New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-08-13
glecsro- BIasneiism as n Motive Pewer-fAo
Important Question Settled,
Ifoa he washiatioa Naii0all IHiese0os' O Aug 10

Efon he Washington Saiioaa Iuiehseoesr Of Aug TO-
Psoftssor Page in the Lectures which he Is nov
delivering before the Smithsonian lns'to"oo'
states tlSt there ia no longer any doubt OF me az
plics,iou Of this power e. a substitute for steam
he exhibited the most imposing experiments e'el
vitnetsed in this branch Of science. An imnense
bar Of iron wee hing enc hundred ana sAy :.
was made 70 spring up by magnesl' a. t.,bs,
move pid.y up aud down; aADC.n .so-t Tha go
IN IN air without any visible support Ane iofCe
onersti,s anon this bar be stated to average three
hnn6,ed DoSnds through ten inches oil us motion.
he Ysid he could raise this bar one hundred ieet
az retdi Y as tbroOgB'e inches, and he expected
NJ Jigi.,i.- In dOirg the same with bar weighing
ooe ina or a hundred tues. He could make pile
d,;yer. or a forgehsmmer with great symphony,
and could make an engine with a STOKE o. SIX,
twelve, twenty, or any number OF feet
ghe most beautiful experiment we ever wit
nessed q ss the loud sound and brilliant 4 ash from
the gsganic spark, when produced near a certain
point IN his great msgnet. Each snap was as loud
as pisto aud when be produced the same spark
at .to distance from this point, it made no noise
At all This recent discovery he stated 10 have
practical bearing upon the construction Of an cleo
tro magnetic engine. Truly, great power IS here
and where is the limit TO Il
He then exhibited his engine, Of between fur
and FIVE h0rse power, operated by battery con
tanned within q space OF three cubic feet. 1t looked
very unlike q magnetic machine. 1t was recP-
rocatinC engine Of tao ieet stroke, and the while
engine and battery weighed about one tun. When
the pow or was thrown on by the motion OF lever
the engine started OF magBihcently, making ia
strokes ger minute; thnUsh when it drove circu
lsrGax { n inches IN diane Ter, saving up boards
an il CD ana qDaTter thick into lRths, the engine
made bJ. about eaghty stroses per minute. lhere
was great anxiety on the psrI OF the spectators 70
obtain specnens Of these aLns, 70 preserve as tro
phies Of this great mechanical triumph. The force
operating upon this magnetic cylinder throughout
the whole motion Of two feet, was stated to be 600
pounds when the engine YVES moving very slowly,
bat he had nos been able to ascertain what the
force wal when the engine was running at work
inc speed though il wss considerably less The
moss I'M oTtant and interesting point, however is
the ex p, nae OF the pORer. Professor Page stated
that be had reduced toe cost far chat it was less
than steam under macy and most conditions, though
not SO lo " as the caeGDest steam engines. With
all the imperfectOns Of the engine the consumption
OF three POUNDS OF ENC per day would produce one
horse power. Tho larger hia engines CONTRARY 70
what has been known bsOrel the greater the
economy. Professor Page was himself surprised
at the reGult. There Vet practical dili ;utics
TO be overcome; the battery had yet to be im
proved. and it remained yet to try the experiment
on greuder scale, to make power Of one hun
dTed h0rse or more.
Truly the age is frsught with wonders and we
can nov look forward with certainty to the time
when coal will be put t. better uses than to burn,
seald and destroy.
ELECTRO MAGNETIC ENGISE-The Baltimore
Patriot states that " Mr. J. II. Tatum, who has
been engaged for several months past in Baltimore
constructing an Engine to be propelled by Electro
Maeue,i.m, has tri0mphsnty succeeded. A nun
Der Of citizens have had the pleasure OF seeing it
in operation and were highly grat6ed. Nj TGtun
will very soon make public exhibition OF his Ma
chinery when he expects to demonstrate its power
10 be from to 10 horse capacity. The enterprisng
Inventor has secured bis privilege to patent this
wonderful invention"