Steam Making; Or, Boiler Practice

UC-NI SB ES LIBRARY -CALIFORN IA IO STEAM MAKING; OR BOILER PRACTICE, OHAS. A. SMITH, 0. E., Professor of Civil and Mechanical Engineering at Washington University* St. Louis, Mo.; Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Engineers' Club of St. Louis, and Associate Member of the American Association of Railway Master Mechanics. UNIVERSITY' CHICAGO : THE AMERICAN ENGINEER, 182-184 DEARBORN STREET. 1885. (o Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1884, l>y PROPRIETORS OF THE AMERICAN ENGINEER, in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. PRESS OF JOHN W. WESTON, CHICAGO, ILL. PUBLISHERS' PREFACE. It is believed that some knowledge of the circumstances attending the publication of this work, "STEAM MAKING," as well as its companion volume, "STEAM USING," will be of interest to the reader. The lamented author, Prof. Chas. A. Smith, had arranged with the American Engineer for the publication of the two works. While the first, "STEAM MAKING," was going through the columns of the Engineer, Pro- fessor Smith died, early in 1884, leaving also to the care of the Engineer the recently completed manuscript of "STEAM USING." To all who are familiar with the circumstances under which the books were written the author suffering from a mortal illness and struggling against death to thus round out his life work, only giving up to die on their completion will appreciate and value the more highly the broad and active experience thus crystallized. To Mr. John W. Weston, so long connected with this journal, and personally familiar with the author and his writings, has been delegated the pleasant duty of conducting these works through the various stages of bookmaking, with the result now presented. The task has not been without its difficulties, the most serious, perhaps, being the loss of the invaluable assistance of their author in the work of revision of matter and proof. It has been the aim, as far as possible, to preserve the exact style of the author, and it is believed that the facts and features presented in both books, the heirlooms of an admirable man, acknowledged to be profound and exact in his particular lines of work, will be held to cover whatever defects of minor importance may be encountered. THE AMERICAN ENGINEER, CHICAGO, January 1, 1885. AUTHOR'S PREFACE. In this work the author has aimed at the presentation of modern boilers and has intended to give only those sanctioned by general experience admitting nothing, for the sake of novelty or apparent advantages. In such a work there can be little originality and the author is, of course, indebted to many sources for his information. The examples chosen are taken from American practice where possible. The four marine boilers and the boiler at Mulhouse are taken from "Engineering" as also the tables of experiments with rivetting and with the full sized boilers. To Mr. L. E. Fletcher the author is greatly indebted for permission to use his valuable paper on the Lancashire boiler in Chapter IV., and to H. K. Ivers, Assistant Engineer, United States Navy, for valuable assistance in preparing illustrations. Two good works on boilers have recently appeared in this country: The able work of Chief Engineer Shock, United States Navy, which treats mainly of the marine boiler, and that of Mr. Wm. Barr, of Indianapolis. The former is placed by its price beyond the reach of many, and the latter gives more attention to Western practice. In this book the attempt has been made to give a more comprehen- sive view of the ground than either of these authors, while necessarily many of the facts given are to be found in those works. On the practical construction of boilers nothing better has appeared than the work of Wil- son, which is not, however, illustrated by examples in detail. The author would have wished this work to be illustrated much more fully, but for the desire to keep down the cost to a reasonable limit. The table of experiments with boilers is compiled from all sorts of sources and is believed to be sufficiently extensive to furnish a precedent for almost any kind of boiler in any locality; however, nothing better than the deductions of Kankine and Clark have been made from them. It was originally intended to include in this work the use of steam and to give an extended table of engine trials and a few examples of engines but the work has had to wait, and may follow this at some future time. CHAS. A. SMITH. SKETCH OF THE LIFE AND CHARACTER OF THE AUTHOR. Charles A, Smith was born in St. Louis, October 1, 1846. His parents were both Massachusetts people who had been still further west. From both father and mother he inherited the instincts of a sailor, and the blood of several generations of ship-masters coursed through his veins. Though he never became a sailor, he always showed a sailor's fondness for "fixing things," for using his hands, for actual construction. While he was still an infant, his mother died of cholera in St. Louis, and he was placed in the care of his father's sister, in Newburyport, Mass. This kind aunt was his mother, and her house was his home till he had a home of his own. His mode of life was simple and plain, but young Smith made warm friends and his boyhood was happy. I first met him in 1860, when I became principal of the Boys' High School, of Newburyport. He was then fourteen years old and a member of the second class. He was a pleasant little fellow with a frank, earnest look, and a forehead which suggested brains. When the school gave expression to its loyalty to the Union by the erection of a liberty pole and publicly celebrated a flag-raising, young Smith was selected by his school- mates to mount the platform and haul home the stars and stripes. The school had a very good theodolite, and when we came to Loomis' Surveying, a great enthusiasm for field work was developed, and young Smith was never so happy as when on a surveying party. He took the English course and graduated in 1862. The next spring he went into the office of J. B. Henck, civil engineer, in Boston. At that time he probably had no idea of going to an engineering school. In 1864 he was leveller on the Boston, Hartford & Erie Kailway. In 1865 he became chief assistant in the City Engineer's office, Springfield, Mass. By this time he saw clearly that an engineer requires a training far beyond a high school education, and he resolved to enter the Massachusetts Institute of Tech- nology, then first opened. He had been reading ahead somewhat, with occasional help from me, so that he entered what was organized as a sophomore class. He lived again in Newburyport and went eighty miles daily on his way to and from the Institute. President Kogers was his teacher in physics, Professor Kunkle in mathematics and applied mechanics, and Professor Henck in civil engineering. He graduated in the pioneer class in 1868. I never quite understood how he managed to meet the cost of his course at the Institute. To be sure he had carefully saved the earnings of three years, and he secured VIII. STEAM MAKING; OR, BOILER PRACTICE. for his vacations most excellent employment under the celebrated hy- draulic engineer, J. B. Francis, at Lowell, Mass. He there assisted in determining the flow of water in pipes, over wiers, the efficiency of tur- bines, etc. I left Massachusetts for St. Louis in 1865, so I did not follow closely his career as a student. After a year as engineer on the Union Pacific Kailway in Utah, he returned, on the completion of the road, to Boston and went into partner- ship with Professor J. B. Henck. as civil engineers. While there associated with Professor Henck, he took charge of a part of the Blue Eidge Rail- way of North Carolina, as division engineer. At that time, in 1870, the steady development of the Polytechnic School of Washington University made it necessary to appoint an instructor of civil engineering. I took pleasure in recommending young Smith for the position, and he was appointed. For the first year he made his home in my family, and as a preparation for the work of the class room he read with me Kankine's Civil Engineering entire. After a brief experience as instructor, Mr. Smith was appointed professor to the chair of civil and mechanical engineering, which was subse- quently named in honor of William Palm. This chair Professor Smith held till June, 1883, when compelled by his last illness to resign. Though devoted at all times to the work of his professorship, Profes- sor Smith found time to mingle in matters of practical engineering. For five years he was consulting engineer of the Iron Mountain Railway, among other things designing the DeSoto shops, and building a new pier in the Black river. In a similar way he was associated with Messrs. Shickle, Harrison & Co., designing the arched ribs of the roof over the Chamber of Commerce, and the iron trestles of the Bessemer Iron Works. Professor Smith was engaged as consulting engineer for the construction of the water works of Hannibal, of St. Charles, in Missouri, and of Ames- bury, Massachusetts. His last professional duties were in connection with the last named. The pumping works at Richmond, Va., were designed by him, his plans being entered in competition and receiving the first prize.

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