Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1873-07-31
A NEW POWER.
An Invention for Which Won
derful Things are CIaimed--A
Great Fuel Saver.
From the Boston Globe ]

From the Boston Globe
Mr.. William Wells, of Salem, has
just perfected an apparatus for run
ming stationary or locomotive engines
by vapor power, which, if it fulfills
all that is expected of it, will entirely
revolutionize the method of running
engines of every description. The new
apparatus was set up few days ago,
and on Saturday afternoon it was put
ia practical operation, for the first
time, in the presence of several gen
tlemen we'll versed in machinery and
the application of power. The work
ing of the engine was entirely salts
factory, and all present expressed
themselves as highly pleased with the
success of the invention, which has
been considered by all but the designer
as an experiment.
The whole apparatus is very simple
in construction, and the new power
can be applied to any engine. The
whole popularity in construction is in
the boiler, the vapor being conveyed
to the cylinder of the engine just the
same as steam. The boiler is an up
right one, and is really q double
boiler; that is, it has two heads at
each end, one a few inches from the
other. The two chambers thus formed,
one at each end of the boiler, are
filled with water, and are connected
by tubes, which are for the circulation
of the water between the two cham
bers. The second or inner boiler, that
between the two inner heads, is filled
with preparation of bisulphide Of
carbon, the vapor from which is the
power, and takes the place of steam. -
Beneath the boiler is a small fire box,
from which flues run up through the
two boilers to the smoke pipe. These
fues pass inside of the tubes already
mentioned, and the fire in passing
through heats the chemicals. By this
arrangement it will be seen thaG the
bisulphide in the inner boiler receives
the requisite amount of heat, without
coming in direct contact with the fire.
flues, as the water, as has heen eX-
planned, is kept in circulation through
the tubes. Mr.. Wells claims thai
with a comparative small fire, a great
amount of power can be obtained, and
it has been practically shown thai
with the water at temperature Of 212
degrees Fahrenheit, or the boiling
point, pressure of sixty-fve pounds
to the square inch is obtained on the
vapor boiler, and of course, if great
er heat is applied to the water, the
vapor pressure will increase proper
tionately, 1t shoull be mentioned
that the chemical preparation is used
over many times, as the vapor. after
passing through the cylinder Of the
engine, passes into condenser, and
is then returned to.a boiler to be used
again. The waste of chemical material
is said to be very small. 1t is esti
mated that at least two thirds of the
amount of fuel can be saved by tbe
use of this invention, but the exact
amount can be better determined aftel
further experiment. Mr., Wells ha:
been at work eight years in perfectin {
this apparatus, and judging from the
test of Saturday his labors and pains
have not been thrown away. The en-
gine is to. be put in daily use at til,
planning mill of David Bufum, OF
Front street, Salem, in a short time
and all interested can have an oppOr
tunity to judge of the merits of the in
vention for themselves.
/