EXPLANATION OP THE PLATES.
375
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injecting too little water into them when
their speed is great, thereby deteriorating
the vacuum and reducing the power of
the engines, and that at the time when
the greatest power is required.
11. In injection engines, the proper
supply of water to the boilers is depend
ent upon and entirely at the mercy of
the engineers, from whose negligence such
serious accidents arise as those of the ex
plosion of the two Hull steam vessels, the
Union and Victoria, and many others, by
which a most serious loss of life has taken
place and great injury has been done to
the reputation of steam navigation.
12. In injection engines, the vacuum is
injured by the air which is in mechani
cal combination with the injection water
being conveyed by it into the condenser.
In the patent engines, the boilers are
never liable to be burnt down or injured
by the water becoming in them, by acci
dent or by the carelessness of engineers,
too low, for as every cubic foot of water
which is converted into steam is by con
densation reconverted into precisely the
same quantity and returned to the boil
ers, the water is always kept in them at
exactly the same height without any at
tention on the part of the engineer.
In the patent engines, a superior va
cuum is obtained, owing to no air being
introduced into the condensers, and to the
condensation being more perfect than can
be effected by injection.”
« ADVANTAGES APPERTAINING TO THE PATENT IMPROVEMENTS.
“First, from the various causes above mentioned, a saving of at least one third part
of the fuel is effected in the patent engines, or in other words injection engines con
sume half as much more fuel as the patent engines.
Second, for every ton of coal that is saved, a ton of profitable freight may be sub
stituted.
Third, as vessels with engines to which the patent improvements are applied
make their passages nearly as quick in stormy as in fine weather, and as they do
not require during or at the end of their passages, however numerous, any blowing
out or cleaning of the boilers, to occasion delays, every vessel is capable of making
more passages and of becoming in that ratio more profitable.
Fourth, as boilers supplied with pure distilled water will endure a much greater
length of time than those in which salt water is used, not only is the annual expense
of the boilers greatly diminished, but the loss of the time of the profitable use of the
vessel during the taking out of old boilers and the replacing them with new ones
is also avoided, to say nothing of the breaking up of the decks and other expenses
attending the business.