The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1823-09-18
Gl9isreIIanp.
PERKINS VIEW srEa.m ENGINE.
From the fdinburg Philosophical Journal for July.
1923.

IN the estisnation Of the European public WAS
q suflicienl assurance tibet etcs, confidence
might DC placed 10 the corten,s Of it's psgss,
aud We ,hcfeio'o proceeded with no huie
snx,e'y TO ascertain The opinion OF It's Editors
on the invention OF our countrymen, Per.
RIMS. 10 tell our 'esders that the article IN
The Journal corfi'ms ,he statements whioh
have been heretofore made respecting the
value snd importance Of. this Invention, al
though u would he received with the greatest
g'sufcs,ion, would not in our view. be doing
justice 10 the great genius OF the immortal IN.
ven,or, nor 10 the candid and vcty interesting
rema'ks OF the Journal Editors We pro.
esed, the 'eiofe, 10 copy The article, omitdng
only such paris as reiaie TO description of
the machine.-wbich, conisinng references
10 so accompanying drawing oi u, could not
be satisfactorily compEebeDded Without the
drawing uscls.
I" Moss Of the grounds OF opposition have
been now removed by di'ect experiment
Mf. Petk'rs's engine is sc,uaity al wo X. LIS
operations have been Witnessed, aud minuiely
examined by engineers sod philosophers OF
all kinds aud The most On, easonsbe scep
tics have been compelled to acknowledge the
jusln,ss OF it's principles, ss well as The eDer.
tive mind Of M,. p rkins, however, did 90,
remsin ssrsfed with this experiment. Hs
has di.cosc cd method, which we consider
equal in vaiuc 10 his new engine, by which he
can CONVEX the benth af his origiral ptinci
pie To steam engines oi The old construction
snd ,his has beeo recently succeeded. We arc
told. by mos, ex, apt dina y discovery, tha,
the sane heat may be made to perform It's
part more than once, IN the active operations
oi the engine,
The engine which We have NOW described,
is OF present perio. ming actual work IN M.
Peikins's msnuisc,o'y IL is calcuised ssc.
oosi TO aten horse power, though the cylin-
der Is no more than TWO inches IN dismeie',
and 10 inches long, with ST oke Of only ~
inches. Although The space occupied by ,he
engine il net greater than 6 lee, by 8. ye, Mr..
Pe,kius considers tho, the oppa'atus, with
the exception oi the working cylinder and pis.
ion) is perfectly suf,icien, 10, 80 horse en-.
gine. When The engine petfoi ms Iu'' work,
il CONSUMES only Two bushels oi coal IN tho
dsy.
On TIE sp3liestlo1 OF Els Petkins's principle
TO Steam EDgiuss Of tho old CONSUME
ton.
G ca, a, the invention is which we have
now described yet we are disposed to think
that the application Of the principle 10 old
steam engines, is not less important. When
we con,ide, toe enormous capial which 10 at
p,esnnt smbodied IN Gfea, Bri,eio in The sub
sten,ial Io,m of Steam Eognes, and The I'd
tnireble elegance and skin with which these
noble machines inps' sod tegula,e the vast
population OF whces and pinions Over which
.b.y ttgn, we ieei as u some vas, innovation
we proposed upon our established usases
hy he Introduction Of 81. Pe'klnss engine.
The ,s V idea tha, these potenia,es ot tho
mechanical world should be displaced from
their lb'opcs heir strong holds should bc
dismsn,led their places demolished, ADD
thai their whole sfsrs placed under moe
economical. management, Is somewbs' slen'
ling TO hose who dread change,, end admire
ins,itulons that both woik and wear well.
Mo Perkins, however, has saved them rom
such degradation. He has SLOWED them TO
retain sll their honofs and privileges, snd
proposes 70 insigorsie hem with I'esh in'iu.
ence end power.
In Tbs new system. ne old engines, 1pth
i5etr soihys, are refained undHered. The
furnace, alone are removed. M. Perkins
constructs a genefao', consisting OF three
houzon,s, iubes Of gun meal, connected 10.
g.,he,, flied wub ws'ef, and supplied with
wafer from fo,cing pump, a, 10 his owo en-.
cicc. This generator Is exposed 10 beat IN
an AZ slogous manner 90 that, by means oi
loaded vsI:r, which opens and shuts, tho red
hot lu,d m.y, pa sonsusined NIL forced ou, CT
the generate, lni5 waters in the boilers Of
Bolton and Wa jy ibi, means as much
low pressure "a Of fear pounds on tho
square ipch, IN y be geDe~ted by one bueheI
OF cosl., a. could be produced io the old en-.
CINE by nine bushels. This most impor,sn,
result was OBJ aimed by actual experiment.
Since these g'eat Improvements have been
Effected. Mr.. Perkins has made . discovery
tina, seems, 10 its practical importance, to
surpo,s them all. He now entirely di'peos-
es with the use Of the condenser, sod works
the engine against the atmosphere alone and
by methods with which we are not seqosin,'
ed, snd which indeed It would no, be psudeo'
for him to disclose OF present. He Is ens.