124 Report of the Hoiixe qfCumniojis on Steam-Boals. 



When Mr. James Brown was asked by llie Committee, " Is 

 an engine liable to that extraordinary pressure upon it, under 

 particular circumstances, that it is better to have some part 

 of it that would give way ?" replied, "I should think so." — 

 Mr. G. H. Freeling says, " There must be some jiart of the 

 engine left to give way in case of any emergency, which is bet- 

 ter than destroying the cylinder." — But Mr. Timothy Bramah, 

 Mr. Donkin and Mr. Field, say, that " the engine should be 

 made so strong, that it may be brought to rest withotit the 

 fracture of any of its parts, in case it met with a resistance 

 that would require its ultimate power. They mention instances 

 that have come under their own personal observation, of en- 

 gmes having, in this waj', stopped with no other effect than 

 that of the steam forcmg open the safety valve and going off. 



It may be collected from the evidence, that the greater part 

 of the breakages which have occurred of different parts of the 

 machinery in steam-boats, has been owing to the negligence of 

 the engine-keepers : starting the engine without clearing off 

 tile water w^hich is formed on the top of the piston, from con- 

 densed steam, is one cause of fractures ; other accidents have 

 arisen fi'om suffering the bearings upon which the shafts v/ork, 

 and the links connecting the piston with the beam, to get loose ; 

 and in some cases from making them so tight, that the bearings 

 heat ; and also from not attending carefully to the steam-valve 

 when the vessel is exposed to a heavy sea. — Mr. Watt says, 

 " With the experience now obtained, we make no doubt but 

 that we shall be able to construct machinery less liable to ac- 

 cident; but much must always dejiend upon the vigilance and 

 experience of the men who work the engines.^ — Mr. James 

 Brown being asked what were the causes of accidents to the 

 machinery, re})lied, " They depended more on the engine- 

 keepers than any thing else," 



Mr. Donkin says, " I have reason to believe that some of 

 the steam-lioat comjianies have suffered severely from a want 

 of regular professional inspection;" and being asked, "Do you 

 conceive that the injury to engines from neglect is gieater than 

 the injury arising from the actual working of them?" replied, 

 " Yes, I do ;" and being further asked, " Has that been a 

 constant defect in the management of steam-boats up to this 

 period?" replied, " Yes, I conceive so." 



All the evidence is so decidedly in lavour of making boilers 

 of copper, that it is necessary only generally to refer to it. 

 Messrs. Fenton and Murray, of Leeds, say, " The boiler 

 ought to be what we call a combined boiler, viz. three distinct 

 boilers put together to form one boiler, with the fire pavSsing 

 three times through eacli, and so constructed as to be taken 



up 



