The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1874-05-09
STEAM's DAYS NUMBERED
Enormous Power With TrifIing csst---haking Use Of
the Hidden Forces Of hature--Another Revolution In
Mechanics.
From the Scientific American

From the Scientific AmericAn.)
Professor Faraday, of England, as
serts that grain of water contains cleo
trical relations equivalent to a very power
full flash of lightning" Knowing that the
equilibrium of these relations is sometimes
destroyed by the heavens merely by a
change of conditions, resulting in enor-
nous mechanical work, and as we are con-
stantly discovering means to change nat
ural conditions, the question arises (Which
seems legitimate one), why are not our
locomotives and steamships propelled with
grains Of water instead Of tons The only
answer that can be given is We have as
yet no knowledge of suitable means as yet
to destroy the equilibrium of these rela-
tions.
Mr.. John W. Keely, Of Philadelphia, has
discovered method of destroying this
equilibrium, or something analogous to it,
and made it the basis of an invention by
which these conditions are changed.
BY peculiar mechanical device hitherto
unknown, force is generated which can
readily be applied to driving all kinds Of
machinery for which steam or other motive
power is generated and applied, without
cost other than the mechanical device OF
generating machine and the necessary
wear Of the machinery. The generator is
simple aud comparatively inexpensive, oc-
cupying but a small space, and is light
compared with the requirements of steam
power and since this power is produced
without heat, electricity, galvanism, mag
netism, or chemicals, it il destined at an
early day to revolutioniZe completely the
present motive power OF the world, by
reason of the economy of its cost and
space.
THE POWER,
80 far as at present evolved and tested, has
shown pressure Of fully 10000 pounds
per square inch, as the following explana-
ton will show The principal part Of this
power generator, now In use, is made of
metal, globular in shape, about fifteen inch
es iE diameter and hollow, having walls
about three-quarters Of an inch thick, a
strong iron tube an inch in diameter, con
Meeting the generator with q cylinder,
used as a receiver of the power or force
from The generator. This cylinder is made
Of charcoal iron, forty inches in length,
four and one half inches in internal di-
ameter, with screw fitted and welded
heads two inches thick, tested to pres
sure of 10000 pounds pCr square inch its
capacity is about three and one-fourth gal
Ions. This receiver was charged from the
generator Of the power in i've seconds, and
the power remained therein at least eight
days without any addition, and from it q
great number Of tests were made without
any apparent dimunition Of its energy or
force.
At the end of the charged cylinder is at
tached q flexible brass conductor of drawn
tubing one-fourth inch in diameter, with a
bore one thirty second of an inch, passing
from cylinder to ceiling and thence to the
other side Of the room, for a distance Of
twenty feet, to the test apparatus or force
register. This apparatus consists Of q
thick bed plate Of iron, to which was bolt
ed and packed cylinder four inches in di-
ameter, having q plunger or piston, the
area Of which was little less than one
square inch in surface. Below this piston
10 q chamber of about two cubic inches,
with which the tubing from the
CHARGED CYLINDER
il connected. The plunger or piston, act
ing perpendicularly, was the point at which
The power was applied to q compound lev
or, which, according to Mr.. Haswell'l