The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-06-01
KEELY,S MIGHTY MOTOR.
Vapor Which Oozes Through Gun
Metal-Fuel and Heat Dispensed
With.

A Sun reporter paid visit to the ma
chine shop of Messrs. Sergeant & Chill
lingworth, in this city, where one of the
Keely Motor generators is being made.
It is intended to be of 100 horse power,
but by operating it rapidly it will give it
power of 300 horses. Its height will
be about seven and half feet. At pres
ent the parts are either lying completed
on the floor or in process of preparation.
Among the former is bed of cast-iron,
seven and half feet long and three feet
seven inches wide, upon which the super
structure of chambers and their accessory
tubes will be raised. The chambers are
about two feet in diameter, and vary in
height from two TO two and half feet.
They are of massive steel, and their hol-
lows vary from four to six inches in
diameter, leaving the walls necessarily of
very great thickness, and capable of bear
ing an enormous pressure. The difficult
ty hitherto has 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.. Keely was advised to construct a
larger machine. He, therefore, two years
ago, began one of 1,0OO-horse power, to
be endowed with sufficient strength to
stand the requisite force with perfect
safety. The next experiment was with a
generator of 1000. horse power, construct
ed of gun metal. A pressure of 5000
pounds to the square inch did not burst
this metal, but caused the vapor to ooze
completely through its pores, much to the
astonishment of the bystanders.
This gun-metal was of the best compo-
sition used, and comprised eighty per
cent. of copper, fourteen 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 oozed
through that at still less pressure. The
virtues of wrought iron and steel are now
to be tried. The chambers of Mr.. Keely's
1,000-horse generator in Philadelphia
have stood q pressure of 25,S0O pounds
to the square inch in the lvwer part, and
10000 pounds in the upper, and retained
the vapor, but small globe at the top of
one of them, which; it was thought, could
be safely constructed of gun metal, al
lowed the vapor to escape. A new one
is under construction, togethe: With some
minor parts, aud by June l, trial will
probably be made, and one small ma
chine of 5-horse power will likewise be
tried. The chambers have stood pres
sure of 1000 pounds. The inventor and
the stockholders are perfectly satisfied
with the feasibility of the theory. The
only point now is to get metal sufficient
ly dense to retain pressure.
When it is considered that machines
driven by steam rarely or never create
pressure of over 200 pounds to the square
inch, the enormous force of the Keely
Motor, and its immense capacity for pro.
pulsion, can be realized. The power will
be generated by o .vaporizing of water
mechanically, and without the agency of
heat. The expense of fuel will thus be
saved. Those interested claim to have
been misunderstood in saying that a pint
of water only would be needed for the
propulsion of train of cars between this
city and Philadelphia and back. They
meant that if five gallons were used for
an engine of 10O-horse power, pint only
might be lost by vaporization 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 recondensed into its former
state, and, again becoming vaporized,
starts again upon its mission of mighty
pressure.
The capital stock of the Keely Motor
is S1,OOO,OOO divided into TO-
900 shares. Many shareholders, dis
heartened at therepeated failures, and the
adverse comments of scientific men, have
sold out at heavy loss, but others are
Y San.