The Locomotive - Lighthouse Survival Blog

1884.] THE Loco M OTIVE 59
also given on page 4 of the Oiretdar Issued bj Qen. Dumont under date of February
19, 1894.
We quote these rules in order to call our readers' attention to them, and prevent, so
far as we •an, such confusion as might possibly arise from overlooking the early repeal
of the first rule.
An Inspector's Strange Experience.
An inspector in our northwestern department writes to n.s concerning an experience
that recently betel him, as follows: "I had an experience a few weeks ago, which I
should be quite reluctant to repeat under the same circumstances, if it could be avoided
as well as not. I called to make an inspection at a stone works here, where they have
two boilers, but use only one at a time. The engineer was working at his two pumps,
which he could not get to throw water, and was scolding because lie had no steam to
run with, although he had had plenty only a short time before. The tubes in the boiler
I was going to inspect were badly choked, and in fact nearly filled with soot from the
coal. I thought that might be the trouble with the boiler they were using, so I opened the
front of that boiler and looked into the tubes. They were red hot. I looked for the water.
It was gone. I looked under the boiler to see the fire, and jets of burning gas were actually
spurting out between the rivets on the seams over the fire. And the engineer wa»
still working at his pumps, trying to get some water. I had a queer feeling just at that
instant. I got the engineer away from the pumps as soon as possible and had him draw
the fire; and I could see the gas burning along the seam while the fire was being drawn.
As soon as it was darkened in the arch a little, I could see that the sheet on the bottom
of the boiler was red hot for a space about three feet square. As soon as the boiler
cooled down we opened the manhole, and found the inside to be bone dry. The outcome
was that the seam next to the bridge-wall was badly fire-cracked and sprung, so
that a new sheet had to be put in. The tubes all had to come out, and all the seams on
the fire surface had to be re-calked ; which I consider to be a very fortunate escape."
We have no comment to make upon this report, at present, beyond the statement
that the inspector in question is a thoroughly honest and competent man.
We have received from Mr. C. J. H. Woodbury a copy of the Annual Report of the
School Committee of the City of Lynn, Mass., for the year ending Dec. 31, 1893. It contains
much interesting matter, and is a very creditable report. Among other things, we
note with pleasure, on page 20, the following reference to the insurance of the boilers
of the Lynn public schools in the Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Com-
pany :
" The insurance of heating boilers in schoolhouses has been an advantage through
the efficient service of their corps of inspectors, who have discovered need of repairs in
several instances. These experts have also given to the janitors much information upon
the best methods of caring for such boilers, and upon economy in fuel. Some changeshave
been made in the duties of certain janitors in schoolhouses heated by boilers, by
relieving them of the care of other schoolhouses, so that they will not leave the
boilers during school sessions. The Governor of Massachusetts appointed Mr.
Thomas Hawley, a well-known steam engineering expert, to examine into the care and
conditions of boilers in schoolhouses and public buildings, and it is a matter of satisfac-
tion that the following portion of the report contained such a commendatory notice of
the janitors and boilers in Lynn schoolhouses: 'The method of caring for the boilers.