The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1870-10-19
Il, [From tho Chicago Times.] d,
A LAND LOCOMOTIVE.
Observation-Disclosures MA.
CHINE IN CHICAGO. :.

.>. ~ - - -
From time to time the Times has
urged upon the inventors the necessity
ofprodpcing, for tho level plains Of the
Northwest, a land locomotive, or traction,
engine. Whether or not the reiterated
demands ofthe 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
necessity made its appearance on our
streets. The inventor and builder is
Mr.. Lake, a gentleman we'll known to
Chicago from his original connection
with the Westside railway !; and, later,
as the contractor and builder Of the
Washington street tunnel. ~ ~
The vehicle which made its way
along the streets of the Westside on
Friday and Saturday is unlike any
traction engine ever before built. It is
locomotive vehicle, portable engine,
aud fre-st Gamer, all in one.. This
combination is entirely novel. but this
is not all that is new about it. Mr..
Lake has discovered aud used princi-
pie in the application of power that has
never. before been employed. This
principle is one which admits Of the
production Of extraordinary power al
most directly to the driving " wheel.
10 an ordinary locomotive, tho 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 a very high rate of speed,
the power can be communicated by a
"olutch" 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 requires ex-
ira force to start it. BY applying the
power at onoe, no movement is effected !;
but by storing it up in the. balances
wheels, and then comm unicating it to
the drivers, one gets almost precisely
the same benefit that he would by get
ting, say, a heavy wagon undor rapid
motion just before running it up all
incline. ~ - -
Ifa man has to pass over depression
in the road, with q heavily loaded truck,
it is easily seen that if he is under
rapid headway he will pass through i'll
with less difficulty than he would if he
should attempt to pull his load out Of
the hollow where his wagon had been
standing. A person about to leap over
come obstacle aids his final jump by a
short run. .Ihe locomotive engineer
about to ascend q difficult grade rushes
at it after having accumulated q surplus
force 10 high motion. .,,.{
It is precisely this we'll known princi.
pie iu mechanics which MIR. Lake has
employed in his engine. ~
He has another novelty The machine
has iwo sets Of driving wheels, one Of
which fs considerably smaller, than the
other. BY simple use Of tho sorew,
either set can be raised, leaving the
other on. the, ground. Tho power can
be applied at will to eithor. The objec,
Of these two .sets is, Of course, to obtain
either greater power or speed, as may
be desired: Id hauling heavy loads, the
small wheels will be used, and. in OK.
cursions, where there is no great weight
to DO hauled, rapidity is secured by tho
employment Of the largo divers.
A pump aud air chamber furnish an
apparatus for throwing. water. while.a
hand. whoel allows the transfer of-pow-.
er to threshing machine, OF. uny other
article Of the kind. ss
The eugino lisa very handsome ons
IT weighs about three tons, and moves
without difficulty ,spd guides as easily
as we'll trained horse. n, I t3
The construction OF this machine
win open up, we believe, a pew, and
Important era 10 looomotion. A heavy
machine, like the one just referred 70.
will haul heavy loads, act r az .a.3 fire
steamer, and do duty .as 4 portable senl:,
gins. Smaller ones can bo coQistractsH
whose weight will n6ts exoesds half "a
ton, which can be used for passenger
travel. or the lighter business como Ct,
al 9TH fha krouafor IF 0oo1a in loroo