Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1852-06-23
zinc calorie Shin Eriossnn.

enterprisein his journal Of the 9th ultimo
after personal visit to the works in New
York, where the machinery, for the new
caloric ship is being built, and where al
so a sixty-horse power trial engine is in
operation on this new principle for the
production of motive power:
The idea Of substituting a new and
superior motive power for Steam viii nc
doubt strike many minds as extragant. 4
not chimerical, We have been so accus-
toned to regard steam power as the no
1'l'ts ultra of attainment in subjecting the
modified forces of nature to the service of
man, that a discovery which promises to
supersede this agency will have to con-
tend with the most formidable preconcep-
tions as well as with gigantic interests
Nevertheless, it may now be predicted
with confidence that we are on the eve Of
another great revolution, produced by the
application of an agent moro economical
and incalculably safer than steam. On
Saturday visited the mandatory, and
had the privilege Of inspecting Ericsson's
caloric engine of sixty horse power while
it was in operation. 1t consists of two
pairs of cylinders, the working pistons of
which are 72 inches in diameter. Its
great peculiarities consists in its very large
cylinders and pistons working with very
low pressure, and in the absence of boi-
lers or heaters, there being no other fires
employed than those in small CRATES
under the bottom of the working cyln-
ders. During the eight months that this
test-engine has been in operation not a
cent has been expended for repairs or &C
cidents. 1t is beautiful and imposing
object, and conveys the idea of power and
symmetry much more impressively than
the largest steam engine that have ever
seen. The leading principle of the Gallo
ric engine consists IN producing motive
power by the employment Of the expan-
sivc force Of atmospheric air instead of
that of steam the force being produced
by compression of the air in one part of the
machine. and by its Utilization by the ap.
plication oChcat in another part This dill
tation, however is not effected by contin-
uous application of combustiblcs, but by Il
peculiar process of transfer, by which the
caloric is made to operate over again, viz:
the heat of the air escaping from the
working cylinder at each successive stroke
of the engine is transferred to the cold
compressed air entering the same so
that, in fact, continued application of
fuel is only necessary in order to make
good the losses of heat occasioned by the
unavoidable radiation of the heated parts
of the machine. The obvious advantages
of this great improvement are the great
saving of fuel and of labor in the manage
mcnt of the engine, and its perfect safety.
y ship carrying the amount of coal that
the Atlantic steamers now take for II sim
gle trip could cross and recross the At
lantic twice without taking coal and the
voyage to China or to California could be
easily accomplished by caloric ship
without the necessity of stopping at any
port to take in fuel. There being no
smoke, Il short pipe to carry Oft the car
bonic acid gas and other products of COM
bustion is all that is needed. But the
great advantage of this important i'm
provcmcnt, and that which, in the absence
of other advantages, would commend it
to adoption, is the entire safety of the en-
gnc, an explosion being impossible. In
steam engines, if the water gets low, or
if there is an excess of pressure, or any
defect in the materials of which the boi-
Ter is composed, or an overheating of the
furnace tops, occasioned by incrustation
formed BY salt, in marine boilers, &c, an
explosion is inevitable. But in the Gallo
tic engine the only result from neglect
will be stoppago of the engine. The pre-
sent test engine shows that there must be
n neglect to put in fuel for the space of
three hours before the speed is even slack
cncd. Thus you have nothing to fear
from n sleepy engineer or an ambitious
captain and all the while not onG-quartcr
the amount of attendance and labor rcqui-
rcd to keep Il steam engine in motion
will be needed A caloric ship of $500
tons, to be called the Ericsson, is now in
process of construction, and is in such Il
state of forwardncss that she will be III
frames by the end of next week, She is
a very beautiful model, and is the admi-
ration of all ship-buildcrs for her remark
able strength, being admitted TO have the
strongest bottom of any ship built in New
York. The machinery is more than half
completed, saw three out of the four
working cylinders, the paddlewheels. all
the valves, and valve chests, the main links
and connecting rods, the bed plates, and
main pillar blocks, and various other
parts Of the engines, all Of them massive
forms of mettle, cast with the utmost pre-
cision and smoothncss The cylinders
.,are 1876 inches in diameter-62 inches
larger than those of the Collins steamers
The Ericsson will be ready for sea by Oc-
tober next, and her owners intend to take
passengers at reduced price in conse-
,uucncc of the reduced expenses under the
new principle. The ship belongs to Mr.
John b. Kitchen and few other wealthy
men. The Ericsson will be commanded
by Captain Lowbie."
TnE BALL IS RoLL1Na,-A large and en-