The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-01-14

i Will DE- FUbLlSHED EVERY THURSDAY
the power. We now know that we can make
| cyhnoeIs large enough to supply any want My
oglbai calculation was to cy flinders of I6 feet
diameter, but 1t was deemed in1practicable to ex.
reed at first the present dimensions Of ID feet
Were to build the engine anew, i should adhere
/ to my original plan. and make the larger cvljp.
ders each Is feet The feasibility of the enlarge
ment OF the cylinders is SO well established
that house in this city-Messrs HoGe & DfTA-
MATER, the builders of these engines-wil now
engage to furnish cylinders of t,centy feet diane
| ter, and to bore them at their own rick. Were
we bile to introduce cylinders of twenty feet we
should be able to surpass any thing that floats upon
the ocean, and the effect of the improvement would
be extraordinary. The enla rgement of the cyIin-
ders would not cause them to occupy much
greater space in the chip, that there would be
appreciable loss in room and the larger the CYL
ihoer, II Will give more power. In other words,
| the power OF the engine is i'm proportion to the
square OF the diameter of the cylinders There
/ is another objection which has been urged
II has Leen said that the application of dry
neat VIII produce the effect of burning out
the furnaces; but it is obvious the most careless
spectator that this can never ha ppen because the
nre 10. removed 10 a distance of five feet from
the bottom of the cylinders, and the fuel used ia
anthracite. We don't want flames because we
| operate simply by radiated heat. We might make
| the bottom of the cylinders red hot but the most
| common trouble is that they cannot be made hot
enough There ia a radical difference between the
caloric engine and the steam engine in this re.
spect: The action of heat upon our cylinders pro-
duces no i'll effects, and it is only necessary to re-
place the furnace when it shall become unfit for
use-though that contingency occurs but rarely;
whereas, in the steam engine, in four years the
boiler is destroyed, and must be entirely replaced
Nothing of this kind being required in this en-
glne-there being no boiler to be corroded-the
saving is very great, perhaps $50. 900 to 900
every four years in large ship. have built sew
eral engines since | started the plan of this and
have known some of them to last for four years
rpno u,a1 of hot
cylinder? - $3.50 - ~ ~'''' u W
One and half inches.
Q.-Do you find no trouble from oxidation?
II None whatever. There is slight red oxide
formed; but II is 30 slight to be or no trouble
The oxygen is all consumed in The fire, and no
residuum ia left to occasion oxidation of the cylin-
rders.
Gould wood be used to fire the furnaces as
in vessels navigating the Mississippi river9
A Wood would hardly answer; it would con-
sumo too quickly, and the boats would be obIiped
to fall back upon coal. s.. #s- -
Q-What amount of coal do you consume per
"a A-on an average. from five to six tons; it
would be almost impossible to consume more than
six tons. The steamships consume forty 10 fifty
tons daily. There is accordingly great saving
/ here. ses I'd .fr.afls % o. ..s'-.' &s-l
Z g What is your opinion of coke as a fue3
- Alt would answer admirably.
ag Q,-Does the extent Of the power depend upon
the degree of heat, the size of the cylinder, or
are both ;ndlfferently increased!
- Ave increase the size of the cylinder to OBJ
tain augmentation of heat. IL a.
GLOW high is the power of this vessei
about GOO horse power. q
Q-Oan the power be applied TO small ma
chimes? o. aa.z zaY.,
A,-UndoubtedIy. made machine a foot in
diameter which with half horse power. The
principle is of easy application.
Gin what ratio does the increase of the diam
eter of the cylinder increase the power!
Aust the came as the increased area of the
piston.
e-Are you perfectly Satisfied with this trip as
Il Ii has erceeded my highest anticipations. With
the low pressure which is now employed, the en-
CINE has already effected more than had any rea-
son to anticipate. -.---.~
Q.-In regard to the amount of friction-what
Ia il ..'
s A.-The amount of friction is less than that of
any other engine.
Q.-What amount of pressure 10 required 10
commence operations?
1.-So little that a half pound pressure to the
sdtare inch s sufficient to give motion to the
whole. @-E-sGs
Q-What is the number of valves?
4.-Thirty six in each piston.
Q-Is it any cheaper to run at a moderate rate
of speed?
At ia somewhat SO; the amount OF resistance
of the water being the square of the velocity
els there any difficulty in keeping the piston
valves in orders
A.--None. If any thing gets out of order, there
that man goes in with light, looks about, rene.
dies the evsl, out, and shuts the door behind
him-and there is an end of it In the steamer
CINE, on the contrary, whenever the valves are
deranged, must take off the head, weighing
some five ons then wait three hours for the CINE
to cool. Not so here.
Glow long time do you take to pumpin the
air for starting?
"A very few minutes.
Q-What would happen if the engines were
neglected?
I.-Tte worst would be that the machinery
Q.-How long since did this idea occur to YOU?
1T has been cherished for twenty years. In
1893 brought out in London my first model Ca
loric Engine w! ich with five horse power and
since that time have built twelve or thirteen such
machines.
9 DO you remember the name of the British
reviewer who commented favorably upon your in
vention about that time?
a Nearly all the English mechanical journals
of the day discussed the subject Prof FARApAY,
however, and DR.. ANDREW URB regarded my en-
terprses fayorably. When the subject was first
agitated, ii denounced as involving, among
other things, the "chmera Of perpetual notion
but experiments caused come of these doubts to be
removed. Mr.. FARADAy was much interested,
and iectured u the new principle before crowd
ed audiences at the Royal Institution. For nearly
twenty years, therefore, | have Pondered on this
invention. During all this time hare neuer been
at d loss for means and on reaching New York,
and making reDres ltations 10 your capitalists
met with number of merchants, supported by
other gentlemen OF capital, who afforded me am
pie opportunity of testing the caloric principle on
this large scale. The thing is accomplished; there
is no remaining difficult in the " ay which oannot
be met; there is no doubt that cannot be answered.
The principle has been tested long enough prove
that 1t is reliable, feasible, and successful.
Will you state what is the relative cost of the
caloric ship and steamships?
A.-The cost will be about two.thirds that Of the
steamships; that is, there will be saving Of one
third in expense.
Q-What is the ratio of expense as regards the
employment of engineers and firemen?
A-About the proportion OF one to FIVE.
This ended the explanations and their accompa-
nying colIoquies We have sketched briefly and
rapidly from recollection the salient points of a
very interesting and instructive discussion.
An expression of the sentiments Of the company
seeming to be appropriate to the occasion
Mr.. CHARLES A. Dana, of the Tribune, made a
few remarks, abiding very happily to the clear.
ness and pointedness of the illustrations given by
Captain EsIcssoN of his new invention The time
had come when the wants of commerce called for
more safe and Trustworthy agents. The genius of
Captain Ericsson has inaugurated a revolution in
the world of business All classes are looking anx
iously forward 10 this event, and the world will
hail the of this important enterprise as the
commencement of q new and prosperous era in
history
Similar remarks followed from Mess5s SoLoN