Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1853-01-26
TIle Great Invention.

The success of the Ericsson air ship has
suggested the question as to what will be
the effect Of the general adoption OF the
new motor for all the purposes to which
steam are now employed on the consump-
ton of coal. A correspondent of the Phil
adelphia Ledger takes right view OF the
question, we think, when he says that the
undoubted effect would be that instead OF
supplying a hundred steamers. as now,
with say one thousand tons of coal day,
we should be called upon to furnish live
thousand marine vessels, everything that
floats, in fact, with five thousand tons a day.
Besides, the land would be covered with
caloric engines. The cheapened power
would Danish hand-toil and horse drudgery,
and be applied to thousands OF purposes
which can now be scarcely imagined. AS
general principle, we may rely on the fact
that the greater efficient service can be
produced by ton of coal, the more tons
will be required; or, in other words, the
cheaper thing is made, the more it will
be used.
The Courier de Etats Unis, in an arti-
Gle on the ,caloric ship. illustrates the ope-
ration of the wire apparatus. in alternately
heating and cooling the same volume OF air,
in the following opposite manner:
"The great fundamental principle OF the
transmission of caloric cost the inventor
twenty wears of reflection 10 realize in this
machine. 1t consists in using constantly
the same heat to warm the air which Is
made to enter the cylinders. The appara.
tus by means of which this principle is ap-
piled, is called regenerator, and we can
form clear idea of it by supposing that
man has his mouth filled with warm me:
talic sponge; if he draws in his breath, the
exterior air, in traversing the pores, ,of the
warm sponge, will itself be warmed, and
will arrive warm into the lungs whilst the
sponge, having parted with its caloric, will
have become cold if he exhales the air
thus warmed, this air, in again traversIng
the sponge, will again warm. it, and will
come out reduced in temperature. II in:
stead of producing these movements by the
contraction of the muscles of the breast OF
the individual, an ordinary bellows is a.
dapted to the mouth to produce the inha-
lation and the exhalation, we well nigh
have Ericsson's machine"
A ROMANTIC BIoGRApHY.-At recent
meeting of the Imperial Academy OF Med
icine, held in Paris, the Secretary pronoun-
ced an eulogy on the celebrated Surgeon
Bower, who was at the head OF the Medi-
cal Staff under the first Napoleon. The
incidents of his life make romantic and
impressive piece of biography
Rover was the son of poor tailor, whose
wife kent little shop in the town of Ii.
monsin. He began as BARRIERS boy came
70 paris twice as cattle driver renamed
as an assistant in barber shop; being in
tbe neighborhood of the Medical Schools
and Anatomical Halls, he stole hours to
freouent the latter and assist the dissectIng
students, who laughed at his uncouth ap-
pearance, but were struck with his passion
for the employment A liberal observer
became his patron: he was soon appointed
to instruct and direct the fresh Students
His master, the barber, required his aid in
the shop only on Sundays and festivals, and
allowed three francs per day, he being the
favorite shaver. The first year of his stu
dies he lodged in small garret without q
chimney, and read in bed in the winter ;
now and then he warmed his fingers at the
fire of washerwoman next door, whose
daughter he finally married.. out Of grati-
tude for her attendance on him during d
long sickness. He became second sugeon
in the hospital at length one of the most
ilustrious professors of his day his treaties
on sugical diseases is still in the first rank
of professional works. Napoleon created
HIM his First Surgeon, and Baron OF tnt
Empire with twenty-five thousand francs
) dotation. His personal and professions
a habits and character form an amusing ant
:, original picture.
e. "A Locomotive Of the largest size. re
J. quires 100 gallons of oil a year to keep
d creased.