Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1870-02-08

llnc for the first insertion, and eight cents per
line Tor each subsequent insertion will be
charged.
ECONOMY IN FUEL-PETRoLEUM AS Pro
DUcER OF Motive POWER An exhibition OF
4 remarkable apd important new invention took
place in Georgetown. Saturday afternoon, at the
foundry Of w. \. Duvall & Co., in the pres
cnce of several representatives OF the press and
I number Of other gentlemen. The process.
which has been IN course OF quiet development
there tor the past eight months, consists
in converting crude petroleum to the uses Of
motive power by the application of steam. For
several years a couple OF gentlemen who were
largely interested Ia the oil regions have made
the uses CT petroleum study, and sought per
seveIlngly to adapt to practical ends the Vapors
and gases which issued from its wells. ti>surcs
and every opening in the ground, which were
simply the result cf the evaporation of the pc
trocum in the earth. Many methods were
applied, but chemical difficulties or practical
obstacles delayed final success. At length it
became apparent that the great secret to be
discovered was the application OF heat, 10 such
manner as to evaporate the petroleum without
carbonization. The various methods were first
fully investigated Furnace heat, no matter
how applied, had failed under Government cx-
perimcnts. Heat produced by elections into
the fire of petroleum anG steam combined,
proved spasmodic, Irregular, and dangerous,
but il was certain that the vapor Of petroleum
would not only buru, but would produce the
intensest heat Of any known agency. Finally,
after much study, the inventors and conduct
Ors OF the present experiments, MI Is. NJ
Whippe and Mr. II. S. Dickcrson, invented
an apparatus, whereby they sought the evupo
ration OF the petroleum through the application
Of super heated steam, it being evident to them
that the great essential hitherto lacking IN the
process was sufficient quantity OF hydrogen to
prevent the carbon from depositing in a solid
state.
For over four mouths these experiments have
been going on, and are at last producing such
results as to leave scarcely any doubt OF their
complete success.
For the past two mouthS the daily duty OF
the apparatus has been to drive thirty horse
power engine, with a common thirty tlvc-to0t
cylindrical boiler. Relative tests with Cumbcr-
land coal show that the average pressure OF
steam with coal fuel under the same boiler Is
thirty five pounds; the coal fires being raked
out and the pumps started, the pressure becomes
reduced to twenty five pounds. The gas fires
then being started the pressure is Increased to
seventy pounds in twenty minutes. This ser
vice is performed at an expense Of one gallon OF
crude petroleum per h0ur-coSt. seventeen cts.
The capacity OF the present apparatus Is cstl-
mated at twenty thousand cubic eet OF gas per
hour, equally adapted for fuel or for illumina
ting purposes. From the fire thus produced,
when combustion is regulated. there is neither
smoke dust, nor ashes. AS matter OF c1m-
parativc economy the results thus tar seem To
be OF great promise.
MARRIED HIS Own SISTER. The DedhauI
Patriot says that marriage once took place at
Canton, Massachusetts, under the following
circumstances The bridegroom, when quite 4
small boy, ran away from lis parents, who
lived in Lower Canada. In process ot time the
father died, the mother married agaln and the
irnts of this union were several daughters.
The daughters grew up, and the parents not
havinm the means to support them. they went
10 work in factories. One straycd to Canton
factory, where hy forluitous circumstance
the runaway happened To be at work. flt
soon became acquainted with this girI, and tc
fore full history Of each Others origin was de-
velopcH MARI ed her. In 4 lew days II was aS
rartaincd that they both had one mother This
NJ course, greatly confused and aStunlShcd both
parties, from winch arose strong conscientious
s:ruplcS % TO the prOprcty OF !rothcr and Sis
ter living together in a state oi matrlmony
and, upon mature consideration, they resolve,
mutually to dissolve their connection rs maj
and wife
"ANTI RoBmER Stick. "A New York cdi
tor has been shown wonderful invenlou
termed an "anti robbar stick, in the handi
OF which is located small galvanr battery
\ slight pressure causes the instant THROWING
out of a strong steel needle at the other end
and penetrating the highwayman who comes II
contact with it, The galvanlSm OF the ma
chine at oEcc parayZcs him. and 1t becomes n
easy matter to capture or get away from hlm
The editor aforesaid saw the inventor cXpcrl
mcnt on dog. lie touched the anma
with the needle, and instantly the dog hocam
as stiff and still as a poker being unable to va
even his tail. The only objection to this in
vcntion seems TO be that the rohber could us,
it with lust the same effect rs the honest man
Its utility, therefore, Is questionable.
CHrE-rhcrc arc instances ct saltwater tis
living and thriving in fresh water. We can ir
stance the chub, which is now found in ncarl
all oar treshwater ponds and creeks. 1t
said that they were originally brought from
bemat|c Sound in North Carolina, while It W;
vet filled with salt water, and that they wer
transported thence about hundred years az
by gentleman of Williamsburg, who had
large box Of small clubs empticd into the co
lcpe mpond near the old city. From the:
have sprung all the chubs that now swarm
the fresh waters of Eastern Virginia.