Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-10-06
A LAND LOCOMOTIVE.
Another Ex Machine In
Chicago.

Another Extraordinary Machine In
Chicago.
From the Chicago Times.l
From time to time the Times has
urged upon the inventors the necessity
of producing for the level plains of the
northwest land locomotive or traction
engine. Whether or not the reiterated
demands Of the Times had anything to
do with it we do not know; but on Fri
day a machine of the precise character
which we have so often declared to be a
necessity made its appearance on our
streets. The inventor and builder is Mr..
Lake, gentleman well known to Chi
cago from his original connection with
the Westside railway; and, later, as the
contractor and builder of the Washing
ton street tunnel
The vehicle which made its way along
the streets of the Westside on Friday
and Saturday is unlike any traction en-
CINE ever before built. 1t is locomo-
tive vehicle, portable engine and FIRE
steamer, all in one. This combination
is entirely novel, but this is not all that
is new about it. Mr.. Lake has discov-
cred and used a principle in the applica-
ton of power that has never before been
employed This principle is one which
admits Of the production of extraordi-
nary power almost directly to the driving
wheel.
In an ordinary locomotive, the steam
from the cylinder acts upon the piston
and is communicated directly to the
crank of the driving-wheels. In Mr..
Lakes machine, when desirable, the
motion can first be communicated to
balance wheels. When these wheels
have reached very high rate of speed,
the power can be communicated by a
" clutch " to the driving-wheels. The
communication can be made gradually
or rapidly as may be thought desirable.
Any one can see the benefit of this
style of communication. Suppose the
vehicle in place where it required extra
force to start it. BY applying the power
at once, no movement is effected; but by
storing it up in the balance wheels, aud
then communicating it TO the drivers,
one gets almost precisely the same ben
eft that he would by getting, say,
heavy wagon under rapid motion just
before running it mp an incline.
If man has to pass over depression
in the road with heavily-loaded truck,
it is easily seen that if he is under rapid
headway he will pass through it with less
difficulty than he would if he should at
tempt to pull his load out Of the hollow
where his wagon had been standing. A
person about to leap over some obstacle
aids his final jump by short run. The
locomotive engineer about 10 ascend a
difficult grade rashes at it after having
accumulated surplus force in high
motion.
1t is precisely this we'll known prinei-
Pile in mechanics which Mr.. Lake has
employed in his engine.
de has another novelty. The machine
has two sets Of driving-wheels. one of
which is considerably smaller than the
other. By a simple use of the screw
either set can be raised, leaving the other
on the ground. The power can be ap-
Piled at will to either. The object Of
these two sets is, Of course, to obtain
either greater power or speed as may be
desired. In hauling heavy loads the
small wheels will be used, and in excur-
sions, where there is no great weight TO
be hauled, rapidity is secured BY the en-
ployment of the large drivers.
A pump and air chamber furnish a
complete apparatus for throwing water:
while hand-wheel allows the transfer Of
power TO a threshing machine, or any
other article of the kind.
Tho engine is a very handsome one.
|, weighs about three tons, and moves
without difficulty, and guides rs easily as
n well trained horse
The construction Of this machine will
open up, We believe, new and impor-
tant era in locomotion. A heavy ma
chine, like the one just referred To, will
haul heavy loads, act as a FIRE steamer
and do duty as portable engine.
Smaller ones can be constructed, whose
weight viii not exceed half ton, which
can be used for passenger travel, OF the
lighter business connected with the
transfer Of goods in a large city. We see
no. reason why such machine in Chi
cago cannot be made 20 take the place
of tho truck, Of horses on the street cars.
of the euaciated stccds which drag the
heavy omnibnses, and Of the light plea
sure vehicles which dash up and down
Dpr avenues
II the machine on the streets yesier-
lay does not belle every indication,