New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-02-11

ductive force.
Limited powder dlates into about 1000 times
the spsee occupied BY the grains. pint Of
water. in the steam-engine, bursts into between
LOO ard 800 pints Of vspOr 10 the air
engine. which takes the tud in It's ordinarily At
tenusted state, but a very limited additional d.
latation can be obtained. To avoid this would
be no advantage first TO cOndense it. as IN air
vuns. because il would eire out when released
no more power than was expended on its i'm
prisonment. though it might be more ecOnom-
icslly heated in that condition.
The difference between steam and an air
engine is therefore very marked While in the
latter the motive fluid 10 only doubled in volume
and less than one third Of It's power made ef-
fective in the former the impelling agent d.
lates seventeen hundred times and has to pro
vide for no unusual discounts from the force
evolved-the feed pump consuming too small
an amount to interfere with the general effect,
and even not necessarily working all the time
Whether the alleged saving of fuel by the re-
generator. will make up for this difference is
question that practice will very safely deter
mine.
We believe Capt +. has made the most of
the agent he employs and that his limits of
expansion and temperature are juiicious and
probably the most judiciOus
Atmosphere Engines.-Wemay be mistaken,
but We think when common airs 10 be the mo-
tive agent, the most profitable and practical
plan is to depend upon its pressure; and hoc
most readily to excite this is the great ques-
ton. The apparatus would be less bulky and
costly than expansive machinery-less subject
to arrangement, and consequently more relia-
bic as well as more safe. One Of Capt. Erics-
sons gigantic cylinders would on this plan be
nearly as efficient as tAe whole four, and with
two be might beat anything afoat.
The principle of Atmospheric Engines is TOO
well known to require any explanation. The
water is merely boiled, and the boiler need not
even be closed one. All that is required is
that the vapor should be conveyed into cylin-
der placed over the boiler, as fast as the piston
is raised TO make room for 1.-THE lower the
temperature and weaker the tension of the va
por the better-and when filed, the opening ad-
hitting il is closed and jet of fine and cold
rain let in through the piston or thrown up
from below, so that the steam being condensed
into a little water the atmosphere presses on
the piston and pushes 1t down with force ay.
eraging from II 70 - lbs. on the inch, at the
same time raising anotherpistOn connected with
the opposite end of a vibrating beam. Even
the boiler itself might be dispensed with by
keeping up, by a blast, il need be, bright
FIRE Of coal Cor a series ofreyolving CRATES might
be used) and letting on il small aud mOmen-
tary shower through fine culender. In add
ton to this the cylinder itself should be sur
rounded with an envelope of rushing cold wa.
ter, for when il is charged with steam the
cooler its sides are kept on this plan the bet
ter--Dot warmer. as Of old the theory and
practice were.
We believe atmospheric engines have a
great work to perform. Their first applica-
ton was for stationary work on land where
cOpious supplies of water were often not TO be
had and they soon gave way for closed cylin-
ders and high steam but in sea going vessels
an ocean of cold water is at hand aud can be
admitted without any expense to sweep freely
round the cylinders A pump to raise and
discharge il above the water line would scarcely
detract from the power obtained. If the con-
densation could be effected in this way with
the requisite rapidly, without an internal jet.
atmospheric engines might use the same water
over and over again. A charge in New.York
might last to Liverpool and back.
Every person who knows what cnpping is
cOmprehends the principal and action of at
mospheric engines. A slip Of inhamed paper
or piece of cotton is held for moment IN
der the inverted cup; the flame expands the
air aud drives most Of it out, when the glass
is applied to the place to be operated on A.
the glass cools, the air within sArinks to its pre-
yious density and leaves vacuum more or less
q. efficient. If the glass were cylindrical and ts
sealed end closed with piston, the latter would
be pushed down instead of the skin and flesh
being pressed up. Now an atmospheric engine
is simply a mammoth cuPping instrument fitted
with piston, and all that is required TO make
it popular prime-moyer is, good working
substitute for the slips of paper or cotton and
means to keep the cup cool
Hitherto steam has been employed instead o
fame 10 eXpel the air, out there is room fol-
some promising experiments with the latter
and thereby getting rid of both steam aad steam
boilers. 1t is by no means certain taat pyra
midal fame admitted for an instant TO rise /,
the middle OF cylinder would heat the Iattej