, 1876-04-15
STARTING THE BIG ENGINE.

Tho GFcnt COF1isS EhEtHC BMtlt Tor
the Ccntennial-Ats Firsa Trial.
Philadelphia 71mes, Aprhli.
Tho contract between tho Centonnsai authori-
tics and George II. Corllss, Of Providence. r.
l., Obliged tho latter to 1avo bis great engine
in Machinery Hall completed and ready for act
ion by yesterday, tho 10th Of April. The an
that In the ovoptng this gigantic source Of tho
dozen acres OF machinery would 10 bo set i'll mo-
tion for tho frat time, great crowd OF employes
aud othora congrogatsl about tile iron giant be-
fore o'clock. Steam had been created iu four
of tho swonty boiloss required to feed the c1,-
CINE, and was turned upon tho 1attor half an
hour lstes. Thoro wero 90 many sooty-1noling
men perotled away up Mt the various poluta ont
ssd.. inside. and on top of tho monster oillny
polishing. and finishing inferior details Of Tho
c"nhtr,icsion that come Of tho spectators began
to fear That ths propoAcd starting Of tho engine
tion was ahkod III In its sizo. weight, etc.
Tho curious inlerrosators WeEe told. not for
tho first time, that It weighs 800 tons viii
drive eight miles Of shafting has a lly-ullccl
30 feot in diameter ard weighing 10 tona
In OF 1,f00 horsepower, with capacity OF
being forced tu o,50o horsepower; has two
Walking -benn,s, weighing ~ tons each two 40
inch cylinders. d 10.fact stroke, orsnlt shaft
connocting.rods 81 feet In laug!h. and piston
rods d incheB IN diameter. Tho platform
upon which It reals te 55 feot in diameter and
compossd Of pollahoa iron pls.cB, resting upon
Garth. Tho hotght from tho floor to tho top Of
tl,e walking beam is 81 foet. Mr.. Oostop ss tho
inrcntor, ratontoo, bni1der, and owner. having
had II erectod tot tho double purpose OF exhibt-
supplied Eratuitausly. but only for tho purpose
Of exhibiting machinery In operation. 10 ma
chinory being allowed to tlln longer than ia
necessary for that purpose, oxcopt by poru1H-
sion from tho Chief OF tho Bureau. Of tho
eight l'ncs of nhaftng (fonr or! each sido Of tho
tranHept) seven will have upnod ot 120 revolu.
tona per minute md one of 4iU.
AT twenty Minutos past o'clock mesaonger
WAS sent for Director. General Goshorn, who ar
rived i've nalnntca afterwards. Tho tal'. spry
polut, Whoroyer hiH eagle gray eye detoctoa
aomo microscopic. dAoTtlor. Tho oily, sooty
uotlsmcn climbed down tho, two iron ladders
roachtpg from the top OF tho walklng- -bsan1s,
acting on tho cogs Of the Ay-wheeI, caused sew
eral tnrua Of tho 1attor to proyo That nit was
clear before turning atcam on, Tho inventor.
without tho slightest anxiety dopctod in his eouu-
crny hair aud made onc last rapid survey Of tho
situation By tais timo the Director dcnoraI mud
othor prominent officials had mounted tho plat
form ana thken thcir htand betweon tho cyiin-
dgfe, Itb GIpccsnnL tDronX DclG" CQlNnftdetl
Dearfy all officially connectou with tho exhibition
vito lapponsd to DO In tom.
At precisely llaif-past O'Clock tho Director
General raisc his arm as signal, s1r. Corl.ss
pattel hs hugo iron pot ns IL It were fFiKky
nag TINT l,e was coaxinK to move, when slight
puniuR was heard not f.ear 40 loud AZ TINT Of
railway Locomotive when about to start, ono Of
the boau,s began to doBceud and lho ily-whecl to
rtrn. and tho engine WAS IN motion. Without
waiting for moro. every spectator took
his hut in hiB tand and Awung Il in
thu air, tho action bong accompanied by
cheor 70 deafoning that nothing coosd exceed
in enthusiasm e1oept the cheofs that followed 1t.
Everybody appeared to understand tho atEuiti-
cance Of the moment, antl tho practical Rppto-
ciation Of 1, s,own would be worthy Of tho opetl-
ing day. Ths motion Of tho engine was ~
tonlahngly noiso!ess, nothing being heard above
uniform murmur, resembling tho well known
sound Of a wall'sot whcol III. rapid revolution.
There arc bit fonrtoGn pounds OF atoRm goue-
ratel by the four boilers, and the revolutions Of
the fy-ulool at starting nu.nlorod fifteen per
minute. The shhiting cog-wheola. portions ol
which rso above tho itoor IN distant parts OF the
building, though revolving wlth great rapld!ty,
were oven moIo eosoloss than their gigantic
motor. 1t WAS long befors tile xpectatora could
turn away from tho grand sibht.