The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1853-02-10

put the hand upon any part OF the cylinder.
| Q.-What is the method OF oilIng the ma
chinery?
A-The lucubration of the pistons is casl,
effected by the peculiar formation Of the cyin
Iders. The cylinder is not hot enough to pre-
went free access 10 any part OF the piston, an,
he machine might grease itself; but it 50 hap.
pens that the Engineer has nothing TO do =
Laughter The Engineer, in short, is nothin!
but the s'greaser.n Renewed laughter The
pis,ons do not chaie, and hence there is little OF
no friction. II the ship careens, and it is neces
sary to lubrcate the piston more on one side
the Engineer meets the want, and applies the
remedy where it is needed. The temperature
! OF the fire-room, also, as gentlemen will have
noticed, continued the Captain, is very low
The men now firing in their pea jackets.
| Q.-What is the amount OF cold air drawn in.
to the cylinder in given time!
Am average OF 60 to 20 tuns per hour.
hat is the amount of power obtained in
this vessel, and at what rate do you estimate the
power Of the Caloric Engine!
| A.-Twelye pounds 10 the square inch is the
highest degree OF pressure which we deem it
advisable to employ, and even less than this is
sufficient for ordinary purposes. As the pistons
are % 900 square inches in area, pressure OF 10
pounds for the square inch gives 220, 900 pounds
Of mechanical force. Ii il be deemed advisable
TO obtain an augmentation of force, il is only ne
cessary to enlarge the cylinders and thus aug
ment the power. We now know that we can
make cylinders large enough TO supply any
want. My original calculation (added Capt.
ERicssoS,) was to use cylinders OF 10 feet dame.
ter, but it was deemed imPracticable to exceed
al first the present dimensions Of IA feet. Were
| to build the eng ines anew, should adhere TO
my original plan, and make the larger cylinders
eaeh sixteen feet The feasibility OF the en-
argement of the cylinders is now so well estab-
ished that house in this city-Messrs. HodG
& DgLAMATFR, the builders Of these engines
viii now engage 10 furnish cylinders OF frenty
ffet diameter, and to bore them at their own risk
Great applause.l Were we able 10 introduce
cylinders twenty feet, we should be able to
surpass anything that floats upen the ocean, and
he effect Of the improvement would be extraor-
inary The enlargement OF the cylinders
would not cause them TO occupy much greater
space in the ship, so that there would be no ap-
precabe loss in room; and the larger the cylln-
der, il will give more power. In other words
the power OF the engine is in proportion TO the
square OF the diameter of the cylinders. APP
piause7 There is another objection which has
been urged II has been said that the applica-
lion of dry heat will produce the effect of burn
ing out the furnaces, but il is obvious TO the
most careless spectator that this can never hap
pen because the fire is removed to a distance OF
five fee, from the bottom Of the cylinders, and
the fuel used is anthracite. We don't want
fumes, because we operate simply by radiated
heat. We might make the bottom Of the cylin-
ders red hot, but the most common trouble IS
that they cannot be made hot enough. There is
a radical difference between the caloric engine
and The steam engine in this respect. The ac-
tion of heat upon our cylinders produces no i'll
effects, and it is only necessary to replace the
furnace when it shall! become unfit tor use
though that contingency occurs but rarely;
whereas, in the steam engine, in four years the
boiler is destroyed, and must be entirely rcpac-
ed. Nothinr Of this kind being required in this
engine--there being no boiler TO be corroded--
the saying is very great, perhaps s3O00o t.
100000 every four years, in large ship,
have built sc,cral engines since l started the
plan OF this, and have known some OF them to
last for four years without renewal OF the fur
naces.
Q--What is the thickness Of the bottom Of
the cylinder.
Alone and half inches.
O.-Do YOU find no trouble from oxidation!
A-None whatever. There is slight red
oxide formed but it is So slight as TO be OF no
trouble. The oxygen is all consumed IN the
fire, and no rescuum IS lcIt TO OCCASION oAuatioh
of the cylinders.
O-tould wood be used TO fire the furnaces,
as in vessels navigating the Mississippi river!
Wood would hardly answer: it would
consume too quickly, and the boats would be
obliged to fall back upon coal.
Q.-What amount of coal do you consume
per day!
would be almost impossible to consume more
than six tuns. The steamships consume forty
to fifty tuns daily. There is accordingly a
great saving here. -,
Q.-What is your opinion OF coke as fuel!
A-It would answer admirably.
Q.-Does the extent Of the power depend up
on the degree of heat or the size Of the cyln-
der, or are both indilferently increased!
Ave increase the size OF the cylinder TO
obtain an augmentation OF heat.
Q.-IIow high is the power OF this vessel!
About 600 horse power.
Q.-can the power be applied to small ma
chinss!
A.-lndoub,edly. made machine foot
in diameter which ran with half horse power
The principles of easy application.
ON what ratio does the increase of the
diameter of the cylinder increase the power.
Aust the same as the increased area ol
the piston :,
Q-Are you perfectly satisfied with this trip
as frs, trial.
Atlas exceeded my highest an'icipations.--
With the low-pressure which is now employed,
the engine has already effected more than had
any reason 10 anticipate. Cheers.
On regard to the amount Of friction; what
is it!
A.-The amount of friction is less than that
of any other engine.
Q.-W hat amount of pressure Is required to
commence operations!
A.-So little that half pound pressure to the
square inch is sufficient TO give motion TO the
whole
Q.-What is the number of valves
| A-Thirty-sy in each piston.
| Q-Is il any cheaper to run at moderate
rate of speed!
| A.-ftis somewhat so; the amount OF resist
ance of the water being as the square OF the We
Q.-Is there any difficulty in keeping the pis-
ton valves in order!
| A.-None II anything gets out OF order,
there is man hole in the top OF the supply cy /
der. so that "a man goes in with light, look
about, remedies the evil, comes out, and shuts
The door behind him--and there is an end OF II
lrIauphter In the steam engine, on the con-
Itrarv, whenever the valves are deranged, we
must take off the head, weighing some five tunt
then wait three hours for the engine to cool
| Not so here.
Q.-How long time do you take topump il
1.-The air for starlngt
A.-A very few minutes,
o.-What would happen if the engines were
neglected!
A.-The worst would be that the machinery
would stop.
Q.--uow long since did this idea occur t
II r, Ln, bro,, ,ha I,.,l f,r tuanty ypn rs -