The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1843-08-14
COMMUNICATED.
SAFETY STEAM EXPERIMENT..


The subscriber deems it proper to inform the pub
lie that he has, for time past, been employed by
the General Government in building small model
steam engine upon his plan of safety. The object
of this work was, if possible, to improve upon his
principle of generating and using steam power with
safety, as exhibited to Congress in 1885, 38, and AL
and at small expense practicable, reduce
the to state Of perfection, before it should be
tried upon large scale. Some of the mechanical
actions to inject the water, not perfect the
inventor believed he could make them but sup
posed improvement had suggested ITSELF in the
of his experiments which, in its simplicity deserved
test without delay; of which result he would wish
to inform the community. 1t appeared reasonable
that, the steam was generated in heated genera
TORS filled with iron, and communicated to the work.
ing cylinders, that the generators might be done
away, upon the same principle, and the cylind ers
alone arranged in the fire, and made the generators
themselves by injecting the water in one end, pro-
vded the water injected could be distributed the
heated surface of the cylinders as the piston passed
out. To effect this, distributor was invented and
connected TO the bottom of the piston and the
injected into that, upon its descent which tax ng
It's departure, by proportion Of steam generated
from the same water the whole would be distributed
over the surface of the heated cylinder while in mo-
ton, and converted into high steam The injecting
of water into the heated cylinder Perkins plan
but it stated that he failed because he could not in
ject the water in equal proportions Having dis
covered the true method Of injection, it was thought
best to do away the generators altogether, which
would render the steam engine very simple; and this
could only be determined by experiment. In making
this trial, the work constructed by the nven
tor, that if IT was found false theory, it might i'm
mediatey be changed to the already exhibited in
operation, with generators filled with iron instead of
boiling water or steam.
1t should be the obligatory duty OF all invcn-
tors to give correct information when time and
much labor might be saved by it to all future ex-
permenters hence the subscriber conceives it
duty due TO public interest to state that this plan OF
Perkuss, any other inventors, is absolutely false
that the water, although it be injected in equal
proportions in the end Of the heated cylinder it will
not be converted into steam nstantaneously; can
piston be worked in a cylinder, exposed to con-
slant fire, without oil and if the heat could be so
regulated as TO admit oil with the piston, It forms
nonconducor upon the surface of the iron, and the
water will not be converted into steam but by very
slow process.
These very important discoveries notwithstanding
have been mace in this experiment. which deserve,
publication. Firsi-the proper manner Of filling the
generators with iron, that the water when inject.
ed, will be distributed the surface of the gene
rators, and converted into steam instantancousy.-
Secondiy-tbe cause of the iron not generating steam
quickly in his generators after running for some
time and this is very important some have sup
posed that there existed something in the that
would adhere to the iron forming nonconductor-
this is found out to be nothing but the oil from the
working cylinder which is simply remeded by pro-
per location of the escape valve. Thirdiy-the man
ner of using salt or muddy water, without affecting
the generators These three very important i'm
provements have been discovered which const
tutcs the perfection of this mode of generating
steam.
An opportunity will be given to the friends of sci
ence to see its performance Tuesday evening next
at o'clock. At the same time it is proper that
those who attend should be provided with this view
of the subject that the generators the cylinders
and first in the experiment above stated, which is
not in proportion. Two model engines will be put
in motion, one with cold water and the other exbi-
biting the plan OF using salt or muddy all to
be seen near the upper bridge, leading TO George
town, at his own residence.
An explanatory description Of using salt or muddy
water without affecting the generators, will be given
in a few days, while its practicabiliy will be fully
demonstrated in experiment, and showing the great
utility at sea of its immediate introduction, and upon
the great Mississippi river an engine of perfect
safety and power.
EDWARD ID. TIPPETT,