File:The Science record; a compendium of scientific progress and discovery (1874) (14779147191).jpg

Identifier: sciencerecordcom1874beac (find matches)
Title: The Science record; a compendium of scientific progress and discovery
Year: 1872 (1870s)
Authors: Beach, Alfred Ely, 1826-1896
Subjects: Technology Industrial arts
Publisher: New York, Munn
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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ocean steamers are injured by thehydrochloric acid found in the distilled sea-water which isemployed. For locomotives, the committee suggest theuse of rain-water only ; and they furnish figures to showthat it would in the long run be economical for a railroadcompany to construct reservoirs at intervals along theirroads. They say that the annual cost of repairs to a loco-motive made necessary by the use of impure water isabout seven hundred and fifty dollars. In the absence ofreservoirs of rain-water, the committee recommend theuse of surface water, or that from rivers, creeks, or ponds,as being found less objectionable for use in boilers thanthe water of springs. MECHANICS AND ENGINEERING. 279 A NEW LIFE-RAFT.Official inquiry has shown that first-class passengerships can not carry a sufficient number of boats, in caseof being compelled to abandon the vessel at sea, to insurethe safety of much more than half the persons on board,supposing a full complement of passengers and crew, even
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THE LIFE-RAFT AT SEA. under the most favorable conditions of weather. In tem-pestuous weather, the proportion would be diminished,and in either case it would depend on the number ofboats that could be successfully launched. The sad re-cords of shipwreck show how little reliance can be placedon this means of saving life. How frequently boat afterboat is swamped in launching, or capsized by overcrowd-ing by the rush of panic-striken people ! As a substitute for boats, large life-rafts have been con-structed, which can be carried on board ship more easilythan boats, can not be swamped in launching, nor cap-sized in any sea^i Many of our American steam ship lines 280 SCIENCE RECORD. now carry these rafts. They are placed on board all thesteamers running from New-York to Havana. An Eng-lish gentleman, Mr. Henry Christie, has also invented araft which promises well for the safety of the shipwrecked,engravings of which appear on this page. This raftcan be made to any size, but the depth need

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