Donahoe's Magazine, Volume 15, No. 4, April, 1886Various
Religion
Donahoe's Magazine, Volume 15, No. 4, April, 1886
Various
Periodicals
It has been noticed that boiler explosions are especially frequent in
the morning. Take, for example, an engine which works during the day
with steam at six atmospheres. The workmen leave the factory at seven
o'clock P.M., and about six o'clock the fireman reduces his fires and
leaves the boiler with the gauge at four atmospheres. On returning the
next morning at half-past five, he generally finds the gauge at 1.5 or
two atmospheres, with a fine water level. He profits by the reserved
heat, which represents a certain expenditure of fuel; as an economist he
utilizes it, and drives his fires, to be ready for the return of the
workmen, without suspecting the dangers concealed in the water which has
been boiling all night. He does not feed his boilers, because they are
at a good level. In other words, he prepares, unconsciously, the
conditions which are most favorable to superheating, and a consequent
sudden and terrible explosion, which will be attributed to some
mysterious and unknown cause.
Southern Sketches.
XIX.
FROM HAVANA TO MATANZAS--THE VALLEY OF THE YUMURI.
There are two railways leading from Havana to Matanzas, one called the
via Baya (Bay line) runs along the sea coast through a mountainous and
romantic country. This is much shorter than the other route, which
passes through the interior, affording the traveller an excellent
opportunity of observing the rural tropical scenes of the island.
I decided to go the latter way by the train, which was to start from the
depot near the Campo de Marte at 2.40 P.M. The fare from Havana to
Matanzas either way, second-class, is $7.10 in Cuban currency. This
class is well patronized by respectable travellers. Negroes, Chinese and
the poorest Cubans take the third. The carriage in which I rode was
built and furnished somewhat like those in the United States, except
that the seats had no cushions, and the windows no glass. The train
started at the appointed time, and we soon found ourselves rushing
through narrow streets, past many colored buildings.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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