Wilmington daily gazette. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1872-1874, 1874-08-04
FIRELEsS ENGINES. -,
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The problem for rapid transit seems TO be in
| the process of solution among our neighbors in
Brooklyn, and although the method of arriving
at this desirable result which has obtained
most favor in the eyes of at least one of the
principal railroad magnates of sister city
may not be the best. it is still worthy of notice.
| Daring the Inst 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 oi the invention of Dir. Emile
lamm of New Orleans and their results have
| been reported rs satisfactory. DIR. Lamm's in
| vention consists of u ireless steam engine,
which is intended 10 take the place of the or
| binary dummy, and TO do it, work without Civ
| ing any ground for the objections usually
| brought agaist the latter, such as frightening
| horses or teams on the road. and thereby caus =
| ing numerous accidents.
The hrelesS engine Is supplied with steam
| from stationary boiler, and in the manner by
which the steam Is supplied and preserved con-
| sists the principal merits of the invention. The
boiler of the locomotive Is constructed of sheet
steel, three Fights of an inch thick, with air
space immediately superycning about one inch
IN depth. formed by means OF small rings of
the best non-conductlng wood attainable, over
which is wrapped hair-cloth telling two inch
es thick. Above the felting there is another
air space similar to the above. and over all
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 sta
tionary boiler. Tho capacity OF the boiler is
three hundred and twenty five gallons, and it
Is always kept, when in use about three-quar-
ters full. Under the boiler of the locomotive
there are usually four pipes(although the num-
Der Is u matter of choice into which the steam
from the stationary boiler is drawn, and those
pipes are perforated with small holes on the
under side. as to permit the escape of the
steam through the water above. The steam
is very highly heated'and warns the water to
pertactly even temperature throughout. The
full charge of steam Is estimated nj 200 pounds
per square inch, and it is calculated that, with
TINS amount OF pressure to start with the en-
CINE will travel thirteen miles on n moderate
grade. OF course steep grades will require
greater expenditure OF steam, and provision
for supplying the necessary amount. The
Atlantic Avenue Railroad Company propos to
nave one stationary boiler at the corner of At |
lantic and Flatbush avenue and another at |
East New York, SO that the distance between |
the two will be about four or five miles thus |
affordinG an ample margin for extra waste of |
steam. 1t Is said that tine engine i'll the loco |
motive is SO constructed that it will continue |
to work until the pressure steam Is reduced to |
twenty pounds per square inch Only one en-
CINE has yet been made the subject OF expert
ment i'll Brooklyn. and it had made the dis
lance from Last New York to Jamaca-six
and half miles-in fifteen minutes, and to
and a half miles-in eight
1t Is expected by the Atlantic Aven-
ue Railroad Company that when the road bed
is properly adjusted these fireless engines with
one or two cars attached, will make an average
OF fifteen miles an hour, including stoppages,
The cost of these engines when ordered by
quantity Of twenty or more, is placed at 81 900
each, and a careful estimate of the expens, of
running them on a level road is rated at half
4 cent a mile.
Inquiry at the Office Of the Atlantic Railroad
Company revealed the fact that the proprie-
tors are busily engaged in preparing the track
rom the corner OF Flatbush and Atlantic ave
lues to East New York, for the purpose of
making it hit for the fireless engines, and it is
expected that by the beginning Of Octohernext
mainly conveyed by their agency
An inquiry as to how these engines would
behave during a severe snow-storm failed to
licit any satisfactory reply, and it is possible
hat the steam required to enable the engine
o fight its way through snow drifts may be so
-reat as to leave il stranded between two of
he supply boilers.