The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-05-23
KEElEy'S vAP0RIMGs.
The Mighty and Mysterious Motor
Again "A Power which doses
Through else Pores OF the most
De0sc Metal.

The Mighty and Mysterious Motor
AGAIN - Power which Doses
Dense Metal.
| A Sun reporter paid visit to the ma
chine shop Of Messrs. Sergeant & Chill.
lingsworth. in this city, where one of tho
Kelley motor generators Is being made
It Is intended to be of one hundred-horse,
but by operating II rapidly It will give
a power Of three hundred horses. its
height will be about seven add hall
feet. AT present the parts are either ~
ing completed on the floor or In process
Of preparation. Among the former is a
bed OF cast iron, seven and half feet
long and three feet seven inches wide,
upon which the supcrstructure of cham
bers and their accessory tubes will be
raised. The chambers are about two
feet in diameter, and vary in height from
two to two and a halt feet. They are of
massive steel. and their hollOws vary
from four ~ six inches In diameter, lcay-
ing the walls necessarily of very great
thickness and capable of bearing an enor.
nous hressure. The difficulty has hith.
erto been In obtaining metal which
would retain the vapor.
Experiments with generator of about
fifty horse power on low pressure gave
| entire satisfaction to the company, and
! Mr.. Kelley was advised to construct a
larger machine. lie therefore. two years
ago. began one Of 1000 horse power, to
be endowed with sufficient strength to
stand the requisite force with perfect
safety. The next experiment was with
generator of 1000 horse power. con-
structed of gun metal. A pressure of
G,0O0 pounds to the square inch did not
burst this metal, but caused the vapor to
Ooze completely through its pores, much
to the establishment of the bystanders.
This gun metal was OF the best compo-
stion used, and comprised so per cent. of
copper. IA per cent. of tin, and the rest
Of lead and zinc. 1t was then thought
that phosphor bronze would answer the
purpose. but the vapor ooscd through
that at still less pressure. The virtues
of wrought-iron and steel are now to
be tried. The chambers of Mr.. Keeley's
! 900 horse power generator in Philadel-
phia, have stood pressure oil $4,000
pounds to the square inch In the lower
part, and 10000 pounds in the upper, and
retained the vapOr, but small globe at
the top of one Of them, which 1t was
thought could be safely constructed of
gun metal. allowed the vapor to escape.
A new one is under construction, to-
gethcr with some minor parts, and by
June l trial will probably be made, and
one small machine Of five horse power
will likewise be tried. The chambers
have stood pressure Of 10000 pounds.
The inventor and the stockholders are
perfectly satisfied of the feasibility of the
theory. The only point now is to get
metal sufficiently dense enough to retain
dri-.- ., s.s c qfafe1y create pressure
Of over two hundred pounds to the square
inch, the enormous force Of the Kelley
motor, and Its immense capacity for pro.
pulsion, can be realized. The power will
be generated by vaporizing of water
mechanically, and without the aid or
heat. The expense of fuel will thus be
saved. Those interested claim to have
been misunderstood In saying that pint
of water only would be needed for the
propulsion of q train of cars between this
city and Philadelphia and back. They
meant that II five gallons were used for
an engine of one hundred horse power,
a pint only might be lost by vaporiza.
ton through the pores of the metal.
None at all might be lost. The water,
after being vaporized, and passing
through the various tubes and chambers,
does Its allotted work upon the engine,
Is re.condensed into its former state. and,
again becoming vaposized, starts again
upon Its mission OF mighty pressure.
The capital stock of the Kelley Motor
company Is 100000, divided in 90
900 shares. Many shareholders, dis
heartened at the repeated failures. and
the adverse comments of scientific men,
have sold out at heavy loss, but others
are hopeful.-NeW York Sua.