New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-08-02
A New Orleans Invention Utilized in
Brooklyn.
From the New York Herald, July I3.l

From the New York Herald July %.
The problem for rapid transit seems to be
in the process Of solution among our neigh
bors of Brooklyn, and although the method
of arriving at this desirable result which
has obtained the most favor in the eyes of
at least one of the principal railroad mag
mates Of our sister city may not be the best,
it is still worthy of notice. During the last
few weeks experiments have been made in
the neighbOrhoOd of East New York and on
the track of the Atlantic Avenue Railroad
Company, for the purpose OF testing the
availability of the invention OF Dr. Emile
Lamm, OF New Orleans, and their results
have been reported as satisfactory. DR..
Lamm's invention consists OF a tlreless
steam engine, which ia intended to take the
place Of the ordinary dummy, and to do its
work without giving any ground for TIE
objections usually brought against the lat
ter, such as frightening horses or teams on
the road, and thereby causing numerous
accidents.
The freless engine is supplied with steam
from a stationary boiler, aud in the manner
by which this steam is supplied and pre-
served consists the principal merits of the
invention. The boiler of the locomotive is
constructed of sheet steel, three-eights of
an inch thick, with an air space immediate
ly supervening, about one inch IN depth,
formed by means of small rings OF the best
nOn-conducting wood attainable, over which
is wrapped hair-cloth telling, two inches
thick. Above the felting there is another
air space, similar to the above, and over all
a covering of Russia iron. The purpose of
this covering is to retain the heat in the
boiler of the locomotive, which is supplied
from the stationary boiler. The capacity of
the boiler is 325 gallons, and it is always
kept, when in use, about three. quarters full.
Under the boiler of the locomotive there
are usually four pipes although the mum
Der is q matter OF chojce) into which the
steam from the stationary boiler is drawn,
and these pipes are perforated with small
holes on the under side, 80 as to permit
the escape of the steam through the water
above. The steam is very highly heated
and warns the water to perfectly even
temperature throughout. The full charge
of steam is estimated at 200 pounds per
square inch, and it is calculated that, with
this amount of pressure to start with, the
engine will travel thirteen miles on mod
crate grade.
OF course steep grades will require
greater expenditure of steam and provi-
sion for supplying the necessary amount
will be necessary. The Atlantic Avenue
Railroad Company proposes to have one
stationary boiler at the corner of Atlantic
and Flstbush avenues and another at East
New York, SO that the distance between
the two will be only about four or five
miles, thus sffording an ample margin for
extra waste of steam. 1t is said that the
engine in the locomotive ia SO constructed
that it will continue to work until the pres
sure of steam is reduced to twenty pounds
per square inch. Only one engine has as
vet been. made the subject of experiment
in Brooklyn, anu it has made the distance
from East New York to Jamaica-six and a
half miles-in fifteen minutes, and to Ca
norsie-three and half miles-in eight
minutes. 1t is expected by the Atlantic
Railroad Company that, when the road bed
is properly adjusted, these treless engines,
with one or two cars attached, will make
an average of fifteen miles an hour, includ-
ing stOppages.
The cost of these engines, when ordered
by the quantity OF twenty or more, is placed
at $4,000 each, and a careful estimate of the
expense of running them on a level road is
rated at half cent per mile.
Inquiry at the Office OF the Atlantic Rail
road Company revealed the fact that the
proprietOrs are busily engaged in preparing
the track, from the corner of Flatbush and
Atlantic avenues to East New York, for the
purpose of making it fit for the freless en-
gines, and it is expected that by the begin
ming of October next the traffic bet ween
these two points will be mainly conveyed
by their agency.
An inquiry as to how these pgines would
behave during a severe snow storm failed
to elicit any satisfactory reply and it is pos
sible that the steam required TO enable the
engine to fight its way through snow drifts
may be 80 great as to leave it stranded be
tween two of the supply boilers.-New York
Herald.