. 


Arc-welded    Pipe 
(Etched.) 


AND     Flange. 


Table  3. —  Mechanical  Properties  of  Acetylene  Welds  (Butt  Joints"). 


Marks 

on 
sample 


14542  A 

14564  A 
250S2  A 
25085  A 


Breaking 
stress. 

Lbs.  per 
sq.  in. 


58,780 


60,260 


48,320 


48.700 


Elastic 

Limit. 

Lbs.  per 

sq.  in. 


Elonpration 
on  8  in. 
Per  cent. 


43,680 


42,290 


31,300 


35.080 


12.50 


15.60 


6.26 


4.38 


Per- 
centage 
reduction 

of  area. 


50.60 


52.80 


10.08 


2.43 


Remarks. 


Test-piece  broke  i|  in.  from 
end  of  bar,  and  not  at 
weld.  Fracture  silky 
fibrous. 

Test-piece  broke  i  in.  from 
center,  and  not  at  weld. 
Fracture  silky  fibrous. 

Fracture  at  center  of  bar. 
Crystalline  fracture  ;  broke 
at  w^eld. 

Fracture  at  center  of  bar. 
Crystalline  fracture  ;  broke 
at  weld. 


19"] 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE 


229 


HoT-FL.^ME  Welds  with  Water-g.\s. —  Out  of  a  number  of  water-gas  welds 
the  authors  have  selected  two  normal  good  welds,  and  an  alinormal  on*  obtained 
with  an  o.xidizing  flame,  all  with  scarfed  joints.  The  mechanical  tests  of  the 
series  of  plates  from  which  the  abnormal  sample  was  selected  would  be  gen- 
erally regarded  as  corresponding  to  fair  practice.  The  tensile  stresses  were  low, 
but  tiie  elongations  and  the  percentage  reductions  of  area  wcrft,good. 

CoKE-FiKE  W'ei.us  FOR  STE.\M-rirE  Flanges.  —  For  a  long  time  certain  con- 
sulting engineers  have  set  their  faces  rigidly  against  the  employment  of  weld?d 
flanges  on  steam  pipes,  preferring  instead,  screwed  and  riveted  flanges.  Two 
cases    (one   a  coke-tire   weld   and   the   other  an   arc   weld)    coming  before   the 


T 

ABLE  4. —  Acetylene 

Welds  of 

Boiler   Plates. 

Marks 
on 

sample. 

Breaking 
stress. 

Lbs.  per 
sq.  in. 

Elastic 

limit. 

Lbs.  per 

sq.   in. 

Elongation 
on  2  in. 
Per  cent. 

Per- 
centage 
reduction 
of  area. 

Remarks. 

A 

56,400 

38,440 

3X-7 

54-60 

Original  steel,  untreated.  Nor- 
mal fracture. 

B 

36,960 

24,930 

7-5 

13.50 

Welded  joint,  untreated. 
Swedish  iron,  visible  as  crys- 
tals. Imperfect  juncture  at 
point  of  V. 

D 

43.460 

29,970 

9.0 

20.50 

Welded  joint,  untreated. 
Fracture  partly  crystalline, 
but  aminated. 

As 

52,980 

33,490 

32.0 

51.65 

Original  steel,  at  750°C.  for  172 
hours,    and    slowly    cooled 
Normal  fracture. 

B  5 

43.950 

30,460 

8.5 

18.85 

Welded  joint,  treated  same  as 
sample  A  5.  Bad  fracture, 
of  a  burnt  character. 

E  5 

44.460 

30,960 

9.0 

24.90 

Welded  joint,  treated  same  as 
sample  A  5.  Bad  fracture, 
with  marked  cavities. 

A6 

53,530 

35-460 

37-0 

54-0O 

Original  steel,  annealed  at  a 
temperature  rising  from  850° 
C.  to  900°  C.  for  half  an  hour 
and  slowly  cooled.  Normal 
fracture. 

C  6 

33,510 

23,470 

6.0 

9.15 

Welded  joint,  treated  as 
sample  A  6.  Bad  fracture  ; 
broke  at  weld.  Junction  of 
metal  imperfect. 

D  6 

52,240 

34.970 

16.50- 

25.25 

Welded  joint,  treated  as 
sample  A  6.  Swedish  iron, 
visible  as  crystals.  Ten- 
dency to  rupture  noticed 
away  from  weld,  where  ac- 
tual fracture  occurred. 

230 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE, 


[October, 


authors  tend  both  to  confirm  and  to  illustrate  the  soundness  of  this  view.  A 
welded  pipe  flange  may  be  mechanically  imperfect  in  some  obvious  way,  or 
it  may  be  superficially  perfect  and  capable  of  passing  hydrostatic  pressure  tests. 
In  this  latter  case  ignorance  as  to  its  real  internal  condition  produces  a  peace 
of  mind  which  knowledge  is  likely  to  destroy. 

Fig.  I  shows  a  segment  of  a  wrought-iron  flange  nominally  welded  \o  a 
mild  steel  steam  pipe.  As  shown,  the  pipe  has  been  stripped  away  by  the  use 
of  a  drifting  tool.  There  being  no  fusion  of  the  metal,  the  weld  is  merely 
nominal. 

Fig.  2  is  from  the  other  end  of  the  segment,  where  the  pipe  had  not  been 
forced  away  mechanically  from  the  flange.  The  clear  demarkation  of  area 
shows  that  there  has  been  no  fusion  of  the  metal. 

Arc  Welds  for  Steam-pipe  Flanges. —  A  segment  of  an  arc-welded  flange 
on  a  steel  pipe  is  shown  in  Fig.  3,  in  its  condition  as  received.  Tlie  welding 
is  only  partial,  more  than  one  third  of  the  area  of  junction  having  an  air 
space.  In  its  entirety,  this  pipe  would  have  passed  all  reasonable  hydrostatic 
pressure  tests.  Fig.  4  shows  the  same  section  as  Fig.  3,  but  after  polishing  and 
etching.  This  weld  is  an  example  of  a  perfect  metallic  fusion,  but  with  a 
remarkable  change  in  composition  and  structure  of  the  fused  material.  It  is 
evident  that  arc  welds  cannot  be  relied  upon  to  vmite  the  entire  area  of  contact 
in  cases  of  this  character.  At  least  one  case  is  known,  in  which  a  consign- 
ment of  pipes  separated  from  their  flanges  owing  to  the  action  of  atmospheric 
corrosion  alone. 

Conclusion. —  No  matter  what  the  process  is  by  which  two  metals  are 
welded  together,  there  must  ahvays  be  an  area,  more  or  less  sharply  defined,  of 
altered  molecular  structure.  Just  as  quenching  and  annealing  alter  steel  in 
a  manner  which  is  quite  unmistakable  to  those  acquainted  with  the  micro- 
structure  of  steel,  so  it  is  obvious  that  the  local  heating  to  the  high  tempera- 
tures required  for  mechanically  satisfactory  welds  leaves  its  impress  upon  the 
steel.  Each  of  the  methods  to  which  the  authors  have  referred  has  its  own 
hall-mark.     For  instance,  it  is  possible,  by  merely  polishing  and  etching,  to  say 

Table  5. —  Mechanical   Properties    of   Water-gas    Welds    (Scarfed   Joints). 


Marks 

on 

sample. 

Breaking 
stress. 

Lbs.  per 
sq.  in. 

Elastic 

limit. 

Lbs.  per 

sq.  in. 

Elongation 
on  8  in. 
Per  cent. 

Per- 
centage 
reduction 
of  area. 

Remarks. 

G 

32151  G 

32151  G 
(6) 

32151  G 
(8) 

49.390 
47,260 

44.420 
51.320 

33,060 
32,210 

28,940 

37.470 

17. So 

18.75 

6.26 

23-75 

59-20 
36.40 

56.70 
64.60 

Broke  2yi'm.  from  one  end 
of  bar —  not  at  weld. 

Broke  near  center  of  bar,  at 
weld.       Laminated     frac- 
ture. 

Broke  near  one  end  of  bar. 
Fracture    similar   to   cut- 
ting-end of   a   wood-turn- 
ing chisel. 

Broke  near  center  of  bar  — 
not  at  weld. 

19"]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  231 


whether  an  electric  weld  has  been  made  by  an  arc  or  a  resistance  method ;  and 
acetylene  and  water-gas  welds  have  each  their  own  marked  characteristics  also. 
at  least  unless  the  specimen  has  been  annealed  so  as  to  restore  its  original 
structure. 

The  authors  have  not  entered  into  the  practical  applications  of  the  respec- 
tive processes,  nor  have  they  given  descriptions  of  the  apparatus  required  in 
putting  the  various  processes  into  practice.  Obviously  an  arc  process,  even 
were  its  results  satisfactor>-,  does  not  lend  itself  to  the  manufacture  of  welded 
boiler  tubes;  and  on  the  other  hand,  a  resistance  process  is  not  adapted,  by  its 
nature,  to  use  in  patching  up  a  defective  casting. 

Resistance  welds  (with  the  possible  exception  of  acetylene  welds)  are 
seemingly  least  prone  to  oxidation,  but  in  these  the  extrusion  of  the  metal 
makes  good  working,  while  the  material  is  still  plastic,  of  supreme  importance. 
Arc  welds  are  most  prone  to  oxidation,  and  many  will  hesitate  to  rely  upon  a 
process  of  this  kind,  in  positions  where  corrosion  is  likely  to  occur.  Where 
the  metal  is  not  likely  to  be  subject  to  corrosion,  the  excellent  fusion  obtained 
by  the  arc  process  renders  it  commendable. 

Flame  welds,  except  upon  work  such  as  patching  up  castings,  should  re- 
ceive adequate  working  and  manipulation  while  in  their  heated  condition.  Of 
the  two  methods  investigated,  water-gas  welds  may  be  abnormal  through  the 
use  of  oxidizing  flames,  while  acetylene  welds  certainly  require  annealing  to 
break  down  the  crystalline  structure  in  the  vicinity  of  the  weld. 

The  main  sources  of  trouble  to  be  avoided  in  order  to  do  successful  welding 
may  be  said  to  be :  (i)  Too  low  a  temperature  to  secure  true  fusion  of  the 
metal,  and  (2)  Oxidation  of  the  metal  at  the  point  of  welding.  The  first  of 
these  can  be  detected  more  easily  tlian  the  second ;  while  the  second  is  more 
insidious  than  the  first  in  its  effects. 


In  connection  with  the  foregoing  article  upon  autogenous  welding  we 
maj-  record  that  we  had  occasion  not  long  ago  to  test  a  weld  made  by  the 
oxy- acetylene  process.  The  material  was  steel  boiler  plate,  and  the  results  of 
the  test  were  as  follow : 

Size  of  cross-section  of  specimen -• 2. no  in.  by  0.^33  in. 

Area   of  original   cross-section, 0.914    sq.    in. 

Ultimate   stress   in   pounds    (total) 43.130 

Ultimate  stress  in  pounds   (per  square  inch) 47.190 

Elongation   in   two   inches    (total) ■• 0.38   in. 

Elongation   in   two   inches    (percentage) 19  per  cent. 

Size  of  reduced  cross-section..  .  •    2.013  in.  by  0.376  in. 

Area  of  reduced  cross-section, 0.757  sq.  in. 

Percentage   of  reduction   of  area...-- 17.18   per  cent. 

The  specimen  broke  in  the  weld,  and  the  fracture  showed  a  full  incorporation 
of  the  metal,  except  that  there  were  a  few  little  cells  throughout  the  weld,  not 
more  than  i/64th  in.  in  diameter. 


232  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [October. 

Boiler  Explosions. 

Jl'lv,    191 1. 

(273.) — A  tube  failed,  July  i,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Southern  Iron 
&  Steel  Co.'s  blast  furnace,  Alabama  City,  Ala. 

(274.) — Two  flues  collapsed,  July  i,  at  the  Allegheny  Ore  &  Iron  Co.'s 
blast  furnace,  Buena  Vista,  Va. 

(275.) — The  boiler  of  locomotive  No.  3630,  of  the  Salt  Lake  Route,  ex- 
ploded, July  3,  at  Lake  Point,  some  twenty  miles  from  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 
The  engineer  and  fireman  were  killed.  The  locomotive  was  almost  entirely 
demolished,  and  the  freight  train  that  it  was  hauling  was  wrecked. 

(276.)  — On  July  4  a  boiler  ruptured  in  the  Frederick  Railroad  Co.'s  power 
plant,  near  ^Middletown,   Aid, 

(277.)  —  The  boiler  of  a  threshing  outfit  exploded,  July  4,  on  Charles 
Martin's  farm,  at  Millersburg,  near  Carlisle,  Ky.  One  man  was  fatally  injured, 
and  the  machinery  was  badly  damaged. 

(278.)  —  On  July  6  the  boiler  of  a  threshing  outfit  exploded  on  Peter  Ridge- 
way's  farm,  near  Fulton,  Ky.  One  man  was  instantly  killed,  and  two  others 
were  seriously  injured. 

(279.) — A  boiler  exploded,  July  6,  in  the  Wileman  &  Helbing  brick  yard, 
at  Beechwood  Park,  near  Ironton,  Ohio.  One  man  was  fatally  injured  and 
two  others  were  injured  seriously  but  not  fatally. 

(280.)  — The  boiler  of  Joseph  Jackson's  sawmill  exploded,  July  7,  near 
Veedersburg,  Ind. 

(281.) — On  July  7  a  cast-iron  header  fractured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at 
the  Philadelphia  Rapid  Transit  Co.'s  power  house.  Thirty-third  and  Market 
streets,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

(282.)  — A  tube  ruptured,  July  8,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  water  works 
and  electric  lighting  plant  at  Fremont,  Neb. 

(283.) — A  boiler  exploded,  Julj^  9,  at  the  Rees  coal  mine  in  Grass  Creek 
canyon,  near  Coalville,  Utah.  One  man  was  killed  and  another  was  seriously 
injured.     The  property  loss  was  estimated  at  $4,500. 

(284.) — A  tube  burst,  July  11,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Lehigh  & 
Wilkes-Barre  Coal  Co.'s  No.  5  shaft,  at  South  Wilkes-Barre,  Pa.  One  of  the 
firemen  was  severely  burned. 

(285.) — Two  boilers  of  a  nest  of  six  exploded,  July  11,  at  the  iMcTurk 
colliery,   Girardville,    Pa.     Three  men  were   seriously   injured. 

(286.)  —A  boiler  exploded,  July  11,  in  William  Beyer's  sawmill,  at  Colloms- 
ville,  near  Williamsport,  Pa.  The  mill  was  "literally  reduced  to  splinters," 
and  the  owner's  residence  was  damaged  considerably. 

(287.) — A  boiler  ruptured,  July  12,  in  the  plant  of  the  L^nited  Kansas 
Portland  Cement  Co.,  lola,  Kans. 

(288.) — On  July  13  a  boiler  ruptured  at  the  Munro  Iron  Mining  Co.'s 
Hiawatha  mine.  Iron  River,   Mich. 

(289.) — The  boiler  of  a  threshing  outfit  exploded,  July  13,  on  Eliza 
Campbell's  farm,  near  Morganfield,  Ky.  One  man  was  killed  and  six  others 
were  injured. 

(290.) — A  boiler  ruptured,  July  14,  at  the  No.  i  works  of  the  Sunshine 
Coal   &   Coke    Co.,   Martin,    Pa. 


I9II.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  233 


(291.) — Five  cast-iron  lieaders  ruptured,  July  14,  in  the  Terre  Haute, 
Indianapolis  &  Eastern  Traction  Co.'s  power  plant,  Terre  Haute,  Ind. 

(292.) — The  shell  oi  a  vertical  tubular  boiler  failed,  July  15,  at  the  Bod- 
well  Granite  Co.'s  Sands  quarry,  Vinal  Haven,  Me. 

(293.) — A  boiler  ruptured,  July  15,  at  the  Horton  Manufacturing  Co.'s 
fishing  rod  factory,   Bristol,   Conn. 

(294.) — Three  men  were  injured  seriously,  July  17,  by  a  boiler  explosion 
in  the  American  Ramie  Manufacturing  Co.'s  plant  at  New  Hartford,  Conn. 
The  boiler  room  was  also  damaged.  , 

(295.) — A  boiler  exploded,  July  uS,  in  the  Connell  sawmill,  Rusk,  Texas. 
One  person  was  killed  and  two  others  were  injured. 

(296.) — A  boiler  exploded,  on  or  about  July  18,  on  the  bark  Max,  at 
Tacoma,  Wash. 

(297.)  — A  man  was  killed,  and  a  woman  fatally  injured,  July  19,  by  the 
explosion  of  a  boiler  used  for  drilling  a  well  in  the  rear  of  the  Campbell  Hotel, 
Dallas,  Tex.     The  boiler  struck  and  damaged  a  neighboring  building. 

(298.) — A  boiler  exploded,  July  19,  on  Lafayette  boulevard,  Detroit,  Mich. 
Two  persons  were  seriously  injured. 

(299.)  — A  boiler  used  for  heating  water  exploded,  July  21.  in  George  Gar- 
vin's barber  shop,  McKeesport,  Pa.  Nobody  was  in  the  shop  at  the  time.  The 
property  loss  was  estimated  at  $200. 

(300.) — A  tube  ruptured,  July  22,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Southern 
Iron  &  Steel  Co.'s  plant,  Alabama  City,  Ala. 

(301.) — A  locomotive  boiler  exploded,  July  23,  on  the  Norfolk  &  Western 
Railroad  at  Batavia,  Ohio.     The  engineer  was  killed. 

(302.)  — The  boiler  of  a  threshing  outfit  exploded,  July  24,  on  A.  Y.  Reed's 
farm,  near  Elgin,  111.    Two  boys  were  scalded. 

(303.)  — A  boiler  exploded,  July  25,  at  the  Forrester-Nace  box  factor}', 
Kansas  City,  Mo.     One  of  the  firemen  was  critically  scalded. 

(304.) — A  boiler  tube  burst,  July  26,  on  the  tug  A.  B.  Covington,  off 
Buckroe  Beach,  near  Norfolk,  Va.     One  man  was  killed. 

(305-)  — On  July  26  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Brunot's 
Island  plant  of  the  Pittsburg  Railways  Co.,  Pittsburg,  Pa.     One  man  was  killed. 

(306.) — A  tube  ruptured,  July  26,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of 
the  Federal  Coal  &  Coke  Co.,  Grantown,  W.  Va.     One  man  was  injured. 

(307-) — On  July  26  a  boiler  exploded  in  the  Syracuse  Reduction  Co.'s 
plant,  Syracuse,  N.  Y.     One  man  was  injured  seriously  and  perhaps  fatally. 

(308.)  — On  July  27  a  boiler  exploded  at  Monterey,  Ky.,  killing  one  person 
and  fatally  injuring  another. 

(309.) — The  boiler  of  a  threshing  outfit  exploded,  July  28,  on  Theodore 
Rake's  farm,  two  miles  south  of  Sexton,  Iowa.  One  man  was  instantly  killed 
and  another  was  seriously  scalded. 

(310.) — A  boiler  exploded,  July  2d>,  at  George  P.  Blackwelder's  sawmill, 
in  Cabarrus  County,  near  Mt.  Pleasant,  S.  C.  Miss  Tina  Blackwelder  was 
killed,  and  her  father,  brother,  and  sister  were  badly  injured. 

(3iT.)--A  boiler  exploded,  July  29,  on  Henry  Bush's  farm,  at  Grange, 
near  Brookville,  Pa.  One  young  man  was  injured  so  badly  that  he  died  two 
days  later.    Two  others  were  scalded  seriously  but  not  fatally. 

(312.) — On  July  29  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  Cape 
Girardeau  Portland  Cement  Co.'s  plant,  Cape  Girardeau,  Mo. 


234  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [October, 

(313-) — A  tube  ruptured,  July  29,  in  a  boiler  in  the  Rogers  Milling  Co.'s 
flouring  mill,  Rogers,  Ark. 

(314.)  — On  July  30  a  boiler  exploded  in  the  oil  fields,  some  two  miles  south 
of  Bowling  Green,  Ohio.     One  man  was  killed. 


August,  191  i. 

(315.)  — A  boiler  exploded,  August  2,  in  the  Painter  Mills  of  the  Carnegie 
Steel  Co.,  Pittsburg,  Pa.  Three  men  were  injured,  and  the  property  loss  was 
estimated  at  $1,600. 

(316.) — On  August  2  a  boiler  ruptured  in  the  Cooper  Light  Co.'s  plant. 
Cooper,   Tex. 

(317.)  — On  August  3  a  boiler  ruptured  in  the  Edgewater  PR'geia  Ice  Co.'s 
plant,  Edgewater,  N.  J. 

(318.) — A  blowoff  ruptured,  August  7,  in  the  Monumental  Brewing  Co.'s 
plant,  Highlandtown,   Md. 

(319.)  — On  August  10  a  boiler  exploded  in  the  roundhouse  of  the  Wabash 
shops  at  Moberly,  Mo.  Fire  followed  the  explosion,  destroying  the  machine 
shops  and  causing  a  damage  estimated  at  $14,000  to  $15,000. 

(320.) — A  boiler  exploded,  August  10,  on  Etienne  Benoit's  farm,  three 
miles  from  Morse,  La.  The  owner  of  the  boiler  was  thrown  200  feet,  and 
instantly  killed. 

(321.)  — A  boiler  used  for  drilling  a  well  exploded,  on  or  about  August  10, 
on  the  Mertens  fruit  tract,  at  Green  Ridge,  near  Cumberland,  Md.  Three  men 
were  seriously  injured. 

(322.)  — -The  boiler  of  a  locomotive  exploded,  on  or  about  August  10,  near 
Raleigh,   N.   C.     Three  men  were  injured,  and  one  of  these  has  since  died. 

(323.)  — On  August  12  a  boiler  exploded  in  an  ice  plant  at  Tipton,  Ind. 

(324.) — On  August  12  a  boiler  ruptured  in  the  Newton  Steam  Laundry 
Co.'s  plant,  Newton,  Kans. 

(325.)  — On  August  14  a  boiler  exploded  at  the  Paragon  paper  mills,  Eaton, 
Ind.  Two  men  were  killed  outright.  The  boiler  house  was  wrecked  and  other 
portions  of  the  plant  were  also  damaged. 

(326.)  — A  tube  ruptured,  August  15,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Brunot's 
Island  plant  of  the  Pittsburg  Railways  Co.,  Pittsburg,  Pa.  One  man  was  in- 
jured. 

(327.) — On  August  15  a  boiler  ruptured  in  E.  P.  Griswold  &  Co.'s  green- 
house, Ashtabula,  Ohio. 

(328.)— On  August  16  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Tri- 
State  Railway  &  Electric  Co.'s  plant,  East  Liverpool,  Ohio.  One  man  was 
injured. 

(329.)— A  boiler  exploded,  August  16,  on  S.  P.  Campbell's  farm,  three 
miles  south  of  Loami,  Sangamon  county.  111.  One  man  was  killed  and  five  were 
injured. 

(330.)— The  boiler  of  a  threshing  outfit  exploded,  August  16.  on  the  A. 
Hunter  farm,  two  miles  from  Wallowa,  Ore.  The  engineer  wa:^  injured  so 
badly  that  it  was  believed  he  could  not  recover. 

(331.) — A  boiler  used  to  operate  a  "merry-go-round"  exploded,  August 
17,  during  the  course  of  a  picnic  at  Trotting  Park,  Fort  Fairfield,  Me.  One 
person   was  killed   and  another  was  badly  injured. 


I9II.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  235 


(332.) — A  slight  explosion  occurred,  August  17,  at  the  Prison  Chair  Co.'s 
shops,  F"ort  Madison,  Iowa.     Two  men  were  painfully  scalded. 

(333.) — A  boiler  exploded,  August  18,  in  the  Chicago-Windsor  laundry, 
Omaha,  Neb. 

(3vU) — A  small  boiler,  used  for  heating  water,  exploded,  August  18,  in 
Mouquin's  restaurant  on  Ann  street.  New  York  City.  Three  waiters  were 
scalded  painfully  but  not  seriously. 

<.335-^  —  A  tube  ruptured,  August  21,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  Ameri- 
can Box  Co.'s  plant,  Cleveland,  Ohio. 

(336.) — A  boiler  tube  burst,  August  22,  at  the  Friend  Paper  Co.'s  plant, 
West  Carrollton,  Ohio.     One  person  was  severely  injured. 

(337-) — The  boiler  of  a  traction  engine  exploded,  August  22,  on  the 
Frank  Burbridge  farm,  near  Greeley,  Iowa.  The  engineer  was  almost  instantly 
killed. 

(338.) — A  boiling  tank  exploded,  .A.ugust  22,  in  the  mercerizing  depart- 
ment of  the  Aberfoyle  Manufacturing  Co.'s  mills,  Chester,  Pa.  The  roof  of 
the  building  was  torn  off  and  one  of  the  side  walls  was  reduced  to  a  mass  of 
debris.     The  property  loss  was  estimated  at  $3,000. 

(339)  — A  boiler  used  for  operating  a  "merry-go-round"  exploded,  August 
22,  at  Atlanta,  Ga.     Three  persons  were  severely  injured. 

(340.)  — A  boiler  used  for  heating  water  exploded,  August  23,  in  the  boiler 
room  of  the  Grand  Laundry  Co.,  St.  Louis,  Mo.  Two  men  were  seriously  in- 
jured. 

(341.) — A  boiler  exploded,  August  25,  at  the  Shawmont  Pumping  Station, 
Philadelphia,  Pa.     One  man  was  fatally  scalded. 

(342.) — A  boiler  ruptured,  August  25,  in  the  Blue  Grass  Condensed  Milk 
Co.'s  plant,   Harrisonville,  Mo. 

(343-) — A  boiler  exploded,  August  27,  near  Simcoe,  five  miles  west  of 
Cullman,  Ala.  One  man  was  instantly  killed,  and  two  others  were  fatally  in- 
jured. 

(344.)  —  The  boiler  of  a  Norfolk  &  Southern  locomotive  exploded,  August 
28,  at  Euclid,  Va.  One  person  was  fatally  injured  and  another  was  injured 
severelj-  but  not  fatally. 

(345) — On  August  29  a  boiler  exploded  in  the  Tyrrel-Hitchcock  sawmill 
at  Van  Zandt,  near  Deming,  Wash.     One  man  was  fatally  injured. 

(346.) — A  boiler  exploded,  August  30,  on  the  Canadian  Crude  Oil  Co.'s 
'   lease,  Bakersfield,  Calif     Parts  of  the  boiler  were  thrown  700  feet. 


September,  igii. 

(347.) — The  boiler  of  a  threshing  outfit  exploded,  September  2.  near  De- 
Graflf,  Minn.,  on  Michael  Cavanaugh's  farm.     One  man  was  killed. 

(348.)  — The  boiler  of  a  threshing  outfit  exploded,  September  2,  on  Herman 
Schultz's  farm  at  Davis,  near  Sioux  Falls,  S.  D.  The  owner  of  the  machine 
was  killed. 

(349-^  — On  September  2  a  boiler  belonging  to  Fulton  &  Witz  exploded  at 
Mt.  Elliott  Springs,  Ga. 

(350)  —  On  September  3  a  boiler  exploded  in  the  pumping  plant  of  the 
Grace  zinc  mine.  Joplin,   Mo.     One  man  was  seriously  injured. 


236  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [October, 

(351.) — A  boiler  exploded,  September  3,  in  George  W.  Spencer's  bakery, 
Madison,  Wis.  One  man  was  killed  and  another  uas  badly  scalded.  The 
damage  to  the  building  was  estimated  at  about  $1,000. 

(352.) — A  boiler  ruptured,  September  4,  in  the  water  works  and  electric 
lighting  plant.  Union  City,  Tenn. 

(353J  — A  sm.al!  boiler  exploded,  September  4,  in  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  building 
at  Lincoln,  Neb.     One  man  was  seriously  burned. 

(354-) — The  boiler  of  a  threshing  outfit  exploded,  September  5,  on  W. 
C.  Freas's  farm  at  Troutville,  eight  miles  from  Punxsutaw-ney,  Pa.  One  boy 
was  killed,  and  three  other  persons  were  seriously  burned.  The  property  loss 
was  estimated  at  $6,000. 

(355) — On  September  7  a  boiler  exploded  in  R.  J.  Russell's  sawmill,  on 
Madeline  Island,  Big  Bay,  Lake  Superior,  near  ]Marquette,  Mich.  One  man  was 
killed  and  four  others  were  injured. 

(356.)  — The  boiler  of  a  locomotive  drawing  a  Central  Railway  special  train 
over  a  division  of  the  Atlantic  Coast  Line  exploded,  September  8,  near  Troy, 
Ala.     The  engineer  and  fireman  were  injured. 

(357-) — A  tube  ruptured,  September  10,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  plant 
of  the  Southern  Iron  &  Steel  Co.,  Alabama  City,  Ala. 

(358.) — A  boiler  used  to  furnish  power  for  cutting  feed  for  a  silo  ex- 
ploded, September  9,  on  Daniel  Hunter's  farm,  near  Frankfort,  111.  Two  men 
were  scalded  and  bruised. 

(359-) — -'^  boiler  ruptured,  September  10,  in  the  Beatrice  Poultry  &  Cold 
Storage  Co.'s  plant,  Beatrice,  Neb. 

(360.) — On  September  12  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the 
Southern  Iron  &  Steel  Co.'s  plant,  Alabama  City,  Ala. 

(361.) — On  September  14  a  boiler  tube  ruptured  in  the  Cullen  Hotel,  Salt 
Lake  City,   Utah. 

(362.) — An  explosion,  apparently  of  a  tube  in  a  water-tube  boiler,  occurred 
September  14,  in  a  planing  mill  on  Godwin  street,  Paterson,  N.  J. 

(363.) — -A  blowoflf  pipe  ruptured,  September  14,  in  the  Chicago  Stove 
Works,  Chicago,  111. 

(364) — On  September  14  a  blowoflf  pipe  failed  at  the  plant  of  the  Arcadia 
Cotton  Oil  Mill  &  Manufacturing  Co.,  Arcadia,  La.     One  man  was  scalded. 

(365.) — A  boiler  ruptured,  September  16,  in  S.  M.  Roberts's  ice  plant, 
Douglas,  Ga. 

(366) —  A  boiler  ruptured,  September  17,  in  the  plant  of  the  Farmersville 
Milling  &   Electric   Light   Co.,   Farmersville,   Tex. 

(3^7-)  —A  boiler  ruptured,  September  18,  in  the  electric  lighting  and  pump- 
ing station  at  Merrimac,  ]\Iass. 

(368.) — On  September  20  a  bleaching  kier  exploded  in  the  Newburg 
bleachery,  Newburg,  N.  Y.  The  property  loss  was  estimated  at  $15,000. 
Nobody  was  present  at  the  time. 

(369.) — On  September  22  three  cast-iron  headers  failed  in  a  water-tube 
boiler  at  the  plant  of  the  American  Steel  &  Wire  Co.,  Waukegan,  111. 

(370.) — A  boiler  exploded.  September  26,  in  the  Scott-Lambert  Lumber 
Co.'s  mill  at  Micaville,  Yancey  county,  N.  C.  Three  men  were  seriously  in- 
jured. 

(371-) — On  September  27  a  boiler  exploded  in  J.  B.  Niles's  sawmill,  near 
Oakdale,  Tenn.,  killing  one  man  instantly  and  fatally  injuring  another.  The 
plant  was  almost  totally  demolished. 


19".] 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE, 


237 


(372.)  —  On  or  about  September  2^  a  boiler  exi)l()(Ied  at  Freeborn,  Minn. 
Two   men   were   seriously   injured. 

K2>72>-^ — ''^  tube  failed,  September  JQ,  in  the  Sparks  .Milling  Co.'s  flouring 
mill,  Alton,  111. 

(374.) — A  tube  ruptured,  September  30,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the 
newspaper  plant  of  the   Plaindealer   Publishing  Co.,   ClevelantL   Ohio. 

(375) — The  crown  sheet  of  a  boiler  of  the  locomotive  type  collapsed, 
September  30,  at  the  barge  canal,  near  Mechanicsville,  N.  Y.  The  boiler  was 
being  operated  by  I.  A.  Hodge  &  Co.,  contractors.  ^ 


Fly-Wheel  Explosions. 

(40.) — A  fly-wheel  burst,  ]\Iay  22,  on  the  Koontz  ranch,  at  Eltopia,  Wash. 

(41.) — On  May  27  a  fly-wheel  burst  in  the  Republican  Creosoting  Co.'s 
plant,  Indianapolis,  Ind.     Two  persons  were  severely  injured. 

(42.) — A  seven-foot  pulley  exploded,  June  16,  in  the  Cabot  mill,  Bruns- 
■wick,  Me, 

(43.) — On  July  15  a  fly-wheel  exploded  in  the  Fowlerville  Lighting  Co.'s 
plant,  at  Fowlerville,  Mich.     The  property  loss  was  estimated  at  $2,000. 

(44.) — The  rotor  of  a  Curtis  steam  turbine  exploded,  July  20,  in  the 
power  plant  of  the  Illinois   traction  system  at  Riverton,   near   Springneld,   111. 


Fly-Wheel  Explosion  No.  yj.     (See  July  Locomotive.) 
(Mooresville  Water,  Light,  Heat  &  Power  Co.) 


238 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE. 


[October, 


Two  men  were  killed  and  two  were  in- 
jured. The  property  loss  was  estimated 
at  from  $40,000  to  $50,000.  (We  give 
this  accident  in  our  fly-wheel  explosion 
list  because  the  hazard  in  the  case  of 
the  Curtis  turbine  is  very  similar  to  that 
in  a  fly-wheel. —  the  Curtis  rotor  being 
disk-like    in    form.) 

(45.)  — The  fly-wheel  of  a  threshing 
machine  exploded,  on  or  about  July  ij. 
at  Boswell,  near  La  Fayette,  Ind.  A 
part  of  the  wheel  struck  a  boy  on  the 
head,  fracturing  his  skull  and  injuring 
him  so  badly  that  he  died. 

(46.)  — A  fly-wheel  burst,  August  11. 
in  the  water  supply  station  at  White 
Hall,  111.     One  man  was  fatally  injured. 

(47.)  — On  August  15  two  fly-wheels 
exploded  at  the  Barfield  Lumber  Co.'s 
plant,  Ellentown,  Ga.  The  property  loss 
was  large. 

(48.)  — A  fly-wheel  exploded,  August 
18.  at  the  Friend  Paper  Co.'s  plant, 
West  CarroUton,  Ohio.  One  of  the 
fragments  of  the  wheel  severed  a  steam 
Fortunately  most  of  the  employees  were  at 


Fly-Wheel  Explosion   No.  52. 
(Salt  Lake  &  Ogden  Railway.) 


pipe  supplying  one  of  the  engines 
dinner,  and  nobody  was  injured. 

(49.) — A  fly-wheel  burst,  August  31,  at  the  Aurora  Furniture  Co.'s  plant, 
Lawrenceburg,  Ind.     One  person  was  injured. 


Fly-Wheel  Explosion  No.  53. 
(Muskogee  Gas  &  Electric  Co.) 


igii.] 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE, 


239 


(50.)  — On  September  8  the  fly-wheel  of  Theodore  F.  Reynolds'  automobile 
exploded  at  West  Orange,  N.  J.  The  chauflfeur  was  seriously  injured,  the 
automobile  was  wrecked,  and  tlic  garage  in  which  the  machine  stood  was 
badly  damaged.     (Compare  the  next  item.) 

(51.)  — The  fly-wheel  of  an  automobile  belonging  to  E.  B.  Reynolds  ex- 
ploded, September  10,  at  Westhampton,  N.  Y.  The  chauffeur  was  badly  cut 
about  the  face,  and  also  received  other  injuries.  (Note  the  extraordinary 
resemblance  between  this  item  and 


the  one  preceding.  The  two  read 
like  slightly  variant  accounts  of 
the  same  explosion,  and  yet  this 
is  not  the  case.) 

(52.) — On  September  10  the 
fly-wheel  of  a  Corliss  engine  ex- 
ploded in  the  electric  power  plant 
of  the  Salt  Lake  &  Ogden  rail- 
way at  Lagoon,  near  Farmington, 
Utah.  Large  fragments  of  the 
wheel  were  thrown  through  the 
roof  of  the  power  house.  The 
property  loss  was  estimated  at 
from  $5,000  to  $6,000.  According 
to  the  information  at  hand,  the 
main  belt  broke,  damaging  the 
governor ;  and  the  engine  then 
"  ran  away."  A  view  of  the 
wrecked  wheel  is  presented  here- 
with. (^Note  the  governor  belt, 
wrapped  around  the  spoke.) 

(53.) — A  pair  of  fly-wheels, 
running  on  the  same  shaft,  ex- 
ploded simultaneously  on  Septem- 
ber II  in  the  power  house  of  the 
Muskogee  Gas  &  Electric  Co., 
Muskogee,  Okia.  Fragments  of 
the  wheels  were  thrown  hig'h  into 
the  air,  and  the  engine  room  was 
wrecked.  The  property  loss  was 
estimated  at  $8,000.    Two  views  of 


Fi.y-Wheel  Explosion  No.  53. 
(Muskogee    Gas   &   Electric   Co.) 


the  engine  room  are  presented  herewith. 

(54.) — A  fly-wheel  exploded,  September  16,  at  Bedford,  Ind.,  in  a  quarry 
belonging  to  the  Indiana  Quarries  Co.     The  powerman  was  badly  hurt. 

(55.) — On  October  10  the  fly-wheel  of  an  engine  used  for  saw^ing  wood 
exploded  on  Miller's  farm,  Delaware  township,  Penn.  The  owner's  ten-year- 
old  son  was  killed. 

(56.) — On  October  16  a  fly-wheel  exploded  in  the  power  plant  of  the 
Consolidated  Gas,  Electric  Light  and  Power  Co.,  Westport,  Md.  The  engineer 
was  killed  and  two  other  men  v/ere  scalded  by  the  steam  that  escaped  from 
pipes  broken  by  the  fragments  of  the  wheel.  According  to  Power  (October  31, 
1911,  page  682),  the  accident  was  due  to  a  piece  of  waste  becoming  caught  in 
the  gears  of  the  governor,  the  engine  then  racing  until  the  wheel  was  destroyed. 


240 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE, 


[October, 


Stttmtt 


A.  D.  RiSTEEN,  Ph.D.,  Editor. 


HARTFORD,  OCTOBER  25,  1911. 

The  Locomotive  can  be  obtained  free  by  calling  at  any  of  the  company's  agencies. 
Subscription  price  ^o  cents  per  year  when  mailed  from  this  office. 
Bound  volumes  one  dollar  each. 


The  twenty-eighth  volume  of  The  Locomotive,  covering  the  two  years 
1910  and  191 1,  ends  with  the  present  issue.  Indexes  and  title  pages  for  the 
volume  will  soon  be  ready,  and  may  be  had  without  expense  by  those  who  save 
their  copies  for  binding.  Applications  should  be  made  by  mail  to  the  Hartford 
office  of  this  companj'.  Bound  volumes  may  also  be  had  shortly,  at  the  usual 
price  of  one  dollar  each. 


Obituary. 

Mr.  John  Pelcher,  a  valued  member  of  our  New  York  inspection  depart- 
ment, died  on  August  i6th  191 1,  at  his  home  at  Ft.  Richmond,  N.  Y.  after  a 
protracted  illness.  He  was  born  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  August  25,  1837.  After 
an  extended  mechanical  and  engineering  experience,  part  of  which  was  spent 
with  the  Fletcher  and  Harrison  Works  as  Chief  Engineer,  he  entered  the  em- 
ploy of  The  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Inspection  and  Insurance  Company  in  1886. 
Mr.  Pelcher  was  high  in  Masonic  circles  and  a  man  greatly  esteemed  by  his 
friends  and  associates.     He  is  survived  by  a  widow  and  two  children. 


Some  Minor  Explosions. 

Every  little  w'hile  we  learn  of  the  explosion  of  some  small  boiler,  built 
by  boys  and  operated  by  them  for  their  own  instruction  or  amusement.  The 
consequences  of  these  accidents  are  sometimes  very  serious.  Two  such  ex- 
plosions occurred,  for  example,  on  July  28, —  one  in  Kentucky  and  the  other  in 
Texas.  In  the  former  case,  two  boys  living  at  Owenton,  Ky.,  had  built  a  boiler 
and  an  engine,  and  had  operated  them  successfully  for  several  weeks.  The 
boiler  was  constructed  by  using  a  ten-gallon  oil  can  as  a  basis.  As  nearly  as 
we  can  judge  from  the  accounts  at  hand,  a  safety-valve  had  been  provided,  but 


19".] 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE, 


241 


it  liad  become  inoperative.  Tlic  explosion  killed  one  of  tlie  boys  and  fatally 
injured  the  other,  and  cansed  less  serious  injuries  to  three  more.  In  the  second 
accident,  whicli  occurred  at  Ilcarne,  I'e.x.,  two  boys  were  also  involved,  and  the 
boiler  consisted  of  a  remodeled  live-gallon  can.  The  explosion  scalded  both 
of  the  boys  badly. 

Two  persona  were  fatally  injured,  August  31,  by  the  explosion  of  a  peanut 
roaster  at  a  promii.cnt  street  intersection  in  Newark,  Ohio.  Oii?  of  the  injured 
men  was  struck  in  ^the  head  by  a  portion  of  the  wreckage  when  he  was  walk- 
ing in  the  street,  a  block  away  from  the  original  position  of  the  roaster. 


Boiler  Explosion  at  Weatherly,  Pa. 

One  of  the  most  destructive  boiler  accidents  of  the  past  year  was  that  of 
December  12,  1910,  at  the  silk  mill  of  the  Read  &  Lovatt  Manufacturing  Co., 
Weatherly,  Pa.  The  event  has  already  been  briefly  recorded  on  page  139  of  the 
issue  of  The  Locomotive  for  January,  191 1;  but  because  it  so  thoroughly 
illustrates  the  destructive  possibilities  of  a  boiler  explosion,  we  present  in  this 
number  a  more  complete  account  of  the  disaster. 

The  Weatherly  mill  consisted  of  a  rectangular  group  of  one-story  brick 
buildings,  containing  the  silk  spinning  machinery.  At  the  rear  of  this  grcup, 
and  attached  to  it,  were  the  engine  and  boiler  houses.  In  one  of  the  latter, 
and  immediately  adjoining  the  engine  house,  was  a  battery  of  five  horizontal 
tubular  boilers  arranged  with   their  rear  heads  parallel   with  and  close  to  the 


Fig.  I. —  General  View  of  Wreckage. 


242 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE 


[October, 


main  mill.  The  battery  was  "  pocketed  "',  as  it  were,  by  the  mill  at  its  rear, 
by  the  engine  house  on  one  side,  and  by  a  second  boiler  house  on  the  other. 
At  its  front  a  large  amount  of  coal  was  stored,  with  a  trestled  track  for  its 
unloading. 

At  about  6.15  p.m.  of  December  12  the  No.  2  boiler  of  the  battery, —  the 
second  from  the  engine  house  wall, —  exploded  with  great  violence,  killing  two 
valued  employees  of  the  company  and  causing  the  damage  that  is  partially 
indicated  in  our  illustrations.  Deplorable  as  was  the  actual  loss  of  life,  it 
was  small  in  comparison  with  that  which  would  most  certainly  have  resulted 
had  the  accident  happened  for  a  few  minutes  earlier.  The  mill  had  shut  down 
at  six  o'clock,  and  for  several  minutes  thereafter  the  five  hundred  home-going 
employees   were   crowding   the   aisles   and    passages   behind   the   boilers, —  aisles 


Fig.  2. —  The  Exploded  Boiler. 


which  were  choked,  after  the  explosion,  with  the  heaped  up  debris  of  fallen 
walls.  Nearly  all  had  gone  in  time,  however,  and  only  Michael  Mooney,  the 
chief  engineer,  who  was  preparing,  in  the  boiler  room,  to  leave  his  charge, 
and  Robert  Beers,  the  night  fireman  on  duty  there,  were  exposed  to  the  full 
force  of  the  explosion  and  fell  victims  to  its  violence. 

The  destruction  of  property  was  very  great,  but  even  in  this  feature  there 
were  some  fortunate  circumstances  which  minimized  the  loss.  The  building 
containing  the  boiler  was  completely  wrecked.  Where  it  had  stood  there 
remained  a  mere  heap  of  brick,  wood,  boilers  torn  from  their  settings,  and 
tangled  pipe  and  steel  work.  The  engine  house  wall  had  been  blown  in  and 
the  roof  had  fallen,  burying  the  main  engine  and  its  belt  under  tons  of  ruin-s. 
The  spinning  machinery  at  the  rear  of  the  boilers  was  bent  and  twisted  under 
the  load  of  brick   from  the   wall   wliich  had   separated  that   building   from  the 


igii.J  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  243 

boiler  house,  and  throughout  the  main  buildings  quantities  of  silk  were  damaged, 
and  glass  and  roofs  were  broken,  by  the  flying  bricks  and  mortar. 

Of  the  five  horizontal  tubular  boilers,  those  on  either  side  of  No.  2  were 
thrown  from  their  settings  and  damaged  beyond  repair,  though  they  did  not 
themselves  explode.  The  settings  of  boilers  Nos.  4  and  5  were  cracked  and 
broken,  and  the  fronts  destroyed.  A  Manning  vertical  boiler,  located  in  front 
of  tliem,  suffered  only  minor  damage,  and  the  second  boiler  hotise  with  its  con- 
tents was  practically  unhurt.  Had  the  engine  and  machinery  been  in  operation 
when  the  boiler  burst,  or  had  the  boiler  taken  flight  through  the  mill  instead 
of  away  from  it,  the  loss,  bad  as  it  was,  would  have  been  greatly  exceeded. 

The  No.  2  boiler  burst  in  the  rear  course,  the  original  failure  occurring 
in  the  outer  lap  of  the  horizontal  seam.  The  sheet  was  torn  completely  from 
the  next  course  and  partly  from  the  rear  head,  and  was  whipped  out  nearly 
flat  by  the  force  of  the  explosion.  It  was  found  in  the  ruins  of  the  walls, 
together  with  the  rear  head,  and  not  far  from  its  original  position.  The 
rest  of  the  boiler  (comprising  the  forward  course  and  the  front  head  with  the 
tubes),  driven  by  the  reaction  of  the  released  steam  at  its  rear,  rose  from  its 
setting  like  a  rocket,  and,  after  a  flight  of  three  hundred  feet  in  the  direction 
it  had  faced,  landed  in  a  wood  in  the  rear  of  the  plant.  Tlie  path  of  its 
projection  was  rather  curiously  marked  by  the  height  at  which  trees  had  been 
sheared  off  as  it  passed. 

An  investigation  immediately  following  the  accident  cleared  the  owners  and 
their  emploj^ees  of  all  suspicion  of  negligence  in  any  way  contributing  to  its 
cause.  It  was  conclusively  shown  that  immediately  prior  to  the  explosion  the 
water  was  at  the  proper  level  in  the  boilers,  and  that  the  pressure  was  less 
than  could  presumably  be  allowed  with  due  regard  to  safety.  It  was  also  shown 
that  the  safety-valves  were  adjusted  to  the  proper  pressure,  and  that  they  were 
in  operating  condition.  An  examination  of  the  wrecked  boiler  (No.  2)  failed 
to  disclose  any  indication  of  low  water  or  over-pressure  as  a  possible  cause. 
The  examination  made  it  certain,  in  fact,  that  the  failure  was  due  to  one  of 
those  undiscoverable  cracks  to  which  a  lap  seam  is  occasionally  liable. 

The  Read  &  Lovatt  Manufacturing  Company  carried  Hartford  boiler 
policies, —  not  only  the  usual  contract  against  direct  loss,  but  also  a  "  use 
and  occupancy  "  contract,  affording  an  indemnity  for  loss  sustained  because  of 
the  cessation  of  operations.  The  prompt  payment  that  was  made  under  both 
policies  was  an  assistance  greatly  appreciated  by  that  company  in  its  time 
of  trouble. 


Repairs  under  Pressure,  Ag-ain. 

We  have  cautioned  men,  over  and  over,  not  to  make  repairs,  nor  to  set 
up  bolts  or  nuts,  upon  a  boiler  or  other  vessel  that  is  under  pressure.  In  our 
issue  for  A.pril,  191 1,  for  example,  we  gave  a  number  of  instances  in  which 
this  procedure  had  resulted  in  serious  accidents.  Other  cases  are  coming  to 
our  notice  all  the  time.  Thus  in  the  issue  of  Power  for  July  4  we  find  the 
following  item :  "A  serious  accident  occurred  in  the  works  of  the  Newburgh 
Rendering  Company,  Newburgh,  N.  Y.,  on  June  20,  in  which  one  man  was 
killed.     A  large  boiler  used  for  rendering  purposes  and  carn.-ing  a  pressure  of 


244  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [October, 

40  pounds  per  square  inch  began  to  leak  around  a  14-inch  manhole  cover. 
This  cover  v^'as  fastened  by  two  lugs  and  shackles.  A  bar  of  iron  with  a 
large  tee-bolt  was  used  to  tighten  up  the  joint.  On  noticing  the  leak  the  en- 
gineer tried  to  tighten  up  the  tee-bolt  by  placing  a  piece  of  pipe  over  the  end, 
thereby  overstraining  the  parts.  One  of  the  shackles  gave  way,  the  cover  blew 
oflf,  and  the  contents  were  strewn  all  over  the  engineer,  resulting  in  his  death. 
It  appears  that  he  had  done  this  time  and  again,  although  cautioned  to  the 
contrary." 

In  connection  with  this  item,  we  desire  to  call  attention  to  following  para- 
graph from  our  issue  of  July,  191 1:  "No  repairs  of  any  kind  should  bt  made, 
either  to  boilers  or  to  piping,  while  the  part  upon  which  the  work  is  to  be  done 
is  under  pressure.  This  applies  to  the  calking  of  pipes  and  joints,  to  setting 
up  nuts  and  bolts,  and  to  every  other  operation  by  which  extra  stress  is  thrown 
uj)on  any  part  that  is  already  under  a  steam  load.  Accidents  of  the  most  ser- 
ious nature  are  common,  from  neglecting  this  caution."  We  wish  every  engi- 
neer and  fireman  in  the  land  would  learn  this  paragraph  by  heart  so  that  he 
could  say  it  at  once,  if  he  were  scared  awake  in  the  night. 


An  Air  Receiver  Explosion. 

The  writer  is  familiar  with  a  power  plant  consisting,  in  part,  of  an  old 
two-stage  duplex  belt-driven  air  compressor  and  an  air  receiver;  the  air  is 
compressed  to  80  pounds. 

One  afternoon  the  engineer  was  startled  by  a  terrific  report  followed  by 
a  long  and  loud  screech.  The  engineer  examined  the  air  receiver,  where  the 
disturbance  seemed  to  be,  and  found  that  the  spring  pop  safety-valve  had  burst. 
The  compressor  was  stopped  and  a  further  investigation  was  made,  when  it 
was  then  noted  that  the  lower  section  of  the  receiver  was  at  a  dull  red  heat 
and  that  the  bottom  head  had  been  distorted  so  that  the  receiver  stood  some 
two  inches  off  from  its  foundation,  excepting  at  the  center  portion  of  the  lower 
head. 

A  hurried  investigation  showed  no  rupture  in  the  air  piping  or  the  receiver. 
The  relief  valve  was  then  replaced  and  the  compressor  started.  Ever3l:hing  was 
apparentlj^  in  good  order,  except  the  receiver,  which  showed  a  few  small  leaks 
at  the  joints  of  the  bottom  head  and  shell.  These  joints  were  soon  calked,  and 
up  to  the  present  no  further  evidence  of  injury  has  appeared. 

A.  mineral  lard  oil  diluted  with  a  large  percentage  of  kerosene  had  been 
used  during  the  previous  winter  with  remarkably  good  results,  and  as  its  use 
was  continued  into  the  warm  weather,  the  mixture  undoubtedly  caused  the 
explosion. 

In  this  case  it  is  fortunate  that  the  relief  valve  was  weak  and  burst,  be- 
cause otherwise  much  greater  damage  would  probably  have  resulted,  as  the 
pressure   must  have   risen   almost   instantly. 

Without  doubt,  compressed  air  is  the  safest  kind  of  power  and  there  is 
little  or  no  danger  in  storing  it,  but  the  introduction  of  kerosene  or  gasolene 
into  the  oil  to  clean  the  cylinder  and  valves  sometimes  results  disastrously. 
A  solution  of  soft-soap  and  water  is  an  excellent  cleanser  for  an  air  cylinder 
and  may  be  used  without  danger;  it  is  even  recommended  where  high-grade  oils 
are  used. 


I9I1.]  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  245 

As  the  washing  effect  possessed  by  steam  is  lacking  in  air,  it  will  be  found 
that  oil  remains  much  longer  in  an  air  cj'Iinder  than  in  a  steam  cylmdcr ;  hence 
a  surprisingly  small  quantity  of  good  oil  will  lubricate  an  air  cylinder  without 
difficulty.  Only  the  best  oils  of  high  flash  and  fire  test  should  be  used.  They 
are  the  safest  and  also  the  most  economical  in  the  long  run. 

A  frequent  cause  of  explosion  in  compressed-air  discharge  pipes  and  re- 
ceivers is  an  accumulation  of  carbon  in  the  pipes  or  of  oi^n  the  receiver. 
Oil  should  be  drawn  off  from  all  air  receivers  at  frequent  intervals. 

Another  cause  of  air-compressor  explosions  is  the  high  temperature  caused 
by  the  churning  or  continued  recompressing  of  the  air  when  the  discharge 
valves  leak. —  Robert  E.  Xewcomb,  in  Power. 


Explosion  of  a  Spanish  Omelet. 

Under  the  heading  '"  Spanish  Omelet  Bursts :  Big  Scramble  Follows,"  the 
New  York  Herald  of  June  22  records  the  following  near-facts : 

"  That  Spain  is  still  a  little  bit  hostile  to  the  United  States  was  demon- 
strated to  a  girls'  class  in  cooker\'  in  Washington  Irving  High  School,  at  No. 
142  West  Twentieth  street,  yesterday,  when  the  rude  behavior  of  a  Spanish 
omelet  resulted  in  the  building  taking  fire.  Miss  Emma  Crane,  who  was  giving 
the  lesson,  sounded  the  alarm  and  all  the  girls  went  out  with  the  idea  that 
they  were  going  through  a  fire  drill.  It  was  not  until  they  reached  the  street 
that  they  learned  of  the  perfidy  of  the  omelet. 

■'  Forgetting  the  '  safe  and  sane '  admonition  regarding  fireworks,  the  girls 
j-esterday  decided  on  the  preparation  of  a  model  Sunday  night  dinner  that 
would  make  a  man  forget  even  a  championship  ball  game.  The  dinner  was 
to  include  the  omelet,  potato  salad,  strawberry  shortcake,  and  tea. 

"  The  glorious  American  hen  had  provided  her  best  offering  for  the  omelet, 
the  tomatoes  had  been  introduced  into  the  mixture,  the  Spanish  onion  was 
feeling  perfectly  at  home,  and  so  were  the  peppers.  The  blow-up  came  when 
the  Irish  potatoes  were  put  in.  They  swelled  with  indignation,  and  of  course 
-the  omelet  swelled  with  them.  It  began  to  look  to  Miss  Crane  as  if  her  pupils 
had  compounded  a  felony  instead  of  an  omelet.  Finally  the  mixture,  led  by 
the  potatoes,  and  desiring  liberty  or  death,  burst  from  the  sheathing  of  yellow 
and  landed  on  walls  and  ceiling.  Much  of  the  material  landed  against  a 
blackboard  on  which  the  prescription   for  the  meal  was  written. 

"  When  the  alarm  was  eiven  it  was  rumored  that  a  meteor  had  fallen  into 
the  schoolroom,  and  all  the  meteor  experts  in  town  foregathered  to  look  it 
over.  They  felt  sure  it  was  a  composite  of  bronze,  zinc,  iron,  and  brass,  that 
had  been  welded  bv  a  vitriolic  solution,  but  they  could  not  trace  its  relationship, 
and  so  put  it  in  a  class  by  itself. 

'■  After  the  firemen  had  disposed  of  the  omelet  they  found  that  the  gas 
stove  had  also  entered  a  protest  by  setting  fire  to  the  woodwork  behind  it, 
although  this  was  protected  bv  a  sheet  of  iron.  The  scientists  said  there  would 
be  no  loss  on  the  menu  meteor,  as  it  could  be  melted  down  and  used  over 
again.  The  damage  to  the  schoolroom  itself  is  about  fifteen  cents,  fully 
covered  bv  insurance." 


246 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE 


[October, 


A  Bulged  Boiler  Repaired. 

In  a  certain  plant  below  the  Mason  &  Dixon  line  where  the  main  purpose 
of  operation  is  the  extraction  of  a  golden  stream  of  oil  from  cotton  seed,  the 
attention  of  all  hands  was  so  firmly  fixed  on  the  main  issue  that  less  important 
details  were  slighted.  Among  these  "  details "  happened  to  be  the  boilers. 
They  had  repos«d  for  years  in  their  allotted  position,  humbly  digesting-  any 
and  all  of  the  fuel  supplied  and  absorbing  most  of  the  water  generousi>  if 
spasmodically  injected  by  the  gentleman  of  color  who  attent'ed  their  wants. 
As  far  as  that  end  of  the  institution  was  concerned  he  was  supreme  and 
satisfied  all  requirements  so  long  as  enough  of  the  mysterious  gas  was 
provided  to  drive  the  presses  which  produced  the  golden   stream. 

Whether  the  patient  boilers  ever  suffered  from  indigestion  or  other  com- 
plaint is  not  known,  but  one  at  least  seems  to  have  been  afflicted  by  an  irritation 


■^ 


C^^er-A- 


-^l"ROD 


GBOM/MCT  ^NU7 


^ 


How  THE  Bulge  was  Braced. 

of  its  enveloping  cuticle  which  resulted  in  a  "  rise "  or  "  bulge "  of  dis- 
tressing dimensions.  For  when  subsequent  results  finally  forced  attention 
the  affected  spot  was  about  fourteen  inches  diameter  and  in  it  the  i/.aterial 
had  been  pressed  out  four  and  one-half  inches  from  its  normally  smooth  con- 
tour. It  is  probable  that  this  trouble  was  of  a  gradual  development  unobserved 
by  the  aforesaid  attendant  amid  the  exactions  of  more  important  duties. 
Perhaps  he  did  notice  the  swelling  but  either  failed  to  realize  its  seriousness, 
or  postponed  too  long  the  treatment  for  its  alleviation.  However  this  may  be 
and  however  mixed  our  metaphors,  the  time  came  when  boiler  strength  could 
endure  no  more,  and  either  in  a  final  spasm  of  distress  or  in  one  mighty 
effort  for  relief,  the  bulge  was  burst  and  one  boiler's  contribution  to  the 
golden   stream   interrupted. 


I91I.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  247 

Now  up  to  this  point  the  narrative  may  appear  but  the  record  of  a 
commonplace  and  well  understood  boiler  failure.  We  admit  all  this  and  that 
as  such  it  is  not  of  suflicient  interest  to  justify  its  appearane  in  The 
LocoMorn'E.  But  there  is  more  to  come,  and  as  that  "  more  "  involves  a  most 
ingenious  as  well  as  a  most  ingenuous  method  of  boiler  repairs,  we  have 
felt  it  of  value  to  our  readers  to  set  forth  all  of  the  circumstances. 

Of  course,  the  bursting  of  the  bulge  with  its  attending  din?!nution  of  the 
stream  of  oil  was  a  disaster  that  demanded  immediate  action,  and  the  lack 
of  an  available  substitute  boiler  clearly  indicated  that  such  action  must  be 
directed  to  the  repair  of  the  disabled  vessel.  Boilers  as  a  class,  however, 
were  scarce  in  that  particular  town  and  the  demand  for  a  specialist  on  their 
ills  and  remedies  not  sufficient  to  attract  such  a  one  to  the  neighborhood. 
Apparently,  however,  a  general  practitioner  was  at  hand  and  his  services 
secured. 

To  this  man  the  remedy  to  be  applied  seemed  obvious,  or  so  his  sub- 
sequent action  would  indicate.  A  hole  had  been  blown  through  a  bulge  in 
the  bottom  of  the  shell  and  that  hole  must  of  course  be  plugged  in  some 
manner  if  the  boiler  was  to  again  retain  water  and  steam.  But  further  that 
bulge  was  an  evidence  of  weakness  and  that  weakness  must  be  reinforced 
or  the  bulge  would  continue  to  increase  and  eventually  burst  again.  Clearly 
the  steps  to  be  taken  must  both  stop  the  leak  and  prevent  any  further  strain 
on  the  affected  spot,  and  the  scheme  outlined  in  our  illustration,  appeared  at 
once  to  successfully  meet  both  conditions.  The  idea  was  evidently  to  pre- 
vent the  bottom  of  the  shell  from  straying  farther  by  tying  it  to  the  top  and 
by  the  method  of  securing  the  tie  or  brace  to  cover  the  rupture. 

The  general  practitioner  accordingly,  with  commendable  skill,  proceeded 
to  prepare  the  hole  in  the  center  of  the  bulge  for  the  passage  of  a  one  inch 
rod  on  which  threads  had  been  run  at  either  end.  This  rod  was  then  passed 
up  through  the  hole  and  between  the  tubes  to  the  top  of  the  shell  where  a 
second  hole  was  to  be  drilled  directly  over  the  bulge.  But  here  the  fates  were 
against  him,  for  on  opening  the  man-hole  the  first  thing  that  appeared  was 
the  end  of  the  rod  projecting  vertically  from  the  lower  sheet  to  near  the 
center  of  the  man-hole  opening.  Clearly  at  this  point  no  convenient  material 
existed  for  drilling  a  hole.  But  the  situation  was  not  unsurmountable.  If 
the  rod  could  not  be  fastened  at  one  point,  why,  of  course,  it  must  reach 
another  where  better  conditions  obtained.  So  a  new  rod  was  procured  of 
a  length  sufficient  to  permit  of  the  necessary-  offset,  and  this  second  rod  secured 
by  grommets,  nuts  and  check  nuts,  both  to  the  bulge  and  to  the  top  of  the 
shell  at  a  point  where  the  man-hole  could  not  trouble. 

The  success  of  these  repairs  was  unqualified,  at  least  in  the  minds  of 
those  who  continued  the  operation  of  the  boiler  through  that  season's  produc- 
tion of  the  golden  stream.  The  aforesaid  attendant  continued  his  attention 
to  his  charges  with  full  confidence  in  the  protection  of  that  brace,  and  the 
general  practitioner  went  on  his  way  rejoicing  at  another  deed  well  done. 
It  is  not  surprising  under  such  circumstances  that  an  officious  boiler  inspector 
who  visited  the  plant  the  following  year,  was  generally  criticised  for  requiring 
the  removal  of  the  brace  and  the  heating  and  setting  back  of  the  bulged 
plate  to  its  original  position,  with  a  patch  covering  the   hole. 


248  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [October, 

Explosion  of  a  Dye  Extractor  in  Eng-land. 

[The  British  "  Boiler  Explosions  Acts "  of  1S82  and  iSgo  require  that  an 
investigation  be  made,  under  the  auspices  of  the  British  Board  of  Trade,  when- 
ever a  boiler  or  other  similar  vessel  carrying  steam  under  pressure  explodes. 
We  reproduce  one  of  these  reports  below.  It  relates  to  the  explosion  of  a  dye 
extractor,  and  is  dated  August  11,  191 1.  It  contains  lessons  that  can  be  profit- 
ably learned  in  this  country,  as  well  as  in  England.] 

In  pursuance  of  our  appointment,  dated  the  12th  day  of  July,  191 1,  we 
held  a  formal  investigation  in  the  above  matter  at  the  Broughton  Town  Hall, 
Broughton,  Salford,  on  the  2Sth,  26th,  and  27th  of  July,  191 1,  when  Mr.  George 
C.  Vaux  appeared  for  the  Board  of  Trade,  Mr.  Cyril  Dodd,  Solicitor,  of  Man- 
chester, appeared  for  the  Winterbottom  Book  Cloth  Company,  Limited  (the 
owners),  Jonathan  Barnes  (their  manager),  and  William  Sutherland  (foreman 
mechanic).  Having  heard  and  carefully  considered  the  evidence,  and  having 
inspected  the  dye  extractor  which  exploded,  we  beg  to  report  as  follows :  — 

The  explosion  occurred  at  1.55  p.  m.  on  the  19th  October,  1910,  at  Brough- 
ton Dye  Works,  Blackburn  Street,  Salford,  ]\Ianchester.  The  dye  extractor 
was  the  property  of  The .  Winterbottom  Book  Cloth  Company,  Limited,  12, 
Newton  Street,  Manchester.  Samuel  Galloway,  the  person  who  worked  the 
dye  extractor,  was  so  severely  scalded  that  he  died  from  shock  the  following 
day. 

The  apparatus,  which  was  used  for  extracting  dye  from  dye-wood,  con- 
sisted of  a  vertical  cylindrical  cast-iron  vessel  3  feet  in  diameter,  and  7  feet  2 
inches  in  height.  The  cover  or  top  of  the  vessel  was  dome-shaped,  and  was 
secured  to  the  body  by  means  of  internal  flanges  fastened  together  with  24 
bolts  originally  9/16  inch  in  diameter.  The  flanges  had  not  been  machined 
or  faced  in  any  way,  but  they  were  made  steam  tight  with  a  rust  joint  the 
thickness  of  whicli  varied  from  1/8  inch  at  the  inner  edge  to  5/16  inch  at  the 
outer  edge. 

There  was  a  hole  12  inches  in  diameter  in  the  center  of  the  cover,  which 
was  fitted  with  a  suitable  door,  and  was  provided  for  the  purpose  of  charging 
the  apparatus  with  dye-wood.  An  elliptical  hole,  13^4  inches  by  9^  inches, 
with  a  suitable  door,  was  provided  in  the  side  of  the  vessel  near  the  bottom 
for  withdrawing  the  spent  charge,  and  which  could  also  be  used  as  a  man-hole 
for  internal  examination.  A  perforated  plate,  having  holes  %  inch  in  diam- 
eter, pitched  I  inch  apart,  was  fitted  near  the  bottom  of  the  vessel  to  act  as 
a  strainer  when  the   liquor  was  being  discharged. 

A  branched  wrought  iron  pipe,  11^4  inches  in  diameter,  was  fitted  near  the 
top  of  the  vessel  for  the  admission  of  hot  water  when  preparing  the  charge, 
and  steam  when  discharging  the  liquor.  Tlie  branch  leading  to  the  water  supply 
was  provided  with  a  cock,  and  a  valve  was  fitted  on  the  steam  branch.  The 
heating  steam  pipe,  which  was  i^  inches  in  diameter,  entered  the  vessel  at 
the' bottom,  and  was  provided  with  a  cock.  A  2-inch  pipe  and  cock  was  also 
fitted  to  the  lower  part  of  the  vessel  for  discharging  the  liquor  into  a  receiving 
tank  overhead,  the  open  end  of  the  pipe  being  at  a  height  of  15  feet  above  the 
bottom  of  the  apparatus.  There  was  a  J/2-inch  test  cock  fitted  on  the  front  of 
the  vessel  near  the  top. 

The  apparatus  was  not  provided  with  either  a  safety-valve  or  pressure 
gage. 


19".] 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE. 


249 


The  maker  and  the  age  of  the  dye  extractor  are  unknown,  hut  it  came 
into  the  possession  of  the  company  in  1891.  It  was  not  insured,  and  the  only 
person  wlio  inspected  it  was  Mr.  William  Sutherland. 

The  rust  joint  under  the  cover  of  the  dye  extractor  was  partly  remade 
in  July,  1910,  and  entirely  remade  on  October  3,  1910. 

The  cover  was  blown  off,  and  the  contents  of  the  dye  extractor  were  dis- 
charged from  the  top.    The  explosion  was  not  violent,  and  was  a^ompanied  by 


A»t>tato»  joint 


'  <=<^*- C^P. 


■((^//M/////^^ 


Weodjotnt^ 


Disclitriini 
ateam  in, 


th^ 


The  Digester  before  the  Explosion'. 
a  dull   report. 

The  cause  of  the  explosion  was  that  the  pressure  of  steam  in  the  dye  ex- 
tractor was  more  than  it  could  withstand.  Its  strength  when  new  was  not 
equal  to  a  pressure  of  more  than  19  pounds  per  square  inch,  but  when  it  ex- 
ploded the  bolts  which  held  the  cover  were  much  corroded.  Half  were  eaten 
through  and  the  rest  reduced  from  9/16  of  an  inch  to  Y^  of  an  inch  in  thick- 
ness, while  the  greater  part  of  these  were  fractured. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  evidence  we  stated  as  follows :  — 

The  case  we  have  had  to  inquire  into  is  a  little  out  of  the  common.     The 


250  I'HE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [October, 

vessel  which  exploded  is  not  a  boiler  in  the  common  acceptation  of  the  word, 
though  it  is  a  boiler  within  the  provisions  of  the  Boiler  Explosions  Act.  It  is 
called  a  dye  extractor  or  kettle,  and  it  was  used  in  the  extraction  of  dye. 
Steam  was  not  generated  in  the  vessel  itself,  but  was  admitted  into  it  for  two 
purposes:  (i)  for  boiling  the  material  from  which  the  dye  was  to  be  extracted, 
and  (2)  for  forcing  the  liquor  from  the  kettle  to  tanks  at  a  higher  level  after 
the  dye  had  been  extracted.  The  pres&ure  of  steam  required  for  the  latter 
purpose  (which  completed  the  process  of  extraction  of  the  dye)  did  not  ex- 
ceed 14  pounds.  The  kettle  was  not  calculated  to  bear  a  strain  of  more  than 
19  pounds  to  the  square  inch  when  it  was  new,  so  that  neither  in  the  pressure 
of  steam  the  vessel  had  to  stand,  nor  the  use  to  which  it  was  put,  was  it  in  the 
ordinary  sense  a  boiler. 

There  were  four  of  these  kettles,  and  they  .form  only  part  of  extensive 
works  for  the  manufacture  of  book  cloth.  The  works  as  a  whole  require  con- 
siderable steam  power  to  drive  the  various  machines  used  in  this  manufacture. 
The  particular  boilers  from  which  steam  w^s  taken  for.  the  kettles  at  the  date 
of  the  explosion,  and  from  about  the  year  1904,  were  two  Galloway  boilers 
worked  at  a  pressure  of  about  70  pounds.  This  pressure,  being  far  in  excess 
of  anjlhing  required  for  the  kettles,  was  reduced  to  57  pounds  by  a  reducing 
valve  on  the  main  steam  pipe  range,  and  further  reduced  by  another  reducing 
valve  in  a  shed  at  the  back  of  the  kettles  to  14  pounds.  On  this  last-mentioned 
reducing  valve  a  pressure  gage  was  fixed,  so  that  it  could  be  seen  whether  the 
reducing  valve  was  at  all  times  in  working  order. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  refer  to  the  description  of  the  kettle,  the  particulars 
of  which  have  already  been  given,  but  we  should  observe  that  there  was  no 
safety  valve  on  any  of  th^  kettles.  The  age  of  the  kettle  which  exploded  is  not 
known.  It  was  taken  over  by  the  present  owners  in  1891,  when  they  acquired 
the  business  from  Messrs.  Samuel  Dewhurst  &  Company. 

Perhaps  it  would  be  convenient  to  describe  the  staff  at  the  works.  There 
was  the  staff  of  workmen  employed  in  the  manufacture  of  book  cloth,  and 
there  was  the  engineering  staff.  Tlie  engineering  staff  consisted  of  a  foreman 
mechanic,  Mr.  Sutherland,  and  about  43  men,  mechanics,  joiners  and  laborers, 
and  so  on,  and  among  them  were  five  mill-wrights.  Mr.  Sutherland  had  had 
a  very  long  experience,  and  had  been  18  years  with  the  present  firm.  He  had 
charge  only  of  the  steam  plant  and  machinery',  including  the  upkeep  and 
maintenance  of  the  kettles.  Mr.  Jonathan  Barnes  was  the  manager.  He  was 
a  chemist,  and  an  expert  in  dyeing,  and  he  depended  upon  Mr.  Sutherland  to 
advise  him  as  to  matters  connected  with  the  steam  plant.  The  only  person 
to  whom  it  is  necessary  to  refer  in  the  manufacturing  staff  is  Galloway,  the 
unfortunate  man  who  was  scalded  to  death  by  the  explosion.  Galloway  had  to 
look  after  the  charging  and  emptying  of  the  kettles,  and  in  that  duty  he  acted 
r.nder  ]Mr.  James  Tomlinson,  the  foreman  of  the  dye  works. 

The  method  of  using  the  kettles  is  as  follows :  — 

The  dye-woodj  in  the  form  of  coarse  sawdust,  is  introduced  through  the 
small  .door  in  the  top  of  the  kettle,  the  amount  usually  put  in  for  one  charge 
being  about  112  pounds.  Hot  water  at  a  temperature  of  212°  F.  is  then  run 
in  until  the  vessel  is  three-quarters  full.  The  kettle  is  then  closed  and  heat- 
ing steam  blown  in  at  the  bottom  to  boil  the  liquor.  The  contents  of  the  kettle 
are  kept  on  the  boil  for  40  minutes.  The  pressure  in  the  kettle  must  be  14 
pounds   above   the   atmosphere.     This   is   necessary   to   force   out   the   dye-wood 


1911.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  251 

extract.  There  is  a  j4-inch  tap  at  the  top,  which  should  be  kept  open  for  the 
release  of  air  in  the  kettle,  and  for  the  purpose  of  testing  the  liquor.  After 
the  contents  of  the  kettle  have  been  boiled  sufficientlj'  the  steam  is  shut  off 
at  the  bottom,  and  steam  is  then  admitted  at  the  top,  and  the  discharging 
outlet  at  the  bottom  is  then  opened,  by  means  of  which  the  liquor  is  forced  up 
the  discharge  pipe  to  the   receiving  tank  on  the  floor  above. 

We  can  now  describe  the  events  which  led  up  to  the  ejtplosion.  These 
kettles,  during  the  i8  years  that  Mr.  Sutherland  hbd  charge  of  them,  had  never 
required  any  material  repairs.  There  had  been  one  or  two  slight  matters,  but 
they  are  not  worth  mentioning.  In  July,  however,  of  last  year,  the  rust  joint 
of  the  kettle  that  exploded  gave  way,  and  what  is  called  "blew."  Mr.  Sutherland 
then  gave  orders  to  Halley,  a  fitter,  to  take  out  the  joint  of  the  part  that  had 
failed  and  re-joint  it  with  iron  filings  and  sal  ammoniac.  The  kettle  was  al- 
lowed to  stand  for  about  a  week,  and  after  that  it  was  worked.  Later  leaks 
developed  between  the  joint  of  the  part  newly  made  and  the  old  jointing,  and 
Halley  was  instructed  to  take  out  the  whole  of  the  old  jointing  and  re-make 
it  without  removing  the  cover  (referred  to  in  the  evidence  as  re-calking), 
taking  care  not  to  touch  the  bolts  in  any  way.  Halley  began  this  work  on  the 
24th  September,  and  finished  it  on  the  3rd  October.  Nothing  material  happened 
that  we  are  aware  of  until  the  19th  October,  the  date  of  the  explosron.  On 
that  day,  Galloway,  about  12  o'clock,  told  Mr.  Sutherland  that  the  kettle  had 
been  blowing.  As  to  what  followed  we  prefer  to  rely  on  what  Mr.  Sutherland 
said  at  the  inquest  rather  than  on  what  he  told  us  here.  At  the  inquest  he  said : 
"About  11.33  a.  m.  on  Wednesday  last  (the  day  of  the  explosion),  Galloway 
again  complained  to  me  about  the  kettle  leaking  in  the  same  place  and  asked 
me  to  have  a  look  at  it  after  dinner.  I  told  him  I  would  see  it  after  the 
dinner  hour,  but  the  explosion  occurred  before  I  could  get  there."  At  a  quarter 
past  one,  Halley,  who  had  overheard  part  of  this  conversation,  went  and  saw 
the  kettle  because,  he  said,  he  was  anxious  about  it.  He  said  he  told  Galloway 
not  to  use  it,  but  said  nothing  about  it  being  unsafe.  At  1.55  the  explosion 
tX)ok  place.  George  Tomlinson  (a  boiler  attendant)  says  that  Galloway  ran 
out  and  met  him  in  the  yard  and  told  him  the  cover  .had  blown  off.  Galloway, 
unfortunately,  was  very  badly  scalded,  and  subsequently  died  from  his  injuries. 

We  now  come  to  the  events  after  the  explosion,  and  the  inquiries  which 
took  place  to  account  for  the  explosion.  It  was  found  upon  an  examination  of 
the  reducing  valve,  which  was  in  the  shed  at  the  back  of  the  kettles,  that  it 
was  out  of  order,  and  it  was  demonstrated  by  experiment  that  steam  would  pass 
through  it  to  the  extent  of  50  pounds  pressure  per  square  inch.  The  cause  of 
this  was  that  a  locking  pin  which  prevented  the  valve  screwed  on  the  spindle 
from  gradually  working  off  was  not  in  its  place,  so  that  the  valve  unscrewed, 
amd  was,  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  useless.  It  was  also  found  that  the 
pressure  gage  which  had  been  fitted  on  the  kettle  or  reduced  side  of  the  valve 
had  been  removed,  and  so  prevented  'anyone  from  ascertaining  whether  the  re- 
ducing valve  was  working  or  not. 

Upon  an  examination  of  the  cover  of  the  kettle  it  was  found  that  only 
five  bolts  held  it  and  these  had  been  reduced  to  about  ^-inch  in  diameter 
on  an  average,  owing  to  corrosion,  and  that  the  remainder  must  have  been 
fractured  before  the  explosion.  Altogether,  24  bolts  ought  to  have  secured  the 
lid. 

A  curious   feature   of  the  evidence  was  that  all   the  valves,  both   for  inlet 


252  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [Octobkr, 

and  outlet  of  steam,  were  found  closed  immediately  after  the  explosion,  so  that 
it  is  difficult  to  understand  how  any  explosion  could  take  place  if  this  were 
the  fact,  but  there  is  no  evidence  before  us  as  to  what  Galloway  did.  It  may 
be  that  at  the  moment  of  the  explosion  he  was  on  the  pavement  at  the  bottom 
of  the  kettle  and  suddenly  closed  the  valve  on  the  right  hand  side  of  the 
kettle.  Whatever  may  have  happened  is  a  speculation,  but  we  are  inclined  to 
think  that  the  full  pressure  of  steam  was  not  being  admitted  into  the  kettle 
at  the  time  of  the  explosion,  because  the  explosion  was  not  violent.  All  that 
was  heard  of  the  explosion  by  those  who  were  a  few  yards  away  was  a  dull 
(report.  The  cover  was  blown  off  and  the  contents  of  the  kettle  were  dis- 
charged from  the  upper  part  and  in  this  way  Galloway  was  very  severely 
scalded.  David  Barnes,  a  laborer,  who  was  standing  about  lO  yards  away  from 
the  kettle,  was  splashed  with  the  liquid,  but  he  was  not  injured. 

The  most  important  matter  in  all  these  discoveries  was  the  removal  of  the 
pressure  gage.  Mr.  Sutherland  admits  that  he  ordered  it  to  be  removed  by  a 
man  naaned  Allen.  He,  Mr.  Sutherland,  did  so  (he  told  us),  because  they 
were  breaking  up  an  old  boiler  in  the  shed  where  the  gage  was,  and  he  wished 
to  prevent  the  gage  from  being  broken  or  destroyed.  Unfortunately  he  never 
gave  orders  for  it  to  be  replaced,  and  it  never  was  replaced,  and  he  knew  it 
was  a  serious  matter.  There  was  no  reason  for  its  removal  because  it  could 
have  been  cased  and  protected  from  damage  in  a  perfectly  simple  manner. 

As  regards  the  reducing  valve.  This  w-as  said  to  have  been  examined  by 
Mr.  Sutherland  once  a  year,  but  the  last  examination  was  in  July,  1909,  a  period 
of  15  months  before  the  explosion.  We  find  tha4;  Allen  was  the  only  person 
who  touched  the  reducing  valve,  though  he  said  other  persons  touched  it. 

As  regards  the  bolts  of  the  cover,  these  had  never  been  removed  or  re- 
newed during  the  whole  period  that  Mr.  Sutherland  was  in  these  works,  and 
the  cover  during  tliiQt  period  had  never  been  taken  off.  In  July,  when  part  of 
the  kettle  lid  was  rejointed  and  later,  when  the  whole  was  rejointed,  Mr. 
Sutherland  might  have  examined  the  bolts,  but  he  told  us  he  found  the  nuts 
quite  sound,  and  thought  the  bolts  would  be  equally  sound. 

No  proper  inspection  had  ever  been  made  of  this  kettle  as  fair  as  we  have 
heard.  Mr.  Sutherland  described  how  he  inspected  it,  but  this  could  not  be 
considered  in  any  way  a  thorough  inspection.  He  merely  looked  through  the 
small  door  at  the  top  and  examined  the  inside  as  far  as  he  could  see  it  with 
the  light  of  a  candle.  We  should  have  thought  that  the  fact  that  leaks  were 
taking  place  in  the  joint  of  the  cover  would  have  been  sufficient  warning  to 
Mr.  Sutherland  to  inquire  carefully  into  the  cause,  but  he  appears  to  have  at- 
tributed the  leak  to  the  perishing  of  the  joint,  and  not  to  any  increased  pres- 
sure of  steam. 

We  have  now  to  consider  who  is  responsible  for  the  accident,  and  we  come 
to  the  conclusion,  without  any  doubt,  that  Mr.  Sutherland  was  the  person,  and 
the  only  person,  responsible.  In  the  first  place  he  took  off  this  pressure  gage 
and  did  not  replace  it,  although  he  knew  the  danger  of  taking  it  away,  and 
of  the  reducing  valve  being  left  without  any  pressure  gage.  Further  than  this, 
though  he  was  asked  by  Galloway  at  about  12  o'clock  on  the  day  of  the  ex- 
plosion to  go  and  look  at  the  kettle,  which  was  blowing,  and  promised  to  go, 
he  did  not  do  so,  as  he  ought  to  have  done,  and  the  explosion  occurred. 

Further,  he  failed  to  inspect  the  reducing  valve  for  15  months.  Then  there 
Avere  what  we  might  consider  minor   faults.     He  never  made  any  proper  e.x- 


I9II.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  253 


amination  of  the  kettle,  and  when  the  joint  of  the  cover  was  remade  he  never 

tested  the  bolts. 

Though  not  contributing  to  the  explosion,  we  ought  to  call  attention  to  the 
lax  way  he  performed  his  duties  in  other  ways.  It  appeared  that  Galloway  had 
been  tampering  with  the  reducing  valve  (and  Mr.  Sutherland  knew  it),  for 
over  15  months,  by  weighting  the  arm  of  the  lever  so  as  to  increase  the  pres- 
sure of  steam.  During  that  period  Mr.  Sutherland  never  made  any  communi- 
cation to  Mr.  Barnes,  the  manager,  as  was  his  duty  to  do,  and  it  was  only  on 
the  last  occasion,  in  June.  1910,  that  he  made  any  report,  and  that,  he  told  us, 
he  did  in  a  mild  sort  of  way  so  that  Galloway  might  not  lose  his  place.  We 
have  some  s>-mpathy  with  Mr.  Sutherland  in  not  wishing  to  see  a  workman 
discharged.  At  the  same  time,  in  matters  of  this  kind,  lives  must  not  be  risked 
for  fear  of  causing  a  workman  to  lose  his  place. 

The  chief  failure  in  duty,  which  it  is  impossible  for  us  to  overlook,  was  the 
removal  of  the  pressure  gage.  Mr.  Sutherland  said  that  he  would  not  be 
satisfied  to  .work  in  front  of  a  boiler  in  which  there  was  a  pressure  of  steam, 
without  a  pressure  gage.  In  this  case,  by  removing  the  pressure  gage,  he  was 
not  risking  his  own  life,  but  the  life  of  the  man  who  had  to  attend  to  the 
kettles.  There  is  this  to  be  said,  however,  that  Galloway  was  equally  reckless, 
for  while  the  pressure  gage  was  there,  and  while  he  might  have  known  what 
the  pressure  was,  he  weighted  the  valve  so  as  to  get  more  steam,  entirely  re- 
gardless of  what  the  consequences  might  have  been. 

We  have  had  an  opportunity  of  inspecting  the  works,  and  we  are  pleased 
to  find  that  abundant  precautions  have  been  taken  by  the  owners  for  the  safe 
working  of  these  kettles  in  the  future.  Safety  valves  have  been  fitted  on  the 
kettles,  and  also  on  the  pipe  on  which  the  reducing  valve  is  fixed.  Further,  we 
desire  to  say  we  have  every  reason  to  believe  that  had  the  firm  at  any  time 
prior  to  this  accident  been  advised  that  any  additional  precautions  were  neces- 
sary, they  would  not  have  failed  to  take  them,  Mr.  Sutherland,  we  were  told, 
always  had  a  perfectly  free  hand  to  get  whatever  repairs  he  thought  necessary 
done,  and  he  was  in  entire  charge  of  the  steanr  plant.  The  manager,  Mr.  Barnes, 
had  no  knowledge  —  no  particular  knowledge  —  of  stean^  plant,  and  therefore 
he  depended,  naturally,  upon  ^Ir.   Sutherland,  who  is  the  person  to  blame. 

We  have  now  to  answer  certain  questions  which  have  been  put  to  us 
by  Mr.  Vaux,  and  we  will  do  so  in  order.  The  first  is :  "  When  did  the  log- 
wood kettle  which  exploded  become  the  property  of  the  Winterbottom  Book 
Cloth  Company.  Limited  ? "  The  answer  is :  In  1891,  but  it  was  not  new 
when  they  acquired  it.  "Was  it  provided  with  proper  fittings?"  The  answer 
to  that  is :  It  was  provided  with  the  usual  fittings,  but  these  were  insufficient 
for  safe  working. 

The  second  question  is :  "  When  and  by  whose  orders  was  the  pressure 
gage  on  the  reducing  valve  fitted  on  the  pipe  which  conveyed  steam  to  the 
kettle  removed?"  The  answer  is:  By  Mr.  Sutherland,  in  July.  1910  "Was 
the  reducing  valve  at  that  time  in  proper  working  order  ? "  We  cannot  say. 
There  was  no  evidence  before  us. 

Question  3 :  "  Did  Mr.  William  Sutherland,  foreman  mechanic,  take  proper 
measures  after  the  pressure  gage  had  been  removed  to  insure  that  the  reducing 
valve  was  working  properly?     The  answer  is  "No." 

Question  4:  "What  was  the  cause  of  the  joint  of  the  cover  of  the  kettle 
leaking  in  July  and  September,  1910?"  The  probable  cause  was  either  that  the 
rust  joint  had  perished;  or  that  the  bolts  were  giving  way  owing  to  corrosion. 


254  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [October, 

or  both  causes  may  have  contributed  to  the  leak.  "  Were  proper  measures 
taken  by  Mr.  William  Sutherland  on  those  occasions  to  ascertain  the  cause 
of  the  leak,  and  to  insure  that  the  kettle  was  not  again  worked  before  proper 
repairs  had  been  effected?"  The  cause  of  the  leak  was  assumed  by  Mr.  Suth- 
erland to  be  due  to  the  perishing  of  the  rust  joint.  He  took  no  steps  to  ascer- 
tain whether  the  bolts  were  corroded  or  not,  or  whether  the  leaks  were  due 
to  excessive  pressure  of  steam  in  the  kettle. 

Question  s :  "By  whose  orders  or  sanction  was  the  kettle  worked  on  the 
19th  October,  1910?"  With  regard  to  that  questirn  we  find  it  was  with  the 
sanction  of  Mr.  Sutherland,  for  he  knew  on  that  date  that  it  was  being  worked, 
and  made  no  protest,  and  gave  no  orders  for  it  not  to  be  worked  when  he  was 
told  it  was  blowing. 

In  answer  to  question  6 :  "  What  was  the  cause  of  the  explosion  ?  "  Tlie 
cause  of  the  explosion  was  that  the  pressure  of  steam  in  the  kettle  was  beyond 
that  which  the  kettle  could  stand. 

Question  7 :  "  Was  the  supervision  and  management  of  the  kettle  intrusted 
by  the  Winterbottom  Book  Cloth  Company,  Limited,  to  competent  persons  ? " 
Our  answer  to  that  is  "  Yes." 

Question  8 :  "  Were  the  kettle  and  fittings  periodically  inspected  by  a  com- 
petent person  ?  "  They  were  in,spected  by  a  competent  person,  but  the  inspec- 
tion was  insufficient  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  whether  the  kettle  could 
be  worked  under  safe  conditions  or  not,  and  as  we  have  already  pointed  out, 
the  reducing  valve  at  the  date  of  the  explosion  was  not  in  working  order,  while 
the  pressure  gage  which  would  have  denoted  this  had  been  removed  10  weeks 
before  the  explosion,  and  had  not  been  replaced. 

Question  9:  "Did  the  Winterbottom  Book  Cloth  Company,  Limited,  take 
proper  measures  to  insure  that  the  kettle  was  being  worked  under  safe  con- 
ditions?"     Yes,  by  employing  a  competent  foreman  mechanic. 

Question  10:  "Are  the  Winterbottom  Book  Cloth  Company,  Limited,  Mr. 
Jonathan  Barnes,  their  manager,  and  Mr.  Sutherland,  their  foreman  mechanic, 
or  is  any,  and  which  of  them,  to  blame  for  the  explosion?  Should  any,  and 
which  of  them,  pay  any  and  what  part  of  the  cost  of  this  formal  investigation  ?  " 
The  only  person  we  find  to  blame  for  the  explosion  is  Mr.  Sutherland,  for  the 
reasons  we  have  already  given,  and  we  order  him  to  pay  £?o  towards  the  cost 
of  this  inquiry. 


Talking  about  old  boilers  reminds  us.  We  were  recently  called  on  to  in- 
spect a  boiler  that  was  not  under  insurance.  We  do  not  do  this  ordinarily, 
but  we  yielded  in  the  present  case,  because  of  the  unusual  circumstances.  "  The 
boiler  has  quite  an  interesting  history,"  says  the  inspector.  "  During  the  Civil 
War  there  was  a  battle  just  above  this  place,  and  several  gunboats  were  sunk 
in  the  river.  This  was  one  of  a  pair  of  boilers  on  one  of  the  gunboats.  After 
the  war  it  was  fished  out  of  the  water  and  set  up  on  the  bank,  by  a  man  who 
had  a  contract  to  make  coffins  for  the  government,  to  bury  the  soldiers  in. 
It  has  been  in  that  same  setting  ever  since,  and  has  been  run  practically 
steadily,  up  to  about  three  years  ago.  A  colored  man  who  said  he  fired  it,  told  me 
that  a  pressure  of  125  lbs.  per  square  inch  was  often  carried  upon  it."  It  is 
a  wonder  that  the  operators  of  this  plant  didn't  have  to  use  one  of  their  coffins 
for  their  own  engineer. 


Tlic  parifom  Sieaiq  Boiler  iDspeciloq  aqd  ipiaqce  Gonpaiig. 


ABSTRACT  OF  STATEMENT,  JANUARY   1,  1911. 
Capital  Stock,      .        .        .       $1,000,000.00. 

ASSETS. 

Cash  on  hand  and  in  course  of  transmission $174,137.52 

Premiums  in  course  of  collection 209,440.08 

Real    estate 91,400.00 

Loaned  on  bond  and  mortgage 1,140,810.00 

Stocks  and  bonds,  market  value, 3,180,527.72 

Interest   accrued, 71,231.96 

Total   Assets, .  $4,867,547.28 

LIABILITIES. 

Premium  Reserve, $2,010,733.76 

Losses  unadjusted, 130,809.04 

Commissions  and  brokerage, 41,888.01 

Other  liabilities   (taxes  accrued,  etc.), 45,149.16 

Capital    Stock, $1,000,000.00 

Surplus  over  all  liabilities, 1.638,967.31 

Surplus  as  regards  Policy-holders,        .        .       $2,638,967.31  2,638,967.31 

Total   Liabilities $4,867,547.28 


L.   B.  BRAINERD,   President  and  Treasurer. 

FRANCIS  B.  ALLEN,  Vice-President.  CHAS.  S.  BLAKE,  Secretary. 

L.  F.  MIDDLEBROOK,  Assistant  Secretary. 

W.  R.  C.  CORSON,  Assistant  Secretary. 

S.  F.  Jeter,  Supervising  Inspector. 

E.  J.  Murphy,  M.  E.,  Consulting  Engineer. 

F.  M.  Fitch,  Auditor. 


BOARD    OF    DIRECTORS. 


GEORGE   BURNHAM, 

The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works,  Phila- 
delphia,   Pa. 
.\TWOOD     COLLINS,     President, 

The    Security    Co.,    Hartford,    Conn. 
LUCIUS       F.        ROBINSON,       Attorney, 

Hartford,    Conn. 
JOHN   O.    ENDERS,    United   States   Bank, 

Hartford,    Conn. 
LYMAN    B.    BR.^INERD, 

Director,    Swift    &    Company. 
MORGAN  B.   BRAINARD, 

Vice-Pres.    and    Treasurer,    The    .^tna 

Life    Insurance    Co.,    Hartford,    Conn. 
FRANCIS     B.     ALLEN,     Vice-Pres.,     The 

Hartford    Steam    Boiler   Inspection   and 

Insurance    Company. 
CHARLES    P.    COOLEY,    Vice-Pres., 

The     Fidelity     Trust     Co.,     Hartford, 

Conn. 


ARTHUR    L.    SHIPMAN,    Attorney, 

Hartford,    Conn. 
GEORGE    C.    KIMBALL,    President,    The 

Smyth    Mfg.    Co.,    Hartford,    Conn. 
CHARLES    M.    JARVIS,     President,    The 

American   Hardware   Corporation,   New 

Britain,   Conn. 
FRANCIS      T.      MAXWELL,      President, 

The   Hockanum   Mills   Company,   Rock- 

ville,    Conn. 
HORACE    B.    CHENEY,    Cheney   Brothers 

Silk    Manufacturing    Co.,    South    Man- 
chester,   Conn. 
D.    NEWTON    BARNEY.    Treasurer,    The 

Hartford      Electric      Light      Co.,      and 

Director   N.   Y.,   N.   H.    and   H.    R.    R. 

Co. 
DR.   GEORGE   C.   F.   WILLIAMS,   Treas. 

&•     General     Manager,     The     Capewell 

Horse   Nail   Co.,   Hartford,   Conn. 


Incorporated  1866. 


CinMgift  ILI 
of  Pittsburgli 

Charter  Perpetual. 


me  iiartforil  Steani  Boiler  liispectloii  aqd  iQSiiraiiGe  Gonipaiig 

IS3UES  POLICIES  OF  INSURANCE  COVERING 

ALL  LOSS  OF  PROPERTY 

AS  WELL  AS  DAMAGE  RESULTING  FROM 

LOSS  OF  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  INJURIES  DUE  TO  EXPLOSIONS 
OF  STEAM  BOILERS  OR  FLY  WHEELS. 

Full  information  concerning  the  Company's  Operations  can  be  obtained  at 

any  of  its  Agencies. 

Representatives. 

W.  jM.  Francis, 

^Manager  &  Chief  Inspector. 

Lawford  &  McKiM,  General  Agents. 
R.  E.  MuNRO,  Chief  Inspector. 


Department. 

ATLANTA,  Ga., 

611-613  Empire  Bldg. 

BALTIMORE,  Md.,  . 
13-14-15  Abell  Bldg. 

BOSTON,    Mass., 
loi   Milk  St. 

CHICAGO,  111.,  . 

160  West  Jackson   St. 

CINCINNATI,  Ohio, 

First  National  Bank  Bldg. 

CLEVELAND,   Ohio, 
Century  Bldg. 

DENVER,  Colo., 

Room  2,  Jacobson  Bldg. 

HARTFORD,  Conn., 
56  Prospect  St. 

NEW  ORLEANS.  La.,      . 
833-835   Gravier  St. 

NEW  YORK,  N.  Y.,  . 
100  William  St. 

PHILADELPHIA,    Pa.,    . 
432  Walnut   St. 

PITTSBURG,  Pa.,      . 

1801-1802  Arrott  Bldg. 

PORTLAND,  Ore.,     . 
Failing  Bldg. 

SAN  FRANCISCO,  Cal.,  . 
339-341   Sansome  St. 

ST.  LOUIS,  Mo.. 

319  North    Fourth    St. 


C.  E.  Roberts,  Manager. 

F.  S.  Ai^fcEN,  Chief  Inspector. 

H.  M.  LpMON,  Manager. 

J.A.MES  L.  Foord,  Chief  Inspector. 

J.  T.  Coleman,  Assistant  Chief  Inspector. 

W.  E.  Gleason,  Manager. 

B.  F.  Cooper,  Chief  Inspector. 

H.  A.  Baumhart, 

Manager  &  Chief  Inspector. 

Thos.  E.  Shears, 

General  Agent  &  Chief  Inspector. 

F.  H.  Williams,  Jr.,  General  Agent. 
F.  S.  AlLen,  Chief  Inspector. 

Peter  F.  Pescud,  General  Agent. 
R.  T.  Burwell,  Chief  Inspector. 

C.  C.  Gardiner,  IManager. 

W.  W.  Manning,  Chief  Inspector. 

Corbin,  Goodrich  &  Wickham,  General  A{]^ents. 

Wm.  J.  Farran,  Chief  Inspector. 

S.  B.  Adams,  Assistant  Chief  Inspector. 

C.  D.  Ashcroft,  Manager. 
Benj.^min  Ford,  Giief  Inspector. 

jNIcCargar,  Bates  &  Lively,  General  Agents. 
C.  B.  Paddock,  Chief  Inspector. 

H.  R.  Mann  &  Co.,    General  Agents. 
J.  B.  Warner,  Chief  Inspector. 

V.  Hugo, 

Manager  &  Chief  Inspector. 


muM 


< 


Vol.  XXIX.  HARTFORD,  CONN.,  JANUARY,  1912. 


No.  I. 


COPYRIGHT,   1912,   BY  THE  HARTFORD  STEAM   BOILER  INSPECTION  AND  INSURANCE  CO. 


HOME  OFFICE  BUILDING 
Pkosi'kct  and  Grove  Streets,   Hartford,  Conn. 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [January, 


Water  Gag-e  Glasses. 

Charles  S.  Blake. 

The  breaking  of  water  gage  glasses  is  of  such  frequent  occurrence^  that 
a  few  words  concerning  their  attachment  and  use  may,  if  heeded,  prevent  some 
accident  and  possibly  personal  injuries,  besides  the  annoyance  of  frequent  re- 
placements. 

The  use  of  a  visible  gage  as  an  auxiliary  to  indicate  height  of  water  in  a 
steam  generator  has  become  a  recognized  necessity,  and  is  required  by  author- 
ities exercising  jurisdiction  over  boilers.  One  municipality  at  least  places  such 
value  on  their  use  as  to  recognize  a  second  gage  glass  as  a  substitute  for  the 
gage  cocks  and  does  not  require  the  latter  when  two  gage  glasses  are  properly 
affixed. 

The  ordinary  or  customary  gage  glass  is  a  plain  cylindrical  tube,  ranging 
for  ordinary  use  from  ^  inches  to  74  inches  in  diameter  and  of  a  length  to 
suit  the  varying  conditions  and  types  of  boilers.  These  diameters  are  outside 
dimensions.  They  vary  slightly,  but  as  the  glasses  are  set  in  compressible 
washers  such  variation  is  not  detrimental.  They  are  made  in  this  country 
and  abroad,  but  those  of  Scotch  glass  are  considered  the  best.  The  very  nature 
of  the  material  makes  it  brittle,  and  aside  from  its  brittleness  it  possesses  other 
peculiar  qualities  that  when  known  should  cause  engineers  and  firemen  to 
handle  these  glasses  with  more  than  ordinary  care.  A  novice  in  examining  a 
gage  glass  will  almost  immediately  pronounce  it  defective,  because  of  the  fine 
lines  running  lengthwise  in  it:  but  such  lines  are  usually  indicative  of  good 
quality  and  are  more  pronounced  in  the  Scotch  glass  than  in  the  American. 

All  glasses  are  keenly  susceptible  to  surface  abrasions,  even  so  minute  as 
to  be  unobservable.  If  one  receives  the  slightest  scratch  inside  or  out,  it  should 
not  be  used,  and  in  handling  or  keeping  them  in  stock,  no  metal  of  any  nature 
should  be  allowed  to  come  in  contact  with  them.  They  are  particularly  liable 
to  break  if  iron  or  steel  touches  them,  and  so  should  never  be  laid  down  even 
temporarily  with  tools,  as  is  frequently  done  in  preparation  for  a  renewal. 

It  may  sometimes  be  thought  desirable  to  clean  an  old  glass  when  it  has 
every  appearance  of  being  whole  and  sound.  In  such  an  event  waste  or  a 
cleaning  cloth  should  be  used  and  should  be  pushed  through  the  bore  by  means 
of  a  wooden  stick  small  enough  to  pass  without  force.  As  a  rule,  however,  the 
price  of  gage  glasses  is  too  low  to  bother  with  the  cleaning  of  old  ones,  and 
if  one  shows  any  deterioration  at  its  ends,  it  should  be  discarded  in  any  case. 

In  the  prevention  of  accidents,  not  the  least  measure  of  importance  is  to 
have  the  receptacles  for  the  glass  properly  attached  before  trying  to  insert  it. 
Every  one  who  has  had  occasion  to  put  in  gage  glasses  is  familiar  with  the 
so-called  gage  glass  "  cocks,"  which  form  its  support.  They  are  not  cocks, 
however,  but  valves.  In  some  of  the  special  types  of  water  glass  connections, 
cocks  are  used  as  a  means  of  closing,  but  the  percentage  in  use  is  very  small. 
The  valves  are  fitted  in  various  ways, —  sometimes  directly  into  the  boiler 
plate,  more  commonly  into  water  columns  of  cast  iron  or  those  improvised 
from  ordinary  pipe  and  fittings.  The  openings  to  receive  the  valves  should  be 
parallel  and  threaded  an  equal  depth,  so  that  when  the  valves  themselves  are 
screwed  iri  position  the  sockets  in  them  for  the  reception  of  the  glass  will  be 
in  a  direct  line.  Both  top  and  bottom  valves  have  these  sockets  bored  out  to  a 
considerable  depth.     If  the  eye  cannot  detect  the  valves  out  of  line,  the  glass 


im2.|  T  H  I-:     I.  ()  C  ()  M  O  T  I  V  E  .  3 

should  be  inserted  in  tliem,  to  more  clearly  determine  whether  the  valves  are  in 
true  alignment  or  not.  The  glass  should  be  cut  to  the  greatest  length  that  will 
permit  its  insertion,  one  cock  or  valve  usually  admitting  it  to  a  greater  depth 
than  the  other. 

In  the  selection  of  a  glass,  one  should  be  used  that  will  freely  enter  the 
valve  receptacle  and  leave  a  little  space  around  it  when  in  position,  and  the 
nuts  or  glands  for  compressing  the  gaskets  should  be  large  enough  not  to  touch 
the  glass  when  screwed  up.  Only  fresh,  pure  rubber  gaskets  or  washers  cut 
by  machine,  uniform  in  size,  and  prepared  for  such  purpose  should  be  used. 
After  inserting  the  glass  in  the  valves,  it  should  be  shifted  so  the  washers  will 
be  at  an  equal  distance  from  its  ends.  This  is  very  important,  for  the  writer 
in  his  investigations  of  boiler  explosions  has  found  two  instances  where  a 
washer  softened  by  the  heat,  under  pressure  of  the  gland,  has  squeezed  out 
under  the  glass  and  closed  the  opening,  thus  permitting  a  false  indication  of  the 
water  level.  The  glands  should  first  be  screwed  by  hand,  each  a  little  in  turn 
until  they  can  no  longer  be  moved  by  the  fingers.  Then  a  small  wrench  may  be 
used  on  them  alternately,  until  the  glas.s  is  firm  in  the  packing.  Care  should 
be  taken  that  the  glass  does  not  shift  in  its  vertical  position,  during  this 
operation. 

It  may  be  needless  to  say  that  in  renewing  a  glass  with  pressure  on  the 
boiler,  the  valves  should  be  closed  tight  and  the  drip  opened  to  release  the 
pressure  before  attempting  the  removal.  When  a  new  glass  has  been  put  in, 
if  the  valves  are  not  provided  with  means  for  opening  at  a  distance,  a  board 
or  sheet-iron  shield  large  enough  to  protect  one's  head  should  be  held  between 
the  face  and  the  glass,  and  the  valves  then  opened  very  easily  and  slowly  to 
their  full  extent.  When  they  are  open,  it  is  advisable  to  retire  with  the  shield 
in  front  of  the  face  to  observe  at  a  distance  whether  there  are  any  leaks,  and 
if  any  appear,  to  return  to  the  glass  with  the  face  still  protected,  shut  ofif  the 
valves,  release  the  pressure  through  the  drip,  and  then  tighten  the  nuts.  Never 
under  any  circumstances  attempt  to  tighten  them  with  pressure  on  the  glass. 

In  the  writer's  experience,  he  has  found  it  possible  to  make  the  joints  tight 
by  only  a  slight  pressure  of  the  wrench  and  whenever  he  has  found  gage  valves 
out  of  alignment  he  has  trued  them  up.  As  a  result  of  this  practice  during 
considerable  experience  with  marine  and  stationary  boilers  never  has  he  had 
a  glass  break  under  pressure. 

If  gage  glasses  are  properly  handled  and  used  they  will  withstand  great 
extremes  of  temperature,  although  it  is  well  t®  guard  against  drafts  from  out- 
side in  cold  weather.  In  the  selection  of  glasses  it  is  not  necessary  to  pick  out 
the  ones  with  the  heaviest  walls,  for  those  with  slightly  lighter  walls  are  as 
strong  and   will   last  as   long  as  the   thicker  ones. 

The  great  precaution  is  to  keep  the  surface  from  being  scratched,  for,  as 
every  engineer  knows  it  requires  but  the  slightest  breaking  of  the  skin 
of  the  glass  in  a  circumferential  way  to  cause  it  to  almost  fall  apart.  The 
peculiar  phenomenon  of  the  glass  breaking  which  has  lain  next  to  iron  or  steel 
has  never  been  explained  to  me,  but  I  have  a  number  of  times  as  an  experiment, 
taken  a  glass,  run  a  smooth  rod  of  iron  through  it  and  put  it  away.  Sooner  or 
later  it  has  been  found  shattered  in  many  pieces.  My  first  observation  of  this 
phenomenon  was  when  I  placed  a  glass  on  a  shelf  in  an  engine  room  with  a 
large  pocket  knife  against  it  to  keep  it  from  rolling  off.  The  next  day  I  found 
the  glass  all  in  pieces  but  the  pieces  in  their  respective  positions,  showing  that 
the  breakage  was  not  from  violence  else  the  pieces  would  have  been  scattered. 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE 


[January, 


A  Scotch  Marine  Boiler  Explosion. 


BecMusf  ut  the  small  number  of  Scotch  marine  boilers  in  the  United  States, 
it  is  comparatively  rare  that  an  explosion  of  one  is  recorded,  and  owing  to  this 
fact  a  layman  often  has  the  impression  that  this  type  is  proof  against  explosion. 
That  this  is  not  the  case,  however,  is  shown  by  the  following  account  of  an 
accident  to  such  a  boiler  which  occurred  at  the  plant  of  The  Mt.  Clemens  Sugar 
Company,  Mt.  Clemens,  Mich.,  on  October  30.  191 1.  The  photograph,  Figure  r, 
gives  some  idea  of  the  condition  of  the  front  of  the  boiler  after  the  explosion, 
but  the  main  damage  was  at  its  rear,  where  it  was  difficult  to  obtain  a  picture 
suitable  for  reproduction. 

The  vessel  was  what  is  known  as  a  "wet  back  boiler."  The  general  con- 
struction of  such  a  vessel  is  shown  by  the  line  cut.  Figure  2.  The  tubes  and 
flues  terminate  in  an  internal  tube  sheet,  "  D,"  and  communicate  with  a  com- 
bustion chamber,  "  A,"  within  the  shell.  The  back  of  this  chamber  is  formed 
by  a  sheet,  "  B,"  stayed  to  the  rear  head,  "  C."  The  space  between  sheet  "  B '" 
and  head  "C"  is  filled  with  boiler  water  under  pressure  and  gives  the  name 
"  wet  back  "  to  the  type.  It  was  the  bursting  of  this  "  wet  back  "  and  the  conse- 
quent collapse  of  the  combustion  chamber  that  occasioned  the  disaster.  Its  initial 
cause  was  the  pulling  off  of  sheet  "  R  "  from  the  172  staybolts  which  held  it. 


Fig.   I.     Damaged  Fkont  ok  Boiler. 


igi 


T  H  !•:     LOCOMOTIVE. 


An  investigation  disclosed  the  fact  that  the  holding  ix:>\vcr  oi  many  of  these' 
staybolts  had  been  greatly  diminislicd  by  the  buckling  of  sheet  "  B "  between- 
them,  this  buckling  causing  the  staylH)lt  holes  to  take  a  conical  shape  with  the 
larger  diameter  of  the  cone  on  the  water  side  of  the  sheet.  This  deformation 
of  the  holes  disengaged  the  thread>  to  such  an  extent  that  tiioso  remaining  were 
unable  to  support  the  load  imposed  on  them  by  the  boiler  pres^re. 

The  boiler  at  the  time  of  the  accident  was  connected  in  line  with  seven 
others,  on  which  all  pop  valves  were  set  to  105  lbs.  per  square  inch,  so  there  is 
a  reasonable  certainty  that  the  pressure  did  not  exceed  this  amount.  The  stay- 
bolts on  sheet  "B"  were  1%  inches  in  diameter  and  spaced  7J4  inches 
apart  each   way,  and  the  sheet  was   15  32  of  an  incli  in  thickness.     The  only 


Fi(7.  2.     Section  of  Boiler. 


plausible  explanation  as  to  how  a  pressure  which  did  not  exceed  105  lbs.  could 
seriously  buckle  a  sheet  of  this  thickness  held  by  stays  in  the  manner  described, 
is  that  the  sheet  was  weakened  by  overheating. 

From  the  data  at  hand  the  cause  of  this  overheating  cannot  be  definitely 
determined,  but  the  boilers  were  reported  clean,  and  if  such  was  the  case,  forced 
driving  or  low  water  was  probably  responsible.  Sheet  "  B  "  was  thrown  forward 
against  the  rear  tube  sheet  "  D  "  with  such  force  that  it  drove  a  number  of  tubes 
through  the  front  head,  some  of  them  extending  as  much  as  six  inches  from 
its  face.    This  is  shown  on  the  accompanying  view  of  the  front  of  the  boiler. 

Three  men  were  seriously  scalded  by  this  accident,  one  being  so  severely 
injured  that  he  died  shortly  afterward.  The  property  damage  was  chiefly  con- 
fined to  the  boiler,  with  the  exception  of  a  brick  wall  located  some  distance  in 
front,  which  was  throwm  down  by  the  force  of  the  explosion.  The  doors  and 
hoppers  of  the  boiler  front  were  blown  through  a  window  twentv  feet  awav. 


Q  THELOCOMOTIVE.  fjANUAKY, 

An  Investig-ation  of  Electrolysis  in  Boilers. 

W.   R.  C.   Corson. 

About  a  year  and  a  half  ago  a  case  of  abnormal  tube  pitting  was  brought  to 
the  attention  of  The  Haktford  Steam  Boiler  Inspectiox  and  Insurance  Com- 
pany and  its  assistance  asked  in  seeking  the  cause  and  a  relief  for  the  trouble. 
The  investigation  which  followed  resulted  in  the  discovery  of  so  unexpected  an 
electrical  condition  of  the  affected  boilers  that  it  is  believed  a  description  of  it 
and  of  the  apparently  successful  remedy  which  was  applied  will  be  of  general 
interest  and  suj^gcstion  to  those  who  may  have  steam  vessels  similarly  circum- 
stanced. 

At  first  sight,  the  trouble  appeared  but  the  commonplace  pitting  which 
frequenth'  occurs  where  a  "  pure  water "  is  used  for  the  feed,  and  an  analysis 
of  it  promptly  pronounced  the  water  in  that  categorj'.  The  action  of  such  waters 
has  been  discussed  at  length  in  The  Locomotive  for  June,  1896.  It  is  here  but 
necessary  to  say  that  it  is  attributed  to  the  acids  or  oxidizing  gases  generated 
in  a  boiler  from  a  water  which  does  not  carry  alkaline  salts  to  neutralize  them. 
In  the  case  in  hand,  tube  pitting  was  to  be  expected  from  the  "  pure  water," 
but  the  rapidity  of  the  corrosion  aroused  the  suspicion  that  some  other  influence 
existed  to  exaggerate  that  action  and  as  the  boilers  were  in  the  power  house  of 
an  electric  railway,  electrolysis  immediately  suggested  itself  among  the  possi- 
bilities. 

Now  it  should  not  be  understood  that  those  who  were  assigned  to  this 
investigation  jumped  at  any  conclusion  thus  suggested.  One,  at  least,  of  these 
investigators  (the  writer  admits  identity)  very  much  doubted  the  possibility  of 
any  such  explanation.  The  general  theory  of  the  action  of  a  current  straying 
from  the  rails  of  an  electric  road  was  understood,  but  that  it  could  wander  into 
a  boiler  and  cause  any  action  there  was  not  comprehensible.  As  The  Locomo- 
tive once  put  it  in  doubting  the  responsibility  of  a  stray  current  for  the  cor- 
rosion of  an  internal  feed  pipe,  "  It  is  hard  to  understand  how  an  electric  action 
from  such  a  cause  could  take  place  within  the  closed  conductor  formed  by  a 
boiler  shell."  It  was  accordingly  with  a  skeptical  mind  but  in  a  spirit  of 
thoroughness  that  preparation  was  made  to  investigate  the  electrical  situation. 

The  boilers  —  three  Manning  vertical  tubulars  —  were  found  in  a  power 
house  typical  of  street  railways  of  the  smaller  class.  It  was  located  in  the 
rear  of  a  car  barn  and  repair  shop  which  in  turn  fronted  on  the  highway  and 
main  track  of  the  railroad.  In  the  power  house  a  room  containing  the  engines 
and  dynamos  was  nearest  the  car  barn,  and  immediately  behind  it  the  boiler 
room.  In  a  rear  addition  a  storage  battery  was  installed  for  equalizing  the  load 
on  the  station. 

Hydrants  on  the  highway  at  either  side  of  the  car  barn  corroborated  the 
statement  of  the  superintendent  that  a  water  main  was  buried  in  the  street 
and  paralleled  his  rails  for  a  considerable  distance.  These  hydrants  were  the 
points  selected  for  the  first  of  the  electrical  tests.  A  low  reading  voltmeter  was 
used  and  connected  with  one  terminal  in  contact  with  the  hydrant  and  the 
other  with  a  rail.  The  object,  of  course,  was  to  determine  whether  a  difference 
of  electric  potential  existed  between  these  structures,  and  if  it  did,  what  its  value 
was  and  which  structure  was  of  higher  potential.  The  reading  of  the  instrument 
fluctuated  to  some  extent  but  was  a  maximum  at  about  two  volts,  with  the 
hydrant  at  the  higher  or  positive  potential.     The  condition  thus  indicated  was 


I9I2.J  T  li  K     1.  I)  L  (>  M  ()   i    I  \'  E  .  / 

expected,  as  it  is  characteristic  of  underground  piping  near  a  railway  power 
house.  The  readings  if  anything  were  lower  than  usual,  but  served  to  show 
that  the  pipe  and  rail  were  not  metallically  connected  in  that  vicinity,  and  that 
there  was  the  tendency  for  a  flow  of  electricity  from  pipe  to  rail  through  the 
earth. 

In  a  pit  near  the  front  of  the  car  bam  access  was  possible  to  the  pipe  whick 
supplied  the  plant  with  water  and  which  appeared  to  brancn  from  the  main 
directly  in  front  of  the  building.  Similar  tests  with  similar  results  were  made 
between  this  pipe  and  the  rails  in  the  barn,  but  no  sufficient  length  of  this  branch 
pipe  was  exposed  to  give  opportunity  for  determining  by  test  whether  current 
was  flowing  on  it  or  not. 

Perhaps  it  is  well  here  to  say  for  the  benefit  of  the  non-technical  reader 
that  by  potential  is  meant  a  sort  of  electrical  pressure,  and  that  where  two  poten- 
tials differ  in  value  there  will  be  —  as  there  would  be  with  two  differing  pres- 
sures of  steam  or  air,  for  instance  —  a  tendency  of  flow  from  the  higher  to  the 
lower.  If  there  is  a  path  suitable  for  its  conduction  between  such  points,  there 
will  be  an  actual  flow  of  current.  Now  a  pipe,  being  of  metal,  is  a  suitable  path 
for  conducting  electricity.  If,  therefore,  two  points  on  it  are  found  at  diff'ering 
potentials  there  is  clear  evidence  of  the  existence  of  a  current  in  it.  The  tests 
thus  far  made  had  disclosed  a  diff'erence  in  potential  between  pipe  and  rail,  and 
had  indicated  the  probability  of  a  flow  of  current  from  the  former  to  the  latter, 
conceiving  the  ground  as  a  suitable  conducting  path.  It  was  probable  that  much 
of  this  current  came  from  a  distance  along  the  structure  of  the  water  main  itself, 
but  it  was  essential  to  determine  whether  any  flow  actually  existed  on  the  branch 
pipe  supplying  the  power  house. 

Opportunity  was  given  by  an  exposed  feed  pipe  in  the  engine  room  to  make 
such  a  test  and  by  using  an  instrument  capable  of  measuring  a  milivolt  (one  one- 
thousandth  of  a  volt),  an  indication  over  a  short  length  was  had  that  current 
was  flowing  and  that  it  was  in  the  direction  of  the  street. 

This  was  the  first  surprise  for  the  investigator,  for  a  flow  in  that  direction 
meant  from  the  boiler  room,  and  his  doubt  of  electrolytic  action  began  to 
weaken.  Further  tests  along  the  feed  pipe  followed  —  past  the  pumps  and  heater 
and  up  to  the  boilers.  At  the  first  of  these  —  that  in  which  the  pitting  was  most 
aggravated  —  a  distinct  reading  of  nearly  one  milivolt  was  indicated  between  a 
point  on  its  shell  and  the  brass  feed  pipe  near  its  entrance  to  the  vessel.  The 
instrument  needle  at  this  connection,  however,  was  subject  to  frequent  reversals; 
sometimes  the  shell  was  at  higher  potential,  sometimes  the  pipe.  The  prevailing 
indication  seemed  to  show  the  current  flow  from  boiler  to  pipe,  and  the  potential 
difference  a  maximum  in  this  direction. 

Then  the  instrument  was  connected  between  the  entering  feed  pipe  at  the 
top  of  No.  I  boiler  and  the  blowoff  pipe  at  its  bottom.  The  needle  of  the 
instrument  swung  promptly  to  a  maximum  of  six  milivolts  and  in  a  direction 
indicating  that  the  blowofif  was  at  higher  potential.  Here  was  certain  evidence  of 
a  flow  of  electricity  at  least  through  the  metallic  structure  of  the  boiler  from 
its  bottom  to  its  top. 

The  blowoff  pipes  on  the  three  boilers  ran  separately  to  a  brick-lined  well 
on  the  outside  of  the  building,  entering  it  horizontally  about  two  feet  below 
the  surface  of  the  ground.  The  ends  of  the  pipes  were  well  above  the  water  in 
it,  but  from  the  boiler  house  they  passed  through  earth  which  was  maintained 
in  a  generally  wet  and  conductive  condition  by  the  hot  vapor  with  which  the 


8  THELOCO  MOTIVE.  [January, 


well  was  filled.  Tests  made  by  the  milivolt  meter  between  different  points  on 
the  same  blowoff  pipe  showed  current  flow  from  the  well,  and,  while  the  theor>- 
was  not  proved,  it  was  believed  that  the  electricity  was  drawn  from  the  earth 
through  its  wet  contact  with  that  pipe. 

Here,  then,  existed  one  element  of  the  situation  whicli  the  writer  had  doubted. 
Current  was  wandering  into  and  through  a  boiler,  and  that  it  was  caused  by 
the  operation  of  the  railway  was  evident  from  the  behavior  of  the  instrument 
used.  Its  needle,  instead  of  remaining  in  any  fixed  and  constant  position,  swung 
from  one  point  to  another  as  rapidly  as  that  of  the  switchboard  instrument  which 
measured  the  current  supplied  to  the  trolley.  The  operation  of  the  cars  on  the 
road  accounted,  of  course,  for  the  swing  of  the  latter  instrument,  and  it  was  a 
fair  conclusion  that  the  motion  of  the  milivolt  meter  was  due  to  the  same  cause. 
Had  it  been  perfectly  steady,  a  leak  from  the  lighting  wires  or  from  the  storage 
battery  cables  might  have  been  suspected,  but  as  it  was  the  movement  of  the 
needle  at  times  so  exactly  corresponded  to  the  increments  of  current  occurring 
when  an  electric  car  is  started  that  one  could  note  the  steps  of  the  operation  as 
the  motorman  moved  the  handle  over  the  controller.  However,  to  be  on  the  safe 
side,  the  run  of  all  wires  and  of  the  cables  from  the  battery  were  carefully 
looked  over  in  an  effort  to'  locate  any  leaks  which  might  reach  the  boilers  and 
none  was  found. 

It  was  clear  from  these  tests,  then,  that  an  unexpected  and  unusual  electrical 
condition  existed  in  the  boilers.  But  something  unusual  was  necessary  to 
explain  the  rapidity  of  the  tube  pitting,  and  so  in  spite  of  previous  skepticism 
and  present  perplexity,  the  probability  of  a  connection  between  the  one  situation 
and  the  other  had  to  be  admitted.  It  was  still  difficult  to  see  how  electrolysis 
"  could  take  place  within  the  closed  conductor  formed  by  a  boiler  shell,"  but  it 
had  been  equally  difficult  to  understand  how  a  stray  current  from  the  rail  could 
reach  the  boiler  and  that  seemed  to  be  a  proven  fact. 

It  had  been  shown  by  the  tests  that  a  difference  in  potential  existed  between 
not  only  the  extreme  pipe  connections,  but  also  between  one  of  them  and  the 
boiler  shell.  Other  tests  showed  similar  differences  of  greater  or  less  value 
between  the  other  pipe  and  the  shell  and  even  between  the  pipe  and  its  blowoff 
cock.  The  instrument  readings  were  much  higher  in  every  case  for  the  No.  i 
boiler,  but  the  same  general  situation  was  indicated  on  all  three.  Of  course,  these 
differences  were  most  minute,  but  it  began  to  be  clear  that  if  similar  conditions 
existed  in  the  internal  structure  of  the  boiler,  the  current  which  produced  them 
might  be  an  influence  in  the  corrosion. 

It  has  been  stated  that  a  difference  in  potential  on  a  conductor  is  evidence 
of  a  flow  in  it.  It  is  now  best  to  further  explain  that  the  magnitude  of  this 
difference  will  depend  on  two  conditions,  viz.,  the  amount  of  current  flowing 
and  the  resistance  offered  to  its  flow  b}^  the  conductor  on  which  the  difference 
is  measured.  A  small  current  on  a  conductor  of  high  resistance  may  produce  a 
potential  difference  as  great  as  that  of  a  large  current  on  a  conductor  of  low 
resistance.  This  broad  statement  of  these  relations  seems  necessary  to  explain 
the  reason  for  an  experiment  which  the  situation  next  suggested. 

A  piece  of  trolley  wire  of  No.  oooo  gage  was  bound  and  soldered  at  its  one 
end  to  the  feed  pipe  and  at  the  other  to  the  blowoff  pipe  of  No.  i  boiler.  If  the 
difference  of  potential  previously  existing  between  these  two  pipes  was  due  to  a 
large  current  flowing  over  a  comparatively  low  resistance  in  the  boiler  structure, 
the  connection  of  this  wire  would  have  little  or  no  effect,  for  it  would  not  have 


1912. 1  T  H  E     L  O  C  O  M  O  T  I  V  E  .  L) 

influenced  tlic  ainoniit  of  current,  .nid  its  cross  section  was  so  small  compared 
with  that  of  the  metal  in  the  hoili-r  that  even  though  of  superior  conducting 
material  it  would  but  to  a  small  degree  reduce  the  total  resistance.  On  the  other 
hand,  if  the  original  potential  dilTeniice  was  due  to  a  small  current!  traversing 
a  comparatively  high  resistance,  perliaps  due  to  the  various  joints  and  seams 
of  the  vessel  or  the  water  in  it,  then  the  relative  improvement  of  the  path  by 
the  addition  of  the  wire  might  be  marked.  'Hie  result  prof^d  that  the  latter 
situation  was  the  case,  for  the  bond  formed  by  the  trolley  wire  reduced  the 
potential  difference  between  the  pipes  to  practically  zero,  the  instrument  needle 
moving  perceptibly,  but  not  enough  to  determine  a  value. 

Strangely  enough,  however,  the  small  reversing  potential  difTercnce  which 
was  noted  as  existing  between  the  boiler  shell  and  the  feed  pipe  did  not  seem 
to  be  affected  by  the  connection.  It  remained  in  fact  and  was  clearly  indicated 
by  the  instruinent  after  the  power  house  had  ceased  operation  for  the  night, 
and  when  all  lights  were  turned  off  and  the  storage  battery  disconnected  from 
its  circuit.  The  only  explanation  offering  was  that  it  was  due  to  galvanic  action 
between  the  feed  pipe,  which  was  of  brass,  and  the  steel  of  the  boiler. 

Now  this  paper  is  more  in  the  nature  of  a  narrative  of  an  investigation  than 
an  explanation  of  the  phenomena  discovered.  It  is  not  difficult  to  form  a  prob- 
able theory  to  account  for  current  through  the  boiler,  but  to  demonstrate  it  would 
require  more  space  than  is  here  av^iilable.  There  was  such  a  current  undoubt- 
edly, but  it  may  not  be  so  assuredly  stated  that  it  by  electrolysis  produced  corro- 
sion. The  further  investigation  showed  that  the  boilers  had  accumulated  a  mass 
of  magnetic  oxide  scale,  and  that  oxide  was  in  evidence  at  every  hot  water  drip 
and  leak.  This  substance  was  not  only  indicative  of  the  action  of  acids  in  the 
boiler,  but  by  its  accumulation  there,  under  the  action  of  the  heat,  produced 
further  oxidization  of  the  rnetal  parts.  It  did  —  and  does  now^  —  seem  probable, 
however,  that  there  existed  the  elements  essential  to  electrolytic  action  —  water 
more  or  less  acid  for  an  electrolyte  and  metal  parts  of  differing  potentials  for 
the  electrodes  —  and  that,  therefore,  tlverc  was  cause  for  suspecting  such  action 
as  an  influence  in  this  trouble. 

Accordingly,  it  was  recommended  that  for  a  time,  at  least,  the  wire  bond 
which  had  been  connected  as  an  experiment  be  allowed  to  remain.  Other  reme- 
dial measures  were  also  suggested,  such  as  the  thorough  cleaning  of  the  boilers 
rmd  the  neutralizing  of  the  water  in  them  by  the  use  of  soda  ash.  For  while  it 
was  appreciated  that  if  all  were  applied  it  would  be  impossible  to  determine 
from  a  resulting  improvement  which  of  the  remedies  had  been  most  effective. 
it  was  thought  more  important  to  take  every  measure  of  protection  at  once. 
Those  in  charge  of  the  boilers,  however,  apvparently  had  a  greater  confidence  in 
the  wire  bond,  and  took  the  responsibility  of  ignoring  the  other  suggestions.  That 
this  confidence  seems  to  have  been  justified  by  the  result  is  indicated  by  the 
following  quotation  from  a  letter  recently  received  from  the  superintendent  of 
the  railroad :  "  The  bond  which  you  put  in  between  the  blowoff  and  feed  pipe 
still  remains,  and  as  we  have  had  no  more  trouble  from  pitting  v.ould  say  the 
trouble  was  due  to  electrolysis.  We  ran  the  boiler  from  August.  1910.  [the  time 
of  the  investigation]  until  September.  iQii,  without  repairs.  Since  that  time 
the  boiler  has  been  shut  down." 

Now  the  facts  stated  in  this  quotation  may  not,  perhaps,  seem  sufficient 
evidence  to  justify  the  superintendent's  conclusion  as  to  the  responsibility  of 
electrolysis.     Taken   with   the   other   circumstances   thev    would    seem,    however. 


10  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [January, 

to  indicate  a  strong  probability  that  such  action  occasioned  the  trouble.  It  is 
because  of  this  probability,  rather  than  of  any  positive  conclusion,  that  it  is 
hoped  that  this  description  may  be  suggestive  to  those  who  operate  steam  vessels 
under  similar  circumstances. 


What's  in  a  Name? 

In  our  long  service  to  the  public  as  specialists  in  boiler  inspection,  we 
have  become  so  familiar  with  a  common  form  of  repair  used  on  return  tubular 
boiler  shells,  and  known  as  a  "  Horseshoe  Patch,"  that  we  have  felt  we  knew 
all  about  the  matter.  Probably  many  of  our  inspectors  have  assumed  on  account 
of  their  experience,  that  they  know  perfectly  well  how  the  name  of  such  patches 
was  derived,  and  have  considered  that  the  usual  shape  was  the  connection  that 
linked  the  name  with  that  of  the  metal  protection  usually  attached  to  the  hoof 
of  the  noble  steed  which  has  served  mankind  for  generations  past.  It  will 
doubtless  be  a  great  surprise  to  our  other  friends,  as  well  as  to  our  inspection 
force,  to  learn  that  the  relation  between  the  two  is  much  closer  than  would  be 
indicated  by  this  reasoning.  The  discovery  of  the  remarkably  intimate  con- 
nection between  the  name  of  the  patch  and  the  horseshoe  was  recently  made 
by  one  of  our  representatives  who  was  traveling  in  the  south.  He  was  riding 
on  a  train  in  Alabama,  and  with  his  head  on  the  back  of  the  car  seat,  was  doz- 
ing and  dreaming  that  he  had  discovered  a  new  material  for  boiler  shells  of 
100,000  lbs.  tensile  strength,  and  as  ductile  as  gold,  which  would  resist  corro- 
sion and  all  other  ills  to  v/hich  boiler  material  is  subjected,  and  that  would  also 
pass  all  state  boiler  laws,  when  he  was  rudely  awakened  by  the  sudden  stopping 
of  the  train.  He  rubbed  his  eyes,  and  looking  out  of  the  car  window  discovered 
that  he  was  at  York ;  but  there  were  many  things  missing  beside  the  "  New " 
that  indicated  he  was  not  near  Broadway.  However,  his  eyes  finally  rested  on 
a  sign  painted  in  large  letters  over  the  entrance  of  a  brand  new  one  story  shop 
which  interested  him  at  once.  This  sign  clearly  illustrates  how  really  intimate 
is  the  connection  between  the  horseshoe  and  the  boiler  patch.  The  sign  was  as 
follows : 

YORK  BLACK'SMITHING  CO. 

REPAIRS 

WAGONS,  BUGGIES,  BOILERS,  ENGINES. 

HORSEHOEING  A  SPECIALTY. 

It  is  evident  that  the  department  store  idea  has  penetrated  every  section  of 
the  country  and  man}'  lines  of  business.  For  years  past  we  have  been  thoroughly 
familiar  with  the  department  store  methods  used  in  the  insurance  field,  and 
aside  from  the  fact  that  we  are  not  so  accustomed  to  seeing  it,  the  sign  given 
above  is  not  more  incongruous  than  those  of  our  competitors  who  advertise 
boiler  and  flywheel  insurance  along  with  an  assortment  of  bonding,  liability, 
accident,  plate  glass  and  burglary  insurance.  Reads  like  the  description  of  a 
soup  bunch  purchased  by  the  frugal  housewife,  doesn't  it? 


1912 


T  II  E     L  O  C  O  M  0  T  I  V  K  . 


11 


TOOLS  FOR  CLEANING  BOILERS, 
J.   W.   Hubbard,  Inspector. 

Much  has  been  published  in  the  mechanical  press  regarding  the  need  of 
keeping  boilers  clean.  Init  aside  frorrv  descriptions  of  patented  devices, 
little  has  been  told  of  the  forms  of  implements  suitable  for  the  purpose  of 
cleaning.  On  account  of  tlic  lack  of  information  on  this  subject,  many  boiler 
operators  are  not  familiar  with  the  tools  which  experience  has  shown  to  be 
well  suited  to  the  purpose  and  they  are  so  easily  fashioned  by  a  blacksmith 
that  they  should  be  readily  procured  anywhere. 


^ 


4  5 


B 


7 


8 


Cleaning  Tools. 

The  tools  described  here  are  not  new  and  doubtless  many  engineers  are 
thoroughly  familiar  with  them,  but  they  are  described  with  the  hope  that  more 
engineers  may  become  acquainted  with  them  and  learn  of  their  usefulness  in 
keeping  their  boilers  clean  and  free  from  scale. 


12  T  H  E     L  O  C  O  M  O  T  I  V  E  .  [January, 


Tool  No.  I  is  of  general  utilitj'.  The  amount  of  angle  near  the  point  and 
the  length  of  the  handle  can  he  varied  to  meet  the  requirements  of  each  par- 
ticular case.  The  chisel  point  should  he  ground  sharp  and  tempered  hard.  The 
knob  on  the  end  forms  a  convenient  handle,  and  adds  weight  to  the  tool  at 
a  point  that  makes  its  use  effective.  The  knob  should  be  left  soft  so  that  if 
there  is  occasion  to  use  a  hammer  on  it,  the  eyes  of  the  operator  will  not  be 
endangered  by  flying  particles.  All  portions  of  the  tube  sheet,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  the  small  surfaces  on  it  between  vertically  adjacent  tubes,  can 
usually  be  reached  for  cleaning  with  this  tool.  One-half  inch  hexagonal  steel 
is  the  proper  size  stock  of  which  to  form  this  implement. 

Tools  represented  by  Nos.  2,  3,  and  4  are  scrapers  for  removing  the  scale 
from  the  tubes  and  should  be  made  of  one -half  inch  hexagonal  stock.  Nos.  2 
and  3  should  be  sharpened  on  the  concave  edges  and  No.  4  on  both  edges.  By 
leaving  off  the  loop  handle  on  No.  4  and  forming  it  of  five-eighths  inch  steel, 
the  cutting  edge  can  be  driven  along  the  tops  of  the  different  rows  of  tubes 
against  the  head,  breaking  down  a  part  of  the  scale  which  cannot  be  reached 
by  No.  I.  With  one  edge  formed,  as  illustrated  in  No.  5,  it  is  especially  effective 
for  this  use. 

Tool  No.  6  may  be  used  for  breaking  away  heavy  scale  that  may  bridge 
the  horizontal  space  between  the  tubes  away  from  the  heads.  This  is 
inserted  in  the  vertical  space  between  the  tubes  and  is  turned  by  the  handle 
"A,"  which  carries  the  projecting  end  "B"  arovmd  in  a  horizontal  plane  and 
forces  out  the  scale  between  the  tubes.  The  leg  "  B  "  should  of  course  be  made 
of  such  size  that  it  will  pass  easily  between  the  tubes  at  points  where  no  scale 
is  adhering. 

No.  7  is  a  convenient  form  of  hoe,  for  removing  loose  scale  or  deposit  from 
the  bottom  of  the  shell  of  horizontal  tubular  boilers.  This  tool  is  particularly 
convenient  for  this  purpose  where  the  boiler  is  only  provided  with  a  hand-hole 
communicating  with  the  portion  of  the  shell  below  the  tubes.  The  points  of 
the  blade  are  cut  away  so  that  they  may  pass  under  the  lower  tubes  at  the  side 
of  the  boiler  and  the  edge  of  the  blade  is  made  to  conform  to  the  curvature  of 
the  boiler  shell.  This  latter  requirement  is  important,  in  order  to  make  the  use 
of  this  tool  effective.  The  handle  should  be  made  of  three-quarters  inch  pipe 
and  the  blade  of  one-quarter  inch  plate  steel.  The  hole  in  the  blade  for  the 
attachment  of  the  handle  should  be  tapped  and  the  pipe  screwed  into  it  and 
held  fast  with  a  jam  nut.  If  the  space  in  front  of  the  boiler  is  sufficient,  it 
is  preferable  to  have  the  handle  of  this  hoe  made  of  one  piece  of  pipe,  but  if 
this  is  not  practicable,  it  may  be  made  of  two  or  more  pieces  as  required.  When 
working  with  this  hoe,  it  is  often  convenient  to  tie  on  the  handle  near  the  blade 
a  small  piece  of  waste  saturated  with  oil,  setting  this  on  fire  to  light  up  the 
interior  of  the  boiler  in  order  to  see  where  to  reach  for  loose  material. 

A  hammer  of  the  type  illustrated  in  No.  8  is  very  useful  for  cleaning  plates, 
but  for  jarring  the  scale  loose  from  the  tubes  a  flat-faced  hammer  should  be 
used. 

There  are,  of  course,  cases  where  the  thorough  cleaning  of  a  boiler  is  im- 
possible owing  to  either  the  hardness  of  the  scale  or  inaccessibility  due  to 
design.  Boilers  in  which  the  tubes  are  staggered  or  having  poorly  designed 
through  bracing  above  the  tubes  or  in  which  the  tubes  have  been  carried  too 
far  down,  making  the  space  below  them  cramped,  are  inaccessible  for  cleaning. 
In  boilers  of  such  design  where  the  scale  produced  is  hard,  as  is  the  case  where 


IQI2. 


T  II  E     L  ()  C  O  M  ()  T  I  V  E 


13 


the  feed  water  contains  sulphate  df  lime,  it  is  practically  impossible  to  prop- 
erly clean  them  and  as  a  conseqnence  hoth  safety  and  economy  are  affected. 

The  nse  of  such  boilers  where  the  feed  water  supplied  is  necessarily  bad. 
can  only  be  attributed  to  lack  of  care  or  judgment  on  the  i)art  of  those  respon- 
sible for  their  installation. 

In  using  the  tools  here  illustrated  or  an\  otlurs  for  a  similar  purpose,  tlu- 
greatest  care  .should  be  exerci.sed  that  the  tubes  or  other  jxirlions  of  the  boiler 
are  not    injured    in   the   i)roress  of  clcnuing. 


A  Boiler  Disaster  From  Hig-h  Water. 

The  accompanyinj4  illustration  sIiown  the  condition  in  which  the  boiler  plant 
of  the  Marathon  Paper  Company  was  left  by  a  Hood  of  the  Wisconsin  River, 
on  which  at  Wausau,  Wisconsin,  that  company's  mill  is  located.  Unusually 
heavy  rains  in  the  early  part  of  last  October  had  caused  high  watai-  in  all  the 
streams  of  that  neighborhood,  and  on  the  sixth  of  the  month  the  Wisconsin 
had  burst  its  banks  and  overflowed  tlie  Marathon  Company's  property,  cutting 
new  channels  between  its  buildings.  :i\m\  as  it  developed,  undermining  the  boiler 
foundations.  Late  in  the  afternoon  of  that  day,  before  the  water  had  reached 
the  boiler  room  floor  and  while  steam  was  still  maintained,  an  initial  settlement 
occurred  in  the  end  one  of  a  battery  of  six  boilers.  This  caused  a  break  in  a 
feed  pipe  by  which  three  of  the  attendants  were  seriously  scalded.  Soon  after. 
the  water  invaded  the  room  and  opcr;itions  had  to  be  <uspi.-n(k(I.  At  8:30  in 
the    evening    the    foundation    completely    collajised    at    tlie    rear,    wrecking    the 


Wrecked  i;v  a  Fi.oop. 


14  THELOCOMOTIVE.  [January 


settings  and  steam  piping  and  tipping  the  boilers  on  end  as  shown  in  the  pho- 
tograph. 

These  pages  have  frequently  described  the  circumstances  of  a  wrecked  steam 
plant,  the  cause  of  which  was  attributed  to  low  water,  but  it  is  quite  a  novelty 
to  record  in  them  a  case  such  as  this,  where  the  opposite  condition  must  be 
held  responsible  for  the  misfortune. 


Another  "Maine  "  Explosion. 

It  seems  incredible  that  a  foreign  government  should  acquire  its  munitions 
of  war  from  among  the  revered  relics  of  a  friendly  nation,  but  tliat  such  has 
been  the  case  at  least  in  one  instance,  would  appear  probable  from  an  account 
of  a  serious  ^ccident  published  by  our  English  contemporary  Vulcan.  According 
to  that  paper,  a  working  party  at  the  Portsmouth  (England)  Dockyard  was 
engaged  in  testing  "  a  compressed  air  cylinder  used  for  propelling  torpedoes  " 
when  it  burst  "with  a  terrific  report."  killing  or  injuring  eight  men.  The  article 
continues :  "  At  the  inquest  the  evidence  showed  that  the  cylinder  was  not  of 
the  pattern  generally  used,  but  was  of  American  make,  and  evidently  came  from 
the  hospital  ship  Maine,  which  formerly  belonged  to  the  American  Navy."  No 
comment  is  made  on  this  extraordinary  circumstance,  but  perhaps  as  a  warning 
to  other  pilferers  of  our  national  souvenirs  it  is  added  that  the  verdict  of  the 
jury  recommended  "the  disuse  of  American  cylinders."     Hospital  ship,  indeed! 


Boiler  Room  Card. 

The  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Inspection  and  Insurance  Company  has 
recently  published  in  condensed  form  a  set  of  suggestions  for  the  care  and 
management  of  steam  boilers  under  the  title,  "  Boiler  Room  Card."  As  its  name 
implies,  this  sheet  is  intended  for  framing  or  other  mounting,  so  that  it  may  be 
hung  in  the  boiler  room  for  the  ready  reference  of  the  attendants.  The  "  sugges- 
tions "  cover  broadly  conditions  of  maintenance  and  preservation  as  well  as  of 
safe  operation  of  steam  vessels  used  f©r  power,  and  embody  methods  which  an 
extended  experience  has  approved  as  best  practice.  They  are  legibly  printed  in 
short  paragraphs  with  prominent  captions,  so  that  reference  to  any  particular 
condition  may  be  easily  made. 

The  Boiler  Room  Card  is,  of  course,  published  primarily  for  the  benefit  of 
its  policy-holders  to  whom  it  is  being  distributed,  but  in  the  belief  that  it  will 
prove  of  great  value  in  every  plant  where  boilers  are  used  for  power,  the 
Hartford  company  is  glad  to  furnish  copies  free  to  any  bona  fide  boiler  owners 
who  will  apply  for  them.  If  you  have  not  already  received  one,  address  the 
Company  at  Hartford,  Conn.,  and  ask  for  the  "Boiler  Room  Card,"  stating  in 
your  communication  the  number  and  pressure  of  the  boilers  you  own  and  where 
they  are  located. 


1912]  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  ^5 


Boiler  Explosions. 

October,    191  (. 

^37^) — A  hot-water  boiler  burst,  October  i,  in  a  "Cafeteria"  at  Los 
Angeles,  Calif.  Two  persons  were  injured  and  property  damaged  to  tlie  ex- 
tent of  about  $500. 

(377-) — On  or  about  October  i,  a  boiler  exploded  at  Mercer's  mill,  on 
the  Suwance  river,  near   Branford,   Fla.     No  one  was  injured. 

(378.) — On  October  2,  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Pas- 
saic River  &  Coal  street  plant  of  the  Public  Service  Corporation  of  New  Jersey. 
One  man  was  scalded  and  died  the  following  day.  The  property  damage  was 
small. 

(379-) — A  boiler  exploded,  October  2,  in  a  confectionery  store  at  Suther- 
land, Iowa.  Three  persons  were  injured  and  machinery  and  buildings  were 
damaged. 

(380.) — A  number  of  cast-iron  headers  fractured,  October  3,  in  a  water- 
tube  boiler  at  the  Louisville  Gas  Co.'s  plant,  Louisville,  Ky.  Considerable 
damage  was  done  to  the  boiler. 

(381.)  — A  boiler  in  the  butcher  shop  of  J.  A.  Spaughy  at  Postville,  Iowa, 
exploded  October  6.     Three  persons  were  injured. 

(382.) — A  boiler  ruptured,  October  6,  at  "  Waverly  Hall,"  an  apartment 
house  at  115  Mount  Auburn  street,  Cambridge,  ]\Iass.  The  damage,  which 
was  small,  was  confined  to  the  boiler. 

(383.) — On  October  6,  a  boiler  exploded  in  a  school-house  at  Clark's 
SuiTimit,  Pa. 

(384.) — A  boiler  exploded,  October  6,  in  the  Astoria  apartment  house, 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 

(385-) — A  sawmill  boiler  exploded,  October  7,  near  Waynesburg,  Ky. 
The  engineer  was  instantly  killed  and  several  other  persons  injured. 

(386.)— A  blow-off  pipe  failed,  October  7,  at  the  Cisco  Oil  Mill,  Carbon, 
Texas.     One  man  was  injured. 

(387.)  — A  small  water  heater  exploded,  October  7,  in  the  basement  of  the 
residence  of  M.  C.  Phillips,  Oshkosh,  Wis.  The  heater  was  practically  de- 
molished and  considerable  damage  was  done  in  the  basement.  No  one  was 
injured. 

(388.)  — A  boiler  exploded,  October  8,  in  the  Thirteenth  avenue  fire  engine 
house,  Oakland,  Calif.  No  person  was  injured  but  the  fire  engine  horses  were 
thrown  to  the  ground  and  the  building  was  damaged. 

(389.) — The  boiler  of  a  threshing  engine  exploded,  October  8,  on  William 
Allen's  farm,  near  Franklinville,  N.  Y.  Mr.  Allen  was  struck  by  a  part  of  the 
boiler  plate  and  was  thrown  about  thirty  feet.  He  was  seriously  but  probably 
not  fatally  scalded.     One  other  man  was  slightly  injured. 

(390.) — On  October  9  an  accident  occurred  to  a  boiler  at  the  Citizens' 
Ice  Co.,  Oswego,  Kansas.     The  damage  was  small. 

(391-) — The  boiler  of  a  locomotive  engine  exploded.  October  10.  in  the 
roundhouse  of  the  Los  Vegas  &  Tonopah  railroad,  at  Goldfield,  Nev.  One 
man   was  seriously  injured  and  the   roundhouse  was  wrecked. 

(392.)  —  On  October  11  a  hot-water  heater  exploded  in  the  basement  of 
a  two-flat  building  at  5042  Fulton  street,  Chicago,  111.  Three  persons  were 
injured. 


16  THELOCOMOTIVE.  [January, 


(393-) — A  valve  on  a  blow-off  pipe  ruptured,  October  12,  at  the  plant  of 
the  Michigan  Bolt  &  Nut  Co.,  Detroit,  Mich.     One  man  wras  killed. 

(394.) — The  boiler  of  a  locomotive  on  the  Louisville  &  Nashville  rail- 
road exploded,  October  12,  near  Knoxville,  Tenn.  Train  Master  H.  M. 
Brownlee,  who  was  riding  in  the  engine  cab,  received  scalds  which  caused  his 
death  the  following  day. 

(395-) — A  hot-water  boiler  exploded,  October  13,  in  the  residence  of  E. 
Augustus   Rine,   Caldwell,   N.   J.      No  one  was   injured. 

(396) — On  October  13  a  boiler  exploded  at  the  plant  of  the  National 
Refining   Co.,    Marietta,    Ohio,    causing   large    damage   to    property. 

(397-) — A  tube  ruptured,  October  13,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  plant 
of  the  Consumers'  Hygeia  Ice  Co.,  Union  Hill,  N.  J.     Three  men  were  injured. 

(398-) — A  boiler  exploded,  October  13,  in  the  Stack  Block,  Lestershire, 
N.   Y.,  causing  a  propert}'  damage  of  $200. 

(399-) — On  October  14  a  number  of  cast-iron  headers  fractured  in  a 
water-tube  boiler  at  the  North  Delaware  avenue  power  station  of  the  Philadel- 
phia Rapid  Transit  Co.,  Philadelphia,   Pa. 

(400.)  — A  blow-off  pipe  failed,  October  14,  at  the  Day  Chemical  Co.'s 
plant,  Westline,  Pa.     One  man  was  scalded. 

(401.) — A  cast-iron  header  ruptured,  October  14,  in  a  water-tube  boiler 
at  the  plant  of  the  American  Steel  &  Wire  Co.,  Waukegan,  111. 

(402.) — One  man  was  severely  scalded,  October  15,  by  an  accident  to  the 
boiler  of  the  tugboat  John  Mahar,  at  Fulton,  N.  Y. 

(403.) — On  October  16  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the 
Joseph   H.  Bromley  plant,   Philadelphia,   Pa. 

(404.) — On  October  19  one  or  more  boiler  Uilios  blew  out  on  the  torpedo 
boat  Wilkes. 

(405.) — A  boiler  ruptured,  October  19.  at  the  plant  of  Wm.  Goodrich  & 
Co.,   linseed  oil  manufacturers,   Milwaukee,   Wis. 

(406.) — On  October  20  a  boiler  exploded  in  the  cellar  of  the  Greenwich 
Cold  Storage  Co.,  Greenwich  street.  New  York  City.  The  boiler,  which  was 
located  beneath  the  sidewalk,  was  blown  some  distance  from  its  original 
position,  breakmg  ammonia  pipes,  a  gas  main  and  a  high  pressure  water  main, 
and  damaging  the  Ninth  avenue  elevated  structure.  Eight  persons  were  more 
or  less  severely  injured  and  the  property  loss  was  estimated  at  $30,000. 

(407.) — The  boiler  of  a  locomotive  engine  exploded,  October  22,  on  the 
Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  railroad,  at  North  Homan  and  Grand  avenues, 
Chicago,  111.     Four  men  were   injured,  one  of  them   seriously. 

(408.)  — -On  October  22  three  tubes  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the 
planing  mill  of  the  Cole  Mfg.  Co.,  Memphis.  Tenn.  The  boiler  was  consid- 
erably  damaged. 

(409.)  — A  boiler  tube  burst.  October  22,  on  the  torpedo  boat  Tingcy,  whilc 
the  vessel  was  off  Charleston.  S.  C,  proceeding  to  Hampton  Roads,  Va.  One 
man  was  killed  and  another  badly  scalded. 

(410.) — A  boiler  exploded,  October  23,  at  the  Sterling  Sugar  Refinery. 
Franklin,  La.     One  man  w^as  seriously  burned. 

(411.) — On  October  23  a  boiler  tube  burst  on  the  ferryboat  Peerless,  at 
Delta,  La.     One  person  was  killed  and  seven  others  injured. 

(412.) — A  tube  ruptured,  October  26,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Guth- 
man  Laundry  &  Dry  Cleaning  Co.'s  plant.  Atlanta.  Ga.  Two  men  were  in- 
jured. 


1912.]  T  H  IC     LOCOMOTIVE.  -[J 


(413.") — A  cast-iron  header  rupiurcd  in  a  water-tube  boiler.  October  27, 
at  tbo  Utah-Idaho  Sugar  Co.'s  plant.  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 

(,414) —  Ihc  boiler  of  a  traction  cnf^ine.  belonginp:  to  C.  Anderson,  ex- 
ploded, October  27,  near  Waupun,  Wis.     Two  men  were  severely  injured. 

(415.)  —  On  October  28  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  al  the 
State   Hospital   for  Insane,  Athens,  Ohio. 

(416.) — A  boiler  exploded,  October  28,  at  the  llintze  greenhouses,  I-'ond 
du   Lac,  Wis.     Damage  to  property   was  estimated   at  $2,000. 

(417.)  — The  boiler  of  a  locomotive  on  the  Trinity  &  Brazos  Valley  rail- 
road  exploded,   October  28,   near   Karen,  Texas.     Three   men   were   killed. 

(418.) — On  October  30  a  boiler  exploded  on  the  Pure  Oil  Co.'s  steamer 
No.  5,  at  East  Newark,  N.  J.  One  person  was  killed  and  five  others  were  in- 
jured, three  of  them  fatally. 

(419.) — A  boiler  tube  blew  out.  October  30,  in  the  plant  of  John  Dichold 
&  Sons,  Louisville,  Ky.     No  one  was  injured. 

(420.)  — On  October  31  a  tube  rujitured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  sugar 
house  of  the  St.  Joseph  Planting  &  Mfg.  Co..  Feitel,  La. 
(See  also  No.  427.) 

(421.) — On  October  31  the  boiler  of  locomotive  No.  852.  on  the  Wabash 
railroad,  exploded  near  Riverton,  111.  'j'he  engineer  was  killed  and  the  fire- 
man and  head  brakeman  severely  injured.  Tlie  property  damage  was  estimated 
at  $10,000. 

(422.) — The  boiler  of  a  freight  locomotive  on  the  Pennsylvania  railroad 
exploded.  October  31,  at  EHzabeth,  N.  J.     Three  men  were  severely  injured. 

(423.)  — On  October  31  a  boiler  exploded  on  the  premises  of  Walter  Oder- 
wald,  Clifton.  111.     One  person  was  seriously  injured. 


November,    191  i. 

(424.) — The  boiler  of  a  freight  locomotive  exploded,  November  i,  on  the 
Pennsylvania  railroad  near  Lima.  Ohio.     Three  men  were  seriously  injured. 

(425.) — A  boiler  exploded,  November  i,  at  the  plant  of  the  Mt.  Clemens 
Sugar  Co.,  ]\It.  Clemens.  Mich.  Three  men  were  seriously  injured,  one  of 
whom  has  since  died. 

(426.) — A  heating  boiler  exploded.  November  i,  in  the  basement  of  the 
high  school  at  Niagara  Falls.  N.  V.  One  man  was  seriously  and  another 
slightly   injured. 

(427.) — On    November   2   a    tu!)c    ruptured    in    a   water-tube   boiler   at    the 
sugar  house  of  the  St.  Joseph  Planting  &  Mfg.  Co..  Feitel.  La. 
(See  also  No.  420.) 

(428.) — A  locomotive  boiler  exploded,  November  3,  on  the  premises  of 
the   W.   R.    Pickering   Lumber    Co..    Pickering,   La.   One   man    was   injured. 

(429.) — A  cast-iron  elbow  of  a  blow-off  pipe  failed.  November  3,  at  the 
flax  spinning  mill  of  Smith  &  Dove  Mfg.  Co.,  Andover,  Mass.  One  man  was 
fatally  injured. 

(430.) — On  November  4  a  section  cracked  in  a  cast-iron  heating  boiler 
in  the  hotel  of  Rafter  &  Co..  Nevada,  Mo. 

(431.) — The  explosion  of  a  small  vertical  boiler,  November  4.  at  Zincite. 
Mo.,  near  the  Lincoln  mine,  seriously  injured  one  man. 


18  T  H  E     L  O  C  O  M  O  TI  V  E  .  [January. 


(432.) — A  heater  exploded,  November  4,  at  359  Massachusetts  avenue, 
Indianapolis,  Ind.     One  person  was  injured. 

(433-) — A  boiler  belonging  to  the  Standard  Oil  Company  exploded,  No- 
vember 5,  at   St.   Paul,  Minn.,  causing  a  property  loss  of  $150. 

(434.) — A  boiler  flue  failed,  November  5,  on  the  Cauvel  farm,  near  Oil 
City,  Pa.     No  one  was  injured. 

(435-) — A  boiler  flue  failed,  November  6,  on  the  Cauvel  farm,  near  Oil 
City,  Pa.     One  man  was  severely  burned. 

(Items  Nos.  434  and  435  refer  to  the  same  boiler,  the  two  accidents 
occurring  on  two  consecutive  days.  After  the  first  accident  the  boiler  flue  was 
repaired  and  the  boiler  again  put  in  service,  with  the  result  noted.) 

(436.) — A  locomotive  boiler  exploded,  November  6,  on  the  Baltimore  & 
Ohio  railroad,  at  Brooklyn  Junction,  W.  Va.  Two  persons  were  seriously  in- 
jured. 

(437-) — A  tube  ruptured,  November  6,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  plant 
of  the  Southern  Iron  &  Steel  Co.,  Alabama  City,  Ala. 

(438.) — A  boiler  owned  by  W.  N.  McCann  exploded,  November  6,  at 
St.  Joseph,  Mo.     The  property  damage  was  estimated  at  $3,000. 

(439-) — A  boiler  tube  failed,  November  6,  in  the  power  house  of  the 
Consolidated   Companj-,   Charleston.    S.   C.     No  one   was   injured. 

(440.)— On  November  8  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  vertical  boiler  at  the  Oak 
Park  Power  Co.'s  plant  of  the  General  Motors  Company  of  Michigan,  Flint, 
Mich.  The  boiler  was  used  in  connection  with  a  producer  gas  plant.  Consider- 
able damage  was  done  to  the  boiler  and  surrounding  property. 

(441.) — A  Pennsylvania  railroad  locomotive  boiler  exploded,  November 
8,  at  Worthington,  111.     One  person  was  seriously  injured. 

(442.) — A  tube  ruptured,  November  8,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  base- 
ment of  the  "  Ellicott  Square,"  one  of  the  largest  office  buildings  in  Buffalo, 
N.  Y.     One  man  was  scalded.     (See  item  No.  444.) 

(443.) — The  boiler  of  the  locomotive  drawing  the  St.  Louis  &  San  Fran- 
cisco railroad's  fast  train,  "  Meteor,"  exploded,  November  9.  near  Fort  Scott, 
Kans.     The  engineer  and  fireman  were  killed. 

(444.) — On  November  10  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the 
"  Ellicott  Square  "  office  building,  Buffalo,  N.  Y.  Arthur  Brady,  a  boiler  maker, 
was  killed,  John  Schrott,  a  boiler  maker,  and  Bard  Leavitt,  an  inspector  for 
The  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Inspection  &  Insurance  Company,  were  severely 
scalded,  Schrott  dying  a  few  days  later. 
(See  Item  No.  442.) 

(445.) — On  November  10  a  boiler  ruptured  at  the  American  Terra  Cotta 
&  Ceramic  Co.'s  plant.  Terra  Cotta,  111. 

(446.) — The  boiler  of  the  forward  locomotive  of  a  double-headed  freight 
train  exploded,  November  11,  twenty  miles  west  of  Lynchburg,  Va..  on  the 
Norfolk  &  Western  railroad.  One  man  was  killed,  one  critically  scalded,  and 
several  other  persons  received  minor  injuries. 

(447.)  — A  cast-iron  heating  boiler  exploded,  November  12.  at  the  residence 
of  Eber  Downs,  Kewanee,  111.     No  one  was  injured. 

(448.) — A  blow-off  pipe  failed.  Novem.ber  13,  in  the  hothouse  of  Hoerber 
Brothers,  Des  Plaines,  111.     Two  men  were  slightly  scalded. 

(449.) — On  November  13  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the 
Glen  Allen  Oil  Mill,  Glen  Allen,  Miss.     One  man  was  scalded. 


iyi2.J  TIIK     LOCOMOTIVE.  ^Q 

(450.) — On  November  15  tlirce  sections  of  a  cast-iron  heating  boiler  frac- 
tured at  the  Masonic  Temple,  Greenville,  S.  C. 

(451.)  —  Four  men  were  fatally  scalded,  November  16,  by  the  bursting  of 
a  boiler  tube  in  a  boiler  owned  by  Scott  Brothers,  canal  contractors.  The 
boiler  was  in  use  on  the  Seneca  River  section  of  the  barge  canal,  near  Seneca 
Falls,  New  York. 

(452.) — A  boiler  exploded,  November  16,  on  dredge  No.  3,  of  the  Fitz- 
simmons  &  Council  Dredge  &  Dock  Co.,  at  Madison  street  bridge,  Chicago,  111. 
Four  men   were  Rightly  burned. 

(4S3-) — On  November  19  a  mud  drum,  attached  to  a  boiler,  ruptured  on 
the  sugar  plantation  of  the  Estate  of  H.  C.  Minor,  Houma,  La. 

(454.) — The  boiler  of  the  locomotive  of  the  Overland  Limited  on  the 
Union  Pacific  Railroad  exploded  on  the  morning  of  November  20  near  Rawlins, 
Wyo.,  severely  scalding  the  engineer  and  fireman. 

(455-) — A  heating  boiler  exploded,  November  21,  in  St.  James'  Parish 
School,  St.  Louis,  Mo.     No  one  was  injured. 

(456.) — The  boiler  of  a  Big  Four  locomotive  exploded,  November  22, 
near   Fortsville,   Ind.     Three  trainmen   were  seriously   injured. 

(4S7-)  — A  tube  ruptured,  November  27,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Liman 
Mills,    Inman,    S.    C.     Tlie   fireman   was   injured. 

(458.)  — A  boiler  on  the  farm  of  Oliver  Launstein,  at  Owosso,  Mich.,  ex- 
ploded, November  27.     Mr.  Launstein  was  painfully  but  not  seriously  injured. 

(459-) — The  boiler  of  a  locomotive  exploded,  November  29.  while  stand- 
ing in  the  yards  at  Creston,  111.  The  engineer  was  badly  burned  and  the 
fireman   sustained   slight  burns   and   scalds. 

(460.) — Two  boilers  exploded.  November  29,  in  the  Lower  Merion  Y.  M. 
C.  A.  building,  Ardmore,  Pa.  No  one  was  seriously  injured  but  the  property 
loss  was  estimated  at  $S,ooo. 

(461.) — On  November  29  the  boiler  of  a  locomotive  on  the  Lake  Erie, 
Alliance  &  Wheeling  railroad  exploded,  near  Wattsville,  Ohio.  The  engineer 
was  seriously  injured  and  the  firemen   was  badly  scalded. 

(462.) — The  boiler  at  the  gin  of  C.  L.  Davis,  near  Bonham,  Texas,  ex- 
ploded, on  or  about  November  30.  No  one  was  injured.  Damage  to  prop- 
erty was  estimated  at  $1,800. 


The  record  of  boiler  explosions  for  December,  191 1,  and  the  summary  and 
statistics  of  such  disasters  for  the  past  year,  which  have  previously  found  a 
place  in  the  January  issue,  will  appear  in  that  for  April,  1912.  The  verification 
of  the  latest  explosions  and  the  compilation  of  the  complete  data  would  cause 
a  delay  in  the  current  number  which  we  believe  unadvisable. 


20 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE. 


[January, 


HARTFORD,  JANUARY.   1912. 
Single  copies  can  be  obtained  free  by  calling  at  any  of  the  company's  agencies 
Subscription  price  so  cents  per  year  ivhen  mailed  from  this  office. 
Recent  bound  volumes  one  dollar  each.    Earlier  ones  two  dollars. 
Reprinting  o_f  matter  from  this  paper  is  permitted  if  credited  to 
The  Locomotive  of  The  Hartfokd  Stkam  Boii.tR  1.  &  1.  Co. 


We  call  attention  to  the  .enlarged  title  appearing  on  this,  the  first  number 
of  a  new  volume.  The  old  familiar  name  of  the  periodical  is  retained,  but  incor- 
porated with  it  is  also  the  name  of  the  institution  responsible  for  its  publication. 
This  change  from  the  shorter  title  of  the  past  forty-four  years  is  symbolic  of 
our  desire  and  purpose  that  hereafter  The  Locomotive  shall  be  more  closely 
identified  with  The  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Inspection  and  Insurance  Com- 
pany and  more  representative  of  the  activities  of  that  corporation  and  of  its 
views  on  the  mechanical  and  insurance  conditions  essential  to  the  protection  of 
power  apparatu';. 


The  reason  for  the  purclia,-e  of  protection  against  loss  from  damages  for 
personal  injury  in  a  boiler  insurance  contract,  by  the  holder  of  a  liability  policy, 
obviously  is  to  supplement  the  protection  afforded  by  the  latter  in  those  cases 
of  serious  boiler  disaster  for  w'hich  the  liability  policy  limits  may  prove  insuffi- 
cient or  inapplicable.  It  cannot  be  with  any  desire  to  assist  the  liability  company 
by  contributions  from  other  insurance  in  the  settlement  of  claims  that  such 
purchaser  expends  his  money  in  additional  premiums :  and  yet  when  he  selects 
a  boiler  policy  in  which  the  personal  injury  insurance  is  made  to  contribute  pro- 
nortionately  with  the  liability  insurance,  he  may  be  defeating  his  very  purpose 
and  be  practically  reinsuring  the  liability  risk  in  a  manner  which  leaves  himself 
not  fully  indemnified  for  personal  injury  claims,  although  with  an  unconsumed 
balance  of  liability  insurance.  Moreover,  for  the  minor  boiler  accidents,  such 
as  tube,  blowoff  pipe,  and  water  glass  explosions,  the  limits  of  the  liability 
policy  alone  would  generally  afford  ample  protection,  without  in  any  way 
diminishing  the  amount  of  liability  insurance  in  force  for  future  accidents ;  for 
while  liability  insurance  policies  limit  the  amounts  payable  for  injuries  or  death 
of  one  person,  or  of  several  persons  hurt  in  one  accident,  there  is  no  limit  to 
the  number  of  persons  or  accidents  covered  and  thus  no  limit  to  the  amount  the 
liability  insurance  company  might  have  to  pay  during  the  term  of  its  policy.  On 
the  other  hand,  steam  boiler  policies  necessarily  insure  for  a  definite  amount  to 
cover  all  accidents  during  the  period  for  which  the  policy  is  in  force,  and  what 
is  paid   on   one   accident  is   deducted   from   this   amount.     Thus   everv  time  the 


1912.J  T  11  E     LOCO  M  OT  1  V  E  21 


boiler  insurance  is  called  upon  to  lulp  the  liability  insurance  company  settle  a 
loss,  tlie  boiler  explosion  protection  that  the  assured  has  paid  for  is  diminished 
for  the  benefit  of  the  liability  company,  without  any  compensatint,'  benefit  to  the 
assured  for  the  depletion  of  his  insurance  against  subsequent  loss  from  boiler 
explosions. 

Tins  situation  is  due  to  the  provisions  commonly  incorporated  in  each  form 
of  contract  that  where  other  insurance  is  applicable  the  assuftd  cannot  recover 
a  larger  proportion  of  the  loss  under  one  policy  than  the  insurance  available 
under  it  bears  to  the  total  available  under  all  policies.  Such  has  been  the  com- 
monly adopted  provision  of  boiler  policies. 

The  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  I.nspection  and  Insurance  Compwy,  realiz- 
ing this  deficiency  in  the  older  forms,  has  recently  put  out  an  improved  contract 
which  in  addition  to  the  usual  indemnity  against  property  loss,  affords  insurance 
against  loss  from  death  and  personal  injury  in  a  manner  which,  while  as  fully 
as  any  other  protecting  the  assured  where  no  liability  policy  exists  or  where  it 
is  inadequate  or  inapplicable,  does  not  force  contributions  from  the  assured's 
boiler  insurance  to  the  liability  company's  losses. 

A  complete  discussion  of  this  whole  matter  has  been  made  by  President 
Brainerd  and  published  by  The  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Inspection  and 
Insurance  Company  in  a  pamphlet  entitled  "The  Excess  or  Non-Contributing 
Form  of  Policy  versus  The  Concurrent  and  Contributing  Forms."  Every  steam 
user  who  protects  himself  both  by  boiler  and  liability  insurance  should  read 
this  pamphlet  and  carefully  consider  its  contents.  It  may  be  obtained  from 
any  of  the  offices  of  the  Company,  which  are  listed  on  the  last  (cover)  page 
of  this  issue. 


From  time  to  time,  we  are  asked  for  an  opinion  as  to  the  relative  responsi- 
bility of  owner  and  tenant,  with  regard  to  the  explosion  of  a  boiler.  As  a 
general  proposition,  if,  after  the  explosion,  it  can  be  shown  that  the  boiler  was 
in  excellent  condition,  but  care  and  management  were  bad,  the  tenant  would  be 
held  liable.  On  the  other  hand,  if,  after  the  explosion,  it  can  be  shown  that 
the  care  and  management  were  excellent,  but  the  design  and  construction  of 
the  boiler  poor,  the  owners  might  be  held,  but  it  is  one  of  those  cases  which 
depends  entirely  upon  circumstances,  which  circumstances  are  brought  out  by 
the  explosion,  and  cannot  be  predicted  beforehand. 

As  a  concrete  case  report  No.  642  to  the  Secretary  of  the  British  Board 
of  Trade  is  of  interest.  That  report  describes  the  explosion  of  a  boiler  in  a 
com  mill,  caused  by  the  wasting  of  the  shell  plates  due  to  corrosion.  The  Court 
blamed  the  owner  for  neglecting  to  have  the  boiler  examined  and  he  was 
ordered  to  pay.  The  tenant  was  blamed  for  neglecting  to  ensure  that  the 
boiler  was  working  under  safe  condition,  and  he  also  was  ordered  to  pay. 

It  is  safe  to  say,  therefore,  that  for  full  protection  of  both  the  owner  and 
the  tenant,  the  interest  of  each  .should  be  covered  by  a  boiler  policy. 


No  good  business  man  would  make  a  loan  on  property  which  was  not  pro- 
tected by  fire  insurance,  yet  loans  are  made  on  property  containing  steam  boilers, 
where  no  insurance  protection  against  their  explosion  exists.  This  too  in  the 
face  of  the  obvious  fact  that  the  effect  of  a  boiler  explosion  is  immediate  and 


22  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [Janlarv, 

almost  instantaneous  with  the  event  itself,  while  with  a  fire  subsequent  to  its 
discover}'  efficient  measures  may  be  taken  to  minimize  the   resulting  loss. 

One  explanation  why  boiler  insurance  is  not  carried  in  such  cases  lies  in 
the  mistaken  idea  that  after  a  boiler  explosion,  fire  will  likely  ensue,  and  the 
total  loss  will  then  be  collectible  from  the  fire  insurance  companies.  This  is 
not  the  case,  however.  A  fire  policy  takes  hold  where  the  boiler  policy  leaves 
off,  so  that  if  a  boiler  explodes  in  a  building  which  was  worth  say,  $50,000,  and 
if  after  the  explosion  the  building  because  of  its  wrecked  condition  is  worth 
but  $4,000,  the  latter  amount  only  would  be  collectible  under  a  fire  insurance 
policy   for  a  fire  which  completed  the  destruction. 

This  is  a  matter  which  should  receive  the  attention  of  bankers  and  others 
who,  though  not  owning  steam  plants,  may  loan  money  on  them.  They  should 
see  that  the  property  which  secures  the  loan  is  itself  secure  from  the  effects  of 
a  boiler  disaster  bj^  adequate  insurance  under  a  steam  boiler  policy. 


Obituary. 

Benjamin  F.  Cooper,  late  Chief  Inspector  of  The  Hartford  Steam  Eoiler 
Inspection  and  Insurance  Company,  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  died  suddenly  of 
heart  failure  in  that  city  November  i,   191 1. 

Mr.  Cooper  was  born  in  Kenton  County,  Kentucky,  in  1844.  Prepared  by  a 
good  common  school  education  and  an  apprenticeship  to  the  machinist  trade, 
he  early  took  up  the  work  of  a  stationary  engineer.  In  this  he  became  most 
proficient  and  held  many  important  engineering  positions.  In  1883  he  entered 
the  service  of  the  Hartford  company  at  Cincinnati,  and  in  1909  received  his 
appointment  as  Chief  Inspector  of  that  department. 

Mr.  Cooper  served  during  the  Civil  War  from  1862  to  1865  as  a  private 
in  the  4th  Ohio  Cavalry,  and  ever  after  remained  a  loyal  comrade  of  his  asso- 
ciates in  that  great  struggle  and  a  zealous  member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic.  He  was  prominent  in  Masonic  circles  and  held  in  high  esteem  for 
his  many  sterling  qualities  cf  heart  and  mind  by  a  broad  circle  of  friends  and 
associates.  jNIany  of  our  assured,  who  have  benefited  by  consultation  with  Mr. 
Cooper  on  matters  pertaining  to  their  steam  plants,  and  who  have  thus  come 
to  know  the  value  of  his  advice  and  his  carefully  formed  opinion,  will  feel  with 
the  Hartford  company  that  in  his  death  has  been  lost  a  good  friend,  a  pains- 
taking official,  and  a  conscientious  adviser. 

Mr.  Cooper  was  buried  with  the  honors  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic 
b}^  his  comrades  of  the  Cincinnati  local  post.  He  is  surv-ived  by  two  sons,  Cassius 
G.  Cooper  of  Chicago,  and  Frank  P.  Cooper  of  Cincinnati. 


Personal. 


The  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Inspection  and  Insurance  Company  regrets 
to  announce  that  Allan  D.  Risteen,  Ph.D.,  who  for  the  last  twenty-three  years 
has  been  in  the  service  of  the  Company  as  Assistant  Editor  and  Editor  of 
"The   Locomotive,"    has    severed    this    connection.      Dr.    Risteen    is    an    expert 


1912]  T  H  E     LO  C  O  M  O  T  1  V  E  .  23 

mathematician  and  a  versatile  writer  and  lecturer  in  other  branches  of  science. 
He  has  been  a  contributor  to  many  technical  journals  and  encyclopaedias  and 
has  now  in  course  of  preparation  a  new  encyclopaedia  of  his  own,  covering  in 
condensed  form  tlxe  fields  of  history,  literature,  and  science.  His  articles  in 
The  Locomotive  have  been  highly  regarded  from  an  academic  as  well  as  a 
practical  standpoint,  and  have  been  a  potent  influence  in  obtaining  for  that 
paper  a  place  of  merited  appreciation  in  the  libraries  of  thcr-Jiigher  technical 
schools  and  colleges. 

In  leaving  the  "  Hartford "  Dr.  Risteen  bears  with  him  the  high  regard 
of  its  officers  and  of  his  associates  and  the  sincere  good  wishes  of  all  for  his 
future  success  and  happiness. 


In  December,  191 1,  Walter  Gerner  was  appointed  by  The  Hartford  Steam 
Boiler  Inspection  and  Insurance  Company,  Chief  Inspector  at  its  Cincinnati 
office,  vice  Benjamin  F.  Cooper,  deceased. 

Mr.  Gerner's  early  career  was  largely  connected  with  the  sea,  during  which 
he  advanced  through  the  several  grades  of  marine  engineering  to  that  of  chief 
engineer  of  trans-Atlantic  vessels,  including  in  the  duties  of  the  latter  position 
the  supervision  of  construction  and  repair  of  the  vessels  of  the  line  with  which 
he  was  connected. 

During  his  service  with  this  Company,  Mr.  Gerner  has  acquired  a  broad 
experience  with  inspection  work  in  field,  shop,  and  office.  By  this  and  his 
engineering  training  he  is  well  equipped  to  serve  the  interests  of  our  patrons  in 
his  new  territory. 


William  A.  Craig,  who  has  been  connected  with  its  inspection  force  since 
1893,  has  been  promoted  by  The  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Inspection  and 
Insurance  Company  to  the  position  of  Assistant  Chief  Inspector  of  its  Pitts- 
burg department.  We  are  sure  Mr.  Craig's  advancement  will  receive  the  general 
approval  of  his  associates  in  our  Company  and  of  his  many  friends  among  the 
steam  users  of  his  district. 


On  Decem.ber  31,  191 1,  Inspector  Johnston  Nolan  resigned  from  the  force 
of  our  Philadelphia  department  in  order  to  engage  more  actively  in  the  manu- 
facture and  sale  of  a  blowoff  valve  which  he  has  invented.  We  learn  that  his 
valve  has  met  with  favorable  consideration,  and  we  wish  Mr.  Nolan  all  success 
in  his  undertaking. 


The  Metric  System  of  Weights  and  Measures.  A  valuable  indexed 
hand-book  of  196  pages  of  convenient  size  (3>^"  x  5%")  and  substantially 
bound,  containing  a  brief  history  of  the  Metric  System,  and  comparative  tables 
carefully  calculated,  giving  the  English  or  United  States  equivalents  in  all 
the  units  of  measurement. 

Everyone  who  has  had  occasion  to  convert  English  weights  and  measures 
into  their  metric  equivalents,  and  conversely,  is  familiar  with  the  irritation  pro- 
duced, either  by  the  necessity  of  calculating  them,  or  by  finding  that  the  par- 
ticular units  required  are  not  included  in  the  tables  at  hand.  But  the  tables  in 
this  hand-book  are  so  numerous  that  this  annoyance  will  be  reduced  to  its 
lowest  terms.     The  book  is  of  convenient  pocket  size  and  well  bound. 

Published  and  for  sale  by  The  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Inspection  &  Ins. 
Co.,  Hartford,  Conn.   U.  S.  A Price  $1.25. 


24  T  H  E     L  O  C  O  M  O  T  I  V  E  .  [January, 

Boiler  Explosion  Injures  Inspector. 

Although  not  without  precedent,  it  is  rare  that  a  boiler  inspector  is  injured 
in  an  explosion.  An  accident  with  this  result  occurred  on  November  loth  at 
the  Ellicott  Square  office  building  at  Buffalo,  New  York,  when  one  of  our  local 
inspectors,  Bard  Leavitt,  was  seriously  scalded  by  the  bursting  of  a  tube  in  a 
water-tube  boiler  next  to  one  which  he  was  inspecting.  Two  boiler  makers, 
Arthur  Brady  and  John  Schrott,  were  working  on  the  boiler  with  the  inspector. 
Both  lost  their  lives.  Mr.  Brady  being  killed  outright  and  Mr.  Schrott  dying 
several  days  later. 

Inspector  Leavitt  was  particularly  fortunate  to  escape  with  his  life,  as  he 
was  under  the  tubes  in  the  back  connection  when  the  explosion  occurred.  In 
order  to  escape,  it  was  necessary  for  him  to  crawl  through  a  cleaning  door  about 
i8  inches  square,  into  a  narrow  passagewaj"  which  was  filled  with  steam 
and  hot  water  from  the  explosion.  Mr.  Leavitt  was  so  blinded  by  the  steam 
and  the  pain  of  his  injuries  that  in  leaving  the  boiler  room  he  ran  into  a  pumping 
engine  which  was  in  motion,  and  severely  cut  his  mouth  and  nose  on  the  con- 
necting rod  or  the  crank  pin. 

We  are  glad  to  state  that  Mr.  Leavitt  is  on  the  road  to  recovery. 


Inspection  Work  for  the  year  1911. 

The  activity  of  the  inspection  force  of  The  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  In- 
spection AND  Insurance  Company  for  the  year  just  closed  is  evidenced  in  the 
statistical  tables  of  the  following  pages.  This  data  is  compiled  from  the  record 
of  the  work  accomplished  and  is  published  in  this  form  that  those  who  are  inter- 
ested in  such  matters  may  obtain  a  realization  of  the  magnitude  and  value  of 
the  service  which  is  performed  by  our  inspector?  in  the  boiler  plants  of  the 
United  States. 

The  summaries  on  page  25  are  particularl}'  interesting.  From  a  comparison 
of  their  figures  it  appears  that  an  inspector  on  the  average  found  something 
defective  at  nearly  every  visit  he  made,  and  in  every  ten  a  condition  which 
if  continued  was  dangerous  to  the  operation  of  the  vessel.  These  figures  are 
significant,  for  the  breadth  of  the  field  covered  by  the  tabulated  experience  is 
great  enough  to  represent  the  average  situation  of  the  steam  vessels  of  the 
country.  If  once  out  of  ten  visits  to  a  boiler  room  a  trained  inspector  discovers 
a  dangerous  condition  the  necessity  and  value  of  his  visitation  is  emphasized, 
without  mention  of  the  benefit  derived  at  every  visit  from  his  warning  of  a 
defect  which  may  be  remedied  before  it  reaches  a  critical  stage. 

From  the  summary  of  defects  the  character  of  the  several  diseases  which 
afflict  boilers  may  be  seen  and  an  idea  gained  of  the  relative  frequency  with 
which  each  occurs  and  the  probability  of  its  attaining  a  dangerous  state.  The 
predominance  of  defects  due  to  impure  water  is  most  marked. 

These  statistics  are  of  the  work  among  steam  boilers,  meaning  by  that 
term,  steam  containing  vessels  generally.  In  addition  the  inspection  force  of 
the  company  has  made  during  the  year  92  examinations  of  steam  pipe  lines, 
economizers,  and  miscellaneous  apparatus,  and  4,234  inspections  of  fly-wheels 
and  pulleys. 


IQJ2. I 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE. 


25 


Summary  uk  Instkctoks'  Work   for   191  i. 
Visits    (if    iii^ix-'ction    made,         ....... 

Whole   number  of  inspeetions    ( botli   interii.il   aiul   extcriian. 
Number  of  complete   internal    inspections, 
Boilers   tested    I)y    hydrostatic   pressure.    . 
Total  number  of  boilers  condenmed. 
Total  number  of  defects  discovered. 
Total  number  of  dangerous  defects  discovered. 

Sl'M.MAR'i     01      Dll-fiCTS     DiSCOVKRF.n. 


NaTURK   01     DKKhCIS. 

Cases  of  deposit  of  sediment. 
Cases  of  incrustation  and  scale. 
Cases  of  internal  grooving. 
Cases  of  internal  corrosion. 
Cases  of  external  corrosion. 
Defective   braces    and    stays. 
Settings   defective. 
Furnaces  out  of  shape. 
Fractured    plates. 

Burned  plate.s 

Laminated  plates, 

Gases  of  defective   rivetinsi. 

Defective  heads,   . 

Cases  of  leakage  around  tubes. 

Cases  of  defective  tubes.     . 

Tubes  too  light,   . 

Leakage  at  joints. 

Water-gages   defective. 

Blow-offs  defective, 

Cases  of  deficiency  of  water. 

Safety-valves  overloaded. 

Safety-valves  defective, 

Pressure   gages   defective,   . 

Boilers  without  pressure  gages. 

Unclassified   defects. 

Total. 


180,842 

352.674 
140,896 

12,724 

653 

164,713 

17.410 

• 

Whole 
Mumber. 

Danger- 
ous. 

19,710 

42,879 

2.756 

14.083 

9.755 
2.485 
5.686 

1,400 

1.699 

.305 

649 

898 

545 
731 

7.191 

397 

3,479 
4,837 

440 

477 

509 
3>026 

44 
636. 

I.3-I9 
11,188 

234 
1,627 

9,447 

2,935 

1,901 

521 

5,417 

?,7?< 

3.447 

17i 

4,509 

^■2,7?^ 

313 

90 

1,124 

319 

1.225 
7,836 

329 

525 

532 

71 

29 

19 

164,713      17.410 


Grand    Tutai.  of  the  Inspectors'  Work  from  the    Time  the  Company  Behax 
Business,  to  January   i.   T912. 

Visits   of   inspection    made, 3,312,922 

Whole  number  of  inspections   (botli   internal  and   external).  6,413.587 

Complete   internal   inspections,   .........  2,518,922 

Boilers  tested  by  hydrostatic  pressure 299.852 

Total  number  of  boilers  condemned.                                                            .  21.620 

Total  number  of  defects  discovered, 3,987.980 

Total  number  of  dangerous  defects  discovered 409,639 


26 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE 


[Januaky, 


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in 

Nature  of  Defects. 

Cases  of  deposit  of  sediment,  . 
Cases  of  incrustation  and  scale. 
Cases  of  internal  grooving. 
Cases  of  internal  corrosion. 
Cases  of  external  corrosion. 
Defective  braces  and  stays. 
Settings  defective,    . 
Furnaces  out  of  shape,     . 
Fractured  plates. 
Burned  plates,  .... 
Laminated  plates,     . 
Cases  of  defective  riveting,     . 
Defective  heads. 
Cases  of  leakage  around  tubes, 
Cases  of  defective  tubes,  . 
Tubes  too  light, 
Leakage  at  joints,    . 
Water-gages  defective,     . 
Blow-offs  defective,  . 
Cases  of  deficiency  of  water,    . 
Safety-valves  overloaded. 
Safety-valves  defective,    . 
Pressure  gages  defective. 
Boilers  without  pressure  gages, 
Unclassified  defects. 

'c3 
0 

I9I2.J 


THE     L  ( )  C  O  M  O  '1"  I  V  !•: 


27 


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ooooc-^be'Os'Tsgo-^oo-^W)  ^'^  o  [^  ^  i:  vi  5^' 


28 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE. 


[January 


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in  in  N   CI   o  w  rj-vo   cito        MMOt—cicncncn  mo 

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O  oo   -I  O   ir>  o  "-   cnoo    OOOOdm"^!-!    O^oo   d    O  O    "*  c<^ 
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I912.I 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE 


29 


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30 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE 


[January, 


Summary 

OF  Inspectors*  Work 

SINCE    1870. 

Year. 

Visits  of 

inspection 

made. 

Whole  num- 
ber of  boilers 
inspected. 

Complete 

internal 

inspections. 

Boilers 

tested  by 

hydrostatic 

pressure. 

Total     num- 
ber of 
defects 

discovered. 

Total     num- 
ber of 
dangerous 
defects 
discovered. 

Boilers 

con- 
demned. 

1870 
1871 
1872 
1873 

5.439 

6,826 

10,447 

12,824 

10,569 
13.476 
21,066 
24,998 

2.585 
3,889 
6,533 
8,511 

882 

1,484 
2,102 

2,175 

4,686 

6,253 

11,176 

11,998 

485 

954 

2,260 

2,892 

45 
60 

155 
178 

1874 
1875 
1876 
1877 

14.368 
22,612 
16,409 
16,204 

29,200 
44.763 
34.275 
32,975 

9,451 
14,181 
io,66g 
11,629 

2,078 

3.149 
2,150 

2.367 

14.256 
24,040 
16,273 
15,964 

3.486 
6,149 
4,275 
3,690 

163 

216 

89 

133 

1879 
1880 
1881 
1882 

17,179 
20,939 
22,412 
25.742 

36,169 
41,166 
47,245 
55,679 

13,045 
16,010 

17.590 
21,428 

2,540 
3,490 
4,286 
4,564 

16,238 
21,033 
21,110 
33,690 

3,816 

5,444 
5,801 
6,867 

246 

377 
363 

478 

1883 
1884 
1885 
1886 

29,324 
34,048 
37.018 
39.777 

60,142 
66,695 
71,334 

77,275 

•     24,403 
24.855 
26,637 
30,868 

4,275 
4,180 
4,809 
5.252 

40.953 
44,900 
47,230 
71,983 

7,472 
7,449 
7,325 
9,960 

545 
493 
449 
509 

1887 
1888 
1889 
1890 

46,761 

51.483 
56,752 
61,750 

89,994 
102,314 
110,394 
118,098 

36,166 
40,240, 
44,563 
49,983 

5,741 
6,536 
7,187 
7,207 

99,642 

91,567 

105,187 

115,821 

11,522 

8,967 
8,420 

9,387 

622 
426 

478 
402 

1891 
1892 

1893 
1894 

71.227 
74,830 
81,904 
94,982 

137,741 
148,603 
163,328 
191,932 

57,312 
59.883 
66,698 
79,000 

7,859 
7.585 
7.861 
7,686 

127,609 
120,659 
122,893 
135,021 

10,858 

11,705 
12,390 

13,753 

526 
681 
597 
595 

1895 
1896 
1897 
1898 

98,349 
102,911 
105,062 
106,128 

199,096 

205,957 
206,657 
208,990 

76.744 
78,118 
76,770 
78,349 

8,373 
8,187 
7,870 
8,713 

144,857 
143,217 
131,192 
130,743 

14,556 
12,988 
11,775 
11,727 

799 
663 
588 
603 

1899 
1900 
1901 
1902 

112,464 
122,811 
134,027 
142,006 

221.706 
234,805 
254,927 
264.708 

85,804 

92,526 

99,885 

105,675 

9,371 
10,191 
11,507 
11,726 

157,804 
177.113 
187,847 
145,489 

12,800 
12,862 
12,614 
13,032 

779 

782 

950 

1,004 

1903 
1904 
1905 
1906 

153.951 
159,553 
159.561 
159.133 

293,122 
299,436 
291,041 
292,977 

116.643 
117.366 
116,762 
120,416 

12,232 

12,971 
13,266 
13,250 

147,707 
154,282 
155,024 
157,462 

12,304 
13.390 
14,209 
15,116 

933 

883 

753 
690 

1907 
1908 
1909 
1910 

163,648 
167,951 
174,872 
177.946 

308,571 
317,537 
342,136 

347,255 

124,610 
124,990 
136,682 
138,900 

13,799 
10,449 
12,563 
12,779 

159,283 
151,359 
169,356 
169,202 

17,345 
15,878 
16,385 
16,746 

700 
572 
642 
625 

1911 

180,842 

352,674 

140,896 

12,724 

164,713 

17,410 

653 

Tlie  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  lospectioii  aqil  Ipraqce  Gonipaiiy. 


ABSTRACT  OF  STATEMENT,  JANUARY   1,  1912. 
Capital  Stock,       .         .         .       $1,000,000.00. 


ASSETS. 
Cash  on  hand  and  in  course  of  transmission, 


Premiums    in   course    of   collection 

Real    estate, 

Loaned  on  bond  and  mortgage, 

Stocks  and  bonds,  market  value 3,249,216.00 

Interest   accrued 71,052.02 


$204,693.25 
263,453.33 
91,100.00 
1,166,360.00 


Total    Assets, 

LIABILITIES. 

Premium  Reserve 

Losses  unadjusted 

Commissions  and  brokerage,  . 

Other    liabilities    (taxes    accrued,    etc.), 

Capital  Stock, 

Surplus  over  all  liabilities. 

Surplus  as  regards  Policy-holders, 

Total    Liabilities, 


$5,045,874.60 

$2,042,218.21 

102,472.53 

52,690.67 

47,191.65 


$1,000,000.00 
1,801,301.54 

$2,801,301.54  2,801,301.54 


$5,045,874.60 


L.   B.  BRAINERD,  President  and  Treasurer. 

FRANCIS  B.  ALLEN,  Vice-President.  CHAS.  S.  BLAKE,  Secretary. 

L.  F.  MIDDLEBROOK,  Assistant  Secretary. 

W.  R.   C.  CORSON,  Assistant  Secretary. 

S.  F.  Jeter,  Supervising  Inspector. 

E.  J.  Murphy,  M.  E.,  Consulting  Engineer. 

F.   M.  Fitch,  Auditor. 


BOARD     OF     DIRECTORS. 


GEORGE    BURNHAM, 

The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works,  Phila- 
delphia,   Pa. 
.\TWOOD     COLLINS,     President, 

The    Security    Co.,    Hartford,    Conn. 
LUCIUS       F.        ROBINSON,       Attorney, 

Hartford,    Conn. 
JOHN    O.    ENDERS,    United   States   Bank, 

Hartford,    Conn. 
LYMAN    B.    BRAINERD, 

Director,    Swift    &    Company. 
MORGAN  B.   BRAINARD, 

Vice-Pres.    and    Treasurer,    The    ^tna 

Life    Insurance    Co.,    Hartford,    Conn. 
FRANCIS     B.     ALLEN,     Vice-Pres.,     The 

Hartford   Steam   Boiler   Inspection   and 

Insurance    Company. 
CHARLES    P     COOLEY,    Vice-Pres., 

The     Fidelity     Trust     Co.,     Hartford, 

Conn. 


ARTHUR    L.    SHIPMAN,    Attorney, 

Hartford,    Conn. 
GEORGE    C.    KIMBALL,    President,    The 

Smyth    Mfg.    Co.,    Hartford,    Conn. 
CHARLES    M.    JARVIS,    President,    The 

American    Hardware   Corporation,   New 

Britain,   Conn. 
FRANCIS      T.      MAXWELL,      President, 

The    Hockanum   Mills   Company,    Rock- 

ville.    Conn. 
HORACE    B.    CHENEY,    Cheney   Brothers 

Silk    Manufacturing    Co.,    South    Man- 
chester,   Conn. 
D.    NEWTON    BARNEY     Treasurer,    The 

Hartford      Electric      Light      Co.,      and 

Director   N.   Y..   N.   H.   and   H.    R.    R. 

Co. 
DR.    GEORGE   C.    F.    WILLIAMS,    Treas. 

&•     General     Manager,     The     Capewell 

Horse   Nail  Co.,   Hartford,   Conn. 


Incorporated  1866. 


0^  Pittsburgh 

Charter  Perpetual. 


me  MM  Sieani  Boiler  liispeciioq  am  Insurance  Gonipaiig 

ISSUES  POLICIES  OF  INSURANCE  COVERING 

ALL  LOSS  OF  PROPERTY 

AS  WELL  AS   DAMAGE  RESULTING   FROM 

LOSS  OF  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  INJURIES  DUE  TO  EXPLOSIONS 
OF  STEAM  BOILERS  OR  FLY  WHEELS. 

F'u//  information  concerning  the  Company's  Operations  can  be  obtained  at 

any  of  itsf  Agencies.  ' 

Representatives 

VV.  M.  Francis, 

Manager  &  Chief  Inspector. 


Department. 

ATLANTA,  Ga., 

611-613  Empire  Bldg. 

BALTIMORE,  Md.,  . 
13-14-15  Abell  Bldg. 

BOSTON,    Mass., 
loi  Milk  St. 

CHICAGO,  111.,  . 

160  West  Jackson   St. 

CINCINNATI,  Ohio, 

First  National  Bank  Bldg. 

CLEVELAND,   Ohio, 
Century  Bldg. 

DENVER,  Colo., 

Room  2,  Jacobson  Bldg. 

HARTFORD,  Conn., 
56  Prospect  St. 

NEW  ORLEANS,  La.,      . 
833-835  Gravier  St. 

NEW  YORK,  N.  Y.,  . 
100  William  St. 

PHILADELPHIA,    Pa.,    . 
432  Walnut  St. 


PITTSBURG,  Pa.,      . 

1801-1802  Arrott  Bldg. 

PORTLAND,  Ore.,    . 
306  Yeon  Bldg. 

SAN  FRANCISCO,  Cal.,  . 
339-341   Sansome  St. 

ST.  LOUIS,  Mo.. 

319   North    Fourth    St. 


Lawford_&  McKim,  General  Agents. 
R.  E.  MtmRO,  Chief  Inspector. 

C.  E.  Roberts,  Manager. 

F.  S.  Allen,  Chief  Inspector. 

H.  M.  Lemon,  Manager. 

James  L.  Fookd,  Chief  Inspector. 

J.  T.  Coleman,  Assistant  Chief  Inspector. 

W.  E.  Gljeason,  Manager. 
Walter  Gerner,    Chief   Inspector. 

H.    A.    BAJJMHART, 

Manager  &  Chief  Inspector. 

Thos.  E.  Shears, 

General  Agent  &  Chief  Inspector. 

F.  H.  Williams,  Jr.,  General  Agent. 
F.  S.  Allen,  Chief  Inspector. 

Peter  F.  pESCUD,  General  Agent. 
R.  T.  BtTjJwELL,  Chief  Inspector. 

C.  C.  Gardiner,  Manager. 

W.  W.  Manning,  Chief  Inspector. 

CoRBiN,  Goodrich  &  Wick  ham.  General  Agents. 

Wm.  J.  Fasran,  Chief  Inspector. 

S.  B.  Adams,  Assistant  Chief  Inspector. 

C.  D.  AsHCROFT,  Manager. 

Benjamin  Ford,  Chief  Inspector. 

W.  A.   Craig,  Assistant  Chief  Inspector. 

McCargar,  Bates  &  Lively,  General   Agents. 
C.  B.  Paddock,  Chief  Inspector. 

H.  R.  Mann  &  Co.,    General  Agents. 
J.  B.  Warner,  Chief  Inspector. 

V.  Hugo, 

Manager  &  Chief  Inspector. 


mniiniimilj)  Qit  (ipnnnHi™^ 


Vol.  XXIX. 


HAklFOklJ.    L(K\N..    APKIL,    1912. 


No.  2. 


COPYRIGHT,   1912,   BY   THE   HARTFORD  STEAM   BOILER  INSPECTION  AND   INSURANCE   CO, 


An  Old  Fly-Wheel. 


> 


34  THELOCOMOTIVE.  [April, 

An  Old  Fly-Wheel. 

The  cut  on  the  first  page  of  the  present  issue  of  The  Locomotive  illustrates 
the  oldest  fly-wheel,  in  point  of  service,  in  Pittsburg,  and  perhaps  in  the  state 
of  Pennsylvania.  It  is  located  at  tlie  rolling  mill  of  Brown  &  Company,  Incor- 
porated, loth  Street  and  Duquesne  Way.  Mr.  J.  Stuart  Brown,  President  and 
Treasurer  of  this  company,  informs  us  that  the  installation  of  this  wheel 
antedates  the  remembrance  of  the  oldest  employe  of  the  company. 

At  present  this  wheel  is  attached  to  an  engine  which  was  installed  in  1866, 
and  which  is  of  the  poppet  valve  lever  type :  previous  to  this  time  the  wheel 
had  been  in  service  on  two  other  engines. 

Chief  Inspector  Ford,  of  the  Pittsburg  department,  who  has  passed  the 
"  three  score  years  and  ten "  mark,  remembers  visiting  this  plant,  when  a 
small  boy,  to  see  his  father  who  was,  at  that  time.  Master  Mechanic  of  the 
works.  Mr.  Ford  states  that  the  young  men  and  boys  employed  at  the  plant 
used  to  watch  the  wheel  closely  in  times  of  high  water,  as  the  mill  is  located 
near  the  Allegheny  river,  and  at  such  times  the  water  would  back  up  into  the 
wheel-pit.  When  it  reached  a  certain  height  the  mill,  of  necessity,  would 
cease  operating,  resulting  in  one  or  more  holidays  for  the  employes. 

The  construction  of  this  wheel  is  unique  in  that  the  spokes  are  of  locust 
wood.  It  is  twenty-five  feet  in  diameter  and  makes  thirty-two  revolutions  per 
minute ;  its  estimated  weight  is  twenty  thousand  five  hundred-seventy  pounds. 
The  rim  is  of  cast-iron,  nine  inches  thick,  with  a  nine-inch  face,  and  is  cast 
in  sixteen  sections  and  bolted  together.  The  spokes  —  eight  in  number  —  extend 
from  a  hub,  ten  inches  square,  to  the  rim,  to  which  they  are  fastened  by  pins, 
and,  in  order  to  add  more  strength,  a  flat  band  of  steel  is  passed  over  the  face 
of  the  wheel  and  down  each  side  of  the  spoke,  to  which  it  is  fastened. 

The  durabilit>^  of  these  wooden  spokes  has  been  remarkable,  as  it  has  been 
necessary  to  replace  but  two  of  them  in  the  last  twenty  years.  The  wheel, 
which  is  running  day  and  night  six  days  in  the  week,  is  regarded  by  the  com- 
pany as  a  tried  and  true  friend ;  but  we  must  not  use  the  word  "  true "  when 
we  refer  to  the  running  of  the  wheel,  as  at  each  revolution  it  runs  "  out  of  true  " 
at  least  four  inches.  As  this  has  been  a  characteristic  of  the  wheel  since  the 
oldest  employe  can   remember,  it  occasions  no   alarm. 


Boiler  Inspection  Law  State  of  Ohio. 

H.  A.  Baumhart,  Member  of  Board  of  Boiler  Rules. 

In  an  endeavor  to  protect  the  public  from  the  recognized  dangers  attendisg 
the  operation  of  steam  boilers,  a  few  States  and  several  municipalities  have 
for  years  past  had  laws  requiring  the  periodical  inspection  of  boilers.  Many 
of  these  laws  were,  however,  practically  worthless  owing  to  the  fact  that  no 
rules  or  regulations  were  prescribed  to  guide  the  inspector  in  determining  what 
was  safe  practice. 

Inspectors  frequently  held  office  without  the  least  reference  to  their  ability 
as  boiler  experts,  their  appointment  often  being  the  reward  for  political  services 
rendered  to  the  party  in  power.  Under  such  conditions  it  would  sometimes 
happen  that  an  inspector  who  was  not  competent,  but  who  had  the  force  of  law 


1912.J  T  H  K     LOCO  M  U  T  I  V  E  .  35 


back  of  him,  would  make  rules  that  were  a  hardship  to  the  steam  user  and  in 
no  wise  contributed  to  safe  boiler  operation. 

Massachusetts  was  one  of  the  first  states  to  enact  a  law  requiring  the 
annual  inspection  of  steam  boilers  used  in  that  state.  It  was  of  the  generally 
inefficient  character  just  described  as  was  proven  by  its  use  for  several  years. 
Ihis  law  was  amended  in  1907  and  made  thoroughly  efficient  hy  a  provision  for 
a  Board  of  Boiler  Rules  which  was  given  authority  to  prepare  rules  and  regu- 
lations governing  the  construction,  installation,  operation  and  inspection  of 
practically  all  the  steam  boilers  for  use  in  the  State  of  Massachusetts.  Irt  due 
time  after  this  Board  was  appointed,  a  set  of  rules  was  prepared,  and  these 
rules  as  amended  from  time  to  time  have  now  been  in  use  for  a  sufficient 
period  to  demonstrate  their  general  value. 

In  1910  the  National  Association  of  Stationary  Engineers  of  Ohio  took  up 
the  subject  of  a  boiler  inspection  law  for  their  State,  and  after  careful  con- 
sideration it  was  concluded  that  a  law  similar  to  that  in  force  in  Massachusetts 
would  afford  the  greatest  safeguard  to  human  life  and  property  and  be  most 
likely  free  from  political  influence.  The  association  accordingly  prepared  a  bill 
which,  after  several  amendments,  became  a  law  by  the  signature  of  Governor 
Harmon  on  June  14,  191 1.  This  law  provides  for  the  establishment  in  the  office 
of  the  Chief  Examiner  of  Engineers  at  Columbus,  of  a  department  to  be  known 
as  the  Board  of  Boiler  Rules,  to  consist  of  the  Chief  Examiner  of  Engineers  as 
chairman,  and  four  members  to  be  appointed  by  the  governor.  One  of  these  is 
to  be  an  employe  of  the  boiler  using  interest,  one  an  employe  of  the  boiler 
manufacturing  interest,  one  an  employe  of  the  boiler  insurance  interest,  and  one 
an  operating  engineer. 

The  duties  of  this  board  are  similar  to  the  Board  of  Boiler  Rules  of  Massa- 
chusetts; that  is,  to  provide  rules  and  regulations  for  the  construction,  installa- 
tion, operation  and  inspection  of  steam  boilers,  and  the  devices  with  which  they 
are  equipped.  The  board  was  also  to  pass  on  any  plans  that  might  be  deemed 
necessary  to  the  safe  operation  of  steam  boilers,  and  to  prescribe  a  standard 
form  of  certificate  of  inspection ;  also  to  examine  all  applicants  for  certificates 
as  boiler  inspectors. 

It  was  provided  in  the  law  that  on  or  after  Jan.  i,  1912,  all  steam  boilers 
and  their  appurtenances  (with  certain  specified  exceptions),  should  be  thoroughly 
inspected,  internally  and  externally,  and  under  operating  conditions  at  intervals 
of  not  more  than  one  year.  It  was  also  provided  that  such  boilers  should  not 
be  operated  at  pressures  in  excess  of  the  safe  working  pressure  stated  in  the 
certificate  of  inspection  and  must  be  equipped  with  such  appliances  to  insure 
safety  of  operation  as  may  be  prescribed  by  the  Board  of  Boiler  Rules. 

The  specific  exceptions  exempted  from  the  operation  of  the  law  certain 
classes  of  boilers  used  in  agricultural  and  other  field  work,  locomotives  and 
boilers,  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  federal  government.  Boilers  for  heating 
were  exempt  if  operated  at  pressures  below  15  pounds  per  sq.  inch  and  provided 
with  approved  safety  devices. 

In  preparing  the  bill  it  was  desired  to  avoid  placing  any  hardship  upon  the 
steam  user  or  boiler  manufacturer  in  the  construction  and  installation  of  new 
boilers.  This  wa^  accomplished  by  making  the  rules  which  govern  the  con- 
struction of  new  boilers  effective  July  l,  1912,  or  nearly  a  year  after  the  rules 
were  prepared.     This  gave  ample  time  to  arrange  contracts  for  future  delivery. 

The  bill  was  introduced  to  the  General  Assembly  and  was  known  as  House 


36  THELOCOMOTIVE.  [April, 

Bill  No.  248.  In  its  preparation  the  Legislative  Committee  of  the  National 
Association  of  Stationary  Engineers  had  in  mind  two  objects,  which  to  them, 
were  of  vital  importance. 

First:  They  desired  boiler  construction  and  inspection  which  would  safe- 
guard human  life  and  property. 

Second:  They  insisted  that  the  inspection  system  be  uniform  and  that  the 
steam  user  should  not  be  burdened  with  an  expense  or  tax  for  similar  services 
rendered  by  an  insurance  company. 

To  avoid  such  extra  expense  and  also  to  standardize  the  inspection  work, 
the  bill  was  made  to  provide  for  two  classes  of  inspectors :  one  to  be  known  as 
General  Inspectors,  in  the  employ  of  the  state,  and  the  other  to  be  known  as 
Special  Inspectors,  in  the  employ  of  an  insurance  company  authorized  to  insure 
boilers.  These  two  classes  of  inspectors  were  to  work  under  the  same  rules 
and  regulations  governing  the  inspection  of  steam  boilers.  Each  inspector  was 
to  be  examined  and  obtain  a  certificate  of  competency,  and  also  a  commission 
from  the  state  authorizing  him  to  inspect  boilers. 

The  Ohio  law  differs  slightly  from  that  of  Massachusetts  in  some  respects. 
In  Massachusetts  an  inspector,  if  employed  by  an  authorized  insurance  company 
after  passing  a  satisfactory  examination,  is  granted  a  certificate  of  competency 
which  permits  him  to  make  inspections  of  boilers  for  use  in  the  State  of  Massa- 
chusetts. This  certificate  is  granted  without  requiring  a  fee.  In  Ohio  a  fee  of 
$10.00  must  accompany  an  application  for  examination  for  a  certificate,  and 
after  a  certificate  has  been  granted,  the  successful  applicant  is  not  authorized 
to  inspect  boilers  for  the  state  until  a  commission  has  been  granted  him  by 
the  Chief  Inspector  of  Steam  Boilers.  In  Massachusetts  an  inspector  holding  a 
certificate  of  competency  can  issue  a  certificate  of  inspection  for  a  boiler  which 
he  finds  to  comply  with  all  the  requirements  of  the  law,  and  no  fee  is  charged 
the  boiler  owner  for  these  certificates.  In  Ohio  the  certificate  of  inspection  can 
only  be  issued  by  the  Chief  Boiler  Inspector  and  the  boiler  owner  is  required 
to  pay  a  fee  of  50c.  for  each  certificate. 

In  compliance  with  the  law,  the  Board  of  Boiler  Rules  met  on  August  9, 
1911,  for  the  purpose  of  formulating  rules  governing  the  construction,  installa- 
tion, and  operation  of  steam  boilers.  The  subject  was  an  important  one,  requir- 
ing careful  consideration,  as  the  State  of  Ohio  ranks  among  the  largest  in 
manufacturing  and  mining  industries,  and  probably  has  within  its  borders  25,000 
steam  boilers.  15,000  of  which  would  on  January  i,  1912,  be  subject  to  the  rules 
governing  the  inspection  of  them.  The  State  of  Ohio  up  to  this  time  had  never 
had  a  boiler  inspection  law.  Its  steam  users  and  boiler  manufacturers,  therefore, 
were  familiar  only  with  such  inspection  requirements  as  the  steam  boiler  insur- 
ance companies  imposed,  and  in  most  cases  the  pressure  allowed  was  that 
determined  by  the  boiler  manufacturer  or  an  insurance  company's  inspector, 
when  insured.  As  power  plants  are  designed  to  operate  with  a  certain  fixed 
minimum  pressure,  it  was  realized  that  any  reduction  to  permit  of  a  fully 
adequate  factor  of  safety  would,  in  many  cases,  cause  a  great  hardship.  The 
factor  of  safety  under  which  some  of  the  boilers  were  operated  was  problem- 
atical but,  judging  from  personal  observation,  a  considerable  number,  perhaps 
40%  of  the  total  in  the  State,  had  a  factor  of  safety  of  5 ;  about  30%  a  factor  of 
safety  of  4V2 ;  25%  a  factor  of  safety  of  4,  and  perhaps  5%  a  factor  of  safety  of 
less  than  4.  The  question  most  difficult  for  the  Board  to  decide,  was  what 
should   be   the   minimum   factor  of  safety   for  boilers   already   installed,   and   at 


i9>2.J  T  H  E     L  C)  COM  OT  I  V  E  .  37 


what  time  in  point  of  service  should  the  pressure  be  reduced,  in  order  to  main- 
tain safe  o])eration  and  not  create  ;in  unnecessary  expense  or  hardship,  or  per- 
haps in  some  cases,  compel  the  mine  or  factory  to  close  to  avoid  violation  of 
the  law. 

The  Massachusetts  rule  places  the  minimum  factor  of  safety  at  5,  and  this 
is  increased  when  the  boiler  is  ten  years  old.  This  high  standard  was  obtained 
after  several  years  of  educational  work  in  that  state.  It  would  seem  to  be  an 
injustice  to  the  steam  users  to  extend  that  rule  to  Ohio  at  this  time.  The  mini- 
mum factor  of  safety  generally  used  in  Ohio  for  the  past  ten  years  was  4.  It  was 
thought  that  this  factor  could  be  safely  extended  to  cover  all  boilers  already  in 
use  in  Ohio  until  the  steam  users  could  become  accustomed  to  a  higher  standard 
and  arrange  conditions  to  meet  it.  It  was,  therefore,  recommended  that  the 
minimum  factor  of  safety  for  boilers  already  installed  be  placed  at  4,  and  that 
the  inspector  should  increase  this  when  the  general  condition  of  a  boiler  required 
it.  This  rule  was  unanimously  adopted  by  the  board.  It  is  recorded  in  Part  i 
of  the  book  of  boiler  rules  and  is  now  a  law. 

When  formulating  the  part  of  the  rules  governing  boilers  to  be  installed 
after  July  i,  1912,  the  board  considered  in  addition  to  safety,  the  question  of 
standard  boiler  construction.  Some  states  and  several  cities  have  boiler  inspec- 
tion laws,  which  dififer  in  but  small  details,  but  sufficiently  so  to  prevent  a  boiler 
designed  for  one  locality  being  installed  in  another,  although  meeting  all  the 
requirements  of  the  law  at  the  first  location.  Boiler  manufacturers  are  placed 
at  a  serious  disadvantage  because  of  this  situation,  for  it  thus  becomes  necessary 
to  know  where  the  boiler  is  to  be  installed  before  it  can  be  designed,  a  condition 
which  tends  to  increase  the  cost  of  production.  Manufacturers  and  contractors 
whose  business  requires  the  use  of  temporary  steam  power  are  inconvenienced  by 
being  prevented  from  removing  boilers  from  one  locality  to  another  because  of 
this  difference  in  the  inspection  laws.  The  boiler  manufacturers  and  steam 
users  generally  requested  that  the  rules  covering  the  construction  of  Ohio 
standard  boilers  be  made  similar  to  those  adopted  by  the  State  of  Massachusetts 
and  the  City  of  Detroit,  believing  that  if  Ohio  followed  those  rules,  it  would  be 
an  incentive  for  other  States  to  follow  them,  when  inspection  laws  were  enacted. 
After  carefully  analyzing  the  Massachusetts  boiler  rules,  the  board  found  that 
they  covered  in  detail  practically  all  the  requirements  of  safety,  and  with  the 
exception  of  a  few  slight  changes  relating  to  minor  details,  adopted  them,  and 
they  are  found  in  Part  2  of  the  book  of  boiler  rules. 

These  rules  apply  to  all  boilers  installed  in  Ohio  after  July  i,  1912.  To 
avoid  delay,  additional  expense,  and  perhaps  rejection  of  a  boiler,  steam  users, 
when  ordering  a  boiler  to  be  installed  in  Ohio,  should  specify  that  it  comply 
with  the  Ohio  Standard  Rules.  The  law  states  explicitly  that  no  certificate  of 
in.spection  shall  be  granted  on  any  boiler  installed  in  Ohio  after  July  i,  1912,  which 
does  not  conform  to  these  rules.  Boiler  manufacturers,  dealers  and  steam  users, 
should  understand  that  new  boilers  in  the  state,  which  are  installed  before  July 
I.  1912,  cannot  be  installed  as  Ohio  Standard  Boilers  unless  they  have  been  con- 
structed to  comply  with  the  Ohio  rules. 

Under  the  Ohio  and  Massachusetts  law.  all  boilers  must  be  inspected  at  the 
place  of  manufacture  by  an  authorized  inspector  and  stamped  by  the  manufacturer 
in  the  presence  of  the  inspector  before  shipment.  This  may  appear  an  unneces- 
sary expense,  but  it  has  been  found  in  practice  to  be  necessary  to  insure  com- 
pliance with  the  rules. 


38 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE 


[April, 


A  Peculiar  Engine  Accident. 

Usually  it  is  not  a  very  difficult  matter  after  an  engine  or  boiler  accident 
to  determine  the  cause.  The  engine  accident  which  we  here  describe  is,  however, 
an  exception  to  this  general  rule.  We  were  given  ample  opportunity  to  make  a 
thorough  examination  after  this  accident  before  any  of  the  parts  had  been 
disturbed. 

The  facts  as  stated  by  those  in  charge  of  the  engine  at  the  time  of  the 
accident  were  corroborated  by  the  conditions  found  upon  this  examination. 
The    engine    was    a   cross-compound    Corliss    built   by  the   Wm.    Harris    Steam 


Fig.  I.     A  Peculiar  Engine  Accident. 


Engine  Co.  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  and  was  used  as  an  auxiliary  drive  for  the 
No.  2  Mill  of  the  Thorndike  Company  at  Thorndike,  Mass. 

Under  normal  conditions  the  power  for  this  mill  is  derived  from  the 
Ware  River,  and  the  engine  is  used  in  times  of  low  water.  On  account  of 
the  variation  in  the  load  it  is  required  to  handle,  the  piping  is  arranged  so  that 
it  may  be  operated  single  cylinder  condensing,  compound  condensing,  or  as  a 
simple  engine. 

At  the  time  of  the  accident  the  connecting  rod  on  the  low  pressure  side 
had  been  removed  and  the  high  pressure  cylinder  was  being  used  alone  in 
connection  with  the  condenser.  The  condenser  is  of  the  jet  type,  the  pump 
being  driven  directly  from  the  crank  pin  on  the  low  pressure  side. 

The  results  of  the  accident,  which  occurred  while  shutting  down  the  engine 
at  6  P.  M.,  are  clearly  illustrated  in  Figures  i  and  2.     Owing  to  the  necessity 


1<;12.J 


T  H  K     LOCO  M  O  T  I  V  E 


39 


for  releasing  a  clutch  on  the  main  line  shaft,  the  shutting  down  of  the  engine 
was  rather  a  slow  process,  requiring  about  ten  minutes  to  complete.  At  the 
time  of   the   accident   the   engine   had    slowed   down    to   a   point    where    it    was 


Fig.   2.    A   Peculiar   Engine   Accident. 

judged  that  one  or  two  more  revolutions  of  the  fly  wheel  would  be  the  last, 
when  an  explosion  occurred  with  the  results  as  shown. 

In  an  accident  of  this  nature  the  first  cause   suspected   is   water,  but  this 


40  THELOCOMOTIVE.  [April, 


could  not  have  returned  by  way  of  the  cylinder,  for  the  first  thing  done  by 
the  engineer  in  shutting  down  was  to  close  the  injection  water  valve.  Even 
if  this  valve  had  not  been  shut,  the  condenser  pump  was  operating  as  long  as 
the  engine  continued  to  revolve.  Also  the  reach  rod  was  unhooked  and  the 
steam  valves  were  closed  as  is  clearly  shown  in  Figure  2.  There  were  no  evi- 
dences of  water  in  the  steam  chest,  which  contained  considerable  quantities  of 
finely  divided  asbestos  which  was  blown  from  the  pipe  covering,  and  if  water 
had  been  present,  the  condition  of  this  covering  material  would  have  indi- 
cated it. 

It  can  be  assumed  that  a  slug  of  water  came  over  from  the  steam  main 
and  delivered  a  blow  on  the  elbow  sufficient  to  break  it;  but  if  so,  why  were 
there  no  evidences  of  the  presence  of  water? 

Another  objection  to  such  a  theory  is  that  both  the  steam  inlet  valves  and 
the  throttle  valve  were  closed  and  on  this  account  there  seems  no  good  reason 
why  water  coming  through  the  steam  pipe  should  be  moving  with  any  con- 
siderable speed.  The  top  of  the  steam  chest  was  rather  weakly  constructed, 
being  about  i  inch  thick  and  47  inches  long  by  1414  inches  wide  and  not 
stiffened  in  any  manner  by  ribs. 

The  Master  Mechanic  of  the  mill  thought  that  the  elbow  was  broken  in 
some  manner  by  expansion  of  the  pipe  line,  and  that  the  main  steam  pipe 
was  thrown  up  by  the  outrush  of  steam  and  fell  back  on  the  elbow,  when  the 
automatic  valve  closed,  delivering  a  blow  that  broke  in  the  top  of  the  steam 
chest.  This  theory  is  very  plausible  as  it  would  explain  the  position  the  parts 
were  found  in,  but  no  marks  could  be  found  on  the  broken  end  of  the  elbow, 
or  the  flange  attached  to  the  Locke  automatic  stop  valve,  to  show  that  such  a 
blow  had  been  delivered.  That  the  steam  pipe  was  thrown  up  quite  a  distance 
at  the  time  of  the  accident  is  indicated  by  the  bent  hangers  and  broken  air  duct 
shown   in  the   upper  part   of  Figure   2. 

It  is  possible  that  owing  to  the  weakness  of  the  top  of  the  steam  chest 
the  steam  load  of  80  lbs.  per  square  inch  acting  downward  on  the  elbow  at  the 
instant  it  broke,  with  the  leverage  of  15  inches  between  the  center  lines  of  the 
main  steam  pipe  and  the  trottle  valve,  may  have  been  sufficient  to  break  in  the 
top  of  the  steam  chest.  The  load  applied  to  the  elbow  tending  to  throw  it 
down  in  this  manner  would  have  been  about  2.250  lbs.  at  the  instant  the  elbow 
broke. 

We  will  be  glad  to  hear  from  any  of  our  readers  who  may  think  that 
they  have  a  better  theory  to  suggest  as  to  the  cause  of  this  accident  than  the 
ones  here  given.  It  was  extremely  fortunate  that  this  engine  was  supplied 
with  an  automatic  stop  valve,  for  the  broken  parts  were  thrown  in  such  a 
manner  that  the  auxiliary  valve  operating  this  device  was  tripped  and  the 
main  valve  immediately  closed.  Without  such  a  device  several  occupants  of 
the  engine  room  would  probably  have  been  scalded  by  the  out-rushing  steam. 


Temperature  Attained  by  Internal  Feed. 

V.  Hugo. 

The  Locomotive  for  March  1882  and  several  more  recent  numbers  of  that 
paper  have  set  forth  the  advantages  of  the  method  of  supplying  boilers  with 
water  by  feeding  it  in  at  the  top  and  through  a  length  of  internal  pipe  before 


1912.] 


T  H  E     L  ()  (•  O  MOTIVE 


41 


if 


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EiAsei 

3       TE 
vs/A.-r^ 

^NAPtl^ 

ATUP^ 

1        AT 

TAlNtD 

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50 

IHTERNAU    rtED-PlPt.      or      BOILER     /WAiH- 

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EnTERIMQ     TE.V\PER/>.TURe 
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AO  50  fcO  10 

Rate    of     fceo,   poohds    pef^    aavnute 


ao 


90 


its  final  discharge  into  the  body  of  water  in  the  boiler  itself.  As  these  articles 
have  pointed  out,  this  method  raises  the  temperature  of  the  incoming  feed  to 
iiearly  that  of  the  body  of  water  before  its  discharge  and  thus  to  a  great  extent 
relieves  the  boiler  of  strains  to  which  it  would  be  subjected  by  local  contact 
with  cool  water. 

What  temperatures  may  thus  be  obtained  for  the  incoming  feed  by  its 
passage  through  the  internal  pipe  should  be  a  matter  of  interest,  and  it  is 
hoped  that  the  results  of  a  test  made  by  the  writer  on  the  temperatures  thus 
reached  in  one  boiler  may  prove  a  contribution  of  value  to  the  accumulated 
data  on  the  subject. 

Two  boilers  were  used  in  a  test,  the  purpose  of  which  primarily  was  to 
determine   the    evaporative   value   of    a    certain    coal.      Boiler    No.    i    was    used 


42  THELOCO  MOTIVE.  [April, 

for  this  purpose  and  all  coal  and  water  supplied  to  it  were  carefully  weighed. 
Its  feed  water,  however,  was  first  passed  through  twenty-nine  and  one-half 
feet  of  11/2  inch  internal  feed  pipe  in  No.  2  boiler  which  was  fired  only  to 
maintain  a  constant  pressure,  and  consequently  a  constant  temperature  of  the 
water  in  it.  Thus  by  the  arrangement  of  its  feed  pipe  connections  No.  2  boiler 
became  practically  an  independent  heater  for  the  feed  water  of  No.  i,  and  as 
measurements  of  both  rate  and  temperature  of  feed  were  constantly  recorded 
the  resulting  data  were  available  as  evidence  of  the  advantage  of  the  internal 
pipe  as  a  heater.  This  data  is  shown  on  the  accompanying  chart  on  which  the 
rise  in  temperature  attained  at  different  rates  of  feed  has  been  plotted.  The 
average  temperature  of  the  water  entering  No.  2  boiler  was  158  degrees  Fahren- 
heit, and  its  steam  pressure  was  maintained  constantly  at  80  lbs.  per  sq.  in. 
corresponding  to  a  temperature  of  323  degrees  Fahrenheit. 


Autog-enous  Welding"  for  Repairing  Boilers. 

By  Henry  Cave,  President  of  "  The  Welding  Co." 

Autogenous  zvelding  is  the  uniting  of  metals  into  one  solid  mass  by  fusion 
without  using  any  dissimilar  metal  and  without  pressure  or  hammering.  It 
differs  from  other  forms  of  welding,  in  that  the  metal  is  actually  melted  and  flows 
together  and  is  not  merely  brought  to  a  plastic  condition  by  heat  and  then  ham- 
mered together  as  in  the  case  of  the  blacksmith's  weld  or  forced  together  by 
pressure  as  in  the  case  of  the  ordinary  form  of  electric  welding. 

The  most  common  form  of  autogenous  welding  is  that  carried  out  by  means 
of  the  oxy-acetylene  flame,  the  temperature  of  which  is  6300  degrees  Fahrenheit. 
l"his  high  temperature  is  not  required  to  fuse  the  common  metals,  but  has  the 
advantage  of  applying  the  heat  so  rapidly  that  the  conductivity  of  the  metal  has 
not  time  to  draw  it  away  from  the  spot  where  it  is  applied,  with  the  result  that 
this  spot  very  soon  becomes  red  hot  and  is  then  fused,  while  the  metal  a  few 
inches  from  the  weld  remains  cool.  The  oxy-acetylene  flame  has  the  highest 
temperature  of  any  known  combustible,  due  to  the  fact,  that  it  is  produced  by 
burning  acetylene  with  pure  oxygen.  Acetylene  having  the  largest  amount  of 
carbon  in  its  composition  that  a  gas  can  carry,  has  the  greatest  heat  possibility 
and  this  heat  is  developed  to  its  fullest  extent  when  burned  with  pure  oxygen. 

This  process  of  welding  is  a  natural  development  of  the  last  few  years 
following  on  the  heels  of  the  commercial  development  of  acetylene  gas  from 
calcium  carbide  which  is  now  cheaply  produced  by  means  of  the  electric  furnace. 
The  process  was  first  developed  in  France.  It  required  a  number  of  years  of 
experimental  work  before  a  satisfactory  torch  was  produced,  but  at  the  present 
time  every  metal  working  establishment  of  any  importance  in  that  country  is 
equipped  to  carry  out  this  class  of  work.  The  development  in  this  country  has 
been  slower,  but  the  equipment  now  obtainable  here  is  equal  if  not  superior  to 
anything  produced  abroad,  and  the  work  performed  by  it  is  fully  up  to  the 
foreign  standard. 

Two  distinct  types  of  equipment  have  been  developed  termed  respectively, 
■'High  Pressure  Positive  Mixture"  and  "Low  Pressure  Injector  Mixture."  The 
low  pressure  torch  was  developed  to  use  acetylene  gas  from  an  ordinary  lighting 
generator,  the  pressure  of  which  is  only  a  few  ounces  per  square  inch.     With  it 


1912. J 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE 


43 


there  was  difliculty  of  ohtaininp;  a 
thorough  mixture  of  the  gases,  a  con- 
dition which  resulted  in  poor  econ 
omy  and  weak  welds.  The  hij^li 
pressure  torch  was  then  developed 
abroad  to  overcome  this  trouble.  It 
had  the  disadvantage  of  rcquirinji  a 
supply  of  gas  under  pressure  which 
at  first  was  obtainable  safely  only  by 
compresing  it  and  storing  it  as 
■'  dissolved "  acetylene  in  cylinders. 
When  it  was  introduced  into  this 
country,  however,  "  Yankee "  inge- 
nuity devised  a  "  pressure  "  generator, 
which  produces  the  gas  under  the  re- 
quired pressure  (not  over  15  lbs.  per 
sq.  in.)  direct  from  the  calcium  car- 
bide, and  thus  removed  from  the 
"  high  pressure  "  torch  the  principal 
objection  to  its  use.  As  most  of  the 
repair  work  on  boilers  is  carried  out 
without  moving  them,  the  equipment 
used  for  that  work  must  necessarily 
be  portable.  I  will  not,  therefore,  go 
into  any  further  detail  with  regard  to  the 
is  in  the  shop  where  portability  is  not  a  requisite  quality. 

For  portable  use  the  apparatus  consists  of  a  cylinder  of  compressed  pure 
o.Kygen  and  a  cylinder  of  dissolved  acetylene.  Both  are  provided  with  reducing 
valves  which  limit  the  pressure  of  the  gas  to  that  required  in  the  torch.  The 
latter  is  supplied  by  a  hose  connecting  with  both  cylinders  so  that  it  may  be 
taken  inside  a  fire-box  or  boiler  and  the  welding  carried  out  in  anj-  position 
and  on  any  part  of  the  boiler.  Welds  can  thus  be  made  on  the  vertical  seams 
or  plates  of  fire-boxes  without  any  trouble,  as  well  as  on  overhead  surfaces  as 
required.  As  these  various  positions  have  some  influence  on  the  efficiency  of 
the  work,  only  men  used  to  these  various  conditions  should  be  allowed  to 
attempt  it. 

The  oxygen  is  stored  in  the  tank  or  cylinder  merely  by  compression,  it, 
of  course,  being  necessary  to  have  a  sufficient  number  of  cylinders  on  hand  to 
supply  enough  gas  for  the  particular  job.  This  is  also  the  case  with  the  acetylene 
cylinders.  These,  however,  are  not  merely  tanks  into  which  that  gas  is  com- 
pressed,—  for  acetylene  compressed  above  twenty-five  pounds  per  square  inch  is 
dangerous, —  but  contain  certain  liquids  which  have  the  property  of  "absorbing" 
or  "  dissolving  "  acetylene,  in  which  condition  it  is  perfectly  safe.  The  cylinders 
are  first  filled  with  an  absorbant  material  such  as  asbestos,  which  holds  like  a 
sponge  the  absorbing  liquid  with  its  compressed  and  dissolved  gas. 

With  this  apparatus,  the  company  w-ith  which  the  writer  is  connected  has 
been  most  successful  in  the  application  of  autogenous  welding  to  the  repair  of 
steam  boilers.  The  field  for  such  application  is  almost  boundless,  and  the  saving 
that  can  be  made  over  older  methods  by  building  up  or  strengthening  corroded 
parts  with  new  metal  homogenously  united  with  the  old  must  be  obvious  to  all. 


Fii..  I.     Welding  Tube  Sheet. 
high  pressure  "  generator,  as  its  field 


44  T  H  E     L  O  C  O  M  O  T  I  V  E  .  [April, 

The  work  to  be  successful  must  l)e  most  carefully  performed  and  only  by  tliose 
who  are  equipped  with  suitable  apparatus  and  are  expert  in  its  use.  So  much 
depends  not  only  on  having  the  gases  of  the  applied  flame  properly  mixed  and 
in  proper  proportions,  but  also  on  the  correct  application  of  the  flame  and  its 
heat  to  the  metal  that  in  so  important  work  as  boiler  repairs,  too  great  emphasis 
cannot  be  laid  on  these  requirements.  An  inexperienced  operator  even  with 
proper  equipment  could  produce  results  which  would  be  disastrous,  and  any  one. 
whether  experienced  or  not,  may  obtain  the  equipment  if  he  can  afford  the  price. 
For  these  reasons  the  writer  is  strongly  advocating  the  licensing  both  of  the 
equipments  for  carrying  out  the  work  and  of  operators  to  use  licensed  equipments 
in  the  repair  of  boilers.  The  work  should  further  be  carried  out  under  the 
the  direction  and  supervision  of  one  who  is  not  on!}-  informed  in  boiler  con- 
struction but  who  has  a  broader  knowledge  of  the  nature  of  metals  and  their 
heat  treatment  than  may  be  expected  of  even  a  most  expert  equipment  operator. 
As  illustrating  the  character  of  boiler  repairs  that  our  company  has  suc- 
cessfully undertaken,  the  following  examples  have  been  taken : 

1.  A  corroded  section  of  the  plate  at  the  mud-ring  of  a  Manning  boiler  was 
built  up  to  its  original  thickness,  the  work  being  done  without  removing  the 
boiler,  whereas  the  boiler-makers  required  the  shipment  of  the  boiler  to  their 
shops  for  repair. 

2.  The  welding  of  cracks  in  the  ogee  ring  of  three  Manning  boilers,  the 
welding  of  which  was  carried  out  in  a  few  hours.  The  replacement  of  these 
rings  practically  meant  a  reconstruction  of  the  boilers,  which  would  have  been 
a  very  expensive  operation. 

3.  The  welding  of  the  vertical  seams  in  the  rtre-boxes  of  six  Manning  boilers 
and  also  the  welding  of  the  rivets,  it  being  impossible  to  caulk  these  seams  so 
as  to  produce  a  tight  joint. 

4.  The  welding  of  fourteen  fire  cracks  in  the  girth  seam  of  a  horizontal 
boiler  directly  over  the  fire,  this  work  being  carried  out  overhead.  Repeated 
efforts  to  take  care  of  these  cracks  by  ordinary  means  having  proved  unavailing. 

5.  The  building  up  of  the  plates  in  the  fire-boxes  of  six  vertical  boilers 
over  areas  approximately  six  feet  in  length  and  8  to  to  inches  in  width  from  the 
mud-rings  up.  This  method  was  adopted  instead  of  the  more  expensive  and  less 
efficient  method  of  riveting  in  patches,  which  would  sooner  or  later  prove  a 
source  of  trouble. 

6.  The  welding  of  numerous  cracks  in  the  neighborhood  of  fire  door.  This 
is  a  very  common  form  of  trouble  on  all  types  of  boilers. 

7.  The  building  on  of  metal  on  the  bottom  edge  of  the  lire-door  flange,  which 
had  been  worn  thin  by  constant  barring. 

8.  The  welding  in  of  a  plate  to  form  a  new  hand  hole  on  a  horizontal 
boiler,  the  hand  hole  having  been  enlarged  to  the  limit  to  take  care  of  the  corro- 
sions due  to  leakages.  In  this  way  at  small  cost,  the  necessity  of  replacing  the 
tube  sheet  was  avoided. 

9.  The  welding  of  broken  bridges  in  the  tube  sheet,  it  being  practically 
impossible  to  satisfactorily  repair  these  in  any  other  way,  though  attempts  are 
frequently  made  to  plug  them.       (See  Fig.  i.) 

10.  Bags  can  be  put  up  with  the  help  of  the  oxy-acetylene  flame  in  a  frac- 
tion of  the  time  required  by  older  methods  and  with  more  satisfactory  results. 

IJ.  ]\Iore  extensive  repairs  were  carried  out  on  locomotive  boilers.  Fig. 
2  shows  the  side  sheets  of  the  fire-box  of  a  locomotive  repaired  by  welding  in 
the  lower  halves  instead  of  riveting  them.  It  can  readily  be  seen  that  by 
adding  rivets  and  seams  as  in  the  case  of  patches,  future  trouble  is  invited,  par- 
ticularly where  these  rivets  and  seams  come  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  fire.  By 
welding  these  half  side  sheets  in,  future  troubles  are  avoided.  In  this  same 
fire-box,  as  can  be  seen  from  the  illustration,  patches  were  put  in  the  back  sheet 
of  each  side.  This  boiler  had  been  cracked  between  several  stay-bolts  on  the 
back  head  and  these  had  been  repaired  by  riveting  on  patches.  The  cracks  then 
extended   beyond   the   patches,    which   were    removed,    the    cracks    being    welded 


1912.] 


T  H  R     L  ( )  C  O  M  C)  T  1  \'  E  . 


45 


up  and  hlind  rivets  put  in   the  hole.     This  repair  materially  reduced  the  lenj?th 
of  time  the  locomotive  was  out  of  commission,  which   was  an  important  item. 

12.  Another  locomotive  fire-box  had  already  had  a  riveted  seam  placed 
just  above  the  line  of  the  fire  on  the  side  plates  and  it  became  necessary  to  replace 
this  seam,  though  the  rest  of  the  plates  were  in  fair  condition.  The  oxygen 
cutting  torch  was  used  to  cut  out  a  strip  about  5  inches  wide,  including  this  seam, 
in  each  side  plate.  The  patches  were  then  welded  in.  the  wi^ole  operation  was 
carried  out  within  two  or  three  days.     It  would  have  required  nvo  or  three  weeks 


"  •'0O^*-i2l.a 


xW  V 


'% 


Fig.  2.     Welded  Fire-Box. 

to  repair  it  by  ordinary  means  and  the  saving  alone  from  this  feature  amounted 
to  hundreds  of  dollars. 

These  examples  are  chosen  from  a  large  number  of  such  repairs  which  have 
been  thoroughly  tested  and  proved  satisfactorj'.  They  should  give  a  general 
idea  of  the  scojie  and  character  of  the  repairs  that  can  be  carried  out  by  this 
means. 


The  foregoing  article  by  Mr.  Cave,  abstracts  briefly  a  most  comprehensive 
lecture  which  he  presented  before  The  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Technical  Club 
on  the  evening  of  December  27,  igii.  The  lecture  was  followed  by  a  demon- 
stration   of   the   equipment    and    methods   employed    by    Mr.   Cave's   company   in 


46  THELOCOMOTIVE.  [April, 

the  welding  and  cutting  of  metals  by  the  oxy-acetylene  process,  and  was  most 
interesting  and  instructive  to  those  who  were  present. 

The  HARTFORD  company  recognizes  the  possibilities  which  autogenous 
welding  has  opened  for  the  economical  repair  of  machinery  and  metallic  struc- 
tures of  all  kinds.  We  have  felt,  however,  that  in  so  important  a  matter  as 
boiler  repairs  this  new  process  should  not  be  too  hastily  adopted  for  general 
application.  We  are  accordingly  pleased  at  the  evidence  in  Mr.  Cave's  paper  that 
he,  as  the  head  of  a  company  which  has  done  much  in  this  line,  appreciates  the 
dangers  involved  in  the  performance  of  such  repairs  by  unskilled  operators  or 
faulty  apparatus.  The  success  of  a  weld  cannot  be  absolutely  determined  from  its 
external  appearance  and  when  that  success  is  so  dependent  on  the  skill  of  the 
operator  and  his  manipulation  of  apparatus,  we  would  hesitate  to  make  use  of  this 
new  process  in  a  repair  the  strength  of  which  was  vitally  necessary  to  the  boiler's 
safety.  There  are  many  cases,  however,  where  a  defect  appears  which  does  not 
in  itself  lessen  the  boiler's  strength.  In  the  remedy  of  such  defects  the  auto- 
genous weld  may  be  applied  without  much  risk  and  in  this  class  of  repair  the 
process  should  find  a  broad  field  of  usefulness.  Undoubtedly  success  in  this  work 
will  gradually  overcome  any- distrust  of  the  weld  for  the  repair  of  more  vital 
defects. 


Boiler  Explosions,  Their  Causes  and  Prevention.* 

S.  F.   Jeter. 

It  is  a  great  pleasure  to  be  permitted  to  deliver  a  paper  before  the 
representative  boiler  manufacturers  of  the  country,  and  particularly  so  on  this 
subject  and  occasion.  New  Orleans  was  the  scene  of  the  speaker's  first  entry 
into  the  steam  boiler  insurance  field  with  the  company  that  has  had  more  to 
do  with  the  prevention  of  steam  boiler  accidents  than  any  other  organization. 

The  causes  of  steam  boiler  explosions  are  so  varied  that  it  will  only  be 
possible  to  mention  the  more  prominent  ones  in  this  paper.  Broadly  speaking, 
there  is  one  explanation  for  all  boiler  explosions;  namely,  the  boiler  or  some 
part  of  it  is  too  weak  to  withstand  the  strain  brought  upon  it.  However,  there 
are  many  causes  contributing  to  such  weakness. 

The  public  and  many  engineers  assume  that  most  explosions  are  caused 
by  some  mysterious  influence  which  cannot  be  foreseen  or  guarded  against,  but 
as  an  actual  fact,  a  definite  cause  can  be  given  for  most  explosions  of  con- 
siderable violence.  That  a  large  percentage  of  boiler  explosions  are  from 
causes  that  might  have  been  foreseen  and  prevented,  is  a  well  established  fact. 

The  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Inspection  and  Insurance  Company's  business 
during  the  past  forty-five  years  has  been  built  upon  this  idea,  and  the  Com- 
pany's success  and  low  loss  ratio  have  demonstrated  its  correctness.  Public 
opinion  is  being  aroused  to  the  fact  that  many  boiler  explosions  are  preventable, 
as  evidenced  by  the  present  agitation  for  laws  governing  the  construction  and 
operation  of  boilers.     The  lead  of   the  city  of   Philadelphia  has  been   followed 


*  A  paper  delivered  before  the  American  Boiler  Manufacturers'  Association  at  New  Orleans 
March  12-15,  iqi?. 


I9I2.]  T  H  E     L  ( )  C  ()  M  O  T  1  V  !•:  .  47 


and  improved  upon  by  the  State  of  Massachusetts.  Ohio  and  several  municipal 
governments  now  have  boiler  laws  patterned  after  those  of  Massachusetts,  and 
similar  action  is  being  seriously  considered  by  a  number  of  other  states  and 
cities.  I  can  speak  from  experience  gained  in  the  manufacture  of  boilers,  and 
I  am  sure  you  will  bear  me  out  in  tlic  statement,  that  good  laws  on  this  subject 
of  uniform  character  will  be  welcomed  by  the  high-grade  boiler  manufacturer 
as  a  distinct  aid  tending  to  eliminate  unfair  competition. 

The  cause  of  boiler  explosions  which  I  will  deal  with  first,  because  it  is 
of  particular  interest  to  the  manufacturer,  is  faulty  design.  Boilers  are  fre- 
quently constructed  too  weak  for  the  pressure  to  be  carried.  This  does  not 
mean  that  the  boiler  will  necessarily  explode  as  soon  as  pressure  is  raised.- 
Explosions  from  this  cause  usually  occur  after  years  of  use,  the  overload  on 
the  parts  having  had  time  to  gradually  weaken  them  until  they  are  no  longer 
capable  of  resisting  the  excessive  strain.  Of  course,  a  manufacturer  has  prac- 
tically no  control  over  the  steam  pressure  to  be  used  on  a  boiler,  after  he  has 
delivered  it  to  the  purchaser.  However,  if  the  manufacturer  should  stamp  his 
name  and  the  safe  working  pressure  for  which  it  was  designed  on  each  boiler 
built,  it  would  act  as  a  protection  to  his  reputation  in  the  event  of  excessive 
pressure  being  used.  Proper  inspection  and  fixing  of  pressures  by  experts  is 
the  logical  remedy  for  explosions  due  to  this  cause. 

A  fault  of  design  which  often  leads  to  an  explosion  is  the  adoption  of  a 
shape  which  tends  to  deform  under  pressure.  In  such  cases,  if  the  movement 
produced  occurs  in  narrow  limits  along  fixed  lines,  grooving  or  cracking  is 
almost  certain  to  occur,  finally  causing  an  explosion,  unless  the  defect  is  dis- 
covered before  the  structure  has  been  weakened  to  the  breaking  point.  The 
obvious  remedy  is  to  use  shapes  which  internal  pressure  does  not  tend  to  change, 
and  if  this  is  impractical  to  use  such  forms  that  the  movement  produced  will 
occur  over  considerable  areas  and  not  be  confined  to  narrow  limits. 

Improper  reinforcement  of  openings  has  occasionally  been  the  cause  of 
boiler  explosions.  If  the  openings  in  boiler  work  were  not  generally  of  such 
moderate  dimensions  this  might  be  a  more  frequent  cause  of  disaster.  It  may 
be  well  to  say  here  that  no  definite  information  is  available  regarding  the  dis- 
tribution of  stresses  around  an  opening  in  a  cylinder  when  subjected  to  internal 
pressure;  consequently,  the  design  for  the  reinforcement  of  such  openings  is 
by  rule-of-thumb. 

A  cause  of  boiler  explosions,  where  the  design  is  primarily  responsible,  is 
when  the  arrangement  "does  not  permit  of  accessibility  for  the  inspection  of  all 
parts.  This  is  especially  so  when  the  inaccessible  parts  are  located  where  rapid 
deterioration  is  likely  to  occur.  No  portion  of  the  boiler  proper  should  rest 
directly  on  a  foundation  or  have  any  of  its  parts  buried  in  earth  or  ashes. 

A  design  which  does  not  permit  free  circulation  of  water  in  all  of  its  parts 
is  liable  to  produce  rapid  internal  corrosion,  for  unless  a  current  is  produced 
by  the  circulation  sufficiently  strong  to  remove  all  bubbles  of  air  that  may 
attach  themselves  to  the  surfaces,  rapid  corrosion  is  almost  certain  to  ensue, 
which  if  neglected  may  result  in  an  explosion.  Air,  which  is  a  mixture  of  about 
four  parts  of  nitrogen  to  one  of  oxygen,  together  with  very  small  quantities 
of  other  gases,  dissolves  to  a  certain  extent  in  water.  However,  the  oxygen, 
being  more  soluble  than  the  nitrogen,  dissolves  more  readily  and  the  proportion 
of  the  gases  found  dissolved  in  the  water  are  roughly  one  of  oxygen  to  two 
of  nitrogen,  instead  of  in  the  proportions  found  in  the  air.     When  the  dissolved 


48  T  H  E     L  O  C  O  M  O  T  I  V  E  .  [April, 

air  is  liberated  by  the  heat,  the  high  percentage  of  oxygen  causes  the  surfaces 
on  which  the  bubbles  may  collect,  to  be  rapidly  corroded.  This  accounts  for  the 
severe  corrosion  of  vessels  containing  water,  which  is  merely  heated  without  a 
strong  circulation  being  produced. 

A  correct  boiler  design  will  provide  uniform  flexibility  throughout.  A  stiflF 
rigid  part  next  to  one  which  is  flexible  is  a  menace  to  safety  if  there  is  any 
tendency  towards  movement  between  the  parts,  either  due  to  temperature  changes 
or  pressure. 

Defective  workmanship  is  responsible  for  some  explosions.  The  barbarous 
practice  of  drifting  rivet  holes  has  doubtless  contributed  largely  in  the  past 
to  such  accidents.  The  reputable  manufacturer  of  today,  however,  will  not 
knowingly  permit  such  work. 

Lack  of  properly  flaring  the  tubes  and  nipples  in  water-tube  boilers  has 
frequently  resulted  in  explosions.  The  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Inspection  and 
Insurance  Company  have  always  advocated  proper  flaring,  and  sometimes  manu- 
facturers have  taken  issue  with  the  Company  on  this  point.  Experience,  which 
has  cost  the  Insurance  Company  many  thousands  of  dollars,  has  fully  demon- 
strated the  correctness  of  their  position  in  this  matter.  The  safety  of  the 
joints  between  a  tube  and  plate  when  expanded  and  flared  or  merely  expanded, 
is  not  a  question  of  the  relative  strength  of  such  connections  newly  made.  When 
for  some  reason  connected  with  the  operation  of  a  boiler  a  connection  of  this 
kind  becomes  loose  due  to  a  movement  of  the  parts  from  expansion  or  vibra- 
tion, together  with  the  excessive  weight  sometimes  sustained,  the  tube  or  nipple 
with  a  flared  end  is  decidedly  giore  safe  than  one  which  is  merely  expanded. 
The  flared  nipple  usually  gives  warning  of  its  looseness  by  leakage  before  it 
pulls  out. 

We  all  know  from  experience  that  the  tendency  is  for  employees  to  cover 
up  mistakes  in  the  shop.  A  manufacturer  cannot  guard  his  reputation  from 
injury  by  this  means  too  carefully.  A  loss  of  reputation  for  good  work, 
after  it  has  been  well  established,  is  many  times  more  costly  to  the  manufacturer 
m  dollars  and  cents  than  the  correction  of  errors  before  work  leaves  the 
shop. 

Defective  material  is  sometimes  the  cause  of  boiler  explosions,  and  the 
boiler  manufacturer  is  largely  dependent  upon  the  producer  of  the  material 
entering  his  product  for  protection  in  this  respect.  Nothing  but  material  of 
the  best  quality  should  be  specified  for  all  parts  of  a  boiler  which  are  called 
upon  to  resist  the  strains  produced  by  the  pressure  of  steam,  and  every  precaution 
.should  be  exercised  to  see  that  such  material  is  obtained. 

Cast  iron  should  never  be  used  in  any  part  of  a  boiler  called  upon  to  resist 
tensile  strains.  This  is  in  thorough  accord  with  your  views  on  the  subject  as 
expressed  in  your  uniform  boiler  specifications. 

A  cause  of  explosions  which  is  particularly  reprehensible  because  of  its 
being  preventable,  is  due  to  an  owner's  willingness  to  pit  his  judgment  against 
more  competent  or  conservative  advice.  Often  boilers  are  known  to  be  in 
need  of  repairs,  but  the  work  is  put  off  to  a  more  convenient  season.  A  feed 
pump  refuses  to  start,  and  instead  of  fires  being  drawn  as  soon  as  the  water 
reaches  the  lowest  safe  level,  a  chance  is  taken  that  it  can  be  run  a  little  longer. 
Pressures  are  sometimes  carried  higher  than  reasonable  safety  would  permit, 
to  avoid  the  expense  of  larger  engines,  or  better  boilers.  Boilers  are  forced 
beyond  a  reasonable  duty  for  the  heating  surface  they  contain.     This  is  a  feature 


it,i2.  1  T  H  1-:     L  O  C  O  M  ()  T  I  V  K  .  49 

that  must  be  reckoned  with  more  in  the  future  than  it  has  been  in  the  past. 
Many  engineers  are  apparently  trying  to  discover  by  experiment  the  limit  to 
the  rate  of  transfer  of  heat  from  lire  to  water  through  the  medium  of  boiler 
tubes  and  plate.  In  order  to  show  minimum  investments  and  other  economies, 
resulting  from  high  rates  of  driving,  engineers  are  prone  to  advise  overloads 
on  both  engines  and  boilers,  and  all  seem  to  overlook  the  ail-important  question, 
Is  it  safe? 

Boiler  explosions  are  also  the  result  of  neglect  or  carelessness  in  operation. 
Scale  and  deposit  are  often  allowed  to  collect  in  quantities  that  are  dangerous 
Connections  to  water  columns  are  allowed  to  become  stopped.  Oil  is  permitted 
to  enter  the  boiler  with  the  feed  water.  Repairs  to  settings  which  may  affect 
the  safety  of  the  boiler  are  neglected.  Safety  valves  are  not  regularly  tested 
to  ascertain  if  they  are  in  operating  condition.  Occasionally  a  boiler  owner 
who  discovers  his  safety  valve  leaking,  with  an  eye  blind  to  every  consideration 
except  the  prevention  of  loss  of  steam,  places  a  stop  valve  on  the  connection 
to  the  safety  valve  or  plugs  the  outlet.  A  steam  gauge  registers  incorrectly  and 
the  engineer  screws  down  on  the  safety  valve  in  an  endeavor  to  make  the  gauge 
show  the  correct  pressure.  The  pressure  of  steam  is  not  sufficient  to  produce 
the  results  desired  with  the  machinery  using  it,  and  the  safety  valve  is  deliber- 
ately made  inoperative  to  overcome  the  difficulty.  All  of  these  conditions  have 
been  the  cause  of  boiler  explosions  in  the  past  and  they  probably  will  continue 
to  contribute  their  share  in  the  future  until  the  steam  user  is  more  thoroughly 
educated  in  the  matter  of  the  risk  he  runs  by  such  carelessness. 

Tube  failures,  which  are  chiefly  confined  to  the  water-tube  type  of  boiler, 
are  a  source  of  grave  concern  to  the  boiler  insurance  interest  on  account  of 
the  difficulty  to  guard  against  the  usual  failure  of  this  kind  by  inspection.  A 
defective  weld  usually  does  not  show  on  the  surface  of  the  tubes,  and  even 
where  the  surface  indications  would  lead  to  suspicion,  a  large  percentage  of 
the  tubes  in  water-tube  boilers  are  beyond  the  reach  or  vision  of  the  inspector. 
The  thorough  inspection  of  tubes  before  they  are  placed  in  the  boiler,  while 
very  unsatisfactory,  even  taken  in  connection  with  the  mill  test,  is  about  the 
only  protection  possible  against  accidents  due  to  defective  tubes. 

The  seamless  tube,  of  course,  will  prevent  accidents  due  to  defective  welding, 
but  tubes  made  by  this  process  are  not  always  of  uniform  thickness,  and  with 
the  cold  drawn  product  there  are  apparently  internal  strains  produc'ed  by  the 
process  of  manufacture  which  sometimes  cause  the  tubes  to  break  when  merely 
heated.  If  cold  drawn  tubes  are  used  for  boiler  purposes,  the  annealed  stock 
should  be  obtained.  Hot  drawn  seamless  tubes  are  meeting  with  considerable 
favor  among  engineers  for  boiler  purposes.  A  considerable  percentage  of  tube 
failures  occur  without  the  slightest  evidence  as  to  their  cause.  A  welded  tube 
frequently  break.s  through  the  solid  metal  away  from  the  weld,  without  being 
corroded  or  weakened  in  any  way  that  may  be  detected  by  the  eye,  and  without 
evidences  of  overheating.     There  must  be  some  reason  for  such  failures. 

It  is  a  fact  that  while  pressures  and  rates  driving  have  been  remarkably 
increased  during  the  past  15  or  20  years,  no  increase  in  the  thickness  or  strength 
of  tubes  has  occurred.  That  the  thicker  tube  is  safer  seems  to  have  been 
demonstrated  by  a  number  of  cases  where  heavy  tubes  have  been  put  in  place 
of  those  of  standard  gage  at  the  recommendation  of  the  Hartford  Company, 
and  the  tube  troubles  have  ceased.  Of  course,  it  can  be  contended  that  the 
theoretical  factor  of  safety  is  higher  on  tubes  even  of  standard  thickness  than. 


50  THELOCOMOTIVE.  [April, 

on  almost  any  other  portion  of  the  boiler.  However,  under  operating  conditions 
accompanying  high  rates  of  driving,  is  it  not  possible  that  there  are  decided 
fluctuations  in  the  temperature  of  the  material  in  the  tubes?  The  rapid  forma- 
tion of  steam  bubbles  removes  for  a  certain  interval  of  time  the  water  protection 
from  the  inner  surface  of  a  tube,  and  the  thinner  the  material,  the  higher  will 
its  temperature  rise  during  a  given  time  in  which  it  is  not  protected.  It  is 
conceivable  that  the  structure  of  the  metal  in  a  thin  tube  may  be  affected  in 
time  by  the  constant  change  in  temperature  until  it  gives  out,  while  the  thicker 
tube  might  not  be  affected  to  the  same  degree  by  this  means. 

This  idea  is  only  advanced  as  a  possible  explanation  for  some  of  the 
tube  accidents  which  seem  to  defy  definite  causes  being  assigned  for  them. 

The  thicker  material  in  the  cases  of  welded  tubes  will  make  more  certain 
that  the  required  strength  is  obtained  in  the  weld,  also,  surface  imperfections 
in  the  material  would  not  affect  the  strength  to  the  same  degree  in  the  thick 
tube  as  it  would  in  the  lighter  one. 

The  importance  of  the  question  of  tube  failures  to  the  operator  of  boilers 
as  well  as  to  the  insurance  interest  can  be  appreciated  when  I  say  as  I  believe 
I  can  conservatively,  that  the  toll  of  loss  of  life  and  limb  exactly  by  such 
failures  probably  exceeds  other  classes  of  boiler  accidents  when  the  relative 
number  of  fire-tube  and  water-tube  boilers  in  use  is  considered. 

Corrosion  has  been  the  cause  of  many  serious  explosions,  but  with  boilers 
built  accessible  for  inspection,  explosions  from  this  cause  may  be  reduced  to  a 
minimum  where  the  boilers  are  under  the  care  of  a  competent  inspection 
service. 

A  source  of  explosions,  external  to  the  boiler  itself,  but  which  has  produced 
very  serious  disasters,  is  the  improper  arrangement  of  steam  piping.  It  is  very 
dangerous  indeed  to  attempt  to  connect  a  boiler  to  a  steam  line  where  the 
piping  is  arranged  so  that  water  pockets  may  be  formed.  A  water-hammer  is 
likely  to  result  in  such  cases  which  may  break  the  pipe  connections,  and  this 
in  turn  may  produce  an  explosion  of  the  boiler  itself. 

A  source  of  very  disastrous  explosions  has  been  the  prevalence  of  the  hidden 
crack  or  so-called  lap-seam  crack.  The  cause  of  these  defects  are  either  the 
form  of  seam,  poor  material,  improper  shape  of  the  joined  ends  of  the  sheet, 
or  the  abuse  of  the  material  in  the  process  of  manufacture ;  or  possibly  a  com- 
bination of  some  of  these  causes.  That  the  form  of  seam  alone  is  not  the  only 
factor  is  well  demonstrated  by  the  fact  that  all  lap  seams  do  not  fail  in  this 
manner  and  also  that  some  seams  of  the  butt  joint  type  have  thus  failed. 

It  is,  of  course,  readily  recognized  that  with  every  precaution  which  can 
be  taken,  boiler  explosions  cannot  be  entirely  eliminated  but  their  number  may 
be  lessened  materially.  A  proper  inquiry  into  all  accidents  of  this  kind  by 
Government  officials  qualified  and  clothed  with  ample  authority  to  get  at  all 
facts  in  each  case,  and  the  blame,  if  any,  placed  where  it  properly  belongs,  would 
tend  to  reduce  the  number  of  explosions  materially.  This  is  a  feature  we  might 
profitably  copy  from  our  English  cousins.         / 


I9I2. 


THE     HJCOMOTIVE 


51 


Repairing'  Bag-g-ed  Fire  Sheets. 


J.  P.  Morrison,  Inspector. 

A  very  common  occurrence  in  the  operation  of  steam  boilers  is  the  bagging 
of  the  fire  sheets,  due  to  the  presence  of  scale,  oil,  etc.,  that  may  prevent  the 
proper  cooling  of  the  metal  by  the  contained  water. 

It  is  very  much  the  best,  when  possible,  to  repair  such  defects  by  heating 
and  driving  the  metal  back  to  its  original  position  instead  of  resorting  to  patch- 
ing. In  driving  up  a  bag  it  is,  of  course,  desirable  to  prevent  as  far  as  possible 
the  marring  of  the  metal  by  hammer  marks  and  to  leave  the  surfaces  straight 
and  true  to  the  original  form.  Tlie  success  with  which  a  repair  of  this  kind 
may  be  accomplished  depends  largely  upon  the  skill  of  the  boiler-maker,  but 
proper  tools  are  almost  indispensable  if  a  first-class  job  is  to  be  obtained. 

The  usual  method  of  heating  the  sheet  with  a  fire  pot  and  bellows  is  familiar 
to  nearly  all  boiler-makers  and  to  many  boiler  owners  who  have  had  occasion 
to  have  such  repairs  made.  The  gasoline  blow  torch  is  now  sometimes  used 
instead  of  the  old  fire  pot  where  compressed  air  is  available,  and  the  results 
obtained  by  heating  in  this  manner  are  generally  satisfactory. 


The  novice  can  appreciate  that  if  an  attempt  should  be  made  to  straighten 
a  bent  piece  of  rod  without  an  anvil  of  some  kind  to  hammer  on,  it  would  be 
almost  impossible  to  obtain  satisfactory  results,  and  in  a  measure  it  is  as  difficult 
to  straighten  a  bagged  sheet  without  some  similar  device.  The  block  here  illus- 
trated can  be  used  as  an  anvil  against  which  the  boiler  sheet  may  be  driven. 
It  is  made  with  one  face  to  a  radius  of  36  inches  and  the  other  30  inches,  so 
that  one  face  or  the  other  will  fit  approximately  any  shell  between  54  inches 
and  84  inches  in  diameter,  and  therefore,  only  one  block  is  necessarv'.  The 
width  of  the  block  is  limited  by  the  size  of  the  man-hole  opening  to  about  12 
or  13  inches  and  the  length  of  from  12  to  15  inches  is  generally  sufficient.  If 
3  inches  thick  the  weight  will  be  about  85  to  no  lbs.,  which  will  permit  good 
work  without  being  difficult  to  handle.  A  hole  is  tisually  drilled  in  the  end 
and  threaded  for  a  i-inch  pipe  to  facilitate  handling. 

By  placing  this  block  over  the  bulged  part  after  each  heat  and  using  the 
proper  kind  of  hammers,  the  metal  may  be  driven  to  its  original  position  without 
corrugations  or  hammer  marks.  A  final  heat  and  careful  use  of  a  flatter  will 
leave  the  sheet  in  practically  as  good  condition  as  before  it  was  bulged. 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE 


[April,, 


HARTFORD,  APRIL,   1912. 

Single  copies  can  be  obtained  free  by  calling  at  any  oj  the  company's  agencies . 
Subscription  price  so  cents  per  year  when  mailed  from  this  office. 
Recent  bound  volumes  one  dollar  each.     Earlier  ones  two  dollars. 
Reprinting  of  matter  froin  this  paper  is  permitted  if  credited  to 
The  Locomotive  of  The  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  1.  &  1.  Co. 


Mr.  Baumhart's  paper  in'  this  issue  on  the  Ohio  Boiler  Inspection  Law  we 
are  sure  will  be  read  with  interest  by  those  who  appreciate  the  need  of 
governmental  supervision  over  the  operation  of  steam  boilers.  The  danger  ta 
life  and  property  which  is  inherent  in  every  steam  generating  vessel  is  ample 
justification  for  such  supervision  and  for  legal  enactments  which  will  compef 
compliance  with  approved  methods  and  practices. 

In  Ohio  the  legislature  evidently  realized  that  adequate  measures  of  safety 
included  both  a  frequent  inspection  of  the  condition  of  each  boiler  and  the  estab- 
lishment of  definite  standards  of  structure,  equipment,  and  installation.  It 
appreciated  that  these  were  all  strictly  technical  questions  on  which  only  those 
expert  in  such  matters  were  competent  to  pass  and  it  therefore  wisely  delegated 
to  a  commission  of  such  experts  authority  to  determine  those  standards  and' 
to  establish  them  with  the  force  of  law.  This  is  all  very  gratifying  to  the 
Hartford  Company  for  it  indicates  a  public  realization  of  the  necessity  for 
those  measures  which  for  years  this  company  has  contended  were  essential  to 
the  safeguarding  of  boiler  operation.  It  started  on  the  theory  that  many  a 
boiler  disaster  was  preventable  had  the  condition  of  the  boiler  been  previously 
determined,  and  it  organized  and  maintained  a  system  of  inspection  which  in 
the  past  forty-six  years  has  proved  that  theory  correct.  The  experience  of 
those  years  enabled  it  to  advocate  certain  standards  of  approved  construction 
and  installation  and  it  is  accordingly  a  matter  of  pardonable  pride  to  the 
Hartford  that  the  experts  of  the  Ohio  Board  of  Boiler  Rules,  following  the- 
example  of  Massachusetts,  have  given  their  endorsement  to  so  many  of  those- 
standards  b}'  including  them   in   the   legal  regulations   of  their  commonwealth. 


Richard  Teller  Crane. 

The  April  issue  of  The  Valve  Wnrld  is  devoted  to  an  appreciative  tribut-e- 
to  the  memory  of  Richard  Teller  Crane,  late  president  of  Crane  Company, 
whose  death  occurred  on  January  8th,  1912.  In  it  is  told  the  life  story  of  the- 
man  whose  genius  as  a  mechanic  and  an  organizer  made  possible  the  great- 
commercial   institution   which   bears   hi?   name   and   which    is   so   well   known    tr- 


1912. 


T  H  1-:     L  ()  C  O  M  O  T  I  V  E  . 


53 


steam  users  throughout  the  land.     Of  him    I'he   Valve  World  write>: 

'■  He  lived  a  long  and  eventful  life  in  the  age  of  iron  and  steel  and  in 
the  developments  of  that  age  he  wrought  not  only  a  journeyman's  but  a 
master's  part.  He  was  a  consi)icuous  member  of  that  class  of  men  to  which 
this  country  has  not  yet  paid  its  meed  of  praise  simply  because  as  yet  it  but 
imperfectly  realizes  the  immense  value  to  this  country  of  the  skilled  and 
ingeiDOus  mechanics  of  great  busim-ss  ability  whom  the   last  century  produced." 


Boiler  Explosions  During-  1911. 

We  desire  to  call  attention  to  the  statistics  concerning  boiler  explosions 
•which  occurred  during  191 1.  Great  care  has  been  exercised  in  the  compilation 
of  the  chronologically  arranged  lists,  upon  which  the  appended  summary  is 
based,  and  it  is  our  belief  that  we  have  accounted  for  by  far  the  greater  number 
■of  boiler  accidents  which  has  taken  place  in  the  United  States  in  the  past  year. 
As  the  accounts  are  received,  and  usually  several  newspaper  clippings  or  letters 
reach  us  in  regard  to  each  explosion,  they  are  carefully  scrutinized  and  com- 
pared so  that  the  actual  facts  are  determined  as  nearly  as  possible. 

It  happens  occasionally  that  our  source  of  information  is  unreliable  and 
"that  our  lists  are  correspondingly  inaccurate.  When  this  occurs  we  take  pleasure 
in  correcting  any  errors  which  are  called  to  our  attention,  and  greatly  appre- 
ciate any  information  which  will  lead  to  greater  accuracy  in  our  lists. 

We  have  been  informed  of  one  account,  given  in  The  Locomotive  for 
October,  which  was  incorrect,  viz.  Item  No.  298,  July  19,  the  explosion  of  a 
boiler  on  Lafaj'Ctte  Boulevard,  Detroit,  Mich.  Our  correspondent  states  that 
no  explosion  took  place  there. 

The  summary  follows: 

Sl'.m.m.^rv  ok  Boiler  Explosions  for  1911. 


MONTH                                 Number  of 
^"^''^"-                              Explosions. 

Persons 
Killed. 

Persons 
Injured. 

Total  of 
Killed  and 
j      Injured. 

January 

February, 

March.  ' 

April. 

May. 

June. 

July 

August 

September.         .... 

October 

November,         .... 
December,          .... 

76 

44        1 

39-       1 

39 
43 
31 

42 
32 
29 

48 
39 
37 

22 
31 

27 

14 
18 
30 

18 
13 

14 
II 

17 

43 
52 
38 

22 

39 
17 

34 
29 
20 

53 
35 
34 

65 
83 
65 

36 

57 
47 

52 
42 
27 

67 
46 

51 

Totals,         .... 

499                   222 

416 

638 

54  THELOCOMOTIVE.  [Avril, 


Boiler  Explosions. 

December,  191  i. 

(463.)  —  On  or  about  December  i  the  boiler  of  a  locomotive  on  the  Houston 
East  &  West  Texas  railroad  exploded,  near  Houston,  Texas.  Three  men  were 
injured. 

(464.) — A  boiler  exploded,  December  2,  at  the  McVeagh  Lumber  Co.'s 
plant.  Reader,  Ark.  Three  men  were  killed  and  three  others  injured.  Property 
damage,  due  to  the  explosion  and  resulting  fire,  was  estimated  at  $25,000. 

(465.)  —  On  December  3  the  boiler  of  the  towboat  Diamond,  owned  by  the 
the  Diamond  Coal  &  Coke  Co.,  exploded  on  the  Ohio  river,  about  five  miles 
south  of  Pittsburg,  Pa.  Five  men  were  instantly  killed,  two  seriously  injured, 
and  several  other  persons  slightly  hurt. 

(466.)  — A  cast-iron  heating  boiler  fractured,  December  3,  in  the  Southern 
New  England  Telephone  Co.'s  building.  Meriden,  Conn. 

(467.) — The  furnace  of .  a  vertical  boiler  collapsed.  December  4,  in  the 
plant  of  the  Jackson  Co.,  Nashua,  N.  H.     No  one  was  injured. 

(468.)  —  On  December  4  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the 
mirror  factory  of  The  Zahn  &  Bowley  Co.,  East  Rutherford,  N.  J. 

(469.)  —  A  boiler  exploded,  December  4,  during  a  fire  at  the  United  Express 
Co.'s  stable  in  Jersey  City,  N.  J.     Two  men  were  injured. 

(470.)  — On  December  5  a  blowoflf  pipe  ruptured  at  the  plant  of  the  Electric 
Steel  Elevator  Co.,  Minneapolis,  Minn.     One  man  was  slightly  scalded. 

(471.)  —  A  tube  ruptured,  December  6,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  Public 
School  No.  28,  Scranton,  Pa.     No  one  was  injured. 

(472.) — On  December  6  a  hot-water  boiler  exploded  in  the  plant  of  the 
North  Pole  Dye  Works,  Houston,  Tex.  No  one  was  injured,  but  the  building 
was  wrecked. 

(473-)  —  On  December  7  two  sections  of  a  cast-iron  boiler  cracked  in  the 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  building,  Frederick,  Md. 

(474.)  —  A  blowoff  pipe  ruptured,  December  8.  at  the  plant  of  the  Merrill- 
Springer  Co.,  Bethel,  Maine. 

(475.)  —  On  December  8  a  tube  burst  in  a  vertical  tubular  boiler  in  the 
gas  producer  plant  of  the  Southern  Power  Co.,  Charlotte,  N.  C.  The  explosion 
caused  a  fire  which  damaged  property  to  the  amount  of  $2,000.  One  man  was 
killed  and  two  others  were  injured. 

(476.)  — The  boiler  of  freight  locomotive  No.  754,  on  the  D.  &  H.  railroad 
exploded,  December  8,  near  Westport.  N.  Y.  One  man  was  killed  and  two 
others  severely  injured. 

(477.)  — On  December  9  a  sectional  cast-iron  boiler  fractured  in  the  apart- 
ment house  at  80  St.  Botolph  street,  Boston,  Mass. 

(478.)  —  A  sectional  cast-iron  boiler  fractured,  December  10,  in  the  Phoenix 
Hotel,  Findlay,  Ohio. 

(479.)  —  A  tube  ruptured,  December  11,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the 
Bettendorf  Axle  Co.'s  plant,  Bettendorf,  Iowa.  The  boiler  was  considerably 
damaged. 

(480.) — On  December  11  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the 
Waukegan,  111.,  plant  of  the  American  Steel  &  Wire  Co. 


1912.]  T  H  E     LOC'OMOT  I  V  E  .  55 


(481.) — A  cast-iron  header  in  a  water-tube  boiler  fractured,  December  13. 
in  the  Miiford,  Attleboro  &  Woonsocket  Street  Railway  Co.'s  plant,  Franklin. 
Mass. 

(482.) — On  December  13  the  boiler  of  a  locomotive  on  the  Trinity  & 
Brazos  Valley  railroad  exploded,  near  Dallas,  Texas.  Two  men  were  killed 
and  one  other  severely  injured. 

(483.)  — A  tube  ruptured,  December  15,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  plant 
of  the  American  Gas  &  Electric  Co.,  Muncie,  Ind. 

(484.)  — On  December  15  a  blowoff  pipe  burst  at  the  plant  of  E.  T.  Steele 
&  Co.,  textile  manufacturers,  Bristol,  Pa.     One  man  was  scalded. 

(485.) — A  tube  ruptured,  December  18,  in  a  water-tube  boiler,  at  the 
E>onora  Wire  Works  plant  of  the  American  Steel  &  Wire  Co.,  Donora,  Pa. 

(486.)  — A  boiler  ruptured,  December  19,  in  the  American  Sand  &  Gravel 
Co.'s  plant,  Carpentersville,  111. 

(487.)  — On  December  19  the  crownsheet  of  a  locomotive  on  the  P.  C.  C.  & 
St.  L.  railroad  blew  out  near  Jones  station,  east  of  Piqua,  Ohio.  One  man 
was  killed  and  two  others  injured. 

(488.) — The  boiler  of  McCormick  Brothers'  sawmill  exploded,  December 
20,  at  Ideal,  Ga.     Seven  men  were  injured,  one  of  them  seriously. 

(489.)  — On  December  21  a  boiler  burst  in  the  Beatty  steam  laundry,  Ros- 
well,  N.  M.  One  man  was  severely  injured.  The  property  loss  was  estimated 
at  $500. 

(490.) — A  boiler  exploded,  December  21,  in  the  Lowman  mill.  Apiary, 
near  Rainier,  Ore.     Two  men  were  killed  and  two  others  injured. 

(491.)  — On  December  23  a  blowoff  valve  burst  at  the  plant  of  the  Chicago 
Malleable  Castings  Co.,  Chicago,  111.  One  man  was  fatally  scalded,  dying  the 
following  day,  and  another  was  severely  burned. 

(492.) — A  heating  boiler  exploded,  December  24,  in  the  Flushing  avenue 
police  station,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  No  one  was  injured.  Property  damage  was 
estimated  at  $300  to  $400. 

(493.)  — On  December  25  a  heating  boiler  burst  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  West  Ocean  Grove,  N.  J. 

(494.) — A  tube  burst,  December  27,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  plant 
of  the  Cadoza  Lace  Co.,  Pawtucket,  R.  I. 

(495.) — On  December  28  a  blowoff  pipe  ruptured  in  the  Eureka  Brick 
Co.'s  plant,  Lynnhaven,  Va. 

(496.)  — A  boiler  exploded,  December  28,  in  the  basement  of  No.  4  engine 
house,  Lexington  street,  Baltimore,  Md.     No  one  was  injured. 

(497.)  — Several  cast-iron  headers  in  a  water-tube  boiler  fractured,  Decem- 
ber 29,  in  the  water  and  light  plant  of  the  City  of  Starksville,  Miss. 

(498.) — The  boiler  of  a  freight  locomotive  on  the  Wabash  railroad 
exploded,  December  29,  at  Thamesville,  Mich.  One  man  was  fatally  and 
another  slightly  injured. 

(499.) — On  December  30  a  sectional  cast-iron  heater  fractured  in  the 
metal  working  plant  of  the  George  Q.  Hill  Co.,  Boston,  Mass. 


5(3  T  H  E     L  O  C  O  M  O  T  I  V  E  .  [Ai-ril. 

January,  1912. 

(i.) — On  January  i  a  small  heating  boiler  burst  in  the  plant  of  the 
Jackson  Milling  Co.,  Steven  Point,  Wis.     No  one  was  injured. 

(2.)  —  A  hot-water  heating  boiler  exploded,  January  2,  in  the  basement  of 
the  Wren-Clancy  department  store,  Altoona,  Pa.  Three  persons  were  injured 
and  the  property  damage  was  variously  estimated  at  $5,000  to  $10,000. 

(3.)  — On  January  2  a  sectional  cast-iron  boiler  ruptured  in  the  furniture 
store  of  Haglage  &  Hawkins,  Kansas  City,  Mo.     No  one  was  injured. 

(4.) — A  boiler  burst,  January  2,  in  the  basement  of  Plymouth  Church, 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 

(5.) — On  January  2  the  crownsheet  of  a  boiler  of  the  locomotive  type 
failed  in  the  Imperial  Laundry,  Hamilton,  Ohio.  The  explosion  and  resulting 
fire  caused  a  property  damage  of  $50,000.  The  boiler  was  said  to  be  thirty 
years  old. 

(6.) — On  or  about  January  3  a  heating  boiler  in  the  county  jail  at  Mc- 
Alester,  Okla.,  exploded.  The  building  was  somewhat  damaged  but  no  one  was 
injured. 

(7.)  — On  January  4  a  boiler  burst  at  the  Spriiigfield,  Ohio,  water  works 
plant.  According  to  the  newspaper  account  a  patch  blew  off  from  one  of  the 
boilers. 

(8.)  — A  blowoff  pipe  ruptured,  January  4,  at  the  cotton  compress  of  the 
Warrant  Warehouse  Co.,  Birmingham,  Ala. 

(9.) — On  January  5  the  boiler  of  a  locomotive  engine  exploded  in  the 
Southern  Pacific  roundhouse,  Los  Angeles,  Calif.  Two  men  were  killed  and 
three  others  injured. 

(10.) — The  boiler  of  a  locomotive  on  the  Bartlett  &  Western  railroad 
exploded,  January  5,  near  Georgetown,  Texas.  One  man  was  killed  and  another 
injured. 

(11.) — A  hot-water  boiler  burst,  JanuaVy  5,  in  the  basement  of  the 
residence  of  Ed.  Rader,  Allentown,  Pa.     No  one  was  injured. 

(12.) — On  January  5  a  hot-water  boiler  burst  in  the  basement  of  a  two- 
story  brick  dwelling  at  281-283  Thirty-third  street,  Milwaukee,  Wis.  The  ex- 
plosion caused  a  fire  which  destroyed  the  building  with  a  loss  estimated  at 
$12,000.     No  one  was  injured. 

(13.)  — Three  cast-iron  headers  fractured,  January  6,  in  a  water-tube  boiler 
at  the  Washington  &  Lee  University,  Lexington,  Va. 

(14.)  — On  January  6  a  section  of  a  hot-water  boiler  exploded  in  the  boiler 
house  of  Z.  G.  Simmons,  Kenosha,  Wis.  The  loss  was  estimated  at  several 
thousand  dollars. 

(15.)  — A  hot-water  heater  exploded,  January  6,  in  the  mail  car  of  a  Rock 
Island  train  at  the  union  station,  Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa.  One  man  was  slightly 
injured. 

(16.)  — On  January  6  a  hot-water  boiler  burst  on  the  premises  of  William 
P.  Northrup,  Buffalo,  N.  Y.  Property  damage  was  estimated  at  $5,000.  One 
account  of  the  explosion  states  that  "  Just  what  caused  it  to  explode  could  not 
be  learned  yesterday,  but  it  is  thought  that  the  boiler  became  too  warm  and 
burst,  as  is  sometimes  the  case  with  new  boilers." 

(17.) — A  boiler  exploded,  January  7,  in  the  residence  of  Max  L.  Woolf, 
Chicago,  111.  The  resulting  fire  almost  totally  destroyed  the  building.  No 
one  was  injured. 


19I2.J  T  H  E     L  C)  C  O  M  O  T  I  V  E  .  57 


(i8.)  —  A  tube  ruptured.  January  8,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Penn 
Central  Light  &  Power  Co..  Altoona.  Pa. 

(19.) — A  cast-iron  heater  burst,  January  8,  at  the  High  School.  Salis- 
bur>',  Mo. 

(20.) — The  boiler  of  a  threshing  engine  exploded.  January  8,  at  Star 
City,  Ind.     One  man  was  seriously  injured. 

(21.)  — On  January  8  a  boiler  exploded  in  a  building  being  constructed  at 
84  Gates  avenue,  Montclair,  N.  J.     One  man  was  painfully  injured. 

(22.)  —  A  vertical  tubular  boiler  exploded,  January  8,  in  the  cellar  of  the 
provision  house  of  George  Doersch  Co.,  New  York  City.  Two  men  were 
injured.     Property  damage  was  estimated  at  $1,500. 

(23.) — On  January  8  a  boiler,  used  in  the  process  of  cutting  ice,  exploded 
at  Salem,  N.  Y.     One  man  was  fatally  injured. 

(24.) — A  boiler  explosion  occurred,  January  8,  in  the  residence  of  William 
Hoagland,  West  Chester,   Pa.,  causing  considerable  damage. 

(25.) — On  January  9  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  plant 
of  the  Inland  Steel  Co.,  Indiana  Harbor,  Ind. 

(26.)  — A  boiler  exploded,  January  9,  on  the  farm  of  Samuel  Hadom,  near 
Wheeling,  W.  Va.  One  person  was  slightly  injured  and  the  boiler  house  was 
completely  demolished. 

(27.) — A  boiler  exploded,  January  9,  in  the  cellar  room  of  the  Imperial 
Laundry,  Hamilton,  Ohio,  causing  a  fire  which  destroyed  the  building. 

(28.) — On  January  9  the  heating  boiler  of  the  Calvin  College  and  Theo- 
logical Seminary,  Grand  Rapids,  Mich.,  exploded,  making  the  entire  heating 
system  useless. 

(29.) — On  January  9  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  plant 
of  the  Ehret  Magnesia  Mfg.  Co.,  Port  Kennedy,  Pa. 

(30.) — A  boiler  flue  burst,  January  10,  in  the  Fort  Worth  and  Denver 
shops,  Amarillo,  Texas.     Four  men  were  injured. 

(31.) — On  January  10  a  hot-water  heater  exploded  in  the  residence  of 
William  S.  Brace,  West  Hartford,  Conn. 

(32.)  — A  boiler  exploded,  January  10,  in  the  parochial  school  of  the  Church 
of  the  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus,  AUentown,  Pa.    The  loss  was  estimated  at  $1,000. 
(33.) — On   January    11   a  boiler  exploded   in  the   plant    of   the   American 
Perfectile  Co.,  Henry  Clay,  Del.    Two  men  were  slightly  injured  and  consider- 
able property  damage  was  done. 

(34.) — On  January  11  an  accident  occurred  to  the  boiler  of  a  locomotive 
belonging  to  the  Hope  Lumber  Co.,  Hope,  Ark. 

(35.)  —A  bolt  blew  out  of  a  boiler,  January  11,  at  the  coal  mine  of  E.  J. 

Walker  &  Co.,  Brisbin,  Pa. 

(36.) — A  hot-water  heater  exploded,  January  11,  in  a  trolley  car  of  the 
Milwaukee  Electric  Railway  &  Light  Co.,  Milwaukee,  Wis.  One  person  was 
fatally  and  several  others  severely  injured. 

i2,7-) — On  January  12  a  boiler  exploded  at  the  Clarence  colliery  of  the 
Hillside  Coal  &  Iron  Co.,  Pittston.  Pa.     No  one  was  injured. 

(38.)  —  A  tube  ruptured,  January  13,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  plant  of 
the  American  Steel  Foundries,  Alliance,  Ohio. 

(39.)  —  On  January  13  a  heating  boiler  burst  in  the  Roberts  Street  School, 
Lestershire,  N.  Y. 


58  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [April, 

(40.) — On  or  about  January  13  a  heating  boiler  burst  on  the  premises 
of  C.  H.  Mott,  Adrian,  Mich. 

(41.) — A  boiler  tube  burst,  January  14,  in  the  boiler  in  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  Lestershire,  N.  Y. 

(42.)  — A  section  of  a  cast-iron  heater  fractured,  January  14,  in  the  apart- 
ment house  of  Mrs.  Pauline  Danere,  New  York  City. 

(43.)  — On  January  14  six  cast-iron  headers  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler 
in  the  Multnomah  Hotel,  Portland  Ore. 

(44.) — A  hot-water  heater  exploded,  January  14,  in  a  trolley  car  of  the 
Lehigh  Valley  Transit  Co.,  at  Fullerton,  Pa.     One  man  was  injured. 

(45.) — On  January  15  a  boiler  exploded  at  the  No-Name  mine,  on  the 
L.  B.  Jones  land  in  Newton  county,  near  Joplin,  Mo.  Three  men  were  killed 
and  one  other  was  injured. 

(46.) — A  blowoff  pipe  failed,  January  16,  at  the  plant  of  the  Tremont 
Mfg.  Co.,  Boston,  Mass. 

(47.)  —  On  January  16  a  boiler  exploded  at  the  plant  of  the  American 
Silica  Co.,  Richwood,  Mich. 

(48.)  — A  boiler  exploded,  January  16,  at  the  grain  mill  of  Harr  &  Cropp 
Co.,  Meadland,  W.  Va.  One  man  was  instantly  killed  and  three  others  were 
fatally  injured.     The  property  damage  was  estimated  at  $1,000. 

(49.) — The  boiler  of  a  locomotive  on  the  Louisville  &  Nashville  railroad 
exploded,  January  16,  near  Longrun  station,  Ky.  The  explosion  was  caused 
by  a  collision  of  a  Louisville  &  Nashville  and  a  Chesapeake  &  Ohio  train. 

(50.) — On  January  16  a  boiler  burst  in  the  machine  and  plumbing  shop 
of  Fred  Williams,  near  North  East,  Pa.     No  one  was  injured. 

(51.) — A  boiler  exploded,  January  17,  at  Colebrook,  twelve  miles  south 
of  Lebanon,  Pa.  The  boiler  was  owned  by  the  United  Coal  &  Ice  Co.,  and 
was  being  used  in  the  process  of  ice  harvesting.  Six  men  were  seriously  injured, 
two  of  them  probably  fatally. 

(52.) — On  January  17  the  boiler  in  the  basement  of  the  Holy  Rosary 
■Convent,  West  Hoboken,  N.  J.,  exploded.  There  was  considerable  damage  to 
property. 

(53.) — A  boiler  burst,  January  17,  in  the  residence  of  John  B.  Kates. 
Collingswood,  N.  J. 

(54.)  — Eight  sections  of  a  cast-iron  heater  ruptured,  January  17,  in  Science 
Hall  of  Valparaiso  University,  Valparaiso,  Ind. 

(55.) — On  January  18  a  section  cracked  in  a  cast-iron  heating  boiler  in 
the  belt  dressing  plant  of  the  Cling  Surface  Co.,  Buffalo,  N.  Y. 

(56.)  — On  January  18  a  boiler  ruptured  at  Dr.  W.  B.  Fletcher's  sanatorium. 
Indianapolis,  Ind. 

(57.) — A  heating  boiler  exploded,  January  18,  at  St.  Mary's  Academy. 
Danville,  111. 

(58.)  — On  January  18  a  hot-water  boiler  burst  in  the  Lafayette  apartment 
house,  320  Madison  avenue.  New  York  City.     No  one  was  injured. 

(59.) — On  January  19  the  boiler  of  the  river  steamer  Sarah  Dixon  ex- 
ploded, four  miles  south  of  Kalama,  Wash.     Three  men  were  killed. 

(60.) — A  tube  ruptured,  January  19,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  stamp 
mill  of  the  Baltic  Mining  Co.,  Baltic,  Mich. 

(61.) — On  January  19  a  tube  ruptured  in  water-tube  boiler  No.  9  at  the 


I9II.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  59 

plant  of  the  Monongahela  Light  Co.,  Rankin,  Pa.  Two  men  were  injured.  (See 
Items  Nos.  62.  63  and  64.) 

(62.) — On  January  19  a  tube  ruptured  in  water-tube  boiler  No.  11  at  the 
plant  of  the  Monongahela  Light  Co.,  Rankin,  Pa.  (See  Items  Nos.  61,  63  and  64.) 

(63.)  — On  January  19  a  tube  ruptured  in  water-tube  boiler  No.  13  at  the 
plant  of  the  Monongahela  Light  Co.,  Rankin,  Pa.  (See  Items  Nos.  61,  62  and  64.) 

(64.)  — On  January  19  a  tube  ruptured  in  water-tube  boiler  No.  14  at  the 
plant  of  the  Monongahela  Light  Co.,  Rankin,  Pa.  (See  Items  Nos.  61,  62  and  63, 
These  four  accidents  occurred  at  different  times  but  all  within  an  hour.) 

(65.)  — On  January  20  a  boiler  failed  at  the  Minden  Edison  Light  &  Power 
Co.,  Minden,  Neb. 

(66.)  — A  cast-iron  sectional  boiler  fractured,  January  20,  in  the  restaurant 
of  Housman  &  Co.,  Boston,  Mass. 

(67.)  —  On  January  21  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  Fort 
Wayne  RolHng  Mills  Co.'s  plant.  Fort  Wayne,  Ind.     One  man  was  injured. 

(68.) — A  hot-water  boiler  exploded,  January  21,  in  the  residence  of  J.  G. 
Danio,  Kenmore,  N.  Y.     The  damage  was  slight. 

(69.) — On  January  22  a  heating  boiler  exploded  in  the  Cement  Central 
Hotel,  Allentown,  Pa.     No  one  was  injured. 

(70.)  — A  heating  boiler  exploded,  January  22,  in  the  residence  of  Captain 
J.  F.  Tibbetts,  Athens,  Ga.    One  man  was  seriously  injured. 

(71.)  —  On  January  22  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  cotton 
mill  of  Swift  Mfg.  Co.,  Columbus,  Ga. 

(72.) — A  cast-iron  heater  fractured,  January  22,  in  a  water-tube  boiler 
at  the  plant  of  the  Hill  Clutch  Co.,  Cleveland,  Ohio. 

(73.)  — On  January  23  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  planing 
mill  of  W.  D.  Young  Co.,  Bay  City,  Mich.    One  man  was  injured. 

(74.)  — On  January  23  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  plant 
of  the  Pee-Dee  Mfg.  Co.,  Rockingham,  N.  C. 

(75.) — A  tube  ruptured,  January  24,  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the  plant 
of  Marshall  Field  &  Co.,  Chicago,  111.  Considerable  damage  was  done  to  the 
boiler. 

(76.) — Three  sections  of  a  cast-iron  heating  boiler  fractured,  January  24, 
in  the  hotel  of  Mary  E.  Schaefer,  Findlay,  Ohio. 

(77.) — A  blowoff  pipe  failed,  January  24,  at  the  cotton  seed  oil  mill  of 
Frank  G.  Kinney  &  Co.,  Kansas  City,  Kans.     One  man  was  injured. 

(78.)  — On  January  24  a  tube  burst  in  the  boiler  of  the  lumber  schooner 
Arctic,  while  the  vessel  was  entering  San  Francisco  harbor. 

(79.)  —  Six  sections  of  a  cast-iron  heater  fractured,  January  25,  in  the 
hotel  of  H.  P.  &  Mary  G.  Canode,  Amarillo,  Texas. 

(80.)  —  On  January  25  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  in  the  paper 
mill  of  the  Kimberly-Clark  Co.,  Kimberly,  Wis. 

(81.) — A  boiler  exploded,  January  25,  at  the  Smith- Pane  Lumber  Co.'s 
plant,  near  Braxton,  Miss.  One  man  was  seriously  injured  and  four  others 
slightly  hurt. 

(82.) — On  January  26  the  boiler  of  a  New  York  Central  locomotive  ex- 
ploded near  Oneida,  N.  Y.  The  engineer  was  instantly  killed  and  the  fireman 
was  severely  injured. 


60  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [April 


(83) — A  cast-iron  elbow  on  a  blowoff  pipe  failed,  January  26,  at  the 
plant  of  the  Lynn  Gas  &  Electric  Co.,  Lynn,  Mass.     One  man  was  injured. 

(84.) — On  January  27  a  heating  boiler  exploded  in  the  basement  of  the 
Continental,  a  boarding  house,  Rumford  Falls,  Me.  One  woman  was  seriously 
injured. 

(85.) — A  boiler  exploded,  January  27,  on  the  farm  of  Israel  Weilich, 
near  Washington,  Pa.     One  person   was  seriously  and   perhaps  fatally  injured. 

(86.)  — A  steam  heater  exploded,  January  28,  in  the  residence  of  Randolph 
H.  Chandler,  Thompson,  Conn.     Property  damage  was  estimated  at  $1,500. 

(87.) — On  or  about  January  28  a  boiler  burst  in  the  offices  of  the 
American  Cement  Co.,  Egypt,  Pa. 

(88.) — On  January  28  a  boiler  ruptured  at  the  plant  of  the  Wyoming 
Valley  Lace  Mills,  Wilkes-Barre,  Pa. 

(89.) — The  boiler  of  a  locomotive  exploded,  January  29,  in  the  Southern 
Pacific  roundhouse  at  San  Francisco,  Calif.     One  man  was  seriously  injured. 

(90.) — On  January  31  a  cast-iron  elbow  failed  at  the  Ridgespring  Oil 
Mill,  Ridgespring,  S.  C.     One  man  was  injured. 


February,    1912 

(91.)  — On  February  i,  a  blowoff  pipe  burst  at  the  plant  of  the  Lang  Mfg. 
Co.,  West  Point,  Ga.     One  man  was  slightly  scalded. 

(92.) — A  blowoflf  pipe  burst,  February  2,  at  the  plant  of  the  Lynn  Gas  & 
Electric  Co.,  Lynn,  Mass.    One  man  was  injured. 

(93.)  — On  February  3  a  blowoflf  pipe  burst  in  the  P.  Echert  factory  of  the 
National  Candy  Co.,  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 

(94.) — On  February  4  a  heating  boiler  burst  in  St.  Mark's  Lutheran 
Church,  York  City,  Pa. 

(95.)  — A  heating  boiler  burst,  February  4,  in  the  basement  of  the  Brookline 
Presbyterian  Church,  Chicago,  111.    The  property  damage  was  estimated  at  $2,000. 

(96.)  — The  boiler  of  a  Lehigh  Valley  freight  engine  exploded,  February  4. 
at  Flagtown,  near  Somerville,  N.  J.  Two  men  were  killed  and  two  others 
injured. 

(97.)  —  On  February  5  a  boiler  of  the  locomotive  fire  box  type  exploded 
at  the  quarry  of  the  Royal  Marble  Co.,  near  Knoxville,  Tenn.  Two  men  were 
killed,  three  others  injured,  and  property  was  damaged  to  the  extent  of  over 
$1,000. 

(98.) — On  February  6  a  boiler  exploded  at  the  rendering  plant  of  E.  E. 
Frith,  at  Dubuque,  la.    Property  damage  was  small. 

(99.) — A  slight  accident  occurred,  February  6,  to  a  boiler  in  the  plant  of 
the  Hemingway  &  Bartlett  Silk  Co.,  Watertown,  Conn.    (See  also  Item  No.  106.) 

(100.) — Ten  cast-iron  headers  ruptured,  February  6,  at  the  Ohio  Electric 
Railway  Co.'s  power  plant,  Medway,  Ohio. 

(loi.)  — On  February  7  a  boiler  exploded  at  the  Pond  Lily  Laundn-.  Dye- 
ing &  Cleaning  Co.'s  plant,  New  Haven,  Conn. 

(102.) — A  boiler  burst,  February  7,  in  the  Glidden   School.  De  Kalb.  111. 

(103) — Four  cast-iron  headers  fractured,  February  9.  in  a  water-tube 
boiler  at  the  Iroquois  Co.'s  "  Chittenden  Hotel,"  Columbus,  Ohio. 


191 1.]  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  61 

(104.) — On  February  10  a  heating  boiler  exploded  in  the  residence  of 
George  Golsener,  College  Point,  N.  Y. 

(105.) — On  February  ii  a  boiler  exploded  in  the  residence  of  M.  W. 
Boyle.  Elizabeth,  N.  J.     The  damage  was  slight. 

(106.)  — On  February  11  a  slight  accident  occurred  to  a  boiler  at  the  plant 
of  the  Hemingway  &  Bartlett  Silk  Co.,  VVatertown,  Conn.  (See  also  Item  No.  99.) 

(107.) — A  blowoflf  pipe  burst,  February  11,  at  the  plant  of  the  Watson 
Oil  Mill  Co.,  Starr,  S.  C.    The  boiler  setting  walls  were  considerably  damaged. 

(108.) — A  sectional  cast-iron  heating  boiler  burst,  February  11,  in  the 
apartment  house  of  Louville  Niles,  Roxbury,  Mass. 

(109.) — On  February  11  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler  at  the 
power  house  of  the  Charleston  Illuminating  Co.,  a  plant  of  the  National  Light, 
Heat  &  Power  Co.,  Charleston,  111.    One  man  was  injured. 

(no.) — On  February  11  a  boiler  exploded  during  the  progress  of  a  fire 
at  the  patent  leather  factory  of  W.  C.  Welch  &  Co.,  Woburn,  Mass.  No  one 
was  injured. 

(ill.) — On  February  12  a  cast-iron  heater  failed  in  engine  house  No.  5, 
City  of  Bridgeport  fire  department,  Bridgeport,  Conn. 

(112.) — A  boiler  burst,  February  12,  in  the  saw  mill  of  E.  Libby  &  Sons 
Co.,  Gorham,  N.  H. 

(113.) — On  February  12  a  cast-iron  heating  boiler  burst  in  a  building 
owned  by  William  Crane,  at  3-5  Vassar  street,  Cambridge,  Mass. 

(114.) — A  boiler  explosion  occurred,  February  12,  at  the  tobacco  rehand- 
'ling  house  of  R.  F.  Wright,  West  Mayfield,  Ky.    One  man  was  seriously  injured. 

(115.) — On  February  13  a  boiler  burst  at  the  plant  of  the  Reed  Colliery 
Co.,  Berwindale,  Pa. 

(116.) — A  heating  boiler  exploded,  February  13,  in  the  residence  of  Dr. 
A.  G.  Humphrey,  Galesburg,  111. 

(117.) — A  boiler  exploded,  February  14,  in  a  vacant  building  owned  by 
the  Church  of  St.  Martin  of  Tours,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 

(118.)  — On  February  14  a  cast-iron  header  ruptured  in  a  water-tube  boiler 
at  the  Thirty-third  and  Market  streets  station  of  the  Philadelphia  Rapid  Transit 
Co.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

(rig.)  — A  blowofT  pipe  burst,  February  15,  at  the  Milwaukee  Downer  Col- 
lege, Milwaukee,  Wis.     One  man  was  slightly  injured. 

(120.) — A  slight  boiler  explosion  took  place,  February  15,  at  the  plant  of 
the  Kennedy  Laundry  &  Supply  Co.,  Pullman,  111. 

(121.) — A  boiler  exploded  February  15,  in  the  garage  of  Charles  Praden- 
hauer,  Bernardsville,  N.  J.     No  one  was  injured. 

(122.) — On  February  17  a  sectional  cast-iron  boiler  burst  at  the  Sedgwick 
Machine  Works,  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. 

(123.)  —  On  February  19  a  water-tube  boiler  exploded  at  the  saw  mill  of 
the  Bond  Lumber  Co.,  Bond,  Miss.  The  explosion  was  a  very  violent  one, 
causing  property  damage  amounting  to  over  $27,000.  Four  men  were  killed  and 
two  others  injured. 

(124.) — Two  cast-iron  headers  in  a  water-tube  boiler  fractured,  February 
19,  at  the  plant  of  the  Herman  Zohrlant  Leather  Co.,  Milwaukee,  Wis. 

(125.) — On  February  19  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  watertube  boiler  in  the 
plant  of  the  U.  S.  Board  &  Paper  Co.,  Carthage,  Ind. 


62  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [April, 

(126.)  — A  boiler  owned  by  the  Carter  Oil  Co.,  exploded,  February  19,  on 
the  Carson  farm  at  Trail  Run,  near  Sistersville,  W.  Va.  One  man  was  killed 
and  another  probably  fatally  injured. 

(127.) — On  February  21  a  boiler  tube  ruptured  in  the  Glenwood  power 
house  of  the  Pittsburg  Railway  Companies.  Four  men  were  injured,  one  of 
them  seriously. 

(128.)  — A  tube  in  a  water-tube  boiler  ruptured,  February  22,  in  the  plant 
of  the  Minneapolis  Malt  &  Grain  Co.,  Minneapolis,  Minn. 

(129.)  — On  February  22,  a  tube  in  a  water-tube  boiler  ruptured  in  the  stamp 
mill  of  the  Baltic  Mining  Co.,  Baltic,'  Mich, 

(130.)  —  A  blowoff  pipe  ruptured,  February  23,  in  the  cotton  bleachery  of 
The  Bronx  Co.,  New  York  City.    One  man  was  slightly  injured. 

(131.)  —On  February  24  a  blowoff  pipe  ruptured  at  the  plant  of  the  Lewis- 
ton  Gas  Light  Co.,  Lewiston,  Me. 

(132.) — A  hot-water  heater  exploded,  February  24,  in  the  residence  of 
William  Bower,  on  Red  Lion  Road.  Philadelphia.  Pa.  The  explosion  caused  a 
fire  which  resulted  in  a  property  loss  estimated  at  $17,000. 

(133) — On  February  26  a  slight  accident  occurred  to  a  boiler  at  the 
Medina  County  Infirmary,  Medina,  Ohio. 

(134.)  — A  tube  in  a  water-tube  boiler  ruptured,  February  26,  at  the  Inman 
Mills,  Inman,  S.  C. 

(135.) — On  February  26  the  boiler  of  a  freight  locomotive  on  the  Trinity 
&  Brazos  Valley  railroad  exploded  at  Chambers  Creek,  about  fifteen  miles  north 
of  Corsicana,  Texas.     One  man  was  killed  and  four  others  injured. 

(136.) — On  February  28  a  boiler  exploded  in  the  flour  mill  of  the  Rea  & 
Page  Milling  Co.,  Marshall,  Mo. 

i'^2>7-) — On  February  29  three  tubes  ruptured  in  a  boiler  at  the  Fox  Co.'s 
paper  mill,  Lockland,  Ohio.     Two  men  were  scalded. 


THE  HARTFORD  STEAM  BOILER  INSPECTION  AND  INSUR- 
ANCE COMPANY  is  now  issuing  to  its  policy-holders  its  "  Vacation  Schedule "' 
for  1912.  Like  those  of  previous  years,  this  schedule  affords  a  most  convenient 
form  for  arranging  and  recording  the  hoUday  period  allotted  to  each  of  the 
clerks  or  other  employees  of  an  institution.  From  it  at  a  glance  may  be  deter- 
mined how  many  and  what  members  of  the  force  will  be  absent  on  any  given 
date  and  thus  by  a  little  foresight  and  care  the  assignment  of  the  same  days 
to  those  whose  simultaneous  absence  would  cause  inconvenience  may  be  avoided. 
That  this  publication  is  appreciated  by  its  recipients  is  shown  by  the  following 
quotation  from  one  of  many  similar  letters  which  the  HARTFORD  Company 
has  received : 

"  We  acknowledge  receipt  of  your  letter  of  8th,  and  copies  of  your  vacation 
schedule,  which  we  received  under  separate  cover  and  for  which  we  wish  to 
thank  you  very  much.  Your  idea  is  the  best  we  have  seen  for  keeping  record 
of  the  vacations,  and  your  furnishing  us  with  the  blanks  saves  us  considerable 
work   in  making  them   up   for   ourselves." 

Copies  may  be  obtained  by  our  policy-holders  on  application  to  the  nearest 
of  the  offices  listed  on  the  last  page  of  this  issue. 


TUB  Vartloril  Steam  Boiler  iDspeGiloq  aqd  Insurance  Gompaqg. 

ABSTRACT  OF  STATEMENT,  JANUARY   1,  1912. 
Capital  Stock,  .        .       $1,000,000.00. 


ASSETS 

Cash  on  hand  and  in  course  of  transmission, 
Premiums   in   course    of   collection, 

Real    estate, 

Loaned  on  bond  and  mortgage, 
Stocks  and  bonds,  market  value, 
Interest   accrued 


$204,693.25 

263^53.33 

91,100.00 

1,166,360.00 

3,249,216.00 

71,052.0a 


Total   Assets. $5,045,874.60 

LIABILITIES. 

Premium  Reserve $2,042,218.21 

Losses  unadjusted, 102472.53 

Commissions  and  brokerage, 52,690.67 

Other    liabilities    (taxes    accrued,    etc.), 47,191.65 

Capital  Stock, $1,000,000.00 

Surplus  over  all  liabilities, 1,801,301.54 

Surplus  as  regards  Policy-holders,  .        .       $2,801,301.54  2,801,301.54 

Total    Liabilities, $5,045,874.60 


'L.   B.  BRAINERD,  President  and  Treasurer. 

FRANCIS  B.  ALLEN,  Vice-President.  CHAS.  S.  BLAKE,  Secretary. 

L.  F.  MIDDLEBROOK,  Assistant  Secretary. 

W.  R.  C.  CORSON,  Assistant  Secretary. 

S.  F.  Jeter,  Supervising  Inspector. 

E.  J.  Murphy,  M.  E.,  Consulting  Engineer. 

F.  M.  Fitch,  Auditor. 


Board   of   Directors. 


GEORGE    BURNHAM, 

The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works,  Phila- 
delphia,   Pa. 
ATWOOD    COLLINS,    President, 

The    Security    Co.,    Hartford,    Conn. 
LUCIUS       F.       ROBINSON,       Attorney, 

Hartford,    Conn. 
JOHN   O.    ENDERS,   United   States   Bank, 

Hartford,    Conn. 
LYMAN    B.    BRAINERD, 

Director,    Swift    &    Company. 
MORGAN  B.   BRAINARD, 

Vice-Pres.    and    Treasurer,    The    .i^tna 

Life   Insurance    Co.,    Hartford,   Conn. 
FRANCIS     B.     ALLEN.     Vice-Pres.,     The 

Hartford   Steam   Boiler   Inspection  and 

Insurance    Company. 
CHARLES    P.    COOLEY,    Vice-Pres., 

The     Fidelity     Trust     Co.,     Hartford, 

Conn. 


ARTHUR    L.    SHIPMAN,    Attorney. 

Hartford,    Conn. 
GEORGE    C.    KIMBALL,    President,    The 

Smyth    Mfg.    Co.,    Hartford,    Conn. 
CHARLES    M.    JARVIS,    President,    The 

American   Hardware   Corporation,   New 

Britain,   Conn. 
FRANCIS      T.      MAXWELL,      President, 

The   Hockanum   Mills   Company,    Rock- 

ville.    Conn. 
HORACE    B.    CHENEY,    Cheney   Brothers 

Silk    Manufacturing    Co.,    South    Man- 
chester,   Conn. 
D.    NEWTON    BARNEY     Treasurer,    The 

Hartford      Electric      Light      Co.,      and 

Director   N.   Y..   N.    H.   and   H.    R.    R. 

Co. 
DR.    GEORGE   C.    F.    WILLIAMS,    Treas. 

&     General     Manager.     The     Capewell 

Horse  Nail   Co.,   Hartford,   Conn. 


Incorporated   1866. 


^^''"««'e  Library 


Charter  Perpetual. 


TUB  Hanfofl  Sieani  Boiler  iQspeciioii  and  Insuraqce  CoiQpaiig 

ISSUES  POLICIES  OF  INSURANCE  COVERING 

ALL  LOSS  OF  PROPERTY 

AS  WELL  AS   DAMAGE    RESULTING   FROM 

LOSS  OF  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  INJURIES  DUE  TO  EXPLOSIONS 
OF  STEAM  BOILERS  OR  FLY  WHEELS. 

Full  information  concerning  the  Coinpany's  Operations  can  be  obtained  at 

any  of  its  Agencies. 

Representatives. 

W.  M.  Francis, 

Manager  &  Chief  Inspector. 

Lawford  &  McKiM,  General  Agents. 
R.  E.  MxjNRO,  Chief  Inspector. 


Department. 

ATLANTA,  Ga., 

611-613  Empire  Bldg 

BALTIMORE,  Md.,  . 
13-14-15  Abell  Bldg. 

BOSTON,   Mass., 
loi  Milk  St. 


CHICAGO,  III.,  . 

160  West  Jackson   St. 

CINCINNATI,  Ohio, 

First  National  Bank  Bldg. 

CLEVELAND,   Ohio. 
Century  Bldg. 

DENVER.  Colo.. 

Room  2,  Jacobson  Bldg. 

HARTFORD,   Conn., 
56  Prospect  St. 

NEW  ORLEANS,  La..      . 
833-835  Gravier  St. 

NEW  YORK,  N.  Y.,  . 
100  William  St. 

PHILADELPHIA.    Pa.,    . 
432  Walnut  St. 

PITTSBURG,  Pa.,      . 

1801-1802  Arrott  Bldg. 

PORTLAND,  Ore.,     . 
306  Yeon  Bldg. 

SAN  FRANCISCO,  Cal.,  . 
339-341   Sansome  St. 

ST.  LOUIS,  Mo.. 

319  North    Fourth    St. 


C.  E.  Roberts,  Manager. 

F.  S.  Allen,  Chief  Inspector. 

H.  M.  Lemon,  Manager. 

James  L.  Foord,  Chief  Inspector. 

J.  T.  Coleman,  Ass'istant  Chief  Inspector. 

W.  E.  Gleason,  Manager. 
Walter   Gerner,    Chief   Inspector. 

H.  A.  Baumhart, 

Manager  &  Chief  Inspector. 

Thos.  E.  Shears, 

General  Agent  &  Chief  Inspector. 

F.  H.  Williams,  Jr.,  General  Agent. 
F.  S.  Aixen,  Chief  Inspector. 

Peter  F.  Pescud,  General  Agent. 
R.  T.  Burwell,  Chief  Inspector. 

C.  C.  Gardiner,  Manager. 

W.  W.  Manning,  Chief  Inspector. 

CoRBiN,  Goodrich  &  Wickham,  General  Agents. 

Wm.  J.  Farran,  Chief  Inspector. 

S.  B.  Adams,  Assistant  Chief  Inspector. 

C.  D.  AsHCROFT,  Manager. 

Benjamin  Ford,  Chief  Inspector. 

W.   A.   Craig,  Assistant  Chief  Inspector. 

McCargar,  Bates  &  Lively,  General  Agents. 
C.  B.  PAi)D0CK,  Chief  Inspector. 

H.  R.  Mann  &  Co.,    General  Agents. 
J.  B.  Warner,  Chief  Inspector. 

V.  Hugo, 

Manager  &  Chief  Inspector. 


™™™iiii]iii5ii)  o\  (DPiii^i^^ 


IIIMII 


HARIFOgo'''^TEAM 


CO. 


Vol.  XXIX.  HARTFORD,  CONN.,  JULY,  1912. 


No.  3. 


COPYRIGHT,  1912,  BY  THE  HARTFORD  STEAM   BOILER  INSPECTION  AND  INSURANCE  CO. 


An   Automatic   Engine  Wreck. 


,\ 


66 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE 


[July, 


Another  Automatic  Eng-ine  Bursts  its  Fly  Wheel. 

The  illustration  on  the  front  cover  of  this  issue  of  The  Locomotive  show^s 
the  wreck  resulting  from  the  failure,  May  lo,  1912,  of  a  fly  wheel  on  an  engine 
of  the  high  speed,  simple,  automatic  type.  The  engine  in  question  was  a  12"  x  12", 
center  crank,  and  was  belted  to  a  generator  at  the  Higginsville,  Mo.,  electric 
light  plant.  This  illustration  is  of  particular  interest,  because  of  the  wide- 
spread notion  among  engineers,  that  engines  of  the  "  automatic  "  shaft  governed 
type  cannot  run  away.  A  somewhat  similar  instance  was  recorded  in  The 
Locomotive  for  April,  191 1. 

It  would  appear  that  in  this  case  the  governor  pulley  failed  first,  and  we 
are  told  that  fragments  went  through  the  roof  with  considerable  violence. 
This  failure  may  have  been  hastened  by  a  blow  delivered  to  the  rim  of  the 
wheel  by  the  governor  weight.  When  relieved  of  the  first  wheel,  the  engine 
seems  to  have  slewed  around  on  its  foundation,  fouling  the  other  pulley  on 
the  sub-base,  and  shearing  its  spokes  free  from  both  the  hub  and  the  rim. 
This  rotation  of  the  whole  engine  is  in  the  right  direction  (left  handed),  to 
be  explained  by  the  principles  of  gyroscopic  motion.  If  we  consider  the  crank 
shaft  balanced  for  weight  by  the  two  wheels,  when  running  normally,  it  would 
become  immediately  unbalanced  by  the  failure  of  one  of  them.  This  failure 
would  probably  occur  at  high  speed,  and  so  is  favorable  to  such  an  assumption. 
It  is  of  course  well  known  to  those  who  have  experimented  with  the  simple 
gyroscopic  tops  of  their  school  days,  that  if  the  wheel  is  spinning,  the  top  may 


Fig.   2.     Simple   Gyroscope. 


I9I2.J  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  67 


be  Iield  at  a  point  on  the  rim  of  the  stationary  ring,  where  it  is  unbalanced  for 
weight,  and  in  this  position,  instead  of  falling  under  the  force  of  gravity,  it 
rotates  about  a  vertical  axis,  with  a  speed  which  depends  on  that  of  the  wheel, 
and  which  will  be  greater,  the  heavier  the  top,  or  the  more  it  is  out  of  gravity 
balance.  This  appears  to  have  been  the  behavior  of  the  enginp.  Fig.  2,  in 
which  the  directions  of  rotation  correspond  to  those  in  the  engine,  will  perhaps 
make  clear  our  point  of  view. 


A  Disastrous  Locomotive  Boiler  Explosion 

The  boiler  of  Locomotive  No.  704  of  the  Southern  Pacific  Ry.  Company 
exploded  Monday,  March  18,  1912,  at  8:55  A.  M.,  in  the  yards  attached  to  the 
railway  shops  at  San  Antonio,  Texas.  This  locomotive  had  been  in  the  shops 
for  repairs  from  February  12th  to  March  i8th,  and  was  being  prepared  for  its 
initial  run  when  the  explosion  occurred,  but  was  still  in  the  hands  of  the 
hostlers,    inspectors,    and    shop    men. 

From  the  report  of  Chief  Inspector  Ensign  of  the  Interstate  Commerce 
Commission,  as  printed  in  "  Power,"  the  following  facts  and  conclusions  are 
abstracted,  together  with  the  results  of  tests  on  the  sling  stays  made  at  the 
National  Bureau  of  Standards. 

The  locomotive  was  of  the  heavy  passenger  4-6-0  type,  and  was  owned  and 
operated  by  the  Galveston,  Harrisburg  and  San  Antonio  Ry.  Co.  It  was  built 
in  March,  1908,  by  the  American  Locomotive  Company  at  the  Brooks  Works. 
The  firebox  was  of  three-piece  construction,  crown  bar  type.  The  working 
steam  pressure  was  200  lbs.  per  square  inch.  The  barrel  of  the  boiler  was  made 
of  ^-in.  steel,  in  three  sections  or  courses,  constructed  with  butt  longitudinal 
joints  having  diamond  shaped  welts.  The  dome  was  located  on  the  third  course. 
The  wrapper  sheet  was  of  ^-in.  steel,  the  back  head  sheet  and  back  flue  sheet 
J^-in.  steel,  and  the  firebox  door  sheet,  cro\yn  and  side  sheets,  ^-in.  steel.  The 
firebox  was  stayed  with  rigid  bolts  %-m.  diameter  at  the  ends,  reducing  to  ^-in. 
at  the  center  of  the  bolts;  four  rows  of  Tate  flexible  bolts  at  the  top  of  the 
firebox  and  two  rows  at  each  end,  staggered  at  the  top  corners.  The  crown 
bolts  were  of  a  driving  fit  with  countersunk  heads  i^-in.  diameter  at  the 
bottom  end,  and  i  in.  diameter  at  the  top  end,  extending  through  the  crown 
bars  with  nuts  on  the  top.  The  crown  sheet  was  supported  with  15  crown  bars 
hung  from  the  wrapper  sheet;  by  168  sling  stays,  5^x3  in.  and  12  sling  stays  ij4x 
2^  in.  The  flues  numbering  355,  were  of  2-in.  diameter.  The  boiler  was 
equipped  with  three  3-in.  Crosby  safety  valves. 

The  investigation  brought  out  the  following  facts :  During  the  time  the 
locomotive  was  laid  up,  the  following  repairs  were  made  to  the  boiler.  Two 
hundred  flues  reset,  one  back  head  brace  repaired,  one  front  flue  sheet  brace 
and  two  throat  stays  repaired,  eighty  staybolts  renewed,  safety  valves  ground 
in,  steam  gauge  tested,  and  hydrostatic  pressure  of  250  lbs.  per  square  inch 
applied.  Repairs  were  completed  about  5  145  p.  m.  March  17th,  and  the  locomo- 
tive fired  up  but  no  steam  was  raised.  It  was  again  fired  up  at  about  6:10  a.  m., 
on  March  i8th,  and  the  safety  valves  began  to  blow  when  the  steam  gauge 
registered  50  lbs.  pressure,  at  about  7:30  a.  m.  The  safety  valves  were  screwed 
down  and  again  opened  at  about  8:00  a.  m.  The  locomotive  had  a  heavy  forced 
oil  fire  from  8:00  to  8:55  a.  m.,  at  which  time  the  explosion  occurred. 


68 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE. 


[July, 


Fig.  I.    Showing  Broken  Sling  Stays. 


An  employee  of  the  railroad  company,  was  engaged  in  setting  the  safety 
valves  at  the  time  of  the  explosion.  The  valves  themselves  could  not  be  tested 
after  the  explosion  owing  to  the  damaged  condition  of  the  disks  and  springs, 
but  the  casings,  with  the  adjusting  screws  and  lock  nuts  were  found  and  proved 
to  be  valuable  pieces  of  evidence  in  unraveling  the  causes  of  the  explosion. 
On  one  of  the  adjusting  screws,  the  lock  nuts  were  missing,  another  screw 
was  bent,  and  the  end  burred  over,  and  on  all  of  them  there  was  evidence  that 
the  corners  of  the  hexagon  heads  had  been  rounded  over  in  an  attempt  to 
tighten  them,  which  resulted  apparently  in  the  subsequent  application  of  a 
Stilson  wrench  in  an  attempt  to  further  tighten  the  springs. 


I9I2.J 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE. 


69 


The  steam  gauge  was  shown  to  have  been  tested  but  there  was  no  evidencr 
to  show  that  the  siphon  or  connections  were  tested  or  known  to  be  free  fronr 
obstruction,  and  indeed,  the  government  inspector  found  that  on  another  locomo- 
tive of  similar  type,  at  the  same  shops,  there  were  two  valves  between  the 
gauge  and  the  boiler,  which  when  opened  had  their  handles,  one  at  right  angles, 
and  one  parallel  to  the  pipe.  This  arrangement  was  so  confusing  and  unsafe 
that  one  of  them  was  ordered  removed. 

Reference  to  Figure  i  will  show  the  general  character  of  the  explosion 
which  resulted  in  the  immediate  death  of  26  men  and  we  are  informed,  in  the 
subsequent  death  of  three  more,  making  a  total  of  29.  It  will  be  noted  that 
the  explosion  apparently  started  in  the  firebox,  which  was  blown  directly  down. 
The  front  head  with  many  of  the  tubes  attached  will  be  seen  to  have  been 
projected  forward  and  to  the  right,  while  the  wrapper  sheet  and  part  of  the 
third  course,  carrying  the  dome,  were  blown  backward  some  three  blocks  and 
were  said  by  observers  to  have  attained  a  considerable  height,  estimated  to 
have  been  some  500  feet.  These  sheets,  weighing  some  6,000  lbs.  landed  in  a 
dooryard  and  are  shown  in  Figure  2.  A  glance  at  Figure  3  will  show  at  once 
the  terrific  character  of  the  explosion,  and  also  the  fact  that  the  damage  was 
much  greater  at  the  rear  end  of  the  locomotive  than  at  the  forward  end,  as 
one  of  the  after  drivers  is  seen  to  have  been  completely  forced  from  the  axle. 


Fig.  2.     Wrapper  Sheet  .\nd  Dome  in  Door  Yard. 


The  crown  bar  sling  stays  were  shown  on  examination  to  have  been  made 
of  wrought  iron,  where  the  specifications  called  for  steel.  It  was  further 
shown  that  five  i-in.  bolts  had  been  used  to  attach  the  sling  stays  to  the  crown 
bars  and  also  to  the  wrapper  sheet,  where  the  specifications  on  the  drawing 
had  required  ij^-in.  bolts.  The  crown  bars  were  not  supported  on  the  side 
sheets  as  is  customary  in  this  type  of  boilers,  therefore  the  whole  strain  was 
carried  by  the  sling  stays.  It  was  further  shown  that  the  sling  stays  failed  by 
stretching  out  the  eyes,  which  were  much  reduced  in  section.  This  can  be 
clearly  seen  by  reference  to  Figure  i,  and  would  seem  to  indicate  that  the  stays 


70 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE. 


[July, 


failed  by  a  gradual  application  of  stress  far  in  excess  of  that  which  they  could 
safely  carry. 


Fig.    3.     Dki\'ER    Blown    from    Axle. 


Five  crown  bar  sling  stays  from  this  locomotive  were  tested  by  the  United 
States  Bureau  of  Standards  to  determine  the  load  the  stays  would  support  when 
I  in.  and  i%-m.  bolts  were  used.  The  bolts  used  were  some  taken  from  this 
boiler  at  the  time  of  the  explosion.  Stays  numbered  i  and  2,  using  i-in.  bolts, 
failed  at  total  loads  of  26,650,  and  21,840  lbs.  respectively,  yielding  for  the  lower 
value,  a  factor  of  safety  based  on  the  net  section  of  only  2.67  while  the  higher 
figure  would  give  a  factor  of  safety  of  3.26.  Stays  numbered  3,  4,  and  5  broke 
at  total  loads  of  30,000,  33,890,  and  31,620  lbs.  respectively.  The  i^-in.  bolts 
were  used  with  these  specimens,  and  showed  factors  of  safety  varying  from 
3.67  to  4.15.  The  tensile  strength  of  the  material  in  the  sling  stays  was  found 
to  be  43,200  to  48,300  lbs.  per  square  inch,  and  the  elongation  from  18  to  40.5% 
in  2  inches.  These  tests  are  taken  to  indicate  that  the  stays  were  drilled  too 
near  the  ends. 

The  investigating  inspector  finds  that  the  cause  of  the  explosion  was  exces- 
sive pressure,  due  probably  to  a  defective  gauge,  and  the  attempted  setting  of 
the  safety  valves  by  men  of  insufficient  experience.  He  censures  the  railroad 
company  severely  for  permitting  such  men  to  handle  work  of  this  character. 
He  also  finds  that  the  local  inspector  had  sworn  to  a  report  of  the  setting  of 
the  safety  valves  and  the  testing  of  the  steam  gauge  on  the  day  before,  although 


I9I2.]  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  71 

it  was  clearly  shown  that  the  actual  work  of  setting  the  safety  valves  was  in 
progress  at  the  time  of  the  explosion.  He  finds  further  that  the  railroad 
company  was  negligent  in  keeping  a  boiler  in  service  whose  factor  of  safety  as 
shown  by  test  was  far  below  the  limits  generally  set  in  such  cases. 

We  understand  from  press  accounts,  that  the  Galveston,  Harrisburg,  and 
San  Antonio  railway  company  have  made  a  public  statement  since  the  finding 
of  the  government  inspector,  in  which  they  give  the  report  of  their  own  inves- 
tigating board.  This  consisted  of  tlic  following  gentlemen:  Col.  Charles  H. 
Clark,  U.  S.  A.,  ordnance  department ;  Capt.  George  A.  Schreiner,  U.  S.  A. ; 
Lt.  R.  C.  Burleson,  U.  S.  A.,  expert  on  high  explosives;  J.  H.  Holmgren,  presi- 
dent of  the  Alamo  Iron  Works,  San  Antonio,  Tex. ;  G.  W.  Taylor,  superin- 
tendent of  motive  power,  S.  A.  &  A.  P.  railway;  W.  B.  Tuttle,  manager,  San 
Antonio  street  railway;  Daniel  Cleary,  locomotive  boiler  inspector,  S.  A.  & 
A.  P.  railway;  A.  M.  Fischer,  druggist,  San  Antonio,  Tex.;  F.  McArdle,  road 
foreman  of  engines,  S.  A.  &  A.  P.  railway;  and  T.  H.  Mooney,  former  master 
mechanic,  G.  H.  &  S.  A.  railway.  This  board  differed  widely  in  their  con- 
clusions. Four  declared  themselves  of  the  belief  that  the  wreck  was  due  to 
overpressure.  Two  considered  low  water  to  have  been  the  cause,  followed  in 
their  estimation,  by  the  pumping  of  cold  water  upon  a  hot  crown  sheet.  One 
of  the  army  officers  expressed  the  opinion  that  "  it  is  evident  that  the  explosion 
was  caused  by  some  unusual,  and  extraordinary  cause."  All  agree  however, 
that  the  inspector  of  the  Interstate  Commerce  Commission  was  at  fault,  in 
censuring  the  railway  company  as  to  the  incompetence  of  its  employees.  We. 
can  understand  something  of  the  feelings  of  these  gentlemen, ,  especially  as  the 
accident  occurred  during  a  strike  when  rumors  of  dynamite  and  violence  were 
prevalent,  nevertheless,  the  photographs  at  hand,  and  the  report  of  the  tests 
made  at  the  Standards  Bureau,  seem  to  give  ample  confirmation  to  the  views 
of  Inspector  Ensign. 

There  seems  to  have  been  no  member  of  the  railway  company's  board  who 
had  a  realization  of  the  fact  that  a  boiler  full  of  water,  when  hot  and  under 
a  considerable  steam  pressure,  constitutes  in  itself,  a  high  explosive  of  no 
mean  order.  These  gentlemen  base  their  arguments  against  over  pressure, 
apparently  upon  the  fact  that  the  injectors  were  said  to  have  been  working 
just  previous  to  the  explosion,  and  refer  to  a  statement  of  the  makers,  that 
about  240  lbs.  is  the  limit  at  which  this  type  of  injector  will  continue  to  throw 
water  into  a  boiler.  They  fail  to  realize,  it  seems,  that  a  boiler  with  its  safety 
valve  "  gagged,"  and  with  a  heavy  fire  such  as  this  locomotive  is  shown  to 
have  had,  can  accumulate  a  dangerous  pressure  with  great  rapidity,  the  time 
in  this  case,  of  course,  being  less  than  might  have  been  expected  on  account 
of  the  weakness  of  the  furnace  sling  stays,  when  used  with  one  inch  bolts. 

A  Dang-erous  Installation  of  Safety  Valves. 

The  accompanying  sketch  of  a  steam  pipe  arrangement  may  be  of  interest 
as  indicating  the  extreme  of  ignorance  or  carelessness  in  the  installation  of 
devices  which  are  vitally  necessary  to  the  safety  of  a  steam  plant. 

Our  company  had  covered  the  boilers  of  this  mill  by  a  policy  of  insurance 
which  expired  in  the  latter  part  of  191 1,  and  which  we  failed  to  renew  because, 
as  the  assured  stated,  they  had  received  much  lower  rates  from  a  competitor. 


72 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE. 


[July, 


Unsafe  Arrangement  of   Steam    Pipes. 

Sometime  later  the  manager  of  the  plant,  meeting  one  of  our  inspectors, 
told  him  that  he  was  not  altogether  satisfied  with  a  rearrangement  of  piping 
which  had  been  made,  although  he  himself  was  not  sufficiently  expert  in  such 
matters  to  point  out  the  defects.  He  made  the  request  that  our  inspector  visit 
the  plant  to  advise  him.  Our  inspector  did  so  and  found  that  since  our 
coverage  two  boilers  had  been  added  and  the  steam  piping  remodeled  in  the 
manner  shown  by  our  sketch  and  that  this  had  been  done  without  remonstrance 
or  criticism  on  the  part  of  our  competitor's  inspector. 

It  is  needless  to  add  that  when  the  absolute  danger  of  the  arrangement 
was  pointed  out,  the  management  of  the  plant  insisted  that  the  competing 
policy  be  immediately  canceled  and  that  such  premium  be  paid  as  was  necessary 
to  secure  HARTFORD  insurance  and  HARTFORD  inspection  service. 


Furnace  in  Scotch  Boiler  Fails  From  Overheating". 

The  illustrations  printed  herewith  show  a  dry  back  Scotch  boiler  after 
removal  from  the  Dredge  "  Thor,"  one  of  the  largest  gold  mining  dredges  on 
the  Pacific  Coast,  used  near  Oroville.  Cal. 

The  boiler  is  8  ft.  2  in.  in  diameter,  and  13  ft.  long.  The  shell  is  of  ^-in. 
steel  with  the  longitudinal  joints  of  the  triple  riveted  double  butt  strap  type. 
The  heads  are  ^  in,  thick.  The  boiler  is  fitted  with  128-3  inch  tubes,  and  with 
a  Morrison  suspension  furnace,  50  inches  in  diameter,  and  13  feet  long.  The 
original  thickness  of  the  furnace  plate  was  %6  i"-,  but  a  measurement  obtained 
by  drilling  at  a  point  4  in.  from  the  end  after  the  collapse,  showed  the  actual 
thickness  to  be  i%2  in. 

We  are  told  that  the  ordinary  working  pressure  was  135  lbs.  and  that  this  was 
about  the  pressure  on  the  boiler  at  the  time  of  the  failure.    Oil  was  used  as  fuel. 

The  failure  which  occurred  on  March  18,  1912,  consisted  in  a  flattening  of 
the  furnace,  the  top  going  down  about  28  in.  and  the  bottom  coming  up  about 
22  in.,  till  the  sheets  met  forming  a  sort  of  figure  8  turned  on  its  side,  as  may 


I9I2.J 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE. 


73 


be  seen  by  reference  to  Fig.  2.  The  front  head  was  pulled  in,  so  that  a  number 
of  the  tubes  above  the  furnace,  projected  through  the  sheet,  from  54  to  ij/a  in. 
and  of  course  resulted  in  severe  leakage. 

After  the  accident,  the  oil  burner  was  turned  off  and  the  steam  used  up  in 
propelling  the  dredger  to  the  bank,  getting  its  buckets  on  shore,  and  hauling 
the  water  and  oil  barges  alongside,  some  twenty  minutes  being  consumed  in 
the  operation.     No  one  was  injured.  * 


I'iG.     i.      iJOILtK    OF    THE    "  ThOR." 


The  boiler  was  removed  and  shipped  to  San  Francisco,  with  the  idea  of 
putting  in  a  new  furnace,  and  making  other  necessary  repairs.  It  was  found, 
however,  on  inspection  that  the  boiler  was  so  distorted  as  to  make  this  im- 
possible. It  was  also  found  that  the  tubes  and  furnace  were  so  heavily  coated 
with  oil  as  to  indicate  that  the  cause  of  the  failure  was  due  to  the  furnace  sheet 
becoming  overheated,  a  very  frequent  cause  of  trouble  when  such  oil  films  are 
allowed  to  collect  on  the  inside  surface  of  those  parts  of  a  boiler  directly 
exposed  to  the  action  of  the  fire.  The  dredger  was  operated  condensing  and 
apparently  no  effort  was  made  to  prevent  the  oil  used  in  the  cylinders  for 
lubrication,  from  entering  the  boiler  with  the  feed  water. 

It  would  seem  that  this  case  is  one  of  those  preventable  accidents  which 
need  not  have  occurred  if  the  boiler  had  received  regular  and  thorough  internal 
inspections,  as  it  is  difficult  to  believe  that  a  competent  inspector  could  have 
failed  to  detect  this  particular  trouble  long  before  it  reached  the  danger  point 
We  understand  that  the  boiler  was  comparatively  new.  No  insurance  was 
carried. 


74 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE. 


[July, 


Fig.  2.    The   Collapsed  Furnace. 


Locking-  the  Door  After  the  Horse  is  Stolen. 

W.  B.  Warner,  Special  Agent. 

The  accompanying  illustration  shows  the  condition  of  a  boiler  and  premises, 
after  an  explosion  which  occurred  recently,  the  location  of  which  we  do  not 
mention   for  obvious  reasons. 

Our  "  Special "  had  solicited  the  insurance  on  this  boiler  periodically  for 
several  years,  and  at  each  visit  had  been  given  various  excuses  by  the  owner 
for  not  taking  insurance.  A  few  weeks  ago  the  "  Special "  was  again  in  the 
district,  and  having  in  mind  this  boiler  and  its  owner  as  a  possible  prospect, 
made  a  stop  on  the  chance  that  he  would  have  better  luck  this  time,  as  we 
feel  that  every  uninsured  boiler  is  a  prospect,  and  that  sometime  we  will  get  it. 

When  within  a  hundred  miles  of  this  place,  he  was  advised  of  the  explosion, 
and  when  he  arrived  at  the  town,  he  concluded  to  go  over  and  see  how  serious 
the  accident  was,  and  incidentally,  to  speak  of  the  folly  of  procrastination  in 
matters  of  boiler  insurance.    As  our  "  Special "  approached  the  place,  Mr.  Owner 

spied  him  some  fifty  yards  from  it,  and  greeted  him  thus :     "  Hello  Mr.  , 

why  the  d didn't  you  make  me  insure  my  boiler  the  last  time  you  were 

here?"  "I  did  everything  legitimate,"  replied  the  "Special,"  "to  induce  you 
to  do  so,  and  I  thought  I  would  come  over  and  learn  what  new  excuse  you  had 
to  offer  this  time."     "  Well,"   said  the  owner,  "  my  boiler  blew  up  about  two 


I9I2.J 


THE   Locomotive. 


The  Boiler  Which  Did  Not  Need  Insurance. 

weeks  ago,  and  I  am  just  getting  this  one  ready  to  use.     I  am  ready  for  the 
insurance  now.     I  wish  I  had  taken  it  before." 

We  now  have  a  policy  covering  this  plant,  and  if  a  similar  accident  occurs, 
it   is   our   loss. 


Boiler  Explosions. 

March,  1912. 

(138.)  — The  boiler  of  Locomotive  No.  669  of  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading 
Railroad,  attached  to  a  through  freight,  exploded  outside  the  station  at  Muncy, 
Pa.,  at  about  9.30  p.  m.,  March  i.  Engineer  William  Fink,  Fireman  William 
Meyers,  Conductor  Boulton  Whitenight,  and  Brakeman  Harry  Robinson,  were 
killed.    One  man  was  injured. 

(i39-) — On  March  2,  a  boiler  in  the  factory  building,  at  794  Tenth  Ave., 
New  York  City,  exploded,  during  a  fire  which  completely  wrecked  the  building. 
Deputy  Fire  Chief  Binns,  and  several  firemen  were  in  the  boiler  room  just 
previous  to  the  explosion  and  were  injured  seriously. 

(140.)  — A  tube  in  a  water  tube  boiler  ruptured  March  2,  at  the  Allento\vn 
Portland  Cement  Co.'s  plant,  AUentown,  Pa. 

(141.) — On  March  3,  two  tubes  ruptured  at  the  plant  of  the  Fox  Paper 
Co.,  Lockland,  O.,  killing  Frank  Brunkamp  and  Ernest  Williams.  This  was  the 
second  case  of  tube  failure  at  this  plant  within  a  week.  (See  item  137  in  the 
February  list.) 


76  THELOCOMOTIVE.  [July  , 

(142.) — On  March  3,  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant 
of  the  Illinois  Steel  Co.,  South  Chicago,  111.  Geo.  Novak  and  Alec  Simon  were 
injured. 

(143.)  — An  accident  occurred  March  3,  at  A.  Lisner's  department  store, 
the  "  Palais  Royal,"  Washington,  D.  C.  Considerable  damage  was  done  to  the 
boiler. 

(144.)  — A  tube  failed  March  6,  at  the  Commerce  St.  power  house  of  the 
street  railway  company,  Milwaukee,  Wis.     Two  men  were  badly  scalded. 

(145.)  — March  7,  the  boiler  at  a  stone  crusher  used  in  connection  with  the 
construction  of  a  dam  at  Hamilton,  111.,  exploded. 

(146.)  — A  boiler  exploded  March  7,  at  the  toy,  and  umbrella  handle  factory 
of  Gilpin  Bros.,  Greentown,  Pa. 

(147.) — The  drum  of  a  water  tube  boiler  ruptured  March  9  at  the  plant 
of  the  Sharon  Tin  Plate  Co.,  Sharon,  Pa. 

(148.)  — On  March  9,  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  Ehret 
Magnesia  Mfg.  Co.,  Valley  Forge,  Pa. 

(149.)  — On  March  9,  boiler  failed  at  the  plant  of  the  St.  John  Wood  Work- 
ing Co.,  Stamford,  Conn.     The  damage  was  small. 

(150.) — About  March  9,  the  boiler  in  the  old  school  building  at  Sellers- 
ville  exploded. 

(151.)  — An  accident  to  the  boiler  of  the  torpedo  boat  destroyer,  U.  S.  S. 
Paul  Jones,  at  San  Diego,  Cal.,  March  9,  causeid  the  death  of  Albert  Grau,  fire- 
man, and  the  serious  injury  of  Peter  Wiera,  fireman,  and  John  J.  Eberlein, 
coal  passer. 

(152.)  — The  boiler  at  the  Belle  Springs  Creamery,  Abilene,  Kans.,  exploded 
on  the  morning  of  March  9,  slightly  injuring  engineer  Smart. 

(iS3-)  — A  tube  ruptured  March  10  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of 
the  Columbia  Chemical  Co.,  Barbertown,  O.  Considerable  damage  was  done  to 
the  boiler.     (See  also  item  168.) 

(154.) — On    March    11,    three    sections    of   a   cast   iron    sectional   heating 
boiler  failed  at  the  Hotel  Princeton,  owned  by  Chas.  M.  Randall,  Boston,  Mass. 
(155.)  — A  boiler  ruptured   March   ii,   at  the  plant  of  the  Anderson  and 
Middleton  Lumber  Co.,  Aberdeen,  Wash. 

(156.) — The  boiler  in  the  crating  mill  of  Asa  Smiley,  Jamestown,  N.  Y., 
exploded  March  11,  seriously  injuring  the  proprietor,  and  inflicting  minor  in- 
juries to  one  other.    The  entire  plant  was  wrecked. 

(i57-) — March  12,  the  principal  building  of  the  Columbus  Contractors' 
Supply  Co.  at  Taylors  Station,  near  Columbus,  O.,  was  destroyed  by  fire  follow- 
ing the  explosion  of  the  boiler.    The  loss  was  estimated  at  $60,000. 

(158.)  — The  heating  boiler  in  the  home  of  Louis  Muhs,  Minot,  N.  D.,  ex- 
ploded, March  12,  fatally  injuring  Mr.  Muhs,  who  was  firing  the  boiler  at  the 
time. 

(159-)— On  March  13,  the  furnace  of  a  vertical  boiler  ruptured  on  the 
Barge  Canal  Contract  of  Holler  and  Shepard,  Ft.  Edwards,  N.  Y. 

(160.)— On  March  15,  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the 
Western  Branch,  National  Home  for  Disabled  Volunteer  Soldiers,  National 
Military  Home,  Kans. 

(161.)  —A  blow  ofl^  pipe  ruptured  March  15,  at  the  Port  Huron  Gas  Co., 
Port  Huron,  Mich.     Joseph  Brown,  fireman,  was  somewhat  injured. 


1912]  T  H  E     LO  COM  OT  I  V  E  .  77 


(162.)  —On  March  16,  the  boiler  at  the  plant  of  the  Mills-Ellsworth  Lumber 
Co.,  Pine  Bluff,  Ark.,  exploded,  doinjj  considerable  damage  to  the  plant.  One 
man  was  slightly  injured. 

(163.) — A  tube  ruptured  March  18  at  the  plant  of  the  Illinois  Glass  Co., 
Alton,  111.    One  man  was  slightly  injured. 

(164.) — A  locomotive  boiler  exploded  in  the  yards  of  the  Southern  Pacific 
Railroad,  at  San  Antonio,  Tex.,  March  18.  Twenty-five  men  were  killed,  four 
injured  fatally,  and  many  minor  injuries  inflicted.  The  damage  to  property  was 
great. 

(165.) — Tlie  internal  furnace  in  a  Scotch  marine  boiler  collapsed  March 
18,  on  the  gold  mining  dredge  "  Thor,"  near  Oroville,  Cal.  No  one  was  injured, 
but  the  boiler  was  so  distorted  as  to  be  a  total  loss. 

(166.)  — On  March  19,  a  boiler  ruptured  in  the  office  building  belonging  to 
the  estate  of  Thomas  McGraw,  Detroit,  Mich. 

(167.)  — The  boiler  of  a  logging  engine  exploded  March  20  at  the  saw  mill 
of  Jeams  Bros.,  Rockland,  Tex.  Jesse  Patrick  and  Lewis  Furguson  were  fatally 
burned,  and  Jack  Best,  engineer,  was  slightly  burned. 

(168.)  — A  tube  ruptured  March  20  at  the  plant  of  the  Columbia  Chemical 
Co.,  Barbertown,  O.  This  was  the  second  accident  within  a  month.  (See  also 
item  153.) 

(169.)  — The  boiler  of  a  locomotive  attached  to  a  coal  train  on  the  N.  &  W. 
R.  R.  exploded  March  20,  near  Blue  Ridge  Springs,  Va.  One  man,  John  W. 
Hunter,  engineer,   was  killed,   and  two  were  injured,  one   fatally. 

(170.) — On  March  22,  a  wash-out  plug  blew  out  on  a  locomotive  at  the 
round  house,  Carthage,  N.  Y.  The  engine  was  under  steam,  and  a  workman 
was  attempting  to  tighten  the  plug.    He  was  fatally  scalded. 

(171.)  —  Five  men  were  scalded,  none  fatally,  when  the  boiler  at  the  mine 
of  the  Turner  Coal  Co.,  Evans  City,  Pa.,  exploded  March  23. 

(172.)  — On  March  23,  the  boiler  at  the  Cramer  Creamery,  Camden,  N.  J., 
exploded.     No  one  was  hurt,  and  the  damage  was  confined  to  the  boiler. 

(i73-) — On  March  25  the  boiler  of  a  well  drilling  machine  belonging  to 
Denny  &  Cypher,  Contractors,  exploded  at  the  Melarky  farm  near  Marwood,  Pa. 
No  one  was  injured. 

(174.) — A  tube  ruptured  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of  the  Victor 
Talking   Machine   Co.,    Camden,   N.   J.,   on   March   25. 

(i7S-)  — A  saw  mill  boiler  owned  by  Stewart  and  Hardin,  at  Holcomb,  Miss., 
exploded  March  25,  killing  four  men  and  injuring  three  more,  one  fatally. 

(176.)  —A  boiler  exploded  March  26,  at  the  McCormick  Works  of  the  Inter- 
national Harvester  Co.,  Western  Ave.  and  Thirty-first  St.,  Chicago,  111.  Six 
were  injured,  one  of  whom  died  soon  after  the  accident. 

(178.)  —On  March  26,  a  boiler  exploded  at  the  saw  mill  of  H.  L.  Hearn, 
Salisbury,  Md.    Five  men  were  instantly  killed  and  three  more  injured. 

(I79-)  —On  March  27,  one  man  was  slightly  burned  by  the  explosion  of  a 
boiler  at  the  City  power  house,  Wellington,  Kans. 

(180.)— A  blow-off  pipe  failed  March  25,  at  the  Fall  River  Iron  Works, 
Fall  River,  Mass.     Antone  Casmere,  fireman,  w^as  scalded. 

(181.)— The  boiler  of  an  engine  used  to  run  a  circular  saw  at  the  farm 
of  H.  H.  Peterson,  Whiting,  la.,  exploded  March  27,  killing  one  man,  and  injur- 
ing four  others,  one  seriously. 


78  THELOCO  MOTIVE.  [July, 

(182.) — A  Delaware  and  Hudson  locomotive  exploded  March  29,  near  East 
Worcester,  N.  Y.,  killing  Howard  Wickhapi,  engineer,  and  Jacob  Houck,  fireman. 
Three  others  w^ere  injured,  one  seriously. 

(183.)  — Two  cast  iron  headers  fractured  i\Iarch  30,  in  a  water  tube  boiler 
at  the  plant  of  the  American  Laundry  Co.,  ]\Iobile,  Ala. 

(184.) — 'On  March  30,  the  boiler  of  a  locomotive  exploded  near  Tuscola. 
111.,  on  the  Cincinnati,  Hamilton  and  Dayton  R.  R.  Alva  Friddle,  brakeman, 
was  killed,  and  three  others  injured. 


April,  1912. 
(185.)  — On  April  ist,  a  plate  ruptured  in  a  boiler  at  the  Connors-Weyman 
Steel  Co.,  Helena,  Ala. 

(186.)  — A  blow-off  pipe  ruptured  April  2,  at  the  plant  of  the  Southeastern 
Yaryan  Naval  Stores  Co.,  Brunswick,  Ga. 

(187.)  — About  April  2,  two  boilers  exploded  on  David  Hoover's  saw  mill 
operation,,  near  Saxton,  Pa. 

(188.) — A  heating  boiler  exploded  in  the,  high  school  building,  Pewaukee. 
Wis.,  on  April  28,  just  after  the  close  of  the  session.     No  one  was  injured. 

(igp)  — On  April  28,  the  boiler  at  the  mill  of  the  Ida  H.  mine,  near  Belle 
Center,  111.  Two  men  were  seriously  injured,  a  small  dog  is  said  to  have  been 
killed. 

(igo.)  — A  boiler  in  the  cant  hook  factory  of  C.  A.  and  M.  E.  Wellman,  at 
South  Boardman,  INIich.,  exploded  April  5.  One  man  was  killed,  and  five 
others  injured,  one  perhaps  fatally. 

(191.) — On  April  4,  a  locomotive  belonging  to  the  Southern  Pacific  R.  R. 
exploded  near  Rice  Hill,  Ore.  M.  M.  Bartlett,  engineer,  and  Bert  Anderson, 
fireman,  were  killed. 

(iQ2.)  — A  boiler  at  the  plant  of  the  Salisbury  Ice  Co.,  Salisbury,  Md.,  ex- 
ploded April  5.  One  man  was  killed,  one  fatally  injured,  and  several  others 
were  slightly  injured. 

(193)  — On  April  6,  an  accident  occurred  to  the  boiler  at  the  Painted  Post, 
N.  Y.,  plant  of  the  Ingersoll-Rand  Co.  Considerable  damage  was  done  to  the 
boiler. 

(iQ4_) On  April  8,  Solomon  Burke  was  killed  as  the  result  of  a  boiler 

explosion  at  the  saw  mill  of  W.  M.  Walker,  Linden,  N.  C. 

(195.) The  explosion  of  a  locomotive  boiler  on  the  Southern  Pacific,  at 

Stanwix  Station,  Ariz.,  April  9,  resulted  in  the  death  of  C.  C.  Vaughn,  engineer. 
and  the  fatal  injury  of  B.  E.  Norton,  fireman. 

(iq6.)  —On  April  9,  a  heating  boiler  in  the  Turkish  Baths  at  120-122  Ridge 
St.,  New  York  City,  exploded,  fatally  scalding  two  persons. 

(197.) — On  April  10,  the  boiler  at  the  mill  of  the  Orillia  Lumber  Co., 
Orillia,  Wash.,   failed,  injuring  three  men,  one  fatally. 

(198.)— A  tube  ruptured  April  10,  at  the  plant  of  the  Virginia  Portland 
Cement  Co.,  Fordwick,  Pa.    John  A.  Harris,  fireman,  was  injured. 

(igQ.)  — A  cast  iron  header  ruptured  April  10,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the 
mill  of  the  American  Steel  and  Wire  Co..  Waukegan,  111. 

(200.)  — A  blow-off  pipe  failed  at  the  Moxie  Co's  plant.  New  York  City,  on 
April  12. 


I9I2.1  T  H  E     L  O  C  O  MOT  I  V  E  .  79 


(201.)  —On  April  12,  a  stop  valve  on  the  main  steam  line  ruptured  at  the 
Western  Branch,  National  Home  for  Disabled  Volunteer  Soldiers,  National 
Military  Home,  Kans.    John  Ockcrni.in,  helper,  was  killed. 

(202.)— A  boiler  ruptured  April  13,  at  the  plant  of  the  Union  Dairy  Co., 
Rockford,  111.     The  damage  was  small. 

(203.)— On  April  15,  a  boiler  used  for  well  drilling  at  New  Martinsville, 
W.  Va.,  exploded,  killing  Thos.  S.  McNight,  a  tool  drcsser^and  injuring  one 
other. 

(204.)  — On  April  16,  the  crown  sheet  of  a  locomotive  portable  boiler  pulled 
off  the  stay  bolts  at  the  Holran  Stone  Company's  quarry,  Maple  Grove,  O. 

(205.)  — On  April  16,  as  the  result  of  a  boiler  accident  at  the  plant  of  the 
Pacific  Coast  Steel  Co.,  South  San  Francisco,  Cal..  one  man  was  fatally  injured. 

(206.) — A  boiler  exploded  April  17,  at  an  oil  well  near  Cannonsburg,  Pa. 
One  man  was  injured,  and  will  probably  die. 

(207.) — On  April  17,  a  boiler  exploded  at  a  fertilizer  plant  near  Seven 
Stars,  Pa.     One  man  was  sliglitly  injured. 

(208.)  — The  boiler  at  the  plant  of  the  Powell  River  Milling  Co.  exploded 
April  19.  Leonard  Swanson  and  Henry  HoUingsworth  were  killed,  and  some 
si.K  others  injured,  one  fatall}^ 

(209.) — On  April  19,  a  boiler  failed  at  Newbill's  saw  mill,  Lebanon,  Pa. 
Three  men  were  killed  and  three  injured,  one  fatally. 

(210.) — A  tube  ruptured  April  19,  in  a  water  tube  boiler,  at  the  Donora, 
Pa.,  plant  of  the  American  Steel  and  Wire  Co.  Considerable  damage  was  done 
to  the  boiler. 

(211.) — A  copper  cooker  failed  April  20,  at  the  Fleishmann  yeast  plant, 
Cincinnati,  O.     One  man  was  killed  and  five  were  injured,  two  fatally. 

(212.) — An  Illinois  Central  locomotive  boiler  exploded  in  the  yards  at 
Bloomington,  111.,  April  21.  Weaver  Hillerman,  engineer,  was  killed  and  Orvillc 
Clay,  fireman,  seriously  injured. 

(213.)  — A  boiler  ruptured  April  22,  at  the  plant  of  the  Flower  City  Tissue 
Mills  Co.,  Greece,  N.  Y.     The  damage  was  slight. 

(214.)  — On  April  22,  the  boiler  of  a  Western  Pacific  locomotive  exploded 
near  Elko,  Nev.,  killing  three  trainmen. 

(215.) — The  boiler  at  the  Butterfield  saw  mill,  Kelso,  Wash.,  exploded 
April  23.  Three  men  were  scalded,  and  property  damaged  to  the  extent  of  about 
$1,000. 

(216.)  — A  tube  failed  April  25.  in  the  basement  of  the  Rike-Kumler  store, 
Daj-^ton,  O.     Two  men  were  injured. 

(217.) — On  April  25,  a  tube  failed  in  a  boiler  at  the  power  house  of 
the  Sheboygan  Railway  and  Electric  Co.,  Sheboygan,  Wis.  Two  men  were 
slightly  injured. 

(218.)  — On  April  25,  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  Pickands 
Mather  Co's  furnace,  Toledo,  O.    One  man  was  injured. 

(219.) — A  tube  ruptured  on  April  26,  at  the  power  house  of  the  Metro- 
politan St.  Ry.  Co.,  Central  Ave.  and  Water  St.,  Kansas  City,  Kans. 

(220.) — On  April  27,  the  crown  sheet  of  a  locomotive  collapsed  on  the 
main  line  of  the  Union  Railroad  Co.,  Port  Perry,  Pa.  W.  H.  Watkins  and  W. 
F.  Wesser,  engineers,  were  injured. 

(221.)  — A  plate  failed  in  a  boiler  at  a  paper  box  factory,  Thomas  and  Cam- 
bridge Sts..  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  on  April  28.     One  man  was  scalded. 


30  THELOCO  MOTIVE.  [J'^ly, 


(222.) — A  tube  ruptured  April  30,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  power 
plant  of  the  Mobile  Electric  Co.,  Mobile,  Ala.    The  damage  was  small. 

(223.) — Several  cast  iron  headers  fractured  April  31,  at  the  plant  of  the 
Quaker  Lace  Co.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 


May,  1912. 

(224,) — On  May  i,  the  furnace  of  a  Scotch  marine  boiler  collapsed  at 
the  plant  of  the  National  Biscuit  Co.,  409  Liberty  St.,  Pittsburgh,  Pa.  The 
damage  to  the  boiler  was  considerable. 

(225.)  — The  heating  boiler  at  Public  School  No.  i,  Long  Island  City,  N.  Y., 
exploded  May  2.  Over  1600  school  children  were  marched  out  of  the  building 
in  less  than  three  minutes,  no  one  was  injured. 

(226.) — A  heating  boiler  exploded  May  3,  in  a  residence  at  Ridley  Park, 
Chester,  Pa.     One  man  was  injured. 

(227.)  —  On  May  3,  two  concave  heads  in  the  steam  drum  of  a  water  tube 
boiler  collapsed,  at  the  plant  of  the  Ohio  Iron  and  Steel  Co.,  Lowellville,  O. 

(228.)  — A  tube  ruptured  May  5,  in  a  water  tube  boiler,  at  the  plant  of  the 
Tri-State  Railway  and  Electric  Co.,  East  Liverpool,  O.  Clyde  Jones,  fireman, 
was  injured. 

(229.)  —  On  May  5,  the  boiler  of  the  launch  Orin  B.,  used  by  the  Atlantic 
Gulf  and  Pacific  Co.,  on  the  barge  canal  works  near  Glen  Falls,  N.  Y.,  ex- 
ploded.    Charles  Grilse,  engineer,  was  killed  and  George  JI.  Terry,  injured. 

(230.) — The  boiler  of  a  threshing  machine  exploded  May  6,  on  the  farm 
of  Otto  Drake,  Dundee,  Mich.     Two  men  were  killed. 

(231.)  — On  May  6,  the  flanging  of  a  vulcanizer  failed  at  the  plant  of  the 
Boston  Woven  Hose  and  Rubber  Co.,  Cambridge,  Mass. 

(232.) — A  tube  ruptured  May  6,  in  a  water  tube  boiler,  at  the  Diamond 
Crystal  Salt  Co.,  St.  Clair,  Mich. 

(233.) — A  water  heater  exploded  May  6,  in  Hanscomb's  restaurant,  So. 
Ninth  St.,  Philadelphia,  Pa.     The  loss  was  estimated  at  $5,000. 

(234.)  — A  tube  ruptured  May  9,  at  the  rolling  mill  of  Moorehead  Bros,  and 
Co.,  Sharpesburg,  Pa.  Considerable  damage  was  done  to  the  boiler,  and  Wick 
Velump,  fireman,  was  injured. 

(235.) — On  May  11,  a  boiler  at  the  Landingville  knitting  mill,  Landing- 
ville.   Pa.,  exploded.     Harry  Warmkessel,  fireman  was  scalded. 

(236.)  ^- A  tube  ruptured  May  12,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of  the 
Kenosha  Gas  and  Electric  Co.,  Kenosha,  Wis. 

(237.)  —  On  May  15,  a  boiler  failed  at  the  Duquesne  Steel  Foundry,  Ken- 
dall Station,  Pa.     The  damage  was  confined  to  the  boiler. 

(238.) — A  vulcanizer  exploded  May  16,  at  the  Empire  Rubber  Go's  plant, 
Trenton,  N.  J.,  killing  one  man,  and  fatally  injuring  two  more. 

(239.) — A  blow-off  pipe  failed  May  16,  at  the  Lessing  Apartments,  owned 
by  Chas.  E.  Rector  and  T.  J.  Tucker,  Chicago,  111.  Chas.  O'Conner,  engineer, 
was  slightly  injured. 

(240.)  —  On  May  18,  a  flue  in  a  dryer  collapsed  at  the  Kansas  City,  Kans. 
plant  of  the  Swartzchild  &  Sultzburger  Co.  The  damage  was  confined  to  the 
vessel  itself. 


I9I2.]  THELOCOMOTIVE.  31 


(241.)  — The  boiler  exploded  May  18,  at  the  saw  mill  of  John  de  Frain,  near 
Brownback's  Church,  Pa.  Charles  Smith  and  Chester  Herzog  were  killed,  and 
three  others  injured. 

(242.)  — On  May  21,  a  steam  pipe  burst  on  the  steamer  James  E.  Davidson, 
in  Lake  Superior.     Eight  men  were  scalded,  two  fatally. 

(243.)  — A  saw  mill  boiler  exploded  May  24,  at  Farina,  111.  One  man  died 
as  the  result  of  injuries  received. 

(244.) — The  boiler  of  a  well  drilling  machine  exploded  May  24,  on  the 
property  of  F.  Marion  Vanderveer,  North  Branch,  N.  J.    Two  men  were  injured. 

(245.)  — A  tube  ruptured  May  25,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  blast  farnace 
of  the  Upson  Nut  Co.,  Cleveland,  O. 

(246.) — On  May  25,  a  flue  failed  in  a  boiler  at  the  power  house  of  the 
Wheeling  Traction  Co.,  Wheeling,  W.  Va.     Charles  Grubb  was  injured. 

(247.) — A  cast  iron  header  failed  May  30,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the 
plant  of  the  Diamond  Alkali  Co.,  Fairport,  O.     No  other  damage  is  reported. 

(248.)  —  On  May  31,  a  boiler  ruptured  at  the  plant  of  the  Dallas  Portland 
Cement  Co.    The  damage  was  small. 


Fly  Wheel  Explosions. 

(To  Complete  the  191  i  List.) 

(57-) — On  September  16  an  automobile  By  wheel  burst  at  the  corner  of 
Pico  and  Howard  Streets,  Los  Angeles,  Cal.     One  man  was  severely  injured. 

(58.) — A  fly  wheel  at  the  plant  of  the  Pittsburg  Brewing  Co.,  Connells- 
ville,  Pa.,  failed  September  21,  doing  damage  to  property  to  the  extent  of  $5,000. 

(59.) — The  fly  wheel  at  the  Transit  Shoe  Company's  plant,  Franklin,  Pa., 
exploded  October  9.     One  man  was  injured. 

(60.) — October  —  a  fly  wheel  burst  at  the  plant  of  the  United  States  Handle 
&  Cooperage  Co.,  Maiden,  Mo.    Two  men  were  killed  and  two  others  injured. 

(61.) — On  October  24  a  fly  wheel  at  the  plant  of  the  Hagerty  Shoe  Com- 
pany, Washington  Court  House,  Ohio,  exploded,  doing  considerable  property 
damage.     (See  Power  for  November  14,  1911.) 

(62.) — On  December  2  Harry  Waldron  was  killed  at  the  plant  of  the 
Standard  Motor  Construction  Co.  by  the  bursting  of  a  gasolene  engine's  fly 
wheel.    The  engine  was  being  prepared  for  installation  in  a  motor  boat. 

(63.) — The  fly  wheel  attached  to  an  air  compressor  at  the  Ready  Bullion 
Mine,  Treadwell,  Alaska,  exploded  about  December  13.  The  compressor  and 
building  were  demolished,  and  several  hundred  men  thrown  out  of  employment 
temporarily. 


Fly  Wheel  Explosions,  1912. 

(i.) — A  fly  wheel  attached  to  a  pumping  engine  used  in  connection  with 
the  construction  of  a  sewer  at  Richmond  Hill,  N.  Y.,  exploded  January  i. 
One  man  received  a  broken  arm  as  the  result  of  the  accident. 

(2.) — On  January  21  a  large  fly  wheel  failed  at  the  plant  of  The  Fox 
Paper  Co.,  Lockland,  Ohio.  Oscar  Cummins,  an  oiler,  was  attracted  to  the 
engine   by  the  breaking  of  the   main   belt.     The   engine   attained   a   dangerous 


82  THELOCOMOTIVE.  [July, 

speed,  and  he  was  killed  by  the  bursting  fly  wheel  while  trying  to  close  the 
throttle. 

(3.) — The  fly  wheel  attached  to  a  deep  well  drilling  machine  exploded 
January  25  at  the  yards  of  the  Paris  Coal  and  Ice  Co.,  Paris,  Tenn.  Will  Dowe, 
engineer,  received  injuries  which  resulted  in  the  loss  of  an  arm. 

(4.) — A  fly  wheel  at  the  mill  of  the  Friend  Paper  Co.,  West  Carrolton, 
Ohio,  exploded  January  26.  No  one  was  injured,  but  the  mill  was  closed  one 
day  as  the  result  of  the  accident. 

(5.) — On  February  17  a  fly  wheel  attached  to  the  engine  at  the  shingle 
mill  of  the  Humbolt  Manufacturing  Co.,  Areata,  Cal.,  burst.  Property  was 
damaged  to  the  extent  of  about  $500,  and  one  man,  a  saw  filer,  was  killed. 

(6.) — A  wooden  fly  wheel  at  the  saw  mill  of  Triplett  and  McCann,  Lost 
Camp,  Mo.,  exploded  April  17,  killing  John  Triplett,  one  of  the  proprietors. 

(7.) — On  April  24  a  fly  wheel  in  the  Westchester  Lighting  Company's 
power  plant,  Yonkers,  N.  Y.,  exploded.  There  was  some  property  damage,  but 
no  one  injured. 

(8.)  —  The  bursting  of  a  fly  wheel  on  April  28,  at  the  plant  of  the  Atha 
Tool  Co.,  Newark,  N.  J.,  inflicted  slight  injuries  to  one  man. 

(9.) — On  May  i  a  12-foot  pulley  burst  in  the  dynamo  room  at  the  paper 
mill  of  Dill  and  Collins,  Philadelphia,  Pa.  Property  damage  to  the  extent  of 
from  $3,000  to  $4,000  resulted,  principally  through  the  rupture  of  a  steam  line, 
and  the  pipes  of  the  sprinkler  system  by  flying  portions  of  the  wheel. 

(10.) — The  fly  wheel  of  an  engine  at  the  Higginsville,  Mo.,  electric  light 
plant  failed  I\Iay  13,  doing  property  damage  to  the  extent  of  about  $3,000. 
(See   front  page  of  this  number  of  The  Locomotive.) 

(11.) — On  May  22  a  fly  wheel  at  the  brick  yard  of  Nevill  Bros,  and  Mink, 
Llanwellyn,  Pa.,  exploded,  resulting  in  damage  to  the  plant  estimated  at  $1,500. 

(12.) — A  fly  wheel  attached  to  the  engine  at  the  Louisiana  and  Arkansas 
R.  R.  shops,  Stamps,  Ark,  exploded  June  4.  The  loss  is  thought  to  be  under 
$1,000. 

(13.) — On  June  7  a  pulley  burst  at  the  Rittersville  Electrical  Works,  Allen- 
town,  Pa.     One  man  was  injured. 

(14.) — A  fourteen-foot  fly  wheel  burst  June  7  at  the  Phoenix  Cement 
Works,  Nazareth,   Pa.     The  damages  are  estimated  at  $3,000. 

(15.) — On  June  10  the  fly  wheel  of  an  engine  at  the  East  Jordan  (Mich.) 
Electric  Light  and  Power  Co.  burst,  killing  A.  Z.  Wilcox,  the  engineer,  and 
damaging  the  plant  to  such  an  extent  as  to  leave  the  town  in  darkness  for  a 
week. 

(16.)  —  A  fly  wheel  exploded  June  11  at  the  power  plant  of  the  D.  &  H. 
R.  R..  Green  Island,  N.  Y.    The  plant  was  damaged  to  the  extent  of  $1,000. 


A  Narrow  Escape. 

W.  J.  Smith,  Inspector. 

The  opportunity  of  witnessing  a  "  real  live "  lap  seam  crack  in  action  is 
seldom  afforded  boiler  operators.  This  unique  and  rather  undesirable  experi- 
ence was  recently  afforded  several  employees  of  The  Anderson-Middleton 
Companj',    Aberdeen,    Washington.    The   fireman,    desiring    to    operate    a   valve 


I9I2.]  T  H  E     L  O  C  O  M  O  T  I  V  E  .  33 


in  a  steam  line  over  the  boilers,  was  attracted  by  the  issuance  of  steam  from 
the  insulating  material  on  top  of  tlie  boiler.  Removing  this  covering,  the  steam 
and  water  were  seen  to  spurt  from  a  crack  about  ten  inches  long,  the  edges  of 
which  vibrated  under  the  pressure. 

The  Chief  Engineer  being  called,  with  great  presence  of  mind  instead  of 
shutting  off  the  engines  and  turbines,  which  might  have  produced  a  shock  or 
increase  of  pressure,  immediately  banked  the  fires,  closed  th*  draft  and  opened 
the  feed  water  valves.  In  this  manner  the  pressure  was  soon  reduced  to  less 
than  forty  pounds.  The  main  stop  valve  was  then  shut  off.  The  boiler,  being 
one  of  three  fired  in  battery,  a  division  wall  was  built  in  the  furnace  and  the 
day  following  the  other  boilers  were  in  operation. 

The  defective  portions  were  cut  out  of  the  boiler  and  revealed  a  crack 
one  eighth  of  an  inch  from  the  edge  of  the  inner  lap,  and  about  5  ft.  6  in.  long, 
no  portion  of  which  was  visible  from  the  inside. 

The  boiler  was  about  seven  years  old,  had  been  operated  at  its  designed 
working  pressure  and  had  frequent  and  careful  supervision  with  good  care 
and  management. 

It  is  needless  to  say  there  is  considerable  congratulation  going  the  rounds 
among  those  interested,  for  aside  from  the  probable  heavy  loss  of  life,  the 
boiler  was  part  of  a  very  expensive  plant  and  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  high 
grade  machinery  and  equipment. 


We  wish  to  commend  the  coolness  and  good  judgment  of  the  chief  engineer. 
and  firemen  of  this  plant.  This  type  of  boiler  defect  is  undoubtedly  one  of 
the  most  treacherous  of  the  many  possible  causes  for  boiler  explosions,  as  it 
too  often  reveals  itself  only  after  the  property  is  destroyed. 

Instead  of  stopping  his  engines,  this  chief  had  the  good  sense  and  nerve 
to  cover  his  fires,  and  control  his  steam  by  using  it  up,  thus  saving  not  only 
the  company's  property,  but  perhaps  many  lives  as  well.  Editor. 


A  "Mexican"  for  a  Safety  Valve. 

We  record  on  another  page  of  this  issue,  an  instance  of  safety  valves  being 
so  erroneously  installed  as  to  become  objects  of  danger,  by  the  possibility  of 
their  leading  to  a  feeling  of  false  security,  but  it  remains  for  the  following, 
extracted  from  one  of  our  inspection  reports,  to  cap  the  climax,  as  a  display 
of  ignorance  of  the  vital  importance  of  this  particular  boiler  accessory.  We 
give  the  extract  verbatim. 

"Engineer  (?)  of  above  plant  explained  that  his  reason  for  removing 
the  safety  valve  from  boiler  was  that  it  leaked,  and  that  he  thought  as  long 
as  he  had  a  Mexican  watch  the  steam  and  not  let  it  get  too  high,  that  the  boiler 
was  safe.  He  stated  further,  that  he  had  a  perfectly  good  ash  pit  door,  and 
that  by  closing  it  the  steam  would  go  no  higher.  I  tried  to  make  it  plain  to  all 
concerned,  that  Mexicans,  and  ash  pit  doors,  would  not  answer  in  any  way 
the  purpose  of  a  safety  valve."  (The  inspector  found  that  the  safety  valve 
had  been  replaced  with  a  solid  plug.") 


84 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE. 


[July. 


C.  C.  Perry,  Editor. 


HARTFORD.  JULY,  1912. 

Single  copies  can  be  obtained  free  by  calling  at  any  of  the  company's  agencies. 
Subscription  price  so  cents  per  year  when  mailed  from  this  office. 
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Reprinting  of  matter  from  this  paper  is  permitted  if  credited  to 
The  Locomotive  of  The  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  1.  &  1.  Co. 


On  another  page  we  print  a  news  item  and  editorial  comment  from  the 
Hartford  Courant  announcing  the  reinsurance  of  the  boiler  and  fly-wheel  busi- 
ness of  The  Casualty  Company  of  America  by  THE  HARTFORD  STEAM 
BOILER  INSPECTION  AND  INSURANCE  COMPANY.  Of  course  we  are 
gratified  at  this  event  for  many  reasons,  but  perhaps  especially  because  of  the 
confidence  in  us  which  is  thus  signified  by  the  management  of  so  prominent 
an  institution  as  the  Casualty  Company.  Obligations  to  its  assured  required 
that  the  service  which  supplanted  its  own  should  be  above  criticism,  and  self 
interest  demanded  that  its  reinsurance  should  be  placed  only  with  a  company 
of  high  financial  standing.  We  accordingly  feel  a  pardonable  pride  in  the 
recognition  of  our  standing  implied  by  this  selection  and  expressed  by  President 
DeLeon  of  the  Casualty  Company  in  his  announcement  of  the  change  to  his 
agents   as    follows : 

"  I  need  not  call  to  your  attention  the  standing  and  reputation  of  The 
Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Company  throughout  the  United  States,  or  to  the 
splendid  service  rendered  by  that  company  to  its  policy  holders  everywhere, 
which  has  made  the  Hartford  company  pre-eminently  the  leading  boiler  insur- 
ance company  of  America." 

Appreciation  like  that  from  a  one-time  warm  competitor  is  a  compliment 
indeed.  We  shall  endeavor  to  justify  it  by  a  service  to  the  boiler  and  fly-wheel 
owners  whom  President  DeLeon  has  entrusted  to  us  which  will  force  their  en- 
dorsement of  his  opinion.  We  welcome  them  all  to  the  HARTFORD  STEAM 
BOILER  fold. 

The  Casualty  Company  of  America  has  been  one  of  the  four  larger  multiple- 
line  casualty  underwriters  in  the  boiler  and  fly-wheel  field.  In  191 1  according  to 
its  official  statement  it  wrote  $117,594  in  premiums  of  these  two  lines,  and  of 
this  amount  $108,229  was  for  boiler  insurance.  There  were  in  191 1  twenty- four 
casualty  companies  competing  with  the  HARTFORD  in  steam  boiler  under- 
writing.    The   total   of  premiums   written  by  them   was  $1,101,922,   an   average 


I9I2.J  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  85 

of  about  $46,000  per  company.  The  Casualty  Company  of  America,  writing 
more  than  twice  as  much  business  as  its  average  multiple-]ine  competitor,  and 
exceeding  all  but  three  of  those  competitors  in  the  volume  of  that  business, 
would  seem  to  have  had  a  favorable  position  in  the  field.  If  it  has  become 
discouraged  with  the  prospects  and  financial  returns  from  such  business  what 
bright  future  can  allure  the  twenty  smaller  companies? 

The  truth  is  that  steam  boiler  insurance, —  and  this  applies  to  fly-wheel 
insurance  also  —  is  peculiar  and  distinct  from  other  lines  of  underwriting 
in  that  to  experience  a  normal  loss  ratio  a  technical  supervision  of  the  apparatus 
covered  is  necessary.  It  is  obvious  that  the  expense  of  such  a  service  must  be 
proportionately  greater  with  a  company  which  insures  a  small  number  of  widely 
scattered  boilers  than  with  one  whose  business  is  so  great  as  to  justify  a  broad 
distribution  of  inspection  centers  from  which  all  its  assured  may  be  econom- 
ically reached.  To  make  the  small  boiler  business  successful,  the  company 
writing  it  must  either  be  content  with  little  or  no  profits,  or  it  must  charge 
more  for  its  protection  than  its  large  competitor,  or  it  must  reduce  the  character 
and  frequency  of  its  inspection  service  at  the  risk  of  a  higher  loss  ratio,  more 
accidents,  and  the  consequent  annoyance  and  dissatisfaction  of  its  assured. 

The  HARTFORD  STEAM  BOILER  with  a  business  of  $1,300,000 
annually  and  with  over  100,000  boilers  under  its  care,  has  been  able  to  establish 
a  standard  of  service  which  steam  users  generally  have  come  to  appreciate.  It  has 
been  deriving  from  its  business  an  average  underwriting  profit  less  than  9%. 
This  is  certainly  a  moderate  return  for  the  energy  expended  and  the  risks  car- 
ried. Is  it  likely  that  an  insurance  company  would  be  content  with  less?  If 
not  it  follows  that  the  small  boiler  underwriter  must  charge  more  for  its  pro- 
tection or  reduce  the  character  of  it.  The  public  is  too  well  posted  to  pay  to 
others  a  larger  premium  than  will  purchase  HARTFORD  insurance,  nor  will 
it  long  permit  a  character  or  lack  of  inspection  service  which  risks  disastrous 
explosions.  The  result  is  the  dilemma  of  the  kind  in  which  the  Casualty  Company 
of  America  found  itself  and  which  it  has  solved  in  the  manner  announced. 


A  correspondent  sends  us  a  newspaper  clipping  descriptive  of  the  action 
of  a  New  York  tug  captain  in  attempting  after  a  collision  to  run  his  boat  ashore 
before  the  water  leaking  in  could  reach  the  boilers  "  and  cause  an  explosion  ". 
With  it  he  writes  that  this  "and  numerous  articles  in  relation  to  the  'Titanic' 
and  other  sinking  ships  leads  me  to  ask  you  if  there  is  any  foundation  whatso- 
ever for  the  newspaper  theory  that  boilers  in  sinking  steamships  explode  because 
of  being  plunged  into  cold  water". 

We  agree  with  the  view  of  this  gentleman  as  further  expressed  that  the 
theory  is  not  tenable  and  that  even  should  a  boiler  under  such  circumstances 
fail  locally  the  force  of  the  explosion  would  be  slight  owing  to  the  almost 
instantaneous  condensation  of  the  steam  when  submerged  in  the  cold  water. 
We  admit  that  we  have  not  ourselves  been  on  a  sinking  steamship,  but  our 
company  has  had  opportunity  of  examining  boilers  which  have  passed  through 
that  ordeal,  and  others  which  because  of  a  fire  have  had  cold  water  poured 
upon  them.  The  evidence  thus  available  would  indicate  that  not  always  at 
least  does  submerging  cause  a  boiler  explosion,  and  further  we  do  not  see 
why  it  should. 


86  THELOCOMOTIVE.  [July 

It  may  be  stated  without  fear  of  contradiction,  that  a  boiler  explodes 
because  it  is  incapable  of  withstanding  the  internal  pressure  exerted  in  it. 
The  disaster  may  be  caused  either  by  an  abnormal  increase  in  the  pressure  or 
by  an  equally  abnormal  decrease  in  the  strength  of  the  boiler  material.  Now, 
so  far  as  we  can  see,  none  of  the  conditions  necessary  to  an  increase  in  pressure 
would  be  produced  by  submerging  in  water  a  boiler  under  steam.  Such  a 
treatment  would  naturally  reduce  the  temperature  and  consequently  the  pres- 
sure very  promptly.  The  treatment  could  have  little  effect,  either,  on  the 
strength  of  a  vessel  made  up  of  steel  plate  although  it  is  probable  that  local 
contraction  strains  would  be  produced  by  a  gradual  rather  than  sudden  sub- 
mergence. The  steel  used  in  boilers  is  not  usually  a  brittle  material  and  with- 
stands sudden  and  violent  changes  in  temperature  without  cracking.  Failing  to 
discern  among  the  conditions  which  attend  the  submerging  of  a  boiler  anything 
which  would  increase  the  pressure  or  decrease  its  strength  and  being  to  an  extent 
backed  by  the  slight  experience  already  suggested,  we  will  —  pending  evidence 
to  the  contrary  —  continue  in  the  belief  that  a  boiler  explosion  is  not  a  neces- 
sary circumstance  in  the  sinking  of  a  ship. 

It  may  be  added  that  the  tug  captain  first  mentioned  did  not  according 
to  the  clipping  succeed  in  "beaching"  his  boat  before  it  sank,  and  if  in  sinking 
the  boilers  exploded,  the  effect  was  too  insignificant  for  the  reporter  to  record. 


Announcement. 

Hartford,  Conn.,  July  i,  1912. 

In  the  January  number  of  The  Locomotive  our  Company  announced 
with  regret  the  resignation  of  the  editor  who  had  so  ably  conducted  this  paper 
for  a  number  of  years.  Since  then  we  have  been  seeking  a  man  to  fill  the 
place  thus  made  vacant  and  from  a  number  under  consideration  have  selected 
Mr.   Clarence  C.  Perry,  who  commences  his  editorial  duties  with  this  issue. 

We  feel  that  Mr.  Perry  is  especially  equipped  by  his  experience  and 
education  for  a  work  which  requires  both  a  theoretical  and  practical  knowledge 
of  steam  and  allied  engineering  practices  and  also  a  wide  acquaintance  with 
the  literature  of  those  subjects.  He  is  a  graduate  of  The  Sheffield  Scientific 
School  of  Yale  University,  class  of  1904,  and  since  then  as  a  member  of  the 
faculty  of  that  institution  has  been  instructing  the  students  of  the  Department 
of  Electrical  Engineering  in  physics  and  steam  engineering  subjects.  While 
in  this  position  Mr.  Perry  was  frequently  called  in  consultation  where  expert 
advice  on  steam  matters  was  desired  and  thus  was  brought  in  intimate  contact 
with  the  practical  problems  of  installation  and  operation. 

I  take  pleasure  in  this  opportunity  of  introducing  ]\Ir.  Perry  to  those  of  our 
own  organization  who  have  not  met  him  personally,  as  well  as  to  our  assured 
and  other  readers,  and  express  my  conviction  that  under  his  management  our 
paper  will  continue  in  its  position  of  authority  and  interest  among  technical 
periodicals.  Lyman  B.  Brainerd,  President. 


Obituary. 

Sylvester  W.  Higgins,  special  agent  for  the  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Inspec- 
tion and  Insurance  Co.,  at  Detroit,  Mich.,  died  May  7  at  his  home,  120  Euclid 


I9I2  ]  THELOCOMOTIVE.  87 

Ave.,  in  that  city.  His  death  came  as  the  culmination  of  an  illness  of  several 
months  duration. 

Mr.  Higgins  was  born  in  Utica,  N.  Y.,  in  1834,  but  removed  to  Detroit 
with  his  family  at  an  early  age.  The  family  were  prominent  both  in  the  city  and 
state,  being  associated  closely  with  church  work  in  Detroit.  His  father  was  at 
one  time  State  Geologist  of  Michigan.  , 

Mr.  Higgins  had  been  the  Detroit  representative  of  the  Hartford  Steam 
Boiler  Inspection  and  Insurance  for  some  twenty  years,  and  his  sterling 
qualities  won  for  him  the  esteem  and  respect  of  all  his  business  associates. 

He  is  survived  by  a  widow  and  three  daughters,  Frances  E.  and  Ethel  M. 
of  Detroit,  and  Mrs.  R.  R.  Strong  of  Pueblo,  Col. 


Personal. 

Mr.  Joseph  H.  McNeil,  who,  since  1898,  has  been  connected  with  the  boiler 
inspection  service  of  the  State  of  Massachusetts,  first  as  inspector,  and  later 
as  chief  inspector,  and  chairman  of  the  Board  of  Boiler  Rules,  tendered 
his  resignation,  to  take  effect  July  8th,  in  order  that  he  might  accept  the  position 
of  chief  inspector  in  the  Boston  Department  of  THE  HARTFORD  STEAM 
BOILER  INSPECTION  AND  INSURANCE  COMPANY. 

Mr.  McNeil's  experience  has  been  both  wide  and  varied,  and  is  of  such  a 
nature  as  to  fit  him  most  admirably  for  the  position  he  now  enters  with  the 
HARTFORD.  Born  at  Charlottetown,  Prince  Edward  Island,  in  1865,  he 
was  educated  in  the  public  schools,  and  Prince  of  Wales  College.  His  experi- 
ence has  included  railway  work,  both  mechanical  and  executive,  with  the 
Prince  Edward  Island  Railway  and  the  various  phases  of  stationary  and 
marine  engineering.  He  has  held  the  position  of  chief  engineer  of  ocean 
going  vessels,  under  licenses,  both  from  the  United  States  government  and 
from  the  British  Board  of  Trade.  Of  his  work  for  Massachusetts,  it  is  perhaps 
only  necessary  to  say  that  the  well-known  boiler  inspection  law  of  that  state 
owes  much  of  its  success,  if  not  its  very  existence,  to  his  judgment,  tact,  and 
executive  ability. 

Chief  Inspector  Frank  S.  Allen,  who  has  had  charge  of  both  the  Boston 
and  Hartford  departments,  will  by  this  appointment  be  relieved  of  the  detailed 
supervision  of  the  large  number  of  boilers  in  the  former  district.  He  will  con- 
tinue in  immediate  charge  of  the  inspection  service  handled  from  Hartford, 
and  will  be  able  to  devote  his  attention  to  the  general  inspection  problems  of 
the  Home  Office  to  a  greater  extent  even  than  in  the  past. 


The  Metric  System  of  Weights  and  Measures.  A  valuable  indexed 
hand-book  of  196  pages  of  convenient  size  (sV/'  x  5^")  and  substantially 
bound,  containing  a  brief  history  of  the  Metric  System,  and  comparative  tables 
carefully  calculated,  giving  the  English  or  United  States  equivalents  in  all 
the    units    of   measurement. 

Published  and  for  sale  by  The  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Inspection  and  his. 
Co.,  Hartford,  Conn.   U.  S.  A Price  $1.25. 


88  THELOCOMOTIVE.  LJu^-y, 

The  Boiler  and  Fly  Wheel  Insurance  of  The  Casualty  Co.  of 
America  Taken  Over  By  the  HARTFORD. 

[From  The  Hartford  (Conn.)  Courant  June  28,  1912.] 

The  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Inspection  &  Insurance  Company  has  taken 
over  and  reinsured  all  of  the  steam  boiler  and  fly  wheel  business  of  the  Casualty 
Company  of  America  of  New  York  City. 

The  Casualty  Company  of  America  was  organized  and  commenced  business 
in  September,  1903,  as  a  multiple  line  company,  and  it  has  gradually  built  up 
and  developed  the  numerous  casualty  lines  to  an  extent  that  its  aggregate  net 
premium  receipts  last  year  exceeded  $2,500,000.  From  the  insurance  commis- 
sioner's report  of  1912,  it  would  appear  that  it  is  one  of  the  stronger  and  more 
progressive  companies,  having  a  paid  up  cash  capital  of  $750,000,  a  net  surplus 
over  all  liabilities  exceeding  $205,000,  and  total  assets  exceeding  $2,801,000. 

As  relating  particularly  to  the  steam  boiler  line,  the  Casualty  Company  of 
America  ranks  as  the  fourth  or  fifth  company  in  point  of  volume,  its  steam  boiler 
premiums  written  last  year  exceeded  $108,000,  and  the  volume  of  business 
taken  over  by  the  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Insurance  Company  exceeds  12,500 
boilers  and  about  $100,000,000  of  insurance  liability.  This  is  undoubtedly  the 
largest  transaction  that  has  ever  taken  place  in  this  particular  line  of  insurance. 

From  an  interview  with  President  Brainerd  of  the  Hartford  Steam  Boiler 
Insurance  Company  it  was  learned  that  conditions  pertaining  to  the  steam  boiler 
line  are  in  a  very  unsettled  and  unsatisfactory  condition,  and  that  competition 
is  very  keen.  He  further  said  that  as  the  steam  boiler  line  was  so  limited  in 
volume  as  to  render  it  impossible  for  any  one  company  to  develop  and  greatly 
expand  it,  in  view  of  the  fierceness  of  competition  and  the  great  cost  of  main- 
taining an  inspection  service,  such  as  is  now  demanded  by  the  insuring  public 
and  in  many  instances  required  by  law,  the  management  of  the  Casualty  Company 
of  America  had  reached  the  decision  that  the  resources  of  the  company  and  the 
time  and  energy  of  its  officers  could  be  better  and  more  profitably  employed  in 
developing  and  building  up  its  other  and  more  prominent  and  more  promising 
lines  of  insurance. 

It  appears  that  the  total  amount  paid  last  year  for  steam  boiler  insurance 
throughout  the  United  States  amounted  to  but  $2,303,104,  and  that  of  this  amount 
$1,275,103  was  paid  to  the  Hartford  company,  notwithstanding  there  were  no 
less  than  twent3'-five  companies  competing  for  this  small  volume  of  business. 
It  was  further  explained  that  because  of  the  peculiar  character  of  steam  boiler 
and  fly  wheel  insurance,  their  distinctive  feature  being  the  rnaintenance  of  an 
efficient  inspection  service,  they  are  two  of  the  most  limited  and  most  expensive 
lines  to  conduct  of  all  the  numerous  casualty  lines,  and  that  unless  a  considerable 
volume  can  be  controlled  in  each  state  throughout  the  Union,  an  efficient  in- 
spection service  cannot  be  maintained  with  any  promise  of  profit,  in  view  of  the 
expenses  in  maintaining  an  organization  and  an  inspection  service  as  today 
required,  if  the  business  is  to  be  properly  conducted. 

It  will  at  once  be  observed  that  if  the  premiums  paid  for  steam  boiler  in- 
surance should  gradually  become  equally  apportioned  between  all  the  companies 
at  this  time  competing  for  it  (and  all  things  being  equal,  and  each  company  main- 
taining an  equal  and  as  extended  an  organization  and  efficient  inspection  service, 
there  is  no  reason  why  this  condition  should  not  obtain),  there  would  be  an 


I9I2.]  THELOCOMOTIVE.  39 

average  of  less  than  $100,000  annually  that  it  would  be  possible  for  any  one 
company  to  secure,  and  that  this  sum  would  be  barely  sufficient  to  maintain 
one  inspector  in  each  state  throughout  the  Union. 

The  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Inspection  &  Insurance  Company  was  organized 
and  commenced  business  in  1866,  and  on  January  i  last  its  paid-up  capital  was 
$1,000,000,  its  net  surplus  over  all  liabilities  exceeded  $1,801,000,  and  its  assets 
amounted  to  $5,045,874.60.  It  makes  a  specialty  of  steam  boiler  and  fly  wheel 
insurance  and  conducts  no  other  class  or  kind  of  insurance. 

This  is  the  seventh  instance  in  which  the  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Company 
has  taken  over  the  steam  boiler  line  of  other  companies. 


EDITORIAL  COMMENT. 

It  is  an  important  announcement  that  President  Brainerd  of  the  Hartford 
Steam  Boiler  Inspection  and  Insurance  Company  makes  this  morning  —  the 
acquisition  of  the  steam  boiler  business  of  the  Casualty  Company  of  America. 
The  amount  of  reinsurance  is  said  to  equal  about  one-tenth  of  the  Hartford 
company's  present  business.  It  is  a  substantial  business  deal,  comprehending  an 
original  premium  income  of  over  $300,000. 

The  steam  boiler  insurance  business  has  been  conducted  profitably  in  Hart- 
ford and  many  small  companies  have  been  formed  to  enter  the  field.  These 
companies  find  that  an  adequate  inspection  service,  such  as  the  Hartford  company 
maintains,  is  a  great  expense  and  one  sure  preventative  of  large  profits.  It 
would  not  be  surprising,  therefore,  if  other  companies  followed  the  Casualty 
Company's  lead.  The  Hartford  company  can  take  over  this  insurance  with  very 
slight  increase  in  its  working  force.     It  means  more  business  for  Hartford. 


Boiler  Tubes  Underg-o  a  Marked  Loss  of  Ductility. 

By  a  Chief  Inspector. 
In  the  examination  of  boilers  and  other  vessels  operated  under  steam  pres- 
sure, the  inspector  often  meets  conditions  which  to  him  at  least  are  unexpected 
and  peculiar.  But  while  they  may  be  new  to  him,  generally  on  conferring  with 
other  inspectors,  he  will  learn  of  similar  instances.  The  present  incident,  with 
its  tests  showing  the  nature  of  the  trouble,  may  be  of  assistance  to  some  one 
in  clearing  up  such  a  difficulty. 

The  agent  for  a  large  manufacturing  concern  desired  an  examination  of 
one  of  his  boilers,  which  were  of  the  water  tube  type,  and  all  duplicates.  They 
had  been  in  service  but  a  comparatively  short  time.  He  requested  this  in- 
spection not  because  of  any  trouble,  but  on  general  principles,  as  several  months 
had  elapsed  since  the  last  regular  examination.  The  writer  responded  to  this 
request,  finding  one  of  the  boilers  properly  prepared  for  inspection.  No  ordinary 
defects  were  found.  The  boiler  was  clean  and  free  from  scale  in  all  its  tubes 
and  drums.  The  tubes  were  of  full  thickness,  and  under  the  hammer  test  not 
the  slightest  indication  of  anything  defective  was  conveyed  to  the  examiner. 
He  noted  however,  a  peculiar  appearance  to  those  tubes  which  were  accessible, 
and  directly  exposed  to  the  fire.    Touched  with  a  fine  file  the  metal  was  bright. 


90  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [July, 

and  its  appearance  was  perfectly  normal.  The  unusual  color  of  the  tubes  how- 
ever disturbed  him  very  much,  and  he  requested  that  some  of  them  be  removed 
for  testing;  since  while  they  might  prove  soft  and  ductile,  he  was  of  the  opinion 
that  they  were  dangerously  brittle,  and  feared  from  the  general  arrangement 
of  the  fire  room  that  loss  of  life  would  follow  the  failure  of  a  tube  at  the  high 
pressure  carried.  He  held  this  view  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  these  boilers 
were  designed  with  a  good  factor  of  safety  for  the  pressure  carried,  for  he  con- 
sidered the  danger  of  personal  injuries  greater  than  that  of  a  property  loss.  The 
mill  agent  took  up  the  question  of  testing  the  tubes  at  once.  The  first  blow 
struck  with  a  chisel  in  cutting  off  one  of  them  close  to  the  drum,  caused  the 
tube  to  break.  Every  tube  was  then  removed  and  test  specimens  one  inch  wide 
cut  from  each.  All  were  found  to  be  practically  as  brittle  as  the  first,  and 
showed  an  entire  absence  of  ductility.  It  was  felt  that  if  they  had  been  con- 
tinued in  service,  a  shock,  or  even  the  vibrations  of  the  engine  would  have  been 
sufficient  to  have  fractured  a  tube,  and  the  reaction  might  well  have  caused  the 
breaking  of  several  more. 

Samples  of  four  of  these  tubes  were  sent  for  chemical  analysis,  the  result  of , 
which  is  given  in  table  i. 

Table  i. 


No.  I. 

No.  2. 

No.  3- 

No.  4. 

Carbon 

.06% 

.06% 

.06% 

.06% 

Manganese 

.02% 

.02% 

.02% 

.02% 

Phosphorus 

.079% 

.073% 

.065% 

.073% 

Sulphur 

.020% 

.026% 

.024% 

.020% 

Silicon  .154%  .159%  -143%  .154% 

Compared  with  the  requirements  for  fire  box  steel  boiler  plate  the  low 
percentage  of  carbon  and  manganese,  with  high  phosphorus  will  be  at  once 
noted,  and  will  indicate  why  the  tubes  were  so  deficient  in  ductility. 

At  about  this  same  time,  a  similar  change  was  found  to  have  occurred  in 
the  tube  cap  bolts  of  another  type  of  water  tube  boiler,  from  the  same  maker, 
but  belonging  to  another  firm.  These  bolts  which  were  not  exposed  either  to  the 
direct  action  of  the  fire,  or  to  so  high  a  pressure  as  in  the  first  case,  were  found 
by  the  inspector  to  be  so  brittle  that  on  sounding  them  with  his  light  hammer, 
many  of  them  broke  as  if  they  had  been  glass  rods.  The  chemical  analysis  of 
these  bolts  was  very  similar  to  that  of  the  tubes  mentioned  above,  though  dif- 
fering from  it  to  a  slight  extent.  The  conclusion  is  obvious  that  the  stock  in 
both  the  tubes  and  bolts  was  of  a  very  inferior  quality  and  ought  never  to  have 
been  used  in  any  place  exposed  to  high  temperatures  or  to  strains  due  to 
pressure. 

A  new  tube  and  several  bolts  from  the  same  stock  as  those  removed,  were 
tested  physically  and  showed  good  ductility,  but  analysis  proved  that  the  material 
was  no  better  than  that  which  had  been  rejected  for  its  extreme  brittleness. 

It  has  long  been  a  dream  of  the  writer  that  all  material  used  for  boiler  work 
should  be  plainly  marked,  the  marks  to  be  uniform  with  all  manufacturers,  and 
to  indicate  the  quality  of  the  material.  These  could  be  placed  upon  the  head  of 
a  bolt  in  forging,  at  slight  expense,  and  in  welded  tubes,  could  be  made  at  the 
time  of  welding.     Solid  drawn  tubes  present  of  course,  a  slightly  different  prob- 


I9I2.] 


THE    L  O  C  O  M  O  T  T  1  \'  I-: 


91 


lem,  but  that  process  itself  would  perhaps  be  a  guarantee  of  a  better  quality  of 
material  than  would  be  used  for  welding. 


Fig.  I.    The  Oil  Tank,  Railroad  and  Boiler  House. 


An  Alabama  Mystery. 

The  accompanying  photographs  were  sent  us  by  a  correspondent  whose 
veracity  we  have  no  reason  to  doubt,  in  substantiation  of  the  following  most 
remarkable  boiler  accident.  This  mishap  occurred  to  what  was  then  the  No.  2 
boiler  of  the  Eufaula  Cotton  Mill,  Eufaula,  Ala.,  early  in  1897.  This  boiler 
is  said  to  have  discharged  certain  of  its  tubes  bodily  through  the  tube  sheets, 
sending  four  of  them  out  of  a  window,  across  a  gulley  and  a  railroad  track, 
until  they  were  intercepted  by  an  oil  tank  which  they  pierced.  The  relative 
location  of  the  track,  gully,  boilerhouse,  and  oil  tank  can  be  seen  by  reference 
to  the  photograph,  Fig.  i,  which  shows  the  present  appearance  of  this  locality. 
A  close  scrutinj'  of  Fig.  i  will  show  patches  applied  to  the  tank,  and  if  one 
will  turn  to  Fig.  2,  which  is  a  nearer  view,  one  will  see  that  they  consist  of  a 
horseshoe,  and  three  round  patches,  said  to  have  been  placed  there  in  repairing 
the  damage  done  by  the  flying  tubes.  A  fifth  tube  missed  the  tank,  but  punctured 
the  stack  which  occupied  the  site  of  that  shown  in  Fig.  i,  but  has  since  been 
removed  to  a  location  such  that  it  was  impossible  to  obtain  a  photograph  of  it. 

The  accident  happened  early  one  Sunday  morning,  about  5  a.  m.,  when  no 
one  except  the  watchman  was  about  the  plant.     He  was  attracted  by  an  unusual 


92 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE. 


[July, 


noise  in  the  direction  of  the  boiler  house,  but  the  performance  was  over  before 
he  could  reach  the  scene.  The  cause  of  this  peculiar  action  was  never  satis- 
factorily explained,  and  remains  one  of  the  mysteries  of  our  Atlanta  Department. 


Fig.  2.    The  Patched  Oil  Tank. 

The  boiler  itself  did  not  leave  the  setting,  indeed  it  was  not  sufficiently 
disturbed  to  disconnect  it  from  the  steam  pipe.  Nine  tubes  left  the  boiler 
entirely,  and  seven  or  eight  more  were  projected  part  way  through  the  front 
head.  Aside  from  slight  repairs  to  the  setting,  the  only  work  needed  on  the 
boiler  was  the  replacing  of  these  sixteen  or  seventeen  tubes. 

The  question  remains  unanswered  as  to  what  made  this  boiler  cut  up  this 
particular  sort  of  caper,  and  if  anyone  can  answer  it,  or  cite  a  parallel  case,  we 
shall  be  very  glad  to  hear  from  him. 


Patching  a  Boiler  Without  Rivets,  Bolts,  or  Welding. 

E.  J.  Enoch,  Inspector. 

Not  long  since  a  brother  inspector,  in  reporting  upon  a  patch  applied  to  a 
boiler,  remarked  that  "  the  job  looked  as  though  it  had  been  done  by  a  shoe- 
maker." 

The  writer  was  recently  sent  to  inspect  a  job  of  repair  involving  a  patch, 
but  as  it  was  neither  pegged,  nailed  or  sewed,  it  could  hardly  be  said  to  display 
the  art  of  shoemaking,  resembling  more  the  handiwork  of  a  bricklayer. 


I9I2.] 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE 


93 


The  patch  in  question  was  placed  on  the  rear  drum  of  a  Hawley  down  draft 
furnace.  This  was  attached  to  a  horizontal  tubular  boiler  which  carried  a  work- 
ing steam  pressure  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  pounds.  A  crack  had  de- 
veloped in  the  drum,  starting  at  one  of 


the  tube  holes  in  the  upper  row,  near 
the  center,  and  extending  circumferen- 
tially  to  a  point  near  the  top,  a  length 
of  about  five  inches.  The  boiler  maker 
(?)  who  was  called  to  make  repairs 
prepared  a  patch  of  H "  plate,  shaped 
like  Fig.  i  to  fit  over  the  top  of  the 
drum,  and  down  each  side  of  the  tube 
opposite  the  fracture.  A  liberal  quan- 
tity of  asbestos  cement  was  spread  over 

the   crack,   the   patch   placed   over   the  cement,  and  the  brick  arch,  or  deflecting 
wall  rebuilt  on  top  of  the  patch  to  keep  it  in  position. 

It  is  not  known  what  pressure  was  attained  after  the  repair  was  completed, 
as  the  attendant  was  kept  so  busy  in  a  fruitless  effort  to  maintain  a  fire  in  the 
furnace  against  the  flow  of  water  from  the  fracture,  that  he  failed  to  note  the 
reading  of  the  pressure  gage.  Nevertheless  the  patch  was  not  blown  out  of 
the  furnace,  and  the  greatest  damage  was  to  the  purse  of  the  mill  owner. 


Fig.  I.    The  Patch. 


Fig.  2.    Patch  Bricked  and  Cemented  in  Place. 


Queer  Cause  for  an  Erratic  Steam  Gage. 

By  Inspector  J.  J.  McCurry. 

One  of  our  inspectors  relates  the  following  incident  relative  to  an  incorrect 
steam  gage,  and  the  queer  cause  which  he  found  for  its  lack  of  truthfulness. 

He  was  called  to  a  plant  to  make  a  test  as  the  gages  were  not  reading 
together.  There  were  two  gages  in  the  boiler  room,  one  on  each  of  two  Stirling 
boilers,  and  one,  a  recording  gage,  in  the  engine  room.  On  removing  the  gage 
from  boiler  No.  i,  it  was  found  to  be  5  lbs.  "  slow ",  but  on  resetting,  and 
replacing  it,  it  agreed  perfectly  with  the  recording  gage.  The  other  gage  on  the 
No.  2  boiler  was  then  found  to  be  125^  lbs.  ahead  of  the  one  just  reset,  and  it 


94  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [July. 


(No.  2  gage)  had  been  supposed  to  register  correctly.  This  caused  the  engineer 
to  question  the  inspector's  test  gage.  The  inspector,  however,  took  down  and 
tested  the  No.  2  gage,  and  found  it  to  be  2  lbs.  "fast"  as  compared  with  his 
test  gage.  The  engineer  was  now  certain  of  the  inaccuracy  of  the  test  gage, 
and  not  too  sure  of  the  reliability  and  usefulness  of  boiler  inspectors  in  general, 
but  the  inspector,  loath  to  distrust  his  old  and  tried  friend,  sought  for  some 
obstruction  in  the  gage  connection,  without  however  succeeding  in  his  search. 
As  he  tersely  puts  it,  "  She  was  wide  open,  and  so  was  the  engineer."  Still, 
unable  to  lose  all  faith  in  his  pet  gage  and  pump,  he  ordered  the  offender 
replaced  on  the  No.  2  boiler,  and  there  it  stood  wnth  its  hand  quite  still  at  125 
lbs.  The  inspector,  now  wholly  aroused,  climbed  up  on  a  ladder  to  obtain  if 
possible,  some  additional  information.  The  hand  seemed  clear  of  the  glass  and 
dial,  but  he  finally  noticed  a  slight  bulge  near  the  center  of  the  dial,  sufficient  to 
cause  the  hand  to  hang  up.  He  removed  the  face,  set  the  dial  back,  and 
replaced  the  gage,  only  to  find  it  still  10  lbs.  off,  as  compared  with  that  on  the 
other  boiler. 

This  set  the  inspector  thinking.  He  was  sure  the  hand  w^as  not  resting  on 
the  dial  when  he  set  the  gage,  and  tested  it  with  his  pump.  He  had  also  done 
all  the  work  himself  except  taking  it  down,  and  putting  it  back,  which  fact 
at  last  lead  him  to  the  answer  to  his  puzzle.  He  examined  the  screws  which 
held  the  gage  to  the  boiler  front,  and  found  them  all  set  up  tight,  clamping 
the  back  of  the  gage  securely  to  the  boiler  front.  This,  instead  of  being  per- 
fectly flat,  was  somewhat  uneven,  and  thus  caused  the  back  of  the  gage  to  be 
pushed  forward  enough  to  make  the  dial  encounter  the  hand,  causing  con- 
siderable friction,  and  explaining  its  erratic  action.  He  found  that  he  could 
easily  vary  the  reading  10  lbs.  by  merely  manipulating  these  holding  screws, 
and  when  all  tension  was  removed  from  the  back  of  the  gage,  it  fell  into  line, 
not  only  with  the  gage  on  the  other  boiler,  but  with  that  in  the  engine  room 
as  well,  completely  \nndicating  his  pet  test  gage,  and  we  are  lead  to  judge, 
somewhat  discomfiting  the  engineer. 


A   NOVEL    METHOD    FOR    THE    PREVENTION    OF    BOILER 

EXPLOSIONS. 

We  extract  the  following  from  a  letter,  written  by  one  of  our  southern 
inspectors. 

"  Some  few  years  ago  a  man  in  southern  Arkansas  owned  and  operated 
a  small  single  boiler  sawmill.  The  boiler  after  several  years  service,  had 
developed  a  small  steam  leak  at  a  longitudinal  seam.  The  firemen  reported 
the  fact  to  the  proprietor  and  stated  that  he,  (the  fireman)  was  afraid  she  would 
"bust."  The  German  brains  of  the  proprietor  devised  and  executed  the  follow- 
ing idea.  Securing  several  lengths  of  log  chain,  and  fastening  them  together 
at  the  ends  until  a  sufficient  length  was  obtained.  He  wrapped  the  boiler  in 
a  spiral  fashion  with  several  turns  of  the  chain,  hauling  it  taut  with  a  yoke 
of  oxen,  after  which  wedges  were  driven  under  the  chains  at  several  points." 


THe  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  lospeciiOQ  aqil  Insurance  GoiDpaiiy. 


ABSTRACT  OF  STATEMENT,  JANUARY   1,  1912. 
Capital  Stock,      .        .        .       $1,000,000.00. 

ASSETS 

Cash  on  hand  and  in  course  of  transmission $204,693.25 

Premiums    in    course    of    collection, 263,453.33 

Real   estate, 91,100.00 

Loaned  on  bond  and  mortgage, 1,166,360.00 

Stocks  and  bonds,  market  value, 3,249,216.00 

Interest  accrued 71,052.02 

Total    Assets, $5,045,874.60 

LIABILITIES. 

Premium    Reserve, $2,042,218.21 

Losses    unadjusted 102,472.53 

Commissions  and  brokerage, 52,690.67 

Other  liabilities  (taxes  accrued,  etc.), 47,191.65 

Capital    Stock, $1,000,000.00 

Surplus   over   all   liabilities 1,801,301.54 

Surplus  as  regards  Policy-holders,                    .       $2,801,301.54  2,801,301.54 
Total  Liabilities, $5,045,874.60 


L.  B.  BRAINERD,  President  and  Treasurer. 

FRANCIS  B.  ALLEN,  Vice-President.  CHAS.  S.  BLAKE,  Secretary. 

L.  F.  MIDDLEBROOK,  Assistant  Secretary. 

W.  R.  C.  CORSON,  Assistant  Secretary. 

S.  F.  Jeter,  Supervising  Inspector. 

E.  J.  Murphy.  M.  E.,  Consulting  Engineer. 

F.  M.  Fitch,  Auditor. 


Board   of   directors 


GEORGE  BURNHAM, 

The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works,  Phila- 
delphia, Pa. 
ATWOOD  COLLINS,   President, 

The   Security   Co.,   Hartford,    Conn. 
LUCIUS       F.        ROBINSON,       Attorney, 

Hartford,   Conn. 
JOHN    O.    ENDERS,   United   States   Bank, 

Hartford,   Conn. 
LYMAN    B.    BRAINERD, 

Director,    Swift    &    Company. 
MORGAN    B.    BRAINARD. 

Vice-Pres.    and    Treasurer,    The    JEtnn 

Life    Insurance    Co.,    Hartford,    Conn. 
FRANCIS     B.     ALLEN,     Vice-Pres.,     The 

Hartford   Steam   Boiler   Inspection   and 

Insurance    Company. 
CHARLES    P.    COOLEY,    Vice-Pres., 

The     Fidelity     Trust     Co.,     Hartford, 

Conn. 


ARTHUR    L.    SHIPMAN,  Attorney, 
Hartford,   Conn. 

GEORGE  C.  KIMBALL,  President,  The 
Smyth   Mfg.   Co.,   Hartford,   Conn. 

CHARLES  M.  JARVIS,  President,  The 
American  Hardware  Corporation,  New 
Britain,  Conn. 

FRANCIS  T.  MAXWELL,  President, 
The  Hockanum  Mills  Company,  Rock- 
ville,   Conn. 

HORACE  B.  CHENEY,  Cheney  Brothers 
Silk  Manufacturing  Co.,  South  Man- 
chester,  Conn. 

D.  NEWTON  BARNEY,  Treasurer,  The 
Hartford  Electric  Light  Co.,  and 
Director  N.  Y.,  N.  H.  and  H.  R.  R. 
Co. 

DR  GEORGE  C.  F.  WILLIAMS,  Treas. 
and  General  Manager,  The  Capewell 
Horse  Nail   Co.,   Hartford,   Conn. 


Incorporated  1866. 


Charter  Perpetual. 


TKe  mrtforil  Steam  Boiler  HispeetiOQ  aqil  Insoiance  Gompaiii 

ISSUES  POLICIES  OF  INSURANCE  COVERING 

ALL  LOSS  OF  PROPERTY 

AS  WELL  AS  DAMAGE  RESULTING  FROM 

LOSS  OF  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  INJURIES  DUE  TO  EXPLOSIONS 
OF  STEAM  BOILERS  OR  FLY  WHEELS. 

Full  information  concerning  the  Company's  Operations  can  be  obtained  at 

any  of  its  Agencies. 


Department. 

ATLANTA,    Ga., 

611-613  Empire  Bldg. 

BALTIMORE,  Md.,  . 
13-14-15   Abell   Bldg. 

BOSTON,   Mass.,       . 
loi  Milk  St. 

CHICAGO,  111.,  . 

160  West  Jackson  St. 

CINCINNATI,  Ohio, 

First  National  Bank  Bldg. 

CLEVELAND,    Ohio, 
Century  Bldg. 

DENVER,   Colo., 

Room  2,  Jacobson  Bldg. 

HARTFORD,    Conn., 
56  Prospect  St. 

NEW  ORLEANS,  La.,    . 

833-835   Gravier  St. 
NEW  YORK,  N.  Y., 

100  William  St. 

PHILADELPHIA,  Pa.,     . 

432  Walnut  St. 

PITTSBURG,  Pa.,     . 

1801-1802  Arrott  Bldg. 

PORTLAND,  Ore.,    . 
306  Yeon  Bldg. 

SAN  FRANOSCO,  Cal.,  . 

339-341  Sansome  St. 
ST.  LOUIS.  Mo., 

319  North  Fourth  St. 

TORONTO,   Canada, 

Continental  Life  Bldg. 


Representatives. 

W.  M.  Francis, 

Manager  &  Chief  Inspector. 

Lawford  &  McKiM,  General  Agents. 
R.  E.  MuNRO,  Chief  Inspector. 

C.  E.  Roberts,  Manager. 

Joseph  H.  McNeil,  Chief  Inspector. 

H.  M.  Lemon,  Manager. 

James  L.  Foord  Chief  Inspector. 

J.  T.  Coleman,  Assistant  Chief  Inspector. 

W.  E.  Gleason,  Manager. 
Walter  Gerner,  Chief  Inspector. 

H.  A.  Baumhart, 

Manager  &  Chief  Inspector. 

Thos.  E.  Shears, 

General  Agent  &  Chief  Inspector. 

F.  H.  Williams,  Jr.,  General  Agent. 
F.  S.  Allen,  Chief  Inspector. 

Peter  F.  Pescud,  General  Agent. 
R.  T.  Burwell,  Chief  Inspector. 

C.  C.  Gardiner,  Manager. 

W.   W.   Manning,   Chief   Inspector. 

Corbin,  Goodrich  &  Wickham,  General  Agents. 

Wm.  J.  Farran,  Chief  Inspector. 

S.  B.  Adams,  Assistant  Chief  Inspector. 

C.  D.  AsHCROFT,  Manager. 

Benjamin  Ford,  Chief  Inspector. 

W.  A.  Craig,  Assistant  Chief  Inspector. 

McCargar,  Bates  &  Lively,  General  Agents. 
C.  B.  Paddock,  Chief  Inspector. 

H.  R.  Mann  &  Co.,  General  Agents. 
J.  B.  Warner,  Chief  Inspector. 

V.  Hugo, 

Manager  &  Chief  Inspector. 

H.  N.  Roberts, 

General    Agent. 


"^^.^^my 


Vol.  XXIX.  HARTFORD,  COXX.,  OCTOBER,  1912. 


Xo.  4. 


COPYRIGHT,  1912,  BY  THE  HARTFORD  STEAM  BOILER  INSPECTION  AND  INSURANCE  CO. 


A  VuLCAXizER   Explosion. 


98  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [October. 

Vulcanizer  Explosion. 

Our  front  cover  shows  the  failure  of  a  vulcanizer  May  l6  at  the  plant  of 
the  Empire  Rubber  Company,  at  Trenton,  N.  J.  This  type  of  vessel  presents 
an  interesting  problem  in  design  because  of  its  large  size>  and  the  necessity  of 
providing  it  with  a  large  cover,  which  shall  be  at  once  amply  strong  and  capable 
of  quick  opening  and  closing,  a  feature  which  usually  results  in  the  use  of  some 
form  of  casting,  with  all  the  difficulties  which  that  type  of  construction  involves. 
The  failure  of  one  of  these  vessels  is  apt  to  be  very  destructive  and  is  frequently 
attended  by  loss  of  life.  In  the  present  instance  ona  man  was  killed  outright, 
and  two  others  were  fatally  injured.  This  was  explosion  No.  238  in  our  list 
for  j\Iay,   1912. 


Old  Boilers. 

The  subject  of  a  proper  retiring  age  for  old  steam  boilers  is  one  which 
comes  frequently  to  light,  and  which  has  been  in  the  past  a  most  fruitful 
source  of  controversy.  Of  course  there  can  be  no  question  as  to  the  propriety 
of  condemning  to  forced  retirement  those  boilers  whose  diseases  of  one  sort 
or  another  have  reached  the  chronic  stage,  and  are  no  longer  curable,  but  there 
is  at  once  the  basis  for  a  deal  of  argument  when  an  inspector  approaches  the 
owner  of  a  boiler  with  the  statement  that  it  must  be  replaced  because  of  old 
age,  especially  if  it  is  known  to  have  all  the  apparent  qualifications  except 
youth,  for  many  additional  years  of  service. 

In  the  past  many  curious  properties  have  been  attributed  to  old  boilers. 
One  of  the  most  interesting  was  the  notion  that  they  could  not  explode 
violently.  It  was  supposed  that  an  old  boiler  would  merely  rupture,  allowing 
the  pressure  to  be  relieved  much  as  if  the  safety  valve  had  opened.  This  idea 
was  discussed  at  some  length  in  the  Locomotive  in  1881.  It  was  definitely 
disproved  along  with  many  other  fallacies,  and  much  popular  mystery  concern- 
ing boiler  explosions,  by  a  series  of  experiments  conducted  by  Mr.  Francis  B. 
Stevens,  of  Hoboken,  the  founder  of  Stevens  Institute,  and  Prof.  R.  H. 
Tliurston,  at  the  Sandy  Hook  proving  grounds  in  the  fall  of  1871.  These 
tests  consisted  of  a  series  of  prearranged  boiler  explosions  in  which  old 
boilers,  and  some  new  boiler  elements  were  exploded  by  raising  a  steam  pres- 
sure in  them  sufficient  to  produce  failure.  They  gave  the  first  conclusive  proof 
of  the  fact  that  a  boiler  filled  with  water  to  its  normal  level  could  explode,  and 
also  that  a  boiler  might  explode  violently  when  hot  and  under  steam  at  a 
pressure  less  than  that  which  it  had  successfully  withstood  under  the  ordinary 
hydrostatic  test. 

In  1881  ]\Ir.  W.  B.  LeVan.  of  Philadelphia,  proposed  to  the  American 
Society  of  Mechanical  Engineers  *  that  all  steam  boilers  should  be  retired  at 
the  age  of  ten  years  arbitrarily,  in  much  the  same  way  that  car  wheels  and 
axles  are  retired  after  a  certain  mileage.  His  reason  for  this  view  was  his 
general  distrust  of  boiler  inspection,  and  although  he  admitted  that  the  use 
and  care  a  boiler  received  must  influence  its  life,  he  was  unwilling  to  believe 
in  the  probability  of  an  inspector  finding  the  extent  of  that  influence,  and  so 
expected  to  forestall  all  danger  by  his  ten  year  limit.  Of  course  it  was  pointed 
out  at  that  time  that  such  a  rule  would  work  great  hardship  to  the  owner  who 

*"TheLifetimeor  Age  of  Steam  Boilers."    W.  B.  Le  Van. Trans.  .\.S.M.E.  Vol.  II..  Page  503. 


I9I2.]  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  99 

used  a  good  boiler  well,  and  would  unduly  encourage  the  unscrupulous  owner 
to  push  his  poor  boilers,  by  fair  means  or  foul,  to  accomplish  their  utmost 
in  the  allotted  ten  years. 

However  there  is  a  border  line  between  the  obvious  defects  an  inspector 
can  detect,  and  that  gradual  change  in  the  physical  character  of  the  metal 
coming  with  advanced  age  and  long  use,  which  can  only  be  implied  by  a 
knowledge  of  similar  cases.  Here  it  is  that  an  insurance  company  must  at 
times  make  a  stand  for  the  removal  from  service  of  an  old  boiler,  or  at  least 
for  a  great  reduction  in  the  pressure  at  which  it  is  worked.  In  order  to  prove 
the  soundness  of  such  rulings,  old  boilers  have  been  tested  from  time  to  time, 
and  it  is  the  purpose  of  the  present  article  to  review  certain  of  these  tests, 
and  show  the  character  of  the  evidence  upon  which  these  old  age  retirements 
are  based. 

In  general  two  sorts  of  tests  can  be  made.  One  sort,  of  which  the  early 
tests  of  Stevens  and  Tliurston  are  examples,  consists  in  subjecting  the  entire 
boiler,  considered  as  an  engineering  structure,  to  either  a  steam,  or  hydrostatic 
pressure  great  enough  to  cause  rupture.  The  hydrostatic  test  is  usually  em- 
ployed since  it  permits  careful  measurements  of  the  strains  at  various  points 
to  be  made  as  the  test  progresses,  and  with  these  an  accurate  record  of  the 
pressures  producing  them.  The  other  class  includes  tests  of  the  metal  taken 
from  different  parts  of  a  boiler,  to  show  its  physical  and  chemical  properties, 
and  if  the  original  condition  of  the  material  is  known,  is  of  great  value.  It  of 
course  may  very  well  form  an  addition  to  a  test  of  the  first  sort.  Within  a 
short  time,  five  old  boilers,  whose  entire  history  is  knowm,  have  been  tested 
to  destruction  by  the  application  of  hydrostatic  pressure.  Tliree  of  these,  the 
property  of  the  Oliver  Iron  Mining  Co.,  of  Ishpeming,  Mich.,  were  tested 
by  Mr.  A.  M.  Gow,  their  assistant  engineer.  The  other  two  were  presented  to 
the  Bureau  of  Standards  for  test  by  Mr.  Nicholas  Sheldon,  treasurer  of  the 
Kendall  Manufacturing  Co.,  of  Providence,  R.  I.  These  boilers  were  tested 
to  destruction  at  the  plant  of  W.  H.  Hicks,  boiler  makers.  Providence,  R.  I., 
by  Mr.  James  E.  Howard,  engineer  —  physicist  of  the  Bureau  of  Standards, 
assisted  and  advised  by  Mr.  F.  B.  Allen,  vice-president  of  The  Hartford  Ste.\m 
Boiler  Inspection  and  Insurance  Co.  All  five  of  these  boilers  had  been  carried 
on  the  books  of  the  Hartford,  and  had  been  removed  from  service  at  their 
request. 

The  boilers  tested  by  Mr.  Gow,  were  known  in  the  records  of  the  Hartford 
by  the  numbers  301,  302,  and  303  and  will  be  designated  in  this  way.  They 
were  nearly  identical  in  construction,  of  the  horizontal  return  tubular  type, 
"72  inches  in  diameter,  and  15  feet  long.  The  shells  were  in  five  courses,  and 
were  made  of  y%  inch  plate.  The  heads  were  Yz  inch  in  thickness.  The  longi- 
tudinal seams  were  of  the  double  riveted  lap  type  fastened  with  Y^  inch  rivets, 
pitched  2  inches  apart,  and  each  boiler  was  fitted  with  a  cast  iron  manhole 
frame  on  top  of  the  next  to  the  last  course,  with  a  clear  opening  of  about 
12X16  inches  having  its  greatest  diameter  girthwise  of  the  boiler.  Two  4 
inch  cast  iron  nozzles  were  also  fitted  to  each  boiler,  one  on  the  rear,  and 
one  on  the  second  course,  for  the  attachment  of  the  safety  valves  and  steam 
pipes.  The  blow  off  connections  were  in  the  rear  heads,  and  had  been  used 
for  a  long  time  for  the  introduction  of  the  feed  water.  Reference  to  Fig.  i 
will  make  clear  the  general  arrangement  of  the  boilers,  and  will  indicate  their 
only  point  of  difference,  namely  that  No.  302  contained  112  three  inch  tubes, 
while  both  No.  301,  and  No.  303  were  provided  with  S3  four  inch  tubes. 


100 


T.HE  .  LOCOMOTIVE 

— -— yiU:  ■ 


[October, 


I  Fig.  I.     Details   of  Boilers  301,  302,  and  303. 

Hie  report  of  the  Hartford's  inspector  shows  that  these  boilers,  aside  from 
age  were  in  apparent  good  order.  There  was  evidence  that  no  rivets  had 
been  replaced,  and  that  the  seams  had  never  been  chipped  and  caulked.  No 
fire  cracks  were  visible,  and  although  there  was  a  slight  indication  of  over- 
heating on  the  bottom  sheets  of  the  rear  courses,  this  was  considered  trivial. 
The  only  repairs  known  to  have  been  made,  were  several  complete  renewals 
of  the   tubes. 

All  three  boilers  appear  to  have  been  made  by  Kendall  and  Roberts  of 
Boston,  No.  302  about  1877,  and  the  other  two  about  1879.  The  steel  plates 
in  No.  302  were  branded  "  Bay  State  Homo,"  while  those  of  No.  301  and  No. 
303  bore  the  brand  "  Nashua  Iron  and  Steel  Co.,  Nashua,  N.  H."  "  Cast  Steel 
60,000  lbs.,"  and  an  encircled  Indian's  head.  Mr.  Gow  in  his  report  of  the 
tests  published  in  "Power"  gives  it  as  his  opinion  that  these  were  among 
the  first  boilers  to  be  made  in  this  country  of  Siemens  open  hearth  steel. 

Boiler  No.  302  was  tested  June  6,  1911.  Pressure  was  applied  gradually, 
and  at  275  lbs.,  the  manhole  frame  failed,  tearing  the  adjacent  sheet  as  shown 
in  Fig.  2.  A  steel  tape  stretched  around  the  boiler  girthwise,  showed  a 
stretch  of  3/16  inch  in  circumference  just  before  the  rupture,  but  on  the  re- 
lease of  the  pressure,  no  permanent  set  was  found,  showing  that  the  elastic 
limit  of  the  plate  had  not  been  reached. 

Boiler  No.  303  was  tested  the  following  day,  and  in  order  to  find  if  possible 
other   sources   of   weakness,   the   manhole    frame   was   removed,   and   the   open- 


IQI^. 


T  1  [  I'      L  U  C  O  M  O  T  1  V  E  , 


101 


Fig.  2.     Showint,  the  Brikf.x  Manhole  Frame  of  Boiler  30_'. 


Fig.  3-    Appearance   of   Boiler   303   After   Testing. 


ing  patched  with  a  5/^  inch  plate.  This  was  secured  to  the  shell  with  ^4  inch 
tap  bolts  tapped  into  the  patch,  and  passing  through  the  holes  where  the  manhole 
frame  had  been  riveted  to  the  shell  plate.  Pressure  was  gradually  applied 
as  with  the  other  boiler,  and  at  297  lbs.,  the  limit  of  the  hand  pump  used  was 
reached,  so  that  the  pressure  had  to  be  released,  and  another  source  of  pres- 


102 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE 


[October, 


sure  connected.  No  permanent  set  was  recorded  up  to  this  point.  When  the 
pressure  was  resumed  and  carried  up  to  the  300  mark,  the  leakage  was  so 
general  that  the  pump  had  to  be  stopped  to  enable  a  patch  bolt  to  be  caulked, 
and  several  plugs  to  be  tightened.  Pressure  was  applied  for  the  third  time, 
and  at  300  lbs.,  13  patch  bolts  sheared,  the  beading  at  the  tube  ends  started, 
the  tube  sheets  showed  distress,  and  a  permanent  set  of  about  1/16  inch  in 
the  circumference  of  the  boiler  was  recorded.  After  the  release  of  pressure, 
the  patch  was  found  to  overlap  the  bolt  holes  about  Yi  inch.  Its  appearance 
after  the  test  is  shown  in  Fig.  3. 

Boiler  No.  301  was  tested  in  its  original  condition,  and  failed  through  the 
manhole  frame  at  a  pressure  of  260  lbs.  A  set  of  Vs  inch  in  the  circumference, 
was  noted,  along  with  evidences  of  distress  in  the  longitudinal  seams. 

Test  specimens  were  cut  from  these  boilers,  at  points  exposed  to  the  action 
of  the  fire,  and  also  on  the  top.  These  were  tested  for  strength  and  elonga- 
tion, and  also  submitted  to  a  chemical  analysis,  the  results  of  which  are  shown 
in  Table  I. 

Table  I. 


Tensile  strength. 

Elongation 

Reduction  inarea 
Elastic   limit. . 


Boiler  No.  302. 


Over  fire. 


60,460  lbs. 

22.5% 

53.7% 

36,690  lbs. 


On  top. 


70,145  lbs. 

20.12% 

47.05% 

39,060  lbs. 


Boiler  No.  303. 


Over  fire. 


60, 186  lbs, 

21.5  % 

54.52% 

38,280  lbs. 


On  top. 


56,400  lbs. 

27.25% 

64.88% 

37,230  lbs. 


Boiler  No.  301. 


Over  fire.    |      On  top. 


60,780  lbs. 
26.5  % 
61.62% 


61,680  lbs. 

19.75% 
50.80% 


.33,100  lbs. '38, 820  lbs. 


Chemical  Properties. 


Carbon .... 
Sulphur... . 
Manganese 
Phosphorus 


0.13  % 
0.026% 
0.27  % 
0.097% 


0.17  % 
0.023% 
0.29  % 
0.097% 


0.25  % 
0.121% 
0.37  % 
0.092% 


0.13  % 
0.022% 
0.20  % 
0.105% 


0.18  % 
0.022% 
0.28  % 
0.085% 


*  Bent  cold  to  180°  without  fracture. 

These  boilers  had  been  designed  for  a  pressure  of  loo  lbs.,  but  owing  to  the 
low  factor  of  safety  which  they  would  have  at  this  pressure,  due  to  the  low 
efficiency  of  the  longitudinal  joints,  they  had  been  worked  at  a  pressure  of 
8o  lbs.  At  this  pressure,  the  actual  factor  of  safety,  based  on  the  pressure  of 
260  lbs.  at  which  the  manhole  frame  of  boiler  No.  301  failed  was  only  3.25. 

The  two  old  boilers  tested  at  Providence  by  the  Bureau  of  Standards  were 
of  a  type  very  similar  to  those  tested  by  Mr.  Gow.  Tliey  were  also  five  course 
horizontal  tubular  boilers,  y2  inches  in  diameter,  by  fifteen  feet  long  between 
tube   sheets,  with   the   first  course  extending   12   inches  at  the   front   as  a   dry 


191-'.  1 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE, 


103 


Fig.  4.     Boiler  4092  Prior  to  the  Test.     Note  the   io-inxh  Gaged  Lengths. 

sheet.  Their  appearance  prior  to  the  test  is  shown  by  Fig.  4.  The  longitudinal 
joints  were  double  riveted  lap  seams,  ^  inch  rivets,  pitched  2  inches,  placed 
in  punched  holes.  The  plate  thickness  was  ^  inch  for  the  shell,  and  Yz  inch 
in  the  heads.  Both  boilers  contained  140  three  inch  tubes.  Domes  2  feet 
6  inches  in  diameter  were  provided  on  the  second  course,  and  cast  iron  man- 
hole frames  and  safety  valve  nozzles  were  fitted  to  the  middle  and  rear  courses, 
respectively.  Both  boilers  were  made  at  the  shops  of  the  Whittier  Machine 
Co.,  Boston,  Mass.,  in  1881,  of  "  Benzon  "  steel.  They  were  known  as  No.  4084 
and  No.  4092  on  the  Hartforb's  records,  and  were  designated  by  these  num- 
bers in  the  report  of  the  test  published  in  the  November  1911  number  of  the 
Journal  of  the  American  Societj-  of  Mechanical  Engineers. 

In  this  series  of  tests  especial  attention  was  given  to  measuring  the  strains 
and  deformations  produced  in  the  boiler  sheets  as  the  pressure  was  increased, 
because  in  this  way  a  knowledge  of  the  actual  behavior  of  the  boiler  could  be 
obtained,  and  so  checked  up  with  the  strains  which  might  be  expected  if  the 
ordinary  assumptions  underlying  calculations  of  boiler  strength  are  justified. 
To  this  end  small  holes  were  drilled  at  different  points  in  pairs,  exactly  ten 
inches  apart  as  is  shown  in  Fig  4.  These  were  then  reamed  out  with  a  conical 
reamer,  so  as  to  serve  for  centering  two  corresponding  cone  shaped  points  on  a 
micrometer  strain  gage.  This  instrument  could  be  applied  to  a  pair  of  holes, 
and  their  exact  distance  apart  compared  to  that  between  an  exactly  similar 
pair  prepared  at  tbe  ends  of  a  carefully  measured  length  in  a  standard  bar. 
After  a  stress  was  applied  to  the  boiler,  the  distance  between  any  pair  of 
holes  could  again  be  compared  with  the  standard,  and  the  difference  between 
the  two  sets  of  readings  would  be  the  stretch.  It  was  said  that  these  measure- 
ments were  known  with  a  certainty  of  o.oooi  inch,  which  is  about  the 
stretch  which  we  might  expect  to  find  in  a  bar  of  steel,  i  square  inch  in  cross 


104  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [October, 

section  and  ten  inches  long,  if  it  were  subjected  to  a  pull  of  300  lbs.  If  we  take 
the  stress  which  will  produce  a  given  stretch  in  a  piece  of  material  i  inch 
long,  and  divide  this  pull  or  stress  by  the  resultant  strain,  we  get  a  number 
known  as  the  "  IModulus  of  Elasticity."  In  the  present  case,  a  stretch  of 
1/10,000  inch  in  ten  inches,  would  mean  an  increase  of  i/io  of  this,  or 
1/100,000  inch  in  a  length  of  i  inch,  and  if  we  were  to  divide  the  stress,  300 
lbs.,  by  this  strain  in  a  i  inch  length,  i/ioo.ooo,  we  should  obtain  the  number 
30,000,000  which  is  the  modulus  of  elasticity  for  steel.  (As  a  matter  of  fact 
the  modulus  must  not  be  thought  of  as  being  obtained  from  these  figures,  for 
of  course  the  pull  to  produce  this  stretch  of  1/10,000  inch  in  ten  inches  was 
estimated  from  the  modulus  obtained  by  averaging  a  large  number  of  tests, 
in  which  the  length  of  the  specimen,  the  pull  applied  and  the  resulting  in- 
crease of  length  were  carefully  recorded.)  Knowing  the  modulus  then,  we 
are  in  a  position  to  predict  the  strain  which  ought  to  result  from  any  given 
pressure  applied  to  the  inside  of  a  boiler,  and  if  in  testing,  the  actual  strains 
differ  from  these,  we  must  look  for  the  cause  of  the  rigidity  if  the  strains  are 
too  small,  or  of  the  yielding  if  they  are  too  great,  and  see  if  the  behavior  of 
the  metal  can  be  attributed  to  any  peculiarity  in  the  boiler  structure  which 
causes  a  different  distribution  of  stress  from  that  expected.  Having  out- 
lined the  methods  of  investigation,  we  will  not  endeavor  to  review  all  the  de- 
tails of  the  measurements  made,  but  refer  the  reader  who  desires  to  enter  into 
these  more  fully  to  the  published  report,  as  we  are  concerned  only  with  the 
results. 

Boiler  No.  4084  was  tested  first.  At  a  pressure  of  266  lbs.,  leakage  along 
the  longitudinal  joint  of  the  dome  had  become  so  great  as  to  necessitate  its 
removal.  The  shell  was  closed  with  a  patch,  double  riveted,  which  made  use 
of  the  same  holes  as  had  previously  served  for  fastening  the  dome.  At  270 
lbs.,  the  cast  iron  manhole  frame  ruptured  across  the  middle  of  its  length 
and  a  second  patch,  closing  the  opening,  was  applied  in  its  place.  When  a 
pressure  of  295  lbs.  had  been  reached,  3-front  head  braces  let  go  and  the  test 
was  discontinued.  The  boiler  was  subsequently  dismantled,  in  order  to  permit 
a  detailed  examination  of  its  interior  to  be  made.  Certain  regions  of  distress 
were  revealed  through  the  disturbance  of  the  scale  with  which  the  metal  was 
slightly  incrusted.  This  distress  was  most  evident  in  the  dome,  at  its  longi- 
tudinal seam,  and  also  under  the  points  of  attachment  of  the  lugs,  by  which 
the  boiler  had  been  supported  during  the  test,  and  also  when  in  service.  Fig.  5 
shows  this  disturbance  under  the  lugs  excellently,  and  also  indicates  the  slip 
of  the  longitudinal  joint. 

The  strain  measurements  were  less  comprehensive  on  this  boiler  than  on 
No.  4092,  and  in  general  were  very  similar.  One  feature  was  noticed  however, 
which  was  absent  in  the  latter  case.  The  gaged  lengths,  which  spanned  the 
longitudinal  joints,  and  therefore  measured  their  slip,  decreased  with  great 
uniformity  from  the  front  towards  the  rear,  suggesting  that  even  though  these 
seams  were  not  directly  exposed  to  the  action  of  the  fire,  there  was  a  greater 
range  of  temperature  strain  at  the  front  than  at  the  rear.  This  result  is 
especially  interesting  in  the  light  of  the  experiments,  reported  below,  on  a 
French  boiler  of  considerable  age,  in  which  it  was  clearly  shown  that  the 
deterioration  of  the  metal  was  closely  correlated  to  its  position  with  respect 
to  the  direct  action  of  the  fire. 


1 1) I-'.] 


THE     L  O  C  O  M  O  1"  1  V  E  . 


105 


In  tlie  hope  of  attaining  higher  pressures,  boiler  No.  4092  was  strengthened 
prior  to  the  test,  by  removing  the  dome  and  manhole  frame,  and  replacing 
them  with  patches.  The  safety  valve  nozzle  was  allowed  to  remain,  but  as  the 
lest  progressed,  it  was  found  necessary  to  replace  it  with  a  soft  patch,  as  it 
was  impracticable  to  caulk  the  leaks  occurring  at  its  junction  with  the  shell. 
Six  I  ?4  "inch  through  stays  were  also  added  to  give  additional  support  to  the 
sciiincnts  of  the  heads  above  the  tubes. 


i    ^'    ^ 


""■*\##^ 


'**:i:t*'*u 


♦♦•♦♦♦ 


♦♦♦* 


♦♦♦ 


Fig.   5.     SHowaNG  the  Evidence  of   Distress   Under   the   Lugs   and  at  the 

Longitudinal  Joint. 


Pressure  was  raised,  and  at  each  increment  of  pressure,  careful  measure- 
ments of  the  various  gaged  lengths  were  made,  in  order  to  compute  the  strains. 
At  300  lbs.  pressure,  the  safety  valve  nozzle  had  to  be  replaced,  and  at  335 
lbs.,  the  manhole  patch  failed,  shearing  its  rivets,  and  tearing  the  sheet. 
A  section  of  the  sheet  was  cut  out  from  girth  seam  to  girth  seam,  and  a  double 
riveted  patch  inserted  in  its  place.  This  patch  was  necessarily  hand  riveted,  and 
at  the  time  of  publication  of  the  results  of  these  tests,  higher  pressures  than 
335  lbs.,  had  not  been  attained  due  to  excessive  leakage  at  this  patch. 

The  results  of  the  strain  measurements  of  which  some  3,300  were  taken, 
may  be  briefly  summarized  as  follows :  The  well  known  stiffening  effect  of 
girth  seams  and  heads  were  abundantly  confirmed,  as  was  the  great  weakness 
of  the  top  center  line  of  the  boiler  due  to  the  presence  of  an  opening  in  nearly 
every  course.  The  double  riveted  lap  joints,  were  found  to  give  rise  to  an 
excessive  slip,  and  the  effect  of  this  slip,  in  producing  abnormal  stresses  in  the 


106  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [October, 

solid  plate  abreast  the  ends  of  the  seam  were  commented  on.  It  was  also 
evident  that  since  the  longitudinal  seams  in  successive  courses  were  only 
separated  by  three  rivet  pitches  (6  inches),  girthwise,  a  belt  of  great  tan- 
gential weakness  existed  from  end  to  end  of  the  boiler,  and  on  each  side, 
through  these  seams. 

If  a  plain  cylinder  is  subjected  to  an  internal  pressure,  the  metal  ought  to 
contract  in  length,  to  make  up  for  its  tangential,  or  round-a-bout  extension. 
Such  a  contraction  occurred  in  the  metal  of  the  boiler  shell,  but  was  not 
uniform,  indeed  in  the  top  part  of  the  boiler,  there  was  an  actual  extension. 
It  is  also  obvious,  that  if  a  plain  cylinder,  like  a  boiler  tube,  is  subjected  to 
an  external  pressure,  the  tube  should  extend  in  length,  to  make  up  for  the 
girthwise  contraction.  In  the  boiler  tested,  such  an  extension  of  the  tubes 
was  found,  though  it  was  modified  to  some  extent,  by  the  position  of  the 
tube  in  the  shell.  Those  tubes  situated  in  the  center  of  the  nest,  were  in 
every  case  extended  more  than  those  near  the  shell,  as  if  the  flanged  head 
exerted  a  restraining  influence.  It  was  pointed  out  as  a  matter  of  fact,  that 
this  extension  of  the  tubes,  coupled  as  it  was  with  a  contraction  lengthwise  of 
the  shell,  imposed  a  considerable  bending  moment  on  the  flanges  of  the  heads. 

Let  us  now,  before  attempting  to  form  an  opinion,  or  draw  conclusions  as 
to  the  results  of  these  tests,  pass  on  to  a  consideration  of  a  series  of  tests 
of  the  second  sort  made  with  great  care,  in  which  samples  of  the  material  of 
some  very  old  boilers  of  known  antecedents  were  tested  both  physically  and 
chemically.  It  is  a  point  worthy  of  note  that  in  these  tests,  especial  care  was 
taken  to  keep  track  of  the  part  of  the  boiler  from  which  the  test  specimens 
were  taken  in  order  that  any  peculiarity  due  to  exposure  either  to  extreme 
temperature  conditions,  or  to  unusual  structural  stresses  might  be  observed. 

These  tests,  made  by  Messrs.  A.  Olry,  and  P.  Bonnet,  form  the  subject 
of  an  extended  report  to  the  (French)  Association  of  Owners  of  Steam  Ap- 
paratus, at  the  33d  Congress  of  that  society  held  at  Paris  in  1909.* 

Their  attention  was  called  to  this  subject,  by  the  fact  that  several  more  or 
less  discrepant  reports  as  to  the  effect  of  age  on  boiler  plate,  had  been  made 
from  time  to  time,  particularly,  some  tests  on  the  material  of  very  old  boilers 
made  by  Walther-Meunier,  and  reported  in  1903-1904,  to  the  same  Association. 
He  had  found  some  old  plate  so  brittle  that  he  was  of  the  opinion  that  all 
boilers  should  be  retired  after  from  30  to  35  years  use,  if  worked  12  hours  a 
day,  and  if  worked  24  hours,  he  thought  that  a  lower  limit  of  useful  life 
should  be  set,  say  20-25  years.  This  raised  a  storm  of  protest  and  discussion 
among  the  French  engineers,  many  of  whom  cited  tests  to  the  contrary,  and  the 
result  was  that  his  work  came  to  be  largely  discounted  because  of  lack  of 
data  as  to  the  original  condition  of  the  material. 

Olry  and  Bonnet  were  interested  in  this  controversy  and  when  they  were 
presented  with  the  opportunity  of  testing  some  old  boilers  whose  history  was 
available,  they  made  the  investigations  which  form  the  basis  of  the  report 
we  are  considering. 

La  Societe  des  Hants  Fourneaux,  Forges  et  Acieries  de  Denain  et  D'Anzin, 
a  French  steel  works  of  considerable  note,  installed  during  1873  and  1874,  14 
boilers    for   use    at   their   works.     They   were   made   by    Schneider    et    Cie.,    at 


*  Comptes  Rendus  Des  Seances  Du  33e.   Congrfes  Des  Ingenieurs  on  chef  Des  Associations  Dc 
Proprietaires  D'Apareils  A  Vapeur.    Tenu  a  Paris,  1909. 


igij. 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE. 


107 


Creusot,  and  were  of  the  type  illustrated  in  Fig.  6,  cylindrical,  with  internal 
furnaces  and  direct  tubes,  surmounted  by  a  dome.  The  settings  were  such  that 
the  products  of  combustion  passed  first  through  the  tubes,  then  returned  under 
the  right-hand  side  of  the  shell  to  the  front,  where  they  passed  across,  and 
back  to  the  flue,  under  the  left-hand  side  of  the  shell.  A  longitudinal  baffle 
wall  for  this  purpose  was  provided  under  the  center  line  of  the  boiler  as  is 
indicated  in  Fig.  6.  The  boilers  were  designed  for  a  pressure  of  71  lbs., 
but  were  later  tested  and  worked  at  78  lbs.  (5.5  kg.  per  sq.  cm.).  They  had 
a  heating  surface  of  1270  sq.  ft.,  were  oil  fired,  and  forced  day  and  night 
except  Sundays,  for  more  than  30  years.  In  1900  the  rate  of  firing,  which  is 
typical  of  the  service  they  rendered  throughout  their  life,  was  such  as  to 
consume  about  150  kg.  of  oil  per  sq.  meter  of  grate  per  hour,  which  is  equiva- 
lent to  31  lbs.  of  oil  per  sq.  ft.  of  grate  per  hour,  a  very  high  rate  indeed. 
The  evaporation  obtained  was  about  6  lbs.  of  water  per  lb.  of  fuel.  The 
material  of  which  the  boilers  were  constructed  was  Creusot  wrought  iron, 
designated  by  the  following  numbers:  body  of  the  boiler,  No.  2;  heads,  lower 
furnace  sheets,  and  domes.  No.  4;  upper  furnace  sheets  and  front  tube  sheets. 
No.  6.  The  entire  battery  was  overhauled  between  1905  and  1907,  as  the 
result  of  a  general  breaking  down  from  old  age,  and  has  since  been  entirely 
replaced.  This  overhauling  however  gave  the  opportunity  for  obtaining  test 
specimens,  and  the  data  given  was  obtained  at  this  lime. 


Fig.  6.     Boiler  Kxown  .\s  S-3. 

The  iron  known  as  Creusot  No.  2,  was  made  to  meet  the  following 
guarantee : 

Tensile  strength  47.380  lbs.  per  sq.  in.    (^Minimum.) 

Elongation  in  4  inches.  6.5% 

Reduction  in  area,  6% 

The  original  thickness  of  sheet  was  .55  of  an  inch. 

In  January  1905,  a  crack  developed  in  one  of  the  boilers,  known  as  S-3, 
in  the  bottom  of  the  third  course,  in  the  fourth  girth  seam,  necessitating  the 
removal  of  a  portion  of  the  sheet.  Eight  specimens  for  tensile  test  of  standard 
(eight  inch)  size,  were  cut  from  this  sheet  and  broken  with  the  following 
average  results : 

Tensile    strength,    specimens    cut    lengthwise.  41700  lbs. 

Elongation  (4  ins.)      "  "'  '•  3.1% 

Tensile   strength,    specimens   cut   girthwise,  39000  lbs. 

Elongation  (4  ins.)      "  "  "       -  1.7% 

Fourteen    specimens   of  the   type   and    dimensions    shown    in    Fig.   7   were   also 
cut  and  tested  for  brittleness  by  the  impact  test,  in  which  a  ram  or  hammer,  of 


108  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [October, 


known  weight,  is  allowed  to  fall  from  a  known  height,  striking  the  specimen 
fairly  on  its  flat  side,  at  the  point  of  least  breadth.  As  a  sort  of  standard  of 
comparison,  by  which  one  can  gage  the  performance  of  the  various  specimens 
under  this  test,  it  may  be  well  to  state  that  a  similar  specimen  of  good  modern 
boiler  steel,  ^  in.  thick,  is  required  by  French  standards,  to  withstand  a  blow 
from  a  -ram  of  28.7  lbs.,  falling  13.12  feet  (13  kilograms,  falling  4  meters). 
Tills  means  an  expenditure  of  374  foot  lbs.  of  work  without  starting  a  fracture. 
These  particular  specimens  were  fractured  on  the  average,  by  a  blow  from  a 
26.4  lb.  ram,  falling  19.7  inches,  or  with  an  expenditure  of  43.8  foot  lbs. 

The  deterioration  of  the  material  as  indicated  by  these  tests  was  so  great, 
that  another  group  of  specimens  was  cut  from  the  same  shell,  yielding  the  fol- 
lowing average  results : 

Tensile  strength      (long.)  38400  lbs. 

Elongation,  (8  in.)     "  2% 

■'  "        (trans.)       Practically  nothing. 

Impact,  complete  fracture,  28.7  lbs.,  falling  19.7  in. 

A  chemical  analysis  showed  the   following  composition  : 
Carbon,  •      0.07% 

Manganese,  0.05% 

Sulphur,  0.046% 

Phosphorus,  0.290% 

This  indicates  rather  more  phosphorus  than  one  would  expect  in  first  class 
boiler  iron. 

To  see  if  this  brittle  condition  extended  to  the  entire  battery,  specimens 
from  the  same  region  were  cut  from  three  of  the  other  boilers,  and  the  results 
were  so  nearly  like  those  given  above,  that  it  was  not  thought  necessary  to 
quote  them  specifically. 

Specimens  of  the  Creusot  No.  4  iron,  for  testing  were  cut  from  both  the 
front  and  rear  heads  of  the  boiler  known  as  S-4.  The  original  specifications 
for  this  iron  called  for  the  following  properties: 

Tensile   strength  4SS00  lbs. 

Elongation  14.6% 

Reduction  in  area,  1-3% 

The  metal  as  tested  from  the  front  head  of  S-4-  gave  values  for  these  quantities 
as  indicated  below : 

[43400  lbs. 
Tensile   strength  ^40700 

[41300     " 
Average  41800 

[10% 
Elongation   (4  in.)  -|ii% 

[18% 

Average  13% 

Reduction  in  area,  average  2.2% 

A  weight  of  37.45  lbs.  falling  39.37  inches  started  a  fracture,  while  modern 
steel  of  this  thickness  would  be  required  to  withstand  the  impact  of  a  like 
weight  falling  13.12  feet,  without  injury. 


I9I2.] 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE 


109 


The  specimens  of  the  same  (No.  4)  iron  from  the  rear  head  of  boiler  S-4, 
gave  the  following  results : 


Tensile  strength 
Average 

Elongation   (4  in.) 

Average 
Reduction  in  area,  average 


[■44500  lbs. 
1 43400     •' 
145700    " 
[46000    " 

44900  " 

17% 

13% 

11% 
10% 
12.75% 
1 .42% 


Subjected  to  the  impact  test,  3  out  of 
8  specimens  failed  under  a  blow  from  a 
ram  of  44  lbs.,  falling  6.6  feet.  Chem- 
ical analysis  of  the  material  showed  its 
composition  to  be  as  follows : 

Carbon  0.05% 

Silicon  0.15% 

Manganese,  less    than          0.10% 

Sulphur  0.010% 

Phosphorus  0.100% 


Fig.  7.     Impact  Test  Speci; 


Tliesc  tests  indicate  that  the  No.  4  iron,  which  was  lower  in  phosphorus 
than  the  No.  2,  had  not  deteriorated  to  so  great  an  extent,  although  its  con- 
dition was  far  from  satisfactory.  It  is  rather  interesting  however,  in  view  of 
the  tests  of  steel  boilers  reported  later,  to  see  that  the  front  head,  which  in 
this  case  was  always  at  a  moderate  temperature,  since  the  boiler  was  inter- 
nally fired,  should  have  deteriorated  more  than  the  rear  head,  exposed  as  it 
was  to  contact  with  the  hot  gases  from  the  tubes. 

The  authors  state  that  they  were  unable  to  report  the  condition  of  the  No. 
6  iron,  since,  due  to  the  many  repairs  which  had  been  made  to  the  furnaces 
from  time  to  time,  they  were  unable  to  positively  locate  any  of  the  original 
iron  of  this  grade. 

In  the  consideration  of  these  results,  giving  as  ihey  did  such  obvious  evi- 
dence of  impairment,  the  authors  raised  the  question  as  to  whether  the  iron 
might  be  made  to  regain  some  or  all  of  its  original  ductility  by  reworking.  To 
this  end  billets  were  made  by  piling  up  and  welding  small  blooms  from  the 
scraps  of  test  pieces  of  each  sort  of  iron,  the  billets  were  rolled  into  bars, 
from  which  new  test  pieces  of  the  reworked  material  were  cut  and  tested. 
The  results  are  tabulated  below. 


Reworked  No.  2  iron. 
Tensile  strength 
Elongation 
Reduction  in  area 
Impact  test,  28.66  lb.  ram,  falling  4.: 


53500  lbs. 
23% 
2.8% 
feet,  started  fracture. 


110  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [October. 

Bent  cold  through  135°. 

Reworked  No.  4  iron. 
Tensile  strength  51500  lbs. 

Elongation  25% 

Reduction   in   area  2.5% 

Impact  test,  specimens  cracked  under  blows  from  a  44  lb.  ram,  falling  12.3  to 
13.12  feet. 

Cold  bend  test,  bent  through  180°  without  cracks  of  any  sort.  Tliese  tables 
show  that  by  reworking,  a  most  astonishing  improvement  in  ductility  was 
produced.  The  No.  4  iron  became  a  most  excellent  material,  equal  to  good 
boiler  iron,  though  somewhat  inferior  to  the  best  boiler  steel,  while  even  the 
No.  2  iron  showed  properties  sufficiently  good  for  many  purposes,  though  still 
rather  brittle  for  boiler  use. 

The  steel  boiler  from  which  specimens  were  tested  was  one  of  a  battery 
of  22  fire  tube  boilers,  with  longitudinal  bottom  drums  made  by  Carron-Del- 
motte  at  Anzin  for  the  sugar  refinery  of  C.  Say,  in  Paris.  The  specifications 
called  for  Siemens-Martin  basic  steel  with  tensile  strength  greater  than 
51000  lbs.  and  not  over  56000  lbs.,  elongation  in  8  inches,  not  less  than  26% 
nor  more  than  40%.  The  steel  was  made  by  Schneider  et  Cie.  at  Creusot,  and 
branded  "A.  S.  acier  soudable."  Acceptance  tests  of  this  steel  were  made  by 
Cornut  in  1887.  For  this  work  the  specimens  were  heated  up  to  a  cherry  red 
before  they  were  broken,  and  in  some  cases  quenched  by  plunging  them  in 
water.  He  found  as  an  average  value  for  the  tensile  strength,  53000  lbs., 
elongation  in  8  inches,  31.6%  when  reheated  simph',  and  68000  lbs.  and  18.7% 
respectively  when  reheated  and  quenched. 

In  reporting  the  results  of  the  tests  after  the  boilers  had  been  in  service, 
the  authors  classify  their  specimens  in  the  same  manner,  that  is,  those  un- 
treated but  tested  just  as  they  came  from  the  boiler,  those  reheated  to  a  cherry 
red,  and  those  reheated  to  a  cherry  red  and  subsequently  quenched  by  plunging 
them  into  water  maintained  at  a  temperature  of  82°   Fahr. 

In  1908,  the  first  two  boilers  of  this  battery  were  to  be  removed,  and  the 
owners  gave  the  opportunity  of  testing  the  quality  of  the  material,  as  they  were 
anxious  to  see  if  the  steel  had  deteriorated  to  such  an  extent  as  to  render  this 
removal  unadvisable.  They  accordingly  gave  the  lower  or  fire  sheet  of  the 
right  hand  bottom  drum  of  boiler  No.  2  for  the  purpose.  This  sheet  was 
cut  up  and  tested  through  the  courtesy  of  the  steel  works  at  Denain,  who 
placed  their  equipment  at  the  disposal  of  the  authors.  Fig.  8  will  indicate 
the  manner  in  which  the  sheet  was  divided,  and  will  also  serve  to  show  how 
the  specimens  were  placed  with  regard  to  the  position  of  the  sheet  in  the 
boiler. 

These  boilers  had  been  in  service  24  hours  a  day  during  the  interval  188S- 
1908,  with  the  exception  of  Sundays,  and  certain  intervals  for  cleaning  and 
inspection.  No  repairs  of  any  moment  were  ever  made.  The  records  of  the 
owner  show  that  this  particular  boiler  had  been  in  service  a  total'  of  134172 
hours,  consuming  3898.13  metric  tons  of  soft  coal,  and  13050.7  metric  tons  of 
coke.  This  gives  for  the  average  rate  of  combustion,  42  kilograms  per  square 
meter  of  grate  per  hour,  or  in  the  more  familiar  English  units,  8.6  lbs.  per 
square  foot  of  grate  per  hour,  certainly  very  moderate  service.  Tlie  averages  of 
the  tensile  tests,  classed  in  groups  as  to  their  location  with  respect  to  the  fire,  and 


I9I2.] 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE, 


ill 


also  divided  into  the  three  sets  mentioned  above,  depending  on  the   treatment 
tho}'  received  after  cutting?  from  tlic  slicet,  will  be  found  in  the  following  table. 

Tests  of  Steel  from  the  Fire  Sheet  of  No.  2  Boiler. 


Untreated 
Specimens. 


Reheated 
Specimens. 


Reheated  and 

Uuenched 

Specimens. 


Specimens  from  portion  of  sheet  protected  by  FrcI^  Wall. 


Tensile  strength 

Elon>ration 


Specimens  from  above  the  Grates. 


Tensile  strength. 
Elongation 


70,000 
20.6% 


Specimens  from  over  Bridge  Wall. 


Tensile  strength 
Elongation 


Sg  Q.^'^og^"  ^o°'b:^^€Po'^^^o^S5 


SS  ^<^Zi°  °^'%^°S$o°  g| 


oooooiooooGoooooooooooioolooo,   ODOOOOOOOOOO® 
ooooobooooooocooooooo    o  |o    odoopooooooooooo    Oog/ 

Fig.  8.    Fire  Sheet  of  C.  Say  et  Cie.     Boiler  No.  2.     Showing  the  Location 
OF  the  Specimens  with  Respect  to  the  Fire. 


Cold  bend  test  of  38  specimens,  fairly  satisfactory.  The  real  extent  of  the 
change  in  this  boiler  steel  was  not  disclosed  until  the  impact  tests  were  made. 
162  impact  specimens  were  tested  all  told,  but  as  10  of  these  were  in  the 
nature  of  special  tests,   to  determine   the   effect  of  various   sorts   of  abuse   on 


112  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [October, 


this  steel,  sueh  for  instance  as  hammering  it  violently  when  at  a  blue  heat, 
they  were  not  included  in  the  averages,  or  percentages  to  follow.  Out  of  the 
152  tests  considered  to  represent  the  real  condition  of  the  material,  there  were 
122  in  which  the  specimens  were  untreated.  Out  of  this  number,  58  specimens 
failed  to  pass  the  test  expected  of  new  steel  of  this  class  and  thickness  (7/16 
inch)  that  is  to  stand  without  cracking,  the  impact  of  a  22  lb.  ram,  falling 
13.12  feet.  It  was  found  however,  that  none  of  the  reheated  specimens,  whether 
quenched  or  not,  failed,  or  that  in  other  words,  although  the  steel  was  found 
to  have  grown  brittle,  it  could  be  made  to  fulfill  the  conditions  of  the  im- 
pact test  by  heat  treatment.  If  we  now  calculate  the  percentage  failure,  we 
find  that  based  on  the  whole  number  broken,  38.1%  failed,  but  if  we  consider 
only  the  untreated  specimens,  the  percentage  is  seen  to  be  47.5%.  It  is  also  of 
interest  to  see  where  these  specimens  were  located  with  respect  to  the  grate, 
the  bridge  wall,  etc.,  and  to  see  if  there  is  any  connection  between  the  percentage 
of  failures,  which  must  be  taken  to  represent  the  average  brittleness  of  the 
material,  and  the  sort  of  treatment  it  received  as  regards  temperature  and 
heat  transfer.  It  will  be  seen  from  the  table  given  that  there  is  such  a  con- 
nection, that  it  is  identical  with  the  changes  in  the  elongation  with  exposure 
to  the  fire,  as  shown  in  the  table  of  tensile  tests,  and  that  as  we  should  expect, 
the  metal  over  the  grate  suffered  most,  that  over  the  bridge  wall  next,  the 
metal  located  behind  the  bridge  less,  and  that  in  the  front  wall  and  therefore 
entirely  protected  from  the  direct  action  of  the  flames,  the  least  of  all. 

Untreated  Impact  Specimens  Grouped  as  to  Their  Location  in  the 

Fire  Sheet. 

Location. 


Total  number  tested 
No.  of  Failures 
No.  Intact 
9^0  Failures 


1     In  Front     i 
Wall. 

Over 
Grate. 

Over 
Bridge. 

Behind 
Bridge. 

17 

45 

14 

46 

6 

26 

7 

19 

11 

19 

•  7 

27 

35.5% 

57. 8  9^^ 

'  50% 

41.5% 

The  work  of  Olry  and  Bonnet  shows  pretty  conclusively  that  boiler  plate, 
whether  of  iron  or  steel,  will  deteriorate  with  use.  It  is  also  well  known 
that  tubes,  tube  cap  bolts,  and  other  materials  used  in  boiler  construction 
suffer  the  same  sort  of  depreciation.  Such  a  case  was  discussed  in  the  July 
1912  Locomotive,  giving  the  experience  of  one  of  our  own  chief  inspectors  with 
tubes  and  bolts  which  had  become  very  brittle  with  use.  In  all  the  cases  which 
have  come  to  our  attention,  the  metal  which  has  deteriorated  very  rapidly  has 
been  high  in  phosphorus.  Olry  and  Bonnet  also  found  that  the  metal  which 
showed  the  greatest  loss  of  ductility  was  the  highest  in  phosphorus,  and  was 
least  improved  by  either  reworking  or  annealing.  They  also  showed  that  iron 
suffers  more  than  steel,  although  our  experience  with  brittle  tubes  indicates 
that  steel  if  it  contains  an  excessive  amount  of  phosphorus  will  change  very 
rapidh^  Exposure  to  intense  heat  is  shown  to  be  a  factor  so  that  there  is 
some  justification  for  basing  the  condemnation  of  a  boiler  on  the  kind  of 
service  it  has  given,  as  well  as  on  its  life. 

Passing  now  to  the  hydrostatic  tests  first  considered,  in  which  five  very 
similar  boilers  all  of  which  had  seen  some  thirty  years  of  service,  were  tested 


1912.]  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  113 

after  they  had  been  coiidciniicd  for  uld  age  by  the  ilAirn-OKn,  it  was  found  that 
all  of  them  showed  structural  weaknesses,  especially  about  the  cast  iron 
manhole  frames,  which  gave  abundant  evidence  of  the  wisdom  of  their  re- 
tirement from  service.  It  is  interesting  in  this  connection  to  recall  that  all 
three  boilers  which  were  permitted  to  fail  at  that  point  (no  patches  being  usedj 
did  so  at  pressures  surprisingly  close  together,  namely,  265  lbs.,  260  lbs.,  and 
270  lbs.  It  has  been  said  with  some  emphasis  however  in  the  engineering  press, 
that  none  of  these  boilers  had  suffered  any  deterioration  from  age. 

It  is  true  that  the  boilers  of  the  Oliver  ^ron  Mining  Co.  proved  to  be  made 
of  a  material  whose  properties  were  still  excellent  at  the  time  of  the  test. 
Tests  of  the  material  of  the  other  two  boilers  are  not  yet  available  lor  dis- 
cussion. The  facts  of  the  case  however  which  seem  to  need  emphasis  as 
showing  the  real  reasons  underlying  such  a  retirement  as  these  boilers  present, 
are  these.  The  art  of  boiler  making  and  designing  has  progressed  materially 
in  say  thirty  years,  and  the  boilers  of  that  period,  if  of  good  material,  do  not 
compare  especially  well  as  to  safety  with  the  product  of  the  present  of  equal 
grade.  It  is  also  a  matter  of  record  that  boiler  steel  undergoes  a  slow  but 
certain  loss  in  strength  and  ductility.  To  be  sure  these  changes  are  slower 
for  good  steel  than  for  iron,  but  the  presence  of  even  a  moderate  excess  of 
phosphorus  hastens  the  process  materially. 

Add  to  this  the  other  equally  obvious  fact,  that  such  deterioration  can  be 
detected  by  none  of  the  ordinary  inspection  methods,  and  that  even  tensile 
tests  may  fail  to  indicate  the  extent  of  the  change  completely,  and  it  would 
seem  that  the  justice  of  the  position  which  makes  for  old  age  retirements,  was 
established  beyond  controversy. 


Instructions  for  Placing"  Heating-  Boilers  in  Commission. 

We  have  gathered  together  a  few  simple  hints  and  instructions  for  putting 
a  heating  system  in  commission  which  may  prove  of  value.  No  originality 
is  claimed  for  them  but  it  is  hoped  that  they  may  assist  some  who  have  not 
learned  through  experience  what  method  of  procedure  is  best  fitted  to  accom- 
plish the  desired  end. 

I.  Clean  the  boiler  thoroughly  on  the  fire  side  if  it  has  not  been  done 
when  laying  up  in  the  spring.  Remove  all  rust  and  soot.  This  is  particularly 
important  in  the  case  of  cast  iron  sectional  heaters  as  rust  and  corrosion  will 
form  between  the  sections,  accumulating  moisture  in  the  summer  season,  and  if 
not  removed  will  eventually  swell  sufificiently  with  moisture  to  fracture  the 
sections.  If  this  cleaning  is  neglected  too  long,  it  may  become  necessary  to  dis- 
mantle the  boiler  in  order  to  remove  the  deposit.  Remove  all  dry  or  moist  ashes 
from  the  corners  of  the  grate  and  ash  pits.  If  this  discloses  rust,  strike  the 
iron  a  few  smart  blows  with  a  light  hammer  and  see  if  it  shells  of?.  If  the 
corrosion  proves  to  be  extensive,  steps  to  repair  the  damage  should  he  taken 
at  once.  Any  rust  spots  found  on  the  outside  of  the  boiler,  including  the 
heating  surface,  should  be  carefully  cleaned  and  painted  with  a  mixture  of  red 
lead  and  boiled  linseed  oil  to  stop  the  spread  of  the  corrosion.  For  this 
external  cleaning  a  wire  brush   will  be   found  of  service. 


.114  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [October. 

2.  Clean  thoroughly  the  inside  of  the  boiler.  Remove  all  rust,  scale  and 
sediment.  If  the  boiler  is  of  such  a  form  as  to  prevent  ready  access  to  its 
interior,  wash  it  out  as  well  as  possible  with  a  hose,  using  a  good  pressure 
if  available.  Then  empty  the  boiler,  introduce  a  few  gallons  of  kerosene  oil 
and  fill  with  water  very  slowly,  letting  the  oil  float  up  on  the  surface  of  the 
water  and  so  reach  all  portions  of  the  interior  surface.  Introduce  a  few  pounds 
of  dissolved  carbonate  of  soda  (soda  ash)  with  the  water  used  for  filling.  When 
the  boiler  has  been  completely  filled  in  this  way,  let  the  water  run  out  until 
it  stands  at  the  ordinary  steaming  level,  close  the  blow  off,  and  build  a  slow  fire 
under  the  boiler.  This  fire  should  be  kept  up  for  several  days,  never  letting 
the  pressure  rise  higher  than  a  few  ounces.  Tliis  will  loosen  and  throw  down 
the  scale  and  sediment,  so  that  on  cooling  off,  the  boiler  may  be  washed  out 
practically  clean  with  a  hose.  It  is  especially  important  that  the  boiler  be 
zuashed  out  after  this  treatment,  and  before  it  is  put  into  service,  as  the  loosened 
scale  and  mud,  if  allowed  to  gather  on  the  heating  surface  of  the  boiler,  zvill 
inevitably  cause  over  heating,  and  perhaps  failure  of  the  metal. 

3.  Look  over  all  the  boiler  attachments.  Wash  out  the  water  column 
and  its  connections,  taking  it  down  if  necessary  to  make  sure  that  it  is  free 
from  rust  and  mud  and  that  its  connections  with  the  boiler  and  the  glass 
water  gage  are  free.  If  the  water  column  is  not  provided  with  a  drip  cock, 
so  that  it  may  be  drained  from  time  to  time,  allowing  steam  and  water  to 
blow  through  its  connections  to  free  them,  and  incidentally  to  prove  that  they 
are  free,  one  should  be  installed.  Look  over  the  glass  water  gage.  See  that 
the  rubber  grommets  or  rings  with  which  a  tight  joint  is  secured  between  the 
glass  and  its  supporting  fixtures  are  "  alive."  If  the  rubber  is  hard  and 
brittle  it  should  be  renewed.  (See  the  article  on  Gage  Glasses,  in  the  January, 
1912,  Locomotive.)  See  that  the  gage  cocks  are  clean  and  tight.  Be  sure 
their  opening  to  the  boiler  is  not  clogged.  (Blow  through  them.)  Overhaul 
the  safety  valve,  see  that  it  is  clean  and  free  from  rust  or  dirt.  All  pipes 
leading  to  or  from  the  boiler,  such  as  the  steam  supply,  drip  return,  blow  off  and 
feed  pipes  should  be  tested  to  make  sure  that  they  are  clear.  All  stop  or 
check  valves  in  these  pipes  should  operate  freely  and  shut  off  tightly,  without 
leaking  at  the  stems.  Any  defects  in  these  important  fittings  should  be 
remedied  before  raising  steam.  The  steam  gage  connection  should  be  known 
to  be  free  and  clear. 

4.  Extend  the  inspection  of  pipes,  valves  and  fittings  to  include  the  entire 
heating  system.  After  pressure  is  raised  for  the  first  time,  visit  each  radiator 
or  coil,  and  make  sure  that  its  air  cock  is  operating  properly.  It  should  be 
clean,  and  should  promptly  free  the  raditaor  of  air,  but  should  not  permit  steam 
and  hot  water  to  drip.     This  will  insure  against  dead  radiators. 

5.  Look  over  the  run  of  the  piping,  both  steam  and  return  —  and  this 
applies  equally  well  to  hot  water  systems  —  see  that  there  are  no  pockets  in  the 
steam  supply  line  which  can  fill  with  water  of  condensation  at  night,  to  be  vio- 
lently expelled  in  the  morning  as  a  slug,  forming  a  water  hammer,  which  may 
rupture  pipe  or  fittings,  or  even  a  radiator  section.  One  should  be  especially 
careful  to  see  that  there  are  no  such  pockets  or  indeed  any  piping  in  the 
system  so  exposed  as  to  be  liable  to  freeze  solid.  This  will  cause  the  boiler  to 
build  up  an  excessive  pressure  and  in  case  the  safety  valve  is  too  small,  or 
fails  to  operate,  an  accident  is  certain  to  result.  It  may  be  said  that  this  is 
one  of  the  very  common  causes  for  heater  failure. 


I9I2.]  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  115 

6.  When  it  becomes  desirable  to  shut  off  communication  between  the 
boiler  and  the  rest  of  the  system,  close  the  valve  in  the  return  pipe  first,  then 
the  steam  valve  may  be  closed.  Upon  resuming  operations,  the  steam  valve 
should  be  opened  first,  after  which  the  return  valve  should  be  opened.  This 
order  of  procedure  will  prevent  all  trouble  due  to  the  formation  of  a  partial 
vacuum  in  the  heating  system  from  the  rapid  condensation  of  steam.  Since 
if  the  return  valve  is  closed  first  and  opened  last,  the  vacuum  which  is  almost 
certain  to  be  formed  cannot  suddenly  drain  the  boiler  of  water. 

7.  In  starting  up  a  new  system  for  the  first  time,  it  is  important  that  the 
condensed  water  which  first  comes  back  to  the  boilers  be  thrown  away,  and 
any  loose  scale  and  core  sand  coming  with  it  from  the  pipes,  fittings,  and 
radiators  washed  from  the  boiler.  If  this  depo,sit  is  allowed  to  remain,  the 
boiler  will  foam  badly,  and  the  heating  surface  will  become  coated  with  the 
material. 

8.  The  smoke  pipe  and  damper  should  be  cleaned  and  examined  for  rust 
and  corrosion.  The  grates  should  not  be  so  distorted  and  burned  as  not  to 
lie  flat,  or  as  to  interfere  with  the  proper  operation  of  the  dumping  or  shaking 
mechanism.  If  this  point  is  looked  to  at  the  beginning  of  the  season  much 
w'aste  may  be  prevented  from  fuel  dropping  through  the  grates,  or  being  hauled 
out,  when  the  shaking  gear  fails  to  work,  in  the  effort  of  an  unskilled  fireman 
to  clean  the  fires.  Doors,  both  fire,  ash  pit,  and  clean  out,  should  be  examined 
to  see  that  they  turn  freely,  and  are  not  warped  enough  to  prevent  their  closing. 
A  partly  opened  door  may  result  in  impaired  draft  and  combustion,  which  is 
always  attended  by  a  w-aste  of  fuel. 

9.  In  firing  up  a  cold  heating  boiler,  especially  a  cast-iron  section  boiler, 
care  should  always  be  taken  to  build  a  slow  fire,  and  give  the  heater  a  chance 
to  warm  up  gradually.  If  this  method  is  neglected,  great  strains,  due  to  the 
unequal  expansion  of  the  metal,  may  be  brought  upon  the  structure,  frequently 
many  times  greater  than  the  ordinary  working  stresses,  and  cracks  are  almost 
sure  to  appear  as  the  result. 


On  the  Location  of  the  Fusible  Plug-. 

The  following  extract  from  an  inspection  report,  and  the  letter  which  accom- 
panied it  to  the  home  office,  from  a  department  manager,  are  self-explanatory. 

"  Our  recommendation  to  put  in  a  fusible  plug  in  the  No.  2  was  carried  out, 
but  instead  of  placing  it  two  inches  above  the  tubes  in  the  rear  head,  we  find  it 
below  them  in  the  same  head  about  two  inches  from  the  bottom  of  the  shell. 
This  should  be  changed. 

"  I  enclose  copy  of  report  ■ ■  Milling  Co.,  which  shows  what  a  man 

will  do  with  a  strong  back  and  a  weak  head.  The  engineer  remembered  that 
the  inspector  told  him  to  put  the  fusible  plug  two  inches  above  something  — 
he  forgot  just  what  —  so  he  put  it  two  inches  above  the  bottom  of  the  boiler." 


116 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE, 


[October, 


C.   C.   Perry,   Editor. 


HARTFORD,  OCTOBER,  1912. 

Single  copies  can  be  obtained  free  by  calling  at  any  of  the  company' s  agencies. 
Subscription  price  so  cents  per  year  when  mailed  from  this  office. 
Recent  bound  volumes  one  dollar  each.    Earlier  ones  two  dollars. 
Reprinting  of  matter  from  this  paper  is  permitted  if  credited  to 
The  Locomotive  of  The  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  1.  &  I.  Co. 


The  season  for  starting  the  heater  is  at  hand,  and  a  word  of  caution  and 
warning  seems  opportune  to  those  who  own  or  operate  boilers  for  this  pur- 
pose. Perhaps  no  class  of  steam  apparatus  receives  less  care,  and  yet  is  more 
deserving  of  thoughtful  consideration.  The  general  public  seems  so  sure  that 
a  heating  boiler  is  freed  from  all  possibility  of  failure,  because  it  is  expected 
to  operate  at  a  low  pressure,  that  it  seldom  stops  to  consider  whether  this 
immunity  is  borne  out  by  startistics. 

A  study  of  the  "explosion  list"  for  191 1,  and  for  the  first  five  months  of 
1912  yields  the  summary  below,  and  gives  a  striking  angle  from  which  to 
view  this  question.  In  191 1  there  were  reported  499  boiler  failures,  of  these 
56,  or  12.2%  were  known  to  be  either  heating  boilers  or  water  heaters.  In 
1912,  during  the  months  from  January  to  May  inclusive,  our  list  .contains  248 
explosions,  of  which  57,  or  23%,  are  known  to  have  been  heaters.  Taking 
January  1912,  the  mid-winter  month,  as  representing  the  heating  season  at  its 
height,  we  find  38  heater  failures  out  of  a  total  of  90,  or  over  42%  !  In  this  one 
month  of  January  there  were  reported  property  losses  amounting  to  $27,000  and 
injuries  to  six  persons.  What  the  total  property  loss  would  be,  if  we  were 
able  to  evaluate  such  expressions  as  "  the  property  was  almost  entirely  de- 
stroyed," or  "  damages  were  estimated  at  several  thousand  dollars  "  is  of  course 
a  matter  of  conjecture.  Granting  however  that  all  the  really  large  losses 
are  given  in  the  press  accounts  from  which  our  list  is  of  necessity  very  largely 
compiled,  we  would  still  expect  a  loss  of  say  $250  to  result  on  the  average 
from  each  of  the  failures  listed.  On  this  basis,  taking  all  the  accidents  for 
which  no  estimate  of  damage  is  given  at  $250,  we  get  as  a  grand  total  $37,250 
which  may  be  accepted  as  a  rough  estimate  of  the  damages  resulting  from  the 
heating  boiler  casualties  alone  in  this  month.  We  are  sure  that  these  figures 
form  sufficient  evidence  to  enable  any  property  owner  to  decide  for  himself 
whether  he  can  afford  not  to  place  his  heating  plant  under  the  skilled  inspection 
service  of  an  INSPECTION  and  INSURANCE  Company. 


I9I2.]  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  id'/ 


Attention  is  directed  to  the  instructions  printed  on  another  page  of  this 
issue  which  are  intended  to  serve  as  a  guide  in  placing  a  heating  system  in 
lirst-class  order  at  the  beginning  of  the  season.  As  this  important  duty  is 
often  left  to  janitors  and  otliers  whose  knowledge  of  boilers  and  their  appur- 
tenances is  somewiiat  limited  it  has  seemed  wise  to  enter  into  a  considerable 
degree  of  detail.  We  believe  however  that  these  hints  are  worthy  of  the 
consideration  of  any  one  who  has  this  work  to  perform. 


We  note  with  some  surprise,  in  the  July  issue  of  a  contemporary,  published 
by  a  manufacturer  of  engineers'  supplies,  of  excellent  reputation,  that  one  of 
our  articles  has  been  reprinted,  without  the  slighest  acknowledgment  to  the 
Locomotive,  and  used  to  exploit  the  wares  of  another  concern. 

We  refer  to  the  article  on  Gauge  Glasses,  from  the  January,  igi2.  Loco- 
motive, by  the  Secretary  of  the  Company,  Mr.  Charles  S.  Blake,  which  is 
printed  with  a  paragraph  added  to  call  attention  to  the  virtues  of  a  particular 
brand  of  this  important  boiler  accessory. 

We  are  not  opposed  to  the  reprinting  of  Locomotive  articles,  but  we  must 
insist  that  proper  credit  be  given  for  them,  as  they  are  protected  by  copyright, 
and  we  particularly  dislike  to  have  them  appropriated  without  credit  to  ex- 
ploit any  particular  article  or  brand  of  goods,  as  it  is  a  well  known  fact  that 
the  H.^RTFORD  does  not,  and  indeed  has  never  assumed  to  advertise  any  article 
of  manufacture.  It  is  the  fixed  policy  of  the  Company  never  to  favor  the 
product  of  one  firm  over  that  of  their  competitors. 


In  the  July  issue  we  abstracted  the  finding  of  Chief  Inspector  Ensign  con- 
cerning the  probable  cause  of  the  exceedingly  disastrous  locomotive  boiler 
failure  which  occurred  last  April  in  the  Southern  Pacific  yards  at  San  Antonio, 
Texas.  It  is  of  some  interest  in  this  connection,  to  note  the  recommendations 
now  made  to  their  locomotive  boiler  inspectors  by  the  Inter-State  Commerce 
Commission,  which  come  as  a  direct  outcome  of  this  report.  These  instruc- 
tions, for  which  we  are  indebted  to  the  Locomotive  Firemen  and  Enginemen's 
Magazine,  follow. 

'■  Tlie  latest  instructions  from  the  office  of  the  General  Boiler  Inspector 
with  regard  to  the  setting  of  safety  valves,  as  referred  to  in  paragraph  35, 
page  9  of  the  Order  of  the  Commission,  are  that  two  steam  gages  must  be 
employed  during  the  time  that  the  safety  valves  are  being  set.  One  of  these 
gages  to  be  visible  to  the  man  adjusting  the  safety  valves.  Both  gages  must 
be  tested  and  must  correspond.  The  safety  valves,  however,  must  be  set  to 
the  correct  pressure  to  be  carried  as  indicated  by  the  gage  permanently  em- 
ployed on  the  boiler.  The  second  or  temporary  gage  —  that  is  the  one  visible 
to  the  man  setting  the  safety  valves — 'is  simply  to  be  used  as  a  check  or 
guard  against  over  pressure  in  case  the  man  in  the  cab,  whose  duty  it  is  to 
inform  the  man  on  the  boiler  of  the  pressure  indicated  by  the  safety  valves, 
should  have  his  attention  momentarily  distracted  from  his  duties.  It  will  also 
be  necessary  hereafter  although  not  so  stated  in  the  Order  of  the  Commission, 
to  see  that  the  siphon  pipe  connected  to  the  steam  gage,  together  with  the  cock 


lis  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [October, 

leading  to  the  boiler  and  the  shut  off  cock,  are  fully  open,  and  that  the  pres- 
sure is  not  in  any  way  obstructed  by  short  kinks  in  the  pipe,  or  partial  stoppage 
of  the  cock  or  cocks.  •  And  where  two  cocks  are  used,  the  handles  must  both 
point  in  the  same  direction  when  the  cocks  are  open  or  closed,  preferably  in 
line  with  the  pipe  when  open,  and  across  the  pipe  when  closed." 


Book  Review. 

Perkins'  Tables.  A  few  ready  tables  for  the  Calculation  of  the  Safe  Work- 
ing Pressure  on  Boilers.  Compiled  by  Lyman  B.  Perkins.  360  pages,  printed 
on  thin  paper,  with  flexible  leather  binding,  published  by  the  author  at  38 
Huntington  St.,  Hartford,  Conn.     Price  $3.00. 

This  book  consists  of  a  most  comprehensive  set  of  tables  for  the  assistance 
of  those  who  have  to  calculate  the  various  elements  of  boiler  strength,  such  as 
the  strength  of  seams,  head  bracing,  stay  bolting,  the  bursting  pressure  of  drums, 
or  the  collapsing  pressure  of  furnaces  or  flues.  The  tables  are  computed  to 
include  various  values  for  the  strength  of  plate  and  rivets,  and  are  extended  ta 
cover  the  special  forms  of  calculation  made  necessary  by  the  Massachusetts, 
Ohio,  and  Detroit  legislation.  Thei^  precision  is  of  a  high  order.  This  work 
should  prove  of  especial  value  to  designers  and  inspectors,  as  much  laborious 
computation  may  be  saved  by  the  use  of  the  tables,  and  a  thorough  familiarity 
with  the  best  method  of  utilizing  the  information  they  contain.  The  author,  a 
graduate  of  the  L^nited  States  Naval  Academy,  has  been  connected  with  The 
Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Inspection  and  Insurance  Company  for  many  years, 
and  is  particularly  fitted  to  cope  with  the  tremendous  labor  of  calculation  which 
such  a  work  involves. 


Boiler  Explosions. 

June,  1912. 

(249.) — The  boiler  at  the  saw  mill  of  D.  O.  Pomeroy,  near  Creedmore, 
N.  C,  exploded  June  i.  The  owner  and  two  workmen  were  instantly  killed, 
and  one  other  fatally  injured. 

(250.) — On  June  3,  a  cast  iron  header  fractured  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at 
the  Baltimore  Hotel,  operated  by  the  Dean  Hotel  Co.,  Kansas   City,  Mo. 

(251.) — An  accident  occurred  to  a  boiler  at  the  plant  of  the  Akron  Laundry- 
Co.,  Akron,  Ohio,  on  June  3. 

(252.) — A  tube  ruptured  June  3,  at  the  National  Plant  of  the  American 
Sheet  and  Tin  Plate  Co.,  Monessen,   Pa. 

(253.) — A  small  portable  boiler,  used  on  construction  work,  by  the  Inter- 
national Contracting  Co.,  exploded  June  5,  at  Portland,  Ore.  Burt  Webb, 
engineer,   was   seriously  injured. 

(254.)— On  June  6,  a  boiler  ruptured  at  Central  Power  Plant  "A,"  of  the 
lola  Portland  Cement  Co.,  lola,  Kans. 

(255.) — The  fur  factory  of  Whitman  and  Krahn,  at  406  ^Manhattan  Ave., 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  was  destroyed  by  fire  June  7,  following  the  explosion  of  a 
boiler  in  the  basement.  Six  men  were  seriously  injured,  and  the  property 
damage  was  estimated  at  $20,000. 


I9I2.]'  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  Ii9 

(256.) — A  number  of  cast  iron  headers  ruptured  June  9,  in  a  water  tube 
boiler  at  the  plant  of  the  Semet  Solvay  Co.,  Holt,  Ala. 

(257.) — The  boiler  of  a  traction  engine,  used  in  road  construction,  exploded 
June  10,  in  the  town  of  Nasewaupee,  Wis.  Four  men  were  injured,  none 
fatally. 

(258.) — A  boiler  exploded  Juno  12,  at  the  Gardiner  Noble  station  in  the 
Vinton  oil  held,  near  Lake  Charles,  La.     No  one  was  injured. 

(259.) — A- boiler  at  the  plant  of  the  Alexander  Shingle  Co.,  Elaine,  Ark., 
exploded  June  13.  Chas.  Carrier  and  William  Jones  were  killed.  J.  N.  Moore 
was  seriously  injured. 

(260.) — A  tube  ruptured  June  14,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of 
the  Tri-State  Railway  and  Electric  Co.,  East  Liverpool,  Ohio. 

(261.) — On  June  14,  the  boiler  of  a  portable  saw  mill  exploded  at  Ganado, 
Tex.  John  Schwartz  was  instantly  killed,  and  C.  F.  Schneider,  the  owner, 
was  badly  scalded. 

(262.) — A  boiler  burst  June  14,  at  the  Lautz  Brothers'  soap  factory,  Buffalo, 
N.  Y.     Two  men  were  injured. 

(263.) — On  June  16,  an  accident  occurred  at  the  plant  of  the  Inland  Steel 
Co.,  Hibbing,  Minn. 

(264.) — A  steam  shovel  boiler  exploded  June  17,  on  the  Catskill  Aqueduct 
Contract  of  the  R.  K.  Everett  Co.  Edward  Depew,  fireman,  was  killed  and 
Philip  Grady,  engineer,  was  seriously  injured. 

(265.) — On  June  18,  a  blow'-off  pipe  failed  on  a  dredge  belonging  to  the 
J.  S.  Packard  Dredging  Co.,  at  Cuttyhunk,  Mass.  Michael  Corcoran  and  Andrew 
Palo  were  injured. 

(266.) — The  boiler  at  a  stone  crushing  plant  near  Bay  Springs,  Miss.,  ex- 
ploded June  19,  killing  one  man  and  seriously  injuring  five  others. 

(267.) — -An  accident  occurred  to  the  boiler  at  the  plant  of  the  Berger,  Crit- 
tenden Milling  Co.,  Milwaukee,  Wis.  Considerable  damage  was  done  to  the 
boiler. 

(268.) — On  June  26.  the  boiler  of  Southern  Pacific  Locomotive  No.  838 
exploded  near  Hondo,  Tex.  E.  F.  Beaumont,  engineer,  was  killed,  and  C.  F. 
Connelly,  fireman,  was  perhaps  fatally  injured. 

(269.) — Three  cast-iron  headers  failed  June  27,  in  the  Lower  L^nion  Mills 
of  the  Carnegie  Steel  Co.,  Pittsburgh,  Pa. 

(270.) — On  June  28,  the  boiler  of  a  locomotive  exploded  at  Saltillo,  INIexico. 
Sixteen  persons  w-ere  killed,  and  many  injured. 

(271.) — A  tube  ruptured  June  29.  in  a  water  tube  boiler,  at  the  Bridgeport, 
Conn,  plant  of  the  United  Illuminating  Co. 

(272.) — The  boiler  at  the  saw  mill  of  the  J.  I.  Monk  Lumber  Co.,  Headland. 
Ala.,  exploded  June  29.     No  one  w-as  injured. 

July,  1912. 

(273.) — On  July  1st,  a  blow-pipe  failed  at  the  "Champion  Apartments," 
Atlantic  City,  N.  J.     Benjamin  Fowden,  night  engineer,  was  injured. 

(274.) — Several  cast-iron  headers  failed  July  2,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the 
works  of  the  American  Steel  and  Wire  Co.,  Joliet,  111. 

(275.) — A  tube  in  a  water  tube  boiler  ruptured  July  4,  in  the  plant  of  the 
B.  F.  Goodrich  Co.,  Akron,  O.     J.  D.  Tkos,  fireman,  was  injured. 


120  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [October, 

(276.) — On  July  6,  a  large  fly-wheel  burst,  causing  the  failure  of  a  small 
boiler,  at  the  plant  of  the  National  Sulphur  Works,  Williamsburg,  Brooklyn, 
N.  Y.  Fifteen  men  were  injured,  three  fatally,  by  sulphur  fumes  in  the  fire 
which  followed. 

(277.) — A  tube  ruptured  July  6,  in  a  water  tube  boiler,  at  the  Iowa  State  Hos- 
pital for  the  Insane,  Cherokee,  la. 

(278.) — A  boiler  burst  July  6,  at  the  Ice,  Light,  and  Water  Plant  of  the  Italy 
Water  Co.,  Italy,  Texas. 

(279.) — On  July  6,  the  boiler  of  a  threshing  machine  exploded  on  the  farm 
of  the  Misses  Ward,  near  Little  Creek,  Del.  William  Boyd,  Samuel  Leat,  and 
Elmer  Harris  were  injured.     Leat  and  Harris,   if  they  recover,   will  be  blind. 

(280.)— A  condemned  boiler  exploded  July  7,  at  the  Visalia  Creamery, 
Visalia,  Cal.     Clyde  Lisman  was  seriously,  and  perhaps  fatally  scalded. 

(281.)— A  boiler  exploded  July  8,  at  the  plant  of  the  Atlantic  Ice  and  Coal 
Corp'n,  Atlanta,  Ga. 

(282.) — A  boiler  in  the  Columbian  Hotel  exploded  July  Q,  during  the  pro- 
gress of  a  fire  which  swept  Thousand  Island  Park,  Alexandria  Bay,  N.  Y. 

(283.)— A  tube  ruptured  July  9,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  Brunots  Island 
power  house  of  the  Pittsburgh  Railway  Co.,  Pittsburgh,  Pa.  James  McGreevy, 
boiler  foreman,  was  injured. 

(284.) — On  July  10,  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water  tube  boiler,  at  the  plant  of 
the  C.  A.  Smith  Lumber  Co.,  Bay  Point,  Cal. 

(285.) —  On  July  10,  the  boiler  of  Chicago  and  Alton  locomotive  No.  21 
exploded  near  Normal,  111.  Joseph  Orr  was  fatally  injured,  and  several  of  the 
train  crew  received  minor  injuries. 

(286.) — A  tube  ruptured  July  11,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  20th  St. 
power  house  of  the  Pittsburgh  Railways  Co.,  Pittsburgh,  Pa.  Frank  Weiher, 
William  Reed,  and  John  Enright,  repairmen,  were  scalded.  The  damage  to  the 
boiler  was  small. 

(287.) — A  tube  in  a  water  tube  boiler  burst  July  12,  at  the  plant  of  the 
Philip  Carey  M'f'g  Co.,  Lockland,  O.  Considerable  damage  was  done  to  the 
boiler.  Carey  Spellman  and  Edwin  Terell,  firemen,  were  injured,  the  lattei 
fatally. 

(288.) — On  July  12.  the  crown  sheet  of  a  locomotive  collapsed  at  the  State 
Phosphate  Works  of  Swift  and  Co.,  Agricola,  Fla.  J.  A.  Oglesbee,  engineer, 
was  injured. 

(289.) — A  blow-off  pipe  failed  July  13.  at  the  plant  of  the  Mariana  Ice  and 
Cold  Storage  Co.,  Mariana.  Ark. 

(299.) — A  tube  ruptured  July  15.  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of  the 
Columbia  Chemical  Co.,  Barberton,  O. 

(291.) — A  steam  pipe  burst  on  a  steam  shovel,  at  the  Potrero  Gas  Plant, 
San  Francisco,  Cal.,  on  July  16.  John  Logue  was  fatally  scalded,  and  John 
Vanni  seriously  burned. 

(2g2.) — A  saw  mill  boiler  exploded  July  17,  at  the  mill  of  A.  Foster,  Waldo, 
Ark.     Sid.   Jackson,   engineer,   was   killed. 

("293.)— On  July  18,  a  boiler  exploded  at  the  plant  of  the  Peoria  Stone  and 
Marble  Co..  Peoria,  111.    John  Molek  and  John  Ruge  were  fatally  scalded. 

C294.) — A  threshing  machine  boiler  exploded  July  t8,  at  the  Moon  farm, 
near  Culver,  Kans.  Arthur  Atkinson,  the  owner  of  the  machine  was  fatally 
injured. 


I9I2]  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  121 


(295.) — A  tube  burst  July  18,  in  a  water  tube  boiler,  at  the  plant  of  Armour 
&  Co.,  Sioux  City,  la.     E.  Lindgren,  machinist,  was  injured. 

(296.) — The  boiler  of  locomotive  No.  549,  of  the  St.  Louis,  Brownsville,  and 
Mexico  Railroad,  exploded  July  20,  near  Bay  City,  Tex.  Alfred  E.  Shiver, 
conductor,  Daniel  Fisher,  engineer,  and  W.  V.  Shaw,  fireman,  were  killed. 

(297.) — A  boiler  ruptured  July  22,  at  the  plant  of  the  Mississippi  Glass  Co., 
St.  Louis.  Mo.  », 

(298.) — A  hot  water  tank  burst  July  22,  at  the  plant  of  the  Union  Gas  and 
Electric  Co.,  Cincinnati,  O.    James   B.  Hemphill,  engineer,  was  fatally  scalded. 

(299.) — A  fertilizer  tank  exploded  July  23,  at  the  plant  of  the  Schmadel 
Packing  Co.,  Evansville,  Ind. 

(300.) — The  boiler  at  Daniel  Bousman's  rock  crusher  exploded  July  23,  at 
Rosedale,  Mo.  Frank  Long  was  fatally  injured,  and  James  Clark  very  seriously 
injured. 

(301.) — A  boiler  burst  July  25,  at  the  plant  of  the  Maxinkuckee  Lake  Ice 
Co.,  South  Bend,  Ind. 

(302.) — A  boiler  burst  July  27,  near  Sharpsburg,  Ky.  Thompson  Crockett 
was  killed,  Hal.  Thompson  fatally  injured,  and  a  negro  helper  seriously  injured. 

(303) — On  July  28.  an  accident  occurred  to  the  boiler  of  the  Consumer's 
Ice  M'fg  Co.,  Chester,  Pa. 

(304.) — The  boiler  of  a  peanut  roaster  exploded  July  29.  in  Sigouniy,  la., 
almost  instantly  killing  Chauncey  Meyers,  as  he  was  entering  an  automobile. 

(305) — On  July  29.  a  boiler  ruptured  at  the  plant  of  the  Hays  City  Electric 
Light  Co.,  Hays  City,  Kans. 

(306.) — The  boiler  of  the  David  Wiener  saw  mill,  Joliet,  111.,  exploded 
July  31.  Thomas  Carr,  engineer,  was  almost  instantly  killed.  The  property 
damage  was  estimated  at  $15,000. 

(307) — A  tube  exploded  July  31.  at  the  plant  of  the  Westinghouse  Air 
Brake  Co.,  Wilmerding,  Pa.  Mike  Schmitt,  water  tender,  was  injured  and 
died  some  si.x  hours  after  the  accident. 

(308.) — On  July  31,  a  number  of  cast-iron  headers  ruptured  in  a  water 
tube  boiler,  at  the  plant  of  the  Semet  Solvay  Co.,  Eusley.  .-Via.  Considerable 
damage  was  done  to  the  boiler. 

August,  1912. 

(309.) — On  August  1st,  a  blowoff  pipe  failed  at  the  plant  of  the  Eldorado 
Electric  and  Refrigerating  Co.,  Eldorado,  Kans. 

(310.) — On  August  2,  a  cast-iron  mud  drum  exploded  at  the  power  house 
of  the  Light  and  Traction  Co.,  Fort  Smith,  Ark.  The  city  was  in  darkness 
for  two  hours  as  the  result  of  the  accident,  and  a  property  loss  of  $4,000  is 
reported. 

(311.) — A  tube  ruptured  August  3.  in  a  water  tube  boiler,  at  the  plant  of 
the  New  Orleans  Railway  and  Light  Co.,  New  Orleans,  La. 

(312.) — On  August  4,  an  accident  occurred  to  the  boiler  of  the  American 
Coal  Co.,  McComas,  Allegheny,   Co.,  W.  Va. 

(313.) — A  steam  pipe  burst  August  4.  at  the  mill  of  the  Menasha  Paper  Co., 
Ladysmith,  Wis.     S.  McDonald  and  J.  Olsen,  firemen,  were  fatally  scalded. 

C314.) — On  August  7.  one  of  the  flues  of  a  dryer  collapsed  at  the  plant  of 
Armour  &  Co.,  St.  Joseph,  Mo. 


122  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [October, 

(315.)  — A  tube  ruptured  August  7,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of 
the  Lincoln  Trust  Co.,  Lincoln,  Neb.  Conrad  Benner,  fireman,  was  fatally 
injured. 

(316.) — On  August  9,  a  tube  failed  in  a  water  tube  boiler,  at  the  Riverside 
Steam  Laundry,  Great  Bend,  Kans. 

(317.) — An  accident  occurred  to  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  Columbus  Brew- 
ery, Columbus,  Neb.,  on  August  9. 

(318.) — ^A  tube  failed  August  12,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  Columbia 
Chemical  Co.'s  plant,  Barberton,  O. 

(319-) — A  threshing  machine  boiler  exploded  August  14,  at  the  farm  of 
John  Marburger.  Fire  started  in  the  barn  and  grain  stacks  as  the  result  of  the 
explosion,  causing  property  damage  estimated  at  $10,000.  Three  persons  were 
injured. 

(320.)— On  August  14,  a  steam  pipe  burst  at  the  plant  of  the  Victor  Talking 
Machine  Co.,  Camden,  N.  J.     One  man  was  severely  scalded. 

(321.) — A  boiler  exploded  August  17,  at  the  ice  plant  of  A.  Eller  and  Sons, 
Greenville,  O. 

(322.) — -On  August  17,  five  sections  of  a  cast-iron  sectional  heating  boiler 
failed  at  the  Clarke  School  for  the  Deaf,  Northampton,  Mass. 

(323-) — A  cast-iron  sectional  boiler  failed  August  18,  at  the  "  Fensmere  " 
apartment  house,  owned  by  William  Maynard,  Boston,  Mass. 

(324.) — On  August  20,  four  cast-iron  headers  failed  in  a  water  tube  boiler, 
at  Factory  No.  2,  of  the  Union  Ice  Co.,  Pittsburg,  Pa. 

(325-) — A  steam  header  fractured  August  21,  at  the  power  house  of  the 
Texas  Light  and  Power  Co.,  Waco,  Texas.  The  accident  resulted  in  the  com- 
plete interruption  of  all  electric  service,  light,  power,  and  traction.  One  man, 
George  Y.  Bird,  was  scalded. 

(326.) — 'An  evaporator,  for  the  conversion  of  salt  water  into  fresh,  burst 
August  21,  at  Sea  Isle  City,  N.  J.     One  man  was  slightly  injured. 

(327.) — ^A  boiler  belonging  to  the  Kerbaugh  Construction  Co.,  exploded 
August  22,  at  Sand  Patch,  Pa.     Four  men  were  injured. 

(328.) — A  saw  mill  boiler  exploded  August  22,  on  the  Provo  River,  fifteen 
miles  from  Kamas,  Utah.  Two  men,  W.  S.  Fuelling  and  H.  G.  Wade,  were 
killed,  and  Mrs.  Wade  was  seriously  injured. 

(329.) — A  tube  ruptured  August  23,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant  oi 
the  Dixie  Portland  Cement  Co.,  Richard  City,  Tenn.  Ben  Jones,  fireman,  was 
killed.     The  property  loss  was  small. 

(330-) — A  saw  mill  boiler  exploded  at  the  plant  of  the  Pocahontas  Con- 
solidated Collieries  Co.,  at  the  Jenkin  Jones'  operation  on  the  Tug  River,  near 
Pocahontas,  Va.,  on  August  24.     Four  men  were  killed. 

(33^-) — A  tube  fractured  in  a  water  tube  boiler  August  25,  at  the  plant  of 
the  Southern  Iron  and  Steel  Co.,  Alabama  City,  Ala.  Joe  Turner,  fireman, 
was  injured. 

(332.) — A  threshing  machine  boiler  exploded  on  the  J.  J.  Bush  farm.  Vet- 
eran, N.  Y.,  August  27,  injuring  a  boy. 

(333-) — The  boiler  of  a  threshing  machine  exploded  August  27  on  the  farm 
of  Guy  Ford,  Witoka,  Minn.  August  Waldo  was  killed,  and  Lynn  Higgins 
seriously  injured. 

(334-) — A  tube  failed  August  27,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of  the 
American  Steel  and  Wire  Co.  of  New  Jersey.     Waukegan,  111. 


igi2. 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE. 


123 


(335)— On  August  27,  a  boiler  burst  at  the  plant  of  the  Peoples  Light  and  - 
Ice  Co.,  Ellsworth,  Kans. 

(336.)— A  boiler  ruptured  August  27,  at  the  flour  mill  of  the  Kill  Milling 
Co.,  Vernon,  Tex. 

(.337-) — The  crown  sheet  of  a  traction  engine  boiler  collapsed  August  30,  at 
Bay  City,  Tex.     Bowie  Ryman  was  seriously  scalded. 

(338.) — The  boiler  of  a  traction  engine  exploded  August  3C  on  the  W.  F. 
Rankin  farm.  Tarkio,  Mo.  James  Savior  and  Fred  Taylor  were  seriously  and 
perhaps  fatally  injured.  » 


s,yaW/:r  ofS^''-^ 


Fig.   I.     Concrete  Back  Arch,  for  Horizontal  Tubular  Boiler.     Corner 
Broken  Away  to  Show  Pipe  Reinforcement. 


A  Useful  Form  of  Concrete. 

p.  H.  Repp,  Inspector. 

Quantities  of  broken  fire  brick  are  often  seen  about  a  steam  plant,  accum- 
ulating after  repairs  until  they  become  a  nuisance,  when  they  are  removed  with 
the  ashes  and  other  refuse.  This  material  may  be  far  more  valuable  than  it 
seems,  for  if  broken  up  into  pieces  about  the  size  of  a  marble,  and  mixed  with 
an  equal  amount  of  neat  portland  cement  (no  sand),  it  will  produce  a  form  of 
refractory  concrete  which  makes  most  excellent  arches  or  furnace  linings. 
Sufficient  water  should  be  used  to  thoroughly  saturate  every  particle  of  the 
cement. 

■When  it  is  necessarj'  to  renew  the  brick  work  over  a  furnace  door,  or  the 
rear  arch  of  a  horizontal  tubular  boiler  setting,  a  form  of  rough  boards  can 
be  made,  into  which  the  concrete  mixture  may  be  rammed.  If  the  boiler  can 
be  spared  long  enough  for  the  cement  to  set  properly,  the  work  may  be  done  in 
place,  but  in  the  case  of  a  rear  arch,  it  is  a  simple  matter  to  cast  the  block  in 
a  form  set  up  on  the  boiler  room  floor,  and  then  it  may  be  placed  in  position 
when  ready,  with  very  little  loss  of  time. 

For  this  purpose,  a  strong  form  should  be  prepared,  long  enough  so  that 
the  completed  arch  will  rest  with  a  good  bearing  on  the  side  walls  of  the  setting. 
To  give  strength  to  the  structure  some  lengths  of  old  1%  or  i>4  inch  pipe 
should  be  secured  in  the  form  as  indicated  in  Fig.  i,  to  serve  as  a  reinforce- 
ment. Hooks  may  be  forged  up  from  round  iron,  and  fastened  in  the  rriold  so 
as  to  embrace  the  middle  length  of  pipe,  and  will  be  found  of  service  to  secure 
lifting  gear,  when  placing  the  block  in  position.     Of  course  such  an  arch  can 


124 


THE     LOCO^IOTIVE. 


[October, 


be  made  in  any  shape  necessary  to  meet  local  conditions,  the  only  requirement 
being  to  so  place  the  reinforcing  material  as  to  secure  adequate  strength. 

Rear  arches  of  this  description  have  come  under  the  writer's  observation 
at  plants  in  which  soft  coal  is  burned,  and  the  boilers  driven  at  a  high  rate. 
One  in  particular  is  in  good  condition  after  six  years  of  such  service,  in  a 
setting  where  the  old  form  of  brick  work  had  given  a  great  deal  of  trouble. 
Another  difficult  case  w-as  that  of  a  brick  arch  over  the  furnace  doors,  in  the 
setting  of  a  horizontal  tubular  boiler,  which  seldom  lasted  as  long  as  six  months. 
Here  the  concrete  was  tried  as  a  sort  of  forlorn  hope.  A  form  was  arranged 
so  that  the  work  could  be  done  in  place,  and  an  expansion  joint,  in  the  shape 
of  a  vertical  space,  was  left  in  the  center.  No  trouble  with  this  construction 
has  been  experienced,  and  the  concrete  has  been  in  place  more  than  a  year, 
with  no  signs  of  cracks,  or  other  deterioration. 

No  particular  novelty  is  claimed  for  this  material,  but  the  writer  feels  that 
there  are  many  engineers  to  whom  it  is  unknown,  and  who  would  be  glad 
to  avail  themselves  of  it.  He  is  sure  that  if  the  work  is  carefully  done,  the 
results  will  be  both  durable  and  reliable. 


Boiler  Explosion  .\t  Saltillo,  Mexico.     No.  270  ix  June  List. 

On  the  Value  of  Skilled  Operatives. 

The  rather  picturesque  illustration  which  heads  this  paragraph,  and  inci- 
dentally furnishes  the  text  for  it,  represents  what  was  left  of  locomotive  No. 
591  of  the  National  Railway  of  Mexico,  after  its  boiler  exploded  June  28th  at 
Saltillo,  Coahuila,  Mexico.  The  report  which  reaches  us  is  to  the  effect  that 
fifteen  persons  were  killed,  and  much  property  destroyed.  It  is  also  said  that  the 
indirect  cause  of  this  and  four  other  similar  explosions,  is  to  be  found  in  the 
fact  that  the  skilled  American  engineers  and  firemen  had  been  replaced  by 
unskilled  and  inexperienced  Alexicans,  and  this  brings  us  to  the  subject  upon 
which  we  wish  to  touch. 


uj\2. 1  T  HE     L  O  C  O  M  O  T  1  V  E  .  i  25 

There  ;ire  in  general,  assnniinj;  proper  design  and  constrnctiun,  jnst  two 
causes  for  boiler  accidents,  both  of  which  may  really  be  included  under  the 
one  head,  over  pressure.  The  subdivision  into  two  classes  which  we  have 
indicated,  would  be  to  cover  first,  over  pressure  proper,  that  is  a  pressure 
in  excess  of  the  ordinary  working  pressure  sufficient  to  rupture  a  sound  boiler, 
and  second,  such  a  deterioration  of  the  boiler,  that  the  ordinary  working  pres- 
sure becomes  in  reality  an  over  pressure,  resulting  in  a  more  o*  less  serious 
accident.  We  are  well  aware  that  we  are  stating  no  novel  fact,  and  will  gladly 
confess  our  guilt  if  you  insist  that  this  is  a  mere  truism,  but  we  wish  to  com- 
plete the  statement  with  another  truism,  that  such  conditions  are  the  result 
of  direct  or  indirect  incompetence  in  the  boiler  supervision. 

No  inspection  service,  whether  b_v  city,  state,  or  insurance  company,  can 
prevent  an  incompetent  or  careless  operative  from  doing  serious  damage  as  the 
result  of  perhaps  but  a  few  moments'  misuse  of  the  apparatus  placed  in  his 
charge.  It  is  not  our  intention  however  to  censure  the  operator  himself,  but 
rather  the  penny-wise  policy  of  steam  users  and  boiler  owners,  which  fre- 
quently makes  it  possible  for  him  to  assume  a  responsibility  for  which  he  is 
in  no  wise  fitted.  The  moral  question  of  responsibility  for  the  life  and  prop- 
erty of  others  need  not  be  brought  to  bear,  as  it  is  easy  to  show  that  a  purely 
selfish  desire  to  earn  a  fair  return  on  the  money  invested  in  a  steam  plant 
should  be  incentive  enough  to  induce  any  steam  user  to  first  assure  himself  of 
the  safe  condition  of  his  apparatus  through  the  skilled  inspection  services 
offered  by  a  sound  Inspection  and  Insurance  Company,  and  then  to  secure 
proper  maintenance  by  hiring  competent  men  at  a  fair  wage,  to  operate  his 
plant. 


Boiler  Shell  Damag-ed  by  the  Vibration  of  a  Steam  Header. 

Geo.  H.  Ward,  Resident  Agent. 

Some  years  ago,  the  writer,  then  an  inspector  in  the  Boston  Department, 
examined  a  boiler  in  South  Gardiner,  Mass.,  which  had  been  removed  to 
make  way  for  one  of  larger  proportions.  This  boiler  had  been  insured  and 
inspected  by  a  competent  inspector,  and  the  report  of  its  condition  had  always 
been  good.  It  is  the  custom  of  the  Hartford  to  class  such  boilers  as  second 
hand,  and  as  the  owners  had  a  customer  in  view,  this  special  examination  was 
made. 

A  thorough  internal  and  external  inspection  was  made,  and  the  boiler  was 
found  to  be  fairly  clean,  and  free  from  visible  defects.  As  it  was  of  the 
double  riveted  lap  construction,  the  hydrostatic  test  was  applied,  under  which 
it  seemed  absolutely  tight.  In  going  over  the  various  seams  and  plates  with 
the  inspector's  hammer,  while  under  pressure,  no  evidence  of  leakage  or 
fractures  at  the  seams  was  noted.  But  upon  applying  the  hammer  to  the  plate 
surrounding  the  forward  nozzle,  after  a  few  strokes,  a  fine  spray  of  water  was 
visible  coming  through  what  appeared  to  be  solid  plate.  This  spot  was  then 
vigorously  attacked,  and  soon  a  fine  spray  fountain  was  at  work.  .  The  pres- 
sure was  then  allowed  to  drop,  the  boiler  emptied  and  the  manhole  plate  re- 
moved, permitting  a  close  examination  of  this  plate  from  the  inside.  It  was 
found  to  be  as  smooth  as  the  day  it  was  rolled,  but  by  drying  it  with  bunches 
of  waste,  and  using  a  magnifying  glass,  it  was  noted  that  the  entire  plate  for 


126  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [October. 

a  distance  of  about  eight  inches  around  the  nozzle  had  been  fatigued,  the  fiber 
of  the  metal  had  been  broken  off  and  the  plate  was  full  of  fine,  irregular  hair 
cracks.  The  inspector  condemned  the  boiler.  An  investigation  was  then  made 
to  determine  the  cause  for  this  cracking  of  the  shell. 

It  was  found  that  the  boiler  had  stood  in  a  battery,  and  that  it  had  been 
connected  to  the  header,  which  was  some  twelve  feet  above  the  nozzle,  by  a 
riser.  While  the  writer  was  present,  this  line  with  a  similar  .riser  from  a 
boiler  standing  adjacent  to  the  former  position  of  the  one  tested,  was  vibrating 
considerably.  The  cracking  of  the  plate  was  therefore  attributed  to  the  effect 
of  this  vibration,  transmitted  to  the  shell  by  the  riser,  which  was  long  enough 
to  secure  a  good  leverage,  and  hence  cause  a  considerable  movement  of  the 
shell  at  each  swing  of  the  header. 


The  above  failure  is  a  striking  illustration  of  the  serious  consequences 
which  may  attend  an  improper  or  poorly  chosen  pipe  layout.  Such  vibrations 
are  well  known  to  result  more  often  from  the  intermittent  demand  for  steam 
of  a  high  speed  engine,  than  from  the  purely  mechanical  shaking  of  unbalanced 
machinery.  The  cure  for  such  a  condition  is  usually  to  be  found  in  a  separator 
or  other  form  of  reservoir,  placed  between  the  header  and  the  engine,  of 
sufficient  size  to  equalize  these  pulsations  in  the  steam  flow,  and  incidentally, 
it  may  be  said  that  separators  are  cheaper  than  boilers. 

Editor. 


Steam  Eng-ineering-  About  Sixty  Years  Ag-o. 

B.  Ford,  Chief  Inspector. 

In  thinking  over  my  experience  as  a  steam  engineer  for  the  past  sixty 
years,  I  recall  my  experience  in  operating  two  cylinder  boilers  —  38"  in 
diameter  and  24'  long  —  that  had  none  of  the  modern  appliances  for  safety  or 
convenience.  They  were  fitted  only  with  a  lever  safety  valve,  no  steam  gauge. 
The  end  of  the  lever  was  handled  with  a  rod,  and  to  determine  the  rise  and 
fall  of  the  steam  pressure,  you  pushed  up  on  the  lever.  The  amount  of  force 
used  to  lift  the  valve  was  the  only  way  to  determine  the  pressure.  There  was 
no  mud  valve.  In  the  front  plate  over  the  grates,  on  the  bottom,  an  inch 
hole  was  drilled  and  fitted  with  a  tapered  plug,  driven  from  the  inside  and 
extending  through  the  plate  generally  about  an  inch.  To  empty  the  boiler  for 
cleaning,  you  used  the  heavy  fire  poker  and  knocked  the  plug  back  into  the 
boiler.  Some  care  had  to  be  taken  in  using  the  poker  to  work  the  fires,  as  on 
several  occasions  the  plug  was  knocked  out,  the  boiler  emptied  of  water,  and 
the  works  stopped.  Tlie  steam  outlet  was  at  the  front  head,  and  the  water 
supply  connection  was  also  in  the  front  head,  through  an  equalizing  pipe  con- 
nected to  both  boilers. 

When  we  consider  the  old  style  of  equipment  as  compared  with  the  present 
with  its  steam  gauges,  pop  safety  valves,  mud  valves,  and  glass  water  gauges, 
these  additional  fittings  should  encourage  us  to  look  for  greater  safety  in  the 
operation  of  steam  boilers,  and  engineers  of  steam  boilers  should  be  proud  of 
being  trusted  with  the  responsible  position  of  having  charge  of  a  boiler  plant. 

But  I  would  say,  boys,  with  all  these  new  appliances  for  your  guidance, 
don't  forget  to  push  in  your  gauge  cocks  and  notice  what  comes  out  —  water  or 
steam. 


THe  Panfom  steam  Boiler  iDspecilon  ami  ipraqce  Goopaiiy. 


ABSTRACT  OF  STATEMENT,  JANUARY   1,  1912. 
Capital  Stock,      .        .        .       $1,000,000.00. 

ASSETS.  ^ 

Cash  on  hand  and  in  course  of  transmission $204,693.25 

Premiums    in   course   of   collection 263,453.33 

Real   estate, 91,100.00 

Loaned  on  bond  and  mortgage, 1,166,360.00 

Stocks  and  bonds,  market  value, 3,249,216.00 

Interest  accrued, 71,052.02 

Total    Assets, $5,045,874.60 

LIABILITIES. 

Premium    Reserve, $2,042,218.21 

Losses    unadjusted, 102,472.53 

Commissions  and  brokerage, 52,690.67 

Other  liabilities  (taxes  accrued,  etc. ) 47,191.65 

Capital    Stock $1,000,000.00 

Surplus   over   all   liabilities 1,801,301.54 


Surplus  as  regards  Policy-holders, 

Total  Liabilities,  . 


$2,801,301.54   2,801,301.54 


$5,045,874-60 


L.  B.  BRAINERD,  President  and  Treasurer. 

FRANCIS  B.  ALLEN.  Vice-President.  CHAS.  S.  BLAKE,  Secretary. 

L.  F.  MIDDLEBROOK.  Assistant  Secretary. 

W.  R.  C.  CORSON.  Assistant  Secretary. 

S.  F.  Jeter.  Supervising  Inspector. 

E.  J.  Murphy.  M.  E.,  Consulting  Engineer. 

F.  M.  Fitch,  Auditor. 


BOARD    OF    DIRECTORS. 


GEORGE  BURNHAM, 

The  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works,  Phila- 
delphia, Pa. 
ATWOOD  COLLINS,   President, 

The   Security   Co.,   Hartford,   Conn. 
LUCIUS       F.        ROBINSON,       Attorney, 

Hartford,  Conn. 
JOHN   O.   ENDERS,   United   States   Bank, 

Hartford,  Conn. 
LYM.^N    B.    BRAINERD, 

Director,    Swift   &    Company. 
MORGAN    B.    BRAINARD, 

Vice-Pres.    and    Treasurer,    The    .^tna 

Life    Insurance    Co.,    Hartford,    Conn. 
FRANCIS     B.     ALLEN,     Vice-Pres.,     The 

Hartford   Steam   Boiler   Inspection   and 

Insurance    Company. 
CHARLES    P.    COOLEY,    Vice-Pres., 

The     Fidelity     Trust     Co.,     Hartford, 

Conn. 


ARTHUR   L.    SHIPMAN,  Attorney, 

Hartford,  Conn. 
GEORGE    C.    KIMBALL,    President,    The 

Smyth   Mfg.   Co.,   Hartford,   Conn. 

CHARLES  M.  JARVIS,  President,  The 
American  Hardware  Corporation,  New 
Britain,  Conn. 

FRANCIS  T.  MAXWELL,  President, 
The  Hockanum  Mills  Company,  Rock- 
ville,   Conn. 

HORACE  B.  CHENEY,  Cheney  Brothers 
Silk  Manufacturing  Co.,  South  Man- 
chester,  Conn. 

D.  NEWTON  BARNEY,  Treasurer,  The 
Hartford  Electric  Light  Co.,  and 
Director  N.  Y.,  N.  H.  and  H.  R.  R. 
Co. 

DR  GEORGE  C.  F.  WILLIAMS,  Treas. 
and  General  Manager,  The  Capewell 
Horse  Nail   Co.,  Hartford,   Conn. 


,.v^ 


o<V^^^^ 


Incorporated  1866. 


Charter  Perpetual. 


m  Harllom  Steaiq  Boiler  iqspeclioii  m  iqsuraiice  Goiqpaii! 

ISSUES  POLICIES  OF  INSURANCE  COVERING 

ALL  LOSS  OF  PROPERTY 

AS  WELL  AS  DAitAGE   RESULTING   FROM 

LOSS  OF  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  INJURIES  DUE  TO  EXPLOSIONS 
OF  STEAM  BOILERS  OR  FLY  WHEELS. 


Department. 

ATLANTA,    Ga.,       . 
611-613  Empire  Bldg. 

BALTIMORE.  Md.,  . 
13-14-15    Abell    Bldg. 

BOSTON,   Mass.,       . 
loi  Milk  St. 

BRIDGEPORT,   CT., 
No.  I  Sanborn  Bldg. 

CHICAGO,  111.,  . 

160  West  Jackson   St. 

CINCINNATI,  Ohio, 

First  National  Bank  Bldg. 

CLEVELAND,    Ohio, 
Century  Bldg. 

DENVER,   Colo., 

Room  2,  Jacobson  Bldg. 

HARTFORD,    Conn., 
56  Prospect  St. 

NEW  ORLEANS,  La.,     . 

833-835    Gravier   St. 
NEW  YORK,  N.  Y., 

100  William  St. 

PHILADELPHIA,  Pa.,     . 

432  Walnut  St. 

PITTSBURG,   Pa.,     . 
1801-1802  Arrott  Bldg. 

PORTLAND,  Ore.,    . 
306  Yeon  Bldg. 

SAN  FRANCISCO,  Cal.,  . 

339-341  Sansome  St. 
ST.  LOUIS,  Mo., 

319  North  Fourth  St. 

TORONTO,   Canada, 

Continental  Life  Bldg. 


Representatives. 

W.  M.  Francis, 

Manager  &  Chief  Inspector. 

Lawford  &  McKiM,  General  Agents. 
R.  E.  MuNRO,  Chief  Inspector. 

C.  E.  Roberts,  Manager. 

Joseph  H,  McNeill,  Chief  Inspector. 

W.  G.  LiNEBURGH  &  Son,  General  Agents. 
F.  S.  All^n,  Chief  Inspector. 

H.  M.  Lemon,  Manager. 

James  L.  Foord  Chief  Inspector. 

J.  T.  Coleman,  Assistant  Chief  Inspector. 

W.  E.  GcEason,  Manager. 

Walter  Gerner,  Chief  Inspector. 

H.  A.  Baumhart, 

Manager  &  Chief   Inspector. 

Thos.  E.  Shears, 

General  Agent  &  Chief  Inspector. 

F.  H.  Williams,  Jr.,  General  Agent. 
F.  S.  Allen,  Chief  Inspector. 

Peter  F.  Pescud,  General  Agent. 

R.  T.  Burwell,  Chief  Inspector. 

C.  C.  Gardiner,  Manager. 

W.   W.   Manning,   Chief   Inspector. 

CoRBiN,  Goodrich  &  Wickham,  General  Agents. 

Wm.  J.  Farran,  Chief  Inspector. 

S.  B.  Adams,  Assistant  Chief  Inspector. 

C.  D.  AsHCROFT,  Manager. 

Benjamin  Ford,  Chief  Inspector. 

W.  A.  Craig,  Assistant  Chief  Inspector. 

McCargar,  Bates  &  Lively,  General  Agents. 
C.  B.  Paddock,  Chief  Inspector. 

H.  R.  Mann  &  Co.,  General  Agents. 
J.  B.  Warner,  Chief  Inspector. 

V.  Hugo, 

Manager  &  Qiief   Inspector. 

H.  N.  Roberts, 

General   Agent. 


HARlFOgo 


INSPECTION 


AND 


Vol.  XXIX.  HARTFORD,  CONN.,  JANUARY,  1913.  No.  5. 


COPYRIGHT,   1912,   BY  THE  HARTFORD  STEAM   BOILER  INSPECTION  AND  INSURANCE  CO. 


Heating    Boiler.  Wreck. 


130  THE  LOCOMOTIVE.  [January, 

Protection  of  Water  Gaug-e  Glasses 

Alex  M.  Gow.* 

Under  date  of  June  2,  191 1  the  Interstate  Commerce  Commission  issued  a 
set  of  rules  and  instructions  relative  to  inspection  and  testing  of  locomotive 
boilers  and  their  appurtenances.     Rule  No.  41  reads  as  follows: 

"All  tubular  water  glasses  and  lubricator  glasses  must  be  equipped  with 
a  safe  and  suitable  shield  which  shall  prevent  the  glass  from  flying  in 
case  of  breakage,  and  such  shield  must  be  properly  maintained." 

While  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Interstate  Commerce  Commission  in  such 
matters  extends  only  to  locomotives'  operated  by  common  carriers,  nevertheless 
the  precaution  prescribed  should  be  adopted  by  all  users  of  all  boilers  whether 
they  are  upon  locomotives  engaged  in  interstate  commerce  or  stationary  boilers 
in  power  plants. 

Glass  tubes,  when  subjected  to  internal  steam  pressure  on  water  gauges 
or  lubricators  will  break.  If  the  flying  pieces  of  glass  enter  a  man's  eye  the 
results  are  liable  to  be  serious.  That  such  glasses  should  be  guarded,  goes 
without  saying.  A  general  presentation  of  the  question  would  appear,  then,  to 
be  in  order. 

One  of  the  causes  that  has  been  assigned  for  the  breaking  of  glasses  is 
"the  inherent  malevolence  of  inanimate  objects."  Against  this  cause  all  that 
can  be  done  is  to  buy  the  best  grade  of  glasses ;  the  best  being  those  that  have 
the  least  "  inherent  malevolence."  That  there  is  a  wide  difference  in  the 
propensity  to  break  of  different  makes,  every  engineer  knows.  What  the  best 
make  is,  the  writer  does  not  know. 

Another,  and  very  fruitful  cause  of  breakage  is  the  fact  that  the  upper  and 
lower  connections  are  not  true  and  in  line.  The  result  of  this  lack  of  alignment 
is  that  a  sidewise  strain  is  put  on  the  glass  where  the  packing  glands  are  set  up. 
Again,  the  gland  nuts  are  necessarily  set  up  with  a  wrench  and  a  little  too  much 
pull  will  insure  the  breakage  of  a  glass.  In  fact,  when  the  fittings  are  too  hot 
to  touch,  and.  the  rubber  ring  is  not  a  good  fit,  and  the  wrench  is  too  big,  and 
a  leaky  joint  overhead  is  dropping  hot  water  on  the  back  of  a  man's  neck,  he 
is  liable  to  have  trouble  getting  the  glass  in  just  right.  But  if  not  put  in  just 
right,  it  will  break  again. 

That  the  glasses  have  received  improper  and  careless  handling  is  another 
cause  that  accounts  for  many  breakages.  If  the  glaze  or  "  fire  polish  "  on  the 
surface  of  the  glass,  inside  or  out,  be  scratched  ever  so  slightly,  the  chances  are 
that  the  glass  will  break.  Speaking  of  this  cause  of  breakage,  Mr.  Chas.  S. 
Blake,  in  the  January  number  of  "  The  Locomotive,"  says :  "All  glasses  are 
keenly  susceptible  to  surface  abrasions,  even  so  minute  as  to  be  unobservable. 
If  one  receives  the  slightest  scratch  inside  or  out,  it  should  not  be  used,  and  in 
handling  or  keeping  them  in  stock,  no  matal  of  any  nature  should  be  allowed 
to  come  in  contact  with  them.  They  are  particularly  liable  to  break  if  iron  or 
steel  touches  them,  and  so  should  never  be  laid  down  even  temporarily  with 
tools,  as  is  frequently  done  in  preparation  for  a  renewal. 

"  The  great  precaution  is  to  keep  the  surface  from  being  scratched,  for,  as 
every  engineer  knows,  it  requires  but  the  slightest  breaking  of  the  skin  of  the 
glass  in  a  circumferential  way  to  cause  it  to  almost  fall  apart.     The  peculiar 


♦.■Xssistant  Chief  Engineer,  Oliver  Iron  Mining  Co.,  Dulutli  Minn. 


I9I3] 


THE  LOCOMOTIVE 


131 


phenomenon  of  the  glass  breaking  which  has  lain  next  to  iron  or  steel  has 
never  been  explained  to  me,  but  1  have  a  number  of  times,  as  an  experiment, 
taken  a  glass,  run  a  smooth  rod  of  iron  through  it  and  put  it  away.  Sooner  or 
later  it  has  been  found  shattered  in  many  pieces." 

Tlie  steam  and  water  have  a  corroding  action  on  the  inside  of  the  glass 
that  tends  to  induce  breakage.  This  action  appears  to  be  more  aetive  when  the 
glaze  or  "  fire  polish  "  has  been  disturbed.  For  this  reason  it  is  thought  best  by 
some  engineers  to  obtain  glasses  of  exact  length  with  fused  ends,  rather  than 
to  cut  a  long  glass  to  the  proper  length,  thus  leaving  a  surface  subject  to  the 
above-mentioned  corroding  action. 


—  Sci.r  Tut,  au..^  ■  ^,f.„  J  . 


c/.f  Tut,  a^.^-r.f^r^!. 


Figs,   i,  2,  and  3. —  Split  Tube  Guards. 

Every  engineer  knows  that  he  ought  to  close  the  top  and  bottom  connections 
before  attempting  to  tighten  the  stuffing  box  nuts.  Occasionally  a  man  has 
neglected  this  precaution  and  lost  an  eye  in  consequence.  Every  engineer  knows, 
also,  that  after  a  new  glass  is  put  in  the  connections  should  be  opened  very 
slowly,  to  allow  the  glass  to  warm  up.  This  is  the  time  to  guard  the  face 
and  eyes. 

For  this  purpose  the  shield  shown  in  Figure  No.  6  has  been  recommended, 
and  is  used  on  a  great  many  boilers.  It  is  a  revolvable  shield  and  can  be 
brought  around  between  a  man's  face  and  the  glass  when  the  valves  are  first 
opened,  or  after  putting  in  a  new  glass.  It  also  serves  to  protect  a  man  in  case 
any  work  has  to  be  done  on  the  water  column  or  connections.  The  shield  is 
made  from  a  piece  of  light  sheet  steel  and  when  not  in  use,  is  turned  out  of 
the  way. 

A  modification  of  this  idea  is  shown  in  Figure  No.  7.  Here  the  shield  is 
made  very  large  and  substantial  and  runs  in  guides.  When  out  of  use  it  slides 
clear  to  the  rear  of  the  water  column.     It  can  be  pushed  into  place  from  the 


132 


THE  LOCOMOTIVE, 


[January, 


floor  of  the  boiler  room  by  a  long  stick  or  any  convenient  poker.  Neither  of 
these  shields  protect  a  man  from  flying  glass,  except  when  he  is  working  at  the 
water  column  and  has  the  shield  in  place.  It  is  claimed,  however,  that  inasmuch 
as  that  is  the  time  when  the  danger  is  greatest  and  when  most  accidents  happen, 
and  furthermore,  that  the  chance  of  a  man  on  the  boiler  room  floor  being  hit 
by  a  piece  of  flying  glass  is  very  remote,  that  this  type  of  shield  affords  ample 
and  sufficient  protection. 


Figs.  4,  5,  and  6. —  Split  Tube,  Perforated  and  Revolvable  Guards. 

Figure  No.  5  shows  a  plain,  perforated,  metal  guard.  This  type  of  guard 
has  appeared  in  various  forms  and  has  the  merit  of  cheapness.  If  the  perfora- 
tions are  made  small  enough  it  offers  an  effectual  resistance  to  flying  glass.  But 
most  engineers  will  raise  serious  objections  to  the  obstruction  it  offers  to  seeing 
where  the  water  level  is      And  this  is  certainly  a  serious  objection. 

Another  type  of  guard  with  which  every  one  is  familiar  is  the  plain,  slotted 
tube  placed  over  the  gauge  glass.  The  objection  raised  to  this  type  of  guard  is 
that  if  the  slot  is  large  enough  to  clearly  show  the  water,  it  is  also  large  enough 
to  permit  the  glass  to  fly.  But  there  is  much  to  be  said  in  favor  of  the  slotted 
tube  tj'pe.  If  loose  on  the  glass  it  can  be  turned  as  a  shield,  similarly  to  the 
first  t3'pe  mentioned.  Ordinarily  the  slot  may  be  turned  in  the  direction  least 
liable  to  cause  a  man  to  be  hit  by  flying  glass,  and  the  amount  of  glass  to  flv 
is  certainly  reduced. 

Four  modilications  of  the  slotted  tube  idea  are  shown  in  Figures  Nos.  i, 
2,  3  and  4.  All  of  these  designs  incorporate  one  most  excellent  feature,  that 
will  to  a  great  extent  reduce  breakages :  The  gauge  glass  is  inserted  in  the 
split  tube  and  the  top  and  bottom  packing  glands  set  up  tightly,  before  the  tube 
is  inserted  into  the  top  and  bottom  connections.  This  entirely  removes  one 
cause  of  breakage  mentioned  above,  the  lack-of-alignment  of  the  fittings. 

In  Figures  Nos.   i  and  2  the  nuts  that  tig'hten  the  glands  onto  the  rubber 


1913] 


THE  LOCOMOTIVE. 


133 


Fig.  7. —  Revolvable  Guard. 
packing  rings  are  knurled  so  that  they  may  be  screwed  up  by  hand.  In  making 
connections  to  the  top  and  bottom  fittings  on  the  water  cohimn  a  wrench  can 
be  used  with  impunity  for  no  strain  is  put  onto  the  glass  by  screwing  up  the 
packing  nuts.  The  only  essential  difference  in  the  designs  of  these  two  types 
is  that  in  Figure  No.  2  the  glass  is  packed  on  the  end  while  in  Figure  No.  i  it 
is  packed  in  the  usual  way,  on  the  outside. 

The  claim  made  for  the  end-packing  is  that  the  glass  is  better  protected 
from  corrosion.  This  argument  has  little  weight  if  glasses  with  fused  ends  are 
used.  Objection  can  be  made  to  packing  on  the  end  on  the  ground  that  the 
glass  must  be  true  and  square  and  furthermore  owing  to  the  pressure  required 
to  make  a  tight  joint,  the  glass  cannot  expand. 

The  writer  considers  all  these  objections  more  theoretical  than  practical  and 
knows  that  this  type  of  split  tube  guard  saves  a  great  many  breakages.  The 
slots  are  set  parallel  to  the  boiler  fronts.  The  water  is  plainly  visible.  In  case 
/of  breakage  a  man  can  go  on  a  ladder  to  the  front  of  the  column  with  perfect 
impunity,  and,  having  a  spare  guard  and  glass  ready,  put  them  in  without 
danger,  his  face  being  protected  by  the  uncut  portion  of  the  tube.  Rarely 
will  it  be  found  necessary  to  increase  the  distance  between  upper  and  lower 
fittings  to  install  this  guard,  as  nearly  always  the  glass  is  considerably  longer 
than  is  required  to  cover  the  maximum  variation  in  water  level  allowable. 

In  Figure  No.  3  is  shown  a  modified  construction  wherein  the  ends  of  the 
split  tube  are  threaded  on  the  inside  and  the  packing  nuts  screwed  down  onto 
the  glands  that  bear  on  the  rubber  packing  ring,  with  a  screw  driver.  This 
makes  a  very  neat  construction  and  is  quite  applicable  where  connections  are 
short,  as  on  lubricators. 

Figure  No.  4  shows  a  construction  very  generally  used  upon  locomotives. 
Another  type  of  guard  involves  the  placing  of  an  auxiliary  glass  in  front 


134 


THE  LOCOMOTIVE 


[January, 


-mr«rf    n^rr   ai^^^ £i 


Ifp-]"'  '  'l-'^- 

,.-- 

i 

IT '-" 

■■i( 

i 

i 

Figs.  9  and  10. — Wired  Glass  Shield  and  Bullseye  Water  Gauge. 
of  the  glass  tube.     This  idea  has  been  worked  out  in  various  ways.     This  type 
of  shield  is  particularly  adapted  to  locomotive  type  boilers,  where  a  fireman's 
face  is  necessarily  in  proximity  to  the  water  gauge. 

In  Figure  No.  8  two  heavy  pieces  of  plate  glass  are  set  at  right  angles  to 
each  other  in  a  hinged  frame  that  may  be  thrown  open  either  to  replace  the 
gauge  glass  or  for  cleaning. 

In  another  form  of  this  type  of  shield,  light  brass  castings  are  fitted  to 
tlie  top  and  bottom  connections  and  three  pieces  of  heavy  plate  glass  carried 
by  these  castings  form  a  glass  box,  surrounding  the  gauge  glass  on  three  sides. 
The  chances  of  the  plate  glass  breaking  would  appear  very  remote,  but  to 
remove  any  doubt  upon  that  score,  wire  glass  has  been  used. 

In  Fig.  13  is  shown  a  construction  that  any  machinist  can  fabricate  from  a 
piece  of  sheet  steel.  The  sheet  steel  is  cut  and  bent  so  as  to  form  a  frame  to 
hold  three  pieces  of  plate  glass  and  the  whole  arrangement  is  then  secured  by 
the  brass  rods  that  are  usually  furnished  with  the  top  and  bottom  water  glass 
connections.  It  is  evident  that  this  idea  could  be  worked  out  to  suit  any 
particular  case   and  is  to  be  recommended  for  its  simplicitj-. 


I9I3] 


THE  LOCOMOTIVE, 


135 


Naturally,  the  use  of  flat  pieces  of  heavy  plate  glass  led  to  the  use  of  one 
piece  of  heavy  glass  moulded  to  a  semicircle.  One  form  of  this  type  of  shield 
is  shown  in  Figure  No.  9.  In  this  design  the  glass  tube  and  the  cylindrical 
glass  guard  are  contained  in  a  casting  having  screwed  ends  which  make  onto 
the  top  and  bottom  connections.  In  another  form,  light  castings  are  secured  to 
the  top  and  bottom  connections  and  support  the  cylindrical  gUss  guard  in  the 
same  way  as  the  pieces  of  flat  plate  glass  are  supported  in  one  of  the  guards 
previously  described. 


r^ 


1 

1 

/ 

V 

1 

—^ifurv  >fa//' /rft/tgaf 


Wr/<^  Gattaa  — 


Fig.   II. —  Klixger  Water  Gauge. 


Fig.  8. —  Plate  Glass   Shield. 


The  well  known  '  Klinger "  or  "  Reflex "  safety  water  glass  is  shown  in 
Figure  No.  ri.  The  patent  on  this  glass  has  expired.  It  consists  of  a  brass 
casing  having  a  plate  glass  front,  the  inner  surface  of  the  plate  glass  having 
upon  it  a  series  of  prisms.  Due  to  the  refraction  and  reflection  of  the  rays  of 
light,  the  water  shows  black  and  the  space  above  the  water  shows  silvery.  The 
glass  does  sometimes  break,  but  rarely,  if  ever,  flies.  But  the  grooves  get  dirty 
and  greasy  and  tlie  glass  corrodes,  requiring  the  renewal  of  the  glass.  This  is 
something  of  a  job,  necessitating  the  removal  of  a  number  of  cap  screws  and 
the  making  of  tight  joints  between  the  glass  and  the  casing  that  contains  it. 
The  water  level  is  not  visible  from  the  side  and  the  observer  must  be  nearly 
in  front  of  the  gauge  to  see  the  water  clearly.  The  "  Klinger "  or  "  Reflex " 
idea  is  certainly  a  good  one  and  its  merits  to  a  great  extent  offset  its  defects. 

The  use  of  glass  bnll's-eyes  on  lubricators  in  place  of  short  glass  tubes 
naturally  suggested  the  use  of  bull's-eyes  on  water  columns  to  take  the  place  of 
the  gauge  glass.  With  the  expiration  of  the  "  Klinger "  patent  which  covered 
the  use  of  the  prism   on   the   inside   surface   of  the   glass,  there  appeared   the 


136 


THE  LOCOMOTIVE. 


[January, 


Fig.  13. —  Plate  Glass  Shield.  Fig.  12. —  Bull'.s-Eye  Water  Gauge. 

arrangement  shown  in  Figure  No.  10.  Here  a  series  of  bull's-eyes  having  prisms 
on  their  inner  faces  are  set  in  a  casing,  similar  to  the  "  Klinger "  or  "  Reflex  " 
gauge.  Objection  has  been  made  to  this  type  of  gauge  on  the  ground  that  the 
exact  water  level,  if  it  comes  midway  between  two  bull's-eyes,  is  not  visible.  As 
a  matter  of  fact  the  exact  water  level  is  of  very  little  consequence.  Try  cocks 
do  not  indicate  the  exact  level.  What  the  water  tender  wants  to  know  is 
whether  he  has  water  or  not,  and  about  how  much.  The  bull's-eyes  will 
tell  that. 

A  number  of  modifications  of  the  bull's-eye  construction  have  been  proposed. 
When,  as  in  locomotive  practice,  it  is  desirable  that  the  water  level  be  visible 
by  both  fireman  and  engineer,  from  opposite  sides  of  the  cab,  two  rows  of 
bull's-eyes,  staggered,  arid  in  a  triangular  shaped  box,  have  been  used.  The 
prisms  are  prone  to  get  dirty  from  the  grease  and  scum  that  gathers  in  the 
water  column  and  it  is  desirable  that  in  the  rear  of  the  bull's-eyes  should  be 
located  plugs  to  facilitate  cleaning  and  removal  of  the  bull's-eyes.  Such  a 
design  is  shown  in  Figure  No.  12. 

From  the  foregoing  it  will  be  seen  that  the  matter  of  safety  in  connection 
with  gauge  glasses  has  been  pretty  thoroughly  considered.  What  device  or 
arrangement  is  the  best  in  a  particular  case,  is  for  the  man  in  charge  to  decide. 
That  the  risk  of  knocking  out  a  fireman's  eye  by  flying  glass  can  be  reduced, 
there  is  no  doubt.  That  the  risk  must  be  reduced  to  a  minimum,  goes  without 
saying.  The  men  who  run  the  boilers  and  the  men  who  own  them  must  unite 
to  this  end.  The  guarding  of  glass  gauges  is  just  one  little  incident  in  the  big 
safety  movement  that  means  much  to  employee  and  employer. 


I9I31 


THE  LOCOMOTIVE, 


137 


Fig.    I. —  The   Wrecked    Boiler    Room,    Salem    Bank    and    Trust    Company, 

Salem,  Ore. 


Two  Serious  Explosions  of  Cast  Iron  Heating-  Boilers 

A  cast  iron  sectional  heating  boiler  of  a  common  and  much  used  type 
exploded  with  great  violence  on  Ocrober  29,  1912,  in  the  basement  of  the  Salem 
Bank  and  Trust  Company's  building,  Salem,  Ore.  The  explosion  occurred 
about  noon  time.  Three  men,  Mr.  W.  S.  West,  the  cashier  of  the  bank,  Mr. 
Harry  Abler,  the  son  of  the  bank's  president,  and  Mr.  J.  B.  Muchmore,  were 
fatally  injured,  while  two  others,  Mr.  L.  H.  Roberts,  and  Mr.  A.  L.  Brockman, 
were  less  seriously  hurt.  The  circumstances  leading  up  to  the  accident  have 
been  a  matter  of  much  mystery  to  the  residents  of  Salem,  so  much  so  in  fact, 
that  the  Coroner's  Jury  brought  in  a  verdict  of  "  explosion,  cause  unknown," 
but  as  is  often  the  case  in  such  casualties,  when  the  facts  are  gathered  and 
viewed  in  the  light  of  experience  gained  by  long  familiarity  with  similar  mis- 
haps, their  interpretation  presents  neither  mystery  or  complication. 

Briefly  the  story  is  somewhat  as  follows.  The  building  of  the  Trust 
Company  was  being  remodeled,  and  at  the  time  of  the  explosion,  was  un- 
occupied with  the  exception  of  the  first  floor,  which  contained  the  offices  of  the 
bank,  and  of  Mr.  Roberts,  an  insurance  agent.  The  boiler,  which  had  been 
purchased  at  second  hand,  was  installed  during  the  summer  and  stood  directly 
under  the  office  of  Mr.  Roberts.  (This  is  the  room  the  windows  of  which 
are  shown  on  our   front  cover.)     As  only  the  first  floor  required   steam,  and 


138 


THE  LOCOMOTIVE, 


[January, 


Fig.  2. —  Exterior  of  Church,  Showing  Wrecked  Memorial  Windows. 


as  the  day  was  very  warm,  it  is  probable  that  many  if  not  all  the  radiators 
were  turned  off.  It  is  known  that  wood  and  other  quick  burning  refuse  were 
being  burned  in  the  boiler  just  before  the  failure.  Mr.  East  and  Mr.  Abler 
went  to  the  basement  to  investigate  a  steam  leak  which  was  annoying  the 
workmen,  and  arrived  just  as  the  explosion  occurred.  Both  men  were  terribly 
scalded  and  mangled.  Mr.  Roberts,  who  was  seated  at  his  desk  in  the  room 
above,  was  thrown  out  of  the  window,  and  landed  in  the  debris  between  the 
two  pieces  of  railroad  iron,  seen  on  the  cover,  which  served  to  support  the  roof 
of  the  fuel  room.  Mr.  Muchmore  and  Mr.  Brockman  were  on  the  street  directly 
above  the  fuel  room.  That  the  property  damage  was  considerable  is  shown  in  the 
photographs.  The  sections  of  the  heater  were  scattered.  Some  were  thrown 
into  the  room  above,  while  others  remained  in  the  basement.  The  steam 
drum  lodged  between  the  floor  joists  of  Mr.  Roberts'  office.  The  fuel  room, 
adjacent  to  the  boiler  room,  and  under  the  sidewalk,  was  entirely  unroofed. 

The  cause  of  the  explosion  does  not  seem  to  be  so  very  mysterious.  It 
is  well  known  that  makers  of  heating  boilers  provide  safety  valves  which  are 
often  entirely  inadequate  to  relieve  the  boiler  of  steam  as  fast  as  it  is  formed. 
Makers  of  power  boilers  long  ago  realized  that  there  should  be  relation  be- 
tween the  size  of  a  safety  valve  and  the  area  of  the  grate,  such  that  the  valve 
would  take  care  of  all  the  steam  which  the  furnace  could  produce,  without 
a  dangerous  rise  of  pressure.  With  an  inadequate  valve,  the  other  circum- 
stances such  as  the  closed  radiator  valves,  and  the  hot  quick  fire,  easily  explain 
the  rise  of  pressure  which  caused  the  explosion.  Whether  the  steam  leak 
which  drew  Mr.  East  and  Mr.  Abler  to  the  basement  was  due  to  a  failure  at 


1913]  THE  LOCOMOTIVE.  139 

a  joint,  or  wheihcr  it  was  only  tlie  safety  valve  doing  its  best  to  relieve  the 
situation,  will  of  course  never  be  known.  Our  representative,  who  was  on  the 
spot  soon  after  the  explosion,  states  that  the  sections  showed  no  evidence  of 
overheating  but  that  the  violence  of  the  explosion  pointed  almost  certainly  to 
a  condition  of  overpressure. 

Ilie  other  explosion  occurred  in  the  basement  of  a  church  at  about  8  A.  M. 
The  boiler,  also  of  a  common  type,  is  said  10  have  been  some  ten  years  old,  and 
to  have  seen  service  in  a  business  block  previous  to  its  installation  in  the  church. 
The  janitor  was  killed  by  the  force  of  the  explosion. 

Press  accounts  state  that  there  were  about  150  children  at  school  on  the 
second  floor  of  the  building,  but  they  were  fortunately  uninjured.  The  church 
proper  was  badly  wrecked.  Our  illustration.  Fig.  2,  showing  the  exterior  with  the 
memorial  windows  blown  out,  merely  hints  at  the  devastation  inside,  where 
the  destruction  of  the  interior  and  its  furnishings  was  complete.  In  places 
the  floor  was  raised  some  four  feet  from  its  former  position. 

We  are  told  that  a  service  was  to  have  been  held  on  this  particular  morn- 
ing, but  had  been  postponed  because  of  the  absence  from  the  city  of  the  parish 
priest.  It  seems  certain  that  but  for  this  fortunate  circumstance  there  would 
have  been  a  much  greater  loss  of  life. 

We  have  been  informed  that  closed  valves  were  found  in  the  connection 
between  the  boiler  and  the  water  column,  but  the  violence  of  the  explosion  does 
not  indicate  any  lack  of  water.  A  search  for  the  safety  valve  is  said  to  have 
proved  fruitless,  although  the  section  to  which  it  would  ordinarily  have  been 
attached  was  found  with  a  plugged  opening,  and  seemed  to  have  been  in  that 
condition  for  a  considerable  time.  If  this  be  true,  and  if  in  fact  there  was  no 
other  safety  valve  than  an  ordinary  pipe  plug,  the  cause  of  this  explosion  is 
not  hard  to  conjecture. 

These  two  explosions  would  seem  to  have  been  preventable  had  the 
boilers  been  subject  to  the  inspection  serv'ice  of  a  boiler  insurance  company. 
Both  resulted  in  loss  of  life.  That  only  one  man  w^as  killed  in  the  second 
instance  instead  of  scores  either  killed  or  terribly  injured,  was  due  solely  to 
the  fortunate  absence  from  the  city  of  the  priest  which  prevented  holding  the 
scheduled  service.  We  have  had  occasion,  not  longer  ago  than  the  October, 
1912,  number,  to  call  attention  to  the  danger  of  heating  boilers  which  are  im- 
properly operated  or  installed.  If  that  warning  applies  in  general,  with  how 
much  more  force  should  it  apply  to  the  case  of  public  or  semi-public  buildings, 
where  the  number  of  people  exposed  to  an  unsuspected  hazard  may  be  very 
great  indeed. 


On  the  Perversity  of  Inanimate  Things 

H.  Converse,  Inspector 

There  are  times  in  the  course  of  an  inspector's  work  when  he  cannot  but 
feel  that  his  efforts  to  protect  the  Company's  interest  and  the  lives  and  prop- 
erty of  the  assured  are  a  huge  joke.  It  is  rather  discouraging  to  have  a  man 
tell  you  flatly  that  your  theory  and  figures  are  at  fault  and  then  be  able  to 
prove  it,  not  by  more  figures  but  by  actually  existing  facts.  The  following 
maj'  prove  of  interest,  as  representing  such  a  case. 


140  THE  LOCOMOTIVE.  [January, 


In  the  year  1889,  one  of  the  Hartford's  inspectors  condemned  a  boiler  of 
the  Horizontal  Tubular  type,  and  of  double  riveted  lap  seam  construction,  be- 
cause of  corrosion  of  the  shell  and  weak,  soft  tubes,  as  well  as  grooving 
around  the  front  head.  At  that  time  the  boiler  was  in  the  neighborhood  of 
twenty  years  old,  and  had  seen  very  severe  service. 

As  a  result  of  the  action  of  our  inspector,  the  owner  called  in  the  repre- 
sentative of  a  competitor  who  at  first  accepted  the  risk  and  allowed  some 
75  lbs.  working  pressure.  However,  after  about  six  months,  another  in- 
spection was  made  by  the  new  insurance  company,  with  the  result  that  the 
boiler  was  again  condemned.  The  boiler  was  then  thrown  out  and  lay  ex- 
posed to  the  weather,  until  this  (1912)  summer,  when  it  was  given  to  a  man 
for  hauling  it  away.  Now  this  man  has  taken  the  boiler  and  with  the  aid  of 
his  son  has  cut  the  front  head  off  and  punched  new  holes  for  it,  set  it  back  a 
trifle  so  as  to  shorten  the  boiler,  and  inserted  the  same  tubes.  Today  he  is 
operating  it  at  150  lbs.  working  pressure.  Now  the  former  owner,  a  good 
friend  of  the  Hartford,  says  "why  don't  it  burst  as  you  all  say  they  do?" 


We  suppose  that  after  all  none  of  our  readers  will  hesitate  very  long 
over  the  answer  to  the  question  propounded  by  the  former  owner  of  the 
boiler.  We  all  know  of  instances  in  which  a  structure  has  been  loaded  to 
near  the  breaking  point  without  instantly  giving  way.  If  we  hang  a  weight 
on  a  string  heavy  enough  to  eventually  cause  the  string  to  break,  it  does 
not  follow  that  the  failure  will  be  sudden.  What  may  actually  occur  is  a 
gradual  weakening  and  stretching  of  the  string  until  it  breaks  at  a  time  when 
it  is  least  expected.  So  it  is  with  boilers,  because  they  are  in  an  unsafe  con- 
dition, does  not  imply  that  we  can  predict  the  exact  hour  and  minute  when 
the  rupture  will  take  place.  We  can,  however,  liken  the  operation  of  a  boiler 
in  the  condition  described  by  our  correspondent  to  sitting  at  our  desk,  im- 
mediately under  the  heavy  weight  on  its  string;  either  case  presents  a  hazard 
too   dangerous   to   be    undertaken   knowingly.  —  Editor. 


To  Prepare  a  Boiler  for  Inspection 

We  have  frequently  had  occasion  to  instruct  boiler  owners  and  attendants 
as  to  the  best  way  to  prepare  boilers  for  inspection,  but  it  seems  necessary 
to  reiterate  these  instructions  from  time  to  time.  The  whole  substance  of  the 
matter  may  really  be  summed  up  in  three  statements:  get  the  boiler  reasonably 
cool,  reasonably  dry,  and  reasonably  clean.  A  lack  of  information  on  the 
part  of  some  of  our  assured  as  to  the  best  method  for  attaining  these  three 
ends,  as  well  as  a  desire  to  express  exactly  what  we  mean  by  "  reasonably " 
are  the  excuses  for  bringing  this  matter  again  to  the  attention  of  our  readers. 

The  best  method  for  cooling  a  boiler  is  the  one  which  we  have  often  de- 
scribed before.  First  let  the  fire  die  down  and  burn  out,  or  if  the  case  is  very 
urgent  and  time  for  burning  down  cannot  be  spared,  haul  the  fire.  Then  close 
all  doors  and  open  the  damper,  allowing  the  boiler  to  remain  in  this  condition 
until  the  gage  shows  no  pressure.  At  this  time  the  furnace  should  be  cleaned 
of  all  ash,  clinker  or  coal  still  remaining,  in  order  that  the  brickwork  of  the 
setting  may  cool.  It  is  very  important  that  the  water  be  allowed  to  remain 
in  the  boiler  after  the  pressure  has  fallen  to  zero,  while  the  brickwork  is  cool- 


I9I31 


THE  LOCOMOTIVE.  141 


ing  to  avoid  danger  of  serious  overheating  of  tlie  boiler  from  the  licat  still  in 
the  brick.  To  cool  the  setting  in  the  most  effective  manner,  keep  the  damper 
open  as  above,  and  also  open  the  ash  pit  doors,  seeing  that  all  other  doors  are 
closed.  Under  no  circumstances  open  the  front  connection  doors,  as  this  will 
kill  the  draft,  and  interfere  with  the  circulation  of  cool  air  through  tlie  setting. 
If  the  open  damper  interferes  too  much  with  the  steaming  of  other  boilers 
on  the  same  stack,  if  may  be  necessary  to  partially  close  it,  but  it  should  re- 
main as  widely  opened  as  possible.  Tlie  length  of  time  necessary  for  proper 
cooling,  after  the  furnace  is  cleaned,  and  before  blowing  off,  depends  of  course 
on  the  amount  of  brickwork  which  must  cool.  If  the  boiler  has  a  light  set- 
ting, three  hours  may  be  enough,  but  if  the  setting  is  massive,  or  if  it  is  con- 
stantly receiving  heat  from  adjoining  furnaces,  a  longer  time  will  be  required. 
When  a  proper  cooling  has  been  attained  the  boiler  may  be  blown  down,  and 
the  hand  and  manhole  plates  removed.  It  should  now  remain  with  the  doors 
and  dampers  exactly  as  before,  as  this  arrangement  will  draw  pure  air  into 
the  upper  manhole,  and  out  through  the  hand  and  manholes  which  open  into 
the  setting,  tending  both  to  dry  the  interior,  and  to  furnish  pure  air  for  the 
inspector  to  breathe. 

As  regards  our  second  request  that  the  boiler  be  reasonably  dry.  we  need 
say  very  little  if  the  cooling  has  proceeded  in  the  manner  we  have  suggested. 
It  is  a  common  practice  to  wash  out  a  boiler  as  soon  as  may  be  after  blowing 
down  so  that  the  mud  and  sediment  may  not  bake  on  to  form  a  hard  scale, 
but  if  our  directions  have  been  carried  out,  the  boiler  will  have  been  cooled 
slowly  enough  to  permit  washing  out  after  inspection  and  so  be  dry  enough 
for  an  inspector  to  really  judge  of  its  condition.  Leaky  stop  valves  on  pipes 
leading  to  live  boilers  will  keep  a  boiler  very  wet  and  uncomfortable,  which 
might  otherwise  be  excellently  prepared  for  examination.  It  is  also  a  fact, 
that  if  a  boiler  is  quite  warm,  but  dry  and  supplied  with  a  good  circulation  of 
fresh  air,  it  is  in  much  better  condition  for  inspection  than  if  cooler  and  filled 
with  vapor,  as  no  man  can  remain  in  an  atmosphere  heavily  charged  with 
steam  long  enough  to  really  do  his  work  justice,  unless  he  makes  several 
trips  into  the  boiler  with  a  breath  of  air  between,  which  is  a  tedious  and 
exhausting  procedure. 

Our  injunction  to  have  the  boiler  reasonably  clean  was  intended  to  apply 
particularly  to  the  fire  side.  Rake  the  loose  ashes  from  the  back  connection, 
or  combustion  chamber,  so  that  the  brick  paving  may  cool.  It  is  no  real 
pleasure,  as  the  writer  can  attest,  to  crawl  over  a  foot  or  so  of  impalpable  ash. 
when  every  time  a  hand  or  foot  touches  bottom,  it  encounters  scorching  hot 
brickwork.  Then  above  all,  do  not  forget  to  sweep  the  fire  side  of  shells,  heads. 
and  exposed  tubes  with  a  broom.  The  inspector  must  examine  these  parts  of 
a  boiler  minutely,  and  he  is  greatly  impeded  if  he  must,  brush  soot  and  ashes 
off  at  the  same  time.  This  soot  is  frequently  so  charged  with  sulphurous  acid 
as  to  be  most  irritating  to  the  eyes,  rendering  good  work  very  difficult. 

So,  to  sum  up  in  a  word,  we  desire  a  boiler  reasonably  cool,  which  means 
sufficiently  cool  for  a  man  to  stay  in  it  long  enough  to  properly  complete  his 
examination  without  real  difficulty,  and  as  we  have  said  the  presence  of  vapor 
requires  a  boiler  to  be  cooler  than  if  it  were  dry.  We  desire  a  boiler  suffi- 
ciently cleaned  from  ashes  and  soot,  so  that  a  careful  examination  of  its  vital 


142  THE  LOCOMOTIVE.  [January, 

parts  can  be  made  with  eyes  which  are  not  irritated  and  inflamed,  and  last 
of  all,  the  assured  must  realize  that  any  preparation  on  his  part  which  enables 
the  inspector  to  do  his  work  more  comfortably  and  thoroughly,  protects  his 
interests  to  just  as  great  an  extent  as  it  does  the  interests  of  the  Company. 


The  Operation  of  Low  Pressure  Heating"  Boilers 

In  the  October  issue  we  published  a  short  set  of  instructions  for  putting  a 
heating  system  in  commission.  It  is  our  purpose  at  this  time  to  extend  these 
instructions  to  cover  the  operation  of  such  a  system.  We  have  tried  as  in  the 
first  instance  to  make  our  instructions  clear  and  simple  enough  to  be  readily 
understood  by  any  one  who  has  this  work  in  charge. 

1.  When  starting  a  new  fire,  raise  steam  slowly.  (See  instruction  9  in  the 
October  1912  Locomotive.) 

2.  Open  the  steam  valves  first,  and  then  the  return  valves,  and  in  closing 
down  a  system,  shut  the  return  valves  first,  then  the  steam.  (See  instruction  6 
in  the  October  1912  Locomotr'E.) 

3.  On  coming  into  the  boiler  room  in  the  morning,  the  first  duty  of  the 
fireman  should  be  to  make  sure  of  the  amount  of  water  in  his  boiler.  He  should 
test  this  with  the  gauge  cocks  as  well  as  by  the  water  level  shown  in  the  glass. 
Both  gauge  glass  connections  and  try  cocks  sometimes  become  plugged  with 
rust  and  sediment.  Trying  the  gauge  cocks  accomplishes  two  results  in  that 
it  will  keep  the  cocks  flushed  out  clean,  and  also  detect  any  discrepancy  in  the 
water  level  indicated  by  the  glass.  Then  blow  through  both  the  glass  and  water 
column  connections,  by  opening  their  drain  cocks.  One  can  tell  whether  the 
connections  are  clear  by  the  behavior  of  the  water  level  in  the  glass.  If  the 
top  connection  is  plugged,  the  water  will  come  back  to  a  false  high  level,  due 
to  the  condensation  of  the  steam  trapped  above  the  column  of  water.  A  partial 
vacuum  is  formed  which  permits  the  water  to  stand  at  a  higher  level  in  the 
glass  than  in  the  boiler.  If  the  bottom  connection  is  not  free,  the  water  does 
not  rise  in  the  glass  at  once,  but  slowly  accumulates  from  the  condensation  of 
the  steam  until  it  stands  above  the  true  water  level,  and  indeed  it  will  eventually 
fill  the  glass.  Owing  to  the  greater  volume  of  the  water  column  it  will  take 
longer  for  the  water  to  return  to  its  level,  whether  true  or  false,  when  the 
column  drain  has  been  opened,  than  it  will  if  only  the  glass  has  been  blown  out. 
It  is  a  good  plan  to  blow  out  the  glass  alone  first,  to  test  its  connection  with  the 
column,  and  then  to  blow  down  the  column  to  test  the  connections  with  the 
boiler.  The  method  given  for  detecting  a  plugged  connection  will  apply  in 
either  case.  If  plenty  of  water  is  found,  the  fires  may  be  brightened  up,  —  or 
spread  if  banked  and  steam  raised.  When  the  boiler  is  steaming  freely,  there 
is  still  another  indication  of  plugged  connections  about  the  water  column  or 
gauge  glass.  If  all  is  clear,  the  water  level  is  never  entirely  quiet,  but  surges 
slightly  up  and  down.  A  perfectly  motionless  water  line  is  a  pretty  good 
indication  that  something  is  stopped  up,  and  the  blowing  out  tests  should  be 
applied. 

4.  Try  the  safety  valve  cautiously  while  steam  is  being  raised  to  make  sure 
that  it  is  free  and  operative.  If  it  is  found  in  good  condition,  it  is  advisable  to 
cause  it  to  open  under  pressure  occasionally  to  make  sure  that  it  is  correctly 
set.     Steam  should  never  be   kept  on   a   boiler  whose  safety  valve   cannot   be 


1913]  THE  LOCOMOTIVE.  143 

raised  by  hand  to  test  ils  freedom,  and  this  test  should  be  made  every  day.  In 
case  the  safety  valve  is  found  to  be  either  jammed  or  corroded  so  that  it  cannot 
be  raised,  the  boiler  should  be  immediately  cooled,  the  iires  being  first  deadened 
with  wet  ashes  or  fresh  coal  and  then  drawn,  after  which  the  cooling  may  pro- 
ceed in  accordance  with  the  instructions  given  elsewhere  in  this  number  for 
preparing  a  boiler  for  inspection.  Under  no  circumstances  sliould  any  attempt 
be  made  to  repair  the  safety  valve  while  even  a  slight  pressure  remains  on  the 
boiler,  as  serious  scalding  is  almost  sure  to  result  from  such  a  practice. 

5.  In  case  of  low  water,  that  is  water  level  below  the  glass  or  the  lowest  try 
cock,  at  any  time,  the  fire  should  be  smothered  with  wet  ashes  at  once,  or  if 
they  are  not  available,  with  fresh  coal.  The  ash  pit  doors  should  be  closed  and 
the  fire  doors  open.  Under  no  circumstances  should  water  be  fed  to  the  boiler, 
nor  should  the  safety  valve  or  any  steam' valve  be  touched.  When  the  boiler  is 
quite  cold,  an  inspector  should  be  called  to  determine  the  extent  if  any  of  the 
damage. 

6.  See  that  the  safety  valve  and  damper  regulator  work  at  the  proper  pres- 
sures as  indicated  by  the  steam  gauge.  If  the  damper  regulator  fails  to  control 
the  draft  when  the  highest  allowable  pressure  is  reached,  disconnect  it  from  the 
damper  and  draft  door.  If  it  now  operates  freely  the  door  or  damper  are 
sticking,  and  should  be  cleaned  or  repaired  so  as  to  turn  more  easily.  If 
however  the  damper  when  relieved  of  its  load  still  refuses  to  work,  or  is 
sluggish,  the  chances  are  that  the  trouble  will  be  found  in  a  choked  connection 
between  the  regulator  and  the  boiler,  or  the  regulator  itself  may  need  repair. 
If  the  gauge,  safety  valve,  and  regulator  all  work,  but  do  not  agree  in  their 
pressure  indications,  they  should  be  tested  by  an  inspector  at  once  and  the 
proper  remedy  applied. 

7.  Whenever  leaks  are  discovered,  they  should  be  located  at  once  and 
repaired  at  the  earliest  opportunity.  No  repairs,  however,  should  ever  be  at- 
tempted until  the  boiler  has  been  properly  cooled  off.  If  the  leak  should  exist 
at  a  lengthwise,  or  longitudinal  joint  in  a  cylindrical  drum  or  shell,  whether 
the  attendant  thinks  it  is  serious  or  not,  the  boiler  should  be  immediately  cooled 
down  as  described  above,  and  an  inspector  called  to  determine  the  best  course 
of  procedure.  This  latter  course  should  always  be  adopted  whenever  there  is 
the  slightest  doubt  as  to  the  immediate  safety  of  the  boiler,  as  it  is  exceedingly 
unwise  to  take  chances  with  a  defective  boiler,  no  matter  how  insignificant  the 
defect  may  appear. 

8.  Whenever  two  or  more  boilers  are  operated  together  on  a  heating  system 
it  is  best  that  they  be  provided  with  an  equalizer  to  maintain  a  uniform  water 
level,  that  is  so  that  no  one  boiler  shall  rob  the  rest  of  the  returning  water  of 
condensation.  An  equalizer  is  a  large  sized  pipe  connecting  the  steam  spaces  of 
the  several  boilers  of  a  heating  battery,  entirely  separate  from  the  steam  supply 
header.  The  equalizer  should  not  be  made  us^  of  to  supply  steam  to  any 
portion  of  the  system.  It  should  have  as  straight  a  run  as  possible,  and  should 
be  provided  with  stop  valves  to  enable  its  connection  with  any  boiler  being 
shut  off  if  necessary. 

The  return  pipes  of  the  various  boilers  should  be  connected  to  a  common 
return  line,  with  stop  valves  for  each  boiler.  A  check  valve  should  be  placed 
in  the  return  line  on  the  building  side  of  the  branches  to  the  boilers  as  shown 
in  Fig.  I,  to  prevent  water  flowing  back  to  the  radiators  and  piping  when  the 
main  steam  valve  is  closed,  as  discussed  in  the  October  1912  Locomotive.    There 


144 


THE  LOCOMOTIVE. 


[January, 


E.QUKV-\X\NC^  FvPt, 


=1 


N\^^^^    T\tTOH,).(   'Pipe.  - 


Fig.   I. — Arrangement  of  Returns  with  Equalizing  Pipe. 

should  not  be  any  check  valves  in  the  branches  to  the  boilers,  since  the  return 
pipe  acts  as  an  equahzer  below  the  water  line  and  should  afford  a  free  con- 
nection between  the  boilers  at  all  times  unless  the  special  condition  described 
below  exists,  requiring  the  closing  of  the  equalizer  valves.  If  only  one  of  a 
group  of  boilers  is  working  on  the  system,  the  equalizer  must  be  shut  off  if 
the  dead  boilers  are  cut  off  from  the  steam  and  return  lines.  If,  however,  the 
dead  boilers  are  still  connected  to  the  system  whether  or  not  their  fires  are] 
burning,  the  equaliser  {and  return  valve)  must  be  open  to  prevent  the  dead 
boilers  from  filling  with  zvater  at  the  expense  of  the  one  which  is  working.  This 
would  probably  result  in  serious  over  heating  of  the  metal  of  the  working 
boiler. 

9.  It  is  important  that  all  surfaces  exposed  to  the  action  of  the  fire  or  to  the 
products  of  combustion,  should  be  kept  cleaned  of  all  accumulations  of  soot 
and  ash,  by  sweeping  or  other  convenient  means.  Soot  on  the  heating  surface 
acts  as  a  blanket,  to  retard  the  transfer  of  heat  from  the  hot  gases  to  the  water 
in  the  boiler,  and  the  work  of  cleaning  will  be  well  repaid  by  the  resulting 
saving  in  coal. 

ID.  To  prevent  pitting  and  corrosion,  which  are  especially  active  in  some 
heating  boilers,  it  is  well  to  keep  the  boiler  water  alkaline  at  all  times.  This  can 
be  accomplished  by  adding  a  few  pounds  (say  five  pounds  to  a  boiler),  of 
dissolved  soda  ash  at  the  beginning  of  the  season.     This  will  be  enough  unless 


I9I3] 


THE  LOCOMOTIVE, 


145 


the  boiler  is  blown  down  and  refilled  before  the  end  of  the  season,  in  which  case 
the  soda  ash  treatment  should  be  again  resorted  to. 

As  a  supplementary  word  of  caution,  in  addition  to  the  instructions  already 
given  in  paragraph  3  above,  we  would  like  to  emphasize  the  fact  that  sufficient 
water  in  a  boiler  in  the  morning,  does  not  necessarily  mean  just  enough  to 
show  in  the  gauge.  When  a  large  heating  system  is  startedl*  in  the  morning 
there  will  be  a  large  amount  of  condensation  in  the  cold  pipes  and  radiators,  so 
that  for  a  time  the  water  level  in  the  boiler  will  be  steadily  falling.  Of  course 
all  this  water  will  eventually  come  back,  but  in  the  mean  time  the  boiler  may 
have  been  left  for  some  little  time  with  entirely  too  little  water  in  it.  The  man 
in  charge  of  a  heating  plant  must  experiment  for  himself  to  determine  how  much 
water  he  must  keep  in  his  boiler,  and  he  should  be  sure  that  he  has  enough  so 
that  the  morning  draft  of  steam  will  not  take  the  water  down  below  the  bottom 
of  his  glass  gauge. 


Fig.  3. — The  Inside  of  the  Exploded  Dryer  Head. 
The  Man  is  Pointing  to  One  of  the  Old  Breaks. 


The  Explosion  of  a  Rotary  Steam  Dryer 

The  accompanying  photographs  show  the  condition  of  a  rotary  drying  cylin- 
der after  its  explosion  September  19,  1912,  at  the  plant  of  the  Wenig  Feed  and 
Stock  Co.,  Coleman,  111. 

We  are  informed  that  the  Wenig  Feed  and  Stock  Co.,  was  a  new  concern 
formed  for  the  purpose  of  manufacturing  stock  and  chicken   feed   from  spent 


146 


THE  LOCOMOTIVE, 


[January, 


Fig.  2. —  Outside  View  of  Outer  Head. 

malt  and  brewer's  grain.  The  process  consisted  simply  in  drying  the  wet  grain 
by  means  of  the  steam,  the  cylinder  which  exploded  was  made  use  of  for  this 
purpose. 

The  dryer  consisted  of  a  cylindrical  shell  closed  by  cast  iron  heads  which 
were  made  in  the  form  of  hollow  boxes  or  manifolds,  and  were  connected 
together  by  boiler  tubes.  There  appear  to  have  been  two  sets  of  tubes,  a  row 
surrounding  the  central  shaft,  and  another  row  lining  the  outer  shell.  Fig.  i 
shows  a  view  into  the  'end  of  the  dryer,  and  shows  the  inside  of  the  outer 
head  (the  inside  of  the  box,  so  to  speak).  The  rows  of  tube  ends  are  clearly 
seen,  as  are  the  ribs  which  were  intended  to  stiffen  and  strengthen  the  large 
flat  surfaces.  The  mode  of  operation  seems  to  have  been  as  follows :  wet  grain 
was  placed  in  the  shell  between  the  cast  iron  heads,  and  in  contact  with  the 
tubes.  Then  steam  was  turned  into  the  tubes  and  heads  so  that  they  formed  a 
large  steam  radiator.  The  shell  of  the  cylinder  proper,  that  is  the  space  con- 
taining the  malt,  was  not  under  pressure.  Ordinarily  such  an  apparatus  is 
operated  exactly  like  *a  radiator,  steam  being  allowed  to  enter  and  circulate 
through  the  tubes  and  heads,  while  the  water  of  condensation  is  removed  as 
fast  as  it  forms  by  a  drain  connection.  Both  the  steam  inlet  and  the  water  outlet 
or  drain  are  carried  through  the  central  hub  of  the  head  which  can  be  seen 
in  Fig.  2,  permitting  the  whole  cylinder  to  be  rotated  so  as  to  agitate  the  malt 
and  hasten  the  drying  process. 

We  are  told  that  in  this  case,  the  dryer  had  been  bought  at  second  hand 
and  without  inspection.  It  had  developed  leaks  at  the  tube  ends  a  few  days 
prior  to  the  explosion  which  had  been  repaired  by  a  boiler  maker.  It  is  also 
said  that  it  was  not  provided  with  a  pressure  gage,  reducing  pressure  valve, 


I9I3] 


THE  LOCOMOTIVE, 


147 


safety  valve  or  proper  drain  connection.  This  would  indicate  several  possible 
reasons  for  its  failure.  The  fact  that  it  was  inadequately  drained  would  have 
permitted  it  to  fill  with  water  up  to  the  level  of  the  central  axis  when  idle,  and 
when  steam  was  turned  on  a  violent  water  hammer  might  have  been  produced 
Then  it  could  easily  have  been  subjected  to  a  severe  and  unknown  over  pressure, 
due  to  the  absence  of  the  ordinary  safety  devices.  ITie  very  violence  of  the 
explosion,  which  killed  three  men  and  seriously  injured  a  fourth,  and  which 
carried  the  heavy  head  seen  in  Fig.  2  a  distance  of  350  feet  —  the  head  was 
said  to  have  weighed  some  1200  lbs.  —  would  indicate  that  the  vessel  must  have 
contained  considerable  water  which  added  its  heat  energy  to  that  in  the  steam, 
when  the  explosion  occurred.  A  number  of  old  and  deep  cracks  were  found  in 
the  reinforcing  webs  which  surrounded  the  tube  ends  in  the  outside  row.  The 
man  seen  in  Fig.  i,  is  pointing  to  one  of  them. 


Fig.  3. —  Reverse  Side  of  Outer  Head. 

Cast  iron  is  a  treacherous  material  at  best  to  use  in  vessels  under  steam 
pressure  if  it  must  carry  any  of  the  stresses  involved.  But  the  combination  of 
cast  iron,  possible  water  hammer,  and  excessive  pressure  in  an  old  and  defective 
structure  which  had  apparently  been  installed  and  operated  without  a  knowledge 
of  the  precautions  necessary  for  safety,  proved,  as  was  to  have  been  expected,  a 
very  hazardous   affair. 


We  can  still  furnish  copies  of  our  little  book,  "  The  Metric  System."  It  is 
the  best  thing  to  be  had,  for  comparing  metric  measures  with  our  own.  Bound 
in  sheep,  it  costs  $1.25.    A  special  bond  paper  edition  for  $1.50. 


148 


THE  LOCOMOTIVE 


[January, 


we 


C.  C.  Perry,  Editor. 


HARTFORD,  JANUARY,  1913. 
Single  copies  can  be  obtained  free  by  calling  at  any  of  the  company's  agencies. 
Subscription  price  ^o  cents  per  year  when  mailed  from  this  office. 
Recent  bound  volumes  one  dollar  each.     Earlier  ones  two  dollars. 
Reprinting  op  matter  from  this  paper  is  permitted  if  credited  to 
The  Locomotive  of  The  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  1.  &  1.  Co. 


Obituary 

George    Burnham 

George  Burnham  of  Philadelphia,  for  many  years  head  of  the  Baldwin 
Locomotive  Works,  and  the  oldest  director  of  the  Hartford  Steam  Boiler 
Inspection  and  Insurance  Co.,  died  Tuesday,  Dec.  lo,  1912,  at  his  home  in 
that  city,  at  the  age  of  95  years.  His  death  came  as  the  result  of  a  general 
breakdown  following  an  illness  of  about  a  year's  duration. 

Mr.  Burnham  was  born  in  Springfield,  Mass.,  on  March  11,  1817.  His 
early  childhood  was  spent  there,  but  at  the  age  of  fifteen  he  was  taken  to 
Philadelphia  and  found  employment  in  the  grocery  store  of  a  Mr.  Simon 
Colton.  It  was  while  in  that  store  that  he  first  met  Mathias  W.  Baldwin,  who 
had  some  interest  in  Mr.  Colton's  business. 

Shortly  after  Mr.  Baldwin  began  the  building  of  locomotives  —  as  a  result 
of  the  success  of  his  initial  engine,  Old  Ironsides,  on  the  Philadelphia  and 
Norristown  Road, —  he  engaged  Burnham  as  clerk  and  bookkeeper.  From  this 
beginning  Mr.  Burnham  grew  up  in  the  financial  and  accounting  side  of  the 
business  and  ife'i'was  largely  through  his  efforts  that  the  business  was  preserved 
and  developed  through  the  panics  before  the  war,  when  a  single  locomotive  was 
a  big  contract. 

After  Mr.  Baldwin's  death  in  1866,  Mr.  Burnham  became  a  member  of 
the  firm,  then  known  as  M.  Baird  and  Co.  In  1873,  on  Mr.  Baird's  retirement, 
the  firm  name  was  changed  to  Burnham,  Parry,  Williams  &  Co.,  with  Mr. 
Burnham  as  the  senior  partner.  This  firm,  changed  to  Burnham,  Williams  & 
Co.  on  the  death  of  Chas.  T.  Parr}-,  continued  until  the  incorporation  of  The 
Baldwin  Locomotive  Works  in  1909. 

In  1843  Mr.  Burnham  married  Miss  Anna  Hemple,  the  daughter  of  Samuel 
Hemple,  a  Philadelphia  merchant.  Through  his  wife  he  became  an  earnest 
student  of  the  works  of   Emanuel    Swedenborg,   and   was   instrumental   in  the 


1913]  THE  LOCOMOTIVE.  149 

erection  of  the  beautiful  church  of  that  faith  at  the  corner  22nd  and  Chestnut 
Streets.  He  was  one  of  the  early  members  of  the  Union  League,  a  member 
of  the  Committee  of  One  Hundred,  and  though  seldom  active  in  politics,  was 
a  generous  contributor  to  reform  and  civic  movements. 

Mr.  Burnham  was  elected  to  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  Hartford 
Steam  Boiler  Inspection  and  Insurance  Co.,  on  Feb.  7,  1888,  and  served  until 
his  death,  although  for  some  years  past,  he  had  been  unable  to  attend  its 
meetings  because  of  his  advanced  age. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Burnham  had  four  children,  William  Burnham,  George 
Burnham,  Jr,.  Mary  A.  Burnham,  and  Mrs.  Theodore  J.  Lewis. 


In  the  July,  1912,  issue  we  announced  the  reinsurance  of  the  steam  boiler 
and  fly  wheel  business  of  the  Casualty  Company  of  America  by  the  Hartford 
Steam  Boiler  Inspection  and  Insurance  Company.  We  remarked  at  that  time 
that  since  the  total  amount  of  steam  boiler  and  fly  wheel  business  in  the  country 
was  limited,  and  yet  was  divided  between  some  24  or  25  companies,  we  failed 
to  see  how  all  of  them  could  continue  to  write  this  line,  owing  to  the  expensive 
inspection  service  required.  In  this  number  we  reprint  a  news  item  from  the 
"  Hartford  Times  "  of  Monday,  Dec.  16,  1912,  giving  the  details  of  still  another 
reinsurance  of  this  character.  In  the  present  case  the  Hartford  takes  over 
the  entire  steam  boiler  and  fly  wheel  business  of  the  United  States  Fidelity 
and  Guaranty  Co.,  which  retires  from  this  field  for  exactly  the  same  reason 
as  that  which  influenced  the  Casualty  Company  of  America.  As  is  stated  in 
the  item  referred  to,  this  is  the  eighth  instance  in  which  the  Hartford  has 
underwritten  the  steam  boiler  line  of  other  companies. 


We  trust  that  our  readers  will  pardon  the  omission  of  the  customary  statis- 
tics of  our  inspection  service  from  this  number.  It  will  be  obvious,  on  a 
moment's  consideration,  that  such  statistics  to  be  complete  must  be  compiled 
after  the  beginning  of  the  new  year.  It  is  therefore,  necessary  to  choose  between 
mailing  The  Locomotive  on  time  and  publishing  the  statistics.  We  have  chosen 
the  former  alternative,  as  we  deem  it  desirable  to  appear  promptly,  and  so  will 
print  our  statistics  in  the  April  number. 


Messrs.  Corbin,  Goodrich  and  Wickham,  general  agents  for  The  Hartford 
Steam  Boiler  Inspection  and  Insurance  Company  at  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  moved 
during  the  first  week  in  December  to  their  new  offices  in  the  new  Fire  Associa- 
tion building,  corner  of  Fourth  and  Walnut  Streets.  The  building  is  to  be 
devoted  entirely  to  insurance  purposes.  The  four  lower  floors  are  to  be  occupied 
by  the  Fire  Association,  the  fifth  by  the  Hartford,  and  the  sixth  (top)  floor  by 
the   Philadelphia   Underwriters. 

We  are  told  that  this  building  bids  fair  to  become  one  of  the  show  places 
of  the  city  because  of  the  simple  beauty  of  its  architecture,  and  feel  that  it  is 
a  matter  of  great  good  fortune  that  our  Philadelphia  Department  is  able  to 
locate  in  such  desirable  quarters. 


150  THE  LOCOMOTIVE.  [January, 

Personal 

Mr.  George  H.  Bartholomew,  who  has  been  connected  with  the  drafting 
department  of  the  Home  Office  for  many  years,  left  the  Hartford  on  Dec.  ist  to 
accept  another  position,  in  which  we  hope  he  will  be  most  successful. 


Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Co.  Takes  on  Another 

Has    Reinsured   the    Entire    Steam    Boiler   and    Fly-Wheel    Business   of 
THE  United  States   Fidelity  and  Guaranty  Co. 


It  is   THE  EIGHTH   INSTANCE 

[From  the  Hartford  (Conn.)  Times,  Dec.  i6,  1912.] 
The  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Inspection  and  Insurance  Company  has  re- 
insured and  taken  over  the  entire  steam  boiler  and  fly  wheel  business  of  the 
United  States  Fidelity  and  Guaranty  Company  of  Baltimore,  Maryland.  From 
the  insurance  commissioner's  report  of  1912,  it  would  appear  that  the  United 
States  Fidelity  and  Guaranty  Company  was  one  of  the  strongest  and  most 
prominent  of  the  multiple  line  companies.  It  commenced  business  in  August, 
1896,  and  at  the  beginning  of  this  present  year  it  was  credited  with  a  paid-up 
cash  capital  of  $2,000,000,  a  net  surplus  exceeding  $1,022,000,  and  assets  exceed- 
ing $6,798,000,  while  its  total  premium  income  pertaining  to  its  various  lines 
of   insurance   during  the  year   191 1    exceeded  $4,738,000. 

Amounts  to  About  $7,500,000 
The  number  of  boilers  and  fly  wheels  involved  in  this  transaction  is  about 
1,500  and  the  insurance  liability  taken  over  amounts  to  about  $7,500,000.  Presi- 
dent Brainerd  of  the  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Company  stated  that  there  was 
nothing  surprising  or  strangely  significent  in  this  transaction,  as  it  simply 
indicated  that  the  management  of  the  United  States  Fidelity  and  Guaranty 
Company  recognized  the  fact,  apparent  to  all  dealing  with  the  steam  boiler 
and  fly  wheel  line  of  insurance,  that  the  entire  amount  to  be  had  was  too 
limited  in  volume  to  justify  dividing  it  up  among  as  many  companies  as  are 
now  engaged  in   writing  this  line   of   insurance,   with   any  promise   of  profit. 

What  Could  Be  Done 
It  requires  a  substantial  volume  of  business  in  each  state  to  justify  the 
maintenance  of  a  proper  organization  and  a  thorough  and  efficient  inspection 
service  in  order  to  conduct  this  line  of  insurance  with  any  hope  of  profit,  and 
with  no  less  than  twenty-five  companies  competing  for  a  volume  of  premiums 
amounting  annually  to  only  a  little  more  than  $2,000,000,  it  becomes  very 
difficult  for  any  one  company  to  obtain  and  control  a  sufficient  volume  to  make 
this  line  of  insurance  profitable.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  Hartford  Steam 
Boiler  Company  could,  with  its  present  organization,  take  over  and  carry 
the  entire  steam  boiler  and  fly  wheel  business  done  throughout  the  United  States 
without  materially  increasing  its  present  operating  expenses,  other  than  possibly 
adding  here  and  there  an  additional  inspector. 


1913]  THE  LOCOMOTIVE.  151 


The  Eighth  Instance 
In  June  last  the  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Company  likewise  took  over  the 
entire  steam  boiler  and  fly  wheel  business  of  the  Casualty  Company  of  America, 
of  New  York,  which  ranked  as  fourth  or  fifth  company  in  point  of  volume, 
and  in  taking  over  the  business  of  the  Baltimore  Company  it  is  the  eighth 
instance  in  which  the  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Company  has  taken  over  the 
steam  boiler  line  from  as  many  companies. 


A  Decision  by  the  United  States  Court  of  Appeals 

On  October  25th,  1909,  an  explosion  of  three  Munoz  boilers  took  place 
at  the  power  plant  of  the  Pabst  Brewing  Company,  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin. 
The  boilers  were  insured  by  The  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Inspection  and  Insur- 
ance Company  under  a  schedule  form  providing  indemnity  in  the  sum  of 
$50,000  for  any  one  explosion.  The  assured  construed  the  contract  to  mean 
a  coverage  of  that  amount  on  each  boiler  which  exploded  notwithstanding 
that  they  had  ordered  the  insurance  to  apply  as  $50,000  on  one  loss. 

An  unsuccessful  effort  to  settle  the  loss  amicably  in  accordance  with  the 
limits  as  understood  when  the  insurance  was  placed,  was  followed  by  a  jury 
trial  in  the  United  States  Circuit  Court.  The  plaintiff,  the  Pabst  Brewing 
Company,  sued  under  two  counts;  first  on  the  contract,  alleging  that  three 
explosions  had  occurred,  and  the  second  in  tort,  both  in  an  endeavor  to  secure 
the  amount  of  total  loss,  in  case  one  count  or  the  other  failed. 

The  jury  in  the  Circuit  Court  found  for  the  plaintiff.  The  case  was 
appealed  by  the  Hartford  Company  and  argued  before  the  United  States 
Circuit  Court  of  Appeals  at  Chicago,  Judges  Seaman,  Landis,  and  Kohlsaat 
sitting  in  the  case.  This  court  on  October  15th,  1912,  handed  down  a  unanimous 
decision  reversing  the  judgment  of  the  Circuit  Court  and  holding  that  there 
was  but  one  explosion  within  the  meaning  of  the  policy  and  that  the  plaintiffs 
had  not  proved  the  tort. 

This  case  has  aroused  considerable  interest  in  insurance  circles  and  the 
decision  of  the  Appeal  Court  seems  to  be  in  accordance  with  the  views  of 
expert   insurance    men   who   have   studied   the   questions    involved. 


Boiler  Explosions 

(Received  too   late  for  the  August  list.) 

(335-) — On  August  12,  three  men  were  badly  scalded  when  the  failure 
of  a  bolt  on  a  hot  press  released  a  quantity  of  hot  tankage  at  the  disposal 
plant  of  the  Michigan   Central  Railroad,  Toledo,  O. 

(336.) — A  threshing  machine  engine  was  wrecked  by  the  explosion  of 
its  boiler  August  31,  at  Webster,  N.  D.  John  Brennan,  engineer,  was  instantly 
killed,  and  George  Gibbs,  fatally  burned.  The  machine  was  being  delivered 
to  a  new  owner  at  the  time  of  the  accident. 


152  THE  LOCOMOTIVE.  [January, 


September,  191 2 

(337-) — The  boiler  of  a  traction  engine  exploded  September  2,  at  Canal 
Dover,  O.     Albert  Miller  was  killed,  and  Harry  Boltz    perhaps  fatally  injured. 

(338.)  — On  September  3,  a  boiler  exploded  at  the  plant  of  the  Williamston 
Electric  Co.,  Williamston,  N.  C.  Considerable  damage  was  done  to  the  boiler 
and  boiler  room,  and  Alfred  Sherod  was  slightly  injured. 

(339-) — The  boiler  of  a  freight  locomotive  belonging  to  the  Michigan 
Central  Railway  exploded  September  4,  near  Dowagiac,  Mich.  Charles  Mur- 
rell,  fireman,  was  fatally  injured,  and  Charles  Parr,  engineer,  less  seriously 
injured. 

(340.) — On  September  6,  the  boiler  of  a  hoisting  outfit  belonging  to  the 
Spaulding  Logging  Co.,  exploded  near  Black  Rock,  Ore.  Charles  Olsen  was 
killed  and  G.  Reynolds  seriously  injured. 

(341.) — A  tube  ruptured  in  a  water  tube  boiler  September  6,  at  the  plant 
of  the  Tri-State  Railway  and  Electric  Co.,  East  Liverpool,  O.  The  property 
damage  was  small,  but  Andrew  Pullnis,  coal  passer,  was  injured. 

(342.)  —A  tube  ruptured  September  6  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  Toledo 
Storage  and  Ice  Co.,  Toledo,  O. 

(343-) — On  September  6,  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the 
plant  of  the  American  Steel  and  Wire  Co.,  Donora,  Pa.  Considerable  damage 
was  done  to  the  boiler,  and  Charles  Fisk,  fireman,  was  scalded. 

(344.) — The  boiler  of  a  Rock  Island  freight  locomotive  exploded  Septem- 
ber 7,  between  Argenta  and  Lonoke,  Ark.  C.  E.  Delaney,  fireman,  and  Fred 
Stelter,  engineer,  were  injured. 

(34S-)  —  On  September  7,  a  blow  off  pipe  failed  at  the  Cisco  Oil  IMill, 
Cisco,  Tex. 

(346.) — An  accident  occurred  September  7  to  a  boiler  at  the  plant  of  the 
Jansen  Steel  and  Iron  Co.,  Columbus,  Pa. 

(347.) — -Six  cast  iron  headers  failed  September  8,  in  a  water  tube  boiler 
at  the  Juniata  Company's  power  plant,  Mififlin,   Pa. 

(348.) — A  boiler  ruptured  September  8,  at  the  plant  of  the  Batesville 
Ice  and  Cold  Storage  Co.,  Batesville,  Ark. 

(349.)  —  On  September  9,  a  hydraulic  press  exploded  in  the  dye  room  of 
the  Germania  Hosiery  Mills  and  Dye  Works,  Phila.,  Pa.  Steam  was  being 
turned  on  the  press  at  the  time.  One  man  was  injured,  and  property  damaged 
to  the  extent  of  about  $1,000. 

(350.)— On  September  10,  a  boiler  ruptured  at  the  plant  of  the  McNeal 
Marble  Co.,  Marietta,  Ga.     The  damage  was  small. 

(351.)  — One  man  was  injured  by  the  collapse  of  a  crown  sheet  on  Loco- 
motive 30  of  the  Delaware  and  Hudson  R.  R.,  at  Saratoga  Springs,  N.  Y.,  on 
September  13. 

(352.) — On  September  17,  a  boiler  ruptured  at  the  plant  of  the  Piano 
Milling  Co.,  Piano,  Tex. 

(353- )  — A  boiler  used  in  connection  with  the  manufacture  of  sausage  at 
M.  G.  Reigel's  meat  market,  Phila.,  Pa.,  exploded  September  17.  The  build- 
ing in  which  the  boiler  was  located  was  considerably  damaged. 

(354-) — On  September  17,  a  boiler  exploded  at  the  plant  of  the  Wenig 
Teaming  Co.,  Coleman,  111.  Two  men  were  instantly  killed,  a  third  was  fatally 
injured,  and  one  man  was  less  seriously  injured. 


1913-]  THE  LOCOMOTIVE.  153 

(355.) — Three  cast  iron  headers  ruptured  September  18,  in  a  water  tube 
boiler  at  the  Kennesaw  Paper  Company's  mill.  Marietta,  Ga. 

(356.) — On  September  18,  a  boiler  exploded  at  the  oil  pumping  station  of 
the  Prairie  Oil  and  Gas  Co..  Osage  Junction,  Okla.  A.  M.  Coyle,  engineer,  was 
killed,  and  F.  L.  Gordon  and  J.  C.  Luckfield  were  seriously  injured. 

(357) — About  September  20,  a  small  boiler  used  for  dairy  purposes  ex- 
ploded on  the  farm  of  Arthur  Pierpont,  near  Waterbury,  Ct.  Mr.  Pierpont 
was  scalded  so  seriously  that  he  died  from  the  effects  of  his  injuries. 

(358.) — The  home  of  Harry  E.  Oliver,  Rutherford,  N.  J.,  was  wrecked 
September  20,  by  the  explosion  of  a  copper  hot  water  boiler.  Property  was 
damaged  to  the  extent  of  $5,000,  and  a  dog  was  killed. 

(359) — A  boiler  ruptured  September  20,  at  the  plant  of  the  Belt  Line 
Elevator  Co.,  Superior,  Wis. 

(360.) — On  September  21,  a  boiler  exploded  at  the  South  Madison  St. 
plant  of  the  Bloomington  Railway  Electric  and  Heating  Co.,  Bloomington,  111. 
One  man,  a  fireman,  was  injured. 

(361.) — The  boiler  of  a  traction  engine  exploded  September  23,  on  the 
farm  of  Henry  McConnell,  near  Centerville,  Iowa.     Four  men  were  injured. 

(362.) — A  freight  locomotive  belonging  to  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee,  and 
Puget  Sound  R.  R.  was  wrecked  by  the  explosion  of  its  boiler  September  24, 
at  Pacific  City.  Wash.  Four  men  were  killed,  and  the  engine  was  a  total 
wreck. 

(363.)  —  On  September  23.  an  accident  occurred  to  a  boiler  at  the  power 
house  of  the  Crompton  Co.,  Crompton,  R.  I. 

(364.)  — A  water  tube  boiler  exploded  September  24,  at  the  rolling  mill 
of  the  Southern  Iron  and  Steel  Co.,  Alabama  City,  Ala.  G.  W.  Williams  was 
injured.     The  property  loss  is  estimated  at  about  $3,500. 

(365.) — Several  cast  iron  headers  ruptured  September  24,  in  a  water  tube 
boiler  at  the  power  house  of  the  Waterloo,  Cedar  Falls,  and  Northern  Railway 
Co.,  Waterloo,  la. 

(366.)  —  On  September  25.  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the 
packing  house  of  Hammond  Standish  and  Co.,  Detroit,  Mich.  Joseph  Lafata, 
a  fireman,  was  injured. 

(367.)  — On  September  25,  a  tube  sheet  of  a  water  tube  boiler  ruptured  at 
the  Allen  County  Court  House,  Ft.  Wayne,  Ind. 

(368.)  — A  tube  ruptured  September  30,  at  the  mill  of  the  West  Virginia 
Pulp  and  Paper  Co.,  Tyrone,  Pa.  Jesse  Walker,  fireman,  and  George  Diehl, 
pipe-fitter,   were   scalded. 


October,  1912 


(369.)  — On  October  i,  two  sections  of  a  cast  iron  heating  boiler  fractured 
in  a  business  block  owned  by  Helen  F.  Bradford,  Allston,  Mass. 

(370.)  — A  tube  ruptured  October  i,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of 
the  Narragansett  Electric  Lighting  Co.,  Providence,  R.  I.  Bernard  Dolan, 
water  tender,  was  injured. 

(37I-) — On  October  i,  a  boiler  belonging  to  a  contractor,  and  located  at 
170th  St.,  in  the  Bronx,  New  York  City,  exploded  with  great  violence.  Press 
reports  state  that  the  boiler  explosion  followed  the  theft  of  65  lbs.  of  dynamite, 


154  THE  LOCOMOTIVE.  [January, 


and  that  this  was  used  in  producing  the  explosion.  We  are  somewhat  in  doubt 
as  to  this  theory,  as  the  accident  has  some  of  the  characteristics  of  a  genuine 
boiler  explosion,  and  so  include  it  in  our  list. 

{2>72.)  — Lieut.  Donald  P.  Morrison,  U.  S.  N.,  was  killed,  and  eight  men 
injured,  on  October  i,  by  the  explosion  of  a  steam  turbine  casing  on  board 
the  torpedo  boat  destroyer,  U.  S.  S.  Walke,  off  Brenton's  Reef  Light  Vessel. 

(373-) — On  October  2,  four  sections  of  a  cast  iron  heating  boiler  ruptured 
at  the  Densmore  Hotel,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

(374-) — A  blow  off  pipe  failed  October  2,  at  the  quarry  of  the  Hercules 
Slate  Company,  Pen  Argyle,  Pa.     Alfred  Henessbeck,  fireman,  was  injured. 

(375-) — The  boiler  at  the  Lawton,  Okla.,  electric  light  plant  exploded 
October  2,  seriously  scalding  the  engineer  and  fireman. 

i2)7^-)  —  On  October  3,  the  mud  drum  exploded  on  a  water  tube  boiler  at 
the  mill  of  The  Wardlow-Thomas  Paper  Company,  Middletown,  O.  George 
Baird,  fireman,  was  killed,  and  considerable  damage  was  done  to  the  boiler  and 
setting. 

(377-)  — The  boiler  of  Union  Pacific  locomotive  No.  2833  exploded  Octo- 
ber 3,  fifteen  miles  east  of  Imlay,  Nev.  N.  L.  Robinson,  engineer,  and  C.  C. 
Cool,  fireman,  were  killed,  and  the  engine  was  a  total  wreck. 

(3S0.) — A  blow  off  pipe  ruptured  October  3,  at  the  mill  of  the  Aldrich 
Paper  Company,  at  Natural  Dam,  near  Gouverneur,  N.  Y.  James  Minore, 
fireman,  was  fatally  injured,  and  Amos  Corey  was  less  seriously  injured. 

(381.) — On  October  4,  several  headers  in  a  water  tube  boiler  ruptured 
at  the  plant  of  The  Winchester  Repeating  Arms  Company,  New  Haven,  Ct. 

(382.)  —A  tube  ruptured  October  5,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  Leeds 
Ala.  plant  of  the  Standard  Portland  Cement  Co. 

(383.)  — On  October  6,  a  mud  drum  ruptured  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the 
packing  house  of  Schwartzchild  and   Sulzberger,  Kansas  City,  Kans. 

(384.) — A  cast  iron  header  ruptured  October  6,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at 
the  plant  of  the  Kansas  City  Flour  Mills  Company,  Kansas  City,  Kans. 

(385.) — A  blow  off  pipe  failed  at  The  Fork  Township  Oil  Mill,  Towns- 
ville,  S.  C,  on  October  8.     Frank  Williams,  fireman,  was  slightly  injured. 

(386.) — On  October  9,  a  section  of  a  cast  iron  heating  boiler  fractured 
at  the  hotel  of  H.  N.  Bain,  and  Ella  K.  Jewett,  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. 

(387.) — A  tube  in  a  water  tube  boiler  ruptured  October  9,  at  the  power 
house  of  the  Worcester  Consolidated  Street  Railway  Company,  Worcester, 
Mass.     Arnold  S.  Allen,  Chief  Engineer,  was  killed,  and  two  firemen  injured. 

(388.)  — A  locomotive  belonging  to  the  Belt  Line  Railway  Company 
Chicago,  111.,  exploded  October  9,  resulting  in  the  fatal  scalding  of  J.  H.  Howell. 

(389.)  — A  tube  ruptured  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  Lorain,  O.,  mill 
of  the  National  Tube  Company  of  Ohio,  on  October  10. 

(.390-) — The  boiler  of  a  saw  mill  exploded  October  11,  at  New  Point, 
near  Americus,  Ga.     No  one  was  injured,  and  the  property  damage  was  slight. 

(391.) — On  October  12,  the  boiler  of  a  threshing  machine  exploded  at 
Burlington,  N.  J.  Elmer  Mingen  and  William  Slack  were  seriously  injured, 
and  a  boy,  Paul  Sholl,  was  badly  burned. 

(392.) — A  boiler  exploded  October  13,  at  the  ice  cream  plant  of  Larmore 
and  Co.,  Davenport,  la.     The  damage  was  slight. 


1913]  THE  LOCOMOTIVE.  155 

(;^g;i.) — Three  cast  iron  headers  ruptured  October  13,  in  a  water  tube 
boiler  at  the  power  house  of  The  Ohio  Electric  Railway  Company,  Medway,  O. 

(394.) — On  October  13,  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the 
electric  lighting  plant  of  The  Central  Hudson  Gas  and  Electric  Company, 
Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.  Five  men,  Elliot  Thompson,  asst.  engineer,  John 
Houston,  supt.  of  the  fire  room,  James  Doyle,  fireman,  Clamnce  Decker,  coal 
passer,  and  Richard  Collins,  dust  man,  were  injured.  The  property  damage 
was  confined  to  the  boiler  itself. 

(395.) — A  tube  ruptured  October  13,  at  the  plant  of  the  American  Steel 
and  Wire  Company,  Donora,  Pa. 

(396.) — On  October  14,  four  cast  iron  headers  ruptured,  in  a  water  tube 
boiler  at  The  New  Battle  House,  Mobile,  Ala.  Richard  Wooten,  fireman, 
was  scalded. 

(397-) — A  tube  ruptured  October  14,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  located  in 
an  office  building  owned  by  John  A.  Orlando,  and  M.,  and  Chas.  S.  Harper, 
Pittsburg,  Pa. 

(398.) — A  boiler  exploded  October  14,  at  Mill  No.  i,  The  Henrietta 
Mills,  Henrietta,  N.  C. 

(399-) — On  October  15,  the  boiler  of  the  saw  mill  of  D.  W.  Eagle,  near 
Keyser,  W.  Va.,  exploded.     Two  men  were  killed,  and  two  injured,  one  prob- 
.ably  fatally. 

(400.)  —A  blow  off  pipe  failed  October  15,  at  the  plant  of  The  E.  H.  Clapp 
Rubber   Company,   Boston,   Mass. 

(401.) — A  cast  iron  header  fractured  on  October  15  at  the  power  house 
of  the  Ohio  Electric  Railway   Company,  Medway,  O. 

(402.) — A  blow  off  pipe  failed  October  15,  at  The  Belleville  Copper  Roll- 
ing Mills,   Soho,  N.  J.     Fred.  Myers,  chief  fireman,  was  killed. 

(403.)  — A  tube  ruptured  October  17,  in  the  Trenton  plant  of  the  American 
Bridge  Company,   Trenton,   N.  J.     John   Barcon,   laborer,   was   injured. 

(404.) — On  October  18,  a  feed  pipe  burst  at  the  wood  working  plant  of 
Glines  and  Stevens,  Franklin,  N.  H.     One  man  was  badly  scalded. 

(405.) — Thirty-two  cast  iron  headers  failed  October  18,  in  a  water  tube 
boiler  at  the  plant  of  the  Semet-Solvay  Co.,  Tuscaloosa,  Ala. 

(406.) — On  October  19,  the  crown  sheet  of  a  locomotive,  which  was  in 
service  on  the  grading  contract  of  John  T.  Lee,  collapsed  at  Rivaire,  Ind. 

(407.) — A  boiler  exploded  October  19,  at  the  plant  of  the  Mutual  Mining 
Company,  Cannelburg,  Ind.     One  man  was  probably  fatally  injured. 

(408.) — A  boiler  exploded  October  19,  at  the  Sucker  Flat  Mine,  near 
Webb  City,  Mo.  Two  men  were  killed,  and  a  third  narrowly  escaped  serious 
injury.     The  boiler  was  blown  through  a  greenhouse  roof,  two  blocks  away. 

(409.) — The  pressure  tank,  used  in  connection  with  an  hydraulic  elevator 
at  Hotel  Wilkes-Barre,  Wilkes-Barre,   Pa.,  exploded  October  21. 

(410.)  — A  boiler  ruptured  October  21,  in  the  basement  of  the  S.  S.  White 
Dental  Company's  plant,  Phila,  Pa.  Two  men  were  so  badly  scalded  that  they 
afterwards   died. 

(411.)  — On  October  22,  a  copper  hot  water  boiler  failed  in  a  cafe  in  New 
Bedford,  Mass.  The  cause  for  the  failure  is  said  to  have  been  an  inoperative 
safety  valve,  and  a  check  valve  in  the  cold  water  supply  line.  The  property 
loss   is   estimated   at   $5,000. 


156  THE  LOCOMOTIVE.  [January, 

(412.)  —  Seven  cast  iron  headers  ruptured  October  23,  in  a  water  tube 
boiler,  at  the  plant  of  the  Louisiana  Distillery  Company,  New  Orleans,  La. 

(413.)  — A  tube  ruptured  October  24,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  power 
house  of  the  Northern  Ohio  Traction  and  Light  Co.,  Akron,  O.  Aley  George, 
ash  wheeler,  was  scalded. 

(414.)  — A  tube  ruptured  October  24,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of 
the  Virginia  Portland  Cement  Company,  Fordwick,  Va.  Marshall  Jackson, 
coal  wheeler,  was  injured. 

(415.) — A  fitting  burst  on  a  blow  off  pipe  October  24,  at  the  store  of 
The  Sage-Allen  Co.,  Hartford,  Ct. 

(416.) — A  cast  iron  sectional  heating  boiler  exploded  October  25,  in  the 
basement  of  the  Church  of  The  Holy  Ghost,  Knoxville,  Tenn.  One  man  was 
killed,  and  property  was  damaged  to  the  extent  of  $7,000.  (Described  else- 
where in  this  issue.) 

(417.)  — A  cast  iron  heating  boiler  failed  October  25,  at  the  St.  Paul,  Minn., 
plant  of  Armour  and  Company. 

(418.)  — On  October  25,  a  water  tube  boiler  ruptured  at  the  Rankin  Works 
of  the  American  Steel  and  Wire  Company,  Rankin,  Pa. 

(419.) — Two  tubes  burst  October  28,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  aboard  of  a 
steam  cutter  attached  to  the  U.  S.  S.  Utah,  near  Bedloe's  Island,  in  New 
York  harbor.     One  man  was  burned  about  the  face. 

(420.) — On  October  28,  an  exhaust  pipe  burst  in  a  factory  building  at 
49-51  Elizabeth  St.,  New  York  City.  A  considerable  panic  among  the  factory 
employees  followed,  but  no  one  was  injured. 

(421.) — A  boiler  exploded  October  28,  at  the  saw  mill  of  B.  Thearmond, 
luka.  Miss.  Two  men  were  killed  outright,  and  three  others  injured,  one  per- 
haps fatally. 

(422.) — A  cast  iron  sectional  heating  boiler  exploded  with  great  violence 
October  29,  in  the  basement  of  the  Salem  Bank  and  Trust  Company's  building, 
Salem,  Ore.  Three  men  were  killed  or  fatally  injured  and  two  more  less 
seriously  injured.     (Described   in   detail   elsewhere   in   this   issue.) 

(423.)  — The  crown  sheet  of  a  locomotive  type  boiler  failed  October  30, 
at  Lima,  O.  The  boiler  was  the  property  of  the  Miles  Tlighe  Contracting 
Company. 

(424.) — The  boiler  of  a  logging  locomotive  exploded  October  31  at  the 
plant  of  the  McGehee  Lumber  Co.,  Ocala,  Fla.     One  man  was  injured. 


Fly  Wheel  Explosions 

(17.) — On  June  10  a  fourteen  foot  fly  wheel  burst  at  the  plant  of  the 
Phoenix  Cement  Co.,  Nazareth,  Pa.     The  property  loss  was  estimated  at  $3,000. 

(18.) — A  fly  wheel  burst  about  June  20  at  Trudell's  saw  mill,  Chateaugay 
Lake,  N.  Y.     One  man  was  seriously  injured. 

(19.) — On  June  22,  a  large  emery  wheel  burst  at  the  plant  of  the  Art 
Stamping  Co.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

(20) — A  fly  wheel  burst  in  the  basement  of  the  National  Sulphur  Company's 
works,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  on  July  6.  The  fly  wheel  in  bursting  struck  a  small 
boiler,  which  in  turn  exploded,  and  set  fire  to  the  works,  containing  a  large 
amount  of  stored  sulphur.  Fifteen  men  were  seriously  injured  by  the  fire  and 
sulphur  fumes,  two  of  them  fatally. 


1913]  THE  LOCOMOTIVE.  157 


(21.)— A  fly  wheel  burst  July  16,  at  the  Hull  and  Draper  Flour  Mill,  Salem, 
111.  The  wheel  was  10  feet  in  diameter,  and  normally  operated  at  75  R.  P.  M. 
The  failure  is  attributed  to  the  breaking  of  a  governor  belt. 

(22.) — On  July  17,  the  fiy  wheel  of  the  main  engine  exploded  at  the  plant 
of  Muhs  and  Co.,  Passaic,  N.  J.,  causing  a  complete  shut  down  of  the  plant. 

(23.) — The  fly  wheel  of  a  gasolene  engine  set  used  to  light  two  moving 
pictures  at  Fort  Worth,  Tex.,  exploded  August  24.  The  engineer  was  seriously 
and  perhaps  fatally  injured. 

(24.) — A  fly  wheel  exploded  August  26  in  the  Bayer  Process  Dept.  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Salt  M'f'g.  Co.,  Natrona,  Pa.  The  entire  plant  was  shut  down 
pending  repairs  to  the  engine  and  engine  room. 

(25.) — On  September  24,  a  pulley  burst  at  a  saw  mill  on  the  Nuckolls 
Plantation,  Russcl  Co.,  Ga.    One  man  was  killed. 

(26.) — One  man  was  injured  on  October  2,  by  the  bursting  of  an  emery 
wheel  at  the  plant  of  the  United  States  McAdamite  Metal  Co.,  Detroit,  Mich. 

(27.) — A  fly  wheel  burst  October  2,  at  the  sawmill  of  Eugene  Graves,  at 
Factory  Postoffice,  some  ten  miles  from  Leonardtown,  Md.  Mr.  Graves  was 
instantly  killed  by  a  fragment  of  the  wheel.  Tlie  accident  is  said  to  have  been 
caused  by  the  running  off'  of  the  governor  belt. 

(28.)— On  October  19,  a  fly  wheel  burst  at  the  mill  of  the  Mississippi 
Lumber  Co.,  Quitman,  Miss.     The  property  damage  was  estimated  at  $5,000. 

(29.) — A  fly  wheel  burst  October  28  at  the  stone  crushing  plant  of  the 
American  Lime  and  Stone  Co.,  Union  Furnace,  Pa.  The  accident  was  caused 
by  the  failure  of  the  governor. 

(30.) — A  fly  wheel  exploded  November  19,  at  the  International  Paper  Com- 
pany's mill.  Fort  Edward,  N.  Y.  The  property  loss  is  estimated  at  over 
$10,000. 

(31.) — On  November  22,  the  plant  of  the  Sweetwater  Light,  Ice,  and 
Power  Co.,  was  wrecked  by  the  bursting  of  a  fly  wheel.  The  property  loss  was 
estimated  at  about  $2,000. 


Is  Youp   Eng-ine   Equipped  With  a  Throttle  Valve  Governor 
Operated  From  a  Counter-Shaft  ? 

Thomas   Dowd,   Inspector. 

When  conditions  compel  the  use  of  a  counter-shaft  with  an  additional  belt 
to  drive  a  throttle  valve  governor,  it  is  very  important  that  precautions  should 
be  taken  to  insure  free  action  of  the  automatic  safety  stop.  So  that  it  will  stop 
the  engine  if  either  of  the  two  bells  should  break.  So  many  cases  have  come 
under  our  observation  where  no  provision  has  been  made  for  such  an 
emergency,  that  it  may  be  well  to  call  attention  to  the  proper  way  to  connect 
up  governors  operated  in  this  manner.  Of  course,  it  will  be  understood  that 
reference  is  now  made  to  the  throttling  governor  with  an  automatic  safety  stop 
attachment.  This  safety  stop  is  designed  to  be  operated  by  an  idler  pulley,  which 
rides  on  the  governor  belt,  and  is  so  arranged  that  should  the  belt  break, 
the  idler  will  drop  to  a  lower  position,  thus  tripping  the  safety  latch,  and 
allowing  the  throttle  valve  to  close. 


158 


THE  LOCOMOTIVE, 


[January, 


E»^or»NC  ^xe>\N\  Che^x 

Fig.    I. —  Safety   Device  for   a   Countershaft   Driven    Governor. 

When  it  is  necessary  to  use  two  belts,  as  noted  above,  it  is  evident  that  the 
automatic  safety  stop  on  the  governor  will  not  operate  if  the  belt  that  runs 
from  the  engine  shaft  to  the  counter-shaft  should  break.  In  this  case,  the 
governor  would  stop  revolving  and  drop  to  its  lowest  position,  allowing  full 
steam  admission  to  the  cylinder,  which  would  result  in  the  engine  racing.  To 
obviate  this  danger,  a  second  idler  pulley  similar  to  the  one  attached  to  the 
governor  should  be  provided  to  operate  on  the  belt  leading  from  the  engine  to 
the  counter-shaft,  as  shown  in  the  accompanying  sketch.  This  can  be  fitted  with 
very  little  trouble  or  expense  by  the  engineer  or  other  mechanic  about  the 
plant,  as  the  outfit  only  consists  of  the  pulley  and  arm  with  cord  or  chain  to 
attach  to  the  Sawyer's  lever  on  the  governor,  which  also  operates  the  safety 
stop.  When  thus  connected,  the  governor  can  then  be  relied  upon  to  stop  the 
engine  if  either  of  the  belts  break. 

Governors  of  this  type  are  not  always  fitted  with  Sawyer's  valve  levers ; 
but  in  nearly  every  case  a  point  can  be  found  where  an  attachment  can  be  made 
which  will  produce  the  desired  result. 


Reuben,  Reuben,  I've  bin  thinkin' 
What  a  glad  world  this  will  be 

When  them  b'ilers  cease  their  bustin' 
And  get  safe  for  you  an'  me. 

Laws  don't  seem  to  make  us  keerful. 
Folks  gits  reckless  jist  ther  same; 

An'  when  we  hev  jined  ther  angels 
Jury  sez  we  was  to  blame ! 

—  Power. 


THe  Harifom  Steam  Boiiei  inspeciioii  ami  insuiance  Gompang. 


ABSTRACT  OF  STATEMENT,  JANUARY   1,  1912. 
Capital  Stock,      .        .        .       $1,000,000.00. 

ASSETS.  ^ 

Cash  on  hand  and  in  course  of  transmission, $204,693.25 

Premiums   in   course   of   collection 263,453.33 

Real   estate 91,100.00 

Loaned  on  bond  and  mortgage, 1,166,360.00 

Stocks  and  bonds,  market  value, 3,249,216.00 

Interest  accrued 71,052.02 

Total    Assets, $5,045,874.60 

LIABILITIES. 

Premium    Reserve, $2,042,218.21 

Losses    unadjusted 102,472.53 

Commissions  and  brokerage, 52,690.67 

Other  liabilities  (taxes  accrued,  etc.), 47,191.65 

Capital    Stock, $1,000,000.00 

Surplus   over  all   liabilities, 1,801,301.54 

Surplus  as  regards  Policy-holders,                    .       $2,801,301,542,801,301.54 
Total  Liabilities $5,045,874-60 


L.  B.  BRAINERD,  President  and  Treasurer. 

FRANCIS  B.  ALLEN,  Vice-President.  CHAS.  S.  BLAKE,  Secretary. 

L.  F.  MIDDLEBROOK.  Assistant  Secretary. 

W.  R.  C.  CORSON,  Assistant  Secretary. 

S.  F.  Jeter,  Supervising  Inspector. 

E.  J.  Murphy,  M.  E..  Consulting  Engineer. 

F.  M.  Fitch,  Auditor. 


BOARD    OF     DIRECTORS. 


ATWOOD  COLLINS,   President, 

The   Security   Co.,   Hartford,   Conn. 

LUCIUS  F.  ROBINSON.  Attorney, 
Hartford,  Conn. 

JOHN  O.  ENDERS,  United  States  Bank, 
Hartford,  Conn. 

LYMAN    B.    BRAINERD, 

Director,    Swift    &    Company. 

MORGAN    B.    BRAINARD, 

Vice-Pres.    and    Treasurer,    The    .(Etna 
Life    Insurance    Co.,    Hartford,    Conn. 

FRANCIS  B.  ALLEN,  Vice-Pres.,  The 
Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Inspection  and 
Insurance    Company. 

CHARLES    P.   COOLEY,    Vice-Pres., 

The     Fidelity     Trust     Co.,     Hartford, 
Conn. 


ARTHUR   L.   SHIPMAN,  Attorney, 

Hartford,  Conn. 
GEORGE    C.    KIMBALL,    President,    The 

Smyth   Mfg.   Co.,   Hartford,   Conn. 
CHARLES    M.    JARVIS,    President,    The 

American   Hardware  Corporation,   New 

Britain,  Conn. 
FRANCIS      T.      MAXWELL.      President, 

The   Hockanum   Mills   Company.   Rock- 

ville.   Conn. 
HORACE    B.    CHENEY,    Cheney   Brothers 

Silk    Manufacturing    Co.,    South    Man- 
chester,  Conn. 
D.    NEWTON    BARNEY.    Treasurer,    The 

Hartford      Electric      Light      Co.,      and 

Director  N.   Y.,   N.   H.   and  H.    R.   R. 

Co. 
DR    GEORGE    C.    F.    WILLIAMS,    Treas. 

and    General    Manager,    The    Capewell 

Horse  Nail   Co.,   Hartford,  Conn. 


Incorporated  1866. 


Charter  Perpetual. 


Tlie  Hartlorii  Sieani  Boiler  Iqspectioii  and  msuraqGe  GonipaQg 

ISSUES   POLICIES  OF   INSURAMCB  COVERING 

ALL  LOSS  OF  PROPERTY 


AS  WELL  AS   DAMAGE   RESULTING  FROM 


LOSS  OF  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  INJURIES  DUE  TO  EXPLOSIONS 
OF  STEAM  BOILERS  OR  FLY  WHEELS. 


Department. 

ATLANTA,    Ga.,       . 
611-613  Empire  Bldg. 

BALTIMORE,  Md,  , 
13-14-15   Abell    Bldg. 

BOSTON.   Mass.,       . 
loi  Milk  St. 

BRIDGEPORT,  CT., 
No.  I  Sanborn  Bldg. 

CHICAGO,  111.,  . 

160  West  Jackson  St. 

CINCINNATI,  Ohio, 

First  National  Bank  Bldg. 

CLEVELAND,    Ohio, 
Century  Bldg. 

DENVER,   Colo., 

Room  2,  Jacobson  Bldg. 

HARTFORD,    Conn., 
56  Prospect  St. 

NEW  ORLEANS,  La.,     . 

833-835   Gravier   St. 
NEW  YORK,  N.  Y., 

100  William  St. 

PHILADELPHIA.  Pa.,     . 

Con.  Fourth  and  Walnut  Sts 

PITTSBURG,   Pa..     . 
1801-1802  Arrott  Bldg. 

PORTLAND,  Ore.,    . 
306  Yeon  Bldg. 

SAN  FRANCISCO,  Cal.,  . 

339-341   Sansome  St. 
ST.  LOUIS,  Mo., 

319  North  Fourth  St 

TORONTO,   Canada, 

Continental  Life  Bldg. 


Representatives. 

W.  M.  Francis, 

Manager  &  Chief  Inspector. 

Lawford  &  McKiM,  General  Agents. 
R.  E.  MuNRO,  Chief  Inspector. 

C  E.  Roberts,  Manager. 

Joseph  H.  McNeill,  Chief  Inspector. 

W.  G.  Lineburgh  &  Son,  General  Agents. 
F.  S.  Allen,  Chief  Inspector. 

H.  M.  Lemon,  Manager. 

James  L.  Foord  Chief  Inspector. 

J.  T.  Coleman,  Assistant  Chief  Inspector. 

W.  E.  Gleason,  Manager. 

Walter  Gerner,  Chief  Inspector. 

H.  A.  Baumhart, 

Manager  &  Chief  Inspector. 

Thos.  E.  Shears, 

General  Agent  &  Chief  Inspector. 

F.  H.  Williams,  Jr.,  General  Agent. 
F.  S.  Allen,  Chief  Inspector. 

Peter  F.  Pescud,  General  Agent. 
R.  T.  BuRWELL,  Chief  Inspector. 

C.  C.  Gardiner,  Manager. 

W.   W.   Manning,   Chief   Inspector. 

Corbin,  Goodrich  &  Wickham,  General  Agents. 

Wm.  J.  Farran,  Chief  Inspector. 

S.  B.  Adams,  Assistant  Chief  Inspector. 

C.  D.  Ashcroft,  Manager. 

Benjamin  Ford,  Chief  Inspector. 

W.  A.  Craig,  Assistant  Chief  Inspector. 

McCargar,  Bates  &  Lively,  General  Agents. 
C.  B.  Paddock,  Chief  Inspector. 

H.  R.  Mann  &  Co.,  General  Agents. 
J.  B.  Warner,  Chief  Inspector. 

V.  Hugo, 

Manager  &   Chief  Inspector. 

H.  N.  Roberts, 

General   Agent 


V 


0\  cpinicin™ 


Vol.  XXIX. 


HARTFORD,  CONN.,  APRIL,   1913. 


No.  6. 


COPYRIGHT,   1913,  BY  THE  HARTFORD  STEAM   BOILER  INSPECTION  AND  INSURANCE  CO. 


Fig.  5.    A   Near  View  of   the   Wreck.     Economizer   Explosion   at 
Saylesville,  R.  I. 


162 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE. 


[April, 


A  Fuel  Economizer  Explosion 

A  fuel  economizer  exploded  Tuesday,  January  14,  1913,  at  the  Glenlyon  Dye 
Works,  Saylesville,  R.  I.  The  accident  occurred  at  about  3.50  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon.  Beside  destroying  property  to  the  extent  of  about  $26,000.00,  two 
men  lost  their  lives,  and  some  seven  or  eight  others  were  injured  more  or  less 
seriously. 


5xvRi-iNc%   "Boiler.  Hoo>w\. 


Fig.  I.    Plan  Showing  Arrangement  of  Boilers  and  Economizers. 


The  arrangement  of  the  boiler  house  and  its  equipment,  as  it  existed  before 
the  accident,  is  shown  in  our  sketch  plan,  Fig.  i.  There  were  two  boiler  rooms, 
one  containing  six  325  horse-power  Stirling  boilers,  and  the  other  containing 
the  stack,  the  economizers,  and  a  battery  of  four  horizontal  tubular  boilers, 
together  with  the  feed  heaters,  pumps,  fans,  fan  engines,  and  other  boiler  room 
auxiliaries.  As  will  be  seen,  only  the  gases  from  the  Stirling  boilers  could  pass 
through  the  economizers,  while  those  from  the  tubular  boilers  went  direct  to  the 
stack.  The  economizers,  two  in  number,  were  behind  the  stack,  and  side  by 
side,  parallel  to  the  division  wall.  They  rested  on  a  platform  about  10  feet 
above  the  floor.  This  platform  consisted  of  longitudinal  I  beams,  between 
which  were  turned  brick  arches,  and  these  in  turn  rested  on  transverse  T  beams, 


1913.] 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE, 


163 


supported  on  structural  columns.  A  passage  way  separated  the  economizers 
lengthwise.  Dampers  were  fitted  as  shown ;  dampers  A,  B,  and  C  were  operated 
by  automatic  regulators,  while  the  others  were  only  used  when  it  became 
necessary  to  shut  down  and  isolate  an  economizer. 


Fig.  2.     Ge.xek.vl  View  of  the  Wreckage. 

The  economizers  were  installed  in  1903,  and  were  therefore  10  years  old. 
They  were  operated  in  the  customary  manner,  with  a  closed  feed  water  heater 
arranged  to  heat  the  feed  to  a  moderate  temperature  before  it  entered  the 
economizers.  Two  feed  pumps  were  used,  one  controlled  entirely  by  hand,  the 
other  controlled  by  a  pump  governor  actuated  by  feed  water  regulators  at  the 
boilers.  A  mixture  of  four  parts  buckwheat  to  one  part  bituminous  coal  was 
used,  hand  fired,  and  burned  with  the  aid  of  a  forced  (fan)  draft  on  the  ash 
pits.     As  high  a  draft  pressure  as  2"  of  water  was  carried  at  times  of  peak  load. 

On  the  Saturday  preceding  the  accident,  a  small  amount  of  moisture  was 
noticed  coming  from  the  soot  pit  of  the  No.  i  economizer.  A  leaking  tube  was 
suspected,  so  the  chief  engineer  ordered  this  economizer  cut  out  of  service  at 
noon  time,  and  sent  word  to  the  makers  for  a  man  to  come  and  make  any 
repairs  which  might  be  needed.  The  operation  of  cutting  out  and  draining, 
seems  to  have  been  properly  performed  according  to  instructions  at  this  time. 
On  Sunday  both  economizers  were  out  of  service  and  cool.  The  assistant 
engineer  filled  No.  i  with  water  under  the  city  pressure  (90  lbs.)  and  entered 
the  casing  by  way  of  the  flue,  to  find  the  leak.  He  discovered  a  slight  weep  in 
one  of  the  tubes,  determined  its  location,  and  noting  that  a  flange  joint  at  the 
inlet  valve  leaked,  sent  for  a  pipe  fitter  to  repack  the  joint,  and  drained  the 
economizer  so  that  he  might  work  on  it.  When  the  joint  was  packed,  city  water 
was  again  turned  into  the  economizer  to  test  the  work.     It  was  found  to  leak. 


164 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE 


[April, 


the  vessel  was  again  drained,  and  a  second  unsuccessful  attempt  made  to  fix 
up  this  stubborn  joint.  On  again  filling  and  testing,  this  flange  still  leaked, 
but  as  it  was  about  6  o'clock,  and  the  men  were  anxious  for  home,  the  piper 
made  no  attempt  to  repack,  as  he  expected  opportunity  to  do  so  during  the 
week,  while  waiting  for  the  man  to  replace  the  leaking  tube.  Judging  by  the 
fact  that  the  drain  or  blow-off  valve  of  this  economizer  was  found  in  a  closed 
condition  after  the  explosion,  it  seems  unlikely  that  the  vessel  was  drained  out 
after  this  last  trial  of  the  joint.  It  was  probably  forgotten  in  the  hurry  to 
reach  home.  Nothing  further  appears  to  have  been  done  to  the  economizer  up 
to  the  time  of  the  explosion  Tuesday  afternoon. 

Just  before  the  accident,  the  demand  for  steam  had  been  excessive,  and 
to  better  meet  the  demand,  a  larger  proportion  than  usual  of  soft  coal  had 
been  served  out  in  front  of  the  fires.    A  2  to  i  mixture  was  first  tried,  and  just 


(Courtesy  of  The  Providenco  Journal) 

Fig.  3.     is-Inch  "I"  Beams  Bent  by  the  Force  of  the  Explosion. 


1913.] 


THE    LOCOMOTl VE 


^65 


Fig  4.     Showing  Portions  of  the  No.  2  Economizer  Standing  on  Its  Platform 
Just  Back  of  the  Stack. 

before  the  accident  this  was  further  enriched  up  to  half  and  half.  Whether 
or  not  some  one  opened  the  dampers  through  the  idle  economizer,  in  an  effort 
to  help  out  the  draft  over  this  peak  load,  will  of  course  never  be  known,  as  the 
flues  and  dampers  were  so  thrown  about  by  the  force  of  the  explosion  that  no 
definite  conclusion  could  be  drawn  from  them. 

The  force  of  the  explosion  is  perhaps  best  shown  in  Fig.  2.  The  walls 
of  the  tubular  boiler  room  were  all  either  thrown  down,  or  so  badly  shattered 
as  to  necessitate  being  torn  down  afterwards.  The  end  of  the  Stirling  boiler 
room  toward  the  roadway  was  also  nearly  all  blown  out.  The  idle  or  No.  i 
economizer  was  blown  all  over  the  premises.  Small  pieces  shattered  ventilators, 
skylights,  monitors,  and  roofs  over  a  considerable  area,  while  the  roof  over 
this  boiler  room  was  completely  demolished.  The  platform  which  supported 
the  No.  I  economizer  was  entirely  blown  down.  Fig.  3,  which  shows  a  pair 
of  15  inch  I  beams,  that  served  as  transverse  supports  for  this  platform,  at 
about  the  middle  of  the  length  of  the  economizer,  will  indicate  somewhat  the 
force  of  the  blow.  No.  2  economizer,  which  was  working  at  the  time,  wa? 
shattered  so  as  to  be  a  complete  loss,  but  it  remained  on  top  of  its  platform, 
which  latter  was  practically  intact.  This  is  well  shown  in  Figs.  4  and  5.  It 
seems  to  prove  quite  conclusively  that  No.  i  was  the  actual  exploding  vessel. 
Furthermore,  the  resistance  offered  by  No.  2  to  the  explosion,  while  it  wrecked 
it  (No.  2)  completely,  undoubtedly  saved  the  Stirling  boilers.  Aside  from  some 
damage  to  their  flue, —  and   that  of   a  character  which   was   easily   repaired, — 


166 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE. 


[April, 


(Courtesy  of  Thr  FkarIi  nee  Journal) 

Fig.  6.     Debris  in  Front  of  Tubular  Boilers. 

they  were  practically  uninjured.  The  main  blast  of  the  explosion  appears  to 
have  passed  over  the  tops  of  the  tubular  boilers,  so  that,  barring  minor  injuries 
to  their  fronts  and  attachments,  they  were  undamaged.  Their  condition  on  the 
morning  following  the  accident  is  shown  in  Fig.  6.  A  still  further  evidence 
that  No.  I  was  the  actual  exploding  vessel,  is  offered  by  the  fact  that  a  large 
piece  of  top  header,  identified  as  belonging  on  the  stack  end  of  one  or  other 
of  the  economizers,  was  found  in  the  coal  pile  across  the  railway  track  seen 
in  Fig.  2.  This  fragment  could  not  have  reached  its  resting  place  from  the 
No.  2  economizer  without  passing  through  the  stack,  or  rising  straight  up  in 
the  air  for  a  time,  and  then  moving  off  sideways  in  direct  defiance  of  the 
laws  of  falling  bodies.  It  weighed  1177  lbs.  and  traveled  horizontally  about 
160  feet. 

It  is  very  difficult  when  a  cast  iron  structure  is  wrecked  as  completely 
as  was  this  one,  to  determine  the  course  of  the  explosion.  Cast  iron  breaks 
with  a  clean  fracture,  and  tells  very  little  either  as  to  the  kind  or  direction  of 
the  blow.  Steel  boilers  usually  tell  us  a  pretty  direct  story  of  what  happens, 
but  it  was  here  impossible  to  tell  from  the  fragments  of  the  economizer, 
whether  the  explosion  was  caused  by  a  source  of  energy  within  or  surrounding 
the  tubes.  It  was  only  from  the  evidence  of  the  supporting  structure  that  a 
conclusion  could  be  drawn  as  to  the  cause  of  the  explosion,  and  this  seemed 
to  point  toward  a  steam  pressure  generated  within  the  No.  i  economizer,  a 
conclusion  which  is  in  accord  with  other  known  facts,  notably  the  closed 
condition  of  the  blow-off. 


1913. 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE, 


167 


Explosion  of  Sulphite  Dig-ester 

W.  R.  C.  Corson. 
On  December  22,   191 2,  a  sulphite  digester  at  the  plant  of  the  Laurentidc 
Company,  Limited,  at  Grand  Mere,  P.  Q.,  exploded  with  terrific  violence.     Three 


Fig.   I.    General  View  of  the  Destruction  at  Grand  Mere. 


168 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE. 


[April, 


,-m  ^-    \l 


''^^.■^^ 


Fig.  2.     View  Looking  into  the  Wrecked  Digester  House. 


employees  were  killed  and  two  were  more  or  less  seriously  injured  and  property 
was  destroyed  to  the  value  of  eighty  thousand  dollars.  That  greater  loss  in  killed 
and  injured  has  not  to  be  recorded  is  due  to  the  fortunate  time  of  the  occur- 
rence,—  on  a  Sunday  evening  when  the  number  employed  in  the  mills  was  at  a 


1913.] 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE. 


169 


minimum.     Figs,  i  and  2  will  give  a 

general  idea  of  the  extent  of  the 
damage. 

A  Sulphite  digester  is  a  vessel 
especially  designed  for  the  produc- 
tion of  wood  pulp  by  the  acid  process. 
It  consists  essentially  of  a  vertical 
steel  shell.  lined  with  brick  and 
cement,  which  is  filled  with  the  wood 
chips  from  which  the  pulp  is  to  be 
made.  Sulphurous  acid  is  introduced 
and  then  the  mass  of  acid  and  chips 
is  brought  to  a  "  cook  "  by  the  intro- 
duction of  live  steam, —  the  final  pres- 
sure reaching  from  8o  to  lOO  lbs.  per 
sq.  inch.  The  fact  that  these  vessels 
are  subject  to  the  action  of  the  corro- 
sive acid,  should  the  lining  leak, 
added  to  the  great  size  of  the  vessels 
themselves  and  the  consequent  large 
amount  of  energ>-  stored  in  them,  has 
always  caused  the  fear  that  the  explo- 
sion of  one  would  be  a  disaster  in- 
deed. 

Such  proved  to  be  the  case  with  the 
Laurentide  Company's  digester.  It  was 
one  of  three  such  vessels  which  were 
installed  about  fourteen  years  ago.  It 
w-as  14  ft.  in  diameter  and  45  ft.  high, 
protected  by  an  inside  lining  of  lead 
against  the  shell  with  two  layers  of 
vitrified  brick  inside  the  lead  lining. 

As  was  customary  on  Sundays  the 
vessel  had  been  shut  down  and  al- 
lowed to  cool  so  as  to  permit  the  en- 
trance of  an  attendant  to  examine 
and  repair  the  brick  lining.  At  about 
five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  it  had 
been  filled  with  chips  and  steam  was 
turned  on.  The  cooking  process  was 
proceeding  as  usual  and  had  reached 
a  point  where  the  internal  pressure 
was  about  80  lbs.  per  square  inch, 
when  at  about  ten  p.  m.  the  vessel  ex- 
ploded. 

The  digester  house  in  which  the 
vessel  was  located  was  almost  com- 
pletely destroyed,  as  was  the  adjoin- 


FiG.  3.  Elevation  of  Digester  Show- 
ing Location  of  the  Lines  of  Fail- 
ure. 


170 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE, 


[April, 


FHnttTHnnfinrisniiffHHiHiniBRHiH^tnYT^^ 


<ijUl?^lfUU;jSliUUyUUUUiUUtUUlUl<VwULLSlUt"t<'twM!MS^^ 


Details   of    Course    Which    Failed. 


Fig.  5.      Cracked  Butt- Strap. 


ing  blowpit  house  with  its  contents. 
Others  of  the  mill  buildings  in  the 
vicinity  were  more  or  less  badly 
damaged.  One  of  the  two  old  digest- 
ers remaining  had  its  supporting  col- 
umns so  broken  that,  while  it  did  not 
fall,  it  threatened  to  do  so  for  days 
after  the  accident.  The  second  of  the 
old  digesters  however  escaped  with 
slight  injury  and  a  new  digester,  the 
erection  of  which  was  not  quite  com- 
pleted, fortunately  received  no  dam- 
age. 

A  close  examination  of  the  parts 
of  the  wrecked  digester  gave  evidence 
that  the  initial  failure  had  occurred  at 
the  cover  plate  of  a  longitudinal  seam 
on  the  center  one  of  the  three  cylin- 
drical courses.  These  digesters  were 
all  of  a  construction  common  at  the 
period  when  they  were  installed.  Be- 
cause of  the  lead  lining,  it  was  re- 
garded as  essential  that  the  inside 
surfaces  should  be  flush.  The  joints 
were  accordingly  made  by  butting  the 
sheets  and  with  a  single  outside  cover 
plate  over  the  joints.  In  the  ex- 
ploded   digester    one    of   these    cover 


1913.] 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE, 


171 


plates  liad  failed  by  cracking  along  tlic  line  of  the  rivet  holes,  and  from  the  direc- 
tion in  whicli  the  exploded  sheet  was  thrown,  it  was  evident  that  this  cover  plate 
was  the  place  of  initial  failure.  In  tearing  from  the  other  sheets,  in  every  case 
cover  plates  failed  while  the  sheets  themselves  did  not.  This  is  well  brought  out  in 
Figs.  3  and  4,  which  show  the  way  in  which  these  cracks  ran  along  the  straps. 
As  these  plates  were  thicker  than  the  sheets  and  should  have  been  expected  to 
withstand  the  greater  strain,  their  failure  to  do  so  suggested  an  inferiority  of 
material  which  an  analysis  has  confirmed.  Fig.  5  sliows  one  other  strap  on  this 
course  which  cracked  but  did  not  let  go.  Strangely  enough  the  interior  of  the 
steel  shell  showed  no  corrosion.  The  lead  lining,  in  this  case  at  least,  seems 
to  have  protected  the  steel  thoroughly. 

The  fact  that  the  cover  plates  of  the  joints  gave  way  as  we  have  described, 
and  that  a  close  examination  discovered  evidence  of  similar  cracks  in  the 
straps  of  other  digesters  will  arouse  renewed  apprehension  in  the  minds  of 
owners  and  insurance  companies  for  digesters  of  a  similar  construction  built 
from  twelve  to  twenty  years  ago. 


Fig.  I.     Boiler  Explosion  at  Keene,  N.  H. 

Another  Lap  Seam  Explosion 

Our  photograph  shows  the  result  of  the  explosion,  on  Friday.  Dec.  6,  1912, 
of  a  boiler  at  the  plant  of  the  Keene  Glue  Company.  Keene,  N.  H. 

The  boiler  was  of  the  horizontal  return  tubular  type,  in  three  courses 
66  inches  in  diameter  with  tubes  16  feet  long,  and  was  made  with  double 
riveted  lap  seams  for  its  longitudinal  joints.  We  are  told  that  there  was  plain 
evidence  of  an  old  lap  crack,  which  extended  nearly  through  the  metal  of  the 
middle  course,  and  which  was  located  in  solid  plate,  inside  the  inner  row  of 


172  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [April, 

rivets,  but  under  the  inner  lap,  so  that  it  could  not  have  been  seen  by  either 
an  internal  or  an  external  ins.pection.  The  boiler  is  said  to  have  been  otherwise 
in  excellent  condition  for  its  age  (twenty  years)  and  to  have  been  provided  with 
the  proper  safety  attachments  in  good  order.  The  condition  of  the  fusible  plug, 
in  conjunction  with  the  violence  of  the  explosion,  confirms  the  statement  of 
the  fireman  that  there  was  an  abundance  of  water. 

The  setting  and  boiler  house,  together  with  a  frame  addition  to  the  mill 
were  demolished,  and  a  42  inch  steel  stack  was  thrown  down  and  considerably 
jammed.  The  boiler,  however,  did  not  move  endwise,  but  dropped  in  its  tracks 
as   it  were. 

Press  accounts  state  that  the  boiler  was  used  only  for  heating,  and  that  a 
pressure  of  40  lbs.  was  carried  at  the  time  of  the  accident.  The  fireman  had 
been  called  to  another  part  of  the  mill  to  repair  a  belt,  and  probably  owes  his 
escape  to  this  fortunate  circumstance. 

The  report  in  the  local  paper  states  also  that  the  boiler  had  been  jacked  up 
some  six  weeks  previous  to  the  accident  so  that  repairs  could  be  made  to  its 
setting.  This  may  have  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  explosion,  but  it  is  possible 
that  a  new  distribution  of  stress  on  the  supporting  lugs,  due  to  the  resetting, 
may  have  opened  up  an  old  sore,  and  prepared  the  way  for  the  explosion  at 
this  particular  time. 

Experience  teaches  that  "  second  hand "  lap  seam  boilers  are,  if  anything, 
more  given  to  explosions  of  this  sort,  than  those  which  have  been  allowed  to 
remain  in  their  original  settings.  We  are  sometimes  asked  why  we  will  permit 
an  old  boiler  of  this  type  to  work  at  some  stated  pressure  so  long  as  it  remains 
in  place,  but  insist  on  a  material  pressure  reduction  if  it  is  removed  and  reset. 
Our  reason  is  a  fear  of  the  efifects  of  just  such  a  new  distribution  of  stress  as 
•we  have  mentioned,  and  this  position  is  abundantly  supported  by  statistics. 


Violent  Boiler  Explosion  at  Rowland,  Me. 

On  January  20,  1913,  at  about  8.30  A.  M.,  two  boilers  exploded  at  the 
plant  of  the  Rowland  Pulp  and  Paper  Co.,  Rowland.  Me.  The  boilers  which 
failed  were  Nos.  2  and  3  in  a  battery  of  five  horizontal  return  tubular 
boilers  used  to  supply  steam  both  for  power  and  pulp  making.  Two  other  boilers 
of  the  vertical  fire  tube  type  stood  in  an  adjoining  boiler  room.  At  the  time 
of  the  accident,  boiler  No.  2,  which  had  been  out  of  service,  was  being  brought 
up  to  pressure  to  be  cut  in  on  the  line.  It  is  stated  that  its  pressure  was  65  lbs. 
a  few  minutes  before  the  explosion. 

The  explosion  destroyed  the  boiler  house,  pump  house,  electrical  plant, 
and  engine  room.  It  knocked  down  two  steel  stacks,  and  did  some  damage  to 
the  ends  of  the  acid  and  sulphur  houses.  In  addition  to  the  property  loss  two 
men  were  killed,  and  two  others  injured. 

There  is  some  doubt  as  to  which  of  the  boilers  first  gave  way.  Witnesses 
testified  to  a  double  report  like  two  pistol  shots  in  rapid  succession.  It  is 
probable,  from  the  appearance  of  the  failures,  that  one  of  the  boilers  exploded 
first,  and  struck  its  neighbor  a  blow  of  sufficient  violence  to  set  it  off.  Both  the 
exploded  boilers  were  of  lap  seam  construction,  built  in  five  courses  with  outside 
cast  iron  man-hole  frames  attached  to  the  third  course.  Both  of  them  failed 
through  the  man-hole  frame,  and  each  man-hole  course  was  ripped  longitudinally 
from  girth  seam  to  girth  seam,  through  the  center  line  of  the  man-hole  open- 


1913. 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE. 


173 


^' 


f" 


^ 


OH)'' 


Oi 


©0 


a 


o 


oa 


Q^ 


Fig.  I.     Paths  of  Projected  Boiler  Courses. 


174 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE. 


[April, 


Fig.  2.     Course  "  E  "  and  Its  Load  of  Tubes. 

ing.  The  other  courses  were  in  large  part  separated  each  from  the  other  by 
the  shearing  of  the  rivets.  Indeed,  with  the  exception  of  a  small  fragment 
which  was  torn  out  and  left  attached  to  one  course,  no  portion  of  any  otiher 
sheet  than  the  man-hole  courses  mentioned  above  was  torn  in  any  way. 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE. 


175 


Fig.  3.     Ruptured  Manhole  Course  "  B. 


Fig.  4.    Wrecked  Boiler  House. 


176  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [April, 

The  extent  to  which  the  boilers  were  disrupted  and  thrown  about  will  be 
best  shown  by  a  consideration  of  the  sketch  plan.  Fig.  i,  which  shows  where  the 
different  portions  fell  after  the  explosion,  with  reference  to  their  original 
position.  The  dotted  lines  in  the  boiler  house  show  the  boilers  as  they  were 
previous  to  the  accident.  "  C"  represents  boiler  No.  i,  which,  although  it  did 
not  itself  explode,  was  blown  out  of  its  setting  and  thrown  bodily  for  some 
seventy  feet.  "  I  ",  "  G  ",  "  F  ".  and  "  E",  were  identified  as  the  remains  of  boiler 
No.  3,  while  "A",  "  B  ".  and  "  D ".  were  the  parts  of  boiler  No.  2.  It  is  not 
absolutely  certain  that  the  man-hole  courses  "  B"  and  "  F "  are  properly  identi- 
fied in  the  above  list,  since  there  were  neither  torn  edges  nor  any  other  means 
of  matching  them  to  the  remaining  courses.  The  course  marked  "  E "  in  the 
sketch  is  that  shown  in  Fig.  2.  It  apparently  started  off  in  company  with  the 
portion  marked  "  G  ",  but  was  not  very  firmly  attached  to  it.  When  "  G "  had 
gotten  well  under  way  in  its  rocket-like  flight,  this  course  seems  to  have 
dropped  at  the  place  indicated,  and  carried  with  it  practically  all  the  tubes 
of  the  boiler  as  the  photograph  indicates.  Fig.  3  shows  the  man-hole  course 
marked  "  B  "  in  the  sketch  plan.  It  gives  an  excellent  idea,  both  of  the  way 
in  which  these  man-hole  courses  failed  and  of  the  cleanness  with  which  the  girth 
seam  rivets  sheared.  Fig.  4  shows  the  ruined  boiler  room,  with  boilers  4  and 
5  under  the  debris  of  their  settings,  as  well  as  the  vertical  boilers  6  and  7  still  in 
position.     One  of  the  fallen  stacks  is  seen  in  the  foreground. 

The  safety  valve  of  No.  2  boiler  w^as  found  after  the  explosion,  and  was  in 
good  working  order.  It  is  also  known  that  boiler  No,  3  w^as  connected  with 
the  rest  of  the  battery,  and  that  the  safety  valves  were  blowing  freely  a  short 
time  before  the  accident.  These  two  facts  seem  to  render  any  theory  of  over- 
pressure untenable.  No  thoroughly  satisfactory  explanation  has  yet  been  offered, 
and  we  doubt  if  the  exact  cause  of  the  accident  will  ever  be  known. 


On  Laying"  Up  a  Heating*  Boiler  for  the  Summer 

During  the  summer  season,  the  only  enemy  a  heating  boiler  need  face  is 
corrosion.  This  enemy  is,  however,  particularly  active  at  that  time,  and  must 
be  fought  vigorously,  both   inside  and   out.  . 

On  the  fire  side,  soot  and  ash  should  be  thoroughly  removed.  It  is  not 
sufficient  to  hit  the  high  places  with  a  shovel,  but  the  whole  external  surface 
of  the  boiler  should  be  swept  clean  with  a  broom,  and  this  treatment  should 
extend  to  the  furnace,  the  ashpit,  and  if  the  boiler  is  set  in  brick,  to  every 
nook  and  cranny  of  the  setting.  The  boiler  surface  itself  should,  in  addition, 
receive  a  good  brushing  with  a  stiff  wire  brush,  to  remove  all  soot  and  ash, 
together  with  any  loose  iron  rust,  right  down  to  the  surface  of  the  metal.  The 
reason  for  this  treatment  is  that  soot  and  ash  are  great  absorbers  of  moisture 
from  the  air,  and  have  an  excellent  opportunity  to  do  this  in  a  cool  cellar 
during  the  spring  and  summer.  On  damp  days,  the  cool  metal  sweats  exactly  as 
a  pitcher  of  cold  water  sweats  in  a  warm  room.  This  moisture,  condensed 
from  the  air,  is  at  once  absorbed  by  the  soot  and  ash,  and  in  either  case  the 
result  is  a  solution  which  is  very  corrosive  to  iron  or  steel.  The  corrosive 
action,  begun  in  this  way,  wnll  continue  throughout  the  season,  unless  the 
cause  is  removed  in  the  manner  we  have  indicated. 


1913.]  THE    LOCOiMOTlVE.  177 


The  inside  surfaces  of  boilers  are  also  subject  to  corrosion  in  the  summer 
time.  If  a  boiler  is  left  with  the  water  at  the  steaming  level,  just  as  it  was 
when  the  fire  died  out,  corrosion  will  be  much  more  active  than  it  would  be 
under  steam,  because  the  water  is  absolutely  at  rest,  and  little  pits  of  rusting, 
once  started,  continue  without  interruption.  It  has  been  frequently  stated  that 
a  boiler  full  of  water  will  be  free  from  corrosion.  This  statement,  if  confined 
to  the  inside  surface,  and  applied  to  a  boiler  quite  full  of  pure,  air  free  water, 
is  perhaps  true.  The  difficulty,  however,  with  a  boiler  laid  up  in  this  fashion, 
is  the  greatly  increased  tendency  toward  sweating  which  it  exhibits,  owing  to 
the  fact  that  a  large  body  of  water  does  not  readily  follow  the  fluctuations  in  the  air 
temperature,  and  so  remains  for  much  of  the  season,  not  only  colder  than  the  air 
but  colder  than  an  empty  boiler  would  have  been.  In  this  way  a  full  boiler  will  be 
much  more  subject  to  external  corrosion  than  if  empty.  So  the  safest  method  of 
procedure  seems  to  be  to  first  empty  the  boiler,  propping  open  the  safety  valve, 
then  leave  the  blow  off  open,  and  if  there  is  any  doubt  as  to  the  tightness  of 
the  feed  valve,  that  is,  if  there  is  any  danger  of  water  getting  back  into  the 
boiler  from  the  city  mains,  it  is  perhaps  best  to  make  sure  of  this  point  by 
disconnecting  the  feed  line.  The  boiler  should  be  as  carefully  drained  as 
possible,  and  in  the  case  of  a  tubular  boiler,  the  hand  and  man  hole  covers 
should  be  removed,  because  if  small  pools  of  water  are  allowed  to  remain  in 
the  bottom,  corrosion  will  be  especially  active,  from  the  fact  that  the  water 
has,  relatively,  so  great  a  surface  exposed  to  the  air,  that  it  can  dissolve  up 
more  air  as  fast  as  its  supply  is  exhausted  by  combination  with  iron. 

It  is  desirable  for  the  man  operating  a  heating  system  to  go  carefully  over 
his  valves,  piping,  and  radiators,  while  still  under  steam  near  the  end  of  the 
season  in  order  that  he  may  mark  the  location  of  all  defects  and  leaks,  so  that 
new  valve  stem  packings,  new  parts,  leaking  joints,  etc.,  may  be  repaired  during 
the  summer  and  unpleasant  delays  avoided  in  the  fall  when,  on  some  cold 
morning,  the  heater  is  wanted  in  a  hurry. 


Inspection  Service  Rendered  During-  1912 

The  tables  below  give,  as  is  usual  at  this  time  of  the  year,  the  total  number 
of  visits  of  inspection,  the  total  number  of  boilers  inspected  and  other  similar 
statistics  gathered  from  our  inspection  records,  for  the  year  1912.  These  fi.gures 
are  worthy  of  consideration,  inasmuch  as  they  show  something  of  the  frequency 
with  which  one  may  expect  to  find  the  various  defects  listed  among  any  repre- 
sentative number  of  American  boilers.  These  results  are  gathered  from  so  many 
boilers,  and  these  so  distributed  over  the  country,  that  the  effects  of  local 
conditions  largely  disappear  in  the  totals. 

A  glance  at  the  table  on  page  178  will  yield  some  interesting  information. 
For  example,  in  17/18  of  all  the  visits  made,  a  defect  was  found  which  was 
deemed  of  sufficient  importance  to  report.  Further,  of  the  164,924  defects 
reported,  18,932,  or  just  over  11%,  were  considered  dangerous  at  the  time  of 
the  inspector's  visit.  As  we  have  shown  many  times  before,  by  far  the  most 
frequent  troubles  have  their  origin  in  the  feed  water,  or  the  method  of  using 
it,  a  fact  which  is  evidenced  by  the  large  number  of  instances  in  which  scale 
or  sediment  and  corrosion  are  found. 


178 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE. 


[April, 


Summary  of  Inspectors'  Work  for  1912. 
Number   of   visits    of   inspection   made 
Total  number  of  boilers  examined 
Number  inspected  internally 
Number  tested  by  hydrostatic  pressure 
Number  of  boilers  found  to  be  uninsurable 
Number  of  shop  boilers  inspected 
Number  of  fly  wheels  inspected 
Number  of  premises  where  pipe  lines  were  inspected 

Summary  OF  Defects  Discovered. 


Nature  of  Defects. 
Cases  of  sediment  or  loose  scale 
Cases  of  adhering  scale 
Cases  of  grooving 
Cases   of   internal   corrosion 
Cases   of   external  corrosion 
Cases   of   defective  bracing 
Cases  of  defective  staybolting 
Settings   defective 
Fractured  plates   and   heads 
Burned  plates       . 
Laminated   plates 
Cases  of  defective  riveting 
Cases  of  leakage  around  tubes 
Cases  of  defective  tubes  or  flues 
Cases  of   leakage  at   seams 
Water   gages   defective 
Blow-offs   defective 
Cases  of  low  water 
Safety-valves   overloaded 
Safety-valves   defective 
Pressure  gages  defective 
Boilers  without  pressure  gages 
Miscellaneous  defects 

Total 


183,5^9 

337.178 

132,984 

8,024 

977 

10,098 

14.567 

4,200 

Whole 

Danger- 

Number, 

ous. 

26,299 

1,553 

40,336 

1.436 

2,700 

252 

15,403 

823 

10,41 1 

895 

1,391 

331 

1,712 

345 

8,119 

768 

3.288 

510 

4,965 

517 

445 

55 

1,816 

405 

10,159 

1.607 

11,488 

4,780 

5,304 

401 

3.663 

816 

4,429 

1,398 

447 

151 

1,349 

380 

1.534 

419 

6,765 

568 

633 

102 

2,268 

420 

164 

924 

18,932 

Grand  Total  of  the  Inspectors'  Work  from  the  Time  the  Company  Began 

Business,  to  January  i,  1912. 
Visits    of    inspection    made  ........      3,312,922 


Whole  number  of  inspections   (both  internal  and  external) 

Complete  internal  inspections       .... 

Boilers  tested  by  hydrostatic  pressure 

Total  number  of  boilers  condemned     . 

Total    number   of    defects    discovered 

Total   number  of   dangerous   defects   discovered 


6,750,765 

2,651,906 

307,876 

22,597 

4,152,904 

428,971 


1913.1 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE 


179 


Summary  of  Inspectors'  Work  since  i 

870. 

Year. 

Visits  of 
inspi'Ction 
madf.   1 

Whole 
number  of 

boilers 
inspected. 

Complete 
intt-rnal 

inspec- 
tions. 

Boilers 

tested  by 

hydrostatic 

pressure. 

Total  num- 
ber of 
defects 
discovered. 

Total  num 

ber  of 
dangerous 

defects 
discovered 

Boilers 
con- 
demned. 

1870 
1871 

1872  ; 

1873  j 

5.439 
6,826 

10,447 
12,824 

10,569  ' 
13476 
21,066 
24,998 

2,585 
3.889 

6.533  , 
8,511 

882  ! 

I,4&4 
2,102 

2,175 

4 

4,686 

6,253 

11,176 

11,998 

485 

954 
2,260 
2,892 

45 
60 

155 
178 

1874 
1875 
1876 

1877 

14.368 
22,612 
16.409 
16,204 

29,200 
44,763 
34.275 
32,975 

9.451 
14,181 
10,669 
11,629 

2,078 
3,149 
2,150 
2,367 

14,256 
24,040 
16.273 
15,964 

3,486 
6,149 
4,275 
3,690 

163 

216 

89 

133 

1879 
1880 
1881 
1882 

17.179 
20,939 
22,412 

25,742 

36,169 
41,166 
47.245 
55.679 

13.045 
16,010 
17,590 
21,428  1 

2,540 
3,490 
4,286 
4,564 

16,238 
21.033 
21,110 
33.690 

3,816 

5.444 
5.801 

6,867 

246 
277 
363 
478 

1883 
1884 
1885 
1886 

29.324 
34,048 
37.018 
2,9,777 

60,142 
66,695 
71.334 
77.275 

24,403 
24,855 
26,637 
30,868 

4,275 
4,180 
4,809 
5,252 

40,953 
44.900 
47,230 
71.983 

7,472 
7.449 
7,325 
9,960 

545 
493 
449 
509 

1887 
1888 
1889 
1890 

46,761 
51-483 
56,752 
61,750 

89,994 
102,314 
110,394 
118,098 

36,166 
40,240 
44.563 
49,983 

5,741 
6,536 
7,187 
7.207 

99,642 
91,567 
105.187 
115,821 

11,522 

8,967 
8,420 

9,387 

622 
426 
478 
402 

189I 
1892 
1893 
1894 

71,227 
74.830 
81.904 
94.982 

137.741 
148,603 
163.328 
191,932 

57,312 
59,883 

66.698 
79,000 

7.859 
7.585 
7.861 
7,686 

127,609 
120,659 
122,893 
135,021 

10,858 

11,705 
12,390 

13,753 

526 
681 
597 
595 

1895 
1896 

1897 
1898 

98.349 
102.91 1 
105.062 
106,128 

199,096 
205,957 
206,657 
208,990 

76,744 
78,118 
76,770 
78,349 

8.373 
8.187 
7,870 
8,713 

144.857 
143.217 
131,192 

130,743 

14.556 
12,988 

11.775 
11,727 

799 
663 
588 
603 

1899 
1900 
19OI 
1902 

112.464 
122.81 1 
1.34.027 
142,006 

221,706 
234.805 
254,927 
264,708 

85.804 
92.526 
99.885 
105,675 

9.371 
10,191 

11.507 
11,726 

157.804 
I77.II3 
187,847 
145.489 

12,800 
12,862 
12.614 
13.032 

779 
782 
950 

1,004 

1903 
1904 

1905 
1906 

153.951 
159.553 
159.561 
159-133 

293,122 

'   299.436 

291,041 

292,977 

116,643 
117.366 
116.762 
120,416 

12.232 
12,971 
13.266 
13.250 

147,707 
154.283 
155.024 
157,462 

12.304 
13.390 
14.209 
15,116 

933 
883 
753 
690 

1907 
1908 
1909 
19IO 

163,648 
167.951 
174,872 
177,946 

308.571 
2,'i7,':>2,7 
.342,136 
347.255 

124,610 
124.990 
136,682 
138,900 

13.799 
10,449 
12,563 
12,779 

159.283 

151.359 

169.356 

,       169,202 

17.345 
15.878 
16,385 
16,746 

700 

572 

!   642 

625 

191 1 
I912 

180.842 
183.519 

'  352,674 
337.178 

140,896 
1  132,984 

12.724 
8,024 

164,713 
164.924 

17,410 
18,932 

i   653 
977 

180 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE, 


[April, 


INSPECTio^^^ni^ANCECO. 


C.  C.  Perry,  Editor. 


HARTFORD,    APRIL,    1913. 

Single  copies  can  be  obtained  free  by  calling  at  any  of  the  company's  agencies. 
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Reprinting  of  matter  from  this  paper  is  permitted  if  credited  to 
The  Locomotive  of  The  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  1.  &  1.  Co. 


Victor  Hug-o 

It  is  with  deep  regret  that  we  record  the  death  of  Victor  Hugo,  manager 
of  the  Southwestern  Department  of  our  Company,  which  occurred  on  January 
31st,  1913,  at  his  home  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  after  a  brief  attack  of  pneumonia.  The 
news  of  this  event  when  it  reached  us  was  so  sudden  and  unexpected  —  many 
of  us  had  his  unanswered  letters  on  our  desks  —  as  to  leave  us  profoundly 
shocked  and  stunned  and  without  full  realization  of  the  loss  we  had  suffered. 
Now  that  a  few  weeks  have  passed  we  are  better  able  to  appreciate  the  void 
that  has  been  made  in  our  organization  and  the  personal  loss  that  those  of  us  have 
sustained     who   were   privileged   to   enjoy   his    friendship. 

Mr.  Hugo  was  born  at  Kingston,  Ontario,  on  November  20th,  1873.  He 
was  the  son  of  T.  W.  Hugo,  who  in  1881  moved  with  his  family  to  Duluth, 
Minn.,  where  he  is-,  as  he  has  been  for  many  years,  the  valued  representative  of 
our  Company.  Victor  Hugo  received  his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  that 
city  and  at  the  University  of  IMinnesota.  from  which  he  graduated  in  1896,  with 
the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Mechanical  Engineering.  He  entered  the  Chicago 
inspection  force  of  the  HARTFORD  Company  in  1898.  Late  in  the  following 
year  he  was  transferred  to  St.  Louis  and  shortly  after  was  appointed  Chief 
Inspector  of  that  Department.  On  January  ist,  1905,  he  was  promoted  to  the 
position  of  manager. 

Punctuality,  order  and  unreserved  loyalty  were  Victor  Hugo's  prominent 
characteristics  and  made  for  efficiency  in  his  management  of  affairs.  His  edu- 
cation and  experience  were  along  engineering  and  mechanical  lines  and  his 
ability  and  thorough  acquaintance  with  the  practice  and  technique  of  steam 
engineering  made  him  especially  valuable  in  his  work  for  our  company.  But 
Mr.  Hugo  was  not  merely  a  technically  trained  man.  He  knew  and  enjoyed 
much  of  the  best  of  art  and  literature  and  thus  added  the  charm  which  we  call 


1913.]  T  H  E     L  O  C  O  M  O  T  1  V  E  .  i  8  1 


culture  to  his  more  fundamental  characteristics.  In  manner  he  was  reserved 
but  gave  himself  freely  to  those  who  were  admitted  to  his  friendship.  He 
possessed  a  quaint  humor  which  frequently  found  expression  in  his  conversation 
and  letters,  and  which  was  a  delight  to  his  friends  and  hearers. 

Mr.  Hugo  was  a  member  of  the  American  Society  of  Mechanical  Engineers 
and  an  active  member  of  tlie  Public  Recreation  Commission  of  St.  Louis, 
where  his  advice  and  counsel  was  of  the  greatest  value.  He  was  married  to  Miss 
Virginia  Magoffin  in  April,  1899,  wlio  with  two  children  survives  him. 


At  the  time  of  the  year  when  legislatures  are  in  session,  all  business  interests 
are  subject  to  the  caprice  or  deliberate  attack  of  any  one  who  can  write  out  a 
bill  and  hand  it  for  introduction  to  some  member  of  a  legislature.  Some  of 
these  bills  slip  through  without  opportunity  to  the  parties  most  affected,  for  a 
hearing,  or  a  chance  to  have  their  side  of  the  case  properly  presented  before 
the  members  of  the  legislature  who  are  not  of  a  committee  specially  appointed 
to  represent  a  particular  interest. 

The  matter  of  the  inspection  of  boilers  is  one  that  vitally  affects  every 
person  or  corporation  using  steam,  whether  for  power  or  heating  purposes,  as 
well  as  persons  employed  with  or  in  the  vicinity  of  boilers.  Every  boiler 
should  be  inspected  by  a  competent  inspector.  That  is  fundamental  and  obvious. 
Laws  for  this  purpose  have  been  passed  in  a  number  of  states.  Most  of  them 
recognize  as  sufficient  an  inspection  by  an  insurance  company  that  is  authorized 
to  insure  and  inspect  boilers  in  the  state.  We  feel  that  such  recognition  should 
be  universal.  Those  who  are  familiar  with  boiler  inspection,  especially  the 
owners  of  large  boiler  plants,  know  that  the  service  of  the  insurance  companies 
is  beyond  comparison  with  that  rendered  by  the  inspectors  of  the  average  state 
or  city  department,  subject  as  they  are  to  political  selection  and  influences.  The 
political  inspector,  whose  efficiency  is  not  influenced  by  the  commercial  necessity 
of  his  employer,  is  not  obliged  to  work  nights.  Sundays,  or  holidays,  and  so, 
plants  which  he  inspects  are  subject  to  the  inconvenience  of  a  shut  down  during 
business  hours,  or  to  a  substantial  addition  to  the  statutory  fee  for  such  an 
inspection    if  it  is  made  at  a  more  convenient  time. 

It  would  seem  that  an  interesting  rivalry  exists  between  associations  of 
stationary  engineers  and  boiler  makers  over  the  securing  of  boiler  inspection 
legislation.  The  main  difference  between  the  bills  introduced  is  that  those 
presented  by  the  engineers  provide  that  the  state  inspectors  shall  have  had 
many  years'  experience  in  the  state  as  stationary  engineers,  while  the  bills  put 
forward  by  the  boiler  makers  make  a  similar  limitation  confining  the  appointees 
practically  to  boiler  makers.  The  editor  of  the  "  Boiler  Makers'  Journal  "  says 
in  the  February  number :  "  Boys  get  busy !  Act  at  once,  and  let  the  editor  know 
what  action  you  have  taken  and  the  replies  you  get  from  the  legislature;" 
"  the  engineers'  society  will  continue  their  efforts  and  we  may  see  the  spectacle 
of  an  engineer  trying  to  inspect  boilers  in  this  state !  " 

Many  of  The  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Inspection  and  Insurance  Com- 
pany's inspectors  and  mechanical  experts  are  or  have  been  members  of  these 
several  .organizations.  The  Locomotive  does  not  wish  to  appear  as  taking 
sides  in  this  rivalry,  nor  as  attempting  to  discourage  efforts  to  secure  the 
passage   of   proper  inspection  bills.     We   do   feel,  however,  that  an   additional 


182  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [April, 

inspection  of  insured  boilers  by  state  inspectors,  serves  no  proper  purpose, 
places  unnecessary  trouble  and  expense  on  the  boiler  owners,  and  would  be 
the  cause  of  needless  loss  of  time  on  the  part  of  the  employees  of  such  estab- 
lishments; and  that  the  only  unselfish  object  of  any  such  legislation  —  the 
safeguarding  of  boiler  operation, —  would  be  best  obtained  by  the  rival  interests 
laying  aside  their  petty  differences  over  the  creation  of  lucrative  positions  for 
their  members.  They  should  act  together,  and  with  other  interested  business 
men  and  employees  exert  themselves  for  the  passage  of  inspection  bills  which 
will  best  serve  the  interests  of  the  whole  community,  and  for  the  appointment 
to  such  positions  as  will  necessarily  be  created  thereunder  of  men  whose 
recommendation  is  efficiency,  and  not  membership  in  any  particular  organization. 


Personal 


We  announce  the  appointment  of  Mr.  C.  D.  Ashcroft  to  the  position  of  man- 
ager of  the  St.  Louis  department.  Mr.  Ashcroft  joined  the  forces  of  the  Hart- 
ford as  special  agent  in  the  Louisville,  Ky.,  office  in  1907.  From  there  he  went 
to  the  managership  of  the  Pittsburg  department  in  191 1  and  now  leaves  to  take 
charge  of  the  Southwestern  territory. 

Mr.  J.  J.  Graham,  who  has  been  connected  with  the  Cleveland  department 
since  1906,  first  as  inspector  and  later  as  special  agent,  will  succeed  Mr.  Ashcroft 
as  manager  of  our  department  at  Pittsburg. 

In  the  St.  Louis  department,  Mr.  J.  P.  Morrison,  who  has  served  there  as 
inspector  since  1901,  becomes  Chief  Inspector,  a  position  for  which  his  long 
field  experience  fits  him  admirably. 


Summary  of  Boiler  Explosions  for  1912 

We  print  in  this  issue,  our  usual  summary  of  our  explosion  list  for  the 
year  1912.  This  list  is  made  up  from  press  clippings,  and  from  our  own  loss 
files.  It  should  not  be  considered,  however,  that  these  explosions  are  all  of  them 
from  boilers  that  we  insure,  for,  quite  to  the  contrary,  the  majority  of  the 
violent  explosions  are  the  result  of  conditions  which  might  have  been  foreseen 
had  the  boiler  received  regular  and  thorough  inspections.  We  endeavor  to 
make  this  list  as  complete  and  as  accurate  as  possible,  each  item  is  con- 
sidered in  the  light  of  all  the  information  available,  and  an  effort  made  to  get 
at  the  real  facts.  In  computing  the  number  of  persons  killed  and  injured,  we 
have,  as  heretofore,  considered  the  fatally  injured  as  killed,  and  wherever  the 
statement  is  made  in  a  press  account  that  "several  were  injured"  we  have 
considered  "  several  "  to  mean  three.  This  number  was  arrived  at  some  years 
since,  as  the  average  number  injured  in  an  explosion,  and  as  our  other  lists 
have  been  based  on  this  assumption,  we  have  continued  on  that  basis,  so  that 
our  statistics  will  be  comparable  from  year  to  year. 


1913] 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE, 


183 


Summary  of  Boiler  Explosions  for  1912. 


Month. 

Number  of 
Explosions. 

Persons 
Killed. 

Persons 
Injured. 

Total  of 

Killed  and 

Injured. 

January        .... 
February      .... 
March          .... 

April            .... 
May             .... 
June             .... 

July              .... 
August         .... 
September   .... 

October       .... 
November    .... 
December    .... 

90 

47 
47 

39 
25 
24 

36 
30 
30 

56 
47 
66 

19 
II 
56 

28 
II 

21 
12 
13 

23 
23 

34 

44 
22 

57 

36 
18 
30 

30 
16 
21 

38 

34 
46 

63 

33 

"3 

64 
29 

57 

51 
28 

34 

61 

57 
80 

Totals 

537 

278 

392 

670 

Boiler  Explosions 

November,  1912. 

(425.) — On  November  2,  an  accident  occurred  to  one  of  the  boilers  on 
the  U.  S.  S.  Vermont,  near  Norfolk,  Va.  Two  men  were  killed,  and  four 
others   seriously  scalded. 

(426.)  — Four  sections  of  a  sectional  heating  boiler  ruptured  at  the  armory 
owned  by  U.  A.  Woodbury,  Burlington,  Vt.,  on  November  2. 

(427.) — A  traction  engine  exploded  November  4,  at  Indianapolis,  Ind. 
John  O'Donnell,  the  engineer,  was  fatally  injured,  and  one  other  was  badly 
bruised.     Three  houses  are  said  to  have  been  damaged  by  the  explosion. 

(428.)  — On  November  4,  an  accident  occurred  to  a  boiler  at  the  Chagrin 
Falls.  O.,  power  plant  of  the  Cleveland,  Youngstown,  and  Eastern  Ry.  Co. 

(429.) — A  severe  accident  occurred  November  4  to  a  boiler  at  the  mill 
of  the  West  Yellow  Pine  Co.,  Olympia,  Ga.  Three  men,  P.  M.  Dorman, 
watchman;  R.  C.  Wetherington,  oiler;  and  Lucius  Johnson,  fireman,  were 
injured. 

(430.) — About  November  5,  an  accident  occurred  to  a  cast  iron  sectional 
heating  boiler  at  the  Polish  Catholic  School,  New  Britain,  Ct. 

(431.) — A  tube  ruptured  November  5,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant 
of  the  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works,  Philadelphia,  Pa.     The  damage  was  small. 

(432.)  — A  boiler  exploded  November  6,  at  the  saw  mill  of  B.  B.  Saunders, 
Pine  Bluff,  Ark.  The  owner  and  Arthur  Ray,  fireman,  were  killed,  while  three 
others  were  injured. 

(433-)  — A  tube  failed  November  6,  at  the  plant  of  the  Charleston  Water 
and  Light  Company.  Charleston.  S.  C.  No  one  was  injured,  but  the  city  of 
Charleston  was  left  without  water  for  a  short  time. 


184  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [April, 

(434.)  An  escape  valve  ruptured  November  7  at  the  State  Normal 
School,  Bridgewater,  Mass.  Some  of  the  girls  became  panic  stricken,  but  no 
damage  was  done. 

(435-) — A  boiler  exploded  November  8,  at  the  Chickasha  Gin,  owned  by 
the  Chickasha  Gin  Co.,  Headrick,  Okla.  Two  men  were  seriously  injured,  and 
considerable  damage  was  done  to  the  buildings  and  plant  of  the  Gin. 

(436.)  — On  November  9,  a  section  cracked  in  a  cast  iron  sectional  heater 
in  the  office  building  owned  by  Mary  S.  Tuttle,  Greenville.  S.  C. 

(437-) — Three  sections  fractured  November  9,  in  a  cast  iron  sectional 
heating  boiler  at  the  store  and  apartment  building  of  Samuel  M.  Samuels 
and  Isaac  Weinstein,  New  York  City. 

(438.) — Three  tubes  ruptured  November  10,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the 
plant  of  the  Carsten  Packing  Co.,  Tacoma,  Wash. 

(439.) — A  tube  ruptured  November  11,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the 
plant  of  the  Illinois  Steel  Co.,  Joliet,  111.  Mike  Cervenok,  fireman,  was 
scalded. 

(440.) — A  boiler  exploded  November  11,  at  the  mill  of  the  Milltown 
Lumber  Co.,  Milltown,  Ga.  The  property  damage  was  about  $6,000.  Two 
men  were  killed  and  five  injured. 

(441.) — On  November  12,  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at 
the  Eureka  Colliery,  No.  36,  of  the  Berwind  \Vliite  Coal  Mining  Co., 
Windber,  Pa. 

(442.) — The  crown  sheet  of  a  locomotive  type  boiler  collapsed  November 
12,  at  the  Round  House  of  the  Great  Northern  R.  R.,  Sioux  City,  la. 

(443.)  — A  boiler  ruptured  November  12,  at  the  plant  of  the  Norcona  Mill 
and  Gin  Co.,  Norcona,  Tex.     The  damage  was  confined  to  the  boiler. 

(444.)  — The  boiler  of  Freight  Locomotive  No.  469  of  the  Virginian  R.  R. 
exploded  November  15,  near  Lafayette,  Va.  Two  men  were  killed,  and  one 
other  seriously  injured. 

(445.) — On  November  16,  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the 
plant  of  the  Gutta  Percha  and  Rubber  Mfg.  Co.,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 

(446.) — On  November  16,  four  tubes  pulled  out  of  a  drum  in  a  water 
tube  boiler  at  the  Auxiliary  Power  Plant  of  the  Utah  Light  and  Railway  Co., 
Salt  Lake  City,  Utah.  Serious  damage  was  done  to  the  boiler,  requiring 
expensive  repairs. 

(447.) — A  boiler  exploded  November  18,  in  the  wood  fiber  mill  of 
Albert  Widdis,  East  Tawas,  Mich.  Two  men  were  killed,  and  two  others 
seriously  injured. 

(448.) — Three  sections  ruptured  November  18,  in  a  cast  iron  heating 
boiler  at  the  Theatre  of  the  Utica  Hippodrome  Amusement  Co.,  Utica,  N.  Y. 

(449.) — Three  cast  iron  headers  ruptured  November  19,  in  a  water  tube 
boiler  at  the  Collinsville,  111.,  plant  of  the  National  Lead  Co. 

(450.) — On  November  19,  a  tube  ruptured  at  the  plant  of  The  Con- 
necticut Web  and  Buckle  Co.,  Bridgeport,  Ct. 

(451.) — Locomotive  No.  6378  of  the  Big  Four  was  wrecked  by  the  ex- 
plosion of  its  boiler  November  19,  at  Anderson,  Ind.     Three  men  were  injured. 

(452.) — A  heating  boiler  exploded  in  the  basement  of  the  jewelry  store 
of  V.  J.  Pekor,  Columbus,  Ga.,  on  November  19.  There  were  no  serious 
personal   injuries,  but  the  property  loss   was  considerable. 


1913.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  185 

^- 

(453) — The  boiler  of  a  locomotive  belonging  to  the  Ten  Mile  Lumber 
Co.,  exploded  November  19,  near  Gulfport,  Miss.     Four  men  were  killed. 

(454.) — On  November  19,  a  boiler  exploded  at  the  plant  of  the  Warren 
Dried  Fruit  Co.,  San  Jose,  Cal.     No  one  was  injured. 

(455-)  — A  tube  ruptured  November  20,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant 
of  the  American  Steel  and  Wire  Co.,  Waukegan,  III. 

(456.) — A  tube  ruptured  in  a  water  tube  boiler,  on  November  20,  at  the 
plant  of  the  Minnising  Paper  Co..  Minnising,  Mich.  Considerable  damage  was 
done  to  the  boiler,  and  Michael   Micholik,  fireman,  was  injured. 

(457)  —  A  boiler  is  reported  to  have  exploded  near  Mobile.  Ala.,  on 
November  20.  Four  men  were  said  to  have  been  killed.  We  have  been  unable 
to  obtain  any  more  specific  information  than  this  concerning  this  particular 
accident,  but  include  it  in  the  list,  as  the  information  comes  from  several 
sources. 

(45S.) — On  November  22,  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the 
plant  of  the  Aurora,  Elgin,  and  Chicago  Electric  Ry.  Co.,  Batavia,  111.  D.  S. 
Stafford,  laborer,  was  injured. 

(459.) — A  cast  iron  header  ruptured  November  22,  in  a  water  tube  boiler 
at  the  plant  of  the  Plankington  Electric  Light  and  Power  Co.,  Milwaukee,  Wis. 

(460.) — A  boiler  exploded  November  22,  in  the  municipal  power  plant  at 
Neosha  River,  belonging  to  the  city  of  lola,  Kans.  One  man  w-as  injured,  and  the 
city  was  in  darkness  for  several  hours. 

(461.) — A  boiler  ruptured  November  23,  at  the  plant  of  the  Minneapolis 
Water  Co.,  Minneapolis,  Kans. 

(462.) — On  November  25,  a  section  fractured  in  a  cast  iron  sectional 
heater  in  the  apartment  building  of  M.  Koblenzer,  136th   St.,  New  York  City. 

(463.) — A  boiler  exploded  November  25,  at  the  Hazel  wood  Sanatorium, 
Hazelwood,  near  Louisville,  Ky.  No  one  was  injured,  but  there  was  a  property 
loss  of   about  $2,000. 

(464.)  — A  boiler  exploded  at  the  Gas  plant,  at  Pittston,  Pa.,  on  November 
26.  One  man  was  injured,  and  considerable  damage  was  done  to  the  plant  and 
to  surrounding  property. 

(465.) — A  boiler  exploded  November  26,  in  the  grain  elevator  of  L.  R. 
Sellers,  Blackburn,  Mo.     Mr.  Sellers  was  killed  and  the  elevator  was  destroyed. 

(466.) — A  tube  ruptured  on  November  26.  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the 
beet  sugar  plant  of  Charles  Pope,  Riverdale,  111.  H.  Hampka,  coal  passer,  and 
W.  Hein,  water  tender,  were  scalded. 

(467.)  —  On  November  27,  the  crown  sheet  of  a  locomotive  boiler  collapsed 
at  the  plant  of  the  American  Steel  and  Wire  Co.,  Worcester,  Mass. 

(468.) — A  blow  off  pipe  failed  November  28,  at  the  plant  of  the  St. 
Croix  Paper  Co.,  Woodland,  Me. 

(469.)  —  A  boiler  exploded  November  29,  in  a  grist  mill  at  Olive  Hill, 
Ky.    Three  men  were  killed,  one  fatally  injured,  and  three  less  seriously  injured. 

(470.) — On  November  30,  two  tubes  ruptured  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at 
the  plant  of  the  Scoville  Mfg.  Co.,  Waterbury,  Ct. 

(471.)  — On  the  same  day  —  November  30, —  two  tubes  ruptured  in  another 
boiler  at  the  plant  of  the  Scoville  Mfg.  Co.,  Waterbury,  Ct. 

(These  are  separate  and  distinct  accidents.) 


186  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [April, 

Boiler  Explosions 

December,  1912. 

(472.) — A  boiler  exploded  December  i,  at  the  plant  of  the  Bristol-Myers 
Co.,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.     Two  men  were  injured,  one  of  them  perhaps  fatally. 

(473-) — A  heating  boiler  exploded  December  2,  in  a  garage  belonging  to 
Charles  A.  Sale,  Victor,  N.  Y.  No  one  was  injured,  but  considerable  damage 
was  done  to  the  building. 

(474.) — The  crown  sheet  of  a  locomotive  collapsed  on  the  Southern 
Railway,  at  Whittle's  Station,  Va.,  on  December  2.  George  Robinson,  the 
engineer,  was  fatally  scalded. 

(475-) — On  December  2,  two  cast  iron  headers  ruptured  in  a  water  tube 
boiler  at   Stern   and   Co.'s   furniture   store,   Philadelphia,   Pa. 

(476.)  — A  tube  failed  in  a  water  tube  boiler  on  December  3,  at  the  plant 
of  the  Southern  Iron  and  Steel  Co.,  Gadsden,  Ala.  R.  L.  Barnes,  fireman,  was 
injured. 

(477.)  —  On  December  4,  a  section  ruptured  in  a  cast  iron  heating  boiler 
at  the  High  School,  Watertown.  Mass. 

(478.) — The  Bristol  Opera  House,  Bristol,  Conn.,  was  destroyed  by  fire 
December  4,  said  to  have  started  from  the  explosion  of  a  heating  boiler. 

(479.)  —  A  boiler  exploded  December  4,  in  the  lumber  mill  of  J.  Spragins 
and  Sons,  Fenwick,  Miss.  The  property  loss  was  estimated 'at  $5,000,  and  four 
men  were  injured. 

(480.)  —  Four  sections  fractured  December  4,  in  a  cast  iron  sectional 
heating  boiler  at  the  apartment  house  owned  by  the  estate  of  J.  D.  W.  Joy, 
Huntington  Ave.,  Boston,  Mass. 

(481.) — On  December  5,  a  boiler  ruptured  at  the  plant  of  the  Sargent 
Coal  Co.,  Newburg,  Ind. 

(482.) — A  boiler  exploded  in  a  saw  mill  December  5,  near  Wilsondale, 
W.  Va.,  killing  five  men.  The  only  surviving  member  of  the  saw  mill  force 
fled  from  the  scene,  and  according  to  press  accounts  has  not  been  heard  from 
since. 

(483.) — A  blow  oflf  pipe  failed  December  5,  at  the  Wallingford.  Ct.,  plant 
of  the  International  Silver  Co. 

(484.) — On  December  6,  a  boiler  exploded  with  considerable  violence  at 
the  plant  of  the  Keene  Glue  Co.,  Keene,  N.  H.  No  one  was  injured,  but  the 
propert}'^  loss  was  estimated  at  about  $10,000. 

(485.)  — A  cast  iron  sectional  boiler  ruptured  December  9,  at  the  Holyoke 
Club,  Holyoke,  Mass. 

(486.)  —  On  December  9,  a  boiler  ruptured  at  the  plant  of  the  Hocking 
Valley  Fire  Clay  Co.,  Nelsonville,  O. 

(487.) — On  December  9,  a  cast  iron  header  ruptured  in  a  water  tube 
boiler  at  The  New  York  Mills,  New  York  Mills,  N.  Y.  Three  men  were 
injured. 

(488.)  — A  boiler  exploded  December  9,  at  the  plant  of  the  Metal  Stamping 
Co.,  Long  Island  City,  N.  Y.     One  man  was  seriously  scalded. 

(489.)  — A  heating  boiler  exploded  December  10,  in  the  basement  of  the 
Y.  M.  C.  A.,  Knoxville,  Tenn.  The  damage  was  practically  confined  to  the 
boiler. 


1913.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  187 

(490.) — A  portable  boiler  exploded  near  Station  10,  on  the  A.  B.  C.  Ry., 
near  Cleveland.  O.,  on  December  10.  The  boiler  was  the  property  of  the 
Lake  Drilling  Co.    One  man  was  fatally  injured. 

(491.) — A  boiler  exploded  December  10,  at  the  construction  camp  of 
Hugh  &  Spaulding,  a  few  miles  south  of  Paris,  Ky.    One  man  was  killed. 

(492.)  — A  blow  off  pipe  failed  December  10  at  the  plant  of  the  Farmers 
Oil  and  Mfg.  Co.,  Blacksburg,  S.  C.     Two  men  were  injured. 

(493.) — A  cast  iron  header  failed  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant 
of  the  Semet-Solvay  Co.,  Dunbar.  Pa.,  on  December  10. 

(494.) — A  cast  iron  header  fractured  December  11,  in  a  water  tube  boiler 
at  the  plant  of  the  Bath  Portland  Cement  Co.,  Bath,  Pa. 

(495.) — A  traction  engine  boiler,  belonging  to  D.  Newton  Henson,  a 
contractor,  exploded  December  11,  near  Hagerstown,  Md.  No  one  was  seriously 
injured,  but  property  was  damaged  to  the  extent  of  about  $900. 

(496.)  — On  December  11,  a  blow  off  pipe  failed  at  the  bending  works  of 
Scott  Bennet,  Medina,  O. 

(497.) —  An  eight  inch  steam  pipe  pulled  out  of  the  flange  at  the  boiler, 
on  December  11,  at  the  plant  of  the  Carnegie  Steel  Co.,  Greenville,  Pa.  One 
man  was  badly  scalded. 

(498.) — On  December  12,  an  accident  occurred  to  a  water  tube  boiler  at 
the  plant  of  the  Menasha  Woodenware  Co.,  Menasha,  Wis. 

(499.)  — A  blow  off  pipe  failed  December  13,  at  the  Boston  City  Hospital, 
Boston,  Mass. 

(500.) — On  December  13,  a  tube  split  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the 
power  station  of  the  Greenfield  Electric  Light  and  Power  Co.,  Greenfield, 
Mass.     H.  W.  Metzler,  fireman,  was  injured. 

(501.) — On  December  14,  a  threshing  machine  boiler  exploded,  while 
threshing  peanuts  near  Claremont,  Va.  Three  men  were  injured,  one  fatally, 
and  property  damage  to  the  extent  of  $1,000  was  done. 

(502.) — A  blow  off  pipe  failed  on  December  14,  at  the  candy  factory  of 
The  Wm.  Lawther  Co..  Dubuque,  la. 

(503.) — On  December  14,  a  cast  iron  sectional  heater  failed  at  the  apart- 
ment house  of  The  Associated  Trust  Co.,  Brookline,  Mass. 

(504.)  — A  tube  ruptured  December  14,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  Clay- 
pool  Hotel,  Indianapolis,  Ind. 

(505.) — A  blow  off  failed  December  14,  at  the  Holler  &  Shepard  con- 
tract on  the  Barge  Canal.  Ft.  Edwards,  N.  Y. 

(506.) — On  December  15,  a  boiler  ruptured  at  the  Hartline  Mill  and 
Elevator  Co.'?  plant,  Hartline,  Wash. 

(507.) — Two  sections  ruptured  in  a  cast  iron  sectional  heating  boiler 
December  16,  at  District  School  No.  32,  Morrilton,  Ark. 

(508.)  — A  tube  failed  December  16,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of 
the   Pickands  Mather   Co.,   Toledo,    O. 

(509) — A  tube  ruptured  December  17,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant 
of  the  National  Tube  Co.,  Benwood,  W.  Va.    One  man  was  killed. 

(510.) — A  boiler  exploded  December  17,  at  the  Scott  Sausage  Factory. 
Jacksonville,  Ala.  One  man  was  killed,  and  two  others  seriously  injured, 
beside  a  considerable  property  damage. 


188  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [April, 


(511.)  —  On  December  17,  a  furnace  flue  collapsed  in  a  boiler  at  the 
Y.  M.  C.  A.,  Dallas,  Tex. 

(512.)  — A  boiler  exploded  December  18,  in  the  saw  mill  of  J.  P.  Germany, 
at  Neshoba,  Miss.  The  owner  and  one  other  were  instantly  killed,  and  several 
others  were  injured.     The  saw  mill  was  completely  demolished. 

(513.) — A  boiler  exploded  December  18,  at  a  saw  mill  on  the  farm  of 
Mrs.  Lucy  Dugas.  Edgefield,  S.  C.     Two  men  were  killed,  and  four  injured. 

(514.) — Three  cast  iron  headers  ruptured  December  18,  in  a  water  tube 
boiler  at  the  plant  of  the  American  Steel  and  Wire  Co.,  Waukegan,  111. 

(515.) — A  saw  mill  boiler  exploded  December  20.  at  the  plant  of  the 
Rust  Lumber  Co.,  Many,  La.  One  man  was  killed,  and  several  others  injured. 
The  mill  was  considerably  damaged. 

(516.)— A  boiler  exploded  December  20,  at  the  water  works  plant,  Centralia, 
Mo.     No  one  was  injured. 

(517.)— A  boiler  ruptured  December  20,  at  the  light  and  water  plant  of 
the  village  of  Hibbing,  Minn.     The  damage  was  small. 

(518.) — On  December  21,  a  boiler  burst  at  the  plant  of  the  Ft.  Worth 
Power  and  Light  Co.,  Ft.  Worth,  Tex.     One  man  was  injured. 

(519) — On  December  21,  a  boiler  exploded  at  the  mine  of  the  Prospect 
Coal  and  Coke  Co.,  Searight,  Pa.     The  property  damage  was  large. 

(520.) — The  lower  tube  sheet  of  a  vertical  boiler,  pulled  off  the  tubes 
at  the  plant  of  the  Salmen  Brick  and  Lumber  Co.,  Slideil,  La.,  on  December 
22. 

(521.) — A  tube  ruptured  December  22,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  St. 
Charles  Hotel,  New  Orleans,  La. 

(522.) — A  sulphite  digester  exploded  December  22,  at  the  pulp  mill  of 
the  Laurentide  Co.,  Grand  Mere,  Province  of  Quebec,  Canada.  Four  men  were 
killed,  several  injured,  and  property  was  damaged  to  the  extent  of  about 
$80,000. 

(523.) — A  steam  pipe  burst  at  the  paper  mill  of  F.  W.  Bird  and  Son, 
East  Walpole,  Mass.,  on  December  23.  Two  men  were  killed,  and  seven 
others  injured. 

(524.) — On  December  23,  ten  sections  of  a  cast  iron  heating  boiler 
ruptured  at  the  apartment  house  of  Ida  L.  Higginson,  Commonwealth  Ave., 
Boston,  Mass. 

(525.) — Three  cast  iron  headers  ruptured  Dec.  23,  in  a  water  tube  boiler 
at  the  plant  of  the  American  Steel  and  Wire  Co.,  Waukegan,  111. 

(526.) — On  December  24,  a  cast  iron  sectional  heating  boiler  ruptured  at 
the  University  of   Pittsburg,  Pittsburg,   Pa. 

(527.)  —  On  December  25,  an  accident  occurred  to  a  water  tube  boiler  at 
the  plant  of  the  Mishawaka  Woolen  Mfg.  Co.,  Mishawaka,  Ind.  The  boiler 
was  seriously  damaged. 

(528.)  — On  December  25,  a  large  hot  water  tank  exploded  in  the  basement 
of  the  Coeur  d'Alene  Bank  and  Trust  Co.  building,  Coeur  d'Alene,  Idaho. 
There  were  no  serious  personal  injuries,  but  considerable  damage  was  done 
to  the  building. 

(529.) — On  December  26,  an  accident  occurred  to  a  water  tube  boiler  at 
the  plant  of  the  Morton  Salt  Co.,  Ludington,  Mich. 


1913.]  THELOCOMOTI\E.  189 


(530)  — A  tube  ruptured  December  26,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant 
of  the  Nichols  Copper  Co.,  Newton,  Long  Island,  N.  Y.  Two  men  were 
injured. 

(531.") — A  boiler  exploded  December  27,  in  the  saw  and  grist  mill  of 
O.  M.  Schultz,  Wadesville,  Va.  Two  boys  were  probably  fatally  injured, 
and  a  horse  was  killed. 

(532.) — A  boiler  exploded  December  28,  in  the  round  house  of  the  Sea- 
board Air  Line,  at  Raleigh,  N.  C.  Nine  were  killed,  and  a  large  property 
damage  resulted.  Locomotives,  machine  shop  equipment,  and  buildings  suffered 
severely. 

(533-^  — A  tube  ruptured  December  27,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant 
of  the  Montreal  Mining  Co.,  Hurley,  Wis. 

(534.') — On  December  27,  four  sections  of  a  cast  iron  sectional  boiler 
cracked  at  the  Hoffman  and  LaRoche  Chemical  Works,  New  York  City. 

(535)  — The  boiler  of  a  rotary  snow  plough  exploded  with  great  violence 
on  the  Great  Northern  R.  R.,  near  Seattle,  Wash.,  on  December  30.  Five  men 
were  injured,  and  traffic  was  delayed  for  several  hours. 

(536) — On  December  31,  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the 
plant  of  the  Doge  Mfg.  Co.,  Mishawaka,  Ind. 

(537.) — A  mud  drum  ruptured  December  31,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at 
the  plant  of   Schwarzchild   and    Sulzberger,   Kansas    City,   Kans. 

Boiler  Explosions,  1913 

J.\NUARV,     1913. 

(i.)  On  January  i,  a  furnace  mouthpiece,  attached  to  a  boiler  at  the 
plant  of  The  E.  T.  Burrows  Co.,  Portland,  Me.,  exploded. 

(2.)  — A  heating  boiler  exploded  January  i,  at  the  Portuendo  cigar  factory, 
Perkasie,  Pa. 

(3.)  — An  accident  occurred  to  a  boiler  at  the  Dover,  Del.,  light  and  water 
plant,  on  January  i.    One  man  was  injured. 

(4.1  — An  elevator  pressure  tank  burst  January  2,  in  the  Winston  Building, 
Utica.  N.  Y. 

(5.)  — A  compressed  air  tank  exploded  at  the  granite  quarry  of  Reed  and 
Vendret,  Quincy.  Mass..  on  January  2.  Mr.  Reed  and  an  employee.  Mitchell 
Lavoie.  were  killed,  while  Armand  Vendret,  the  other  partner,  was  seriously 
injured.     This  was  a  case  of  repairing  a  vessel  under  pressure. 

(6.) — The  boiler  of  a  traction  engine  exploded  January'  2,  on  the  farm 
of  T.  J.  Hess,  near  Waller,  Pa.    One  man  was  killed. 

(7.) — A  saw  mill  boiler  exploded  January  3,  near  Lawrenceburg,  Tenn. 
One  man  was  killed,  and  property  was  damaged  to  the  extent  of  about  $1,000. 

(8.)  —  A  tube  ruptured  January  4,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  Glen 
Allen  Oil  Mill,  Glen  Allen,   Miss.     One  man  was  badly  scalded. 

(9.) — On  January  5,  the  boiler  of  a  Detroit  and  Toledo  Shore  Line 
locomotive  exploded  at  Detroit,  Mich.  One  man  was  killed  and  six  others 
seriously  injured. 

(^10.) — A  heating  boiler  exploded  January  5.  in  the  basement  of  the 
residence  of  Dr.  H.  C.  Mueller,  Marshaltown,  la.  No  one  was  injured,  and 
the  property-  damage  was  small. 


rl90  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [April, 

(ii.) — A  water  front  exploded  in  a  range  at  the  Commercial  Hotel, 
Gennesee,  Idaho,  on  January  6.  The  explosion  was  due  to  the  freezing  up 
of  the  connections.  The  property  damage  was  considerable,  the  rear  of  the 
hotel  being  completely  wrecked. 

(i2.) — A  hot  water  boiler  attached  to  a  kitchen  range  exploded  January 

6,  in  the  home  of  a  Mr.  Humphrey,  Oklahoma  City,  Okla.  Mr.  Humphrey 
was  so  severely  injured  that  he  lived  but  an  hour  after  the  accident.  The 
trouble  was  due  to  frozen  connections  as  in  the  case  above. 

(13.)  — On  January  6,  a  boiler  ruptured  at  the  plant  of  the  Niagara  Alkali 
Co.,  Niagara  Falls,  N.  Y.  One  man  was  injured,  but  the  property  damage  was 
confined  to  the  boiler. 

(14.)  — A  boiler  exploded  at  the  Pulaski  Flour  Mill,  Anna,  111.,  on  January 

7.  This  accident  is  also  laid  to  a  frozen  pipe  connection. 

(15.) — The  heating  boiler  at  the  Tivy  High  School,  Knoxville,  Tenn., 
burst  January  7.  The  school  was  closed  pending  the  installation  of  a  temporary 
heating  system. 

(16.)  — A  blow  off  pipe  failed  January  8,  at  the  plant  of  the  Victor  Lamp 
Co.,  Cincinnati,  O.     Chas.  Weber,  engineer,  was  injured. 

(17.)  — A  saw  mill  boiler  exploded  at  the  mill  of  T.  E.  Smith  near  Augusta, 
Ga.,  on  January  8.     One  man  was  killed  and  one  injured  severely. 

(18.)  — A  boiler  exploded  January  8,  at  the  plant  of  the  Keystone  Driller 
Co.,  New  Castle,  Pa.     Five  men  were  injured,  one  fatally. 

(ig.) — A  boiler  exploded  January  8,  in  the  refinery  of  the  Kansas  Oil 
Refining  Co.,  Coffeyville,  Kan.  One  man  was  slightly  injured,  and  property 
damage  to  the  extent  of  several  thousand  dollars  was  done  owing  to  the 
fact  that  a  large  amount  of  valuable  oil  and  gasolene  was  burned  by  fire  as 
the  result  of  the  explosion. 

(20.)  — On  January  9,  a  blow  off  pipe  failed  at  the  office  building  of  the 
Spitzer  Building  Co.,  Toledo,  O.  One  man  was  injured  and  considerable 
damage  was  done  to  the  building. 

(21.) — Two  cast  iron  headers  ruptured  January  9.  in  a  water  tube  boiler 
at  the  plant  of  the  Salt  Lake  Tribune,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 

(22.) — On  January  8,  an  accident  occurred  to  a  boiler  at  the  plant  of  the 
American  Locomotive  Co.,  Schenectady,  N.  Y.     A.  Birdsey,  engineer,  was  scalded. 

(23.) — Three  cast  iron  headers  failed  January  9.  in  a  water  tube  boiler 
at  the  Marion  Hotel,  Little  Rock,  Ark. 

(24.)  —The  river  steamer  James  T.  Staples  was  destroyed  by  the  explosion 
of  its  three  boilers  January  9,  on  the  Tombigbee  River,  three  miles  from  Blanden 
Springs.  Nineteen  are  reported  killed,  and  twenty-two  injured  as  the  result  of 
the  accident. 

(25.)— A  heating  boiler  exploded  in  a  garage  in  Rochester,  N!  Y.,  on 
January  9.    The  damage  is  estimated  at  several  hundred  dollars. 

(26.)  —  On  January  10,  two  cast  iron  headers  ruptured  in  a  water  tube 
boiler  at  the  plant  of  the  Semet-Solvay  Co.,  Eusley,  Ala. 

(27.) — A  tube  ruptured  January  10,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  State 
Institution  for  the  Blind,  Columbus,  O.    Thomas  Cranly,  fireman,  was  injured. 

(28.)  —A  boiler  ruptured  January  10,  at  the  electric  light  and  water  works 
plant  of  Valley  City,  N.  D. 

Owing  to  lack  of  space,  the  January.  1913,  List  of  E.xplosions  is  incomplete,  but  will  be  concluded 
in  our  next  issue. 


Tde  partrom  Steaiq  Boiler  iBspeciioq  aqd  Insurance  Goiiipaiig. 

ABSTRACT  OF   STATEMENT,  JANUARY   1,  1913. 
Capital  Stock,      .        .        .       $1,000,000.00. 


ASSETS. 
Cash  on  hand  and  in  course  of  transmission, 
Premiums  in  course  of  collection, 
Real  estate.  .... 
Loaned  on  bond  and  mortgage, 
Stocks  and  bonds,  market  value. 
Interest  accrued. 

Total  Assets, 


$186,187.28 
285,163.53 

90,600.00 
1.193,285.00 
3,506,178.40 

75,600.51 

$5,337,014.72 


LIABILITIES. 

Premium    Reserve, $2,211,732.44 

Losses  unadjusted,           .........  94,913.83 

Commissions  and  brokerage,    ........  57,032.71 

Other  liabilities  (taxes  accrued,  etc.),      ......  47,740.86 

Capital    Stock,  .......        $1,000,000.00 

Surplus  over  all  liabilities,       .....  1,925,594.88 

Surplus  as  regards  Polfcy-hclders,      .        .          $2,925,594.88  2,925,594.88 

Total  Liabilities $5,337,014.72 


LYMAN  B.  BRAINERD,  President  and  Treasurer. 

FRANCIS  B.  ALLEN.  Vice-President.  CHAS.    S.   BLAKE,   Secretary. 

L.    F.    MIDDLEBROOK,    Assistant    Secretary. 

W.  R.  C.  CORSON,  Assistant  Secretary. 

S.   F.  Jeter,   Supervising  Inspector. 

E.  J.  Murphy,  M.  E.,  Consulting  Engineer. 

F.  M.  Fitch,  Auditor. 

BOARD    OF    DIRECTORS. 


ATWOOD   COLLINS,   President. 

The   Security   Co.,   Hartford,   Conn. 

LUCIUS  F.  ROBINSON,  Attorney. 
Hartford,  Conn. 

JOHN  O.  ENDERS,  United  Sutea  Bank, 
Hartford,   Conn. 

LYMAN    B.    BR.\INERD. 

Director,    Swift   &    Company. 

MORGAN    B.    BRAINARD. 

Vice-Pres.    and    Treasurer,    The    .Stna 
Life    Insurance    Co.,    Hartford,    Conn. 

FRANCIS  B.  ALLEN,  Vice-Pres.,  The 
Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Inspection  and 
Insurance    Company. 

CHARLES   P.   COOLEY,   Vice-Pres., 

The      Fidelity     Trust     Co.,      Hartford, 
Conn. 


ARTHUR   L.   SHIPMAN,  Attorney, 

Hartford.  Conn. 

GEORGE  C.  KIMBALL,  President,  The 
Smyth   Mfg.    Co..   Hartford,   Conn. 

CHARLES  M.  JARVIS,  President.  The 
American  Hardware  Corporation,  New 
Britain.  Conn. 

FRANCIS  T.  MAXWELL.  President, 
The  Hockanum  Mills  Company,  Rock- 
ville,  Conn. 

HORACE  B.  CHENEY.  Cheney  Brothers 
Silk  Manufacturing  Co..  South  Man- 
chester,  Conn. 

D.  NEWTON  BARNEY,  Treasurer.  The 
Hartford  Electric  Light  Co.,  and 
Director  N.  Y..  N.  H.  and  H.  R.  R. 
Co. 

DR  GEORGE  C.  F.  WILLIAMS,  Treas. 
and  General  Manager,  The  CapeweD 
Horse  Nail   Co.,   Hartford,   Conn. 


of  Pittsburgh 


Incorporated  1866. 


Charter  Perpetual. 


THe  Hartforil  Steaiq  Boiler  Iqspeiitioii  aqil  ipraqce  GoiQpaiii 

ISSUES  POLICIES  OF  INSURANCE  COVERING 

ALL  LOSS  OF  PROPERTY 


AS  WELL  AS  DAMAGE   RESULTING   FROM 


LOSS  OF  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  INJURIES  DUE  TO  EXPLOSIONS 
OF  STEAM  BOILERS  OR  FLY  WHEELS. 


Department. 

ATLANTA,    Ga.,       . 
611-613  Empire  Bldg. 

BALTIMORE,  Md.,  . 
13-14-15    Abell    Bldg. 

BOSTON,   Mass.,       . 
loi  Milk  St. 

BRIDGEPORT,  CT., 
No.  I  Sanborn  Bldg. 

CHICAGO,  111.,  . 

160  West  Jackson   St. 

CINCINNATI,  Ohio. 

First  National  Bank  Bldg. 

CLEVELAND.    Ohio, 
Century  Bldg. 

DENVER,   Colo., 

Room  2,  Jacobson  Bldg. 

HARTFORD,    Conn.. 
56  Prospect  St. 

NEW  ORLEANS.  La.,     . 

833-S35    Gravier   St. 
NEW  YORK,  N.  Y.. 

100  William   St. 

PHILADELPHIA,  Pa.,     . 

Cor.  Fourth  and  Walnut  Sts, 

PITTSBURG,  Pa.,     . 
1801-1802  Arrott  Bldg. 

PORTLAND,  Ore.,    . 
306  Yeon  Bldg. 

SAN  FRANOSCO.  Cal.,  . 
339-341   Sansorne  St. 

ST.  LOUTS,  Mo., 

319  North  Fourth  St 

TORONTO,   Canada. 

Continental  Life  Bldg. 


Representatives. 

W.  M.  Francis, 

Manager  &  Chief  Inspector. 

Lawford  &  'McKiM,  General  Agents. 
R.  E.  MuNRO,  Chief  Inspector. 

C.  E.  Roberts,  Manager. 

Joseph  H.  McNeill,  Chief  Inspector. 

W.  G.  Lineburgh  &  Son,  General  Agents. 

F.  S.  Allen,  Chief  Inspector. 

H.  M.  Lemon,  Manager. 

James  L.  Foord  Chief  Inspector. 

J.  T.  Coleman,  Assistant  Chief  Inspector. 

W.  E.  Gleason,  Manager. 

Walter  Gerner,  Chief  Inspector. 

II.  A.  Baumhart, 

Manager  &  Chief  Inspector. 

Thos.  E.  Shears, 

General  Agent  &  Chief  Inspector. 

F.  H.  Williams,  Jr.,  General  Agent. 
F.  S.  A.LLEN,  Chief  Inspector. 

Peter  F.  Pescud,  General   Agent. 
R.  T.  BuRWELL,  Chief  Inspector. 

C.  C.  Gardiner,  Manager. 

W.   W.   Manning,   Chief   Inspector. 

CoRBiN,  Goodrich  &  Wickham,  General  Agents 

Wm.  J.  Farran,  Chief  Inspector. 

S.  B.  Adams,  Assistant  Chief  Inspector. 

J.  J.  Graham,  Manager. 

Benjamin  Ford,  Chief  Inspector. 

W.  A.  Craig,  Assistant  Chief  Inspector. 

McCargar,  Bates  &  Lively,  General  Agents. 
C.  B.  Paddock,  Chief  Inspector. 

H.  R.  Mann  &  Co.,  General  Agents. 
J.  B.  Warner,  Chief  Inspector. 

C.  D.  AsHCROFT,  Manager. 

J.  P.  Morrison,  Chief  Inspector. 

H.  N.  Roberts, 

General   Agent. 


Vol.  XXIX. 


HARTFORD,  CONN.,  JULY,   1913. 


No.   7. 


COPYRIGHT,   1913,   BY  THE  HARTFORD  STEAM   BOILER  INSPECTION  AND  INSURANCE  CO. 


« 

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Fly-Wheel  Wreck,  Alpha,  N.  J. 


194 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE, 


[July, 


The  Remains  of  the  Fly-Wheel,  Alpha,  N.  J. 


Fly-Wheel  Explosion  at  Alpha,  N.  J. 

A  fly-wheel  attached  to  a  750  horse  power  cross  compound  condensing  engine, 
of  the  shaft  governed,  or  automatic  type  burst  June  9,  1913.  at  the  plant  of  the 
Alpha  Portland  Cement  Co.,  Alpha,  N.  J.  The  fly-wheel  or  rather  wheels, 
for  two  wheels  were  used  side  by  side  to  secure  a  wide  face  with  two  sets  of 
arms  for  the  better  distribution  of  the  load  in  a  rope  drive,  were  cast  in  halves 
and  joined  at  the  rim  by  flanges  bolted  together.  In  addition  the  two  wheels 
were  bolted  to  each  other  at  their  rims.  The  engine  beside  having  a  shaft 
governor,  was  equipped  with  an  independent  over-speed  stop  of  approved  design 
and   construction. 

We  are  told  that  about  2  A.  M.  on  June  9,  the  night  engineer  was  attracted 
to  this  engine  by  something  abnormal.  Just  exactly  what  happened  is  unknown 
though  the  engineer  is  said  to  have  attempted  to  bring  his  engine  to  rest.  The 
wheel  exploded  tearing  holes  through  the  roof  and  sides  of  the  building, 
and  wrecked  the  engine  as  the  photographs  show.  Two  men  received  fatal  in- 
juries, the  night  engineer  and  an  oiler,  the  latter  died  almost  instantly  while  the 
night  engineer  lived  but  a  few  hours.  Both  these  men  received  their  injuries 
from  escaping  steam. 

The  wreck  presents  very  interesting  complications  when  an  attempt  is  made 
to  reconstruct  the  circumstances  which  preceded  the  explosion.  Tliere  is  ex- 
cellent evidence  that  the  governor  operated,  as  the  weights  were  thrown  so 
forcibly  against  the  rim  of  the  governor  case  as  to  make  deep  and  obviously  fresh 


1913]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  195 

imprints  in  the  crust  of  oil  and  cement  dust  with  which  it  was  lined.  Moreover 
the  over-speed  stop  appears  to  have  operated,  though  whether  it  tripped  auto- 
matically or  was  tripped  by  the  engineer  in  an  unsuccessful  attempt  to  stop  his 
engine  is  unknown. 

It  is  known  that  the  stop  was  tested  and  in  good  working  order  a  few  days 
before  and  the  valve  controlled  by  it  was  found  closed  after  the  accident. 
All  this  would  seem  to  point  to  some  agency  disrupting  the  wheel  during  the 
beginning  of  a  race  which  the  control  mechanism  might  have  conquered  if  the 
wheel  had  remained  intact.  Perhaps  the  driven  pulley  failed  first,  then  the 
engine  relieved  of  its  load  would  start  to  race.  If  in  addition  to  this  the  fly- 
wheel was  injured  by  fragments  of  the  driven  wheel  it  might  have  exploded  at 
a  speed  far  below  that  at  which  it  should  have  failed  if  uninjured. 

Here  is  another  case  of  a  destructive  fly-wheel  wreck  on  a  shaft  governed 
engine,  fitted  with  a  modem  over-speed  stop,  and  representing  a  typical  installation 
of  the  sort  popularly  supposed  to  be  outside  the  pale,  so  to  speak,  and  quite 
immune  to  such  a  disaster.  The  present  instance  merely  confirms  the  position 
we  have  taken  so  many  times  in  The  Locomotr'e,  that  no  type  of  engine,  no 
matter  how  well  equipped,  can  be  considered  incapable  of  tremendous  damage, 
when  the  necessary  conditions   for  such  an  occurrence  exists. 


Fuel  Economizers. 

A  fuel  economizer  may  best  be  considered  as  an  extension  of  the  heating 
surface  of  a  boiler,  used  so  that  the  feed  water  may  take  up  heat  from  the  flue 
gases  which  would  otherwise  be  wasted  up  the  stack.  This  heat  which  the 
economizer  transfers  to  the  feed  water  is  not  always  a  total  loss,  as  it  furnishes 
of  course,  the  motive  power  to  drive  the  spent  flue  gases  out  of  the  stack  when 
natural  draft  is  used.  Indeed,  in  many  cases  an  economizer  will  so  reduce  the 
stack  temperature  that  there  is  not  enough  of  this  motive  power  left  to  produce 
a  satisfactory  draft,  and  fans  must  be  installed  either  to  force  cold  air  into  the 
ash  pits  —  forced  draft  —  or  to  pull  the  flue  gases  through  the  furnace,  boiler 
and  economizer,  expelling  them  up  the  stack  —  induced  draft. 

That  there  should  be  any  economy  in  so  reducing  stack  temperatures  with 
an  economizer  that  a  fan  becomes  necessary  for  the  production  of  a  proper  draft 
is  due  solely  to  the  fact  that  a  chimney  is  perhaps  the  poorest  that  is,  the  least 
efficient  heat  engine  which  is  commonly  used  in  engineering.  To  put  the  same 
statement  in  another  way,  a  good  steam  engine  or  better  yet,  an  electric  motor, 
can  produce  a  given  draft  for  the  expenditure  of  less  heat  than  will  be  used  to 
produce  the  same  results  at  the  furnace  with  a  chimney  It  is  the  difference 
between  the  heat  necessarily  left  in  the  flue  gases  to  produce  a  stack  draft,  over 
that  required  in  the  form  of  steam  energy  or  electric  energy  to  drive  the  fan, 
which  an  economizer  can  save  to  do  useful  work  in  the  power  plant.  It  must 
be  understood,  however,  that  in  both  cases  we  are  dealing  with  the  available 
heat  in  the  gases,  that  is,  the  heat  which  they  can  be  made  to  give  up  by  cooling 
them  to  the  temperature  at  which  the  feed  enters  the  boiler  or,  as  a  matter  of 
fact,  to  a  temperature  as  near  that  at  which  the  feed  enters  the  boiler  as  our 
economizer  may  be  made  to  work,  for  all  the  heat  energj'  left  in  the  gases  when 


196  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [July, 

cooled  to  this  temperature  is  no  more  available  to  do  work  for  us  than  is  the 
energy  in  the  water  of  a  mill  race  after  it  has  fallen  to  a  level  below  that  of 
the  draft  tube  from  the  water  wheel. 

In  the  form  commonly  used,  an  economizer  consists  of  a  bank  of  vertical 
tubes  connected  at  top  and  bottom  by  suitable  headers  and  placed  in  the  flue 
between  the  boilers  and  the  stack.  The  commonest  arrangement  places  the 
tubes  in  rows  of  say  ten,  connected  at  top  and  bottom  with  a  cross  box  to  form 
a  unit  not  unlike  one  section  of  a  large  steam  radiator.  These  units  are  then 
stacked  up  —  again  somewhat  like  a  radiator  —  and  connected  together  top  and 
bottom  by  headers  placed  lengthwise  of  the  flue,  with  outlets  to  take  the  ends 
of  the  top  and  bottom  cross  boxes.  As  many  units  are  connected  together  as 
are  required  to  furnish  the  desired  amount  of  heating  surface.  Of  course,  varia- 
tions exist  between  the  designs  and  methods  of  installation  of  the  different 
makers,  but  there  are  certain  features  in  common,  and  as  it  is  the  purpose  of 
this  article  to  treat  economizers  in  general  and  not  the  product  of  any  par- 
ticular maker,  these  differences  will  be  neglected.  We  do  not  believe  there  will 
be  any  difficulty  in  applying  the  suggestions  we  propose  to  any  ordinary  econo- 
mizer. 

The  method  of  operation  usually  adopted  is  for  the  feed  to  enter  at  the 
stack  or  cool  end  of  the  bottom  longitudinal  header,  whence  it  is  permitted  to 
circulate  through  the  tubes  and  headers,  becoming  hotter  as  it  passes  along,  until 
it  finally  leaves  at  the  boiler  or  hot  end  of  the  top  longitudinal  header.  In  a 
few  cases,  economizers  have  been  designed  to  permit  of  a  circulation  which  is 
up  through  the  tubes  of  one  part  and  down  through  those  of  another,  or  even 
up  in  one  tube  and  down  in  the  next.  While  these  special  arrangements  require 
a  different  arrangement  of  top  and  bottom  connections,  they  need  not  be  specially 
considered  at  this  time. 

The  material  ordinarily  used  in  economizer  construction  is  a  high  grade  of 
close-grained  cast  iron.  This  material  is  necessary  because  whatever  corrosive 
elements  a  water  may  contain  are  liberated,  as  a  rule,  by  heating.  Therefore, 
that  part  of  a  boiler  or  feed  water  heating  system  in  which  the  water  is  first 
heated  to  a  temperature  approximating  that  of  the  boiler  will  suffer  most 
severely.  As  is  well  known,  cast  iron  is  much  less  affected  by  the  various  forms 
of  corrosion  than  wrought  iron  or  steel,  so  that  it  is  practically  the  only  mate- 
rial which  may  be  used  for  the  purpose.  It  is  of  course  true  that  steel  feed  water 
heaters  are  widely  and  successfully  used,  but  there  is  this  important  difference 
between  them  and  economizers,  that  the  water  in  the  latter  is  heated  to  tem- 
peratures far  higher  than  those  attaine^d  by  ordinary  feed  water  heaters.  In- 
deed, temperatures  up  to  350°  F.  are  not  uncommon. 

The  construction  usually  adopted  for  attaching  the  tubes  to  the  top  and 
bottom  cross  headers  is  a  pressed  or  friction  joint.  The  tube  ends  are  machined 
to  a  true  tapered  surface,  given  a  fine  finish  and  then  pressed  into  corresponding 
tapered  holes  in  the  headers.  The  joints  by  which  the  cross  headers  are  united 
to  the  type  of  longitudinal  top  and  bottom  connection  which  happens  to  be 
employed  are  either  flange  joints,  bolted  up  and  made  tight  with  some  form  of 
gasket,  or  else  of  pressed  construction  similar  to  that  described  for  the  tube 
ends.  The  top  headers  are  provided  in  practically  all  cases  with  openings  oppo- 
site the  tube  ends,  large  enough  for  the  removal  of  a  tube  when  one  must  be 


1913.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  197 

replaced.  These  openings  also  serve  to  gain  access, to  the  interior  for  cleaning 
and  inspection.  They  are  closed  by  internal  covers  having  a  tapered  metal  to 
metal  joint,  which  are  held  tight  by  the  internal  pressure  and  pulled  into  place 
by  some  form  of  yoke  and  drawing  bolt.  One  end  of  each  top  or  bottom  cross 
box  is  ordinarily  closed,  but  the  other  end,  where  it  is  joined  to-the  longitudinal 
connection,  may  usually  be  reached  by  some  form  of  hand  hole  cap,  secured  by 
bolts,  so  that  it  may  be  opened  for  cleaning  and  inspection  as  well  as  the  top 
ends  of  the  tubes. 

It  has  been,  found  that  the  temperature  or  expansion  strains  at  the  junction 
between  the  longitudinal  and  cross  headers  are  very  severe  if  too  many  units 
are  assembled  rigidly  together.  To  overcome  this  difficulty,  it  is  customary  to 
use  sections  of  longitudinal  header  short  enough  to  reduce  the  expansion  strains 
to  a  safe  value,  and  then  these  are  connected  end  to  end  by  "  U  "  bends  to  give 
the  desired  flexibility,  thus  making  one  whole  economizer  of  a  number  of  little 
economizers  connected  in  series. 

The  setting  of  an  economizer  is  really  an  extension  of  the  flue.  It  may  be 
made  of  brick  or  steel,  and  must  serve  three  purposes.  First,  it  must  furnish  a 
satisfactory  support  for  the  economizer.  Secondly,  it  must  supply  a  tight  path 
for  the  flue  gases  from  the  boiler  to  the  stack,  around  the  economizer  tubes,  so 
that  excessive  leaks  may  not  dilute  the  hot  gases,  using  up  heat  in  raising  the 
temperature  of  the  leakage  air  which  should  go  into  the  feed  water.  In  the 
third  place,  the  setting  must  act  as  a  non-conducting  shell  to  cut  off  as  far  as 
is  practical  losses  by  radiation.  The  setting  must  be  so  formed  as  to  offer  as 
little  friction  to  the  passage  of  the  gases  as  is  consistent  with  its  other  require- 
ments, and  to  provide  a  pit  into  which  the  accumulations  of  soot  may  be  scraped 
by  the  scrapers  to  be  described  later. 

Whatever  the  tj-pe  of  construction  adopted  for  the  side  walls  of  the  setting, 
it  is  customary  to  make  use  of  a  layer  of  some  insulating  material  such  as 
asbestos  or  mineral  wool  as  a  roof  over  the  top  headers.  To  this  end  the  top 
headers  are  generally  so  designed  that  when  in  place  they  make  a  continuous 
cover,  touching  each  other  and  resting  on  the  side  walls  at  their  ends,  so  that 
the  addition  of  the  non-conducting  laj'er  mentioned  above  is  all  that  is  neces- 
sary to  make  this  setting  roof  conform  to  the  conditions  we  have  already  out- 
lined. Moreover,  with  the  top  headers  covered  in  with  an  easily  removed  lag- 
ging, the  top  tube  caps  are  readily  reached  for  all  purposes.  If  the  sides  of 
the  setting  are  of  steel,  the  usual  arrangement  consists  of  plates  insulated  with 
asbestos,  and  joined  to  each  other  by  means  of  angle  iron  flanges,  bolted  together. 
Sometimes  a  combination  setting  is  arranged,  having  a  brick  wall  on  one  side 
with  a  sectional  steel  casing  on  the  other,  which  gives  greater  accessibility  than 
an  all  brick  setting.  In  any  case,  clean-out  doors  to  the  soot  pit  are  provided 
and  access  doors  are  fitted  to  the  flue. 

Mention  has  been  made  of  the  soot  scraper  gear.  This  consists  of  cast 
iron  scrapers  encircling  each  tube,  arranged  to  be  slowly  moved  up  and  down 
their  full  length,  and  ordinarily  arranged  to  scrape  on  the  up  stroke.  The 
scrapers  on  a  group  of  neighboring  tubes  are  fastened  together  in  a  frame  and 
the  whole  frame  is  slowly  pulled  up  and  down  by  chains.  Such  a  chain  would 
pass  up  from  one  frame,  over  an  upper  sprocket  wheel  and  down  to  a  similar 
frame  so  spaced  that  when  one  frame  is  ascending  the  other  is  falling,  reaching 
the  ends  of  their  strokes  at  the  same  time.     In  this  way  the  driving  gear  is 


198  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [July, 

relieved  of  the  weight  of  the  scraping  mechanism,  and  is  only  called  upon  for 
the  actual  work  of  soot  removal.  The  sprockets  are  driven  by  gearing  through 
an  automatic  reversing  clutch  which  trips  at  the  end  of  each  stroke.  The 
drive  can  be  obtained  from  any  convenient  motor,  engine,  or  line  shaft. 
It  is  important  that  the  scrapers  be  kept  continuously  at  ,work,  for  if  they  stop 
for  any  appreciable  time  a  deposit  of  soot  gathers  on  the  tubes,  which  not  only 
cuts  down  the  efficiency  of  the  apparatus,  through  retarded  heat  flow,  but  which 
is  liable  to  bake  on  in  the  form  of  a  hard  cake  or  incrustation,  stalling  the 
scrapers  when  they  are  next  set  to  work.  To  rid  the  lower  part  of  the  structure 
of  soot  as  fast  as  it  is  removed  by  the  scrapers,  the  lower  cross  boxes  are  made 
enough  narrower  than  the  top  ones  so  that  a  good  passage  is  left  between  each 
pair  to  the  soot  pit  below.  Soot  pits  are  generally  provided  large  enough  to 
hold  from  one  to  two  months'  accumulation,  and  of  course  the  length  of  the  in- 
terval between  successive  clean  outs  must  be  governed  by  the  rate  at  which  coal 
is  burned. 

For  safety  and  convenience  in  operation,  an  economizer  must  be  fitted  with 
various  valves  and  attachments.  The  arrangement  which  we  describe  has  been 
chosen  after  a  good  deal  of  study  and  thought,  and  while  it  may  dififer  in  some 
respects  from  the  general  practice,  we  feel  that  it  is  worthy  of  very  serious 
consideration.  A  stop  valve,  and  frequently  a  check  valve,  are  provided  at 
the  economizer  outlet  to  the  feed  line.  In  ordinary  operation,  the  stop  valve  is 
unnecessary,  and  should  be  locked  open.  Its  only  purpose  is  to  permit  repairs 
to  the  check  and  for  this  use  it  should  be  placed  between  the  check  and  the 
boiler. 

A  stop  valve  should  be  provided  at  the  inlet  end,  so  that  the  vessel  may 
be  isolated  for  inspection  and  repairs,  the  boilers  being  fed  meanwhile  by 
a  by-pass  line  direct  from  the  pump.  This  by-pass  connection  must  never  be 
opened  when  the  gases  are  passing  through  the  economizer  casing.  A  case 
has  come  to  our  attention  where  an  economizer  in  normal  operation  began 
to  show  an  unusually  high  temperature  on  the  thermometer  inserted  in  the 
flue  at  the  stack  end.  The  engineer  tested  his  safety  valve,  and  found  that 
steam  issued  instead  of  water.  On  looking  over  the  valves  and  connections 
he  found  that  the  by-pass  had  been  opened,  but  that  all  the  other  valves  and 
the  dampers  were  as  for  ordinary  operation.  The^pump  of  course,  forced  the 
water  to  the  boilers  by  the  easiest  path,  which  in  this  case  was  through  the 
by-pass.  The  economizer,  when  the  circulation  through  it  was  so  reduced, 
acted  as  a  steam  generator,  and  like  any  other  water  tube  boiler  the  upper 
portion  filled  with  steam  forcing  some  of  the  water  out  into  the  feed  line. 

Under  such  circumstances  there  is  a  danger  due  to  the  difference  in 
temperature  between  the  top  boxes  and  the  tubes,  that  the  pressed  tube  end 
joints  will  be  loosened  and  the  boxes  blown  off,  starting  a  violent  explosion, 
perhaps  at  a  pressure  equal  to  or  less  than  the  ordinary  working  pressure. 

A  blow-off  or  drain  valve  should  be  provided  at  the  hot  end  of  the  lower 
longitudinal  header.  This  valve  should  be  placed  in  an  accessible  position, 
and  piped  so  that  it  may  be  used  daily  when  the  apparatus  is  in  operation, 
for  the  removal  of  sludge  and  scale  matter  while  still  soft  and  easily  blown 
out,  as  well  as  for  draining  the  economizer  whenever  it  becomes  necessary 
to  open  it  for  inspection  or  cleaning.     As  in  the  operation  of  boilers,   much 


1913.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  199 


of  the  matter  which  if  allowed  to  remain  will  eventually  form  a  hard  scale, 
difficult  of  removal  as  well  as  detrimental  to  the  transfer  of  heat,  may  be  blown 
out  while  still  soft  if  the  blowoff  is  operated  frequently.  A  vent  pipe  of  ample 
size,  the  end  of  which  is  opened  to  the  air  should  be  led  from  the  highest 
point  of  an  economizer  in  as  direct  a  manner  as  possible  to  SQtne  place  in  the 
boiler  room  where  it  is  easily  visible.  It  should  be  provided  with  a  valve 
at  the  open  end.  Tliis  vent  will  permit  the  entrance  of  air  when  draining 
the  economizer,  and  its  expulsion  on  refilling.  Moreover,  if  a  practice  is  made 
of  opening  this  vent  as  soon  as  the  pressure  on  the  economizer  has  fallen 
to  nothing,  after  cutting  out  of  service,  and  if  it  is  left  open  until  it  is  desired 
to  start  the  feed  pump  through  the  economizer  again,  a  full  economizer  will 
have  a  relief  to  the  atmosphere  which  it  could  only  get  otherwise  by  the 
generation  of  an  internal  pressure  great  enough  to  cause  the  safety  valve 
to  lift.  With  this  in  view,  it  should  be  made  an  absolutely  inflexible  rule 
that  the  economizer  should  never  be  left  out  of  service,  whether  full  or  empty, 
unless  this  vent  is  opened  as  soon  as  the  pressure  has  fallen  to  zero,  and  is 
left  so  until  the  vessel  is  wanted  again. 

Tlie  most  important  attachment  for  any  pressure  vessel  is  its  safety 
valve,  and  this  is  especially  true  of  economizers.  We  believe  that  in  all 
large  economizers,  say  of  more  than  3,000  square  feet  of  heating  surface, 
there  should  be  two  safety  valves,  one  at  either  end.  The  valve  at  the  inlet 
end  may  be  a  water  relief  valve,  but  at  the  outlet  end  a  steam  safety  valve 
is  preferable.  These  valves  should  be  of  the  spring-loaded  type,  with  lifting 
gear  attached,  as  it  is  important  that  they  be  tested  from  time  to  time  to 
make  sure  that  they  are  not  choked  or  set  fast  by  scale.  If  in  addition  they 
are  provided  with  a  good  secure  "  lock-up "  attachment,  so  that  their  setting 
may  not  be  tampered  with,  we  feel  that  an  additional  safeguard  is  provided. 
These  valves  must  be  set  to  operate  at  a  pressure  slightly  above  that  at  which 
the  boiler  safety  valves  lift,  because  a  slight  excess  over  the  boiler  pressure 
must  be  carried  on  the  economizer  and  feed  line  to  overcome  the  friction  offered 
by  them  to  the  water  flow.  This  excess  need  not  be  over  10  or  15  pounds.  That 
is,  if  the  boiler  safety  valve  is  set  at  150  pounds  per  square  inch,  the  valves 
on  the  economizer  should  lift  at  160  to  165  pounds.  Difficulty  has  been 
experienced  in  keeping  this  excess  within  such  narrow  limits,  and  for  this 
reason.  It  is  a  well-known  fact  that  a  relief  valve  on  a  hot-water  line  is  a 
trouble  maker,  because  it  is  so  prone  to  leak.  It  is  a  common  experience 
for  some  boiler-room  employee  to  set  down  on  the  adjusting  spring  when 
a  leak  occurs,  and  to  repeat  this  treatment  from  time  to  time  in  a  vain 
attempt  to  cure  it.  His  object  is  of  course  to  save  the  hot  water,  and  so 
lighten  his  labor  at  the  fires.  Such  treatment  is  well  known  to  be  futile,  but 
as  the  grinding  in  of  an  economizer  safety  valve  is  an  unpleasant  dirty  job, 
which  requires  the  shutting  down  of  the  vessel,  it  is  only  too  frequently 
practiced.  It  requires  but  a  moment's  consideration  of  the  causes  for  leaks 
in  a  safety  valve  to  show  the  uselessness  of  attempting  to  correct  them  by 
an  increase  of  the  spring  tension.  A  safety  valve  seat  consists  of  one  or  more 
conical  or  flat  surfaces,  to  which  corresponding  surfaces  in  the  disk  have 
been  fitted  by  grinding.  The  tightness  of  the  valve  depends  on  the  perfection 
of  this  contact,  that  is  upon  the  accuracy  with  which  the  disk  meets  the  seat 
throughout  the  entire  bearing  area.  The  purpose  of  the  valve  spring  is  to  put 


200  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [July, 

a  load  on  the  valve  disk  equal  and  opposite  to  the  load  it  will  receive  when 
acted  on  by  the  maximum  internal  pressure  which  the  vessel  is  to  carry. 
The  spring  load  affects  the  tightness  of  the  valve  to  only  this  extent,  that 
it  permits  the  seat  and  disk  to  remain  in  contact  at  pressures  lower  than  this 
maximum.  When  a  valve  begins  to  leak,  it  does  so  from  one  of  two  simple 
causes;  either  there  is  a  bit  of  foreign  material  lodged  between  the  disk  and 
seat,  preventing  closing,  or  else  one  or  both  surfaces  have  been  injured  by 
cutting.  This  results  from  water  or  steam  passing  through  the  orifice  at 
high  velocity,  perhaps  aided  by  some  abrasive  material,  and  is  similar  to  the 
action  of  a  sand  blast.  The  presence  of  an  abrasive  substance  is  not  necessary 
in  the  case  of  a  valve  opening  to  relieve  the  pressure  within  a  vessel  con- 
taining very  hot  water,  because  hot  water  will  immediately  turn  to  steam 
when  its  pressure  is  lowered  to  that  of  the  atmosphere,  if  its  temperature 
is  above  212°  F.  The  jet  of  fluid  then,  which  we  should  expect  to  find  flowing 
from  the  relief  valve  of  an  economizer,  would  be  a  jet  of  very  wet  steam, 
at  least  at  the  valve  seat,  before  it  has  a  chance  to  condense  on  the  surfaces 
of  the  relatively  cool  escape  pipe.  We  need  go  no  further  than  the  experience 
gained  in  the  operation  of  steam  turbines,  for  a  proof  of  the  fact  that  a 
stream  of  very  wet  steam,  flowing  at  a  high  velocity  will  cut  the  surfaces 
of  the  blades  and  passages  at  a  rapid  rate.  In  the  light  of  this  reasoning, 
let  us  consider  for  a  moment  what  takes  place  when  some  one  attempts  the 
monkey  wrench  cure  for  a  leaking  safety  valve.  If  the  leak  has  been  caused 
by  the  pressure  of  some  foreign  substance,  it  will  be  either  embedded  in  the 
seat,  or  crushed,  depending  on  its  hardness,  and  the  only  result  to  be  expected 
from  an  increased  spring  tension,  is  that  permanent  damage  may  be  done  where 
none  existed  before.  If  the  leak  has  resulted  from  cutting,  the  hole  will 
remain,  regardless  of  the  spring  tension,  unless  sufficient  pressure  can  be  brought 
to  bear  to  squeeze  the  seat  and  disk  into  contact  again,  a  process  that  could 
scarcely  fail  to  ruin  the  valve,  even  if  it  were  possible  with  the  average  valve 
spring.  The  proper  treatment  in  the  first  instance,  would  have  been,  to  lift 
the  valve,  allowing  it  to  relieve  freely  for  a  short  time,  which  would  have 
washed  the  seating  clean  in  all  probability,  allowing  the  valve  to  close 
properly.  If  the  seat  has  been  injured  by  embedding  some  foreign  particles 
or  by  cutting,  the  only  way  to  make  it  tight  again  is  to  re-grind  it  until  it 
makes  contact  over  the  whole  seating  area.  An  overloaded  spring,  then,  can 
have  but  one  effect,  that  is  to  increase  the  possibilities  of  damage  to  property 
and  of  personal  injury  by  permitting  an  over-pressure  which  is  directly 
determined  by  the  extent  of  the  overloading. 

The  escape  pipes  of  economizer  safety  valves,  also  need  scrutiny.  As  in 
boiler  practice,  we  feel  that  a  safety  valve  is  best  installed  when  it  need  have 
no  escape  pipe  at  all.  Nevertheless,  since  it  is  very  important  that  water 
should  not  enter  an  economizer  casing  and  produce  external  corrosion,  some 
type  of  escape  pipe  is  necessary  for  most  economizer  reliefs.  It  is  essential 
that  the  escape  pipe  be  the  full  size  of  the  valve  outlet.  It  should  be  as 
short  and  straight  as  possible,  and  it  may  well  be  installed  so  that  the  flow 
of  water  from  it  will  be  definitely  iti  the  zuay.  This  is  the  surest  means  of 
calling  attention  to  a  leaking  valve,  and  in  addition  serves  to  impress  on 
the  minds  of  the  attendants  the  fact  that  the  relief  valves  operate.  It  is  an 
undesirable    practice,    indeed    it    may    be    very    dangerous,    to    pipe    the    escape 


1913.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  201 

pipe  outlet  to  a  sump,  tank,  or  hot  well,  where  the  flow  if  any  passes  unnoticed. 
A  tight  valve  is  the   safest  way  to  save  hot  water. 

The  flues  leading  to  and  from  an  economizer  casing  should  be  provided 
with  some  form  of  tight-fitting  shut-oflf  damper.  These  dampers  should  be 
separate  from  the  regulating  dampers,  and  should  not  be  ,ysed  for  draft 
control,  either  by  an  automatic  regulator,  or  by  hand  adjustment.  They 
should  be  of  such  a  type  that  they  will  work  easily  and  when  closed  they 
must  be  tight.  It  is  quite  important  that  the  form  of  damper  installed  be 
such  that  it  will  retain  both  its  ease  of  working  and  its  tightness  after  long- 
continued  service,  so  that  it  may  be  depended  upon  in  an  emergency.  When- 
ever the  shut-oflF  dampers  are  closed  the  soot-pit  doors  should  be  opened 
immediately  to  prevent  pocketing  an  explosive  gas  mixture  in  the  casing. 

Certain  general  principles  may  be  applied  to  the  care  and  operation  of 
an  economizer  which  will  make  for  its  safety  and  long  life.  The  casing 
and  external  surfaces  must  be  kept  dry  if  external  corrosion  is  to  be  avoided. 
Moisture  may  get  to  the  outside  surface  of  the  tubes  and  headers  in  three 
ways :  by  leakage  from  within  through  tube  ends  or  cracked  and  pin-holed 
tubes;  by  leakage  from  above  of  caps,  pipe  joints,  safety  valves,  or  even  roofs; 
or  by  the  sweating  of  the  vessel  when  water  is  introduced  at  too  low  a  tempera- 
ture. To  avoid  sweating,  some  form  of  heater  which  will  deliver  water  to 
the  economizer  at  a  temperature  above  ioo°  F.  is  required.  In  the  absence  of 
such  a  heater,  it  is  possible  to  send  back  through  a  by-pass  connection, 
a  small  amount  of  water  from  the  hot  end  of  the  economizer,  allowing  it 
to  mix  with  the  cold  w-ater  in  the  inlet  pipe,  and  so  regulate  the  inlet  tempera- 
ture to  a  point  above  ioo°.  When  moisture  does  get  at  the  external  surfaces, 
the  resultant  corrosion  is  serious,  for  both  soot  and  flue  gas  give  rise  to  corro- 
sive acid  solutions  when  mixed  with  or  dissolved  in  water. 

When  an  average  boiler  water  is  heated  in  an  economizer,  it  deposits  a 
muddy  sludge  composed  of  the  various  scale-forming  impurities  contained 
in  the  water.  Some  of  the  sludge  may  bake  on  to  the  tubes  and  form  a 
scale.  It  is  not  uncommon  to  find  the  tubes  in  an  economizer  which  has  been 
running  for  some  time,  coated  with  over  an  inch  of  soft  sludge  and  scale. 
Under  this  material,  the  tubes  may  appear  at  first  to  be  sound  and  of  full 
thickness.  A  closer  examination  however,  will  generally  show  that  the  iron 
has  undergone  a  change.  It  will  be  found  spongy  and  soft,  easily  cut  with 
a  knife  or  scraper,  and  this  condition  may  extend  from  a  few  64ths  of  an 
inch  to  half  the  thickness  of  the  tube  or  more.  This  decomposed  iron,  when 
freshly  cut,  has  about  the  appearance  and  consistancy  of  the  graphite  "  lead  " 
in  a  lead  pencil,  and  is,  of  course,  the  well-known  spongy  material  to  be  found 
in  most  cases  of  cast  iron  corrosion.  It  is  a  slow  process  as  compared  to  the 
corrosion  of  steel  or  wrought  iron  under  similar  conditions,  and  as  we 
have  said  above,  only  cast  iron  can  satisfactorily  resist  the  corrosive  action 
in  an  economizer,  at  least  among  the  materials  which  are  mechanically  or  com- 
mercially adapted  to  the  service.  When  the  interior  surfaces  of  the  economizer 
become  coated  over  with  corroded  iron  overlaid  with  sludge  the  action  is 
greatly  retarded,  if  not  stopped.  On  the  other  hand  this  sludge  layer  retards 
the  flow  of  heat  into  the  water  and  so  cuts  down  the  efficiency  of  the  vessel. 
A  practice  has  prevailed  among  engineers  of  cleaning  the  tubes  with  the  same 
sort  of  turbine-boring  tools  that  are  used  for  the  tubes  of  water  tube  boilers. 


202  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [July, 


If  the  boring  process  could  be  carried  out  without  disturbing  the  layer  of 
spongy,  corroded  iron,  no  harm  would  result,  and  the  increased  efficiency  would 
warrant  the  treatment,  but  unfortunately  this  corroded  layer  is  very  easily 
detached  and  wherever  it  becomes  loosened  so  that  the  water  may  penetrate 
to  the  freshly  exposed  surface  of  sound  iron,  active  corrosion  in  the  form  of 
pitting  will  be  found. 

We  feel  that  except  in  extreme  cases,  and  where  great  care  is  taken  with 
the  work,  this  form  of  tube  cleaner  is  not  to  be  encouraged.  It  seems  better 
to  use  some  form  of  scraper  similar  to  the  scrapers  used  for  soot  removal  in 
the  tubes  of  tire  tube  boilers.  We  know  of  many  plants  where  they  are  used 
with  success,  and  a  very  satisfactory  degree  of  heat  efficiency  may  be  retained 
m  the  apparatus,  without  any  marked  increase  in  the  rate  of  corrosion.  Of 
course,  it  is  obvious  that  frequent  internal  washings  with  a  hose  will  remove  a 
large  part  of  the  soft  material  before  scraping  or  boring  are  needed. 

In  conclusion,  we  desire  to  call  attention  to  the  fact  that  nearly  every  econo- 
mizer explosion  which  has  been  brought  to  our  notice  has  taken  place  in  a 
vessel  which  was  supposed  to  be  out  of  service,  and  therefore  was  due  to  some 
abnormal  condition,  or  set  of  conditions.  The  lesson  to  be  learned  from  this 
fact  would  seem  to  be  this,  that  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  economizer 
owners  assure  themselves  that  their  vessels  are  provided  with  the  right  safety 
appliances,  in  good  working  order,  and  that  the  men  in  direct  charge  of  the 
vessels  be  so  thoroughly  instructed  in  their  work,  and  held  so  responsble 
for  the  details  of  manipulation,  especially  in  cutting  out  of  service,  replacing  in 
service  again  and  making  repairs,  that  these  abnormal  conditions  will  be  made 
just  as  nearly  impossible  as  the  human  factor  will  permit. 


Safety  Alarm  Attachment  for  Throttle  Valve  Governors. 

Thomas   Dowd,  Inspector. 

A  type  of  throttle  valve  governor  is  in  use  which  while  not  equipped  with 
an  automatic  safety  stop  in  the  strict  sense  of  the  word  will  nevertheless  stop 
the  engine  if  the  belt  breaks  or  runs  off  provided  the  engineer  has  not  forgotten 
to  set  it  in  the  "  safe  "  position  after  starting  his  engine.  With  governors  of 
this  type  before  the  engine  can  be  started  it  is  necessary  for  the  engineer  to 
screw  down  the  small  knurled  nut  which  is  at  the  extreme  top  of  the  governor. 
This  operation  lifts  the  throttle  valve  from  its  seat  and  holds  it  in  this  position, 
admitting  steam  to  the  engine.  When  the  engine  has  attained  its  normal  speed 
the  nut  should  be  screwed  back  again.  The  governor  is  then  at  "  safety  "  and 
will  operate  to  stop  the  engine  if  the  belt  breaks  or  runs  off.  Should  the  engi- 
neer forget  this  and  the  governor  belt  break  while  the  nut  is  screwed  down  the 
engine  would  run  away,  which  would  probably  result  in  a  wrecked  fly-wheel, 
with  consequent  damage  to  the  building  and  its  contents. 

When  inspecting  engines  equipped  with  governors  of  this  type  a  small  safety 
or  alarm  valve  has  been  recommended  to  be  attached  to  the  throttle  valve 
chamber  at  a  point  below  the  valve  seat.  From  the  lever  of  the  alarm  valve  a 
connection  is  made  to  a  second  lever  which  is  provided  with  a  forked  end  to 
hook  under  the  knurled  nut  on  the  governor  as  is  shown  in  the  accompanying 
sketch. 


1913.] 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE, 


203 


Sketch  of  the  Alarm  Valv'e  and  Governor. 

This  little  device  has  given-  satisfaction  wherever  it  has  been  installed  as 
directed.  It  prevents  the  engineer  from  forgetting  to  set  the  governor  in  its 
safe  position  while  his  engine  is  running,  for  when  he  screws  down  the  nut  on 
top  of  the  governor  it  opens  the  alarm  valve  from  which  steam  continues  to 
flow  until  the  nut  is  set  back  again  to  the  safe  position. 


An  Unusual  Explosion. 

C.  R.  Summers,  Inspector. 

We  have  had  boiler  explosions  ever  since  the  steam  boiler  was  invented. 
Sometimes  steam  pipes  explode  or  blow-off  pipes  rupture  and  even  gases  explode 
in  the  furnace  or  combustion  chamber,  as  many  a  singed  fireman  can  attest, 
but  we  would  never  have  suspected  an  ash  pit  of  having  concealed  within  it  the 
ability  to  blow  up  and  do  things  to  the  plant. 

Two  60  in  X  16  ft.  horizontal  tubular  boilers  were  recently  set  up  in  the 
basement  of  an  office  building.  The  settings  were  up-to-date  in  every  particular 
and  unusual  care  was  taken  to  get  a  perfect  installation.  Only  one  boiler  is  used 
at  a  time,  so  on  a  certain  day  boiler  No.  2  was  fired  up  and  took  the  load  off  the 


204  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [July, 

old  boilers,  which  are  to  be  abandoned.  All  went  well  until  about  four  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon,  when  a  terrific  upheaval  took  place,  all  doors  about  the  boiler 
setting  were  blown  open  and  fire  scattered  all  over  the  boiler  room  Hoor. 

No  time  was  lost  investigating,  but  No.  i  was  immediately  gotten  under 
way  and  about  four  o'clock  the  next  morning,  just  to  show  that  No.  2  had 
nothing  on  No.  i,  another  upheaval  took  place,  though  not  nearly  so  violent  as 
that  of  No.  2,  and  No.  i  was  continued  in  service. 

No.  2  had  cooled  down  sufficiently  by  this  time  so  that  an  investigation 
could  be  made  and  it  was  found  that  the  concrete  bottom  of  the  ash  pit  had 
blown  up,  the  grates  being  lifted  off  the  bearing  bars  and  piled  up  indiscriminately 
in  the  bottom  of  the  furnace.  Following  this  clue  it  was  found  that  seepage 
from  the  outside  had  found  its  way  under  the  concrete  floor  of  the  ashpit,  which 
was  about  six  inches  thick,  and  since  no  water  was  intentionally  put  in  under 
the  grates,  in  the  course  of  ten  or  twelve  hours  the  concrete  bottom  had  become 
hot  enough  to  generate  steam  under  it,  with  the  result  that  when  sufficient 
pressure  had  accumulated  the  bottom  came  up  with  remarkable  force. 

The  same  thing  occurred  with  No.  i  in  about  twelve  hours  after  it  was 
fired  up,  only  the  concrete  was  not  blown  out  to  such  a  depth,  only  about  an 
inch,  and  the  fire  was  not  seriously  disturbed. 

Who  can  tell  that  the  insurance  companies  will  not  soon  be  requiring  safety 
valves  on  our  ash  pits? 


The  Explosion  of  an  Oxygen  Tank,  in  Nupnberg",  Germany. 

Translated  from  the  German  by  H.  J.  Vander  Eb.* 

An  oxygen  tank  exploded  last  September  in  a  boiler  and  machine  shop  in 
Niirnberg,  Germany,  where  autogenous  welding  was  used  for  repairing  tanks, 
and  to  some  extent  on  boilers.  The  oxygen  was  manufactured  in  the  shop  itself 
by  means  of  an  electric  current,  and  stored  in  the  upper  drum  of  a  cylindrical 
boiler  in  which  the  openings  to  the  lower  drum  were  closed  by  riveted  patches. 
The  boiler  was  buried  so  that  only  the  upper  drum  to  which  the  oxygen  con- 
nections were  fitted  was  above  ground. 

The  explosion  took  place  while  welding  was  in  progress,  with  appalling 
results.  Six  persons  were  injured,  three  of  them  seriously,  while  parts  of  the 
shell  were  thrown  200  feet. 

The  cause  of  the  accident  is  attributed  (by  the  Bayerischen  Revision-Verein) 
to  the  following:  Some  weeks  previous  to  the  accident  the  commutator  of  the 
dynamo  which  furnished  the  current  for  generating  the  oxygen  had  been  trued 
up.  To  do  this  the  wiring  connections  were  taken  down.  When  the  job  was 
done,  the  connections  were  replaced  incorrectly  by  some  mistake,  causing  a 
reversal  of  polarity  in  the  dynamo,  so  that  the  electrode  which  had  previously 
given  off  oxygen,  was  generating  hydrogen.  This  hydrogen  then  mixed  with 
the  oxygen  still  in  the  tank  and  formed  an  explosive  mixture.  It  is  further 
assumed  that  the  flame  of  the  welding  torch,  striking  back  through  an  imper- 
fectly filled  water  seal,  ignited  the  explosive  gas  within  the  tank.  It  appears, 
therefore,  that  even  in  a  case  of  this  kind,  a  part,  at  least,  of  the  trouble  can 
be  blamed  to  the  proverbial  "  low  water." 

*ZeitschnftZdes  Bayerischen  Revisions-  Vereins. 


1913. 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE. 


205 


Concerning"  Stay  Bolts  Which  are  not  Square  With  the 
Sheets  They  Support. 

In  submerged  tube  boilers,  locomotive  type  fire-boxes,  and  in  general  wher- 
ever stay  bolts  are  used  to  tie  two  sheets  together  whose  surfaces  are  not 
parallel,  it  frequently  becomes  necessary  to  drill  the  stay  bolt  holes  out  of 
square  with  one  or  both  sheets.  If  this  lack  of  squareness  exceeds  a  certain 
amount,  then  threads  which  start  on  one  side  of  the  hole  leave  the  plate  incom- 
plete as  is  shown  in  Fig.   l.     The  difficulty  with  this  sort  of  work  is  not  so 


Ths^C-^DS 


Fig.  I.     Incomplete  Threads. 

much  that  it  lacks  strength  as  its  tendency  to  leak.  The  interrupted  threads 
cannot  be  made  steam  tight  and  so,  unless  several  perfect  threads  can  be  secured, 
a  permanent  leak  in  the  boiler  results.  With  this  in  view  we  have  worked  out 
for  several  sizes  of  stay  bolts,  made  with  "  V "  threads  twelve  to  the  inch,  the 
least  angle  that  a  stay  bolt  may  make  with  a  plate  of  given  thickness  and 
secure  either  two,  three  or  four  perfect  and  complete  threads. 


Fig.  2.    Illustrating  the  Least  Angle  Between  the  Bolt  and  the  Sheet. 

The  tables  are  nearly  self  explanatory,  but  perhaps  a  word  is  required  to 
make  clear  what  we  had  in  mind  as  the  "  least  angle."  It  is  clear  that  if  a 
stay  bolt  pierces  a  plate  at  any  angle  other  than  90°,  there  is  one  least  angle 
between  it  and  the  plate,  while  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  bolt  from  this  least 
angle  is  a  greatest  angle.  At  any  intermediate  point  the  angularity  of  the  bolt  to 
the  plate  is  somewhere  between  these  limits,  as  is  shown  in  Fig.  2.  In  every 
case  the  least  angle  has  been  used  in  making  up  the  tables.  In  finished  work, 
if  it  were  accessible,  this  least  angle  would  be  the  smallest  angle  that  could  be 
taken  off  with  a  carpenter's  "  bevel "  held  so  as  to  touch  both  the  bolt  and  the 
sheet  fairly. 


206 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE 


[July, 


Tables  of  the   Least  Angle   a    Stay  Bolt  may  Make  with  a  Plate  to  Secure  a 
Given  Number  of  Full  Threads.  —  V  Threads — 12  per  inch. 


Table  L     4  Full  Threads. 


Diameter  of  Stay  Bolt. 

plate. 

i" 

i" 

1" 

\" 

1" 

U" 

ij"    ; 

li" 

5_       " 

3           " 

90°* 

88.5° 

83° 

78° 

71° 

56° 

28° 

8 

\          " 

T^e      " 
5.       " 

8 

1          " 

90° 
83° 
76° 

54° 

89° 
84° 
78° 

68° 

48° 

89.5° 

84° 

81° 

75° 

64° 

51° 

30° 

89° 
84° 
84° 
11° 
68° 
60° 
48° 

87° 
85° 
83° 
79° 
71° 
64° 
61° 

90° 

85°  1 
83° 
80°  j 

73°  ' 

67° 

60° 

i 

90° 

87° 
85° 
82° 

77° 
72° 

64° 

Table  III.     2  Full  Threads. 


Table 

II.     3  Full  Thr 

eads. 

Thickness  of 
plate. 

Diameter  of  Stay  Bolt. 

i" 

i" 

3" 

i" 

1" 

li" 

11" 

li" 

-5,        " 

■■■87°" 
80° 
70° 

62° 

90°* 

85° 

80° 

72° 

66° 

55° 

90° 
85° 
82° 
75° 
71° 
63° 
46° 

90° 
86° 

83° 
80° 
78° 
71° 
65° 
58° 
48° 

90°* 
89° 

85° 

83° 
80° 

77° 
70° 

65° 

57° 

a       " 

*      " 

tI     " 
&      " 

8 

S           " 

88° 
84° 
79° 
75° 
69° 
59° 
43° 

88° 
85° 
80° 
78° 
71° 
64° 
55° 
42° 

90° 

88° 

85° 
82° 

78° 
73° 

4 

i          " 

68° 

I           " 

61° 

Thickness  of 

Diameter  of  Stay  Bolts. 

plate. 

\" 

i" 

r' 

111 

1" 

IJ" 

H" 

1?" 

i    inch 

90°* 
86° 

8i' 

69' 
64° 

55° 
36° 

9c 

86 

81^ 

78° 

72° 

68° 

60° 

50° 

35° 

90°* 

87° 

84° 
80° 

74° 
72° 
66° 

57° 
48° 

35° 

90° 
85° 

82° 

??° 

73 

73° 
67° 
61° 
53° 
44° 

90° 
87° 
84° 
82° 
78° 
75° 
73° 
67° 
60° 
52° 

\       " 
-h      " 

_3          " 
1  6 
5.         " 

8 

f  ;; 

85° 
78° 
69° 
57° 
48° 

85° 
78° 
73° 
65° 
60° 
44° 

88° 
87° 
83° 
81° 

77° 
76° 
69° 

64° 

I  " 

57° 

An  *  signifies  that  the  specified  number  of  threads  will  be  scant. 


1913.] 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE. 


207 


An  Exploded  Peanut  Roasting  Boiler. 

The  Explosion  of  a  Peanut  Roaster. 

Explosion  No.  304  in  our  list  for  July,  1912,  referred  to  the  failure  of  a 
peanut  roaster  in  Sigorney,  la.,  on  July  29  1912.  The  roaster  stood  in  front  of 
a  restaurant  on  one  of  the  principal  streets  of  the  town.  Just  before  the  explo- 
sion, Chauncey  E.  Meyers  of  Washington,  la.,  drew  up  to  the  curb  in  an  auto- 
mobile, and  entered  a  store  to  make  some  trifling  purchase.  As  he  was  return- 
ing to  the  machine,  he  passed  in  front  of  the  peanut  roaster  at  the  instant  when 
it  exploded.  The  boiler  hit  him,  breaking  his  back  and  rendering  him  uncon- 
scious, a  condition  from  which  he  did  not  revive.  The  photograph  which  we 
print  shows  the  boiler  after  the  explosion,  and  at  ''  X  "  is  seen  a  portion  of 
Mr.  Meyers'  clothing. 

Peanut  roasters,  like  many  other  small  steam  containers,  are  not  usually 
classed  as  dangerous  affairs,  and  yet  we  recorded  in  the  Oct.,  1911,  Locomotive 
(page  241)  a  similar  accident,  which  took  place  in  Newark,  O.,  and  which 
resulted  fatally  to  two  people.  If  a  mere  peanut  roaster  possesses  enough  explo- 
sive energy  to  burst  with  fatal  results,  as  in  the  two  cases  mentioned  above, 
where  is  the  power  or  heating  boiler  so  insignificant  and  harmless  that  its 
insurance  is  unwarranted? 


Fly-Wheel  Explosions,  1912. 

To  complete  the    1912  list. 

(32.)  — On  October  31,  a  five  ton  fly-wheel  exploded  at  the  plant  of  H.  S. 
Williams  and  Co.,  Wauseon,  O.  The  damage  was  largely  confined  to  the 
engine. 

(33-) — The  fly-wheel  on  a  gasoline  engine  exploded  November  8,  on  the 
ranch  of  John  Laird,  near  Great  Falls,  Mont.     Mr.  Laird  was  instantly  killed. 


208  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [July, 

(34.) — A  fly-wheel  exploded  November  20,  at  the  Queen  City  Tannery, 
New  York  city.  There  was  considerable  property  damage,  but  no  one  was 
injured. 

(35.) — On  November  28,  a  fly-wheel  burst  at  the  sawmill  of  Poutt  and 
Foreman,  Titusville,   Pa.     One  man  was  seriously  injured. 

(36.) — A  fly-wheel  exploded  November  29,  at  the  Crystal  Mine,  Tilden, 
111.     One  man  was  injured. 

{2,7-) — A  fly-wheel  burst  at  the  plant  of  S.  G.  Flagg,  Reading,  Pa.,  on 
November  30.     One  person  was  seriously  injured. 

(38.)  — On  December  3,  the  governor  belt  slipped  off  on  an  engine  at  the 
plant  of  the  Woodland  Clay  Company,  Watseka,  111.  The  engine  raced,  explod- 
ing its  fly-wheel. 

(39.) — A  fly-wheel,  and  a  wooden  driven  pulley  both  exploded  December 
6,  at  the  plant  of  the  William  Coleman  Co.,  barrel  manufacturers,  Jackson, 
Tenn.  The  accident  was  caused  by  the  breaking  of  the  governor  belt.  One 
man,  Mr.  E.  P.  Wray,  was  instantly  killed. 

(40,) — Albert  Schultz  was  seriously  injured  on  December  19,  at  North 
Tonawanda,  N.  Y.,  by  the  bursting  of  the  fly-wheel  on  a  gasoline  engine  used 
for  cutting  corn  stalks. 

(41.)  — On  December  23,  a  fly-wheel  cracked  on  a  gasoline  engine  belong- 
ing to  the  Lone  Star  Amusement  Co.,  Fort  Worth,  Texas. 

(42.) — A  fly-wheel  burst,  December  26,  on  a  five  ton  coal  truck,  gasoline 
driven,  in  New  York  city.     A  bystander  was  fatally  injured. 

Fly-Wheel  Explosions,  1913. 

(i.)  — On  January  7,  a  fly-wheel  burst  at  the  plant  of  the  Southern  Seating 
and  Cabinet  Co.,  Jackson,  Tenn. 

(2.)  — A  pulley  exploded  January  9,  at  the  Peck  plant  for  reclaiming  copper 
from  copper  slimes,  at  Anaconda,  Mont.     W.  M.  Young  was  killed. 

(3.) — The  fly-wheel  on  a  direct  connected  generator  set  exploded  Janu- 
ary 9,  at  the  Clyde  Coal  Company's  mine  near  Fredericktown,  Pa.  Martin 
Williams  was  killed. 

(4.)  — On  January  17,  a  fly-wheel  flew  off  at  the  power  house  of  the  Tacoma 
Railway  and  Power  Co.,  Tacoma,  Wash.  Two  persons  were  injured,  one  of 
them  fatally. 

(5.)  — A  fly-wheel  fractured  January  30,  at  the  plant  of  the  Hartselle  Stave 
and  Harding  Co.,  Hartselle,  Ala.  One  man  was  injured. 

(6.) — On  February  3,  a  fly-wheel  exploded  at  the  Gilbon  quarries,  Lam- 
bertville,  N.  J.     One  man  was  seriously  injured. 

(7.)— Several  rim  bolts  failed  February  3  in  a  fly-wheel  at  the  Arlington 
Mills,  Lawrence,  Mass. 

(8.)  — On  February  14,  a  large  fly-wheel  burst  at  the  power  house  of  the 
Charlottesville  and  Albemarle  Ry.  Co.,  Charlottesville,  Va.  The  accident  was 
due  to  racing  of  the  engine  when  the  governor  belt  broke,  and  was  made  pos- 
sible by  the  failure  of  the  governor  to  operate  in  its  low  safety  position,  through 
lack  of  adjustment.    The  property  loss  was  estimated  at  $15,000. 

(9.) — A  fly-wheel  exploded  February  21,  at  the  plant  of  the  American 
Metal  Wheel  and  Auto  Parts  Co.,  Toledo,  O.  The  wreck  was  due  to  a  deranged 
governor,  injured  through  the  bursting  of  a  driven  pulley  on  a  line  shaft. 


1913.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  209 

(lo.) — On  March  i,  a  fly-whccl  rim  fractured  at  the  plant  of  the  Peoples 
Gas  and  Electric  Co.,  Mason  City,  Iowa. 

(ii.) — The  fly-wheel  on  an  oil  well  engine  burst  March  4,  near  Butler, 
Pa.     One  man  was  killed. 

(12.) — A  fly-wheel  burst  March  6,  at  the  mill  of  the  West  Yellow  Pine 
Co.,  Olympia,  Ga.     The  cause  is  given  as  an  inoperative  governor. 

(13.)  — A  gas  engine  fly-wheel  burst  during  a  test  on  March  7,  at  Oakland, 
Cal.     A  machinist,  engaged  in  testing  the  outfit,  was  instantly  killed. 

(14.) — On  March  19,  the  fly-wheel  of  a  variable  speed  engine  driving  a 
paper  machine  burst  at  the  plant  of  the  New  Haven  Pulp  and  Board  Co.,  New 
Haven,  Conn.  The  engine  and  paper  machine  were  badly  wrecked,  the  loss 
totalling  about  $6,000. 

(15.) — During  a  storm  which  unroofed  the  buildings  of  the  National  Roll- 
ing Mill,  at  Vincennes,  Ind.,  on  March  21,  the  belts  were  stripped  from  two 
eight  foot  fly-wheels  by  the  falling  debris.  The  engine  when  relieved  of  its 
load  ran  away,  and  exploded  both  wheels.    Two  men  were  seriously  injured. 

(16.)— A  fly-wheel  burst  April  18  at  the  Glens  Falls,  N.  Y.,  plant  of  the 
International  Paper  Co.    The  wheel  is  14  feet  in  diameter. 

(17.) — On  April  30,  the  fly-wheel  on  a  small  gasoline  engine  used  for 
domestic  purposes  and  owned  by  Joseph  Havir,  at  Plattsmouth,  Neb.,  exploded. 
Mr.  Havir  was  instantly  killed. 

(18.)  — A  gas  engine  fly-wheel  burst  May  2,  at  an  oil  well  on  Morrison's 
Run,  near  Warren,  N.  Y.     No  one  was  injured. 


On  Fusible  Plug's. 

We  have  many  inquiries  from  time  to  time  concerning  fusible  plugs.  These 
inquiries  run  all  the  way  from  requests  for  advice  as  to  methods  and  materials 
for  filling,  to  questions  as  to  the  best  location  in  some  particular  type  of  boiler. 
The  Locomotive  has  had  little  or  nothing  to  say  on  this  subject  for  many  years 
and  although  we  must  admit  that  there  is  little  that  is  novel  to  offer  at  this  time, 
still  it  is  possible  that  a  general  review  of  the  subject  may  be  of  interest  to  some 
of    our    readers. 

Fusible  plugs  are  often  misrepresented.  Their  true  function  is  not  to  save 
a  boiler  in  which  the  water  has  gotten  dangerously  low,  but  to  act  as  a  low 
water  alarm,  calling  the  matter  to  the  attention  of  the  boiler  attendant,  who  can 
then  take  the  necessary  steps  to  save  his  apparatus. 

Fusible  plugs  are  ordinarily  made  of  brass  with  a  hexagonal  head  at  one  end 
to  permit  of  their  being  screwed  in  with  a  wrench,  and  threaded  with  a  standard 
tapered  pipe  thread.  They  are  either  inside  plugs  or  outside  plugs  depending 
upon  whether  they  are  designed  to  be  screwed  in  from  the  water  or  fire  side  of 
the  sheet  or  tube  they  are  to  protect.  A  tapered  hole  is  drilled  through  the 
center  of  the  plug,  from  end  to  end,  with  the  large  end  toward  the  water  side 
of  the  sheet  when  the  plug  is  in  place.  The  tapered  hole  is  then  filled  with  a 
fusible  metal,  which  will  be  crowded  tightly  into  it  by  the  boiler  pressure.  The 
operation  of  the  plug  when  in  good  condition  is  about  as  follows :  As  long  as 
the  inner  end  of  the  plug  is  covered  by  water,  it  will  remain  at  a  temperature 
essentially  the  same  as  the  water,  or  about  at  the  boiHng  point  corresponding  to 


210  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [July, 

the  pressure  carried.  The  exact  temperature  will  depend  of  course  upon  the 
cleanliness  of  the  boiler,  for  there  will  be  a  much  greater  temperature  difference 
between  the  metal  and  the  water  in  a  badly  scaled  boiler  than  in  a  perfectly 
clean  one.  When  the  water  level  falls  low  enough  to  expose  the  plug,  the 
steam  can  no  longer  take  heat  away  from  the  metal  as  fast  as  it  is  supplied  by 
the  hot  gases  with  the  result  that  the  temperature  rises  and  when  the  melting 
point  of  the  fusible  material  is  reached  it  softens  and  is  promptly  blown  out  by 
the  steam  pressure.  Steam  issuing  from  the  orifice  will  tend  to  lower  the  boiler 
pressure  somewhat,  and  will  perhaps  effect  a  slight  deadening  of  the  fire  if  the 
plug  is  located  so  that  the  jet  can  blow  back  into  the  furnace,  but  the  principal 
effect  as  we  mentioned  above  is  to  warn  the  boiler  attendants  that  something 
is  wrong  in  time  for  remedial  measures  to  be  adopted. 

It  will  be  seen  that  for  prompt  and  certain  action  a  fusible  plug  must  be 
filled  with  a  material  whose  melting  point  is  but  slightly  above  the  temperature 
of  the  water  in  the  boiler  at  its  working  pressure,  allowing  leeway  enough  for  a 
moderate  and  quite  safe  rise  in  temperature  of  the  metal  above  the  water  tem- 
perature when  the  boiler  is  somewhat  scaled.  Many  different  alloys  are  available 
for  such  a  use,  and  nearly  any  desired  melting  point  may  be  obtained  by  a  proper 
mixture  of  metals.  These  alloys  have  been  very  carefully  studied  by  the  manu- 
facturers of  automatic  sprinkler  heads  for  fire  protection,  so  that  sprinklers  may 
be  had  to  fuse  at  almost  any  temperature  which  is  thought  desirable  as  a 
protection  against  incipient  fires.  There  is  one  important  difference  however 
between  the  action  of  an  alloy  in  a  sprinkler  head  and  in  a  fusible  plug,  namely 
that  in  the  plug  the  metal  is  constantly  exposed  to  the  chemical  action  of  the 
flue  gases  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  scale  forming  and  corroding  properties  of 
the  boiler  water  on  the  other.  The  result  is  that  almost  all  metals  when  used 
as  fusible  plug  fillers  undergo  a  slow  change.  On  this  account  most  of  the 
fusible  alloys  soon  become  worthless  in  service  and  reach  a  state  of  decompo- 
sition where  it  is  practically  impossible  to  melt  them  at  all.  This  being  true, 
and  because  a  pure  metal  is  much  more  stable  and  dependable  under  such 
conditions  than  any  alloy,  i^  has  become  the  custom  to  fill  all  plugs  with  pure 
Banca  tin.  This  metal  will  remain  in  serviceable  condition  longer  than  any 
other  material  whose  melting  point  is  at  all  suitable.  It  may  be  depended  upon 
to  melt  promptly  at  about  449  degrees  F.  which  corresponds  to  a  pressure  of 
about  365  lbs.  gauge.  Since  tin  will  melt  long  before  steel  will  be  injured,  but 
will  remain  solid  at  temperatures  well  above  those  corresponding  to  any 
ordinary  steam  pressure,  it  will  serve  in  practice  as  a  universal  filling  material, 
and  it  is  required  by  law  in  many  states,  as  well  as  by  the  United  States  Steam- 
boat inspectors.  One  must  not  rest  under  the  impression  however  that  a  tin 
filled  plug  will  undergo  no  deterioration  in  service,  for  we  frequently  find  cases 
in  which  the  metal  has  become  hard  and  crystalline  with  a  thick  coating  of 
oxide  at  the  ends,  and  in  this  condition  the  melting  point  may  be  very  high 
indeed.  Because  of  this  fact,  it  is  important  that  the  plug  be  so  placed  that  it 
is  accessible  both  from  the  steam  and  fire  side  of  the  boiler  at  inspection,  so  that 
the  boiler  inspector  or  the  engineer  in  charge  may  frequently  observe  if  the 
metal  is  changing.  So  long  as  the  metal  is  clean,  and  seems  soft  and  malleable 
when  struck  with  a  light  hammer,  no  serious  trouble  need  be  anticipated. 

There  is  another  reason,  quite  as  important  as  the  first  why  a  fusible  plug 
should  be  placed  in  an  accessible  location.    It  is  the  inborn  tendency  of  some  men 


1913]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  211 

to  neglect  or  actually  dispense  with  any  attachment  which  is  hard  to  replace. 
We  have  found  fusible  plugs  with  wrought  nails  driven  in  to  take  the  place 
of  the  metal  which  had  run  out  rather  frequently,  and  many  instances  have 
been  brought  to  our  attention  in  which  an  ordinary  pipe  plug  was  found  by  the 
boiler  force  to  be  a  ready  substitute  for  the  more  useful  trouble  maker.  A 
case  in  point  is  the  location  of  the  plug  in  a  vertical  tubular  boiler.  In  all  such 
boilers  except  the  submerged  head  type,  the  plug  if  it  is  to  be  of  service  must 
be  located  in  a  tube.  A  hand  hole  is  usually  placed  in  tlie  shell  opposite  the 
plug  which  must  be  screwed  into  one  of  the  tubes  in  the  outer  row.  With  the 
tubes  commonly  used,  a  very  small  plug  is  required,  and  the  boiler  must  be  quite 
cold  and  empty  to  below  the  hand  hole  level  before  a  plug  can  be  replaced.  We 
do  not  wish  to  reflect  upon  those  laws,  in  force  in  many  states,  which  require  a 
plug  in  this  type  of  boiler,  but  we  do  desire  to  show  that  its  use  is  at  least  a 
debatable  question. 

As  to  the  location  which  we  would  recommend  with  various  types  of  boilers, 
we  must  first  state  definitely  that  wherever  legal  requirements  have  been 
adopted  bearing  on  this  important  question,  they  should  be  accurately  followed 
as  a  failure  to  do  so  may  involve  the  boiler  owner  in  serious  difficulty.  This 
is  especially  true  in  the  event  of  an  accident  occuring  to  a  boiler  which  is  not 
equipped  in  strict  compliance  with  the  law.  A  general  rule  would  be  to  place 
the  plug  at  that  level  below  which  the  water  line  should  never  be  allowed  to  fall, 
even  in  an  emergency,  when  there  is  a  fire  on  the  grate.  Place  it  in  the  most 
accessible  location  which  will  satisfy  the  first  requirement,  and  by  accessible 
we  mean  easily  reached  from  both  the  fire  and  water  sides  if  possible.  The 
third  and  last  requirement  is  that  the  plug  be  as  near  the  furnace  as  it  may,  so 
that  it  may  be  heated  to  the  fusing  point  in  the  shortest  possible  time  after 
being  uncovered.  Perhaps  it  may  be  well  to  illustrate  this  rule  with  a  few 
tjpical  plug  locations  in  familiar  types  of  boilers.  In  internally  fired  boilers  of 
the  Locomotive,  Cornish,  or  Lancashire  type,  the  plug  is  usually  located  in 
the  furnace  crown  at  the  highest  point,  and  it  ordinarily  projects  through  the 
crown  about  an  inch,  so  that  it  will  be  uncovered  before  the  crown  sheet  is 
entirely  dry.  In  Scotch  marine,  boilers  of  the  wet  back  type,  the  plug  would  be 
located  in  the  top  of  the  combustion  chamber,  while  in  the  dry  back  type  of 
Scotch  boiler,  the  plug  is  placed  in  the  back  tube  sheet  two  inches  above  the  top 
row  of  tubes.  In  the  horizontal  tubular  type,  the  plug  is  placed  in  the  rear  tube 
sheet  or  head,  two  inches  above  the  tube  tops.  In  water  tube  boilers  the  plug 
is  placed  if  possible  in  the  steam  drum  at  the  lowest  permissible  water  level, 
and  if  possible  in  the  first  pass  of  the  gases.  An  access  door  in  the  setting 
opposite  the  plug  is  of  great  assistance  in  this  case.  With  those  water  tube 
boilers  in  which  vertical  or  nearly  vertical  tubes  terminate  in  an  upper  drum, 
the  fusible  plug  is  usually  placed  in  the  lower  head  of  this  upper  drum.  Special 
cases  of  course  require  special  treatment,  but  we  believe  that  by  intelligently 
applying  the  general  rule  which  we  have  given,  a  satisfactory  location  may  be 
arrived  at  for  nearly  every  boiler  type.  One  additional  caution  is  necessary  in 
the  case  of  water  tube  boilers  with  regard  to  the  level  at  which  the  plug 
should  stand.  In  many  of  these  vessels  the  tubes  terminate  in  the  upper  drum, 
and  are  secured  to  it  by  a  rolled  or  expanded  joint.  In  such  cases  the  fusible 
plug  should  be  high  enough  so  that  the  tube  ends  will  still  be  covered  when  the 
plug  operates,  for  if  these  tube  ends  are  overheated,  all  the  tubes  in  the  boiler 
mav  be  ruined. 


212 


THE    LOCOMOTIVE, 


[July, 


C  C.  Perry,  Editor. 


HARTFORD,    JULY,    1913. 

Single  copies  can  be  obtained  free  by  callitig  at  any  of  the  company's  agencies. 
Subscription  price  50  cents  per  year  when  mailed  from  this  office. 
Recent  bound  volumes  one  dollar  each.    Earlier  ones  two  dollars. 
Reprinting  of  matter  from  this  paper  is  permitted  if  credited  to 
The  Locomotive  of  The  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  1.  &  1.  Co. 


The  policies  of  all  companies  writing  steam  boiler  insurance  express  in  some 
way  a  provision  which  exempts  the  insurer  from  liability  for  loss  due  to  the 
explosion  of  a  boiler,  the  safety-valve  of  which  is  adjusted  to  blow  at  a  pressure 
in  excess  of  that  approved  for  it  by  the  Company  and  recorded  either  by  the 
policy  or  otherwise.  This  is  obviously  a  necessary  condition  of  such  an  insurance 
contract  for  the  setting  of  the  safety-valve  normally  determines  the  limit  of 
pressure  which  the  boiler  will  carry,  and  a  limitation  in  pressure  to  that  at 
which  the  insurer  is  willing  to  undertake  the  risk,  is  but  proper  and  just.  It  is 
generally  so  recognized  and  accepted. 

But  occasionally  an  incident  arises  which  shows  that  while  the  right  of  the 
insurer  to  limit  the  pressure  is  admitted,  there  is  a  misunderstanding  of  what 
influences  should  determine  the  value  recorded  as  the  limit  of  that  pressure. 
This  misunderstanding  arises  with  boiler  owners, —  and  sometimes,  too,  with 
boiler  underwriters,  who  should  know  better, —  because  of  a  failure  to  identify 
the  recorded  pressure  as  that  of  the  maximum,  safety-valve  setting,  as  dis- 
tinguished from  the  pressure  which  the  insuring  Company  might  approve  as 
within  the  limitations  of  safety  for  a  particular  boiler  structure.  Usually,  it  is 
true,  the  strength  of  a  boiler,  its  condition  or  the  character  of  its  construction 
determines  the  pressure  at  which  its  safety-valve  should  be  set,  but  this  is  by 
no  means  always  the  case.  Very  frequently  it  is  the  strength  or  condition  of 
some  other  boiler  that  is  the  limiting  factor.  For  the  pressure  in  a  number  of 
boilers  connected  together  is  of  course  the  same  in  all,  and  if  one  of  them  for 
any  reason  is  weaker  than  the  others,  the  pressure  on  all  must  be  limited  to  that 
which  that  weaker  boiler  may  safely  sustain.  To  limit  the  pressure,  the  safety- 
valve  must  be  adjusted  to  blow  at  not  higher  than  that  pressure  and  thus  in 
accordance  with  the  policy  provision  a  pressure,  less  than  the  structure  of  some 
of  the  boilers  would  warrant,  is  recorded  as  approved.  Other  considerations, 
too,  lead  to  the  same  result.  For  instance,  a  boiler  may  be  strong  enough  for  a 
pressure  of  one  hundred  pounds  per  square  inch  but  the  purposes  of  its  operation 


1913.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  213 

may  be  best  attained  at  15  lbs,  per  sq.  inch.  Under  such  a  condition  the  insuring 
company  may  feel  it  advisable  that  the  safety-valve  be  set  for  twenty  pounds, 
not  because  a  higher  pressure  is  unsafe,  but  because  if  set  at  a  higher  pressure 
the  valve  would  seldom  if  ever  operate  under  pressure,  and  it  should  occasionally 
be  raised  by  pressure  to  demonstrate  its  condition.  Under  such  circumstances 
it  is  the  twenty  pound  pressure  which  the  policy  should  record  as  approved. 

All  this,  of  course,  is  to  show  that  an  assured,  under  a  steam  boiler  policy, 
should  not  feel  himself  aggrieved  that  some  higher  pressure  is  not  recorded  in 
his  policy  for  a  boiler  which,  he  is  confident  may  safely  carry  it,  until  he  has 
learned  the  reason  for  the  limitation.  It  will  usually  be  found  that  there  is  a 
reason,  and  a  sound  one,  too. 


There  seems  to  be  still  a  strongly  rooted  feeling  among  engineers  and 
engine  owners  that  shaft-governed  engines  are  free  from  fly-wheel  accidents  due 
to  over  speed.  This  notion  is  no  doubt  based  on  the  supposition  that  since  the 
governor  is  more  nearly  an  integral  part  of  the  engine  than  the  belt  or  gear 
driven  pendulum  type,  it  is  unlikly  to  become  deranged.  Of  course  this  is  true 
as  far  as  it  goes.  That  is,  a  shaft  governor  is  simple  and  positive.  It  is  free 
from  the  menace  of  broken  or  displaced  belts  and  it  will  shut  down  the  engine 
in  the  event  of  many  of  the  casualities  which  may  occur  to  it.  But  shaft 
governors  do  go  wrong  in  ways  which  permit  the  engine  to  race  and  as  we  have 
shown  before  the  imprisoned  weights  may  even  cause  a  fly-wheel  to  disrupt  if  a 
break  in  the  confining  springs  or  linkage  allows  them  to  strike  a  heavy  blow 
upon  the  inner  surface  of  the  wheel  rim.  Some  engine  builders  have  overcome 
this  difficulty  bj^  placing  the  governor  in  a  separate  wheel  or  governor  case, 
as  they  call  it,  which  is  attached  to  the  crank  shaft  alongside  the  fly-wheel.  This 
is  unquestionably  a  step  forward  and  yet  the  wreck  illustrated  on  another  page 
was  on  just  this  very  type  of  engine. 

The  moral  of  all  this  is,  that  all  engine  wheels  should  have  insurance  pro- 
tection. We  do  not  for  a  moment  desire  to  be  construed  as  discrediting  the 
value  or  desirability  of  stops  and  governors.  Provide  them  by  all  means,  get 
the  best  the  market  affords  and  keep  them  in  first  class  order  by  utilizing  to 
the  fullest  the  expert  knowledge  available  through  an  insurance  company's  in- 
spection service.  But  do  not  lose  sight  of  the  insurance  value  of  a  fly-wheel 
policy  for  just  these  "  impossible  cases  "  and  do  not  think  that  a  special  providence 
surrounds  your  particular  engine  with  a  sort  of  mysterious  halo  of  safety. 


Joseph  R.  Ensign  was  elected  a  director  of  the  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  In- 
spection and  Insurance  Company  at  a  meeting  of  the  board  of  directors  held 
Friday,  June  27,  1913,  to  fill  the  place  made  vacant  by  the  death  last  December 
of  George  Burnham  of  Philadelphia.  Mr.  Ensign  is  a  resident  of  Simsbury, 
Ct,  and  is  the  vice-president  of  the  Ensign-Bickford  Company  of  that  place, 
manufacturers  of  safety  blasting  fuses. 


214  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [July, 

Mr.  Ensign  was  graduated  from  Yale  University  with  the  class  of  1889  and 
received  the  degree  of  M.A,  from  that  institution  in  1891.  In  addition  to  his 
connection  with  the  Ensign-Bickford  Co.,  he  is  a  director  of  The  ArHngton  Com- 
pany, Arlington,  N.  J.,  The  Tariffville  Lace  Company,  Tarififville,  Ct.,  The  Stand- 
ard Fire  Insurance  Co.,  Hartford,  Ct.,  and  is  a  trustee  of  the  Hartford  Seminary 
Foundation.  He  represented  the  town  of  Simsbury  in  the  legislative  session 
of  1910-1911. 


Boiler  Explosions. 

January,    1913    (concluded   from  the  April   Locomotive). 

(29.) — A  tube  ruptured  January  10,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant 
of  the  Inland  Steel  Co.,  Indian  Harbor,  Ind. 

(30.)  — On  January  10,  four  sections  of  a  cast  iron  sectional  heating  boiler 
ruptured  at  the  plant  of  the  Hunt  Spiller  Mfg.  Corporation,  South  Boston, 
Mass. 

(31.)  —  Several  tubes  failed  on  a  locomotive  attached  to  Bessemer  and 
Lake  Erie  passenger  train  No.  21,  at  East  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  on  January  10.  Two 
men  were  slightly  injured. 

(32.) — A  saw  mill  boiler  exploded  January  10,  near  Brinkhaven,  O.  One 
man  was  fatally  injured,  and  several  others  less  seriously  injured. 

(33.) — A  header  connecting  two  boilers  burst  January  10,  at  the  Atlas 
Distillery,  Peoria,  111.     No  great  damage  was  done. 

(34.) — A  tube  ruptured  January  11,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of 
the  Dixie  Portland  Cement  Co.,  Richard  City,  Tenn.    One  man  was  injured. 

(35.)  — On  January  11,  a  tube  failed,  and  four  cast  iron  headers  ruptured 
in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of  the  Grasselli  Chemical  Co.,  Grasselli,  Ind. 

(36.)  — On  January  11,  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant 
of  the  John  B.  Stetson  Co.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

(37.) — A  greenhouse  boiler  exploded  January  11,  at  the  North  Side 
Greenhouse,  Minneapolis,  Minn.  Julius  Rieck,  the  fireman,  was  pitched  from 
his  cot  into  a  cellar,  as  the  result  of  the  accident,  but  he  fortunately  escaped 
with  but  slight  injury. 

.  (38.) — A  tube  ruptured  January  12,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  Brand 
Brewery  of  the  United  States  Brewing  Co.,  Chicago,  111.  H.  Buesing,  fireman's 
helper,  was  killed. 

(39.) — On  January  13,  a  boiler  exploded  at  the  plant  of  the  McMillan 
Lumber  Co.,  Pine  Barren,  Fla.  One  man  was  killed,  one  injured,  and  the  plant 
badly  wrecked. 

(40.)  —  On  January  14,  a  boiler  ruptured  at  the  Buckeye  Clay  Pot  Co.'s 
plant,  Toledo,  O. 

(41.) — A  fuel  economizer  exploded  January  14,  with  great  violence,  at 
the  Glenlyon  Dye  Works,  Saylesville,  R.  I.  Two  men  were  killed,  seven  or 
eight  injured,  and  property  was  damaged  to  the  extent  of  about  $26,000. 

(42.)  — A  heating  boiler  burst  in  a  school  at  Vidalia,  La.,  on  January  14. 


1913]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  215 

(43.) — A  heating  boiler  exploded  January  15,  in  the  basement  of  Joseph 
Harper's  dry  goods  store,  in  the  Bronx,  New  York  City.  One  person  was 
slightly  injured. 

(44.) — A  cylinder  head  was  blown  from  the  main  engine  at  the  Parrel 
Foundry  and  Machine  Co.'s  plant,  Waterbury,  Ct.,  on  January  15.  Two  men 
were  severely  scalded  and  bruised. 

(45.) — A  boiler  exploded  January  16,  in  a  saw  mil]  at  a  lumber  camp  a 
few  miles  from  Booneville,  Miss.    One  man  was  killed,  and  four  others  injured. 

(46.) — On  January  17,  a  water  tube  boiler  failed  at  the  University  of 
Wooster,  Wooster,  O. 

(47.)  — Two  boilers  exploded  January  17,  at  the  north  shaft  of  the  Home- 
Riverside  Mine,  Leavenworth,  Kans. ;  150  miners  were  isolated  in  the  mine 
for  four  hours,  until  spare  boilers  could  be  put  in  operation,  and  the  hoists 
set  working  again. 

(48.) — A  tube  ruptured  January  18,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant 
of  the  American  Water  Works  and  Guarantee  Co.,  Connelsville,  Pa.  One  man 
was  injured. 

(49.)  — A  tube  ruptured  January  18,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of 
the  Miller  Lock  Co.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

(50.)  —  A  water  back  in  a  range  exploded  January  18,  in  the  home  of  Mr. 
J.  A.  Gray,  Fort  Collins,  Kans.  Mr.  Gray  was  painfully  injured  by  the 
explosion,  which  is  said  to  have  been  due  to  the  freezing  of  the  pipe  connections. 

(51.)  — Two  men  were  killed  and  several  injured,  by  the  explosion,  January 
20,  of  a  fuel  economizer,  at  the  Arragon  Mills,  Arragon,  Ga.  The  property  loss 
was  estimated  at  $10,000. 

(52.) — Two  boilers  exploded  January  20,  at  the  mill  of  the  Howland 
Pulp  and  Paper  Co.,  Howland,  Me.  Two  men  were  killed  and  three  injured, 
while  the  property  loss  was  in  the  neighborhood  of  $18,000. 

(53.) — A  tube  burst  January  21,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  silk  mill 
of  A.  G.  Turner,  Willimantic,  Ct.  The  boiler  was  seriously  injured  through 
overheating,  as  the  fire  could  not  be  hauled  after  the  accident. 

(54.) — A  tube  failed  January  23,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  Lower 
Union  Mills  of  the  Carnegie  Steel  Co.,  Pittsburg.  Pa.     One  man  was  injured. 

(55.)  —  An  air  receiver  exploded  in  the  Pennsylvania  R.  R.  yards  at 
Youngswood,  Pa.,  on  January  24.  A  cap,  blown  from  the  receiver,  broke  a 
steam  main,  with  the  result  that  two  men  were  seriously  scalded,  one  of  them 
probably  fatally. 

(56.) — A  boiler  exploded  January  24,  at  an  oil  pumping  station,  near 
Bradford,  Pa.     One  man  was  fatally  injured. 

(57.) — A  tube  ruptured  January  25,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant 
of  the  American  Steel  and  Wire  Co.,  Waukegan,  111. 

(58.)  — On  January  28,  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  mill 
of  the  Lehigh  Portland  Cement  Co.,  Mitchell,  Ind. 

(59.) — A  boiler  exploded  January  29,  at  the  Cleveland,  O.,  plant  of  the 
Upson  Bolt  and  Nut  Co.,  injuring  four  men. 

(60.)  —  A  tube  ruptured  January  31,  at  the  plant  of  the  Allen  and  Wheeler 
Co.,  Troy,  N.  Y.  William  Lawade,  engineer,  and  H.  McAlpine.  fireman,  were 
injured. 

(61.)  — On  January  31,  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  Glen 
Allan  Oil  Mills,  Glen  Allan,  Miss. 


216  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [July, 


February,  1913. 
(62.)  — On  February  ist,  a  blow-off  failed  at  the  saw  mill  of  T.  A.  Foley, 
Paris,  111.     C.  O.  Willison,  the  assistant  engineer,  was  scalded. 

(63-)  — A  boiler  ruptured  February  3,  at  the  cotton  mill  of  the  Aiken  Mfg. 
Co.,  Bath,  S.  C.    The  damage  was  confined  to  the  boiler. 

(64.)— A  boiler  ruptured  February  4,  at  the  plant  of  the  Albert  Hansen 
Lumber  Co.,  Garden  City,  La. 

(65.) — Twelve  sections  in  a  cast-iron  heating  boiler  ruptured  February  4, 
at  the  Elizabeth  School,  Worcester,  Mass. 

(66.) — On  February  5,  three  sections  fractured  in  a  cast-iron  heating 
boiler  at  the  Lincoln  and  Maple  Ave.  School,  District  95,  Cook  County,  at  Brook- 
field,  111. 

(67.)  — On  February  5,  a  cast-iron  sectional  heater  failed  at  the  warehouse 
of  the   Pittsburgh   Plate   Glass   Co.,   Boston,   Mass. 

(68.)  — A  tube  ruptured  February  6,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  Congress 
Hotel,  Chicago,  111. 

(69.) — On  February  6,  a  blow-off  failed  at  the  plant  of  the  Fort  Henry 
Mining  Co.,  Buhl,  Minn. 

(70.) — A  boiler  exploded  at  the  saw  mill  of  T.  R.  Ritchey,  near  Rusk, 
Tex.,  on  February  6.  Two  men  were  killed  and  five  others  injured,  while  con- 
siderable damage  was  done  to  the  mill  property. 

(71.)  — A  tube  ruptured  February  7,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of 
the  Scoville  Mfg.  Co.,  Waterbury,  Conn.    Joseph  Paul,  fireman,  was  injured. 

(72.)  — A  tube  rupured  February  7,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of 
the  New  Orleans  Railway  and  Light  Co.,  New  Orleans,  La. 

(73.)  —  On  February  8,  a  section  cracked  in  a  cast  iron  sectional  heater 
at  the  Central  Hotel,  H.  B.  Dougherty,  prop.,  Maysville,  Ky. 

(74.) — A  blow-off  pipe  failed  on  February  9,  at  the  plant  of  the  West 
Virginia  Pulp  and  Paper  Co.,  Williamsburg,  Pa.  Considerable  damage  was 
done  to  the  boiler. 

(75.) — A  heating  boiler  exploded  February  10,  at  an  apartment  house 
located  at  21 17  Guilford  Ave.,  Baltimore,  Md.  The  building  was  badly  wrecked 
both  by  the  explosion,  and  the  fire  that  followed.  No  one  was  injured,  though 
several  had  rather  narrow  escapes. 

(76.) — A  fuel  economizer  exploded  February  10,  at  the  mill  of  the  Jack- 
son Fibre  Co.,  Bemis,  Tenn.  Two  were  killed,  and  five  or  six  others  injured. 
The  property  loss  was  estimated  at  $25,000. 

(77.) — On  February  11,  five  cast-iron  headers  ruptured  in  a  water  tube 
boiler  at  the  plant  of  the  Ehret  Magnesia  Covering  Co.,  Fort  Kennedy,  Pa. 

(78.) — A  boiler  ruptured  February  12,  at  the  stone  mill  of  W.  McMillan 
and  Son,  Bedford,  Ind. 

(79.) — A  tube  ruptured  February  12,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant 
of  the  Columbia  Railway  Gas  and  Electric  Co.,  Columbia,  S.  C. 

(80.)  — A  boiler  exploded  February  12,  at  the  Star  Mills,  Eau  Claire,  Wis. 
Owing  to  the  fact  that  the  boiler  was  carrying  but  a  low  pressure  at  the  time, 
the  damage  was  slight. 

(81.)— A  boiler  exploded  February  12,  at  the  mill  of  the  Menominee 
White  Cedar  Co.,  Menominee,  Mich.  The  property  damage  was  estimated  at 
$500,  but  the  engineer  and  watchman  were  both  badly  scalded. 


1913.]  THE    LOCOxMOTlVE.  217 

(82.)  — A  boiler  ruptured  February  13,  at  Wharf  No  2.  of  the  Maine  Cen- 
tral R.  R.  Co.,  Portland,  Me.     The  damage  was  confined  to  the  boiler. 

(83.)  — On  February  13,  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant 
of  the  Allegheny  County  Light, Co.,  13th  St..  Pittsburgh,  Pa.  Marion  Dilacombo 
and  John  Farr,  ash  wheelers,  were  injured. 

(84.)  — On  February  13,  the  blow-off  pipe  attached  to  the  No  5  boiler  failed 
at  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Hospital,   Philadelphia,   Pa. 

(85.)  — A  section  in  a  cast  iron  sectional  heating  boiler  failed  February  12, 
in  the  basement  of  the  Trinity  Reformed  Church,  West  New  York,  N.  J. 

(86.)  — A  boiler  ruptured  at  the  power  house  of  the  Edison  Works,  East 
Orange,  N.  J.,  on  February  13. 

(87.) — On  February  14,  the  blow-off  pipe  attached  to  the  No.  4  boiler 
failed  at  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Hospital,  Philadelphia,  Pa.  (This  accident 
is  distinct  from  No.  84,  which  took  place  to  the  blow-off  of  the  No.  5  boiler  the 
day  before.) 

(88.)  — On  February  14,  eight  sections  of  a  cast-iron  sectional  heating  boiler 
failed  in  the  business  block  of  the  Snow  Association,  105-107  Federal  St.,  Bos- 
ton, Mass. 

(89.)  — A  boiler  ruptured  February  15,  at  the  Sargent  Coal  Co.,  Newburg, 
Ind. 

(90.)  — A  tube  ruptured  February  15,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant 
of  the  Studebaker  Corporation,  Carriage  Works,   South  Bend,  Ind. 

(91.)  — A  boiler  exploded  with  considerable  violence  on  February  15,  at  the 
saw  mill  of  C.  R.  Cummings,  Wallisville,  Tex.  Four  men  were  killed,  five 
others  seriously  injured,  and  the  property  loss  was  estimated  at  $ro,ooo. 

(92.)  — A  tube  ruptured  February  16  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of 
the  Crescent  City  Stock  Yard  and  Slaughter  House  Co.,  New  Orleans,  La. 

(93.) — A  boiler  exploded  February  17,  at  the  saw  mill  of  James  Nevill  & 
Son,  Gaithersville,  Ark.  The  plant  was  destroyed,  but  no  one  was  injured,  as 
the  accident  occurred  just  after  the  help  had  left  for  the  night. 

(94.)  — On  February  17,  the  boiler  of  a  Delaware  and  Hudson  locomotive 
exploded  in  the  railroad  yards  at  Mechanics\nlle,  N.  Y.  Two  men  were  badly 
injured,  and  the  boiler  was  projected  about  200  feet. 

(95.) — A  tube  ruptured  February  17,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  power 
house  of  the  New  Orleans  Railway  and  Light  Co,,  New  Orleans,  La. 

(96.) — On  February  19,  a  boiler  ruptured  at  the  plant  of  the  Milwaukee 
Western  Malt  Co.,  Milwaukee,  Wis. 

(97.)  — The  crown  sheet  of  a  locomotive  type  boiler  collapsed  February  19, 
at  the  plant  of  the  Bridge  Pasteurized  Milk  Co.,  Wichita,  Kan. 

(98.) — A  section  ruptured  February  19,  in  a  cast  iron  sectional  heater  at 
the  Cleveland  School,  Special  School  District  of  Camden,  Camden,  Ark. 

(99.) — A  boiler  exploded  February  19  at  the  plant  of  the  Camick  Junk 
Co.,  Oil  City,  Pa.  The  boiler,  which  was  an  old  one,  had  been  undergoing 
repairs,  and  was  being  tested  under  steam  at  the  time  of  the  accident.  One 
man,  Samuel  Blythe,  was  on  top  of  the  boilers  making  repairs  to  a  steam  valve 
(according  to  press  accounts)  and  was  very  seriously,  and  perhaps  fatally 
injured.  He  was  projected  about  75  feet,  receiving  many  broken  bones,  beside 
severe  scalds  and  bums. 


218  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [July, 

(lOO.) — On  February  19,  a  heater  exploded  in  the  apartment  house  be- 
longing to  Annie  Shaffer,  Holyoke,  Mass.  One  of  the  tenants  in  the  build- 
ing has  brought  suit  for  $1,000  for  damage  resulting  from  the  explosion. 

(loi.) — An  extracting  machine  exploded  February  19  at  the  Park  Woolen 
Mills,  Giattanooga,  Tenn.  One  man  was  killed  and  two  others  injured  as  a 
result  of  the  accident,  which  was  said  to  have  been  due  to  an  over  pressure  of 
steam. 

(102.)  — On  February  21,  a  boiler  ruptured  at  the  plant  of  the  Jupiter  Coal 
Co.,  Denver,  Col. 

(103.)  — A  boiler  used  for  pumping  out  oil  wells  exploded  February  21. 
at  the  wells  of  the  South  Penn  Oil  Company,  near  Unity,  Pa.  One  man  was 
seriously  injured. 

(104.)  — A  tube  ruptured  February  22  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  mill  of 
the  Piermont  Paper  Co.,  Piermont,  N.  Y.  Steve  Pauko  and  Brome  Barfiero, 
firemen,  were  injured,  while  considerable  damage  was  done  to  the  boiler. 

(105.) — On  February  22,  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the 
blast  furnace  of  the  Pickand  Mather  Co.,  Toledo,  O. 

(106.)  — On  February  24,  a  boiler  ruptured  at  the  Brush  Light  and  Power 
Co.'s  power  house,  Brush,  Col. 

(107.) — A  boiler  ruptured  at  the  mines  of  the  Munro  Iron  Mining  Co., 
Iron  River,  Mich.,  on  February  25.     The  damage  was  small. 

(108.) — On  February  25,  a  tube  collapsed  in  a  vertical  tubular  boiler  at 
the  plant  of  the  Pittsburgh  Plate  Glass  Co.,  Crystal  City,  Mo.  Three  men  were 
injured. 

(109.) — A  boiler,  the  property  of  the  Henry  C.  Clark  estate,  coal  dealers, 
ruptured  February  25,  at  Providence,  R.  I. 

(no.) — A  tube  ruptured  February  28  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant 
of  the  Mahoning  and  Shenango  Ry.  and  Light  Co.,  Youngstown,  O.  Mike 
Murphy,  water  tender,  was  injured. 

(in.) — A  hot  water  boiler  burst  February  29,  in  the  workshop  of  Nathan 
Somers,  hat  manufacturer,  Philadelphia,  Pa.  One  man  was  injured,  and  some 
damage  resulted  to  the  building. 

March,  1913. 

(112.)  —A  tube  ruptured  March  i,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  Waukegan, 
111.,  plant  of  the  American  Steel  and  Wire  Co. 

(113.)  — On  March  i,  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant 
of  the  Northern  Texas  Traction  Co.,  Handley,  Texas. 

(114.) — A  boiler  ruptured  March  2,  at  the  wood  alcohol  plant  of  Riefler 
and  Sons,  Honesdale,  Pa.  S.  Kisner,  fireman,  was  injured,  and  the  boiler  was 
considerably  damaged. 

(115.)  — On  March  3,  a  boiler  ruptured  at  the  plant  of  the  Western  Cart- 
ridge Co.,  Alton,  111. 

(116.)  — A  tube  ruptured  March  3,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of 
the  Atlantic  Ice  and  Coal  Corp.,  Chattanooga,  Tenn.  Jesse  Thomas,  fireman, 
was  injured. 

(117.)  _A  boiler  exploded  March  3,  in  the  cellar  of  the  store  occupied  by 
the  Robert  Schmitt  Co.,  Nyack,  N.  Y. 


1913.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  219 

(ii8.) — A  boiler  exploded  March  3,  at  the  Moore  saw  mill,  Gladewater. 
Tex.  Two  men  were  killed  and  three  others  were  injured,  probably  fatally. 
The  mill  was  badly  wrecked. 

(119.)  — The  boiler  of  a  Pennsylvania  R.  R.  locomotive,  drawing  a  special 
train  loaded  with  troops  on  the  way  to  the  presidential  inauguration,  exploded 
March  3,  at  East  Rahway,  N.  J.  The  engineer  was  killed  and  the  fireman  so 
severely  injured  that  his  recovery  was  considered  doubtful.  The  engine  was  a 
complete  wreck. 

(120.)  — A  cast  iron  header  ruptured  March  4,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the 
plant  of  the  Voight  Milling  Co.,  Grand  Rapids  Mich. 

(121.) — A  boiler  exploded  March  4,  in  the  plant  of  the  Milwaukee  Litho- 
graphing Co.,  Milwaukee,  Wis.     The  damage  was  estimated  at  $3,500. 

(122.) — Charles  Denton,  a  14-year-old  boy,  was  severely  scalded  March  4, 
at  Old  Alton,  Tex.,  by  the  explosion  of  a  toy  boiler  which  he  had  made.  The 
small  boiler  is  said  not  to  have  had  any  safety  valve. 

(123.)  — A  boiler  exploded  on  March  4,  in  the  greenhouse  of  J.  S.  Polland, 
Cedar  Rapids,  la.    The  damage  was  largely  confined  to  the  boiler  and  chimney. 

(124.) — A  blow-off  pipe  failed  March  5,  at  the  Omaha  General  Hospital, 
Omaha,  Neb. 

(125.) — On  March  5,  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant 
of  the  Nichols  Copper  Co.,  Laurel  Hill,  L.  L,  N.  Y.  Paul  Smegel,  fireman,  was 
injured. 

(126.) — On  March  5,  a  tube  failed  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  Helm- 
bacher  Forge  and  Rolling  Mill  Plant  of  the  American  Car  and  Foundry  Co.,  St. 
Louis,  Mo.     Tliree  men  were  injured. 

(127.) — Ten  cast  iron  headers  ruptured  March  6,  in  a  water  tube  boiler 
at  the  plant  of  the  El  Dorado  Light  and  Water  Co.,  El  Dorado,  Ark,  The  boiler 
was  seriously  damaged. 

(128.)  — On  March  6,  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  Isabella 
Furnace  of  the  Carnegie  Steel  Co.,  Etna  Boro,  Pa. 

(129.) — A  boiler  exploded  March  6,  at  the  plant  of  the  Solvay  Process 
Co.,  East  Syracuse,  N.  Y.  The  explosion  caused  the  destruction  of  a  large 
caustic  conveyor,  and  much  damage  was  done  by  the  caustic  liberated. 

(130.)  — A  water  front  in  a  kitchen  range  exploded  March  7,  at  the  home 
of  William  H.  Gallagher,  New  Britain,  Conn.  The  range  was  wrecked,  and 
slight  damage  resulted  to  the  house  furnishings. 

(131.) — A  boiler  using  the  waste  heat  f:om  a  steel  furnace  exploded 
March  7,  at  the  Wilkes  Rolling  Mill,  Sharon,  Pa.  Thirteen  men  were  injured, 
three  of  them  fatally. 

(132.) — A  tube  ruptured  March  8,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of 
The  J.  S.  Brill  Co.,  car  builders,  Philadelphia,  Pa.     One  man  was  injured. 

(i33-) — On  March  10,  an  accident  occurred  to  the  boiler  of  a  locomotive 
at  the  plant  of  the  Fordyce  Lumber  Co.,  Fordyce,  Ark. 

(134.) — A  boiler  ruptured  March  12  at  the  plant  of  the  Princess  Furnace 
Co.,  Glen  Wilton,  Va. 

(135.)  — A  tube  ruptured  March  13,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of 
the  American  Sheet  and  Tin  Plate  Co.,  Cambridge,  O. 


220  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [July, 

(136.)  — On  March  15,  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  Colo- 
rado Springs  Light,  Heat  and  Power  Co.  plant  of  the  United  Gas  and  Electric 
Corp.,  Colorado  Springs,  Col. 

(^37-) — A  tube  ruptured  March  16  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of 
the  Plainville  Mill  and  Elevator  Co.,  Plainville,  Kan. 

(138.) — On  March  16,  a  cast  iron  heating  boiler  ruptured  at  the  Imperial 
Hotel,  Atlanta,  Ga. 

(i39-)  — A  cast  iron  sectional  heater  failed  March  16,  in  the  Price  building, 
Florence,  Neb. 

(140.)  — A  blow-off  pipe  failed  March  18,  at  the  Hotel  Montrose,  operated 
by  the  Cedar  Rapids  Hotel  Co.,  Cedar  Rapids,  la. 

(141.)  — On  March  18,  a  cast  iron  sectional  heater  failed  at  the  apartment 
house  of  Samuel  Harris.  1 13-115  Leonard  St.,  New  York  City. 

(142.)  — On  March  20,  a  cast  iron  cross  box  failed  in  a  water  tube  boiler 
at  the  plant  of  the  Standard  Roller  Bearing  Co.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

(143.)  — The  crown  sheet  of  a  boiler  at  the  plant  of  the  American  Equip- 
ment Co.,  near  Lebanon,  Pa.,  failed  March  21.  One  man  was  painfully  burned, 
and  the  plant  was  shut  down  pending  repairs. 

(144.)  — A  boiler  used  for  heating  the  Christian  Church,  Normal,  111.,  failed 
March  22.     The  damage  was  slight. 

(145.) — Two  cast  iron  headers  ruptured  March  24,  in  a  water  tube  boiler 
at  the  Friedman  Mfg.  Co.  plant  of  Armour  &  Co.,  Union  Stock  Yards,  Chicago, 
111. 

(146.)  — On  March  24  a  tube  failed  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of 
the  Ashaway  Line  and  Twine  Co.,  Ashaway,  R.  I. 

(147.)  _  A  boiler  ruptured  March  24,  at  the  plant  of  the  Worcester  Salt  Co., 
Ecorse,  Mich.    The  boiler  was  badly  damaged. 

(148.)  —A  tube  ruptured  March  25,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of 
the  Tonawanda  Board  and  Paper  Co.,  Tonawanda,  N.  Y. 

(149.)  — On  March  27,  two  sections  of  a  cast  iron  heating  boiler  failed  at 
the  Irving  School,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 

(150.)  —A  blow  off  failed  March  27,  at  the  plant  of  the  Yolande  Coal  and 
Coke  Co.,  Yolande,  Ala.     One  man  was  scalded. 

(151.)  _  A  boiler  ruptured  March  29,  at  the  Vinita  Electric  Light,  Ice  and 
Power  Co.  plant  of  the  Middle  West  Utilities  Co.,  Vinita.  Okla. 

(152.) — A  locomotive  boiler  exploded  on  the  Texas  and  Pacific  R.  R., 
between  Fort  Worth  and  Handley,  Tex.,  on  March  29.  One  man  was  killed 
and  two  others  were  seriously  injured. 

(153.)  _  A  boiler  burst  March  31  at  the  plant  of  the  Dominion  Cloak  Co., 

Toronto,   Can. 

April,  1913. 

(154.)  —On  April  i,  a  blow-off  pipe  failed  at  the  laundry  of  Tiffany  Bros., 
Aberdeen,  S.  D. 

(155.) —The  boiler  of  a  Chicago,  Milwaukee  and  St.  Paul  locomotive  ex- 
ploded April  I,  near  Franksville,  Wis.  Three  men,  the  engineer,  fireman  and 
a  tramp,  were  injured,  the  tramp  fatally. 

(156.)  —A  tube  ruptured  April  2,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of  the 
Crescent  Portland  Cement  Co.,  Wampenn,  Pa.  Three  men  were  injured,  but 
the  property  damage  was  small. 


1913.]  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  221 

(157)  — On  April  5,  a  blow-off  pipe  failed  at  the  plant  of  the  Spring  Perch 
Co.,  Bridgeport,  Conn. 

(158.) — On  April  7,  a  tee  in  a  steam  pipe  line  failed  at  the  plant  of  the 
Florsheim  Shoe  Co.,  Qiicago,  111.     Ben  Franklin,  fireman,  was  injured. 

(159)  — A  tube  ruptured  April  8,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of  the 
Duquesne  Light  Co.,  Pittsburgh,  Pa.     Martin  Haherty,  fireman,  was  injured. 

(160.) — Two  cast  iron  headers  ruptured  April  9,  in  a  water  tube  boiler 
at  the  plant  of  the  Alpha  Portland  Cement  Co.,  Martins  Creek,  Pa. 

(161.)  — An  ammonia  boiler  exploded  April  10,  at  one  of  the  plants  of  the 
Moore  Ice  Works,  Pensacola,  Fla.  Four  men  were  killed  and  the  plant  was 
demolished. 

(162.) — A  number  of  tubes  failed  April  11,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the 
plant  of  the  Crescent  City  Stock  Yards  and  Slaughter  House  Co.,  New  Orleans, 
La. 

(163.) — A  kitchen  boiler  burst  April  13,  in  the  home  of  Frank  W.  Huff, 
Philadelphia,  Pa.  The  accident  is  attributed  to  starting  a  fire  in  the  range 
when  the  water  supply  to  and  from  the  boiler  had  been  shut  off.  The  cook  was 
so  badly  injured  that  she  was  not  expected  to  live. 

(164.)  — On  April  13,  a  boiler  ruptured  at  the  plant  of  the  Lovegren  Lum- 
ber Co.,  Cherry  Grove  Ore. 

(165.) — A  boiler  exploded  April  13  on  the  property  of  the  Barnsdall  Oil 
Co.,  near  Bartelsville,  Okla.  The  boiler  was  attached  to  a  well  drilling  outfit, 
and  was  completely  demolished.  One  man  was  painfully,  but  not  seriously 
injured. 

(166.) — A  boiler  ruptured  April  14  at  the  brewery  of  C.  F.  Bach,  Sebe- 
waing,  Mich. 

(167.) — On  April  14,  a  boiler  ruptured  at  the  plant  of  the  Indianapolis 
Abattoir  Co.,  Indianapolis,  Ind. 

(168.) — A  tube  ruptured  April  15,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  power 
house  of  the  Terre  Haute  and  Eastern  Traction  Co.,  Indianapolis,  Ind. 

(i6g.) — A  blow-off  cock  failed  April  16,  at  the  plant  of  the  Border  City 
Ice  and  Cold  Storage  Co.,  Fort  Smith,  Ark. 

(170.)  — On  April  17,  a  blow-off  pipe  failed  at  the  power  house  of  the  Lake 
Erie  and  Western  Railway  Co.,  Lima,  O.    One  man  was  scalded. 

(171.) — On  April  17,  two  men  were  trapped  and  severely  scalded  by  the 
failure  of  a  steam  pipe  in  a  manhole  where  they  were  working,  at  the  plant  of 
the  New  York  and  Philadelphia  Package  Co.,  Paulsboro,  N.  J. 

(172.)  — A  man  was  seriously  scalded  April  17,  by  the  bursting  of  a  steam 
pipe  in  the  boiler  room  of  the  American  Ice  Co.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

(173.)  — On  April  19,  a  tube  failed  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  Washington 
Hotel  and  Improvement  Co.'s  building,  Seattle,  Wash. 

(174.) — A  boiler  exploded  April  19  which  was  used  for  oil  well  drilling 
near  Venice,  Pa.  Two  young  boys  were  killed,  and  two  men  seriously  but  not 
fatally  injured. 

(175.) — A  boiler  used  for  irrigation  pumping  near  Selma,   Cal.,  exploded 
April   19.     Frank  Rouch,  the  owner  of  the  outfit,  was  instantly  killed  and  his  ' 
son  was  very  seriously  injured.    The  boiler  was  an  old  one  which  had  formerly 
seen  service  on  a  traction  engine. 


222  THE    LOCOMOTIVE.  [July, 

(176.) — A  steam  boiler  exploded  April  21,  on  an  oil  lease  at  Tuna,  Pa. 
One  man  was  seriously  injured. 

i^77-)  — On  April  22,  a  boiler  exploded  at  the  Thompson  brickyard.  Mount 
Pleasant,  Mich.  Four  persons,  one  of  them  a  nine-year-old  girl,  received  inju- 
ries from  which  they  died,  while  several  others  were  more  or  less  severely  in- 
jured.    The  property  damage  was  considerable. 

(178.)  — A  tube  ruptured  April  22  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of 
the  Charleston  Consolidated  Railway,  Light  and  Power  Co.,  Charleston,  S.  C. 

(179.)  — A  boiler  exploded  April  22,,  at  the  saw  mill  of  A.  E.  Frankford, 
Columbia,  Pa.  Mr.  Frankford  and  Henry  Stotz  were  seriously  injured,  and  the 
property  loss  was  estimated  as  in  the  neighborhood  of  $1,000. 

(180.)  — A  boiler  rupured  April  26,  at  the  Monroe  Mine  of  the  Oliver  Iron 
Mining  Co.,  Hibbing,  Mich. 

(181.)  — On  April  28,  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  Trenton 
plant  of  the  American  Bridge  Co.,  Trenton,  N.  J. 

(182.) — On  April  28.  a  cast  iron  sectional  heating  boiler  failed  at  the 
Imperial  Hotel,  Atlanta,  Ga. 

(183.) — On  April  30,  a  section  in  cast  iron  heater  No.  i  ruptured  at  the 
Sixth  Street  School,  Louisville,  Ky. 

(184.)  — On  April  30,  a  section  in  No.  2  cast  iron  heating  boiler  ruptured  at 
the  Sixth  Street  School,  Louisville,  Ky.  (Two  separate  accidents  on  the  same 
day.) 

(185.) — A  boiler  exploded  April  30,  at  the  saw  mill  of  George  Rowsey, 
near  Danville,  Ky.  The  plant  was  completely  wrecked,  and  two  men  were 
seriously  injured. 


THE  HARTFORD  STEAM  BOILER  INSPECTION  AND  INSUR- 
ANCE COMPANY  is  now  issuing  to  its  policy-holders  its  "  Vacation  Schedule  " 
for  1913.  Like  those  of  previous  years,  this  schedule  affords  a  most  convenient 
form  for  arranging  and  recording  the  holiday  period  allotted  to  each  of  the 
clerks  or  other  employees  of  an  institution.  From  it  at  a  glance  may  be  deter- 
mined how  many  and  what  members  of  the  force  will  be  absent  on  any  given 
date  and  thus  by  a  little  foresight  and  care  the  assignment  of  the  same  days 
to  those  whose  simultaneous  absence  would  cause  inconvenience  may  be  avoided. 

Copies  may  be  obtained  by  our  policy-holders  on  application  to  the  nearest 
of  the  offices  listed  on  the  last  page  of  this  issue. 


Tie  Partloril  Steam  Boiler  iDspectioq  aqd  Insurance  Gompaqg. 


ABSTRACT  OF  STATEMENT,  JANUARY  1,  1913. 
Capital  Stock,  .        .       $1,000,000.00. 


ASSETS. 
Cash  on  hand  and  in  course  of  transmission, 
Premiums  in  course  of  collection, 

Real  estate 

Loaned  on  bond  and  mortgage. 
Stocks  and  bonds,  market  value. 
Interest  accrued. 

Total  Assets, 


$186,187.28 

285,163.53 

90,600.00 

1,193,285.00 

3,506,178.40 

75,600.51 

$5,337,014.72 


LIABILITIES. 


Premium    Reserve, 

Losses  unadjusted, 

Commissions  and  brokerage,    . 

Other  liabilities  (taxes  accrued,  etc 

Capital    Stock, 

Surplus  over  all  liabilities. 


>  1, 000,000.00 
1,925,594.88 


$2,211,732.44 
94,913-83 
57,032.71 
47,740.86 


Surplus  as  regards  Policy-holders, 

Total  Liabilities, 


$2,925,594.88    2,925,594.88 
$5,337.01472 


LYMAN  B.  BRAINERD.  President  and  Treasurer. 

FRANCIS  B.  ALLEN,  Vice-President.'  CHAS.   S.   BLAKE,   Secretary. 

L.    F.    MIDDLEBROOK,   Assistant   Secretary. 

W.  R.  C.  CORSON,  Assistant  Secretary. 

S.  F.  Jeter,   Supervising  Inspector. 
E.  J.  Murphy,  M.  E.,  Consulting  Engineer. 
F.  M.  Fitch,  Auditor. 

BOARD  OF  DIRECTORS. 


ATWOOD  COLLINS,  President, 

The    Security   Co.,    Hartford,    Conn. 


LUCIUS      F.      ROBINSON, 
Hartford,    Conn. 


Attorney, 


JOHN  O.   ENDERS,  United  States  Bank, 
Hartford,   Conn. 

LYMAN    B.    BRAINERD, 

Director,    Swift   &    Company. 
MORGAN    B.    BRAINARD 

Vice-Pres.   and  Treasurer,  The  JEtnA 

Life   Insurance   Co.,   Hartford,   Conn. 
FRANCIS    B.    ALLEN,    Vice  Pres.,    The 

Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Inspection  and 

Insurance   Company. 
CHARLES  P.  COOLEY,  Vice-Pres., 

The    Fidelity    Trust    Co.,    Hartford, 

Conn. 

ARTHUR   L.   SHIPMAN,  Attorney, 
Hartford,  Conn. 


GEORGE  C.  KIMBALL,  President,  The 
Smyth    Mfg.    Co.,    Hartford,    Conn. 

CHARLES  M.  JARVIS,  formerly  Presi- 
dent, The  American  Hardware  Cor- 
poration,   New    Britain,    Conn. 

FRANCIS  T.  MAXWELL,  President, 
The  Hockanum  Mills  Company,  Rock- 
ville.    Conn. 

HORACE  B.  CHENEY,  Cheney  Brothers 
Silk  Manufacturing  Co.,  South  Man- 
chester,  Conn. 

D.  NEWTON  BARNEY,  Treasurer,  The 
Hartford  Electric  Light  Co.,  and 
Director  N.  Y.,  N.  H.  and  H.  R.  R. 
Co. 

DR.  GEORGE  C.  F.  WILLIAMS,  Treas. 
and  General  Manager,  The  Capewell 
Horse   Nail    Co.,    Hartford,    Conn. 

JOSEPH  R.  ENSIGN,  Vice-Pres..  The 
Ensign-Bickford   Co.,   Simsbury,   Conn. 


of  Pittsburgh 


Incorporated  1866. 


Charter  Perpetual. 


m  Hariforil  suani  Boiiei  Iqspeciloii  ami  lusDraqcii  Gonipaiii 

ISSUES  POLICIES  OF  INSURANCE  COVERING 

ALL  LOSS  OF  PROPERTY 

AS  WELL  AS  DAMAGE   RESULTING  FROM 

LOSS  OF  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  INJURIES  DUE  TO  EXPLOSIONS 
OF  STEAM  BOILERS  OR  FLY  WHEELS. 


Department. 

ATLANTA,   Ga., 
611-613   Empire   Bldg., 

BALTIMORE,  Md.,     . 
13-14-15  Abell  Bldg., 

BOSTON,    Mass., 
loi  Milk  St.       . 

BRIDGEPORT,  Ct.,     . 
No.  I  Sanford  Bldg.  . 

CHICAGO,   111.,    . 
160  West  Jackson   St. 

CINCINNATI,  Ohio,   . 
First  National  Bank  Bldg. 

CLEVELAND,  Ohio,  . 
Century   Bldg.    . 

DENVER,  Colo., 
Room  2,  Jacobson  Bldg. 

HARTFORD,  Conn.,   . 
56  Prospect  St. 

NEW   ORLEANS,   La., 
833-835  Gravier  St.    . 

NEW  YORK,  N.  Y.,  . 
100  William   St. 

PHILADELPHIA,   Pa., 
Cor.  Fourth  and  Walnut  Sts. 

PITTSBURG,   Pa., 

1801-1802  Arrott  Bldg., 

PORTLAND,    Ore.,      . 

306  Yeon    Bldg., 
SAN  FRANCISCO,  Cal., 

339-341    Sansome    St. 

ST.  LOUIS,   Mo., 
319  North  Fourth  St. 

TORONTO,   Canada.    . 
Continental  Life  Bldg., 


Representatives. 

W.  M.  Francis, 

Manager  and  Chief  Inspector. 

Lawford  &  McKiM,  General  Agents. 
R.  E.  MuNRO,  Chief  Inspector. 

C.  E.  Roberts,  Manager. 

Joseph   H.   McNeill,   Chief  Inspector. 

W.  G.  Lineburgh  &  Son,  General  Agents. 
F.  S.  Allen,  Chief  Inspector. 

H.  M.  Lemon,  Manager. 

Tame3  L.  Foord,  Chief  Inspector. 

J.  T.' Coleman,  Assistant  Chief  Inspector. 

W.  E.  Gleason,  Manager. 
Walter  Gerner,  Chief  Inspector. 

H.  A.  Baumhart, 

Manager  and  Chief  Inspector.    • 

Thos.  E.  Shears, 

General  Agent  and  Chief  Inspector. 

F.  H.  Williams,  Jr.,  General  Agent. 
F.  S.  Allen,  Chief  Inspector. 

Peter  F.  Pescud,  General  Agent. 
R.  T.   BuRWELL,  Chief  Inspector. 

C.  C.  Gardiner,  Manager. 

W.  W.  Manning,  Chief  Inspector. 

CoRBiN,  Goodrich  &  Wickham,  General  Agents. 

Wm.  J.  Farran,  Chief  Inspector. 

S.  B.  Adams,  Assistant  Chief  Inspector. 

J.  J.  Graham,  Manager. 

Benjamin  Ford,  Chief  Inspector. 

W.  A.  Craig,  Assistant  Chief  Inspector. 

McCargar,  Bates  &  Lively,  General  Agents. 

C.  B.  Paddock,  Chief  Inspector. 

H.  R.  Mann  &  Co.,  General  Agents. 

J.  B.  Warner,  Chief  Inspector. 

C.  D.  AsHCROFT,  Manager. 

J.  P.  Morrison,  Chief  Inspector. 

H.  N.  Roberts, 

General  Agent. 


(jARTFOgti 


Vol.  XXIX.  HARTFORD,  CONN.,  OCTOBER,   1913. 


No.  8. 


COPYRIGHT.  1913,  BY  THE  HARTFORD  STEAM  BOILER  INSPECTION  AND  INSURANCE  CO. 


An  Unusual  Fly-Wheel  Break.     Birmingham,  Alabama. 


258 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE, 


[October, 


Fly-Wheel  Explosion  at  Birming'ham,  Alabama. 

A  large  fly-wheel  burst  Aug.  20  at  the  plant  of  the  Payne  and  Joubert  ^la- 
chine  and  Foundry  Co.,  Birmingham,  Ala.  The  wheel,  which  was  15  feet  in  di- 
ameter, with  a  26  inch  face  was  of  the  split  type,  cast  in  two  sections.  It  was 
joined  at  the  rim  by  bolted  flanges,  and  by  the  usual  bolted  construction  at  the 
hub.  There  were  eight  arms.  The  wheel  served  to  transmit  the  load  from  an 
18x36  inch  Corliss  engine  to  a  generator,  by  means  of  a  24  inch  belt.  The  speed 
was  controlled  by  a  fly  ball  governor  of  usual  type,  with  a  link  type  safety  knock 
out,  arranged  for  automatic  operation  in  the  event  of  governor  belt  breakage. 
The  normal  speed  was  75  R.  P.  M. 

We  are  told  that  a  considerable  peak  load  on  the  generator  caused  the  cir- 
cuit breaker  to  operate,  relieving  the  engine  very  suddenly.  The  subsequent 
racing  was  noticed  by  the  fireman  and  he  called  to  the  engineer  who  had  stepped 
out  of  the  engine  room.  The  engineer,  realizing  what  had  happened,  ran  for  the 
throttle,  but  only  succeeded  in  getting  in  the  path  of  one  of  the  larger  fragments 
of  the  wheel.     He  was  instantly  killed. 


Fig.   I.     Showing   the   Course  of  the   Fr.'^gments. 


Portions  of  the  wheel  were  thrown  both  in  front  and  to  the  rear  of  the  engine, 
as  is  shown  in  detail  in  our  sketch.  Fig.  i.  The  roof  and  walls  of  the  engine 
room  were  badly  wrecked,  though  the  roof  had  been  repaired  when  the  photo- 
graph Fig.  2  was  taken.  One  large  piece  passed  completely  through  a  gon- 
dola car  that  was  standing  on  a  siding  alongside  the  engine  room,  as  our  sketch 
shows. 

Perhaps  the  most  unusual  feature  of  this  wreck  is  shown  on  the  front  cover. 
One  large  portion  of  the  wheel  composed  of  a  section  of  the  rim,  three  spokes 
and  half  the  hub  is  seen  to  have  remained  intact.  It  is  very  unusual  for  a  hub  to 
leave  the  shaft  in  wrecks  of  this  kind,  indeed  this  is  the  first  instance  of  such  be- 
havior which  has  come  to  the  writer's  attention. 

The  following  explanation  for  this  curious  behavior  has  been  suggested,  and 
we  believe  that  it  is  the  most  plausible  view  so  far  advanced.  Let  us  suppose 
that  the  rim  flanges  were  the  weakest  elements  in  the  wheel's  construction,  and 
this  is  in  line  with  the  results  obtained  when  wheels  of  this  type  have  been 
speeded  to  destruction  experimentally.  Their  failure  might  result -in  portions 
of  rim  adjacent  to  the  flanges,  with  perhaps  a  spoke  or  so,  leaving  the  wheel. 
If  this  should  happen  without  wrecking  those  parts  of  the  rim  between  two  or 
three  spokes,  as  in  this  instance,  the  whole  stress  due  to  the  centrifugal  force  of 
the  remaining  material,  would  be  transferred  from  the  rim,  which  had  carried  it 


1913.] 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE 


259 


Fig.    2.    The    Wrecked    Engine    Room. 

like  a  stretched  hoop  so  long  as  it  was  unbroken,  to  the  hub  bolts.  This  would 
have  the  effect  of  stressing  these  bolts  far  in  excess  of  their  ordinary  working 
load,  and  they  might  be  expected  to  fail  in  tension,  as  these  particular  bolts  evi- 
dently did,  permitting  the  fragment  of  the  rim  with  its  attached  spokes  and  half 
hub  to  be  projected  as  a  unit.  Of  course,  it  is  difficult  to  see  why  the  failure  of 
the  rim  flanges  did  not  wreck  the  entire  rim,  shearing  the  spokes  and  leaving  the 
hub  in  place  on  the  shaft,  which  is  the  ordinary  mode  of  failure,  but  to  this  we 
can  only  ofter  the  photographic  evidence  that  in  the  present  instance  this  did  not 
happen.  Perhaps  some  of  our  readers  can  suggest  a  more  reasonable  expla- 
nation. 


Autog-enous  Welds  for  Boiler  Work. 

We  are  constantly  requested  to  approve  boiler  repairs  of  various  forms  that 
have   been    accomplished    by   means   of   autogenous    welding   of   the    parts,    and 


260 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE. 


[October, 


while  we  feel  that  there  are  many  kinds  of  repair  to  which  this  process  is 
admirably  adapted,  we  have  consistently  refused  to  approve  such  repairs  where 
the  strength  of  the  repaired  part  is  of  vital  necessity  to  the  safety  of  the  boiler. 
We  are  not  alone  in  our  distrust  of  this  method  of  joining  metals  for  the 
purpose  of  boiler  repairs  or  manufacture  under  the  present  condition  of  the 
art  of  autogenous  welding. 

Professor  Theodore  Kautny  of  Niirnberg,  who  is  considered  one  of  the  lead- 
ing authorities  of  the  world  on  this  subject,  is  using  his  influence  to  prevent  the 
autogenous  welding  of  boiler  shells  until  some  reliable  method  can  be  devised 
for  ascertaining  the  probable  strength  of  a  weld  without  destroying  it.  We 
also  understand  that  the  United  States  Government  does  not  approve  of  acety- 
lene welding  for  boiler  repairs  where  the  parts  welded  are  subjected  to  tensile 
strain. 


Fig.   I.     (Upper.)     Etched  Section  of  Longitudinal  Seam. 
Fig  2.     (Lower).     Etched  Section  of  Weld  Between   Head  and  Shell. 

One  of  the  most  important  companies  doing  general  autogenous  welding  in 
this  country  advocates  the  licensing  of  equipment,  operator  and  company  where 
engaged  in  boiler  repairing,  to  the  end  that  greater  skill  may  be  brought 
to  bear  in  making  such  repairs.     There  are  so  many  conditions  surrounding  the 


1913.] 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE, 


261 


making  of  a  safe  wclcl  by  this  process  that  it  liardly  seems  j)ossiI)le  that  all  the 
improper  ones  can  be  guarded  against  except  possibly  in  a  few  cases  presenting 
difticulties  of  a  fixed  nature.  In  the  oxy-acetylene  process  it  is  first  necessary 
to  obtain  the  right  mixture  of  gas.  If  too  much  oxygen  is  present,  the  material 
is  oxidized  and  the  weld  is  left  brittle  and  weak.  Impurities  in  the  oxygen 
used  may  also  have  a  bad  effect  on  the  strength  of  the  weld.  If  storage  tanks 
are  used  as  a  means  of  supplying  acetylene  and  the  draught  of  gas  from  these 
tanks  is  too  rapid,  some  of  the  absorbent  liquid  may  be  drawn  through  the 
connections  to  the  burner  and  produce  defects.  A  flame  too  rich  in  acetylene 
may  also  cause  injury  to  the  steel.  The  expansion  of  the  parts  adjacent  to  the 
weld,  due  to  the  heat  necessary  to  make  it,  may  leave  tremendous  internal 
stresses  in  the  plate  or  other  part  that  is  welded  which  cannot  even  be  esti- 
mated. This  is  such  a  variable  factor  that  only  the  nicest  judgment  could  be 
of  any  value  in  determining  whether  a  given  repair  may  be  made  with  safety 
or  not. 


Fig.  3.     Welding  of  Head  to  Shell.     Note  the  Rough  Character  of  the  Work. 


In  a  few  instances,  we  have  sanctioned  the  autogenous  repair  of  cast  iron 
sectional  boilers  used  for  very  low  pressures  where  the  nature  of  the  structure 
surrounding  the  defective  part  would  seem  to  indicate  that  no  severe  local  strains 


262  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [October, 

might  be  set  up  in  the  act  of  welding.  However,  our  experience  with  this  kind 
of  repair  has  been  very  discouraging,  for  while  the  welding  has  held  in  most 
cases,  subsequent  breaks  have  developed  which  were  produced  by  shrinkage 
strains  at  the  weld. 

One  of  the  worst  specimens  of  autogenous  welding  that  has  come  to  our 
notice  was  through  the  failure  of  a  receiver  separator  connected  to  a  turbine. 
While  this  cannot  be  taken  as  a  fair  sample  of  welded  work,  still  it  shows  how 
poorly  such  work  can  be  done,  and  aside  from  the  poor  design  of  this  vessel, 
there  was  nothing  to  definitely  show  that  the  welding  was  not  what  it  should 
be.  For  while  the  welds  were  roughly  made,  this  does  not  always  indicate  that 
the  surfaces  are  not  properly  joined.  This  receiver  had  been  formed  entirely 
by  means  of  the  autogenous  welding  process,  the  longitudinal  seam,  head  seams 
and  nozzles  all  being  welded.  The  general  dimensions  of  the  vessel  were  30" 
in  diameter  by  5'  long,  with  3-8"  shell  and  heads.  The  accident  was  due  to 
the  lower  head  of  this  receiver  blowing  out,  the  receiver  operating  in  a  vertical 
position,  and  after  an  examination  of  the  parts  the  only  wonder  that  it  had 
ever  remained  together. 

Figure  i  shows  a  section  across  the  longitudinal  seam  which  has  been  etched. 
By  examining  this  section  it  will  be  seen  that  there  is  a  line  of  holes  at  each 
side  of  the  V  representing  the  surfaces  of  the  plate  and  there  was  very  little 
sound  metal  bonded  together  along  this  seam.  It  will  be  seen  from  Figure  i 
how  poorly  the  contour  of  the  cylinder  was  maintained  at  the  joint,  for  by 
placing  a  rule  on  the  cut,  the  shell  will  be  seen  to  be  perfectly  straight,  and 
while  the  cut  only  extends  two  inches  across  the  seam,  this  flat  space  was  five 
inches  each  side  of  the  weld.  With  this  misshapen  seam  and  lack  of  bond 
between  the  parts,  the  only  explanation  that  can  be  advanced  to  show  why  it 
held  together  at  all  (which  it  did  for  two  years)  is  that  the  draft  of  steam  was 
steady. 

Figure  2  shows  an  etched  cross  section  of  the  connection  between  the  upper 
head  and  the  shell  of  the  receiver,  the  head  being  on  the  left-hand  side  of  the 
figure.  A  close  inspection  of  the  weld  at  this  point  will  show  that  there  was 
almost  no  sound  contact  between  the  welding  material  and  head  at  this  point. 
It  is  evident  from  Figure  2  that  the  head  was  only  dished  and  that  no  attempt 
was  made  to  flange  down  the  edges  so  as  to  bring  the  points  of  maximum 
bending  sti-ess  away  from  the  weld. 

Figure  3  is  a  view  of  the  inside  of  the  separator  showing  a  portion  of  the 
top  head  (at  the  bottom  of  the  figure)  and  the  longitudinal  seam.  Some  idea 
6f  the  roughness  of  the  welding  can  be  gained  from  this  view  but  the  parts 
themselves  looked  much  worse  than  the  cut  shows. 

Figure  4  shows  a  general  view  of  the  receiver  with  the  top  head  lying 
towards  the  observer.  On  the  ground  at  the  left  is  seen  the  bottom  head 
which  was  blown  out.  This  head  was  dished  outwards  the  same  as  the  upper 
one,  but  when  it  failed,  the  force  of  the  pressure  forced  it  down  over  a  pipe 
standard  that  supported  it  from  the  floor.  The  nozzle  on  the  left-hand  side 
of  the  receiver,  which  was  stripped  off  by  the  explosion,  was  of  10"  size.  This 
nozzle  was  made  up  of  a  flange  butt  welded  to  a  short  section  of  10"  pipe 
and  instead  of  flanging  the  opposite  end  of  the  pipe  in  order  to  attach  it  to 
the  shell,  a  sheet  steel  collar  was  welded  on,  which  in  turn  was  welded  to  the 
shell   of  the   receiver.     The  head   and   longitudinal   seams   on   this  vessel  were 


1913.] 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE 


263 


bad,  but  the  nozzle  seams  were  worse.  The  welded  on  collars  did  not  fit  the 
contour  of  the  shell,  and  numberless  shims  and  many  nails  were  used  in  filling 
the  voids  between  the  shell  and  collar  on  the  nozzle.  If  Figure  4  is  examined 
carefully,  some  of  these  shims  may  be  seen  around  the  opening  on  the  left- 
hand  side. 

Such  work  as  this  is  more  likely  than  anything  else  to  refard  the  progress 
of  autogenous  welding,  which  we  believe  has  a  real  field  of  usefulness  even  in 
boiler  work,  but  we  are  not  yet  ready  to  approve  it  for  repairs  where  the  safety 
of  the  boiler  is  directlv  affected. 


Fig.    4.     The    Wrecked    Sep.\rator. 


Boiler  Explosions  in  Great  Britain. 

We  compile  and  publish  as  complete  a  list  of  boiler  and  fly-wheel  accidents 
for  the  United  States  as  possible,  but  the  list  is  incomplete  and  to  a  certain 
extent  in  error  because  we  are  forced  to  take  much  of  the  information  from 
the  daily  press,  a  source  noted  for  its  inaccuracy  where  technical  matters  are 
concerned.  Furthermore,  a  great  many  minor  accidents  never  reach  the  news- 
papers because  they  are  not  attended  with  personal  injuries,  and  therefore  have 
no  especial  "  news  "  value  unless  the  property  loss  is  considerable.  In  marked 
contrast  with  this  are  the  statistics  gathered  in  Great  Britain  by  the  Board  of 
Trade.  Under  the  Boiler  Explosions  Acts  of  1882  and  1890  every  boiler  cas- 
ualty, no  matter  how  trivial,  even  so  small  an  occurrence  as  the  leaking  of  a 
single  rivet,  becomes  as  much  a  case  for  official  investigation  as  though  ac- 
companied by  injury  or  death.     The  Board  of  Trade  is  required  by  this  act  to 


264 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE. 


[October, 


investigate  fully  every  such  accident  and  make  a  public  finding  as  to  its  cause 
which  must  fix  the  responsibility  for  it.  These  inquiries  extend  not  only  to 
boiler  accidents,  but  cover  as  well  every  type  of  steam  containing  apparatus, 
including  piping.  They  include  also  all  accidents  occurring  on  ships  of  Brit- 
ish registry.  The  effect  of  this  act,  is  to  reduce  boiler  accidents  to  a  minimum, 
for  all  parties  concerned,  whether  owners,  operatives,  manufacturers,  designers, 
or  those  responsible  for  the  inspection  of  the  apparatus  realize  that  the  extent 
of  their  responsibility  will  be  fixed  without  fear  or  favor. 

The  report  of  the  Board  of  Trade  for  the  year  ending  June  30,  1912,  is  at 
hand,  and  is  particularly  interesting  in  that  it  gives  in  addition  to  the  statistics  for 
the  years  1911-1912,  comparative  figures  for  the  thirty  years  during  which  the 
Act  has  been  in  force.  0*f  these  statistics  we  will  reprint  such  of  the  sum- 
maries as  seem  to  be  of  interest  to  our  readers. 

During  the  year  ending  June  30,  1912,  there  were  106  explosions.  Of  these 
60  resulted  in  loss  of  life  or  personal  injury.  Thirty  persons  were  killed,  and 
75  injured.  The  30  deaths  were  caused  by  14  explosions,  9  on  land  and  5  on 
ships.  In  20  out  of  2."]  explosions  aboard  ship  no  one  was  injured,  while  in  the 
remaining  7  accidents  13  were  killed  and  4  injured.  The  number  of  deaths  for 
the  year  is  above  the  average  for  thirty  years  (26.3  per  year),  but  this  is  largely 
due  to  two  explosions  in  each  of  which  six  were  killed.  It  is  interesting  to 
note  that  out  of  a  total  of  ten  accidents  to  heating  apparatus,  nine  were  caused 
by  the  freezing  of  pipes. 

Classification  of  the  Causes  of  Explosions,  and  the  Types  of  Boilers  which 
Exploded  1911-1912. 

Causes.  No. 

Deterioration  and  Corrosion   .......  29 

Defective   Design,   and   Undue   Pressure           ....  17 

Water   Hammer  Action            .......  8 

Defective  Workmanship,  Material,  or  Construction                   .  16 

Ignorance  or  neglect  of  attendants  ......  24 

Miscellaneous            .........  12 


Total 

Types  of  Boilers. 
Horizontal    Tubular 
Vertical 

Lancashire  and  Cornish 
Locomotive 
Water  Tube  . 
Tubes  in  Steam  Ovens 
Heating  Apparatus 
Steam  Pipes,  Stop  Valve  Chests, 
Hot  Plates,  etc. 
Economizers 
Calenders  and  Drying  Cylinders 
Steam  Jacketed  Pans 
Rag  Boilers,  Kiers,  Still 
Miscellaneous 

Total 


106 

No. 

15 

7 

4 

2 

6 

10 

10 

24 

4 

4 

4 

4 

4 

8 

106 


1913.] 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE. 


265 


ST.\TISTICS  1882- 1912. 


Totals 


Personal  Injuries 

Year 

No.  of 

Explosions 

Lives  Lost             In,inrf>^ 

Total 

...                                           1 
1882-83           ...                            45 

35                     33 

68 

1883-84 

41 

18          j           62 

80    * 

1884-S5 

43 

40          1           62 

102 

1SS5-86 

57 

33                     79 

112 

1886-S7 

37 

24                      44 

68 

1 88  7-88 

61 

31                       52 

83 

i888-8q 

67 

33                      79 

112 

1889-90 

77 

21                       76 

97 

1890-91 

72 

32                      61 

93 

1891-92 

88 

23                               S2 

105 

1S92-93 

72 

20                      37 

57 

1893-94 

104 

24                      54 

78 

1894-95 

114 

43                      85 

128 

1895-96 

79 

25                      48 

73 

1896-97 

80 

27                      75 

102 

1897-98 

84 

37                      46 

S3 

1898-99 

68 

36                      67 

103 

1899-00 

59 

24                      65 

89 

1900-01 

72 

33                     60 

93 

1901-02 

68 

30                     55 

85 

1902-03 

69 

22                     67 

89 

1903-04 

60 

19                    45 

64 

1904-05 

57 

14          1          40 

54 

1905-06 

54 

25                    21 

46 

1906-07 

77 

28          i          65 

93 

1907-08 

73 

23                    50 

73 

1908-09 

93 

12                     53 

65 

1909-10 

103 

14                     62 

76 

1910-11 

100 

13                     61 

74 

1911-12 

106 

30                     75 

105 

•  iSo 


789 


1,761 


2,550 


Average  of  30  years 


•2.7 


26. 


58.7 


-85 


Extraopdinapy  Damage  to  Pipes  of  a  Supepheatep. 

(Reprinted  from  Vulcan,  published  by  the  Vulcan  Boiler' and  General  Insurance  Company- 
Manchester.  England.) 

Man}'  thousands  of  steam  superheaters  are  in  use,  and  in  almost  every  case 
it  is  found  that  the  pipes  will  work  for  long  periods  w^th  a  negligible  amount 
of  loss  or  depreciation  in  the  material.  In  ordinary  cases  this  is  steel  of  the 
highest  quality  and  degree  of  maleability  which  is  not  found  to  suffer  appre- 
ciably by  contact  with  steam  at  a  less  temperature  than  iioo  deg.  Fah.  As  this 
temperature  is  far  above  those  which  occur  in  ordinary  practice,  risk  of  dam- 
age on  this  account  is  most  exceptional.  We  have,  however,  met  with  a  case 
in  which  tubes  which  were  exposed  to  steam  of  extraordinarily  high  tempera- 


266 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE 


[October, 


ture  on  both  sides  were  therefore  converted  into  black  or  magnetic  oxide  of 
iron. 

An  experiment  has  been  practiced  for  probably  the  greater  part  of  a  century 
in  which  steam  is  passed  through  an  iron  tube  which  is  heated  to  redness,  or, 
say,  to  a  temperature  of  1300  deg.  Fah.  Under  these  conditions  the  steam 
suffers  decomposition,  and  this  method  is  sometimes  adopted  for  the  production 
of  hydrogen.  When  the  iron  is  used  in  a  fine  state  of  division,  as  in  filings, 
the  chemical  action  is  sufficiently  rapid  to  cause  combustion  and  increased  tem- 
perature. For  100  parts  of  iron  lost  138  parts  of  magnetic  oxide  are  produced, 
the  chemical  symbol   for  which  is  Fe304. 


Fig.  I. 


Fig.  2. 


In  the  case  in  question,  the  original  thickness  of  the  tubes  was  .080  in.,  equal 
to  No.  14  standard  gauge  (B.  W.  G.)  in  a  section  shown  in  Fig.  i,  the  thickness 
of  the  remaining  metal  is  .012  in.  on  one  side  and  on  the  opposite  side  the  metal 
has  entirely  disappeared.  The  thickness  of  the  oxide  is  .047  on  the  outer  side 
and  .065  on  the  inner  side.  The  total  maximum  thickness  of  the  oxide  and 
the  residue  of  metal  is  .124  in.,  which  it  may  be  observed  is  considerably  greater 
than  the  original  thickness  of  the  metal,  the  difference  being  due  to  the  expan- 
sion of  iron  and  steel  in  the  process  of  oxidation.  Therefore  80  to  100  per 
cent,  of  the  metal  has  been  converted  into  oxide,  and  15  to  20  per  cent,  re- 
mains in  its  original  condition.  Fig.  2  shows  the  irregularity  of  the  oxidized 
surface,  probably  due  to  the  current  of  steam.  Fig.  3  shows  the  black  oxidized 
surface  of  the  metal  after  the  removal  of  the  principal  coating  of  oxide. 


1913.1 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE 


267 


In  the  present  case  the  boiler  was  heavily  worked,  and  consequently  the  tem- 
perature in  the  downtake  was  high.  (This  refers  of  course  to  a  Lancashire  or 
Cornish  boiler,  where  the  gases  pass  down  to  the  return  flues.  Editor.)  Also 
only  about  one-third  of  the  total  amount  of  steam  produced  was  passed  through 
the  superheater.  By  each  of  these  conditions  the  temperature  of  the  steam  as 
delivered  from  the  superheater  would  be  increased,  and  in  the  combined  result 
the  temperature  of  the  steam  has  been  raised  beyond  the  point  of  safety,  as 
shown  by  the  chemical  change  produced. 

The  case  is  a  most  instructive  one,  and  imperatively  shows  that  super- 
heaters should  not  be  made 


Fig.  3. 


so  large  as  to  involve  any 
risk  of  causing  excessive 
temperature  in  the  steam, 
which  obviously  is  attended 
with  grave  danger  in  direct 
regard  to  superheater,  pipes 
and  engine ;  also  indirectly 
in  regard  to  the  boiler. 

Special  caution  is  also 
required  in  cases  where 
only  one  portion  of  the 
steam  is  superheated.  Dan- 
ger is  incurred  when  a  large 
demand  for  saturated  steam 
occurs  simultaneously  with 
a  total  absence  of  demand 
for  superheated  steam.  It 
is  also  conceivable  that  the 
maximum  degree  of  danger 
would  arise  when  a  large 
demand  for  saturated  steam 
coincides  with  a  relatively 
small  but  continuous  call 
for  superheated  steam. 


It  may  also  be  noted  that  in  some  cases  superheaters  are  fitted  with  a  by-pass 
arrangement,  and  that  this  arrangement  will  allow  a  portion  of  the  steam  sup- 
plied to  the  engine  to  be  in  the  saturated  condition  and  thereby  reduce  the 
amount  of  steam  passing  through  the  superheater.  This  by-pass  arrangement 
may  be  operated  so  that  the  entire  supply  to  the  engine  passes  the  by-pass 
valve  and  the  superheater  is  left  to  soak  in  the  full  temperature  of  the  down- 
take,  by  which  the  superheater  may  suffer  damage  beyond  possibility  of  resto- 
ration. Therefore,  whenever  steam  is  shut  off  from  the  superheater,  the  whole 
apparatus  should  be  lifted  out  of  the  downtake,  and  steam  supplied  by  temporary 
means  to  suit  the  case. 


268  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [October, 

A    Tank    Explosion  in    an    Iowa    Laundry,  with    the  Story 

Which  it  Inspired. 

On  August  II,  a  return  tank  or  receiver  exploded  at  the  Sanitary  Laundry, 
Mason  City,  la.  No  one  was  injured,  but  there  was  some  property  damage,  no 
details  of  which  escaped  the  efficient  local  news  sleuth. 

The  tank  itself  was  a  lightly  constructed  affair  some  3  ft.  in  diameter  by 
6  ft.  high,  built  we  are  told  of  1-8  inch  plate.  It  served  to  collect  the  hot  water 
returned  by  the  traps  attached  to  the  various  laundry  machines,  and  as  a  re- 
ceptacle for  the  necessary  make  up  feed  of  cold  water.  The  feed  pump  suction 
was  connected  directl}'  to  it.  An  ample  vent  pipe,  leading  to  the  atmosphere  was 
provided,  but  at  the  time  of  the  accident  it  was  closed  by  a  stop  cock,  and  it  is 
probable  that  a  by-passed  or  defective  trap  permitted  the  entrance  of  steam  so 
that  a  dangerous  over-pressure  could  accumulate. 

We  do  not  wish,  however,  to  detract  from  the  freshness  of  the  local  story 
which  we  reprint  in  full  from  The  Mason  City  Daily  Times.  We  confess  that 
we  are  frequently  at  a  loss  to  express  ourselves  when  confronted  with  the 
necessity  of  "  writing  up "  an  explosion.  We  cannot  command  such  a  wealth 
of  glowing  expression  as  our  western  friend,  although  we  suspect  that  that 
familiarity  which  is  the  proverbial  breeder  of  contempt  may  have  taken  some- 
thing of  the  keenness  from  the  sharp  edge  of  our  imagination. 


Condenser  in  Laundry  Hits  High  Places. 

N.  C.  KOTCHELL'S  SANITARY  LAUNDRY  SHOOK  TO  FOUNDA- 
TIONS BY  CONCUSSION. 

Boiler  Tears  Through   Roof  500  ft.  to  Strayer  House. 

Residence  on  Fifth  Street  Damaged  When  Huge  Missile  Strikes  Gables  on  Roof 
and  Rebounds  to  Street  Missing  Every  Person  Near  in  Its  Flight  —  All 
Glass  in  Windows  Shattered  —  No  one  is  Hurt. 

The  condenser  apparatus  of  live  steam  returning  from  the  machines  on  the 
floor  of  the  Sanitary  laundry  blew  up  at  4  o'clock  yesterday  afternoon,  wreck- 
ing the  condenser  room  addition,  twisting  the  deep  well  pump,  breaking  many 
windows,  but  not  so  much  as  scratching  a  person.  The  iron  pellet  shot  straight 
from  the  roof  200  feet  in  the  air.  The  condenser  has  a  six  foot  receptacle  three 
feet  in  diameter  for  the  returning  steam.  It  is  claimed  there  is  no  stop  cock 
valve  to  let  ofT  steam  when  the  pressure  increases.  Evidently  the  cold  water  was 
shut  from  the  condenser.  No  one  is  held  liable  for  blame  in  the  matter.  The 
K.  P.  building  suffered  $25  damage,  two  bricks  hurtling  through  an  upper  win- 
dow, a  gas  pipe  was  flung  northwest  in  exactly  the  opposite  direction  as  the 
course  of  the  flying  condenser  and  landed  near  the  Tiss  Drug  store.  Men 
standing  near  spoke  of  the  sheet  of  glass  bursting  from  the  windows  like  fine 
snow.  Seven  inch  walls  crumpled  up.  The  story  would  be  ordinary  was  there 
a  death  list.  As  it  is,  it  is  one  of  the  most  extraordinary  chronicles  in  Mason 
Cit}''s  history. 

By  Harold  Clark. 

A   condenser  in   the  "boiler   room   addition   of   the   Sanitary  laundry,    N.    C. 


1913.]  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  269 


Kotchell,  proprietor,  located  on  the  southeast  corner  of  State  and  Michigan,  blew 
up  at  4  o'clock  yesterday  afternoon,  wrecking  the  compartment  in  which  it 
stood,  and  shattering  about  every*  window  in  the  entire  building,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  those  facing  Michigan  avenue  on  the  east  wall  of  the  laundry  proper. 
The  body  of  the  exhaust  steam  condenser  spouted  up  through  the  roof  as  if  the 
latter  were  made  of  tissue  paper,  and  soared  a  hundred  feet  in  the  air,  much  like 
a  shot  from  a  coast  defense  mortar  battery,  directing  itself  southeasterly  and 
hitting  the  roof  of  the  J.  A.  Strayer  residence,  corner  of  Fifth  and  Michigan, 
in  the  next  block  east. 

The  missile  struck  the  west  foot  of  the  second  gable,  tearing  away  the  cornice 
to  the  peak,  then  dropped  to  the  front  gable  of  the  dwelling,  leaving  a  deep  im- 
print in  the  shingles;  caromed  to  the  porch,  cutting  a  gash  in  its  roof;  bounded 
to  the  sidewalk,  the  rim  cutting  through  and  rolled  finally  from  the  curb  across 
the  street  resting  in  front  of  the  residence  of  Mrs.  Nancy  Graves,  directly  oppo- 
site the  Strayer  residence. 

Mrs.   Str.wer  at  Home. 

Mr.  Strayer  is  a  railroad  conductor  on  the  Milwaukee  and  was  not  home  at 
the  time.  Mrs.  Strayer.  an  invalid,  was  present  in  the  house,  as  was  Miss  T. 
Anderson..  Neither  lady  realized  what  had  happened  until  they  were  appraised 
of  the  part  their  house  had  played  in  the  freakish  turn  of  events. 

Fate  had  kept  a  tight  grip  on  the  reins,  steering  the  hurtling  bricks  and  flying 
debris  free  of  any  person  in  the  radius  of  the  accident,  contriving  by  subtle 
means,  as  remarkable  as  the  average  person  lives  to  experience,  that  not  one  life 
was  snuffed  out  and  not  even  a  scratch  or  splintered  human  bone  left  its  scar 
on  the  story  to  relate.  The  natural  consequence  would  have  been  a  morgue 
filled  with  maimed  and  bleeding  bodies,  a  hospital  pregnant  wi«^V.  suffering  and 
a  new  supply  of  crape.     Mason   City  wears  a  horseshoe  collar. 

The  damage  will  amount  to  little  when  compared  with  the  force  expended 
in  the  explosion,  and  probably  $iooo  will  leave  a  margin  around  the  edges. 

Prior  to  the  Explosion*. 
The  laundry  had  settled  down  to  the  quiet  part  of  the  day.  Few  of  the  ma- 
chines were  working  and  not  many  of  the  girls  were  on  the  floor.  The  building 
faces  the  north.  The  front  is  made  up  of  medium  sized  glass  windows.  The 
office  takes  up  a  space  about  twenty-tive  feet  square  in  the  northeast  corner. 
The  machine  department  runs  past  the  office  on  the  west,  having  a  partial 
frontage  on  State  street,  and  runs  back  clear  to  the  boiler  and  condensing 
room  additions.  The  partitions  around  the  office  and  that  connecting  the 
boiler  room,  are  filled  with  glass  paned  windows.  Engineer  William  Edg- 
ington  had  been  up  ten  minutes  from  the  boiler  apartment,  reached  by  a  short 
flight  of  steps,  and  had  thrown  some  coal  under  the  loo-h.  p.  boiler  and  attempted 
to  connect  the  belt  on  the  deep  well  pump  which  supplies  the  laundry  with  water. 
Foreman  Nels  Hansen  was  walking  toward  the  door  leading  down  into  the 
boiler  room,  and  was  within  a  step  of  it.  Everything  appeared  running  in  the 
usual  routine  and  there  had  been  no  sign  of  danger. 

The  Concussion. 
A   deep,  rumbling  report  rolled  out  and   reverberated  through  the  building. 


270  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [October, 

mixed  with  a  staccato  of  splintered  tingling  glass.  It  broke  swiftly  into  a 
muffled  roar  as  the  sound  was  torn  from  the  confined  space,  and  as  if  a 
bomb  had  burst  asunder,  the  walls  of  the  boiler  room  split  into  fragments  while 
a  patch  of  roof  opened  and  from  its  sagging  cavity  a  steel  balloon  soared  ma- 
jestically a  hundred  feet  skyward,  finally  alighting  on  the  Strayer  residence. 
Clouds  of  steam  puffed  out  and  the  roaring  of  broken  valves  and  escape  vents 
made  the  wrecked  pit  a  replica  of  charnel  house  indeed,  from  which  a  large 
crowd,  drawn  by  the  detonation,  expected  to  see  mangled  bodies  carried  out. 
There  was  many  a  sigh  of  relief  when  it  was  whispered  about  that  no  one  was 
hurt. 

The  Pit  Found  a  Wreck. 
The  pit  was  a  wreck.  The  walls  of  the  condenser  room  were  built  of  four 
inch  hollow  tile  and  a  two  and  a  half  inch  brick  facing.  The  two  outer  sides 
were  razed  to  a  ragged  edge.  The  roof,  framed  with  lumber  and  covered  with 
a  felt  waterproofing,  sagged  two  feet  —  what  was  left  of  it.  The  boiler  room's 
south  wall  was  gouged  with  a  hole,  8  by  6  feet,  and  the  entire  side  was  sprung. 
The  boiler  and  condenser  addition  measured  near  40  by  20  feet.  The  condenser 
stood  close  to  the  main  building  partition  and  shot  straight  up.  The  pump  on 
the  deep  well  was  twisted  sharply  around  and  may  be  seriously  damaged.  None 
of  the  machinery  on  the  main  floor  sustained  injury. 

A  Glass  Snow  Storm. 

Four  windows  in  the  partition  between  boiler  and  machine  floor  were  smashed, 
four  along  the  east  wall  were  shattered,  seven  were  broken  in  the  front  facing 
the  machine  room,  five  were  splintered  in  the  south  partition  of  the  office  and 
four  big  ones  in  the  office  display  on  State  were  pounded  to  bits. 

When  the  explosion  occurred  at  the  rear,  there  followed  a  puff  outward,  then 
a  strong  suction  which  drew  part  of  the  glass  in.  The  floor  from  end  to  end 
was  carpeted  with  fine  particles.  The  first  puflf  of  air  carried  a  sheet  of  fine 
glass  over  the  front  walk.  A.  O.  Height,  merchant  policeman,  was  standing  on 
the  corner  of  the  Tiss  drug  store  and  says  the  flying  glass  dusted  out  like  a 
mist  of  snow.  Mr.  Height  broke  down  hanging  fragments  which  would  prove 
dangerous. 

The  proprietor  says  they  felt  a  little  jar  in  the  main  office,  and  no  one  knew 
of  the  seriousness  of  the  blast  until  they  found  themselves  in  the  midst  of  a 
wreckage  of  glass. 

Condenser  Top   Missed   Buchanan. 

There  were  many  narrow  escapes.  James  Buchanan,  a  plumber  employed 
by  the  Boyd  plumbing  company,  was  working  at  the  rear  of  the  K.  P.  Building 
adjacent  east.  When  he  felt  brickbats  driving  his  way  he  dove  through  a  cellar 
window  of  the  new  building.  The  top  of  the  condenser  three  feet  in  diameter 
flew  past  his  heiid,  missing  him  by  a  scant  ten  inches. 

Broke  Through  K.  P.  Windows. 
Two  bricks  crash -^d  through  the  last  window  facing  west  on  the  south  side 
of  the  K.  P.  structure,  tearing  down  an  $18  electric  light  fixture  within.     Last 
Saturday  Garfield  Breese  and  family  moved  from  the  flats.     The  room  in  which 


1913.]  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  271 


the  bricks  lodged  was  the  dining  parlor.     A  couple  other  windows  were  broken 
in  this  building,  the  damage  amounting  to  $25. 

Team  Not  Frightened. 
A  team  of  grays  hitched  to  a  farm  wagon  stood  facing  the  seat  of  the  ex- 
plosion, not  thirty  feet  distant,  and  outside  of  prancing  around  a  bit  they  were 
unmoved  by  the  occurrence. 

Tar   Kettle  Lost  Stovei'ipe. 

A  tar  kettle  abutting  the  building  used  by  a  crew  working  for  Mr.  Stoddard 
at  the  K.  P.  building,  lost  its  stovepipe.  Luckily  the  men  had  just  left  the  spot 
loaded  with  supplies. 

A  six  foot,  two  inch  gas  pipe  was  flung  northwest  over  the  building  lots  and 
landed  on  the  sidewalk  just  a  step  east  of  the  Tiss  drug  store  on  State  street. 
It  hit  the  sidewalk  and  on  the  rebound  deeply  dented  a  steel  signboard.  This 
pipe  flew  250  feet  on  a  straight  line. 

An  Eye  Witness's  Version. 
Fred  Eggers,  of  the  Republican   Printing  company,  in  the  basement  of  the 
building  across  the  alley,  saw  the  condenser  shoot  up  from  the  building  and  says 
it  was  a  most  remarkable  twist  of  good  luck  that  no  one  was  injured. 

What  the  Condenser  is. 
Engineer  Edgington  says  the  condenser  is  really  an  exhaust  device.  The 
boiler  keeps  live  steam  in  the  wash  tub,  dryers  and  other  apparatus  of  the 
business.  This  steam  has  an  exit  in  the  condenser,  into  which  cold  water  is 
forced  to  turn  the  steam  back  into  water.  From  some  unknown  cause  the  live 
steam  did  not  condense  building  up  a  pressure  which  the  contrivance  was  unable 
to  withstand. 

Explanation. 

Those  seeming  to  know,  give  the  opinion  that  through  some  reason  the  cold 
water  had  been  accidentally  shut  off,  which  would  give  the  condenser  the  same 
pressure  almost  as  was  in  the  boiler.  Its  diameter  was  three  feet  with  a  length 
of  six  feet.     Its  weight  would  probably  scale  175  pounds. 

Men  seated  in  the  park  claim  the  spiral  ascension  of  the  iron  airship  was 
plainly  visible  to  them. 

A  Farmer's  Luck. 

A  farmer  whose  team  he  held  standing  at  the  corner  of  Fifth  and  Michi- 
gan, when  the  explosion  came,  turned  his  frightened  horses  east  on  Fifth,  when 
the  condenser,  caroming  from  gable  to  pejik  of  the  Strayer  house,  struck  the 
curb  and  rebounding  several  feet  high,  leaped  toward  his  team  in  big  jumps. 
He  got  out  of  the  way  by  turning  short  in  on  the  Graves  lawn  and  around  the 
trees. 

The  condenser  was  of  14  gauge  material,  riveted  with  about  three-quarter 
inch  rivets  an  inch  apart.  Mechanics  stated  that  it  had  not  much  more  body 
to  it  than  a  rusty  stovepipe. 


272  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [October, 


Obituary. 

Edward  J.  Murphy. 

Edward  J.  Murphy,  for  many  years  consulting  engineer  for  The  Hartford 
Steam  Boiler  Inspection  and  Insurance  Company,  died  Tuesday  morning,  Sep- 
tember 2nd,  after  a  lingering  illness.  He  had  been  in  failing  health  for  the  last 
two  or  three  years,  suffering  from  heart  trouble,  but  his  hopeful  disposition,  and 
indomitable  will  had  helped  him  to  rally  and  get  out  many  times,  even  to  the 
extent  of  resuming  his  active  work  whenever  he  was  able  to  make  the  trip  from 
his  home  to  the  office. 

Mr.  Murphy  was  born  February  5,  1829,  in  the  province  of  Ulster,  Ireland- 
He  was  educated  in  the  private  schools  of  Dublin.  He  studied  drawing  under 
the  Royal  Art  Society  of  Dublin  and  afterwards  was  graduated  from  the 
Fanning  Engineering  Institute  of  the  same  city.  His  training  was  that  of  a 
civil  engineer  and  he  graduated  with  honor. 

Mr.  Murphy  was  predisposed  by  family  history  and  environment  to  lung 
trouble  and  in  consequence  of  this  and  his  own  impaired  health  was  ordered  by 
his  physician  to  take  an  ocean  voyage.  He  sailed  for  this  country  on  the 
Cunarder  America  and  after  a  two  weeks'  voyage  from  Liverpool  he  arrived 
at  Jersey  City  somewhat  improved  in  health.  He  then  went  to  Canada  and 
spent  the  first  winter,  that  of  1849-50  with  friends  there. 

In  the  year  1850  he  made  surveys  in  Ohio  for  a  Philadelphia  map  publishing 
concern,  later  performing  the  same  kind  of  work  in  the  central  part  of  New 
York.  He  was  engaged  in  this  work  until  the  close  of  the  year  1852.  In  1853. 
he  was  brought  in  touch  with  the  city  surveyor  of  New  York  and  was  made 
first  assistant  under  him  during  which  time  he  assisted  in  laying  out  the  street 
car  routes  of  the  city. 

In  1854  he  was  married  to  Jane  Major  Cassolani  at  the  residence  of  her 
brother,  Henry  Brougham  Major,  at  Yonkers,  N.  Y.  Soon  after  this  he  severed 
his  relations  with  the  Engineering  Department  of  the  city  of  New  York. 

In  1855  the  Woodruff  &  Beach  Iron  Works  were  in  need  of  a  chief  drafts- 
man and  Mr.  Murphy  was  recommended  in  the  highest  terms.  He  came  to 
Hartford  in  that  year  and  although  the  work  was  somewhat  different  from  civil 
engineering,  he  gave  the  best  of  satisfaction  from  the  first.  This  engagement 
continued  until  the  dissolution  of  the  firm.  Woodruff  &  Beach,  as  it  is  well  known, 
did  some  of  the  most  important  work  for  the  government  that  was  transacted 
during  the  War.  Beginning  with  1861  Mr.  Murphy  was  identified  with  the  U. 
S.  Navy  Department  at  these  works  during  the  construction  of  boilers  for  U. 
S.  S.  Kearsage,  Manitou,  Minnetonka,  and  Piscataqua. 

After  this  engagement  he  went  West  to  further  recuperate  his  health  which 
had  become  impaired  by  too  close  application  to  business.  He  was  placed  at 
the  head  of  a  surveying  party  by  a  large  company  having  a  land  enterprise  in 
process  of  development.  He  crossed  the  plains  by  wagon  train,  braving  the 
dangers  of  those  days  and  at  one  time  was  obliged  to  have  the  protection  of 
U.  S.  cavalry  as  a  guard  from  hostile  savages.  Upon  his  return  he  spent  six 
weeks  in  an  open  boat  descending  the  Missouri  River  to  civilization.  In  this 
manner  he  recovered  his  health  and,  though  frequently  given  up  for  dead  at  the 
hands  of  savages,  returned  to  Hartford  in  health  and  safety. 


1913.] 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE, 


273 


Mr.  Murphy  was  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  Hartford  Foundry  &  Ma- 
chine Company  from  the  year  1872  until  the  close  of  its  existence.  From  1872 
to  1878  he  was  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Fire  Commissioners  a  position  in 
which  he  was  specially  useful  by  reason  of  his  acquaintance  with  machinery, 
machine  designing  and  the  executive  management  of  details.  He  was  largely 
instrumental  in  obtaining  for  the  city  the  first  self-propelled  fire  engine  ever 
made  and  used  in  this  country  if  not  in  the  world.  The  late  Chief  Eaton,  then 
chief  of  the  Fire  Department,  was  also  a  strong  advocate  of  the  self-propelled 
engine  and  was  of  considerable  assistance  to  Mr.  Murphy  in  carrying  through 
the  plans  for  such  an  apparatus.  In  the  latter  part  of  1878  he  was  chosen 
president  of  the  Board  of  Water  Commissioners  and  remained  in  the  position 
two  years  when  he  resigned  to  accept  the  appointment  of  supervising  engineer 
of  the  Colt's  Patent  Fire  Arms  Manufacturing  Company.  Here  he  remained 
until  June,  1889  when  he  resigned  to  become  the  consulting  engineer  of  the 
Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Inspection  and  Insurance  Company,  which  position  he 
held  until  his  death. 


Edward  J.  Murphy. 


274  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [October, 

Mr.  Murphy  was  honored  with  many  places  of  public  and  private  trust 
during  his  fifty-seven  years  of  residence  in  Hartford  and  aside  from  his  presi- 
dency of  the  Water  Board  and  membership  of  the  Fire  Board  he  was  a  State's 
Prison  director  from  1887  to  1893.  He  was  also  trustee  of  St.  Peter's  Church 
Corporation  and  a  director  of  St.  Francis  Hospital.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
American  Society  of  Mechanical  Engineers  and  an  associate  of  the  American 
Society  of  Naval  Engineers,  taking  a  lively  interest  in  the  activities  of  both 
organizations.  In  addition  to  the  professional  work  already  noted  he  was 
identified  with  the  design  and  construction  of  large  pumping  engines  used  at 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  and  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  and  the  engines  of  the  U.  S.  Cruiser 
Mohican  and  the  sloops  of  war  Pequot,  Nipsic  and  Cayuga. 


W.    M.    BOASE. 

W.  M.  Boase,  an  inspector  in  the  Baltimore  Department  of  The  Hartford 
Steam  Boiler  Inspection  and  Insurance  Company,  died  August  16,  at  St.  Eliz- 
abeth's Hospital,  Richmond,  Va.  His  death  came  at  the  end  of  a  long  illness, 
and   followed  a  critical  operation,  from  which  he  was  unable  to  rally. 

]\Ir.  Boase  had  been  in  the  employ  of  the  Hartford  for  about  nineteen 
years,  and  was  exceedingly  well  liked  by  the  men  with  whom  he  came  in  con- 
tact. He  was  capable  and  energetic,  and  his  loss  will  be  keenly  felt  in  the 
department. 

Mr.  Boase  was  born  in  the  Sicily  Islands,  England,  in  1861,  and  before 
coming  with  the  Hartford,  followed  the  sea,  as  an  engineer.  He  held  papers 
as  a  chief  engineer  of  ocean  going  vessels  from  the  British  Board  of  Trade. 
He  is  survived  by  a  widow  and  four  daughters. 


The  Care  and  Lubrication  of  Air  Compressors. 

(Abstracted   from   an   article  in  The   Compressed   Air   Magazine.) 

It  is  a  fact  that  air  compressors  frequently  pollute  the  mine  air  with  danger- 
ous gases,  and  sometimes  explode,  causing  damage  to  persons  and  property. 
In  either  case  the  same  may  be  generally  attributed  to  the  excessive  heating 
in  the  presence  of  compressed  air  of  the  oil  and  foreign  substances  that  have 
collected  in  the  cylinder,  discharge  pipe?  and  air  passages  and  especially  in  and 
around  the  valves.  Volatilization  and  ignition  of  oil  and  other  carbonaceous 
matter  occurs  very  rapidly  in  the  presence  of  highly  heated  air. 

It  is  therefore,  important : 

First.  To  keep  the  compressed  air,  while  being  compressed,  at  as  low  a 
temperature  as  possible. 

Second.  To  prevent  oil  and  other  carbonaceous  substances  from  collecting 
in  any  part  of  the  machine  or  in  the  discharge  pipes. 

All  ports  and  air  passages  should  be  as  large  as  practicable  and  should  be 
kept  free  from  obstructions  and  incrustations.  In  addition  to  partly  closing  the 
ports,  incrustation  often  causes  the  valves  to  stick  resulting  in  disastrous  con- 
sequences. 


1913.]  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  275 


To  avoid  incrustation  and  collecting  of  oil  and  foreign  substances  in  the 
machine  and  discharge  pipes,  high  grade  non-carbonizing  oil  may  be  used  and 
should  be  properly  fed  into  the  cylinder.  Petroleum  oil,  especially  free  from 
volatile  carbon,  with  flash  point  of  not  less  than  625  degrees  F.  is  recommended. 
The  oil  should  not  be  too  dense  nor  contain  animal  or  vegetable  oil.  Do  not, 
in  any  case,  use  ordinary  steam  cylinder  oil.  Why?  Because  the  heat  in  the 
steam  cylinder  is  moist,  and  the  surplus  oil  is  washed  out,  whereas,  the  heat 
in  the  compressor  cylinder  is  dry,  thus  causing  the  oil  to  stick  and  cake.  For 
the  above  reason,  and  also  on  account  of  the  diflference  in  the  character  of 
the  proper  lubricant  and  the  work  it  has  to  perform,  the  proper  feeding  of 
oil  to  the  compressor  cylinder,  is  very  different  from  the  oil  fed  to  a  steam 
cylinder.  Too  much  oil  causes  incrustation.  A  surprisingly  small  quantity  of 
good  oil  will  give  sufficient  lubrication  to  air  compressors.  Watch  your  com- 
pressor and  cut  the  amount  of  oil  down  to  the  minimum  of  its  requirements. 
Oil  should  not  be  allowed  to  collect  in  the  machine.  In  case  it  does,  it  should 
be  drawn  off  immediately. 

Even  when  using  the  best  oil,  properly  fed  to  the  cylinder,  the  machine 
should  be  cleaned  frequently  or  when  needed. 

Do  not  use  kerosene  for  cleaning!  It  is  very  dangerous.  Kerosene  has  a 
flash  point  of  about  120  degrees  F.  and  the  temperature  of  the  compressed  air 
may  at  any  time  reach  300  to  450  degrees  F.  and  cause  an  explosion.  The 
best  and  safest  method  of  cleaning  is  to  feed  into  the  air  cylinder,  soapsuds, 
made  of  one  part  soft  soap  to  15  parts  clean  water.  Feed  a  liberal  amount  of 
this  solution  into  the  cylinder  instead  of  the  oil  for  a  few  hours  or  even  for 
a  day,  if  necessary.  The  accumulation  of  this  water  and  oil  should  be  drained 
off  from  time  to  time  during  the  process  by  opening  the  blow-off  valve  at  the 
receiver. 

To  prevent  rusting,  it  is  necessary  to  run  the  machine  and  feed  oil  into 
the  cylinder  for  an  hour  or  so  after  the  cleaning  process  is  completed  and  the 
water  drained  off,  so  that  the  valves  and  all  parts  connected  with  the  cylinder 
will  become  coated  with  oil  before  shutting  down  the  machine. 

The  temperature  of  the  discharged  air  should  never  exceed  250  degrees  F. 
The  machine  should  be  watched  and  if  the  temperature  exceeds  the  above  it 
should  be  shut  down  and  cooled.  If  possible  the  cause  of  overheating  should 
be  eliminated  before  starting  up  again. 

The  temperature  increases  as  the  pressure  increases;  therefore  it  would  be 
well  to  equip  all  air  compressors  with  an  automatic  pressure  or  temperature 
regulator,  which  will  allow  the  compressor  to  run  idle  as  soon  as  the  pressure 
or  temperature  in  the  receiver  reaches  a  predetermined  limit  and  likewise  bring 
the  compressor  into  action  again  as  soon  as  the  pressure  or  temperature  falls 
below  this  limit.  There  are  regulators  on  the  market  which  apply  to  com- 
pressors coupled  direct  to  the  engine,  driven  by  electric  motors,  by  belt  or 
otherwise. 

As  an  extra  precaution  a  fusible  plug  may  be  placed  in  the  discharge  pipe 
near  the  compressor.  •  This  plug  should  be  made  to  fuse  and  blow  out  at  a  tem- 
perature of  between  325  and  350  degrees  F. 


276 


THE     LOCOMOTIVE, 


[October, 


mtM. 


Q\  (0sm^ 


C.  C.  Perry,  EIditor. 


HARTFORD,    OCTOBER,    1913. 

Single  copies  can  be  obtained  free  by  calling  at  any  of  the  company' s  agencies. 
Subscription  price  50  cents  per  year  when  mailed  from  this  office. 
Recent  bound  volumes  one  dollar  each.     Earlier  ones  two  dollars. 
Reprinting  of  matter  from  this  paper  is  permitted  if  credited  to 
The  Locomotive  of  The  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  1.  &  1.  Co. 


The  subject  of  boiler  specifications  is  always  of  interest  to  the  boiler  insur- 
ance company.  Indeed  the  extended  use  of  specifications  in  boiler  work  has 
come  about  very  largely  from  the  practice  of  boiler  insurance  companies  making 
specifications  for  new  boilers  for  their  assured  in  order  that  they  may  secure 
safer  and  better  construction,  with  better  workmanship  and  materials  of  known 
properties.  The  HartforJ  has  followed  this  practice  from  a  very  early  date 
and  has  done  much  pioneer  work  in  the  struggle  for  better  and  safer  boilers. 
It  is  therefore,  with  special  interest  that  we  read  the  reports  of  the  recent  con- 
vention of  the  American  Boiler  Makers  Association,  held  Sept.  1-4,  at  Cleveland, 
O.,  devoted  as  it  was  so  largely  to  a  discussion  of  this  question. 

We  regret  that  we  have  been  able  to  read  Mr.  Durham's  paper  on  Uniform 
Boiler  Specifications  only  in  the  abstract  as  yet.  In  his  suggestions  for  uniform 
specifications,  he  advocates  many  of  the  measures  long  insisted  on  by  the  in- 
surance companies,  and  which  have  heretofore  served  to  distinguish  between 
a  "  specification ",  and  a  "  commercial "  boiler,  such  as  a  minimum  factor  of 
safety  of  5,  with  rigid  requirements  as  to  the  reaming  of  rivet  and  tube  holes, 
the  planing  of  caulking  edges,  and  the  calculation  of  the  safe  load  upon  weld- 
less  braces  and  through  stays  based  on  a  maximum  stress  of  7,500  lbs.  per 
square  inch.  He  also  advocates  very  properly,  the  universal  use  of  the  double 
butt   strapped    joint. 

Further,  we  are  rather  inclined  to  agree  with  him  that  in  branding  plate, 
the  use  of  such  numbers  as  will  serve  to  definitely  identify  the  mill  test  report 
of  each  individual  plate  is  of  more  consequence  than  the  designations  "  flange  " 
or  "  firebox  ".  (Assuming  of  course  that  the  tensile  strength  stamping  would  be 
retained  as  at  present.)  For  it  is,  after  all,  the  definite  physical  and  chemical 
properties  of  tensile  strength,  ductility,  and  freedom  from  injurious  sulphur- 
and  phosphorus  within  sharply  defined  limits  which  we  want,  and  if  a  plate 
fulfills  the   requirements   for  a  particular  use,   it  matters  little   from   which  pile 


1913.]  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  277 


it  is  taken  so  long  as  we  are  prepared  to  assert  beyond  peradventurc  that  it 
actually  does  possess  the  desired  properties.  On  the  other  hand,  we  are  in- 
clined to  take  issue  with  him  in  recommending  60,000  lbs.  as  tlie  minimum  value 
to  be  taken  for  the  tensile  strength  of  boiler  steel.  We  believe  that  a  degree 
of  ductility  and  freedom  from  brittleness  under  shock  can  be  obtained  in  steels 
of  lesser  tensility  which  will  far  outweigh  the  advantage  in'*cost  accruing  to 
the  boiler  maker  from  the  possibility  of  using  slightly  thinner  plate.  We  feel 
sure  that  steel  of  from  55,000  to  60,000  lbs.  tensile  strength  is  still  the  best 
available  material   for  boiler  construction. 


It  has  been  our  pleasant  duty  several  times  recently,  to  record  the  acqui- 
sition by  the  Hartford,  of  the  steam  boiler  and  fly-wheel  business  of  other 
companies.  This  business,  principally  from  multiple  line  casualty  companies, 
has  in  each  instance  come  to  us  because  these  companies  could  not  afford  to 
maintain  the  necessarily  expensive  machinery  of  inspection  in  the  face  of  the 
small  volume  of  business  written.  In  this  issue,  we  again  reprint  a  news  item 
from  the  Hartford  Times,  giving  the  details  of  two  more  transactions  of  this 
sort.  The  Locomotive  is  glad  to  extend  a  welcome  to  these  new  members  of 
the  family  of  Hartford  assured. 


The  question  of  the  probable  behavior  of  boilers  and  steam  containing 
apparatus  in  the  event  of  fire  is  always  one  of  interest.  We  have  recorded  in 
these  columns  from  time  to  time,  instances  both  of  the  failure  and  the  survival 
of  such  vessels.  That  a  serious  explosion  may  be  produced  by  a  fire,  especially 
if  the  vessel  is  not  provided  with  adequate  means  of  relieving  itself  from  an 
undue  pressure,  or  if  its  material  is  of  such  a  nature  as  to  be  seriously 
affected  by  exposure  to  a  high  temperature  is  self  evident. 

A  striking  illustration  of  this  comes  to  our  attention  just  as  we  go  to 
press,  from  the  columns  of  Safety  Engineering.  On  August  20th,  Jersey  City, 
N.  J.,  was  swept  by  a  conflagration,  starting  in  a  collection  of  cooper  shops, 
which  resulted  in  a  property  loss  estimated  variously  at  from  $500,000  to 
$1,000,000.  One  of  the  buildings  consumed  was  a  soap  works,  and  in  it  was 
a  rendering  tank  said  to  have  been  constructed  of  ^^  in.  plate,  and  to  have 
been  4  ft.  in  diameter,  by  9  ft.  high.  As  is  usual  with  this  type  of  vessel,  the 
bottom  course  was  conical  in  shape,  and  was  provided  at  the  bottom  with  a 
cast  iron  nozzle,  closed  with  a  cast  iron  door.  The  tank  was  not  however 
provided  with  a  safety  valve.  On  the  morning  of  the  fire,  the  tank  was  charged 
as' usual.  When  the  fire  reached  the  building,  the  tank,  subjected  as  it  was 
to  an  intense  heat,  accumulated  a  high  pressure  of  steam.  In  addition,  the 
cast  iron  door  and  nozzle  became  so  weakened  by  the  high  temperature,  that 
they   failed   sooner   than   the    steel    plate   of   which  the  body  of   the   tank   was 


278  THF     LOCOMOTIVE.  [October,. 

built.  As  a  result  the  contents  of  the  tank  were  expelled  through  the  bottom,, 
on  the  failure  of  the  door,  and  the  tank  was  projected,  sky  rocket  fashion, 
some  100  ft.  in  the  air  landing  about  400  ft.   from  its  starting  point. 

Two  important  facts  are  forced  upon  our  attention  by  this  failure,  first,, 
that  in  spite  of  the  knowledge  which  is  in  the  possession  of  designing  and 
operating  engineers,  there  are  still  many  vessels  in  daily  use,  operating  under 
an  internal  steam  pressure,  with  no  effective  provision  to  limit  that  pressure- 
to  a  safe  value.  The  other  is  the  general  unreliability  of  cast  iron  as  a 
material  for  use  in  boilers  where  it  may  be  subjected  at  the  same  time,  to  high- 
temperatures  and  the  stresses  produced  by  high  pressures.  Of  course  cast  iron 
in  a  rendering  tank  cannot  be  criticised  from  this  standpoint,  for  rendering 
tanks  are  by  no  means  designed  to  withstand  conflagrations.  The  fact  remains 
however,  that  there  are  many  vessels  in  use  where  cast  iron  subjected  to  high 
pressures,  is  at  the  same  time  forced  to  suffer  the  consequences  of  high 
temperatures,  and  the  failure  of  these  cast  iron  parts  furnishes  all  too  great  a. 
proportion  of  the  accidents  recorded  in  our  explosion  lists. 


One  of  the  things  that  goes  to  make  up  Hartford  service  is  the  making  of 
specifications  and  drawings  for  new  work  contemplated  by  our  assured.  The 
purpose  of  course  is  to  secure  for  the  purchaser,  the  best  and  safest  boiler 
that  he  can  get  for  his  money.  The  specification  helps  him  to  secure  this 
much  desired  result  by  supplying  him  in  a  usable  form  with  the  digested  and 
applied  experience  of  our  specialists  in  the  boiler  field.  A  further  benefit  to- 
the  purchaser  arises  through  the  knowledge  that  all  the  makers  bidding  on. 
the  specification  are  competing  for  the  building  of  the  same  identical  job, 
which  they  know  will  be  inspected,  and  must  meet  the  specified  standards  of 
material  and  workmanship.  This  fact  while  it  may  not  reduce  the  bids  to- 
the  lowest  figure  at  which  a  boiler  might  be  purchased,  will  on  the  other  hand' 
secure  the  best  terms  for  a  specification  boiler. 

If,  as  is  usually  the  case,  he  submits  the  specifications  to  several  manufac- 
turers for  bids  and  finally  lets  a  contract  based  on  it,  the  specification  becomes- 
a  part  of  that  contract  or  agreement  between  the  purchaser  and  the  boiler 
maker.  Our  interest  in  the  proceeding  is  over  except  in  so  far  as  we  may  be 
called  upon  by  the  terms  of  the  contract  to  inspect  and  pass  upon  the  work- 
manship and  materials.  In  that  event,  our  interest  is  strictly  confined  to 
seeing  that  the  contract,   already  made,  is  properly   fulfilled. 

If  the  boiler  is  built  and  delivered  in  strict  compliance  with  the  specifica- 
tions all  goes  well.  Frequently  however  the  makers  will  suggest  changes  either 
in  the  boiler  itself  or  its  attachments,  and  then  a  misunderstanding  may  arise- 
as  to  our  position  in  the  transaction.  Boiler  makers  very  often  refer  these  pro- 
posed changes  to  us,  asking  us  to  permit  them  or  approve  them,  when  really 
they  are  a  matter  between  the  makers  and  the  purchaser  only.  If  the  pur- 
chaser is  willing  to  permit  alterations  in  the  terms  of  the  contract,  that  is  his- 
business,  not  ours.  We  can  of  course  advise  him  as  to  our  views  of  the- 
value  of  the  proposed  substitution,  but  the  decision  must  rest  with  him. 


1913.]  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  279 


It  is  undoubtedly  true  that  changes  in  a  specification  are  often  desirable, 
particularly  when  some  substitute  method  or  design,  better  suited  to  the  maker's 
shop  equipment  may  be  used  with  no  sacrifice  in  safety  or  strength,  and  with 
a  gain  in  economy.  On  the  other  hand,  the  changes  suggested  are  sometimes 
such  as  will  result  in  a  much  inferior  product,  and  any  saving  in  cost  may  be 
dearly  bought.  But  in  any  case,  whether  the  changes  are  desirable  or  not, 
we  wish  to  make  it  very  clear  that  the  matter  is  entirely  between  the  maker 
and  purchaser,  that  when  we  have  given  our  best  judgment  as  to  what  seems 
to  us  the  proper  construction,  by  drawing  specifications,  and  if  desired,  seeing 
that  they  are  carried  out  by  inspection,  we  have  fulfilled  our  entire  part  in 
the  proceeding. 


Personal. 

Mr.  James  P.  Hagarty,  who  was  appointed  a  special  agent  in  1910,  and 
who  has  very  successfully  devoted  a  portion  of  his  time  to  soliciting  since 
then,  has  now  given  up  his  work  in  the  mechanical  department,  and  will  give 
his  entire  attention  to  the  selling  end  of  the  business  as  special  agent  in  the 
Hartford  Ofiice. 


Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Gets  Tenth  Acquisition. 

Takes  Over  Business  of  Kansas  City  Casualty  Co.  For  Which  There  Had  Been 
Keen  Competition. 

Second  Within  Few  Weeks. 

[From  The  Hartford  (Conn.)  Times,  Sept.  3,  1913.] 

It  is  understood  that  the  Kansas  City  Casualty  Company  of  Kansas  City, 
Mo.,  has  just  closed  a  reinsurance  contract  with  The  Hartford  Steam  Boiler 
Inspection  and  Insurance  Company,  of  this  city,  under  which  the  Hartford  com- 
pany takes  over  and  assumes  all  the  Kansas  City  company's  liability  under  its 
various  outstanding  steam  boiler  policies. 

Desirable   Business. 

President  Brainerd  of  the  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  company  confirms  this 
statement  and  explains  that  while  the  volume  taken  over  is  not  large,  there 
has  been  keen  competition  between  the  companies  to  secure  it,  as  it  is  of  a  very 
desirable  character,  compact  and  well  located.  The  Kansas  City  company  began 
business  in  1910  and  started  with  a  paid  up  capital  of  $250,000,  and  undertook 
to  do  a  steam  boiler  business  in  connection  with  its  other  various  casualty  lines, 
numbering  some  ten  or  a  dozen  of  the  more  prominent  ones.  It  stood  well  at 
home  and  was  popular  throughout  the  territory  in  which  it  operated,  and  its 
other  lines  will  now  be  relieved  of  the  burden  of  carrying  the  steam  boiler  line 
which  in  the  absence  of  volume  cannot  be  conducted  with  profit. 


280  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [October, 

Another  Only  Few  Weeks  Ago. 

It  was  only  two  or  three  weeks  ago  that  the  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  took  over 
the  steam  boiler  business  of  The  United  Casualty  and  Surety  Co.,  of  Memphis, 
Tenn.  This  last  acquisition  makes  the  tenth  company  that  has  reinsured  its 
entire  steam  boiler  business  with  the  Hartford  company,  and  a  part  of  the 
steam  boiler  business  of  two  other  companies  has  likewise  been  taken  over 
quite  recently.  The  Hartford  Steam  Boiler  company  makes  a  specialty  of  in- 
specting and  insuring  steam  boilers,  and  of  late  the  taking  over  of  the  steam 
boiler  business  of  other  companies  has  seemingly  become  a  prominent  feature  of 
its  business,  as  the  steam  boiler  business  of  no  less  than  seven  companies  has 
been  taken  over  during  the  last  six  or  seven  years. 


Fly-Wheel  Explosions,  1913. 

(19.) — A  large  fly-wheel  burst  May  9,  at  the  saw  mill  of  the  Crookston 
Lumber  Co.,  Bemidji,  Minn.  One  man  was  killed,  and  considerable  damage 
done  to  the  mill  property. 

(20.) — An  engine  and  its  fly-wheel  were  wrecked  May  23,  at  the  plant  of 
the  Bay  State  Brick  Co.,  Indian  Orchard,  Mass.  No  one  was  injured,  but 
the   plant   was   shut   down   pending   repairs. 

(21.) — A  fly-wheel  burst  June  9,  at  the  plant  of  the  Alpha  Portland 
Cement  Co.,  Alpha,  N.  J.  Two  men  were  killed,  and  the  property  damage 
was  large.  A  detailed  account  of  this  wreck  was  published  in  the  July  issue 
of  the  Locomotive. 

(22.)  — A  centrifugal  extractor  exploded  June  20,  in  the  laundry  department 
of  the  shirt  factory  belonging  to  the  Rice-Stix  Dry  Goods  Co.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
One  man,  the  operator  of  the  machine  was  instantly  killed,  while  six  others, 
four  of  them  girls  were  very  seriously  injured.  One  of  the  girls  had  her 
shoulder  literally  torn   from  her  body  and  was  not  expected  to  recover. 

(23.) — A  gear  failed  June  30,  at  the  plant  of  the  Scoville  M'f'g  Co., 
Waterbury,   Ct. 

(24.) — A  fly-wheel,  and  another  belt  wheel  exploded  July  19,  at  the  plant 
of  the  Davis  County  Canning  Co.,  Syracuse,  Utah.  No  one  was  injured,  but 
the  plant  was  forced  to  close  at  the  height  of  the  canning  season,  losing  a 
large   amount  of   perishable   stock  which  they   could   not   save. 

(25.) — A.  L.  Reim,  a  farmer  was  killed  July  22.  by  the  explosion  of  a 
rotary  ensilage  cutter  which  he  was  operating.  One  of  the  knives  is  said  to 
have  been  propelled   with   such   force  as  to  sever  a  tree. 

(26.)  —  A  fly-wheel  fractured  July  23,  at  the  plant  of  the  Cooks  Linoleum 
Co.,  Trenton,  N.  J. 

(27.)— An  extractor  burst  July  24  at  the  Home  Laundry,  Passaic,  N.  J. 
Three  men  were  injured. 

(28.)— An  extractor  exploded  Aug.  2,  at  the  works  of  the  Bangor  Steam 
Laundry  Co.,  Bangor,  Me.  One  girl  was  killed,  and  three  others  hurt  by  the 
explosion. 


1913.]  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  281 

(29.) — A  fly-wheel  exploded  August  20,  at  the  plant  of  the  Payne  and 
Joubert  Foundry  and  Machine  Co.,  Birmingham,  Ala.  One  man  wa.%  killed, 
and  the  property  loss  was  considerable.  (A  complete  description  of  this  acci- 
dent will  be  found  elsewhere  in  this  issue.) 

(30.) — A  fly-wheel  attached  to  a  sausage  grinder  burst  August  28,  at  the 
butcher  shop  of   Breitenbach  Bros.,  Escanaba,  Mich.     One  man  was  injured. 

(31.) — A  large  fly-wheel,  22  ft.  in  diameter,  exploded  September  6,  at  the 
Liberty  Mills,  South  Nashville,  Tenn.  One  man  was  killed,  three  were  injured, 
and  a  property  loss  sustained  estimated  at  $5,000.  The  cause  of  the  accident 
is  said  to  have  been  the  running  ofif  of  a  governor  belt,  allowing  the  engine 
to  race. 


Boiler  Explosions,  May,  1913. 


(186.)  — A  boiler  exploded  May  i  at  the  planer  of  the  Castleberry-Flewellen 
Co.,  Longview,  Tex.  Two  men  were  seriously  injured  in  addition  to  a  consid- 
erable property  damage. 

(187.) — A  slight  accident  occurred  to  a  boiler  at  the  power  house  of  the 
Liberty  Electric  Light  and  Power  Co.,  Liberty,  Mo.,  on  May  2. 

(188.)  — A  tube  ruptured  May  3,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of  the 
King  Paper  Co.,   Kalamazoo,  Mich. 

(189.)  — On  May  3,  a  boiler  exploded  at  the  saw  mill  of  G.  W.  Guthrie,  Pine 
Creek,  Va.  Two  men  were  killed,  one  critically  injured,  and  the  mill  was  a  total 
wreck  as  the  result  of  the  accident. 

(190.) — On  May  4,  the  crown  sheet  of  ]\Iissouri  Pacific  locomotive  No.  93 
blew  down,  near  Tipton,  Mo.  Two  men,  the  fireman  and  a  brakeman,  were 
injured. 

(191.)  — On  May  5,  a  tube  failed  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  electric  light- 
ing plant  of  the  City  of  Kalamazoo,  Kalamazoo,  Mich.  Chas.  Weisenberg,  night 
watchman,  was  injured. 

(192.) — Two  flues  burst  in  a  boiler  at  the  coal  yard  of  Brewster  and  Ab- 
bott, Troy,  N.  Y.,  on  May  6.  The  property  was  somewhat  damaged  by  fire  as 
a  result  of  the  explosion. 

(i93-)  — A  serious  and  unusual  triple  explosion  occurred  May  6.  at  the  plant 
of  the  Lapeer  Gas  and  Electric  Co.,  Lapeer,  Mich.  The  accident  resulted  from 
handling  gasolene  in  some  way  so  that  its  vapor  passing  over^  the  boilers,  ex- 
ploded. This  was  followed  in  succession  by  the  explosion  of  the  boilers  and  a 
gas  storage  tank.  One  man  was  fatally  injured,  and  property  was  damaged  to 
the  extent  of  some  $60,000. 

(194.) — The  North  Monroe  Steam  Mill  Company's  plant  at  Monroe,  N.  H.. 
was  wrecked  May  6,  by  the  explosion  of  a  boiler.     One  man  was  injured. 

(195.) — A  cast  iron  sectional  healing  boiler  ruptured  May  8,  in  the  apart- 
ment house  of  Alva  Seybolt,  Saratoga  Springs,  N.  Y. 


282  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [October, 

(196.)  — 'A  boiler  exploded  May  8,  at  the  saw  mill  of  Price  and  Kinslow, 
Glasgow,  Ky.  Three  men  were  seriously  injured,  while  the  mill  was  badly 
wrecked. 

(197.) — A  boiler  exploded  May  10,  at  the  grist  mill  of  Thomas  Mattingly, 
•near  Lebanon,  Ky.  Mr.  Mattingly  was  seriously  scalded,  while  the  mill  was 
badly  wrecked,  being  unroofed  by  the  explosion. 

(198.)  — On  May  10,  the  bottom  head  of  a  vertical  rendering  tank  blew  off 
at  the  plant  of  the  Smith  Bros.  Packing  Co.,  Denver,  Colo.  J.  Agarth,  night 
•engineer  and  tankman  was  fatally  scalded. 

(199.)  — A  tube  ruptured  May  10,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of  the 
Standard  Steel  Co.,  Alabama  City,  Ala.     The  damage  was  slight. 

(200.)  — An  accident  occurred  May  10,  to  a  boiler  at  the  ice  plant  of  Chas. 
R.  Haskins,  Winden,  Ga. 

(201.)  A  tube  ruptured  May  11,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of  the 
Standard  Steel  Co.,  Alabama  City,  Ala.     (See  item  No.  199.) 

(202.)  — On  May  11,  a  steam  separator  on  the  main  steam  line  exploded  at 
the  Buckingham  Ave.  plant  of  the  Public  Service  Corporation  of  New  Jersey, 
Perth  Amboy,  N.  J.  M.  Burke,  oiler,  was  slightly  injured,  and  the  property 
damage  was  in  the  neighborhood  of  $2,000. 

(203.)  — A  tube  ruptured  May  14,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  Orkin  Bros, 
department  store,  Omaha,  Neb.     Three  men  were  injured,  one  fatally. 

(204.)  — Three  cast  iron  headers  fractured  May  14,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at 
the  plant  of  the  Sandusky  Gas  and  Electric  Co.,  Sandusky,  O. 

(205.)  — A  boiler  exploded  May  14,  on  the  lease  of  the  Cash  Oil  Co.,  Hum- 
ble, Tex.     One  man  was  killed. 

(206.) — On  May  15,  a  hot  water  heater  exploded  in  the  basement  of  the 
building  occupied  by  the  Boston  Protective  Co.,  Purchase  St.,  Boston,  Mass. 

(207.)  — A  steam  pump  exploded  May  17,  on  a  boat  belonging  to  the  Western 
Kentucky  Coal  Co.,  Paducah,  Ky.     Two  men  were  killed. 

(208.)  — A  tube  ruptured  May  19,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  Bordentown 
Light  Station  of  the  Public   Service  Corporation  of   New  Jersey.   Bordentown, 

N.  J. 

(209.)  — On  May  19,  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  Oak  Park 
Power  Co.   plant  of  the  General  Motors  Co.,  Flint,  Mich. 

(210.)  — On  May  20,  an  accident  occurred  to  a  boiler  at  the  planing  mill  of 
the  Brooks  Scanlon  Co.,  Kentwood,  Ga.  Extensive  repairs  were  necessary  to 
the  boiler. 

(211.)  — A  tube  ruptured  May  20,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  N.  Delaware 
Ave.  plant  of  the  Philadelphia  Rapid  Transit  Co.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

(212.)  —  A  boiler  ruptured  May  24,  at  the  plant  of  the  W.  H.  Glover  Co., 
Rockland,  Me. 

(2i3.>_A  tube  ruptured  May  24,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of  the 
American  Steel  and  Wire  Co.,  Waukegan,  111. 

(214.) On  May  29,  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  mill  of 

the  Minneapolis  Malt  and  Grain  Co.,  Minneapolis,  Minn. 

(215.)  —A  cast  iron  header  ruptured  May  31,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the 
plant  of  the  Ohio  Electric  Railway  Co.,  Lima,  O. 


1913.]  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  283 

June,   1913. 

(216.)  — A  boiler  exploded  June  i,  on  the  farm  of  Eugene  Houssiere,  Pine 
Prairie,  Tex.  Henry  Davis,  engineer,  was  fatally  injured,  while  Robert  Ham- 
ilton, fireman,  was  less  seriously  injured. 

(217.)  — A  boiler  exploded  June  3,  at  the  plant  of  the  Brooklyn  Range  and 
Boiler  Co.,  Long  Island  City,  L.  L,  N.  Y.  One  man  was  injured,  probably 
•fatally. 

(218.) — On  June  3,  a  boiler  ruptured  at  the  plant  of  the  Leonard  Ice  and 
•Coal  Co.,  Leonard,  Tex.    The  damage  was  confined  to  the  boiler  itself. 

(219.)  — A  tube  ruptured  June  6,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of  the 
Elmira  Cotton  Mills  Co.,  Burlington,  N.  C. 

(220.)  — Two  tubes  ruptured  June  6,  in  a  boiler  at  the  plant  of  the  Berlin 
'Brick  Co.,  Berlin,  Ct. 

(221.)  — On  June  6,  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  South  Jer- 
sey Gas,  Electric  and  Traction  Co.  plant  of  the  Public  Service  Corporation  of 
New  Jersey,  Trenton,  N.  J.    Eugene  Holet,  water  tender,  was  injured. 

(222.) — A  blow-oflf  pipe  failed  June  7,  at  the  plant  of  the  Lancaster  Milling 
•Co.,  Lancaster,  Tex. 

(223.) — On  June  7,  a  tube  pulled  out  of  the  tube  sheet  of  a  water  tube 
•boiler  at  the  pulp  and  paper  mill  of  the  Thos.  Phillips  Co.,  Akron,  O. 

(224.)  — A  tube  ruptured  June  10,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Water  Co.,  Nadine  Station,  Pa.  Frank  Sarretti,  fireman,  was 
•scalded. 

(225.) — A  tube  failed  June  10,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of  the 
'Great  Southern  Lumber  Co.,  Bogalusa,  La. 

(226.)  — A  boiler  exploded  June  10,  in  the  basement  of  the  Beth  Israel  Hos- 
pital, New  York  City.  A  fire  which  followed  the  explosion  created  a  panic 
among  the  patients.     One  man  was  killed  in  the  fire. 

(227.)  — A  boiler  exploded  on  the  coal  steamer  E.  M.  Peck,  at  Racine,  Wis., 
on  June  11.  Six  were  killed  and  seven  or  eight  seriously  injured,  \vhile  many 
more  received  minor  injuries.     The  ship  was  a  complete  wreck. 

(228.)  — On  June  12,  a  boiler  ruptured  at  the  plant  of  the  ]Manhattan  Ice, 
Light  and  Power  Co.,  Manhattan.  Kans. 

(229.)  — Three  cast  iron  headers  ruptured  June  13,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at 
the  plant  of  the  Princess  Furnace  Co.,  Glenn  Wilton,  Va. 

(230.) — A  cast  iron  header  failed  June  14,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the 
Northern  Hospital  for  the  Insane,  Logansport,  Ind. 

(231.)  — A  tube  ruptured  June  16,  in  a  boiler  at  the  power  house  of  the  Mu- 
nicipal Water,  Light  and  Power  Co..  Mackinac  Island,  Mich. 

(232.)  — On  June  16,  a  header  failed  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of 
the  Miller  Lock  Co..  Philadelphia.  Pa. 

(233.)  —  On  June  16,  the  crown  sheet  of  a  locomotive  collapsed  on  the  dam 
construction  work  of  J.  G.  White  and  Co.,  Stevens  Creek,  Ga. 

(234.)  — A  tube  ruptured  June  16,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of  the 
King  Paper  Co.,  Kalamazoo,  Mich.  Two  men  were  scalded,  but  the  property 
loss  was  practically  confined  to  the  boiler. 

(^235.)  — A  ID  horse  power  boiler  used  for  wood  sawing  exploded  at  the  home 
■of  Frank  Owen,  at  Swifts  Mills,  N.  Y.,  on  June  16.  No  one  was  injured,  though 
five  persons  are  said  to  have  been  gathered  about  the  boiler  just  prior  to  the 
:accident. 


284  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [October, 


(236.) — A  bleaching  kier  exploded  at  the  James  Thompson  mosquito  net- 
ting mill,  Valley  Falls,  N.  Y.,  on  June  17.  Two  men  were  injured  somewhat, 
and  property  was  damaged  to  an  extent  estimated  at  from  $5,000  to  310,000. 

(237-)— A  boiler  tube  burst  June  19,  in  a  boiler  at  the  Rugby  Distillery, 
Louisville,  Ky.     Three  men  were  injured,  one  fatally. 

(238.)  —A  large  air  tank  exploded  June  20,  at  the  garage  of  T.  J.  Kennedy, 
Batavia,  N.  Y.  One  man  was  slightly  injured,  and  the  building  was  badly  dam- 
aged. 

(239.)  —On  June  20,  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of 
the  Brier  Hill  Steel  Co.,  Youngstown,  O. 

(240.)— A  boiler  ruptured  June  20,  at  the  plant  of  the  Burlington  Sanitary 
Milk  Co.,  Burlington,  la. 

(241.)— A  tube  ruptured  June  20,  at  the  plant  of  the  Standard  Steel  Co., 
Alabama  City,  Ala. 

(242.) — On  June  20,  a  boiler  ruptured  at  the  bleachery  and  cotton  mill  of 
the  Great  Falls  Mfg.  Co.,  Somersworth,  N.  H. 

(243.) — The  boiler  of  an  El  Paso  and  Southwestern  R.  R.  locomotive  ex- 
ploded June  21,  at  Fairbanks,  Ariz.     Two  men  and  two  women  were  injured. 

(244.)  — A  tube  ruptured  June  21,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of  the 
Omega  Portland  Cement  Co.,  Jonesville,  Mich. 

(245.)  — One  June  22>,  a  cast  iron  header  ruptured  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at 
Factory  No.  2  of  the  Union  Ice  Co.,  Pittsburg,  Pa. 

C246.) — A  small  boiler  exploded  June  24,  at  the  plant  of  the  Good  Luck 
Polish  Co.,  Louisville,  Ky.  The  damage  was  small,  as  the  boiler  is  said  to  have 
been  of  but  six  horse  power. 

(247.) — On  June  28,  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  Coal 
St.  station  of  The  Public  Service  Corporation  of  New  Jersey,  Newark,  N.  J. 

(248.)  — On  June  29,  a  boiler  ruptured  at  the  ice  and  brick  plant  of  Chris. 
N.  Filing,  Brush,  Colo. 

(249.)  — A  header  was  blown  off  the  tubes  in  a  water  tube  boiler  June  30. 
at  the  lumber  mill  of  C.  L.  Willey,  Chicago,  111. 


July,  1913. 

(250.) — On  July  I,  a  steam  heated  retort  exploded  at  the  Ainsworth  and 
Dunn  Cannery,  Blaine,  Wash.  The  vessel  was  being  tested  under  steam  for 
the  first  time  when  the  explosion  occurred,  killing  two  men.  From  press  re- 
ports we  are  lead  to  believe  that  the  accident  was  due  to  an  effort  to  tighten 
the  clamping  bolts   of   the  door,  while   under  pressure. 

(251.) — A  tube  ruptured  July  2,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  Allegheny 
Steel  Go's,  plant,  Brakenridge,   Pa. 

(252.)  — A  boiler  ruptured  July  2,  at  the  plant  of  the  Alacuky  Lumber  Co., 
Conasanga,  Tenn. 

(253.) — On  July  6,  a  boiler  ruptured  at  the  Marion  Brick  Works,  Monte- 
zuma, Ind.     It  was  necessary  to  replace  the  boiler  with  a  new  one. 

(254.)  —A  boiler  exploded  July  7,  at  the  St.  Clair  County  Gas  and  Electric 
Company's  power  house,  Belleville,  111.     One  man  was  injured,  probably  fatally. 


1913.]  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  285 

(255.) — On  July  8.  a  tube  pulled  out  of  the  tube  slicet  of  a  water  tube 
boiler  at  the  plant  of  The  National  Lock  Co.,  Rockport,  111.,  doing  considerable 
damage  to  the  boiler. 

(256.)  —  A  tube  ruptured  July  10.  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of  the 
Central  Ice  and  Cold  Storage  Co.,  New  Orleans,  La.     The  damage  was  small. 

(257.) — On  July  II,  a  blow-off  pipe  failed  at  the  Satinet  Mill  of  the 
Aldirch  Mfg.  Co.,  Charlton  City,  Mass.  Peter  Jorgenson,  engineer  and  fire- 
man, was  scalded  so  severely  that  he  died  the  following  day. 

(258.)  — On  July  II,  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of 
the   Minneapolis  Malt  and   Grain   Co.,   Minneapolis,    Minn. 

(259.)  — A  tube  ruptured  July  12,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of  the 
Standard  Steel  Co.,  Alabama  City,  Ala. 

(260.) — On  July  13,  a  cast  iron  header  ruptured  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at 
Factory  No.  2  of  the  Union  Ice  Co.,  Pittsburg,  Pa. 

(261.)  —  A  boiler  exploded  July  13,  on  the  oil  lease  of  the  National  Pacific 
Oil  Co.,  Maricopa,  Cal.  One  man  was  very  severely  scalded,  though  he  is 
expected  to  live. 

(262.) — A  slight  accident  occurred  to  a  boiler  at  the  plant  of  the  \V.  F.  & 
John  Barnes  Mfg.  Co.  Rockford,  111.,  on  July  14. 

(263.) — Through  an  accident  to  a  boiler  used  for  heating  and  pumping  the 
city  supply  of  road  oil,  July  15,  Mayor  Horwege  of  Petaluma,  Cal.,  who  was  at 
the  plant  at  the  time,  was  very  severely  scalded. 

(264.) — A  valve  blew  out  July  15.  in  the  dynamo  room  of  the  LI.  S.  S. 
Nebraska,  at  the  Charleston,  Mass.,  Navy  Yard.  Two  men  were  scalded,  one 
fatally. 

(265.) — On  July  16,  a  cast  iron  header  ruptured  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at 
the  plant  of  the  Sandusky  Gas  and  Electric  Co.,  Sanduskj',  O. 

(267.) — On  July  16,  an  accident  occurred  to  a  boiler  at  the  plant  of  the 
Polar  Ice  Co.,  Indianapolis,  Ind. 

(268.) — A  boiler  ruptured  July  17,  at  the  plant  of  Swift  and  Co..  Clinton, 
la. 

(269.) — Two  men  were  killed  and  a  third  badly  injured,  July  17,  as  the 
result  of  an  explosion  in  the  boiler  room  of  the  British  freight  steamer  Fair 
Mead,  at  Pier  No.  3,   Constable  Hook,  N.  J. 

(270.)  — The  boiler  of  a  locomotive  on  the  Texas  and  New  Orleans  Railroad, 
exploded  July  18,  between  Beaumont  and  Houston,  Tex.  The  engineer  and 
fireman  were  instantly  killed,  and  several  passengers  are  said  to  have  been 
injured. 

(271) — A  boiler  exploded  at  a  grist  and  saw  mill  near  Trinity,  Ala.,  July 
18.  Two  people  including  the  proprietor  of  the  mill  were  killed  outright,  two 
were  fatally  injured,  and  a  fifth  was  injured  so  severely  as  to  make  his  recovery 
a   matter   of   doubt.     The   mill   was   completely    demolished. 

(272.) — A  large  air  compressor  exploded  July  18  at  the  plant  of  the 
Americus   Automobile    Co.,    Americus,    Ga.     No    one   was   injured. 

(273.) — A  boiler  ruptured  July  18.  at  the  plant  of  the  Water  Works  Co., 
of  Seneca  Falls,  N.  Y. 

(274.)  —  On  July  18  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of 
Jacob  Dold  Packing  Co.,  Wichita,  Kans. 


286  THE     LOCOMOTIVE.  [October, 

(275.) — A  blow-off  pipe  failed  July  20,  at  the  plant  of  the  Lake  City  Ice 
Co.,  Cleveland,  O. 

(276.)  — On  July  21,  three  cast  iron  headers  failed  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at 
the  plant  of  the  Trenton  Street  Railway  Co.,  Trenton,  N.  J.  The  damage  to  the 
boiler  was  considerable. 

(277.) — 'A  boiler  ruptured  July  22,  at  the  mine  of  the  National  Fuel  Co., 
Aguilar,  Colo. 

(278.)  — A  threshing  machine  boiler  exploded  July  22,  near  Bedford,  Ky. 
Two  men  were  badly  injured. 

(279.)  — A  valve  failed  on  an  Iron  Mountain  locomotive  July  23,  near  Leola, 
Ark.     Both  the  engineer  and  fireman  were  painfully  scalded. 

(280.) — A  tube  ruptured  July  23,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  Suburban 
Plant  of  the  American  Gas  and  Electric  Co.,  Scranton,  Pa. 

(281.) — On  July  24,  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  power 
house  of  the  Public  Service  Corp'n  of  Northern  Illinois,  Blue  Island,  111.  Two 
men  were  injured. 

(282.)  —  On  July  25,  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of  the 
American  Beet  Sugar  Co.,  Oxnard,  Cal.  Cecil  Morgan,  fireman,  was  killed  and 
J.  Sandoval,  boiler  cleaner,  was  injured.     The  property  damage  was  small. 

(283.) — Two  cast  iron  headers  ruptured  July  25,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at 
the  plant  of  the  Railway  Steel  Spring  Co.,  Latrobe,  Pa. 

(284.) — Five  cast  iron  headers  ruptured  July  25,  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at 
the  licorice  factory  of  the  McAndrews  and  Forbes  Co.,  Camden,  N.  J. 

(285.) — A  serious  fire  resulted  from  the  explosion  of  a  boiler  at  the  New 
England  Dyeing  and  Cleansing  Co.'s  plant.  Maiden,  Mass.,  on  July  26. 

(286.) — A  boiler  ruptured  July  30,  at  the  plant  of  the  United  States  Cast 
Iron  Pipe  and  Foundry  Co.,  Columbus,  O. 

(287.)  — A  water  heating  boiler  burst  July  30,  at  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  building, 
Dixon,  111. 

(288.)  — On  July  31,  a  tube  ruptured  in  a  water  tube  boiler  at  the  plant  of 
the  Hamilton  Otto  Coke  Co.,  Mamilton,  O. 

(289.) — A  boiler  exploded  at  the  plant  of  the  Briscoe  Lumber  Co.,  Grand 
Mound,  Wash.,  on  July  31.  One  man  was  killed,  and  two  others  seriously 
injured. 

(290.)  — A  boiler  exploded  July  31  on  the  oil  lease  of  the  Sun  Oil  Co.,  near 
Tiffin,  O.     One  man  was  perhaps  fatally  injured. 


THe  PaiKoril  Steam  Boiler  lospectioq  aqd  iQSDiagce  Gompaiig. 


ABSTRACT  OF  STATEMENT,  JANUARY  1,  1913. 
Capital  Stock,       .        .        .       $1,000,000.00. 


ASSETS. 
Cash  on  hand  and  in  course  of  transmission, 
Premiums  in  course  of  collection, 
Real  estate,  .... 
Loaned  on  bond  and  mortgage. 
Stocks  and  bonds,  market  value. 
Interest  accrued, 

Total  Assets, 


$186,187.28 

285.163.53 

90,600.00 

1,193,285.00 

3,506,178.40 

75,600.51 

$5,337,014.72 


LIABILITIES. 

Premium    Reserve,                    $2,211,732.44 

Losses  unadjusted, 94.913-83 

Commissions  and  brokerage,    ........  57,032.71 

Other  liabilities  (taxes  accrued,  etc.), 47,740.86 

Capital    Stock, $1,000,000.00 

Surplus  over  all  liabilities 1,925,594.88 


Surplus  as  regards  Policy-holders, 

Total  Liabilities, 


$2,925,594.88     2,925.594.88 
$5,337,01472 


LYMAN  B.  BRAINERD,  President  and  Treasurer. 

FRANCIS  B.  ALLEN,  Vice-President.  CHAS.   S.  BLAKE,   Secretary. 

L.    F.    MIDDLEBROOK,   Assistant   Secretary. 

W.  R.  C.  CORSON,  Assistant  Secretary. 

S.  F.  Jeter,  Supervising  Inspector. 

F.  M.  Fitch,  Auditor. 

BOARD  OF  DIRECTORS. 


ATWOOD  COLLINS,  President, 

The   Security   Co.,   Hartford,   Conn. 

LUCIUS  F.  ROBINSON,  Attorney, 
Hartford,    Conn. 

JOHN  O.  ENDERS,  United  States  Bank, 
Hartford,   Conn. 

LYMAN    B.    BRAINERD, 

Director,    Swift   &    Company. 

MORGAN    B.    BRAINARD 

\'ice-Pres.  and  Treasurer,  The  .(Etna 
Life  Insurance  Co.,  Hartford,  Conn. 

FRANCIS  B.  ALLEN,  Vice  Pres.,  The 
Hartford  Steam  Boiler  Inspection  and 
Insurance  Company. 

CHARLES  P.   COOLEY,  Vice-Pres., 

The     Fidelity    Trust     Co.,     Hartford, 
Conn. 


ARTHUR   L.   SHIPMAN,  Attorney, 
Hartford,  Conn. 

GEORGE  C.  KIMBALL,  President,  The 
Smyth    Mfg.    Co.,    Hartford,    Conn. 

FRANCIS  T.  MAXWELL,  President, 
The  ITockanum  Mills  Company,  Rock- 
ville,    Conn. 

HORACE  B.  CHENEY,  Cheney  Brothers 
Silk  Manufacturing  Co.,  South  Man- 
chester,  Conn. 

D.  NEWTON  BARNEY.  Treasurer,  The 
Hartford  Electric  Light  Co.,  and 
Director  N.  Y.,  N.  H.  and  H.  R.  R. 
Co. 

DR.  GEORGE  C.  F.  WILLIAMS,  Treas. 
and  General  Manager,  The  Capewell 
Horse   Nail    Co.,    Hartford,    Conn. 

JOSEPH  R.  ENSIGN,  Vice-Pres.,  The 
Ensign-Bickford  Co.,   Simsbury,   Conn. 


■mt^:-- 


*8ffiitsburgh 


Incorporated   1866. 


Charter  Perpetual. 


THe  MM  Stean)  Boiler  Inspectioii  aqil  lusorancii  Goiqpaiiy 

ISSUES  POLICIES  OF  INSURANCE  COVERING 

ALL  LOSS  OF  PROPERTY 

AS  WELL  AS   DAMAGE   RESULTING  FROM 

LOSS  OF  LIFE  AND  PERSONAL  INJURIES  DUE  TO  EXPLOSIONS 
OF  STEAM  BOILERS  OR  FLY  WHEELS. 


Department. 

ATLANTA,   Ga 

6i[-6i3    Empire   Bldg., 

BALTIMORE,  Md.,     . 

13-14-15  Abell  Bldg.. 
BOSTON,    Mass., 

loi  Milk  St.       . 
BRIDGEPORT,  Ct.,     . 

No.  I  Sanford  Bldg.  . 

CHICAGO,   111 

160   West   Jackson    St. 

CINCINNATL  Ohio,   . 
First   National   Bank  Bldg. 

CLEVELAND,  Ohio,   . 
Century   Bldg.    . 

DENVER.  Colo., 
Room  2,  Jacobson  Bldg. 

HARTFORD,   Conn.,    . 
56  Prospect  St. 

NEW   ORLEANS,   La.. 

833-S35  Gravier  St.    . 
NEW  YORK,  N.  Y.,  . 

100   William    St. 
PHILADELPHIA,    Pa., 

Cor.  Fourth  and  Wahmt  Sts. 

PITTSBURG,   Pa., 

1801-1802  Arrott  Bldg., 

PORTLAND.    Ore.,      . 

306   Yeon    Bldg., 
SAN  FRANCISCO.  Cal., 

339-341    Sansome    St. 
ST.   LOUIS,   Mo., 

319  North   Fourth   St. 
TORONTO,   Canada.    . 

Continental  Life   Bldg., 


Representatives. 

W.  M.  Francis, 

Manager  and  Chief  Inspector. 

Lawford  &  McKiM,  General  Agents. 
R.  E.  MuNRO,  Chief  Inspector. 

C.  E.  Roberts,  Manager. 

Joseph   H.   McNeill,   Chief  Inspector. 

W.  G.  Lineburgh  &  Son,  General  Agents. 
F.  S.  Allen,  Chief  Inspector. 

H.  M.  Lemon,  Manager. 

James  L.  Foord,  Chief  Inspector. 

J.  T.  Coleman,  Assistant  Chief  Inspector. 

W.  E.  Gleason,  Manager. 
Walter  Gerner,  Chief  Inspector. 

H.  A.  Baumhart, 

Manager  and  Chief  Inspector. 

Thos.  E.  Shears, 

General  Agent  and   Chief  Inspector. 

F.  H.  Williams,  Jr.,  General  Agent. 
F.  S.  Allen,  Qiief  Inspector. 

Peter  F.  Pescud,  General  Agent. 
R.  T.  Burwell^  Chiof  Inspector. 

C.  C.  Gardiner,  Manager. 

W.  W.  Manning,  Chief  Inspector. 

Corbin,  Goodrich  &  Wickham,  General  Agents. 

Wm.  J.  Farran,  Chief  Inspector. 

S.  B.  Adams.  Assistant  Chief  Inspector. 

J.  J.  Graham,  Manager. 

Benjamin  Ford,  Chief  Inspector. 

W.  A.  Craig,  Assistant  Chief  Inspector. 

McCargar,  B.'^tes  &  Lively,  General  Agents. 

C.  B.  Paddock,  Chief  Inspector. 

H.  R.  Mann  &  Co.,  General  Agents. 

J.  B.  Warner,  Chief  Inspector. 

C.  D.  Ashcroft,  Manager. 

J.  P.  Morrison,  Chief  Inspector. 

H.  N.  Roberts, 

General  Agent. 


V^ 


5^ 


.CARNEGIE  LIBRARY  OF  PITTSBURGH 


3  1812  04248  1326 


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