The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-09-07

Etsots0- ms6netisna . MovinS Power.
| The Senate having called upon the Secretary OF the
Navy for information upon this point. Prof Charles G.
Page has sent in the following summary OF his expert
ments
WASHINGTON, ID, c., August 80. 1850.
SIR: In compliance with your request have the
honor TO report 10 you the progress made IN my ex-
perments, under the act OF March 3D. s49 appropria
ting 100000 for .testng the capacity and usefulness OF
the electromagnetic power mechanical agent Tor the
purposes OF ocomoton and navigation, and the probable
cost OF using the same"
schedule OF expenditures incurred up to this date,
amounting to o67 2S is herewith annexed by which
will appear that considerably than one-thrd Of
The appropriation remains yet unexpended Outstanding
bills remain, amounting 10 about vi .ooo most OF which
charged al the yard for MATERIAL which, when de-
Quoted, will leave about onehrd OF the appropriation
| Tor further prosecution OF the experiment.
From the brief time allowed, ii will be impossible for
me TO do more IN this report than TO give an oatne OF the
experiments which have repeated and recorded during
the past year Their ull detail and explanation will form
volume rePete with interesting scientific matter, and
require much time and labor
The hrst principal experiments made with small
raengne. built expressly for the purpose and with the
utmost in reference mechanical accuracy. At
tached to this was dynamomeer OF construction,
and admirably adapted 10 the purpose This invent
ed by my principal engineer and measured most sat
isacory manner the dynamic power OF the engine at
any given velociiy-a great disideratum in estimating
this new power. With this trial.engne the following
important questions tested;
1. The dynamic values of different qualities of soft
iron.
2. The dynamic values Of steel, hard and soft.
/ g. The dynamic value of cast iron.
The slacal values OF all these varieties tested by
separate apparatus, constructed for the purpose called
the axial galvanouieer. Twelve varieties in all
tested and were in bars OF uniform size. one fool in
length, and inch in diameter and II found that
| the statical and dynamic properties correspondent
A. The proportions OF the helces approximately
though much remains unsettled yet upon this I'M
porani point
s. The advantage of keeping up the magnetism on the
axal bar was most satisfactorily tested.
| g. Various modes tried OF reversing the motion Of
the engine, and with
Various kinds OF off (Which is the critical
and important point IN the construction OF the engne)
were tried.
g. The operation OF closed circuits and secondary
rents was tested by number OF experiments, requiring
| great and accuracy.
o. The best working velocity OF this engine and its alb
solute power with given battery, was iully tested
10 fhe ratio OF increase OF with an increase In
the quantity OF the current.
4 H. The values OF different kinds of metal in forming
the cutoff
II, Various mechanical points Of construction, sup.
posed to have been incompatible with the exhibition OF
thus power, were put TO practical test
/ Various other minor points also were the subject
Of experiment, which will be communicated here
after
second model of small size and somewhat rude
sruction also made, with view OF testing
arrangement of the axal bars
Experiments were then commenced upon larger scale,
with view to determine whether the same proportion
OF power could be obtained from large from small
gines; this being the principal question in view at the
time OF the grant OF the appropriation.
With view TO facilitate the construction OF helces
OF large size, machine which had long been in conem
platon was made at considerable expense. The work
was done al tue navy yard in credtabe manner, and
the machine performed its work WELL turning out entire
heces OF copper wire Of large size from straight bars.
But before had proceeded lar discovery was made in
reference 10 the helix which rendered the machine
less, for the present at least
4 A number OF large helices then constructed Of
various sizes, and suitable bars OF soft iron prepared
responding to the helices. Hollow and solid bars were
prepared, from two inches to eight inches in diameter.
and generally three feet in length Some bars OF four
and five feet in length also prepared. The bars
were all worked al The navy yard and al considerable
expense, as they were required 10 be OF homogeneous
metal, accurately turned bored With these bars and
heces, multitude OF experiments performed and
and these were kept up day after day for about
two months
My official duties examiner in the Patent Office left
me only the evening OF each day Tor operation and I'M
der such circumstances you will readily appreciate the
difficulties and disadvantages under which l have la
| bored. My own zeal has led me beyond my strength
but have been richly rewarded by the most faerng
suits The experiments here not such AS could be
performed upon the laboratory table, but with large
masses OF iron, weighing, cases, three hundred
pounds, and heces sometimes twice that weight AID.
herring 10 the size OF battery through long series
OF experiments, and varying the coils and bars found
i 10 my great gfahcauon that as increased the dImen
soBs OF each corresponding increase OF power
hibed, and the consumption OF material or cost OF the
power in some degree diminished. These results were
encouraging and stimulating in the highest degree and
fully justified the undertaking at once OF engine upon
much larger scale than any hitherto tried. This
gine-fhe framework oil which was Principally built at
the navy-yard-was an upright engine of two-fee
stroke; and in order to have facilities for comparative
trials and experiments, II was necessary that double
CINE should be made the parts exactly corresponding
Two bars OF soft iron inches diameter and three feet
| in length were the prime movers; and these ball
anced by OF connecting rods and cranks upon fy
wheel shaft The balance wheel and shaft together
| weighed SIX hundred pounds When this engine
hrs tried with the battery which had before given
me one-bh OF horse power with smaller engine, IT
produced only one-ihird OF horse power BY careful
attention TO the adjustment and particularly TO the cut
off, which was a very different thing from what il
had been in the smaller engines, the engine yielded
one horse power Here gain OF eighty per cent
a measured merely by the size of the battery But ii
much more for the cost found 10 be less for
horse power than II had been before for fifth OF
horse power in smaller engne-how much less has not
yet been ascertaned. A great variety of experiments
were continued with this engine, TO be hereafter detailed
each having definite object, and, | am happy to say
each resulting advantageously; that finally, by little
daily ncemens, obtained from this engine by trning
addition OF battery, full two-horse power By way OF
giving PRACTICAL character 10 the engine. II gear ed
To circular ten inches in diameter the turning lathe
and grindstone Of the workshop all OF which it worked
simultaneously, witnessed by a number OF vsers
and, il mistake not BY your predecessor in office, in
| company with Lieut. Maury OF the National Observa-
tory.
After many satisfactory trials with this engine il was
taken down, and all It's available parts used IN the con-
structon OF the single horizontal engine. which had
the honor lately to exhibit before the Smith nsu
ton This change made for the purpose OF dispens-
hing with the dead weight Of OF the driving bars and
particularly for introducing the important feature of
keeping up the magnetism OF the driving bar As
l ia ol al n