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Show Vacuum Plays Havoc With Boiler. The usually Imperceptible force of atmospheric pressure often reveals Itself It-self by some unexpected and peculiar tricks. One of the latest of Its pranks was to crumple the shell of a heavy si eel boiler in use near Okmulgee, Okla. The steam within the boiler hud been allowed to cool, and In cooling cool-ing condensed. All of the boiler fittings fit-tings were so tight that no air could get Into the boiler to take the place of the steam, which was now very much reduced in volume, and a i vacuum was thus created in the shell. The result was that the pressure of the outside air crushed the boiler shell. Popular Mechanics Magazine. |