Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1850-10-04
From the National Intelligencer.
Electro nagnGtAm as Motive P0Wer-the
Important QeSti0n Settled.

VCSttUu NttEtI.
Professor Page in the lectures which he is
now delivering before the Smithsonian In
stItuton, states that there is no longer any
doubt OF the application Of this power as
substitute for steam. He exhibited the most
imposing experiments ever witnessed in this
branch OF science. An immense bar OF Iron
weighing one hund ed and sixty pounds, was
made TO spring up by magnetic action, and to
move rapidly up and down, dancing like
! feather IN the air, without any visible sup-
port. The force operating upon this bar, he
stated to average three hundred pounds thro'u
ten Inches oflts motion, He sad he could
raise this bar one hundred feet as rapidly as
through ten inches; and he expected no diff
Guilty III doing the same with bar weighing
one ton, or hundred tons. He could make a
pile driver, or a forge hammer, with great
simplicity, and could make an engine with a
stroke OF SIX, twelve, or any number of feet.
The most beautiful experiment we ever
witnessed was the loud sound and brilliant
fash from the galvanic spark, when produced
near certain point In the great magnet
Each snap was as loud as pistol and when
he produced the same spark at little distance
from this point, 1t made no noise at all. This
recent discovery he stated to have practical
bearing upon the construction Of an electro
magnetic engine. Truly, great power Is
here; and where is the limit to it.
lie then exhibited his engine, of between
tour and five horse power, operated by bat
terry contained within a space Of three cubic
feet. 1t looked very unlike magnetic ma
chime. 1t was reciprOcating engine Of two
stroke, and the whole engine and bat cry
weighed about one ton. When the power
was thrown on by the motion of a lever, the
engine started oil magniicently, making III
strokes per minute; though when it drove a
circular saw ten inches In diameter, saving
up boards an inch and quarter thick into
laths, the engine made about eighty strokes per
minute. There was great anxiety on the part
Of the spectators to obtain specimens of these
! laths, to preserve as trophies Of this great me
chanlcal triumph. The force operating upon
/ this magnetic cylinder throughout the whole
motion Of two feet, was 600 pounds when the
engine was moving very slowly, but he had
not been able to ascertain what the force was
when the engine was running at a working
speed, though it was considerable less. The
most important and interesting point however
Is the expense ofthe power. Professor Page
stated that he had reduced the cost so far that
I 1t was less than steam under many and most
conditions, though not so low as the cheapest
steam engines. With all the imperfections Of
the engine, the consumption Of three pounds
ofzinc per day would produce one horse pow
/ er. The larger his engines Contrary to what
! has been known befoTe) the greater the econ
omy. Professor Page was himself surprised
at the result. There are yet practical difficult
! ties to overcome; the battery had vet to be
improved and it remained yet to try the ex-
pertinent on a grander scale, to make pow
er Of one hundred horse, or more.
Truly the age Is fraught with wonder, and
we can now look forwad with certainty to the
time when coal Will be put TO better use than
to burn, scaId and destroy.
Mr. Benton, in communicating the fact 10
the Senate few days since, spoAe as fol-
lows:
Mr. President take some pride in ma
king this communication to the senate. took
the risk Of moving in the matter at the last
{ session, and procuring the appropriation of
100000 to enable DR.. Page to 90 on with his
experiments. / took the Tish-the risk of
the ridicule which attends great project end
ing in failure. The protector and his back
ers receive pltlless rldlcule under such cir
1 cumStanceS. As a backer of DR.. Page | have
taken the risk of this rIGicule, and mean to
take 1t still deeper. | mean TO move another
appropriation for Dr. Page-one that will en-
able HIM to make an experiment on Z scale
commensurate 10 the granduer of the enter
prize, the stake which the human race has in
4 its success, and the wealth and power which
the United States, to whom its first advanta-
tages and entire glory is TO rebound, if sue
cessfui. | shall move an aPproprition to work
a ship of war or merchant vessel by this new
power and deem the decision of the question
worth all the money 10 be expended. and all
the risk Of the ridicule to be incurred. Ifsuc-
cessful, it will be an advance upon the use Of
steam equal to an advance of that power over
sails oars and wheels"
The Washington correspondent Of the TIi-
/ bune says
at seems that Page has successfully over
come most all the inventors In this line, and
I led the European Sayans to pronounce all at
tempts at favorable result hopeless. The
appearance is that DR.. Page is to add another
to the already long isl of splendid American
scientific discoveries. And he gives another
lecture and makes another exhibition this
evening.
In speaking of the Electro Magnetic Engine
the Baltimore Patriot states
=" Mr. J. II. Iatum who has been engaged
( for several months past in Baltimore construc-
ting the engine to be propelled by Electro
/ Magnetism, has triumphanuy succeeded. a
number Of cit zens have had the pleasure of
seeing it in active operation and were highly
gratiGed. Mr Tatum will very soon make
public exhibition of his machinery, when he
expects to demonstrate its power to be from
s to II horse capacity. The enterprlsing in
ventor has secured his privilege to patent
this wonderful invention.
4 Mosr UNREASONABLE EDITOR.--The
Pawtucket Chronicle, after publishing, verba-
tim ct literatim, the communication Of cor
( respondent who differs from mos; orthograph-
lists in certain particulars, appends this unrea-
soDable notice:
ave cannot spend time to correct the wri-
! tings Of persons who borrow our paper to find
/ fault with it,
/ Now, will the Chronicle please to give Us
its ideas of the newspaper editors We have
roticed in various quarters ce tain radical nU-