The Cause Of Boiler Explosions

Froni the Engineering and Mininsr Jburniil Whcnover a boiler esplodes in .1 orowdcd plaoe, oausing loss of lite, tho attention ot' the public press is especially called to tho subject, and our daily papers teem with articles on the various supposed causes oí explosiona. Each theory is baeked by an argument to provo that boiler explosiona cau origínate in 110 oth er wiiy. The recent explosión of tho boiler of tho ferryboat Westfield hos furniahed a text for a very large number of editovi-ils, somc of which aro so preposterous that wo fcol calloil upon to suy a few words upon tho subject. From a scientific point of view the kil 1ina; and wounding of a largo number of human beinga does not add to tlie interest of an explosión ; and however harrowing tlie loss of lito may be to our foelings, or however muoh it uiiy frighten us, we 3houll not allow this tact to inHuonce uur jndgment when we come to analyze tho accident. On tho subject of boiler explosions we llave sonie ideas which, thcugh shared by iomo of the first seientific men in tho world, would be considered " old fogy" by the brilliant writers of tho daily and si-si -lentihc press. We belicve, in tho fírst placo, thit a boilorcxplodc'3 becausc thcro is a higher prefigure of steam on fho interior than the boiler is capablo of withstandiiig. We 866 no reasou for supposing than any g :s, otlicr than sto.im, is tormed. Every 1 m i 1er should be a law untoitself. It lia- the atrength to resist pressurc up toa certain point, and when tho boiler is BO TOduced in gtrength that it can no longor boar suffioi nt preasuie to perform tho work roquired, it is time to replaoe it. In the Rccond placo we bolievo that boilers seldom oxplodo except andel B muoh higher pressure of stcam than they are ratea to bear. Por example, tli Imüer of the Westfield v;ts oonaiaerod by tlie inspector oapable of of.oarrying twontysevon poands to tho square inoh and we think that we Me within bounds when W6 siiy tliat it probahly withstoorl a pressuro of over forty ponnds bofore it ttixl. it is irnc mat tno ooner was om and had boen several times repaired ; hut thi! oomUtiau of the boiler alter che explosión provea oonolusively th.it it was still abundantly ablo to ro-ist mucli ni ie than twerity-sevun poiuuls preasure. The bracos wero torn through the iron shell, which was ovor :i u n ter of an iiu'h thioV, aud in very good oonditúm where tl:e bracos vare rivetad in. Thoro mav liave boen a defect in somi' part it' the bi iler, but if thera was, it, in all probability, lesseued th loss of life and the danger of thi: explosión by releasing the steam lrfore toe preaaure was higber. We taku it tor granted that a suffioiont pressuro of stcani can be raised in any boiler to cxplodo it, and the strongcr the boiler the me fearfdl tho offocts oí t'. o explosión. j.t is mu duty of the engineer at ni' times tobo surethat the pressuro ofst m On boiler is a safe mie. Any boi r can Withstand soma prasSure or other, u d it should not be callüd upon to do mi re tlni.li it.s strength allows. Xhis isa ve) y simple, oommon (enge View af the inttttt , bnt it dees not sccm to be a favorito onu with tho pross. Evil-mindcd persons mighf say tluit it was too truc. The West field disaster wenu to Ustobo entirely doe to the negligence of those in oharge of the boiler. Even if the safoty-valve lid not work, the engineer should have boen at hig post, and he could then hiive easily seen frora his stoom frangí' tliat the pressure was altogothor too great, and hve taken preoaa tioliary meosures in giod time. The total number of Lrni(in soldien r - portod interred thronhout the United otates is 315,555, ofwhioh number 143. ■117 havenuvur been idetrtified. Tho pestilenco fly, of wliich mention has been made, has made its appearance in New York city. This insect is gaid to be the precursor of cholera or othor dire pestilence. The heaviest rainfaU known at Charlestnn, S. C. fot many years, terminated Bunday morning. During the 48 hours preceding, more thatl eight and a half inohea of rain feil. Thii was followed by a severo gale. The transaotions in mening jn-operty at Sa.lt Lake City for the pust week were t 1 ,92 1,000. Ammgemcnts are making to organizo a stock board and exchangc. Consul MoGowan, at Shanghai, writos to the State Department Warning against the intrnduelion into this country of tho rinderpest from Bibei la. The Tnembers of the American Association for the Advuncefhent of Science passed tirough Louisville Wednesday, on tneir way to the Mammoth Cave. Th(?re was a heavy frost on Mount Washington Sunday morning.