The Aliened American., 1853-04-09

Sne hodtcu III uHAellcreu majesty upon Inc
sea. Then her engines began to work, and
her wheels TO turn. Slowly that great
ship, the first propelled by such machinery,
began to move. Soon herequired renewed
speed, and clearing path through the
waters travelled toward the ocean.
Her appearance as she passed down the
east River and into the bay was grand
She moved at the rate usual for ocean
steamers of her class. Her strangeness
consisted in the absence Of that smoke
which ascends from the chimneys Of those
vessels. From her deck no such chimney
lowered. -Four small white columns, har-
moniously arranged and top-wreathed with
broad line of gold, ascended few feet
above her upper deck; from neither of
which did any smoke percepGble to the eyes
issue. Gracefully she moved onward
gathering speed as she passed by wharves
and piers, peopled with those who gathered
there as men had gathered when Fulton,
in his first steamer, passed before them
Many had assembled to witness the utter
failure of the Ericsson, as all had gathered
to observe and laugh at, the predicted fail
ure of Fulton, nearly half century before
But the Ericsson moved on, and dashing
the spray from her bows, stood sraight for
the sea-
She made the distance from Fort Williams
on Governors Island, to Fort Diamond, at
the Narrows u miles by the by the chan
mel which she TOXIN thirty-four minutes
and thirty seconds, thus realizing a speed
of about fourteen miles an hour.
Passing through the Narrows, she entered
the waters of the lower bay, and proceeded
towards Sandy Hook. Then the storm
which the morning had threatened ap-
pearsd. The wind increased TO gale
Soon the FIRST snow storm which has visited
a. 1ay = 1se~ Assk liAia aiiasSs ev.ss.
snenced
Thc sky darkened, the Weather thickened
rapidly, aud shut the surrounding land from
view and within very short time those on
board could not see a distance of more than
three lengths of the ship.
The pilot considered it unsafe to venture
back, and the Ericsson remained there at
anchor until the following morning, when
she returned to the city, making, without
effort, fair speed against strong wind and
and tide.
In commercial point of view, the i'm
portance of this new motive power cannot
be estimated. The owners of the Ericsson
did not expect to secure great speed by the
engines for which they contracted, nor did
the inventor promise it. He did not care
to obtain that object, nor did they desire it.
All they wished was to obtain such degree
of speed as would make the Ericsson, with
her motive power, the most valuable ship
for commercial purposes upon the ocean,
and this they have accomplished What
the inventor desired was the practical intro
duction of his discovery upon so broad a
scale, that the world at large should appre-
eiate its overwhelming advantages; and this
end he has secured.
sxAs casfrUT TTC aTIT-
san. ID constructing the Caloric Engine,
need only increase the area of its cylinders
TO attain any power which steam has hith-
surse produced. We have said that neither
the owners nor the inventor expected speed
in the Ericsson. Had they desired it, how
ever, they could hardly have been disap-
pointed. Upon her first trip, made under
many disadvantages, her speed was greater
than the average attained by the ocean
steamers of the world.
This is far beyond what her owners were
permitted to hope. They were promised
By Captain Ericsson engines unparalleled
ii point Of economy, perfectly safe, but of
fery moderate power. This pledge he has
redeemed Ie was strongly inclined before
constructing the machinery, to employ
cylinders Of sixteen instead of fourteen feet
ii diameter, and thus to have attained all
that was desirable in point of speed. He
was deferred from executing this plan how
ever, by the strong impression which pre-
vailed among practical men, that it would
be impossible to cast cylinders of so large
i size.
1t was then said that attempts to cast
hose of but twelve feet in diameter had
been made and had failed; and preludices
we're strong in the minds of Engineers and
1thers, that this invention could not be
:arried out upon large scale because OF .
he immense cylinders required. These
news, as the result has proved, were en-
lrely erroneous They were, by Captain !
Ericsson so regarded, He resolved, how. q
sFer. that while cylinders Of the requisite a
sxaa shoald be cast, to demonstrate the J
|Eteliea abaaty Ct Is invention when deyolyed !
.Exh : seaie q great magnitude and power. !,
ize slns pt the csstilgs should not be sucb
= q 1endsfs probable failure in attemn.
q Ihesr Iz'zi1caiion. Guided by these a
news, cylinders fourteen feet in diame,er meter E, E.
vere determined upon, being In area nbont v v
hree times as large as those J used n Col. O
ms steamers L was necessary 70 cas-, N
our cylinders Of this immense size and M ,h;s = =
perstion was performed without III sl;ab, ',s ! !
i difficulty. The cylinders are 5ro n
ounced by competent Judges TO be The
lnest ever seen Of any considerable magr;. MI !
ude; and in the process Of casino ,5e., - 4 4
was sscertained that they could be mad mad i i
dany size required, What therefore, was = !,