Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-07-01
ARE THERE TWO KEEzYS,
EnOfher Motor TO Superse6e Steam-A
Cooking f.aose to Run an Ocean
Steamer


Steamer.
Fro the Philadelphia Record.
Within the past fortnight o new motor has
been introduced in this city in practical working
order to the inspection of few prominent capt.
tailsts which, it is claimed, sinks steam into in
significance as power, and almost equals any
thing that HIS been promised from the celebrated
scientific problem which JOHN w. Keely processes
to have solved Keely himself has seen the
wonder in operation and says that it is the
greatest Invention ever brought before the pub
lic The motor was shown to scientific and
noneyed Phadelphians by I. r. Blumenburg, a
German, who purchased it from the inventor
ana, AFTER making many improvements upon the
original idea, secured the patent-right for it in
all the civilized countries of the world
Bumenburg at one time was one of the most
successful spectators on the Pacific coast. He
was identified in business affairs with Flood
ID biien and other California bonanza kings and
amaaSed large fortune. Unlike MS old COM
peers much of his wealth was frittered away in
subsequent ventures, although he is still the
po5seSsor of considerable means. For twenty
years, according to Blumenburg's statement he
has been experimenting very much as keely has.
ana, after spending large sum of money, he
mas brought within the control of handicraft a
force that is tremendous and at the same time
perfectly available as distributing power. The
IS biSulphide of carbon, a compound familiar in
chemistry, but hitherto little known except
FOR its chemical properties. 1t is utilized as a
motor agent in the form of yapOr. and the adj
vantage claimed for it over steam is that while
water expands in the ratio of 1 cubic inch to
LOO, bisulphide of carbon has an expansive prop
erty of / to 5000.
The theory of the new motor, as explained by
Biufnenburg. was very plausible one; but the
parties Interested, before launching their capi-
tai, demanded q practical trial. ard the ma
chinery was made at the shop No. 1919 Calow-
hill street, and put into operation. The motor
Is OF very peculiar construction. For the pur-
poses of a test the plant was made only of suffi-
Gent size to run ten-hOrse power vertical en-
glne. 1t occupies floor space of less than ten
feet sc uare. The generator consists of q cast
iron box about feet high and 30 feet wide. in
TWO parts. Joined together by flanges the lower
portion being merely nest of tubular cham
bers to which the heat is applied. The upper
hall is dOmeshaped. and is simply an oven into
which the bisulphide is injected at the top and
through a tube of such construction that it en-
ters the oven in a spray and meeting with
temperature of $50 degrees Fahrenheit forms a
yapOr The tank from which the bsulphide is
furnished is an ordinary cylindrical receiver
supplied with eighty pounds of the chemical
compound. When the vapor is generated it
passes into the steam-chest of the engine and
moves the pisOn-rods. A pipe attached to the
engine conveys the exhaust vapOr directly
through condenser back to the tank i'm its
original liquehed form to be regenerated. The
system OF generation and condensation it is
argued. is similar TO the heart action and with
machinery perfectly constructed single supply
of the bisulphide of carbon can be used with re-
enforcement for an indefinite period. The cost
OF fuel is tritl!ng, it being claimed that from the
peculiar properties Of the bisulphide an ordinary
house flre can develop power sufficient to run
an ocean steamer. Water bOis at gig degrees
and it takes $50 degrees of heat to make steam
available. white the new agent takes the form of
yapOr at $50 degrees. already indicated. The
motor as seen III operation on CaOWhi street,
1t Is said by those who witnessed it, was directed
upon some of the heaviest work in the shop and
gave the utmost satisfaction.
one OF the principal advantages claimed for
the latest scientific wonder is it's cheapness. The
biSulphide sufficient to develop all the power
needed for ordinary work is trifng in cost, and
the comparatively small amount of fuel neces-
sary, the lack Of waste and the readiness with
which the vapor condenses brings the cost OF
maintaining the motor to a very low standard
heeiy, the inventor, regards the motor as a
mechanical wonder. II do not regard it," he
said. las competing with my motor in any way
1t is an entirely distinct invention. This bisul-
phide of carbon is the most perfect reactive
agent known The moment | saw the motor in
operation was convinced of its magnitude. and
comprehended at glance that q practical hand
had been at work IN its development. If brought
to perfection as mechanical motor it will GER
talnly reVOlutIOEiZe the world of mechanics and
render steam worthless except for purposes of
heating"
prominent Philadelphia chemist. in discuss
ING the properties of bisulphide of carbon, yes
terday, stated that if brought into contact with
IRE the vapor would explode, and expressed the
opinion that the only safe way to apply the heat
was indirectly by the use of water The COM
pound. formed OF two parts of sulphur and one
OF carbon. according to the book, is obtained by
passing the vaDor of sulphur over red-hOt char
coal I'D porcelain tube, or by distiiling about
six parts of yellow iron pyrites with one of char
coal. 1T was discovered in 1896 by Lampodius
When pumped by rehabilitation at low tenn
perature with chloride of calcium the bisuphide
is transparent. cOloTless liquid insoluble in
water but soluble III alcohol and ether. It's spe-
ciiic gravity is 1912; it bos at no degrees and
does not freeze at 90 degrees. 1t is very vOla-
tile and inflammable and. as those who witnessed
the operations of the test machine can testify,
has a peculiarly fetid odor. The vapor is very
heavy. and may be decanted from one vessel to
another. 1t is not decomposed by mere heat
but at a temperature of 600 degrees it takes fire
in the air and burns with an explosion. 1t is a
narcotic poison.
The motor now in operation on CallOwhill
street is to be further tested for the purpose of
asceItainin@ the exact amount of fuel necessary
to generate the yapOr and other information of
Importance in the practical working of the
machine.