New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-03-04
AN INTERESTING QUESTION ABOUT
STEAM-ENGINES.

| OIEAM-ENGINEOs
The newly-completed and handsome steamer
KangTs Of about 1000 tuns burden, sailed on Sun.
day last for China where she is to ply the coasts
under tie direction Of Messrs. Russell e. Co., her
owners. She took down the bay with her party Of
some twenty gentlemen, mostly engineers, who
went 10 inspect she working Of some new and inter.
estng apparatus connected with her engine. This 10
an ordinary beam-sngine 50-inch diameter Of cylin
der aud lOfeet stroke. 1t originally constructed
with valve.gear known as Winters cutoff which
ia commonly made by the Morgan Iron Works in
this city, Mr.. Dickerson has added to the engine
another vsve.gear 10 that the engine can DO worked
with either at pleasure; and this trial was made 10
show which was the better machine. Ihe added
valve.gear is the property Of Messrs. Dickerson q
Sickels OF this city, and comprises several improve
men,s made by Mr. Sckels, and several made by
Mr.. Dickerson-the foundation being the Sickeis
cutoff which Mr.. Dcksron said was the only
great Improvement steam-epgine which had
ever been made and put in use since james
watt died. When the steamer left TIE
dock, DickersOn L. Sckelss machine was in opera
ton, and, as the fires became settled the speed in
creased until the engine turned sixteen revolutions
, minute without drawing down the steam in the
boilers-thus showing that the fires were supplying
each minute all the heat needed for sixteen turns
At this rate the machine worked so smoothly that il
was Impossible for q person In the engineroom to
: know when the centers were turned by any jar or
sound whatever; and several persons holding their
h hands in connection with the engue unable to
perceive any motion in the machine when On the
centers After using this valve gear for about thirty
minutes, the Winters cutoff WAS put in acton-tirse
or four minutes being lost In making the change
e and the first effect perceived was a tremendous
. pounding or jar On the engines centers,
which conld be felt by any person standing
near the engine by the vibration OF the hoor,
. and could be heard for q long distance from the
machine. The revolutions were tken counted, ard
the engine lost trO turns minute, falling OIL TO IA
from IT, beyond which it could not keep up its speed
: The pounding WAS somewhat reduced afterward by
driving keys aud screwing down the journal caps,
all of which had been left slack by Mr. Dckerson
request, in order to show how easily his machine
would wo.k the engine; but still the thump was
very violent and could be felt through the feet when
standing near the engine. After keeping this MA.
chine in action for about three quarters Of hour,
the other machine again throvnin, when all the
and jar disappeared, and in that connection the
ship welt TO sea.
Various opinions were expressed as to the cause
OF the difference and Mr. Everett, from the Novelty
Works thought that if the Winters cutoff were dill
4 terenflv adjusted it would work better. But Nj.
Dickerson stated thai Dir. Winters had been written
to- ut bis request aud been offered the opportunity
10 improve il il he could, and had answered that 1t
was all ri.ht, and could not be improved. Mr..
Dickerson also stated that the engineer OF the Morgan
Works, where these machines tuilt had PROM
sed 10 be present, but did not appear, and he de-
aired any one present to make the Winters cutoff
produce better results if possible but no one al
Mr. Everett expressed the opinion tba. there is no
benefit in working steam expansive'y below halt
4 e ,lxr atspfr NV
10 build variable cutoff gear, when as good results
conld be got by using fixed cutoff at balf-stroke
In ex panation Of the result which was exhibited,
Mr.. Dickerson stated that the difference between
the power produced by the use OF stean-engne,
as generally constructed, from a given amount o.:
o heat and the power which the same quantity Of
i. heat was capable of producing, WAS go enormous
that an improvement Of 80 per ceut was mere
" t,iie and ought not to excite any astonlshment.
The ultimate power of heat he stated has been &c
curately ascertained, and il amounts 20 this: that
the quantity Of heat watch will raise the tenpera-
Il ture Of pound OF wafer degree Fair II the sln-
ple equivalent OF the power which VIII elevate 'oo
! poundr [ loot high At ibis rate, pound OF the
best coal is capable Of raising than II 600 900
e of pounds loot high If It's carbon were entirely
snmed and no lo-s Of heat sustained. lnprac;ce
however, the best results known do not exceed
900 of pounds OF weight raised foot bign, for.
each pound Of coal consumed; therefore the power
genei ated by the combustion OF gwen quantity Of
coal in the furnace, il more than II times greater
than tie power actually realized by the engine.
The fret loss Is IN the boilers, which, on al average,
will not eyaporste 7 pounSs Of water for each
pound Of coal used; whereas the best coal
is capable of evaporatiux IA pounds If lite
hes. were all absorbed by the water. After
deductng the loss, therefore, the heat which goes
into the s.eamengine from the boiler is half as much
ns the combustion ought TO product and in the form
Of steam 1t 10 capable Of lifting $4,000 pounds
foot high for each pound Of coal consumed; and If no
Improvement were ever made in boilers there is a
margin Of five times the power now got IN the best
engine yet to be made useful. 10 add 20 per cent,
therefore TO the first million IL not very deep ill.,
road into the 100000 OF duty which yet IN tue
steam aud have never been obtaped. Mr.. Dickerson
stated that be saw difficulty in constructing an
engine which would yield in dynawc effect one
Q quarter OF the power Of the heat expended and
;, which would therefore produce three times the
: power OF the best engine now known from the same
coal. Beyond that, II would be necessary TO make
more perfect joints in the boiler, than now used, in
i order TO carry Ligner steam.
l. Mr. Dickcrson also said that this engine, although
well built and all right upon present plans, was
Al barbarous machine, when doing the best II
!. could, aud that hereafter such engines would be
locked st Ne we now look III stagecoaches for fast
!, travelling.