Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1845-03-01
An Important Improvem ent.

brother of the inventor of the Eolan attach
ment, has made. We find in the Baltimore
Sun description of this improvement, by one
who has seen and understands its operation. II
is the working model of plan by which loco
motive engines, with their whole trains of load
ed cars attached, may pass up anG down incli-
ned planes by their own power, without the aid
chinery, costly drag ropes, and the enormous ex-
pense attending them. The Sun says
awe had the pleasure, few days since, of
witnessing the operation of the model of Mr.
C.'s invention, and were highly pleased with its
performance, because we considered that it af.
forded evidence Of being valuable improve
ment, calculated no, only to do away with the
necessity of great proportion of the heavy an
nual expense attending the present mode of
passing inclined planes, but to avoid the danger
to the lives of the passengers inevitably connec.
ted with the use of the endless drag rope at pre-.
sent used.
The plan consists of having second track or
set of rails laid within the regular track, and
raised some inches above it. In the centre of
this inside or middle track is laid a row of cast
iron block wheels or pulleys, very near together,
playing horizontally upon strong and firmly ias.
tened vertical axes or studs. This, we believe.
is all the variation alteration that is required
to be made in the road.
In ada ptaton to this new arrangement ofthe
road, there is attached to the locomotive, under
meath, machine containing set of wheels
smaller than those ufthe locomotive, and so pla-
ced inside of them as to rest the weight of the
| locomotive on the inner track of the plane, ri
sing the outer wheels from the regular track.
These two sets of locomotive wheels are con.
nected by gearing, the outer ones playing free
| from the track and serving as cranks by which
| the smaller are turned, the former making se-
veral revolutions to each one of the latter, by
which, as any mechanic will readily see, time
wheels is attached by gearing, lengthwise with
the locomotive, substantial cylinder, having
upon it large strong square thread, running
| spirally around 1t at an angle adapted to the
|
between which it runs upon the principle ofthe
screw, by the rotary motion of the cylinder to
which the power OF the locomotive is applied.
This spiral thread of the cylinder pressing a.
gainsl the puleys of the road propels the loco
motive forward, and in proportion to the dispar-
ty of speed between the inner and outer wheels
by graduation Of the gearing, may the propel.
ling fnrce or power be increased. 1t is supply
change Of time into power. The machinery
and gearing of course require to be made strong
IN proportion to the power to be applied to them
The safety tthis plan consists in the fact that
the nsineer OF the locomotive has perec, con.
troll over it., can stop and start it as he pleases
on any part of the plane run up or down, either
way with the same ease, and with complete
command.
We shall be glad to see this improvement ge
nerally introduced.
SOLAR SpoTs-The Boston Mercantile Jour
nal says
a dark spot of uncommon magnitude is now
> visible on the disc of the sun. IL is more thar
ten thousand miles in diameter, and lis area il
greater than that of the Pacific ocean. Thi.
. spot was first observed on the 18th inst nea
, the eastern limb of The sun, and little above
his equatorial diameter. II has now advanced
nearly to the disc, and will occupy seven o
eight days more in passing across 10 the west
: ern limb, where it will disappear II canno
be seen without difficulty by the naked eye, bu
is shown distinctly with telescope eight or ter
inches in length. In making observations rela
ting to the sun, the eye should be carefully pro
tected by means OF colored glass, or piece O
! window glass rendered quite dark by the smok,
! OF lamp. Besides the principal spot now vsi
BILE on the suns disc, there are five others o
sufficient dinen ions to be seen with 52-ncl
achromatc telescope. The sun has not bee
entirel, free from spots for several weeks. O
the 3lst of January fifteen were counted, thou :.
) most of them were comparatively srhall
\ The theo.y most generallyy adopted by A
trHnomers in regard to ttese spots is, that the
are portions of the SO. i'd and opaque mass of III
sun, seen thT"lgn openings in the luminous a
mosphera or phosphorescent cloods with whlc
that bJdy is surrounded.
$, A white man, says the Picayune, OF Il
b. name of Black, and black man by the nan
a Of White, lately attacked a man on Il
levee, by the name oi Green. After hal
tussel, the aggrieved party lashed the blaC
man white, and licked the white man Black
a A "TiGHr" Boor John l.. Boot was fin,