The Portland daily press., 1871-05-25


THE POLYTECHNIC CLUB OF THE
| AMERICAN INsTIrUTE-RE.
| MARKS OF A BELIEVER,
mr. horace Ii. Day stated results of his ex.
| Psiinieuts dC bloomlnodaie, N. j. assisted Inv
| Mr. hehsoh, a mechanical and consultino en-.
glneer, during the last summer. M ono
could long be engaged in such experimanIs
without discovering the absolute necessitv of
employing some means to absorb or overcona
the heat evolved in the Condensation of the
air. The means he had employed was inject.
ing small steady stream or spray of water
into the air in the cylinder which is under
going compression. Another point, long
overlooked, is the necessity OF closing up the
the end OF the pipe in the first place. For
the want of this simple precaution, as stated
6y the President on the last evening, many
Oh lhe early experiments had failed. Gen.
oerrell, who has been for two years engaged
III lhe construction OF the H0osac tunnel in
massachusetts,, where compressed all is en-
poyed, states that he was associated with
FRO. Morse at the time that Prof Morse
undertook to connect Washington aud Balti-
more by lead pipe, but that afl.r tbey
nau carried the pipe two miles from WASH
inston they had tailed to get force enonob in
the pipe TO blow out candle. Had Prof.
Morse closed up the end OF the pipe until The
pressure had accumulated through ,be yhoIo
t0nn6
The force OF the air nearly as great, two miles
from Washington, as where the air was pus
into the pipe, and that force could have been
maintained by pumping in the air as fast as il
was used up at the other end. These are the
A Is Cs of the question:; but, simple as thew
are, 1t has cost much trouble and exnense to
arrive at them. The theory that the whole
iorce OF the air is passing like piston rod.
rubbing against the sides of the cylinders. can
hI1t L. Al.
upon itself, the pressure being lateral as we'll
as longitudinal, the friction being ascertained
To be SO small as To surprise all who have in
vestigated the subject. We in America. who
nave snch vast measure of water mower
may well thank France and Italy tnr ,he
benefits to be derived from the Mount Gems
tunnel, not SO much by its iacilitatino
ihiercoinmunlcatIon between Northern Ea-
rope and the Mediterranean, as by its suc-
cesslul demonstration OF the fact that power
can be transmitted through long distances
with but little loss by friction, and thus by tbe
inauguration OF a new era in the mechanical
world, we have already followed the examnle
OF italy and France. Massachusetts. tbronoh
It's Legislature, after obtaining report from
commission presided over by Prof. Storrow,
upon the system OF tunneling employed ut
Mount Gents, has adopted the same system
the application of compressed air in its tun-
Massachusetts leads, in a manner of dollars
anu cents, 1t is sale tor New York to follow.
Time will prove that this is the best motor
ever given to the world, and that the loss of
power i'll its use is the least. Every one adj.
niits that there is great loss by friction even
In The best turbine wheel, and in conveying
lts power TO the point where it can be used.
NOW we shall undoubtedly be able TO learn
much hereafter with regard to the economical
use OF compressed air; but venture to proph-
esy that, in the present state OF the art, we
snail be found TO utilize at least IS per cent.
oil the power, using it at distance of two
miles from the tall from which we derive our
power. All writers on this subject agree that
there is loss by heat evolved in condensation.
Inls Is question, then, inviting our best
efforts to devise instrumentalities by which
that heat may be saved. Cheap transporta-
ton is one of the blessings of the world, and
when we can bring tho power OF Niagara and
other falls TO the work of tunnelng and pre-
parlnS the way for railway or Canal intercom-
munlcation, we shall be able 10 connect as
never before, the waters OF New York CITY
with the waters OF the great lakes ofthe West.
Another great work needs this aid-tbe con
structlon OF the great canal to connect the
Atlantic with the Pacific. We must not stand
idle and let other cities take the lead. Al
ready at New Orleans and at Chicago COM
pressed air is ia use Tor prOpeling street cars.
However visionary Mr.. Days statement
may appear to many persons, Il think there is
much oftruth in it.
Who does not remember the time when the
idea OF railroad to carry passengers and
freight at the rate of 20miles an hour, was
laughed at by wiseacres, and when steamers
we're TO cross the Atlantic in ten days, and
mt -frsrn W
and answers returned with the speed of light
ming, the old fogies exclaimed "what nom
sense" ...
In an other article in the Engineering and
Mining Journal of New York, Mr.. Day pro-
poses to reyolutionize the use of water power
by means of compressed air-translering it
miles by pipes and using it in eligible situa-
ions. lie is now engaged in transferring the
water power OF the lower Genessee falls by
means OF compressed air pipes through the
streets OF the city Of Rochester, NY.
"Hehanic- house. shop or place nf
business can have it at an estimated expense
of $40 per year for each horse power.
Why may not Portland do the same and
utilize the waste water power within 20 miles
which is estimated of the capacity for oper.
ating more than 100000 leotton or woolen
spindes or other machinery? This is about
four times the amount of power now used in
the Saco and Biddeford cotton mills.
If this water power could be used in Port
land or vicinity it would reqnire 100000 addi.
tional Inhabitants.
The city of Portland should embrace all the
territory within OR 10 miles of City Hall
and the sooner the better.
Will it ever be so?
| Most certainly it will.