Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-09-23
rmrnsDAx ,.omx.N.. SIR, %. 1879.

EAStNAN& Cos aud poi e soiaiy 10 eiLer Of me FfO'
THURSDAY DEoKxING, sEPF., %, 1859.
FaWkes' Siean PIoT-RepOrt upon iis
Trial AT the Illinois Stale Fair.
Much interest has been fell by those engaged ia
agricultural pursuits in regard to the steam pillow
invented ny Mr. josErH ". FAwKts Of PernsyI
vsnia, and its trial at be late fair Of The Illinois
State Agricultural s0eely seems TO leave little
doubt of its practical utility Should The anticipa
tious excited by TIE report of The committee be
realized it will be Of the greatest inventions Of
modern times. The interest felt in regard TO The
working of this steam plOw induces 70 republish
entire the report Of the committee appOn,ed to test
its utility which is as fellows:
The undersigned, Committee Of Mschuists sp-
pointed TO test practically the Flowing engines which
might compete for an award offered by your SOco-
ty and called upon substq uenIly 10 reply certain
| inquiries, respectfully report
That there vas but one offered for trial. which
came within the provisions Of tbs resolution. This
was invented and patented By Josepa ". Fawkes of
| Pennsylssnia.
| To form a complete conception Of this Stem
| PIow let the Committee recall the appearance CT
! small sized tender OF locomotive engine let about
half the f9rEari poriicn Of the sides aud faok be
removed We nov have something which resembles
| the body Of FaWkes III chine Ia the mid lie Of the
! forward portion of the plItorm stands The UPRIGHT
boiler which is about Z ftet high, and feet in
! diameter the ire-box aud dash pit being of
| peloW the level Of the platform, and the fire door
opening fOrxarj. TIE boiler con'a:ns DIS ircL
I tubes vi ich computed together vita the iie-bJx,
! gjyee S75 fest of ire surface Steam may be got
IN in minutes, although twice tina, lime is usual,
/ l., Necessary The fuet may ti'her be bItumiH9Us
coal OF wood Tae cj finders are horizontal inches
in diameter and - itch stroke, AMI ere placed one
| On each side Of The better The Istons commuuicae
motion not to ne side wheels but TO q drum Or
roller fset in diameter ard feet lJrg, which as
the sides o. he pI5tlorm oyerhaog its cod, Is
parstively cut o. sight. The G'un ID placed about
midgav between t1e front and back OF lae machine;
before it depends the H-e-50K ara over AMI behind
it is the tank thai, when the h'i'er Aud aHk are
full t6py nearly c-uu;crba Gnee each othrr en- the
axles OF the driSi j um.
/ This drum is composed of tEo ioI heads or
spiders" and in eIu"ci'' oIti TO i1ese, III K,
marrow iinks, cut Ike Fl YES, aad bi'lng Glossy,
] are bel Cd, aud rm he peIiphr y fne adhesion
is, therefore, pFoducfa % -ur'a "a "oou 81
kfset l9r e. which never becsGe5 polished, and tae
hesriup II which is always across tue gram TEers
! il no Slipping; the machine Is s'a't tel and stepped
instantly; and, except when propeling Itself cen
siderable dit lnce turnTks and paved roads, the
ussr and tear is slight. This subztI.uiiOn Of the
folly increases traction aud prevents stougaIng in
wet or yielding soil; while moderate irregularities
Of surface scarcely affect The onward march OF the
4 ploY Another great advantage is gained ~ me
gearing Of The drum. ias:eld OF beng attached
directly to a crank On the axle OF the dTum, each
connecting rcd communicates motion TO Pialon
which iuIns easily but without Ehske on the axle
lust mentioned The piniOn iGterloeks with oG
wheel, which by piniOn on its axis imPsris melton
to the cog wheel bolted to the dram. The whole
being so prop orlioned that sI Strokes OF the piston
| cause one revolution Of the drum,
Increase Of power and Of control over the move
ments of the engine are thus secured
The front Of the FIRE box is short. tspeTing how
of sheet iron which as a seat for the fireman
and receptacle for fuel. TIE bow - supported 10y
body-bolt on o truck composed ef two ir,n gmde
! wheels three aud enc haif feet in diameter and III
teen inches broad The truck moves freely hL' The
| front wheels q cheise, aud IS controlled D. 8
steering wheel in charge Ct the engineer, 80 tha
the Whole lchae il turned as readily ara as sh9r
a. a farm wagon Tae Ell CINE Of thirty hOrsi
poEer. The entie length Of The machine ia ahoa
siqbteen feet: is weight, with water and fuel Il
tons and cost, iDcindiug donkey engine aul
nump. about 81 900 By this pump water may b'
drawn from S well or creek, and the tsnk filed oil
wafer forced from The IGHk 10 the boiler. The tam
holds twelve barrels sufficient fer three hours ruE
MIC The pows. eight in number are attached L
ona frame which is suspended by chains pgssinl
orer orooved pI.lies in two beams, projecting irrn
the seat 10 the engine. These chains cJLiInunie-t'
| 20 the wiudlass ia charge Of the fireman IN front
by which the gang Of plOvs may be rals'd or low
eTed at pleasure. aud the frame OF PiaRs Is drsEl
hy other chains which are attached 10 The undersld
Il If the frame CT the engine.
: I, answer to the several questions Tropounded b
vour Board touching the oapac ~ and prac'icsblit
Of tbe engine for farm purposes, We tad upon tri'
and examination as follows:
First-Ths weight ten tons, as reported by Mr
Fawkeg, -,
nonnds or two bushels and ten pounds Of il feIi-
coal. with ons-e gath part Of cord Of wool, evaE
orstipg about loo ga Ions of water and Plo"ing on
acre in twelve minutes which includes turning
The wood usel was mostly Of linn, and eonsiiei
ably deGayed, and Womb have De'h rtJeeSed uP'
Third-The amount ofiraction on different grad
oflapd would be matter difficult to determine, vii
the facilities in the hsnds of the Committee.
had the engine up tho various grades Of the IA
orounds passing into gully, with the plows sWuI
in the rear winch struck on the bank as the ma
roller was raising the o'ber. which oVerlowered Il
eng,ne out Upln dCtlehirg no Plaws, the N iehll
noyed out without the least llicuity. Upon mea
uremeni ibe grade found 10 be enc foot veit
cal 10 four the nor goatal line Sean, by q
indicator, was marked at only G2'-lUO' being
l. ordinary pressure.
n Fourth-The friction produced by The pTcssu
AGAINST the shoulders Of the sxes Instead Of b-ll
inir on the Journals Which ara Of le5a sizsl III
POSSIBLY make slight waste Of power IN Eunoi'
across incGed planes The wear ana tear w.u
he the same as With any other steam 'ngine used
The engine can safely be run across an iuciin
njsue Of 30 degrees, because Of It's great bread
-. of base fix eei)-lhe principal part OF the boil
= the heavy f,e box, sui gTe1t portion OF tae n
chine, ;. Lsing below the centre.
FifL-We have previously stated that an a.
cou'd be pIoved in twelve minutes; bat an exa
iuatiou of the following compuistiou3 viii demo
straie its actual performance. strip CT land
ward. long and 90 feet vide, was IloWei in (;
wi,ptes. and tn head. ands of 80 feet were cross
ore in - seconds, the other in 30-the Flows be-
elevated and lowered TO and from the g-Ourd in
S xth-No sta am engine in ex,seace should be
trusted TO inexperienced persons.
This one Is as simple as any We have ever eXs
med "a strong ard substantial. Il is q lCcon1t
b;gt-prsssure engine in construction, arranged
reVersinr ~ will and was repeatedly ed Eanctd
reversed q few inches at time with perfect ease
in a few seconds. The skill requisite to manage
machine should be acquired in month by any
t.Ilirent Americac farmer, and your Committee
vlev of The certainty Of the employment of st,
for farming purposes, would strongly recomm
that the fara ers Of Illinois skoul give especial
tention in the education of their sons, to The pri
pIes of mechanics, and the practical mansgemel
steam engines.
Seyenih-The fuel furnished by the Society
your Committee was of such inferior quality 81
hardly enable us 10 demonstrate fully the ste
generating capsbilliy Of the boiler, but by refer
10 the amount of its fire surface 1915 square f
il will be seen, b. practical men, t1at with the
ms, ,antsge of an exhaust to artificial drsu
it is folly competent. with ordinary fuel TO &c
ate continuously abundant steam for lis work.
weight of coal aud wood on board, and of pas
IA GERS it carried, throughout the experiment, as
IS would represent the weight of an entire
supply o. fuel. 1t would carry water for
Etc, hour S ran.
Eighth--As stationary engine her power
tested at Power Hall, where, after jaeking NJ
sec. rear end 80 that he main drum turned clear CT
49, ground, by applying the power direct 10 the
NtA' or the roller 40 revolutions OF it were obts
- per minute. BY passing the belt Of a so foot