44 ANNUAL OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. 



On another occasion he was conducting an experiment which required the 

 steam to be kept up at a pressure of 50 Ibs. per inch for 36 hours consecu- 

 tively, but using a very small quantity of steam. The boiler was filled to 

 within two inches of the top (10 inches of water) and it was not fed during 

 the 36 hours; at the end of that period it was only reduced 4i inches, 

 and contained 6. The feed pump was then set in motion to fill the boiler, 

 and although the steam only fluttered gently at the safety valve all day, at 

 the very first stroke of the feed water, the boiler commenced to roar, the 

 engine bounded off with a higher velocity, and with the second and third 

 strokes of the pump the safety valve was forcibly raised, the steam burst from 

 two joints in the top of the boiler, and Mr. R. declares that had he not 

 quickly opened a f -inch steam way, he believes the boiler must have ex- 

 ploded, as it exhibited great spasmodic action. He did not anticipate such 

 a result, and the peculiar fact led him to reflect as to the cause. He came to 

 the conclusion that, the water in the boiler might have attained to a higher 

 temperature than 2.80 Fah. the heat at 50 Ibs. pressure and if so, a rapid 

 evaporation of steam would be caused when the feed water was supplied, 

 thus suddenly generating a great pressure. He, however, could not satisfy 

 himself of this withotft an experiment. As he required more steam than his 

 smah 1 boiler furnished, he put up two others, side by side, in line with it, and 

 placed the furnace under the end of one of the new ones, which we will call 

 No. 1 ; then the flues were deflected and passed under the middle one, No. 2, 

 then returned under No. 3, and into the chimney. The feed water entered 

 No. 3 only, and passed thence by a pipe to No. 2, and from it by a pipe to 

 No. 1. The steam was carried by a small pipe from each, and was collected in 

 a larger one for use. A thermometer was placed in each boiler through a 

 stuffing-bpx, and dipped low down into the water. The boiler No. 1, with 

 the furnace under it, had its steam up in 1 hour ; No. 2 had its steam up in 

 1 hour 40 minutes; No. 3 in 2 hours, at which period the three ther- 

 mometers indicated 212 an equality of heat. At the end of the first six 

 hours the thermometer in No 3 indicated 280 Fah., in No. 2, 288, in No. 1, 

 290. The bulbs of the three thermometers were then slid upwards to raise 

 them out of the water, when the temperature of each fell to 280 that of the 

 steam in each boiler at 50 Ibs. pressure. The thermometers were slid down 

 into the- water again, and the experiment continued for 6 hours longer, when 

 they were examined again. The thermometer in No. 3 indicated 282, in 

 No. 2, 290, in No. 1, 300 Fah. The thermometers were again raised out 

 of the water, when they ah 1 fell to 280. This, he states, convinced him of 

 the rationale of many mysterious steamboat explosions; but his chemical 

 experiments not being finished, he again restored the thermometers, and left 

 them for 18 hours longer. On examining them again, thermometer No 3 was 

 standing at 285, No. 2 at 298, and No. 1 at 312. They were again raised 

 out of the water and fell to 280 the steam in each boiler being at the same 

 pressure, although there was a difference of 27 between the water in No. 1 

 and No. 3. 



From the above experiments Mr. Radway deduces the following conclu- 

 sions : 



