Morning herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1837-1840, 1838-06-09

This beautiful vessel made several trips in the Mer-
ssy On Tuesday, with party on board who had been
invited to view her extraordinary engines al work,
ana who expressed themselves highly gratlfied with
10 Dublin having accomplished the distance in
teen hours and halt the weather beng rather bos-
tereus, and returned in fifteen hours and half the
weather being more moderate, but wind ahead thus
proving her speed equal TO ten miles an hour the dis
lance being one hundred and fifty statute miles, al
though at starting she had 20 days fuel on board
We should also observe that being expressly con-
structed for long voyages, her power, compared to
her tonnage, Is considerably less than that OF our
more powerful boats employed on short passages,
therefore her speed be expected to be so great
Her dimensions are las feet keel, Il l2 beam, being
800 tons measurement, and ITO horse power She
has accommodations for % main cabin passengers
and IS second class.
The engines, which present great novelty and in
genulty are the invention of Mr.. Thomas Howard,
Of London, who has obtained patent for them
The points in which they differ from common en-
gnes are in the modes of generating the steam and
IN condensing il. The surface of the generator,
Uermed "vaporxer" by the inventory exposed 10
the fire, is plain plate of iron, ten feet long, four
and half feet WIDE, and thres-eighihs of an inch
thick. The plates were made by the Coabrook
Dale Company, and are, we believe, the largest
plates ever made At distance of three inches
above this ate is another formed as TO present
surface four times much the lower one, and
perfectly tight JOINT is formed between them, by
means OF an iron ring placed between the two plates,
SO that II is impossible for the mercury or amagam.
which completely fills the space between the plates,
to escape, except into vessel connected with them,
TO allow II to expand into when heated /; dome then
covers the vessel in which the amalgam is, 10 con-
tam the steam; that the vaporZer has the appear
ance of small semi cylindrical boiler. The fire is
supplied with air from blowing machine, worked
by INC engine, and its intensity IS regulated by
valve, as MAINTAIN the heat of the ANAL gam at
abeui 400 degrees, or about $50 degrees under its
boiling point The heat from the fire, after duly act
ing the lower plate OF The generator passes through
fues which surround the dome or steam case before
entering the chimney and this way imparts its
redundant heat TO The steam and raises IFS tempera
tHre 10 about 400 degrees, whilst the pressure does
not exceed ten pounds per square inch above the at
mosphere. The object sought by this arrangement
is the rapid conversion of water into steam OF great
rarity at temperature which is found TO be capable
OF producing the greatest quantity OF steam on the
smallest surfaces the heat which is produced from
fuel Of strong and lasting nature, being absorbed
Immediately from the fire. 1t is generally supposed,
indeed we have hearo it asserted, that the anIalgam
and heat have injurious effect upon the iron plates
but 10 prove the contrary, we were shown on
board the Columbus plate which had besn IN use
on board the ves,a, vessel belonging TO Mr.. How
ard, which has been plying on the Thames for the
last two years, and gone altogether distance Of
about 5000 miles, and the plate is as sound as VIII en-
first put on.
When the amalgam has been heated to about 400
degrees small quantity OF water, previously heated
to near the boiling pslnt, is injected upon the plate
which covers il, by means of pump attached 10 the
engine which supplies itself from the hot well, and
this water coming in contact with the plate, IS
Immediately converted INTO seam which then passes
nto the cylinder and works the piston as usual the
valves being arranged TO cause the steam 10 act
,xpanslvely. The steam is then condensed by injec-
ion, as usual but in place Of the mi ction water
being salt icater admitted from the outside of the
hp, pure tcdter taken from the hot well, which
las been filled with previous to starting the engine.
The arpump (which is smaller than usual, in csnse
Iusnee of their beng less AIR 10 withdraw Than In
common engines, pumps the condensed steam and
Injection from he Bottom of the condenser into
he hot well, from whence II is made to pass slowly
through a nAmber of tubes placed in a csiern con-
nually supplied with cold water, by which means il
is reduced 10 the temperature, and when cool
ed is re. jecied amidst the steam, efectlng most
rnpid and perfect condensation and thus keeping up
a continued circulation of the same 1eater.
The following are the principal advantages of Mr.
Howard engines.-A saving ut two. thirds of the
fuel the consumption beng, we are assured, rather
under lbs per horse power per hour. A great saw
ing of space and weighf,-thc generators of the CO.
lumbus being each IS horse power, 10 feet long
feet wide, and feet high, and weighing each tons,
thus occupying little more than the room usually ap-
for feeding the fires of common boilers,
which for the same power would weigh, with the Ie
ouisite water, 40 tons A reduction in size of chm
neys and the total absence Of smoke. Their perfect
safety from explosion, the steam beng produced only
IN suen Quauuly as ~ ItquHeu W WIN inc eHgbes,
which moreover Of the low pressure kind; and
from fire. the generators beng small that they are
accessible all sides. The advantage derived from
the method of condensation is the continued circula
ton of the Vafer through the engines thus pre-
venting all injurious deposit OF the salt, &c. IL cnn
be applied with the same advantage TO common boil.
crs Various reports have got abroad about the mer
curry having an injurious effect the men in working
the engines but we satisfied ourselves by iDqurng Of
the m,n n, one OF whom had been 10 Lisbon and back
W ri
not The case We were however, informed that on
the day The vessel left London she encountered ire
mendous gale, which made all the engineers and fire.
men dreadfully sea-slck they having previously been
employ ed only on the ri er Thames, and never been
At sea,-and their having with one exception al been
at Portsmouth, where the vessel was
obliged to put in for fresh hands, has, 1t supposed
gwen rise TO The report.
The vessel is certainly the most beautiful model we
have seem and does the greatest credit TO her builders
also fitted with Msrgan's patent paddle wheels, OF
which Mr.. Howard and all on board express their
unqualified APPRECIATION, their advantages over the
common wheel having been made very apparent IN
the rales she encountered In coming round ON
Londen.
We were on board the Columbus during par, Of her
Trip The nver, and NO can bear testimony 10 the
sieadnsss Of The o'ion Of the ssei which formed
stris, ing contrast TO he remnlsus periodical vbra-
lions, &c. seserslly und on q steamer. There was
not The slightest appearanceo 1T smoke from the low
chimney owing TO The adoption of coke and the
Welsh coal OF speed Of the vessel. we shall Offer
no opinion, we had no means Of asceriainng The
L.. A.... "A. hat pp pnU nra