NOVEL DAMAGE TO STEAM BOILERS.

Evening Post, Volume XLI, Issue 55, 6 March 1891, Page 3

NOVEL DAMAGE TO STEAM BOILERS.

Rather a curious discovery was made at the Gear Meat Co.'s freezing works early in the present week. It ~ns noticed that the crowns of the furnaces in both the new boilera wbioh provide ateam for the refrigerating maohinery, had sagged somewhat. Steam was at onoe blown off, and the workn were stopped for a time The peculiarity ooonrs in the oauae for the sagging. On an investigation beintr made, it was found that the trouble was due to a, mineral oil wbioh has been used for lubricating the high-pressure cylinders o£ the engines. This oil be cms to have propotties whioh have not heretofore been Bnspeoted. Getting into the boilers in almost infinitesimal quantities, through the exhaust steam being brought baok for nse, it his formed a thick coating upon the crown, thus keeping away the water and allowing the iron to heat unduly. This, we are assured, is the conclusion to which the Government Inspector and other experts have arrived, as being the cause of the damage. One boiler was stopped for only about a day, when it wa=i repaired to the satisfaction of the officials. It has since beon uaed in keeping the works going, at slightly reduced freezing power, and the other ia expected to be roidy to-morrow or the next day. Vegetable oil alone will be used in the future, and the directors and officials congratulate themselves on the late fault being discovered before any serious damage occurred.