Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-11-25

Mr.. Nicholas Thomas, foreman Of the
Chicago Il Northwestern Railway machine
shops In Chicago, claims to have discov-
cred II new motor which outdoes anything
heretofore claimed in behalf of the Kelly
motor. The Chicago Tribune Of Nov. IL
gives the following account Of the opera.
tons of the Thomas machine:
Yesterday afternoon the inventor gave
an exhibition OF what his invention can
do ut Featherstones foundry, In the pres.
ence Of several gentlemen interested In
mechanics. The inventor came in about
three O'Clock, and, when aske 10 proceed,
did 80 by simply turning u cock which al.
lowed water from the hydrant 10 enter the
mysterious generator, whore in some equal.
ly mysterious manner II was transformed
into Its enormous force. In forty.six sec
onds pressure Of 1850 pounds to the
square inch was obtained, and shortly af.
terward this pressure was increased 10
II, 900 pounds. The engine was put in
motion by admitting the gas generated, or
the motive power or whatever IL NAV be
called, through very small tube into the
piston, when the wheels began 10 revolve
BY admitting "A greater or smaller guam.
THY the speed was either increased or re-
tarded
The inventor stood near and answered
the questions asked and the criticisms Of
tered by the spectators. OF course he did
not explain everything, rs that would be
to diyulge the great secret of the invention.
But from what he said The following general
description was obtained and, II the
reader has the curiosity, as many doubt.
less will have, 10 follow the matter out, he
can see the machine itself at almost any
time
The apparatus consists of two parts---a
generator and an engine. The latter is of
ordinary construction, and Is not part.of
the invention. II will therefore be neces.
sary to speak only of the generator, which
the inventor keeps pretty well boxed up,
where IL Is secure from the too. pryingcycs
OF the curiosity hunter. There are two
cylinders, each about twelve inches in
diameter and about twelve inches deep.
Inside of these cylinders are the pipes,
which are connected by another pipe 10 a
reservoir, much stronger than the genera
tors. The water pipe, with a pressure Of
about ten pounds to the square inch, Is
connected with the generator. When the
water Is admitted Ii produces the force,
which passes through the reservoir and
thence through pipe with an area
of about l.10 of an inch to the engine.
whose cylinder Is 81 stroke by 3
inches In diameter, and which makes
about $50 revolutions per minute. A
lever, five feet long, Is attached to the
generator and loaded down at one end
with piece at iron weighing 20l pounds.
This contrivance acts as sort OF safety
valve. When the engine Is not running,
and the force generated Is, therefore, not
being exhausted, but kept in reserve, an
additional weight of $40 pounds can be
attached TO the weight without detecting
the lever. Yesterday afternoon Mr.,
Thomas suspended himself 10 the weight
with his hands, and his own weight, $50
pounds, together with that of the iron IL.
self, was not sufficient TO pull the bar
down. Mr., Gage, weighing nearly 200
pounds, tried il with the same result, and
a day or two ago Mr., Sanborn, Master
Mechanic OF the Chicago 4 Northwestern