Steam boiler explosions, in theory and in pactice; . evealed the fact that the boiler was not properlysupplied with water. A portion of the crown sheetwhich we examined showed conclusively that near theflues it was red-hot. We also examined the safety-valve,which was of the wing pattern, having a lever and valve was so firmly corroded to its seat that it couldnot be removed, and the stem was also corroded whole secret of this explosion is that the boiler wasshort of water and an excessively high pressure of steamwas raised to an unknown point; which, without relief,acquiri
Steam boiler explosions, in theory and in pactice; . evealed the fact that the boiler was not properlysupplied with water. A portion of the crown sheetwhich we examined showed conclusively that near theflues it was red-hot. We also examined the safety-valve,which was of the wing pattern, having a lever and valve was so firmly corroded to its seat that it couldnot be removed, and the stem was also corroded whole secret of this explosion is that the boiler wasshort of water and an excessively high pressure of steamwas raised to an unknown point; which, without relief,acquiring sufficient force, tore the boiler to pieces.,, The valve was found and, being placed in a testingmachine then under the charge of the Author, at theStevens Institute of Technology, was only started by apressure of a ton and a half; # while nearly two tonswas required to move it observably. *Ibid, Oct. 22d, 1881. THE RESULTS OF EXPLOSIONS. *S3 Change of form with varying pressures and tempera-tures sometimes produces most unexpected defects. It. Fig. 57.—Faulty Staying. has been observed that many locomotive boilers stayedas in the figure, * give way at the side, in the mannerhere exhibited. Investigation shows that, in these cases,the tying of the furnace-crowns to the shell by the sys-tem of staying illustrated, and the continual rising andfalling of the furnace relatively to the shell, is very apt tocause a buckling of the outside sheet along the horizontalseam, which finally yields. This buckling and straight-ening of the sheet goes on until a crack or a furrow isformed along the lap nearest the most rigid brace, and,when this has cut deeply enough, the side of the boileropens, often the whole length of the furnace, the ex-plosion doing an amount of damage which is determined * Locomotive, Jan. 1, 1880. 154 STEAM BOILER EXPLOSIONS. by the steam pressure, the quantity of energy stored, andthe extent of the rupture.
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