556 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



STEAM BOILERS. 



Members requested Mr. C, H. Haswell, the Chairman, to give 

 his views of their construction, and also the causes of their 

 explosion. He called Mr. Tillman to the chair and took the 

 floor. He proceeded to illustrate by drawings upon the black 

 board, the general form of the steam boilers used almost univer- 

 sally on our great western waters. 



In consequence of the frequency of fire occurring on board of 

 steam vessels of all descriptions, I deem it proper to address you 

 upon the subject, for the purpose of inviting your attention 

 thereto, and at the same time submit to your consideration the 

 following recital of the principal causes therefor, and also some 

 observations regarding the proper measures which, in my opinion^ 

 should be resorted to, to arrest or remove them. 



JYeglect of Security and Provisions against Fire on the part of 

 the Constructors and Owners of Steam Vessels. 



BOILERS. 



1. Boilers with external firnaces^ alike to the ordinary cylin- 

 drical boiler of the western and southern waters, are supported 

 by iron standards; the sides of the furnaces and the bottoms of 

 the lower flues being constructed with brick work and mortar 

 beds, and in the construction of this work care is given more to 

 the general confinement of the fire and flame for the economy of 

 fuel than it is to guard the vessel from being fired. When boilers 

 of this description are used, even on land, it is impracticcible to 

 keep the brick work and bedding permanently free from fissures, 

 whereby fire or sparks may pass out and ignite any inflammable 

 material they come in contact with; how much more difiicult 

 then must it be to keep brick work free from fissures, when it is 

 subjected to the workings and concussions of a steam vessel. 



2. Boilers with inter7ial furnaces, alike to the ordinary marine 

 boilers, are frequently constructed without water bottoms, hence, 

 when the fittings of the legs to the bed of the boiler is imperfect, 

 either by neglect in the workmanship, or may become so by the 

 effects of rust, an opening is exposed, whereby fire or sparks may 

 pass out, as in the case just recited. 



3. Boilers, the furnaces of which are fitted with blowers, to 

 afford an artificial draft. — In this case the pressure of air within 

 the furnace, flues, and pipe, being superior to the external atmos- 

 phere, any fissure or hole in any part of the external face of the 

 furnace, the fitting of the legs of the boiler to its bed, (when 

 there is no water-bottom,) the fitting of the man-hole doors or 



