The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1866-02-24
THE PAC IFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
SATURDAY. FEBRUARY p.

on our fourth page, and it will, doubtless, COM
mand the attention of all interested in such
matters. The story of its origin and value,
as told by the Chicago Tribune, appears so
plausible that no one, after q perusal Of il, can
lay the paper by without a conviction that the
invention may prove one Of immense value, and
that it II likely to revolutionize the whole sys-
TEN Of steam enginery and steam Navigation.
The main feature or novelty in the invention is
the separation Of the water and steam into two
separate containers-the water remaining cold
in its container till used, and Of course perfectly
harmless, while tie expanded steam alone occu-
pies another Ontainer-thus rObbing these pow
erful elements Of the dangerous features they
possess when united.
The mode Of using steam referred to is not
entirely new, and has been tried in New York
and elsewhere in various ways before, but not
in a way that promised SO great success as does
this. One drawback to its practical use will,
perhaps, be found in obtaining n metal that will
resist the great heat required in making dry
steam-the same difficulty that attends the use
of the caloric engine on a large scale. For small
engines Ericsson's Iower is said 10 work well,
but it has not yet been successfully applied to
vessels, and perhaps never will be.
Another obstacle that seems likely to stand in
the way of the practical use of Danford's new
engine on sea- going vessels, is the formation of
lime on the inside Of the ''glnerator,'' or
boiler, as salt water is generally used at sea.
Another writer on this new motive power, how
ever, claims that one great advantage of it is
the fact that lime water does not form any in
crustation in it, and that = : su per-heated steam
seems to possess qualities which prevent the
deposit of this lie" If this difficulty is over
come, as claimed. and if it be true that the heat
applied in producing this new motive 4. is not
sufficient to in any way impair the texture of the
iron," it may yet be applied TO sea steamers
successfully.
We call attention to this subject as there are
many engineers scattered through our group,
some Of whom are very skilled in their calling,
and those possessing leisure or facilities for ex-
perimenting may possibly overcome difficulties
which other mechanics or inventors might over
look, and thus render valuable addition to
science. Such things have been done, and may
be again. y few years ago Mr.. VIM. \. Light
hall, a practical engineer, of New York, be-
came interested in our first inter-island steam
enterprise, and invested in it all his property
some ten or twelve thousand dollars. He brought
the AkdDlai to this port, and a year or two later
had charge of the West Point. When the COM
pany abandoned the enterprise, he lost every
dollar he had in the world, and was left to his
talent and ingenuity to win back what he had
lost. Many of our readers may remember him
and the circumstances of his reverses. 1t was
while spending Il few months here unoccupied-
or while on his way to San Francisco and New
York, that he originated in his mind a method
for d~istilling fresh water from salt water, to
which he afterwards devoted all his energies.
We met him in New. York several times last
and he narrated the reverses he en-
countered here, and his feelings when he
was left destitute in Il distant land. But
without being discouraged, ne set his wits to
the task of deyising some way to produce fresh
out Of salt water, and told us of his various
plans for distilling water, none Of which stood
the test Of trial. 1t was a long story, but ex-
ceedinaly interesting, and one that illustrated
the old adage that . necessity is the mother Of
invention" He determined not to give up the
haIEformcd invention he was planning. and
through several years made numerous expert
ments, as far as his limited means would allow
none of which, seemed practicable. The late
civil war, however, which gave rise to many
I'M tlli III VAL anu al IiS. we VIA
developed MIR. LighthaIl's invention. \ regi,
ment Was about leaving New York for Ship
Island, near the mouth of the Mississippi, which
selected for a naval depot prior to the cap
ture Of New Orleans. There was no fresh water
Obtainablc on Ship Island, and the War Depart
ment called for Il machine 10 produce it, and
was referred TO Mr.. Lighthall, who was then
employed on the Aspinwall steamers, as the
most likely man for the job. On being called
before the Secretary of War or the General in
Command, he said he had q half-deyeloped plan,
and thought he could construct a machine, after
time and experimenting, that would
make fresh water. 1--WE must have 800 gal
Ions a day, and want the machine in thirty
days" Poor Lighthall was struck dumb, and
couldn't answer till after making inquiries, but
next day and said he could make one
in f~orty-twO days, which, he thought, would
distill the required quantity. "You shall have
ten thousand dollars and expenses paid, if sue
c~essful, - was the curt answer of the official.
Mr.. Lighthall's genius was Immediately set TO
work, and he constructed his machine, delivered
it within the allotted time, found it successful,
received the reward and obtained, in addition, .
patent for it. Nothing but this invention
allowed the Union troops to remain on Ship
Island and operate against New Orleans and
Lower Louisiana, and nothing but the impera-
demand Of the occasion spurred him 10 sue
cess. His machines Were afterwards ordered by
the War Department for other places, and al