The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1859-11-07

Our CaI0ric Engine and New
Press.

Our Caloric Engine and New
Press.
After ga gonising" for a week past, in get
ting our Caloric Engine and new Press up,
and in workingsorde our patience was re-
warded on Saturday afternoon last by
seeing one of the most beautiful and in
genious mechanical operations performed,
without the aid of man, horse or steam
power ;, that is, the operation of printing on
one of R. Hoe Il Co.'S. Large Cylinder Pres
SEES by the aid or power of one of Ericson's
Caloric Engines.
Much has been said in favor of these Ca
loric Engines already in our columns, but
not as much as their merits demand for as
motive pow er,for genera, manufactures
poses, requiring but little power compare
lively, they are far ahead of everything the
ingenuity Of man has been enabled to devise;
being second not even to steam, which the
Caloric power is destined to supercede en-
tirely.
Our Engine and Press made their "trial
trip" on Saturday night, then; and although
under unfavorabe circumstances, they per-
formed so entirely satisfactory to the'parties
who dropped in on that occasion, as to clio
it many congratulatory remarks on the en-
tire success OF our enterprise in being the
first in Virginia, to introduce the Galore
Engine as a motor.
We do not like to say all we think about
this motor, lest we should be called an enthu-
siast; but we really believe the CaloricyEn-
CINE is destined to produce a perfect revo-
luton in mechanics, by making the power
to drive machinery so safe,so cheap, and so
simple,a to induce manufacturing in South
ern communities, where tine wages of an engi-
neer to run steam engine makes it such an
expensive operation as to preclude the pos
sibilty of successfully competing with North
srn manufacturers located in cities, who
make great saving by hiring power at a
small cost from the owner of large engine
conveniently located for their purposes
For such places as Norfolk, the perfection of
the Caloric engine is a God.send; for it uses
no water, and the obtaining of supply of
suitable water for engine purposes has fire.
quently deferred the more enterprising from
embarking in such manufacturing pursuits
as require steam power. Now that difficult
ty is obviated, and with Caloric Engine
requiring probably twenty m inutes atten-
ton all day long, our mechanics can get all
the motive power they want for ten or
twelve cents day-more power in fact, than
two strong negro men can yield, which
would cost at least one dollar and half
day. Think of that, in connection with the
fact that the same engine will enable you to
heating your rooms in winter, las the exhaust
heat is sufficient to warm large building
by being conducted over it in suitable pipes.
On starting our engine and press, every
thing being new and the journals stiff the
rate of speed attained was only such as the
experiences of the "feeding boy" could ac-
commodate, until he gets used to the "meer-
sheen" We worked at the slowest rate O.
speed our cone pullies will supply, and we
some how thought We made about as many
impressions per hour as two men havebeen
making for us on our old cylinder press. We
done this easily and have three faster rates
speed which we can use with equal facility.
Or in other words, we believe we can print
with as much rapidity as the papers can be
put on, say from fifteen hundred to two
thousand an hour.
We will not say more on this subject now,
lest we tire our readers; but to our cotem-
poraries throughout the South, and to all
Others who take an interest in mechanics, I'VE
cheerlully extend aninvitation to drop in and
see the elephant" perform, and judge for
themselves. The Engine will usually be at
work from eight O clock in the morning to
eight o'clock in the evening; ,for the present
we are unable to say at what hours our press
eB may be seen in operation, though from the
manner in which our friends are handing in
their job work we suspect our presses will
have to be kept running all day long, and
may be in the night too. However, clay on
Macdutf," for with our present facilities we
are prepared to do large quantities of print
ing of every atyle, quality and price.
Three cheers Tor Ericsson and Hoe.