The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1873-08-29
IN Oregon Genius.
THE BACKWOODs OF oREGoN-sTEAN
ENGINES AND EIEGRAPHs

/ 1t appears from the San FRANCISCO
I Chronicle that Oregon possesses a youth
ful genius who deserves more than pass
ing notice. This is his story as told by
I that journal: "a caveat was recently
filed in the Patent Office at Washington
for new motive power, which, in the
opinion of experienced engineers and sci
eutific gentlemen who have examined the
working model, will not only supplant the
! present steam engines in use, but largely
/ increase the uses to which machinery can
be applied with profit. Strange TO say,
this invention which promises such great
results is the product of a boy but eighteen
years of age, who was born and reared in
: the backwoods of Oregon. Frank c.
/ Crouch is the name of the young genius.
| His father settled on farm in Douglas
/ county over twenty years ago, and the
/ only educational advantages epioyed by
the Young man were those afforded by the
country school. AT a very early age he
demonstrated n wonderful ingenuity in
/ the construction of wind-mills and water
wheels. Before he was ten years of age
/ he built toy saw-milI which was the
wonder of the inhabitants for miles around
1 Natural philosophy and chemistry were
/ his favorite studies, not only faithfully
/ followed in school, but fairly revelied in
out of school hours. He was continually
testing the theories of the book by actual
experiments, and produced results which
astonished his elders. The frivolous
amusements of other children he turned
from, and his entire time was occupied not
only i'll practically demonstrating what he
saw in print, but in endeavOring to i'm
prove on the original. Up to four years
ago, when he went with his father to Port
/ land, he never had seen telegraphic i'll
strumsnt, yet in having its operation ex-
! planned to him he aStonished the operator
/ with a more profound clucidation of its
} i
have given. Upon his return home he
constructed an instrument, made bat
/ terry, and in a rude way could telegraph
/ with it. He came near losing his life al
! this period, from the strength of a battery
| which he had constructed, receiving a
| shock which laid him up for month. In
this connection 1t may be stated that this
/ young man has perfected system of teIe
graph whereby messages may be sent and
received on board a train of cars. whether
| standing still or moving at the rate of fifty
miles an hour. The young man fully ex-
/ planned this system to Chronicle reporter.
! but as his application for a patent is not
J yet filed 1T would be unfair to make it pub
! lie. This system also renders collisions
/ impossible, and greatly reduces the chances
| of accidents of all kinds. 1t has been test
! ed on twelve miles of road and found to
work like charm. Another of his inven-
/ tions, from which his friends and practical
| maciln!sts expect great results. is a self
regulating water-feed, to be applied to
boilers. The great majority of explosions
which occur are caused by the water get
/ ting low through the careleSSneSs of eugi-
! neerS. BY this arrangement the water in
! the boiler will always be kept at a certain
! height, rendering explosions impossible
! requiring no attention from the engineer.
and dispensing with the water gauges
! Among all the inventions to which this
/ hoe l.; IL,
/ one which he was most desirous of bring
| ing before tie public was his new steam
engine. His father, who is Il plain. prac-
teal farmer, endeavored to turn his atten-
/ ton from machinery and electricity to the
everyday life of the farm, but finally he
was persuaded by the unceasing inportu-
mites of the youth to go with him to Port
land, and endeavor to get some capitalists
to supply the money to bring out the in
ventiOns of the boy. They met with poor
success in Portland, and the father. whose
means are limited, endeavOred to persuade
his son to return home. The young man
! would not listen to such proposition. and
finally induced his father to come on down
to San Francisco. They met with poor
success here at first, but young Crouch
finally succeeded in getting a miniature
model of his engine manufactured. He
/ took 1t down to San Jose, where several
old friends of the Crouch family resided
| AT Judge HeSter'S residence. on the Ala
media road, the little engine. with but two
/ inch cylinder and two-inch stroke, was ap-
Piled to large straw cutter, ordinarily
worked by very strong mule. 1t easily
handled the machine, and accomplished
work which the mule could not cutting off
| grape-vines and barrel hoops as readily as
straw. The mule was substituted for the
little engine, and brought to dead stop
when these things were put in the ma
chine. Judge Moore and Mr.. Bishop at
! once took stock in the undertaking. With
the means furnished by them large el-
gine is now being constructed at a machine
shop in this city, which will be in opera
ton this week. The merit claimed for
I the ro" 0ngirrt 10 that by steam is con
| verted into wonderfully expansive gas,
| by being superheated in combination with
/ air, thus giving to a comparatively small
engine great power. BY this arrangement
the main obstacle which has prevented the
application of machinery to many purposes
will be overcome, and the steam carriage
| for common roads made practical A
/ great saving in fuel, as well as weights is
/ also secured by the invention of young
crouch The engine and boiler are com
blned, and an engine of fOrty-horse power
VIII not take up space of six feet square,"
I