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EXAMPLES OF DURABILITY

'N the earlier editions of Marine Steam it was thought well to insert a few pages giving some examples of the durability and small amount of repairs required for Babcock & Wilcox Boilers, inasmuch as the mistaken idea (already referred to on previous pages of this edition) prevailed to some extent that the boiler is delicate and requires very careful handling. As already shown by comparing the scantlings of the Babcock & Wilcox Boiler with those of the cylindrical boiler, it is easily seen that the former is even more rugged in those parts which give out first, namely, the tubes, than the latter.

Instances were quoted in the earlier editions of the large amount of steaming which had been done by various vessels with few or no repairs, but there had not then been a sufficiently long interval since the installation of the boilers to give the time element its due weight. In 1910, letters were written to users of Babcock & Wilcox Marine Boilers to get expressions of opinion as to the durability of and general satisfaction with the boilers, and some specimen extracts from the answers will be instructive.

The chief engineer of a large Lake steamer says:

"We have two of your boilers that have been in use for eleven years. They have always given plenty of steam and we have had no trouble in keeping up the boilers."

Another case is that of a dredge employed by the Engineer Corps of the Army on the Pacific Coast. There are two boilers with oil fuel. These have been in use for five years, working with a pressure of 200 pounds. The total cost of repairs for the two boilers for the five years has been about three hundred eighty-five dollars ($385.00) and the report is that the general performance of the boilers has been highly satisfactory and economical.

In connection with the fire-boats "Daniel T. Sullivan" and "David Scannel," of which illustrations are given elsewhere, the consulting engineer who selected Babcock & Wilcox Boilers for them says:

"I will state that these boilers were selected because of the exceedingly low cost of maintaining boilers of the same size and capacity in two towboats, which have been operated for a number of years on San Francisco Bay under my observation. The boiler on each of these boats has about 2770 square feet of heating surface and is called upon to evaporate from 12,000 to 14,000 pounds of steam per hour. During the last eight years, the expense of maintaining one of these boilers has not exceeded $20.00 per year."

Babcock & Wilcox boilers were installed on the fire-boat "W. S. Grattan" in 1900. In 1910, the Buffalo Fire Department wrote,

STEAM PACKET "CITY OF NANAIMO" (PUGET SOUND)

OWNERS: ESQUIMALT & NANAIMO RAILWAY Co., VICTORIA, B. C. BABCOCK & WILCOX BOILERS, 750 INDICATED HORSE-POWER

"We wish to advise that we have not cut down the steam pressure on these boilers but still maintain a pressure of 225 pounds. These boilers have given entire satisfaction."

Inquiry has recently been received, after fourteen years of service, from one of the early installations on the Pacific Coast for some new headers, thus giving some idea of the durability of this part of the boiler.

The early installations of boilers on the Great Lakes are running with the original tubes, so that, under the conditions there obtaining, the life of the tubes has been at least twelve or thirteen years.

The best possible testimony, however, to the durability of the boilers and general satisfaction with them is a repetition of orders from users who have had long experience with them. We have recently had the ninth repeat order from one firm which has been using our boilers for the last ten years.

We have also received orders recently for three separate sets of boilers from a large corporation which has had ten years' experience with the first installations, and, prior to these last orders, had placed our boilers in nine vessels.

The Municipal Ferry of New York has just made a contract for a new boat with our boilers after nearly ten years' experience with them on five others, the largest and fastest ferry-boats in the world.

After six years experience with our boilers in two fire-boats, the Fire Department of New York City is using them again in a new fire-boat just completed.

After investigating the experience in New York, Buffalo and San Francisco, the Boston Fire Department installed our boilers in a new fireboat and to replace an old shell boiler in another.

An order for four boilers was placed with us this year by a user who has had nearly twenty years' experience with our boilers, on a large number of vessels.

All of the foregoing instances are in the merchant service, where the weight-saving feature of the Babcock & Wilcox boiler is not so important as in war vessels. The constant succession of orders for vessels of the United States and foreign navies is ample proof of the satisfaction they have given. Every new battleship of the United States Navy launched since 1901 has Babcock & Wilcox Boilers, without mentioning the numerous armored and protected cruisers and other vessels. A majority of the "dreadnought" battleships of the world are fitted with these boilers, and the largest boiler installation in any vessel, naval or merchant, is 87,500 horse-power of Babcock & Wilcox Boilers in the battle-cruiser "Tiger" of the British Navy.