Weekly North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1858, 1857-11-11


last ExPERIMENT.-By next FEBRUARY, four years
will have elapsed since the caloric ship g Ericsson"
went to Washington City, making seven knots an
hour, with head wind. By many the success Of
the new principle seemed to be established, and was
chronicled accordingly; but the expectations then
entertained, failed to be realized. and the oaloric ma
chinery was replaced by the ordinary steam engine.
The time which has since elapsed has not been
suffered to pass fruessly away by Mr. Ericsson, for
he has labored ineagaby for the perfection of his
original design, and the development of motor
promising important results to commerce and the
arts. The caloric engine has been reproduced in
forms varionsy modified, and in all cases with great
simplicity Of construction ;while the labor which it
pesforms is vastly disproportioned to the consump-
ton of fuel when compared with the results of con-
sumption in other engines.
These remarks suggested by visit made yes
terday to the Office Of John B. Kitching, 81 William
street, where of Mr.. Ericsson's engines as just
completed, is set up, small scale but is Sufi-
cen;ly large to illustrate the principle. Though oc-
cupying less than cubic foot of space, and heated
only by gas, the power developed dees the strength
of single man. 1t is employed in pumping and
raising three hogsheads per hour to elevation of
five feet. This pattern is called democratic en-
ginc," being adapted to perform great variety of
work ordinarily done by hand and with a surprising
degree of economy.
Still another caloric engine is located on one Of the
piers of the North river, and is designed for ships
use. In this capacity it promises to accomplish i'm
ships, being unable to carry steam engines,
supplied with the Worthington pump, and therefore
have wholly to rely on manual labor in rdding the
ship of water in Of leak other exigency. The
caloric engine may be placed in the corner of the
cooks galley almost un6bserved, and may be put in
operation in fifteen or twenty minutes, saving the la
Dor of an entire crew. There being possibility
of explosion or other disaster, the cook is amply
qualified to otticiate engineer, if desired The
position of the engue is matter of the least
quence, it requires little beside air. and will run in
the fore top upper deck equally WELL
In addition to the above a beautiful steam yacht
has been plying about the har Dor for the last ten
weeks, and is often seen running across from Staten
Island to Long Island, &c. propelled solely by calo-
rc This boat is fifty feet in length, with eight
feet paddle Wheel which works about thirty turns
per minute, giving speed equal to eigh. nine
knots an hour. The engine is controlled By any one
who happens to be on board. The fuel is either
coal or wood.-Sma oak wood has generally been
used, sawed into eight inch lengths and incredible
as it may seem, only cord has been used during
the last six weeks though the boat has been run
more or less every day! Even after the fires are
wholly extingushed sufficient heat is retained in the
metal of the engine Gf it has been thoroughly warmed
ard is good working orter) to prore the boat at
least two miles. The space occupied by the engine
of this boat is not larger than the boiler which the
same boat would require if propelled by steam.
| 1t is said that the caloic engine can be built on
any desired scale of magnitude Though the princ
pie which EricSsons caloric engine originally
| built IS wholly preserved, the arrangement and mech
anism entirely ditttrent-the whole being re
duceG to degree of simplicity never before attained
| in any engine. 1t is reasonably suggested that ir
| places where ' dry motors" only can be employed
as in the gold diggings of California, this en-
| CINE must prove immensely valuable.-JOurndt O
| Commerce, Oct. %