Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1853-01-27
The Calorio Ship Ericsson.

IA 1hCSCGOluS dlu IuOSI IIuLupNanlly SQCCeSSltt
trial of this vessel. about which so much intere .
Us felt in all parts, at least of our own country.
some fifty invited guests were present, among who.
were anumber of men of science, and the editor
of the principal daily papers of New York. AL
of both classes, so far as we have seen, were en-
titely satisfied with the result of the experiment,
made with the Caloric Ship, and regard Cap /.
Ericsson as the discoverer and successful applytt
of a new motive power of unsurpassed value.
Among the members of the press who were o
board the Ericsson during the trial, was the editc
of the Daily Times, of New York; and from hi
long and very interesting account of what he sa,
and heard, we make the subioined extracts:
Curiosity satisfied, and the minutes of the engin
having bean examined with satisfaction, the guest
retired. by invitation, into The saloon, where Capt
Ericsson, in compliance with the generally express
ed wish OF the company, and in accordance wit
his own desire to impart all possible informatio :
in regar1 to the peculiarities of his invention, CAV
a very lucid and neutrality-suspicious. of the prin
ciples which he has applied, aided by a small mod
ell of the engines. The readers ofthe Daily Tim.
have already been apprized, by former articles j..
our columns, of the leading characteristics of tn .
new Motor; but the Importance of the subjecs
seeemS to demand, in this connection, a still moit
complete and detailed description of the mode b.
which the Caloric Engine performs its work. W.
avail ourselves Fl Capt. Blossoms plain narrative
to complete the sketches given before.
Capt. Ericsson, in explaining the power of hi
engine, commenced with the furnaces at the bas..
of the lower pairs of cylinders, showing that a yer.
small quantity of fuel is required, and that the at.
tendance of many hands is needless. To produc.
the power, he remarked, we first pump, by hand
n volume of cold air. This ait, injected by force
pumps, is made to pass down a tube leading from
the Supply-cylinderto the working cylinder below
and enters the lower chamber by forcing up III,
piston. The pistons in the cylinder having D cor
responding action, thisupward motion presses NOR
air from the upper cylinder int the lower, and thu
action iSrepeateduntil the elevation of tile piston ,
is obtained. The air passing through the regener-
ator of the engine, IS rendered capable of that de-
gree OF expansion which is necessary to the opera
ton OF the machinery, and of which we shall come
10 speak hereafter. Tile cylinders are peculi r in
their construction. They consist of two pairs, and
are placed, not side by side, as in the ordinary ma
rine engine, but longitudinally in the vessel. Into
each cylinder IS fitted a piston corresponding exact
ly to its own diameter, but so arranged as always TO
operate simultaneously with the larger piston of
the working cylinder. The dimensions of these
cylinders, it should be mentioned, are as follows:
the working cylinders, 16S inches each in dame
ter; supply-Gylinders, LAT inches diameter; length
OF stroke, 6 feet.
The air passing through the cylinder to produce
the desired effect upon the pistons. is compelled to
receive its caloric in advance by the action of the
regenerator. A senes of wire MEETINGS, placed side
by side 10 the thickness of ~ inches, presents a
metallic surface of15,000 square feet, in which are
contained upward of 160,0 0U,0 600 of meshes,-mi-
mute cells Though which the all is forced, and in
which 1t imbi6es or parts with caloric to the amount
OF 45O deg. The maximum temperature which is
requisite Tor doubling the volume of atmospheric
air is 4sO degrees, of which 80 degrees are afforded
b ythe fuanace, and the residue by the Regeneration.
1t was aScertained by careful ex, eminent that air
Will acquire or envolve heat very rapidly when
placed in contact with q metallic surface. The ac-
ton is instantaneous. The minute subdivision of
lhe cells attained by the construction of the regen-
orator OF the Caioric engine, produces the full ef-
feet of this sample law of nature. As the volume
of air taken in by the action of the cylinders passes
through this continuance, it takes up continual ad-
ditions of heat, increasing in temperature as it ap-
p%roacheS the furnace, and when il is admitted to
act upon The cylinder it is with such expansive
force that The piston is driven up with great power,
carrying with the core. ponding piston of the up
cylinder-while the air, having performed lis
duty, now returns into the regeneration, is deprived
oil It's heat save about 80 degrees, and is elected
into the air nearly us cold as when it entered; the
loss of heat being but 80 degrees out Of 4SO de.
grees previously absorbed. 1t will thus be observ-
ed that the loss of power is very small, compared
win that oil a steam engine, where the escape and
waste OF material is very great. The cylinders
being connected by a walking beam, the center
SHAFT oil the steam-engiIe is done away with, and
the action of the engine is reciprocating. AS one
pair OF pistons ascends, the other in consequence
and the reverse; so that a continual re-
ciprocating motion is given to the machinery oper-
ated by the cylinders, producing a steady revolu-
tion of the Saddle-shaft.
The explanations of Capt Ericsson were fire.
quently interrupted by queries respecting impor-
tant principles adopted in the construction of the
engine, a few which we note:
z. What are the relative degrees of heat in the
upper and lower surfaces of the regenerator2
"A. The first layer of wire is very hot, but the
temperature decreases as the distance from the fur
mace is increased.
Q. What is the superficial area of the regenera,
tor?
A. Six feet by four, or twenty four square feet.
z. What is the amount of resistance to the air
as It passes through the regeneration?
A. Only one-half of the space occupied by the
Regeneration is pierced for the meshes. The resist
ance will be about one-half of an ounce to the
square inch.
z. What is the diameter of the wire?
A. About one sixteenth of an inch.
Q. What is the number of meshes to the square
A.. About five or six.
@. What quantity of air is taken in by the CYL
inders when IN full operationi
A. When the ship is under full Roadway, the
making ID strokes per minute, the cylinders
take in 10 tons of air per hour.
Capt. Ericsson--esuming. AS to the objections
which have been raisel 10 the application Of this
principle ofHeated Air. must make some expla
nation. 1t has been objected, first, that our pack
ing will burn out Now, the piston is a hollow
chamber, six feet deep, filed with plaster of Paris
and charcoal, a non-conductIng medium, which
prevents 1t from becoming so heated as to endanger
anything. The lower side of this piston Is ex-
posed TO all the heat ofthe furnaces, while its upper
surface is almost cold. The reaSoU 2hy it is so
cool is because of the non conducting quality of
the material used, and instead Of the packing being
liable to Lurn out, it is not even hot; you may put
the hand upon any part OF the cylinder.
Q. What is the method OF oiling the machinery.
A. The fabrication of the pistons is easily effect
ed by the peculiar conformation Of the cylinders.
The cylinder is not hot enough 10 prevent free ac-
C ess 10 any part Of the piston, and the machine
might grease itself; but it so happens that the En-
gineer has nothing TO do. a~ughter.l The En-
gineer, in short, is nothing but the .grcaser."
tRenewed laughter.1 TIE pistons d. not chafe,
and hence there is little or no friction. 1.-THE ship
careens, and it is necessary 10 lubricate the pis,ons
more on one side, the engineer meets the want and
applies the remedy where it is needed. The tenn
perature of the FIRE room also, rs gentlemen will