Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu], Hawaii) 1844-1864, 1853-03-26

I This bleak world alone. ~ flFs-f
| Prom the ST. Louis Inielligencer, Jan.,7. - i
$50 The Caloric Ship.
Our desp tches Of yesterday morning in
formed US of great event. The first Ca
toric Ship was loosened from her moorings al
New York, on the 4th day ofJanuary, 1853,
and driven over the bosom of the waters by
an agent hitherto unknown, except in some
very dissimilar capacity. If experiment is
/ worth anything to sustain prediction, the reign
Of steam must date its decline, if not its down
fall, from tn t day. a
1t was not anticipated by Mr.. Ericsson or
his friends that the new motive power would
rival steam in mere rapidly of propulsion
at IeastuntiI after many points ofimprovement
should have been suggested by experiment.
1t was enough for him and the most snnguine
Of his supporters, that it should compete with
the average rate of sailing vessels upon long
voyages Skeptics. required still less. Ii
caloric could reach the point of speed which
steam had attained twenty years ago, they
were willing to admit that its extraordinary
advantages in other particulars would enable
it to effect quick and wonderful revolution
in navigation. Skepticism is now silenced
by result far more satisfactory than it de-
manded. Fortune and fame are lying at the
feet of the inventor. i'ig
The one great feature which will enable
the Caloric engine to rapidly supersede other
motive machinery, is the wonderful cheap
ness of the operation. To this, also, may be
added its absolute safety as regards life and
property. The first mentioned quality has a
double exemplifcation in its application to
sea-going vessels. Not only will the cost of
fuel be merely fractional compared with that
upon steam vessels, but the additional room
for freight. now occupied with huge supplies
of coal, will command a greatly increased
profit on the voyage. 1t has been generally
stated that the Caloric engine will consume
but one-fifth the quantity Of fuel required for
steam-engine of similar capacity. We
have reason to believe that even this esti-
mate does injustice to the former. and was
probably meant to leave a wide margin for
the errors of enthusiastic anticipation. Prac-
tical business men declare that steamship
which now requires two thousand tons of coal
for voyage across the Atlantic, can make the
trip with the caloric engine upon ninety.
| A gentleman well known to the citizens Of
ST. Louis, informs US that he not long since
supplied steamship with coal for the trip
from Panama to San Francisco and back, at
an expense of fifty thousand dollars. Had
she used the Ericsson engine, her saving
would have been, by the first estimate forty
Thousand, and by the second estimate over
fo,ty- seren thousand dollars? Does it look
extravagant to say that revolution is dawn
! ing in ocean navig alton? - 60
| A scientific Englshman said, a few years
ago, that if steamships ever crossed the At
Iantic, he would g eat the boiler of the first
boat The impracticability mistakenly inn
agined by him, has been almost fully realized
in another line steamship travel-that OF
rounding the great capes Of two hemispheres.
No steam vessel can carry one fourth of the
coal requisite for voyage from New York
to San Francisco, or one from Liverpool to
| Calcutta The Inconvenience and loss of
time in putting into intermediate ports, to-
gether with the uncertainty Of obtaining sup
plies of fuel and the great cost Of them,
when obtained, have utterly excluded the
steam marine Of both continents from any
| sort of competition with sailing vessels. A
| few trips have been made around both capes;
but they only established the utter incapacity
OF steam as an agent in the operations ol
commerce by way Of those vastly important
routes. In this field, principally, will the
greatest triumphs of the caloric engine be
achieved.
| To illustrate the estimation in which Err
lessons undertaking was held but short
while since, we may mention an incident thai
occurred while the caloric ship was yet in
1.-THE docks, and after her wheels hsd been pu,
lin motion. The citizen of ST. Louis to
whom we have already referred, together
with Mr.. Rowland, of the well known firm
of Rowland s. Aspinwall, spent a night or
board of her, intending to satisfy themselves
as to the uninterrupted working of the ma
chnery. Before they went on board, accor.
ding to our informant, they would not have
risked picayune upon the availability of the
Invention. On the following morning they
would have been willing, without waiting fol
an experimental trip, to insure at reasona-
BILE per eentage it's unqualified and thorough
success. Within day or two of the same
circumstances, Mr.. Ericsson received an OF
fer of one million Of dollars for the use of his
patent-right upon the Pacific Ocean.
| ! After al, the Growing glory Of this inven'
tion, if nothing should vitiate its present as
surances Of success, will be the safety guar
anteed by it to human life. No more disas.
trous explosions; little or no danger, com.
paratively, from FIRE; none OF the leakage
hitherto occasioned by placing the bed-Platt
bolts through the bottom Of the vessel. The
lperils Of sailing navig alton, too, will be meas,
| urably obviated; for nothing has been want.
L a.sr late ho tnrp NJ