The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1868-02-12
Extraordinary Inven-
tiOn--Steam Man.

The following, story of a re-
markable mechanical invention is
told by the Newark (N. J. } Adver-
tiser.: -. -. -.-.,,
Mr.. Zadock Deddrick, New
ark machinist, has invented a
man one that, moved by steam,
will perform some of the mostim-
portant functions of humanity ;
that will, standing upright, walk
or run as he is bid, in any direc-
ton and at almost any rate of
speed, drawing after him a load
whose :. weight would tax the
strength of three stout draught
horses. The history of this Gu
rious. invention is as follows: Six
years ago, Mr.. Deddrick,. the: in
Ventor, who is at present o.. but
twenty-five years: Of age, con
ceiVed the novel idea Of construct
ing a man that should receive; it's
vitality from "a perpetual motion
machine The idea was based on
the well-known mechanical prin-:
eiple that if a. heavy weight be
placed at top Of an upright, slight
" inclined from a vertical, gravi-
tation will tend to produce a hori-
,zontal as well as vertical motion.
The project was not successful.
However, by observing carefully
The. cause Of the failure, preserving
and perfeeting the man form, and
by substituting steam in place of
the perpetual motion machine,
the present success was obtained.
s:The man stands seven feet. and
nine inches high, the other dimen-
sions Of the,body- being correctly
proportioned, making him. a sec
end 4Buui5t --7fa EFsb1r71
name he is facetiously spoken of
among the workmen. He weighs
500 pounds. Steam is, generated
in the body or trunk, which is no
thing but a three-horse engine,
!, like those. used, in our. steam fire
engines. The legs, which support
it are complicated and wonderful.
The steps are taken very natural
y and quite easily. As the body
lis thrown, forward upon the .ad-
,vanced foot, the other is lifted
from the ground by a spring and
thrown, forward by the steam.
Each. step. or r+pace. advances the
body two feet: and every :reyolu-
ton of the. gine produces four
PAGES. AS the engine IS capable
of making more than ]; ;0eGreYoI4-
-tions.in a minute. it would get
over the ground, ON. this caleala;
ton, at the rate of a little more
than a mile a. minute. As this
would be working the1egs faster
than would be safe ON uneven
ground or on Broad. street cobble-
stones, it is proposed to run the
engine at the rate Of 500 revolu-
tions per minute, which would
walk the man at the modestspeed
of half mile a minute.
:The fellow, is attached to a
common rockaway carriage, the
shafts of which serve to support
him in a vertical position. These
shafts are two bars of iron, fast
ened in the usual manner to the
front Of the carriage, and are
curved so as to be joined to a cir
cular sustaining bar, which passes
around the waist like 3 girth, and
in which the man moves SO as to
face in any direction. Besides
these motions, machinery has
been arranged by which the figure
can be thrown backward or for
ward from a vertical nearly
forty-fve degrees. This is done
in order to enable it to as
cend or descend all grades. To
the soles Of the feet spikes or cords
are fixed, which effectually pre-
vent slipping. The whole affair
is so firmly sustained by the shafts
and 50, excellent a foot-hold, that
men are unable to push it over, or
in any other way throw it down,
In order to enable it to stop quick
ly, it is provided with two appli-
ances, one Of which will, as before