The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1845-01-23
ECONOMY OF STEAM.

II the following certificate be- in matter Of fact,
true, do not hesitate to pronounce this invention
TO be of importance, than all the improvements
made upon the Steam Engine since the invention by
Watt OF the condensing Engine. We therefore give
il place in columns.
We the undersigned, do hereby certify that the
Patent Cut Of of Frederick E. Sickes, is attached
TO the Engine of the Steamer Pocahontas, now max
ing passages to and from the cities of Baltimore and
Richmond and thar supervised an experiment
made with said Cut Of, and the one usually used for
cutting off steam in marine engines, commonly known
as the Throttle or Can Board Cut OFF, That the test
of the merits of Sickels' Cut Of was made by order
of "The Pnwhalan Steamboat Company" now own.
ers OF said Steamer and it was found by that Sick
els Cut Of facilitated the workings OF various parts
of the engine communicating TO the paddle wheels a
more uniform rotary movement.
In order to determine the saving in the consump-
ton Of fuel by of the introduction Of Sckels
Cut Of, to the engine of said Steamer, five cords of
wood selected, the Steamer raging twenty inches
and the revolution being fourteen per IN mute.
At o'clock in the afternoon of TIE sixteenth day
of January, l845, the trial OF the Throttle Cut OF
commenced.
The steam heing maintained as near possible to
twenty inches during the experiment until al the st
burning of The wood, when 1t was allowed TO run
down to fifteen inches, in order that the wood mig hit
all be consumed which at nine minutes past five
o'clock ot the same afternoon.
!,
with the Throttle Cut OF, was four hours and nine
minutes.
At sixteen minutes before sig o'clock Of the same
afternoon, the trial was commenced, and continued
with Sckes' Cut Of under the same circu msta ces
of steam revolutions, and with the qaantity of
wood, used in the experiment of the Thotlle Cut
OF. At one minute of one o'cuck Of the next morn
ing, the five cords consumed.
The time occupied in consuming these five cords
using Sickels Cut OF, seven hours and fifteen
minutes.
the saving in fuel by the of Sckes' Cut or was
upwards Of forty-two per ceni--'he steamer Poca-
hontas being, during these exper menis, heavily
laden with freight
JOHN HOLLINGSHEAD,
Master Of Steamer Pocahontas.
LLOYD LECOUMPT,
Engineer of Steamer Pocahontas
LEWIS PARRISH,
Commander of Steamer Columbus
CHAS. REEDER, Jr.,
Ofthe firm Of A. & c. Reeder
Engineer Manufacturers, Baltimore
Baltimore, January 10, 1Si5.
The undersigned cbeerfully certify that the expe-
rments mentioned in the foregoing certificate in re-
laon to the Cut OF of Mr.. Sickels and the Throttle
Cut OF, Goth of them being attached to the Engine
Of the Pocahontas) was made by the order Of the
of the said steamer and that the matters SC,
forth therein believe to be true In substance and
fact-t affording us great pleasure to express our
full satisfaction to the saving of fuel and the i'm
portance Of the invention.
JOHN s. McKIM
President Of Powhs,an Steamboat Companv
J. BRANDT, Jr
Agen, Powhstan Steamboat COMPANY.
Baltimore, January 20, lS45.