The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1857-01-08
Steam.

Nothing more fully exemplifes the Ser;i.
lty Of human invention. than the fact that
scarcely any year passes by without the dis
coyery or Improvement of some branch Of
useful industry. 1t would be natural to sup
pose that after the ingenuity Of mankind had
been devoted for 50 many centuries p the
combination and application Of maHrials.
the Geld Of new experiments woald become
exhausted, aud that improvements Aald at
length cease to appear. But cxperiefb has
psoved that the opposite tate Of events con
tinually occurs.
Since the beginning Of the present centu-
~, some Of the most important revolutions
have taken place in the customs Of society.
derived entirely from inventions in the arts.
These | will speak Of at some other time.
At present il is sufficient to adduce as e.
ample the Steam Engine.
The Steam Engine may be justly con.
sidered Us the greatest triumph achieved by
modern genius and perseverance. The fol-
lowing are some Of the facts in its history.
The ancient Greeks and Romans appear to
have been acquainted with the power of
steam TO produce motion. and invented the
eotipile.S In 1868, the Marquis of Wor.
ces'er, published an account OF its effect, and
constructed machine capable of raising
water to the height Of forty feet. In 1898,
a patent was granted TO Thos Slavery, for
method Of raising water BY steam. About
the year l705, Thomas Newcomer con-
siructed an atmospheric engine. There ap-
pears TO have been no imrroremes, made
from 70j until half century later. About
l169, the inventions of james Watt gave u
new spring to the energies Of this machine.
giving an increase Of one hundred per cent.
Of power.
The power Of steam depends on the ten
dency which water possesses to expand into
vapor, when heated to a certain temperature
Many other substances have the same ten
dency. But since water, which is the most
cheap and abundant fluid, fortunately pos
sesses, also, the greatest number Of requisites
for an expansive agent it is not likely to be
superseded by any other material. When
water is converted into steam, il expands TO
about one thousand seven hundred times il,
original volume, SO that u cubic inch Of Wa
ter furnishes about cubic foot of steam, at
two hundred and twelve degrees Of Fahren-
hcit, under the common pressure of the at.
mosphere
by the effects which it produces. At the
common boiling temperature, if steam be
separated from the contact Of water and ex-
POSED 10 further increase Of temperature,
II will continue 10 expand, by the law which
governs the Increase Of all gaseous bodies,
and will double its volume once for every
four hundred and eighty degrees Of Fahren-
heit's thermometer.
II is the Office of machines 10 receive and
distribute motion, derived from IN external
agent, since no machine is capable Of gener
atlng motion or moving power within itself
The sources from which the moving power
applied TO machines is obtained. are various,
according TO the nature Of the object, and
W. "a''HhN w t't'' Nlitif Is MtH
and animals, water, wind, steam and gun
powder are the agents employed as first mo
vers IN The arts, Besides the original forcaf
which have been mentioned. there are other
agents acting by their elasticity, their gray.
Ivy, or their inertia, A iiy weel will serve
oy is inertia TO continue force while il
iutermits.
find on examination, Of many Of the
engines Of this Territory, an immense want
OF steam, caused by the unequal length Of
stroke, with diameter and length OF offender,
also N the arrangement Of the valves not
having a sufficient ammouut Of Lead on
the exhaust port. leaving the engine TO
cramp, and necessity Of ticing il down with
bolts 10 keep it in lis place.
Steam expands in all directions alike, and
is useful as moving agent, only by its press
uc. the smaller the cavity between the
piston. and head Of the offender when the
engine is on its centre, the more effective will
BIO the power applied Many Of the engines
have examined having q space Of three
inches at each end OF stroke.
The pressure of steam is capable Of being
applied TO use in three different ways. |
prefer using it expansively. il the steam is
taken at proper height above the water
line, and worked dry, il vii! cansc proper.
tomato saving Of iuel. The enginc should
be so constructed. that the throw of the
valve could he varied Of any time simple
arrangmcnt OF levers will effect this.
In the construction Of machines. no sub
jet in more deserving Of attention. than
simplicity 81 parts and structure. The
more complex machines are. the more expeu-
sive they are 10 erect, the more hablr 10 get
ont o; ORDER, and the more difficult to repair,
an increased expenditure Of power IS also
occasioned by their friction a complex
machine may cvince greater ingenuity on
the part Of the Inventor, and may have cost
much labour and science 10 complete Il, vet
il y aure 10 be superceedcd. the mnmen;
tina, more simple. cheap. or expeditions
way Of attaining the same object Is dscov.
cred The improvement Of the Machine,st,
or Engineer, more frequently consists in the
Simpiiication Of his means than il dos in
the construction Of complex and difficult
pieces OF workmanship.
The metaiic packing. rs now used. " hen
set tight 10 the cylinder. causes an immense
amount OF friction. II IS st up by scrws
which destroys the elasticity and makes il
arbitrary. Again. the grea, amount Of
surface some pistons having 10 length tx
inches wears on the cylinder, tn unreces-
ssry weight hanging at the bottom. making
an oblong. and allowing the steam 10 escape
over The top causing unnecessary expense
for rpairs &c, makes il very little better
than the old hemp packing s,ill in TIE
on some Of our steamboats,
In ofEring the above nnarxs, il is with
a sincere desire To benefit nil owner. az
those contemplating the erection Of mills in