Fig. 14.
Balloon or Haystack Boiler, about 16ft. diameter, 5/16 inch plates, and worked at very little above atmospheric pressure.
The boiler was chiefly used to store water during the time another boiler by the side of it was emptied. When the water was required to refill the other boiler, a fire was lighted under the balloon, and sufficient steam generated to drive the water from it into the other boiler. The safety valve never being used, it had become fast, and as a little more steam than usual had accumulated, the bottom gave way, and the reaction of the issuing contents made the boiler rise from its seat, and it fell on its side at some distance away flattened by the fall.
No.25. Westbromwich. ([Fig. 15.])
May 25th.
none injured.
Fig. 15.
One Tube Cornish Boiler, 15ft. long, and 4ft. 6in. diameter, taper tube, 2ft. 9in. diameter in front, and 2ft. diameter at back, 3/8 inch plates, 40 lbs. The boiler rested on two walls forming the bottom flue. There was a safety valve, a glass water gauge, a pressure gauge, and two fusible plugs upon the tube.
Two longitudinal rents took place on the under side of the shell, allowing two strips, forming the central part, to open out by the continuation of the fracture, until they were blown to a considerable distance. The tube with the front end, and one ring of the shell were thrown to the front, while the back end was thrown to the rear, the smallest end of the tube having torn away from the back.