Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1852-05-27
The New Motive Power.

"CALoR1c SHIP" ERIossoN.-Our read
ers will be interested in the following ac-
count of vessel now building at New York,
to be propelled by new motive power
heated dir--and the principle of which, 1t is
asserted, will cause a complete revolution
in the propulsion Of vessels by machinery
We find it in the Boston Transcript given
by the editor, after personal visit to the
works in New York, where the machinery
is now being built for the new ship, and
where also sixty-horse-power trial engine,
on the same principle, has been for some
time in operation:
"The idea of substituting new and SUI
perior motive power for steam, will no doubt
strike many minds as eXtravagant, if not
chimerical 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 service of man, that dis
covery which promises to supercede this
agency, will have to contend with the most
formidable pre-conceptons, as well as with
gigantic interests. A few years hence, we
shall hear of the wonders of caloric,' in
stead of the wonders of steam On Sat
urday 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 pair of cylin-
ders, the working pistons of which are "
inches in diameter. Its great pecuiarities
consists in its very large cylinders and pis-
tons, working with very low pressure; and
in the absence of boilers or heaters, there
being no other fires employed than those in
small CRATES under the bottoms of the work.
ing cylinders.
During the eight months that this test en-
CINE has been in operation, not cent has
been expended for repairs or accidents. 1t
is beautiful and imposing object, and con-
veys the idea of power and symmetry much
more impressively than the largest steam en-
CINE 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
instead of that of steam; the force being pro-
duced by compression of the air in one part
of the machine, and by its dilation by the
application of heat in another part. This
dilation, however, is not effected by continu.
GUS application of combustibles, but by pc.
culiar process of transfer, by which the ca.
loric is made to operate 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 the cold, com.
pressed air entering the same, SO that in fact
continued application of fuel is only neces.
sary in order to make good the losses Of
heat occasioned by the unavoidable radiation
of the heated parts of the machine.
But the great advantage of this importan
improvement, and that which, in the alb
sence Of other advantages, would commend
it 10 adoption, is the entire safety of the en-
CINE: an explosion being impossible. In steam
engines, if the water gets low, or if there i:
an excess of pressure, or any defect in the
materials of which the boiler is composed
or an overheating of the furnace tops, occa
T stoned by incrustation formed by salt, il
marine boilers, &c., an explosion is inevita
bic. But in the caloric engine, the only re-
suit from neglect will be--the Stoppage q
the engine. The present test-engine show!
that there must be neglect to put in fue
for the space of three hours before the speed
is even slackened.
) A caloric ship of 2,2O0 tuns, to be callec
the Ericsson, is now in process or construc
) ton, and is in such state of forwardnes
) that she will be in frames by the end of mex
week. The Ericsson will be ready for Sc;
by October next; and her owners intend t.
take passengers at a reduced price, IN con
sequence of the reduced expenses under tn
new principle.