Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1850-08-29
Bi,ero zzasnesi.n-PrsG Pages E1Pes-

Rl..sre EFnxuesfsm-x'roE. Pages Expert
- ments.
A series oflectures have been Civ
en- at the Smithsonian Institute, in
| Washington, by Prof. Page, Of the
Patent Office, in illustration of his
recent experiments on Electro Mag
netism as a motive power. 1t will
be remembered by our readers, that
a year or two ago Congress voted
this gentleman some twenty thou
sand dollars to enable him to carry
on a set of interesting experiments
on the subjects, which he had begun,
and which promised to be highly
successful. Since then he has pros
ecuted his investigations and profess
ses to have discovered the great Sc
cret of which so many practically
scientific men have heen in search.
His experiments shown at the insti-
tute, according to the reports of the
Washington papers, prove that mag
netism, while it is motive Of greater
power than steam, will yet be fur
nished at cheaper rate. The Intel
hgencer says:
"He exhibited the most imposing
experiments ever witnessed in this
branch of science. An immense bar
of iron, weighing one hundred and
sixty pounds, was made to spring up
by magnetic action, and to move rap
idly up and down, dancing like a
feather in the air, without any visi-
bic support. The force operating
upon the bar, he stated to average
three hundred pounds through ten
inches of its motion. He said he
could raise this bar on e hun
dred feet as readily as through ten
inches, and he expected no difficulty
in doing the same with bar weigh
ing one ton, or hundred tons. He
could make a pile driver, or forge
hammer, with great simplicity, and
could make an engine with stroke
OF six, twelve, twenty, or any num-
Der OF feet.
"The most beautiful experiment we
ever witnessed was the loud sound
and brilliant flash from the galvanic
spark, when produced near a certain
point in his great magnet. Each
snap was as loud as a pistol; and
when he produced the same spark
at a little distance from this point, it
made no noise at all. This re-
cent discovery is said to have prac-
teal bearing upon the construction
ofan electromagnetic engine. Tru-
ly great power is here; and where
is the limit 10 itl
HE then exhibited bis engine OF
between four and five horse power,
operated by battery and contained
within a space Of three cubic feet
1t looked very unlike magnetic ma
chine. Ii was a reciprocating en-
gine of two feet stroke, and the
whole engine and battery weighed
about one ton. When the power
was thrown on by the motion of a
lever, the engine started off magnifi-
Gently, making one hundred and four
teen strokes per minute, though,
when it drove a circular saw ten in
ches in diameter, saving up boards
an inch and a quarter thick, into
laths, the engine made but about
eighty strokes per minute. There
was great anxiety on the part Of the
spectators to obtain specimens OF
these laths,sto preserve as trophies
of this great mechanical triumph.
"Tbe force operating upon this
cylinder throughout the whole mo-
ton Of two feet was stated to be six
hundred pounds when the engine
was moving very slowly; but he had
not been able to ascertain what the
force was when the engine was run
ming at working speed, though it
was considerably less. The most
important and interesting point,
however, is the expense of the power.
Prof. Page stated that he had re-
duced the cost so far, that it was
less than steam under many and
most conditions, though not so low
as the cheapest engines. With all
the imperlections of the engine, the
consumption of three pounds Of zinc
per day would produce ore horse
power. The larger his engines (con-
trary TO what has been known be-
fOre0 the greater the economy
Prof. Page was himself surprised at
the result. There were yet practi-
cal difficulties to be overcome; the
battery had yet 10 be improved: and
it remained yet to try the expert
ment on a grander scale, TO make a
power of one hundred horse or
MORE"
nA-To-pooyrouy 4bo Q0tL :, Al L.,