Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1852-06-02
THE CALORIC SHIP ERICSSON.

The editor OF the Boston Evening Trans
cript gives the following account Of this enter
prise, in his journal of the 9th inst, after a
personal visit to the works in this city, where
the machinery for the new calorc ship is being
built, and where also sixty horsepower trial
engine is in operation on this new principle for
the production Of motive power:
|" The idea of substituting a new and superb
or motive power for steam will no doubt strike
many minds as eXtravagant if not chlmercal.
We have been so accustomed to regard steam
power as the ne plus ultra of attainment in
subjecting the modified forces OF nature to the
services of man, that discovery which promi-
ses to supercede this agency, will have to con-
tend with the most formidable preconceptions
as well as with gigantic interests Neverthe-
less, it may now be predicted with confidence,
that we are on the eve of another great revolu-
ton, produced by the application Of an agent
economical and incidentally safer than steam.
A few years hence we shall hear of the won
ders of caloric, instead of the wonders of steam.
To the question, How did you cross the At
lantc q the reply will be, BY caloric, Of coursep
On Saturday visited the mandatory, and had
the privilege of inspecting Ercsson's caloric
engine Of sixty horsepower, while it was in op-
Grafton. II consists of two pair of cylinders,
the working pistons of which are 70 inces in
diameter. Its great peculiarities consists Units
very large cylinder and pistons, working with
very low pressure; and in the absence of boil
ers or heaters, there being no other fires en-
ployed than those in small CRATES under the bot
toms of the working cylinders. During the
eight months that this test.engine has been in
operation, not cent has been expended for re-
pairs or accidents. 1t is beautiful and impo-
sing object, and conveys the idea of power and
symmetry much more impressvely than the lar
gest steam engine that have ever seen. The
leading principle Of the caloric engine consists
in producing motive power by the employment
of the expansive force of atmospheric air in
stead of that Of steam; the force being pro-
duced by compression Of the air in one part of
the machine, and by its diatation by the applica-
ton Of heat in another part. This dilatation,
however, is not effected by continuous applica-
ton of combustibles, but by peculiar process
of transfer, by which the caoric is made TO OPP
crate over and over again, viz: the heat Of the
air escaping from the working cylinder at each
successive stroke of the engine is transferred to
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 occasoned 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
ment of the engine, and its perfect safety A
ship carrying the amount of coal that the At
lantic steamers now take for a single trip, could
cross and re-cross the Atlantic twice without
taking in coal; and the voyage to China or to
California could be easily accomplished by
calorc ship without the necessity of stopping
at any port to take in fuel. Anthracite coal be-
ing far the best fuel for this new engine we
shall no longer have to purchase bituminous
coal in England for return trips. On the con-
trary, England will find it advantageous to come
to us for our anthracite. A slow radiating fire
without flame is what is required, and this is
best supplied by our anthracite. There being
no smoke, short pipe to carry off the carbon
ic oxyde gas and other products of combustion,
is all that is needed. But the great advantage
of this important Improvement, and that which,
III the absence of other advantages, would CON-
mend it to adoption, is the entire safety of the
engine; 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 boiler is composed, or
an over heating of the furnace tops, occasioned
by incrustation formed by salt, in marine boil
ers, &C., an explosion is inevitable But in the
caloric engine the only result from neglect will
be, The stoppnge Of The engine. The present
test-engne shows that there must be neglect
to put in fuel for three hours before the speed
is even Stacked. Thus you have nothing to
fear from sleepy engineer or an ambitious
captain; and all the while not one-quarter the
amount ofattendance and labor required to keep
steam engine in motion will be needed When
we consider the amount of human mutilation,
suffering and loss which will be prevented for a
century to come, when this invention shall have
passed into general use, surely every philan-
thropist will bid God speed to this new motive
engine. A caloric ship of 1900 tons, to be
called the Ericsson, is now in process Of con-
struction, and is in such a state of forwardness
that she will be in frames by the end of next
week. She is a very beautiful model, and the
admiration of all ship builders for her remarka-
BILE strength, being admitted to have the strong
est bottom of any ship built in New York
The machinery is more than half completed. |
saw three, out of the four working cylinders,
the paddle-wheels, all the valves and valve
chests, the main links and connecting rods, the
bed plates and main pillar bocks-and various
other parts of the engines-all of them mass
i've forms of metal, cast with the utmost pre-
cision and smoothness, and the casting pronoun-
ced by competent judges to be superior to the
best In British steamers. The cylinders are
l6S inches i'm diameter-7O inchae lorcor tb,n