The New York herald., 1851-11-06

PROFESSOR PAGE AND HIS ELEcIRo-MAaNErIc
MACHINE are just now attracting good deal Of
notice and eulogium fro % our city cotemporaries.
According to the information in our possession, P.o
tessor Page is man of science, and persevering
eSperimenter upon mis- fayorite idea. He has shown
as much perseverance in cutting ii, vas
displayed by any man with the unfortunate kink in
his head of perpetual melton, squaring the circle,
or the navigation Of balloons against strong nor.
wester.
We doubt not Professor Pagei is a worthy man,
but one Of those mechanical enthusiasts who only
require fucrum to turn the north pole to the
sun. He has been ct this electro magnetic ma
chine for several years. Some three years ago, at
Washing ION, he con.rved TO work small printing
press with it. Senator Benton, (aow ex-senator
BeIton,) was called in to see it work. He was as
much taken with it as if be had beez 10 agnelized;
he stood as mute as il struck by lightning In fact
the magnetism had taken effect and be was struck
by the lightning. The problem was solved. He
had seen the wonders of the lightning telegraph;
and af;er having seen message, which left Wash
ington at twelve o'clock, arrive in St. Louis at
eleven o'clock, or an hoar before /. started, he
could believe anything. He had seen this fact.
ltwas strange. But facts are stubborn things. The
ieve anything Of the lightning after that
And SO, the very next day, in the Senate,
holding up q small pamphlet printed BY the
electromagnetic machine, he described The inven
tion, its wonderful achievements, and moved en-
item of $4,000 to aid Professor Page in bringing
his invention to practical perfection. The sppro-
priaticn was passed. The wisdom Of Old Bullion en-
scientific subjects was always respected By the
Senate. They knew that he was not to be hum.
bugged. Professor Page went on With his work;
bat bis chemical batteries, and magnets, ard Whist
not, were expensive; and at the next session, Mr..
Benton ventured to ask an appropriation ossi0OO0.
He was satisfied tha. that would do. But the
Senate began to wsver, and the m oney was refused
Professor Page persevered, ho xever; and we think
it was last spring that he put his ele..ro magne c
engine and machinery into railroad car, at Wash.
ington, and ran it out Eve miles to BlAdersbarg,
with lot OF passengers, at the rate Of some seven
miles an hour. But some Of the clay. built calls
containing the chemicals, ruptured on the way,
from the jostlng, and the return trip alth ough on
q descending grade, was so slow as to require
scientific explanation.
Such, We understand, we're the results Of the as'
plication Of Professor Pages electro gnetic en-
gine in practical experiments. We further under
stand that the principles Of working this engine
beirg established, it only requires &C enlargement
Of the magnetic batteries, and the chemicals sup.
plying ii with the electric fluid, to render It efficient
Tor purposes Of stea N navigation. Bat the great
difficulty Is that the power obtained is nc. commen-
.urate with the cost. Nor have we yet been assur-
ed that the steamship Baltic woald hold the
electro magnetic materials necessary to give her
one-sith part Of the speed Of her steam engines.
IL is mos: likely, then, that while this elee,romag-
ne.ic engine may answer for the amusement Of
scientific societies, and the illustration Of scientific
eetures, IL can never be applied as q substitute
or steam, for any practical objects whatever We
seriously doubt whs,her all the newspaper putting
n the world will amount to anything, without some
practical results, in obtaining another appropria-
rom Congress. The theory Of the electromag.
letis machine may be as unanswerable as the theory
If the Ere annihilasos; bu. theory is mere moon.
hine with out practical results.