Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-05-03
RAPID PROGRESSION OF ELECTRO MAGNETIC
WEIR.

POWER.
We lay before our readers a statement from
Professor PAGE respecting the Electro Magnetic
Locomotive and when weregard the fact that the
highest power attained before his experiments
was less than half horse power, and that costing
probably one hundred times as much as it does
under this new mode of its application, we cannot
be Indifferent to great result, and the high pro-
misses with which ii seems to be fraught:
Messrs. EDrroRs: The Electro Magnetic Locomotive
made very favorable trip Tuesday last, especially
when is taken into the that constrained
to make this trial with only onebaf Cor even little les Of
the power the engines and battery capable of yielding
Each engine, calculated upon the basis Of my stationary
gne ought to give the lowest estimate l2horse power
which would make the locomotive 24horse power The
tual power have not been able ascertain but the follow
ing data may serve to give idea Of its power The To-
comotve, with the battery fully charged weighs and
half TONS With the passengers taken the trip
and from Badensburg the weight eleven Under
the most favorable arrangements eight pounds required
start ton perfectly level rail, and seven pounds will
barely keep ton in motion. Ordinarily upon railroads the
allowance ten pounds to ton, but this applies only
unincumbered by machinery The friction Of locomo-
tive machinery renders its draught far greater and can only
be accurately asceraned by experiment in each The
magnetic locomotive the first Of its kind made is i'm
perfect, and from the and stiffness Of all the work,
it exceedingly hard We will take 200 pounds, which
is below the actual power required keep 10 motion
level portion Of the road horse power upon the usual
estimate is $50 pounds 2! miles hour, s75 pounds
mile hour The speed Of the magnetic locomotive is
will say, IS miles hour level road, ( has in fact
made MORE, and its traction 200 pounds We have then
375 pounds mile hour for horse, and 200 pounds
Is miles an hour for the locomotive, which gives eight horse
power But the engine has than this 1t has greater
power at slow speed and must have by all reasonable e
mates twelve horse power which, said before, 10 about
half it's proper capacity One Of the most serious de-
fecs arises from Of insulation in the belces After
the engine placed the road it found necessary
throw Of action five Of the heces and these the
important point in the stroke This difficulty could not be
remeded without taking both engines entirely
dertaking for which had neither time MEANS the
track with which accommodated is soon to be
filled up for the purposes Of the Railroad Company An
other serious difficulty the breaking Of the
porous cells in The battery, causing mixture Of the
acids and the ntercepon Of large portion Of the power.
had great difficulty in procuring suitable porous cells, and
the manufacture Of such needed was, after grea. ex-
pens given up by Of the best pottery establishments
the country thing impractcabe It was, however,
compished through the ingenuity Of Mr. Ari Davis, my
gineer but they made of weak clay, and have now,
from frequent use become much impaired break
from the slightest Before started two of them
broke and the defect only partially repaired Not far
from Bladensburg gave way, and de,raced
greatly from working power On return, about two
miles from Badensburg, three gave way, and were
reduced least one half Of power The running
time from Washington to Badensbug thirty nine mi
nues. We stopped on the way five times should
have probably made the in less than thirty minutes CO.
ing and coming there seven stops and three delays
that is the engine backed three tines but without
ty losing headway It very important and interesting
feature of this engine, which demonstrated year
snce that the reversing is greater than the propene
power; it is nearly twice great. When the engine is
versed the magnetic electric induction in favor Of the bat
terry current, and augmens its effects The defect of tn
cells is easily remeded The trouble growing out of tn
oscatng motion Of the all be obviated by using
tay instead Of recprocatng engines. The greatest specs
attained our last trip about nineteen miles hour
and about seven more than in any former experiment
| @ CHARLES G. PAGE.
i WAsH1NGToy, MAY 1, 1851.