File:The Locomotive (1867) (14770815501).jpg

Identifier: locomotive01hart (find matches)
Title: The Locomotive
Year: 1867 (1860s)
Authors: Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company
Subjects: Locomotives Steam-boiler explosions
Publisher: Hartford, Ct. : Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Co
Contributing Library: Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Digitizing Sponsor: Lyrasis Members and Sloan Foundation

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r line of socket staysand along the innerlap of a long seam.This springing ofthe plates above,caused by the sud-den variations of in-ternal pressure aseach charge ofsteam is taken bythe engine, haformed ajoint,suchas would happen toa piece of iron heldin the jaws of a viseand bent back and forth, while at the same time a heavytensile strain was applied. This line ofdisturbed fibers is especially susceptibleof the oxydizing action of the water.While at rest the weakened line becomescoated with oxide, which is cracked offby the motion and washed away by thecurrents when the boiler is put to workagain, leaving the clean and weak fibersmore susceptible, and by reason of theirloss of substance less capable of bearingthe strain. And the destruction goes onin an increasing ratio till the furrowcomes through, or the plate cracks (as inthis case it did), and begins to leak.Cracks in the shell, or other parts ofboilers not exposed to the direct action ofthe fire, may be regarded as unmistakable
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1880.) THE LOCOMOTIVE. Ill signs of distress. But to the engineer who has not had the advantage of studying prac-tically the causes of destructive explosions, and knows little about boilers outside ofown practice, this phenomenon means no more than any one of the many leaks that hehas successfully patched before. So it is duly patched as seen at D, Fig. 2, and after-wards admirably endures the legal hydrostatic test. But the plasters only hide thedefect. The work of de-struction still goes on.The extra expansion othe furnaces both laterallyand upward tends to assistin forming the fatal joint;the former by thrustingthe sides outward andbending them sharply onthe inner lap of the seam ; *and the latter by looseningthe vertical stays, therebythrowing undue strain up-on this weak line; alto-gether placing the parts\under consideration in fa-vorable condition for rap-id oxydation, which, hav-ing gone on to maturity,a slight shock only is nee-essary to burst open thedoor. Other weak points

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