The Locomotive - Lighthouse Survival Blog

1893.
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T 11 i: I. ( K
• () M O T I V K . 77
(2.) — l{rNN'tN(; WITH Town Watek.
€ost of 47,520 gallons of water, = $8.55
These figures .show that it would be cheaper to use town water tliaii well water, un-
der the cunditions u.ssumed in the present artick'. AVhether tliis would hold true or not
iu other cases can only be told after examining the new conditions in the same manner.
Several other items, omitted in the foregoing estimate, might also have to be con-
sidered under some circumstances. Thus, when running with a water that contains a
considerable amount of .scale matter, it is not possible to entirely prevent the formation
of scale, and it is well known that a slight coating of limy matter dimini.she.s the
efficiency of a boiler quite sensibly. This Avould increase the expense of running with
well water. On the other hand it sometimes liappens that the town water is not all that
could be desired in the way of softness and purity, and in such cases the advantages of
town water would be less marked. Under these circumstances we .should have to allow
for the expense of occasionally cleaning out the boiler when running with town water,
in the same way that we allowed for it in the present example with well water. Again,
it is a common experience that iu running with water containing considerable scale or
sediment repairs have to be made oftener than when a purer water is used, and some
allowance should be made for this; though it is hard to estimate this expense fairly. If
a suitable well is available the expense of sinking one might not have to be considered;
but otherwise the boiler-owner must take account of this outlay also. Unless he caa
find a spring near by, or an underground watercourse near the surface, he will probably
find it best to sink several small wells — driven wells, let us say.— in order to obtain a
sufficient supply. This will probably cost him from $700 to $1,000, according to the
locality; and the interest on this outlay will amount to something in the neighborhood
of |50 per annum. Furthermore, in case he has only one boiler he will probably find it
necessary, if he relies on wells, to provide a tank of some kind to fill the boiler when it
has been put out of use; and this will very likely cost him $175, or so. All these things
should be carefully considered in choosing a water for use in boilers; but we think that
the suggestions given above should remove most of the difficulties that will arise, except
such as must, from their very nature, always remain matters of judgment. The repair
expense, mentioned above, is an item of this sort, which cannot be estimated except by
an experienced man who is familiar with the conditions; and even then it cannot be
estimated with anything like precision.
Boiler Insurance Companies.
A correspondent of the Xew York Mail and Express, referring to the explosion of
the boWer of the fJliver EUsicorth at Middletowu, Conn., in 1820, says: "There were
no steam boiler insurance companies in those days, and consequently the boiler of the
Oliver Elhioorth. was repaired at the owners' expense, without the assistance of an insur-
ance organization. The accident narrated above must have been frequently repeated
since 1820, not only upon boats, but iu factories, and in other places where steam power
is employed for its infinite variety of purposes. It seems to me there should l)e a com-
pany organized to meet that which must have been a long-felt want in the direction just
indicated. With it also might be properly coupled an inspectorship of steam boilers,
although especial caution should be exercised on the part of the inspector when he is
called upon to thrust his head into boiler flues for minute inspection and examination,
unless, indeed, he should be happily provided with a policy of accident insurance in his