Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1878-08-13
Science and the Bible.

of an effete civilization. ~
Science and the Bible.
A MINISTER AssAILs HARvEY's THEORY
ON THE CIRCULATION OF THE BLOOD
HOW REV. ROBERT d. BRADLEY BE-
CAME AN INvENTOR-STEAMS SUPER
sEDED BY A POWER WHICH IS A MY
STERY TO sCIENTISTS--A SAVING OF
rs PER CENT. IN THE COST OF RUNNING
AN ENGINE.
Eight years ago the Rev. Robert D.
Bradley preached in town in the State
of Missouri from the text: "And the
Lord God formed man of the dust of the
ground, and breathed into his nostrils
the breath of life; and man became a
living soul" Mr.. Bradley had from
boyhood been an ardent admirer of the
steam engine, and after returning to his
study, at the conclusion of the services,
his mind continued to dwell on the
words of his text and, as if by inspira-
ton, new field of thought was opened
to him.
"Man is a piece of machinery" he
reasoned to himself, with the Author
of all things as his maker; and, there
| fore, he must have been made perfect in
a physical point of view. The entire
organism of man was created and COM
pleted, but no tuntil God breathed into
! his nostrils the breath of life did he be-
| come living, active being. "A soon as
that part CT the human machine called
the lungs was breathed into; and the air
cells were filled, then the heart was set
in motion, the blood began coursing
through the body and man became liv-
| ing SOUL"
Discarding the theory of Harvey on
the circulation of the blood, which sup
poses that the heart is the engine which
forces the blaod through the veins, Mr..
Bradley conceived tbs idea that the eS-
pansion and contraction of the air cells
of the lungs are the forces which send
the blood coursing through the body,
and that the heart, with its valvular
action, simply regulates the supply.
l9Acting on this theory the young cler-
gyman, without any knowledge of the
construction of machinery or of the
science OF chemistry, began the expert
ment of constructing new motive pow
err to supply the place Of steam and to do
away with the necessity of the cumber.
some steam boiler.
! For eight years the inventor has pur-
SUED his pet idea, in the face of opposing
obstacles. until st last he has perfected a
motive power which, it is said, ia dsst:a-
ed to revolutiOnize the use of steam
power throughout the world. This in
vention is known as the Bradley Prone
| thor. In its construction it is simple :;
its power is said to be unlimited, and in
point or economy it can lie ruu at Gue-
fourth the cost Of the ordinary steam
engine. The motive power is produced
by forcing cold water through a series
of iron tubes Zone end of which is per-
| forated with holes so fine as to be invisi-
bic to inc naked eye) into a generator,
composed OF hollow ifoa giaaea. These,
varying in number according 20 the
power of the engine which Is to be pro-
PEELED, from a pyramid. and are attach
ed to each other by iron tubes. The
water in being forced from the reservoir
through the perforated tubes forms a
spray, and this, injected into the heated
generator, is transformed into a SUD.
stance which, for want of better term,
is called hydrogen gas. This is the pow
er which is harnessed and applied to the
piston oftAe engine.
| While water is known to lie composed
of two elements hydrogen and oxygen, J
yet it is claimed that the gas which is
produced by forcing the spray of water
into the heated globes or generator is
not hydrogen, as the iron would not be
able to withstand the action of that sub.
stance. The gas produced by the method
described has not yet been analysed, and
1--WE are really" said Dir. l.. Mont
gomery Bond yesterday, "using power
the real nature of which has not get been
ascertained."
During an experiment by Bradley's
| new process of producing this dry vapor
OF gas !. halfharrel of water was consum-
ed, and not the least TRACE Of the vapor
could be discovered on the window glass.
The speed of the machinery driven by
this power is regulated by the supply Of
water forced into the generator.
The advantage claimed over steam by
the inventor of this machine is an i'm
| Inepse saving in the cost of propelling
an engine. 1t is clsimed that it will only
require one-fourth the amount of coal
that is consumed in running an ordinary
steam engine, to say nothing of the saw
ing of labor, as in cases of ocean steam
ships, where large force is required in
the FIRE ro0m. -
In making a trip Of ninety five miles,
" lOh Will ILLS DOWST Willy
one and half bushels of coal were con-
sumed. Then there is economy in space,
no ponderous boilers being required to
supply the engine with steam. It is as
serted also that no explosions can result
from the use of the new power. 1t
causes but little noise, and emits no
cinders to blind the eyes of passengers.
Mr.. Bradley is a native of Maryland,
and he is now residing at Preston, in
Caroline county, and is but thirty-siX
years OF age. Although strongly we'd
ded to his wonderful enterprise. he has
never allowed it to interfere with his
ministerial labors IN the Methodist EMS
copal Church. He is an able and an
eloquent orator, and discharges the du-
ties of his ministerial office purely for
the love of the work, and without salary.
Since realizing the fulfilment of his
hopes in the perfection of his ingenious
production, he has secured patents to
protect it in twentysiE countries, in ev
cry part of Europe Except Holland and
Portugal.)
A company, with an authorized capi-
tai of S. 900, 900, has been formed in New
Jersey, the charter having been taken
out in that State on account of the
liberal laws regulating patents. The
company proposes to sell the use of the
Promethor on the payment of royalty
and to sell the right in certain States
absolutely, negotiations already having
been proposed for the State of California.
The steamer River Queen, lying at Ken
sington, and the Bradley, another steam
er, have been furnished with this power.
and will shortly go into service.
He got up one morning feeling heavy
at heart; without knowing the cause..
He went to the back door, and there
saw his garden. the pride of his WAKING
hours and the subject of his dreams.
looking like an EDITORS office. He sat
lox on Il .41,,. 4