The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1874-02-24
A Steam Jacaass.


line In the way of invention in the fol-
lowing:
A man living near Nashville. Wash
inston County, Illinois, has recently in
vented an apparatus to take the place OF
Whistles for railroad signals, steamboats,.
fire alarms, factory calls, and the like -
He calls il the "Telcphon," hut the pop
ular name is the s'steam jackass." Toe
inventor is stock farmer,and has devo-
ted much of his time to raising mules,
whose habit and anatomy he appears to
have studied carefully. On his arm was
mule Of more tlian ordinary vocal pow
ers, whose voice could be heard at dis.
lance of four miles in every direction,
when he once got warmed up to his
work. The owner computed that If he
could put in motion all .he air in circle
of eight miles in diameter,or 25 miles in
circumference, or an area Of so square
miles, or 10000 acres. a hundred horse
power jackass could, all other things be
ing equal, rival any noise yet discovered
He established the fact that the power Of
an ordinary ass is about one-twelfth of
an indicated steam power. A steam en:
CINE of 1000 horse power would shere-
fore be equal to the, power of $4,000 as
ses. Wheretore,H one ass can fll a cir
Gle of 8 miles in diameter, 1000 jack
asses OF one 900 horse power iackasa
would ill circle Of $1,000 miles in di.
lameter.e a
| The inventor thought all this over
carefully arriving at the dedaction that
| if he, could take natures vocal apparatus
and apply to it a greater power he could
produce a larger and more satisfactory
volume of sound. Filled with this idea
he put the mule to death and carefully
severed the head from the body. He
then injected solutions of chloride of
lime aud arsenic into the VEINS and ar
! teries of the head and neck TO prevent
the decay of the flesh. India rubber was
dissolved in sulphuric ether. and the so
luton forced through the trachea or
windpipe, and through the larynx or
throst. The ether evaporated, leaving a
film on the membranes, and the Infection
and evaporation we're continued until the
rubber film was found Of sufficient thick.
ness. These organs were then subjected
TO vapor of sulphur, heated 900 de
grees, by which process the rubber was
v,llcanized, its elasticity increased, and
the membranes rendered impervious te
steam These preparations completed,n
short piece of rubber hose was attached
to the windpipe and connected with Q
steam boiler.
1t was a moment Of agony to the,in-
venter, as he placed the ass head in the
hands Of an assistant, and slowly pRlled
!, the valve open; moment of thrilling
interest. AS the steam was turned on il
passed on into the windpipe, expellina
the air aud producing sigh, followed
by:a groan, snors a chuekle, and theI
Easyio,ent coughing and sneesing. As {
Hull head Of steam was turned on thu
most fearful noise, the most frightfu
guffsw, the most voeileroas bray tha
ever assailed mortal ears was produced
The lips contracted, displaying a terri
BILE array of teeth; the features develop
ed satanic grin; the jaws raised and
i fell, as the steam crowded the passages
and the ears participated IN the geners
movement, giving to the hesd OF the as.
an animated and excited appearance -
The. man who was holding the ,heae
gazed upon il moment. with 1iiatet
eyes, oolorless cheeks, kaaeking knees
| and protruding tongue; Gthen suddenly
losing all interestin the performance, be
emigrsted. As for the iaventor, his sue
cess exceeded his most sanguine antici
lpations. For an instant he contenpia
ted the head, his couatenance workids
with every manifestation of intense de
Hight; then he too started to learn thj
greatest distance to which that voiel
would penetrate, leaving it still in Opera
ton, with all steam on The head hat
lnow fully got warmed up 10 its work,ant
that bray went hurting through the uni
verse. 1t was an acoustic earthquake !;
sky shake; storm; hurricane o
storm a tornado; cyclone of noise : i
was donkey carniva al, a jackass Fourth
of July. 1t was the greatest success th,
world has ever known, ,..,5 Sa.l 5,
e.