Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1882-09-02
ERICSSON.
What am OctOgenarian Engineer Has
D0nc and is Doing.

What am OctOSenarian Engincer Has
Dene and is Doing.
From the Army and Navy Journal
In the Journal of July 20 we had occa-
sion to refer to the activity, bodily and
mental, of Capt. Ericsson, who with this
month of August enters upon the S0th
year of his age. Having completed the
observations connected with suns radi-
ant energy and concluded the practical
Investigations of radiant heat, Capt.
Ericsson has devoted the last two years
to mechanical engineering and subma-
rine warfare, and to the perfecting of
his grand scheme of employing solar
heat as motive agent. The labors may
be noticed in the following order:
1. The reconstruction OF his original
calOric engine applied to pumping for
domestic purposes. That perfect sue
cess has attended this reconstructed en-
CINE may be inferred from the fact that
the Delamater iron works have built and
sold upwards of one thousand of these
motors within the briefperiod referred to.
2. Hydraulic training gear applied
within transverse cylindrical perfOra-
ton of the "dead wood" of the Destroyer,
by means of which the direction of the
vessel can be changed without backing
or going ahead, and the submarine gun
thereby pointed in any direction with
desirable accuracy. The training gear
consists of submerged propeller or tur-
bine, the axle of which revOlves within
the stated perforatiOn, at right angles to
the line of keel, a short distance for
ward of the stern post. 1t is scarcely
necessary to observe that the current
produced by this submerged revolving
wheel is capable of changing the direc-
ton of the vessel, hence by reversing
and regulating this current the SUBJ
marine gun may be pointed in any de-
sirable direction.
3. A reflector applied aft of the wood
en- backing of the transverse inclined
armOr of the Destroyer. BY means of
this reflector the helmsman and COM
handing officer, although standing on
grating placed so low in the vessel that
their heads are two feet below the top of
the armOr plates, are both able to view
the sea and sky forward of the vessel
in point of fact looking over the armOr.
The rejecting apparatus consists princi-
pally of two mirrors composed of glass
or polished metal, the constructor hay
ing availed himself of we'll EknOwn op-
tical principle applied in very simple
manner, the result being that the view
obtained by a spectator placed below,
and protected by the armOr, is as COM
plete as if looking forward over that
protection. This enables the Destroyer
to approach the enemys vessel in def
ance of his guns.
4. A high speed steam engine for ac-
tuating electrical machinery for pro-
ducing light, or for transferring the
motive power Of steam or for storing
mechanical energy by means OF the late
ly discovered secondary batteries" The
constructor claims that this thigh speed
steam engine is the swiftest single cyl
Under motor in existance. The prOprie-
tors of the Delamater iron works have
built one of these high speed engines
for lighting their establishment with
the Maxim electric light. The profess
siOnal reader will learn with surprise
that the engine referred to consists Of
single steam cylinder of five inches d.
ameter and three inches stroke, running
at the rate of Fl turns per second con-
tinuOusly under full load with steam
pressure of only 55 pounds to the square
inch admitted to the valve chest. BY
the application of that infallible test of
available power, the PrOny friction
brake, 1t has been ascertained that the
small engine develops upwards of IL
horsepower with the moderate steam
pressure mentioned. The practical en-
gineer will also be interested to learn
that the main crank pin Of this high
speed engine only requires to be lubri-
Gated once a day.