Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-12-31
THE sECoR MOTOR EXPLAINED.
How the Cases are to be Exploded and
thus Drive the Eureka on Her Way. /,
90 Prom tAs Neso York TrS6Nns.

1'D From tire Netc York Tyi6NRe. lusn
DR.. Secor's little craft, the Eureka,
which was launched recently from Poll
Ions shipyard in Brooklyn. sits in the
water like q duck. All that wonderful
machinery which, according TO its In
ventor, is TO revoiutionizee the marine
world, is in its place. This renders her
bit down by the. stern,' but when the
water tanks and other things that are to
be slowed forward are IN place, she will
be buried to her water-line. She is
perfect copy of the steamship America
reduced "eight diameters' as micro
scopist would say. Her builders hope TO
have her In order for trial trip by New
Years day. Through her main hatch an
upright tubular boiler can be seen, but
the rigidly enforced order, "No Admit
tanceP' prevents further examination Of
her machinery. In substance the latter
consists of the following parts:
The steam furnished by the boiler is
| supplied to one or more little engines
which drive an air compressor, rather
complicated system Of valves and little
DYNAMO. The hydrO-carbon gas can be
manufactured on board-by vaporizatlOn
of petroleum by a jet OF steam or air, for
instance-Or a supply can be taken from
| the shore and stored in tanks. The rest
OF the machinery consists of hollow
metal globe of great strength, and two
sets of heavy metal pipes leading from
the globe TO the sides OF the vessel. Ore
set curves backward so that the discharge
from their mouths is toward the stern Of
the vessel. The other set curves in the
opposite direction, and, by the aid of
ports which partly open, the gases rush
ing out from them are directed forward.
The action of the former will manifesty
be to drive the vessel forward, while dis
charges from the latter will drive her
backward. Two valves are so placed that
whenever one set of conduits is IN con-
nectiOn with the globe the other IS cut off.
The hollow globe has two inlets and
one outlet, all controlled by valves, which
are worked by the same mocha nisln. The
first inlet admits compressed air from the
reservoir. The second inlet admits gas
from its reservoir. The outlet permits
the contents Of the globe to flow into the
conduits described above. There is also
a circuit Of wires along which a current
is sent by the little dynamo. II either
prO1Gce1 n voltaic arc at the inner ends
of the cOnduity, like that of an ordinary
arc light, or it heats a small piece Of plat
mum wire red hot by an action similar to
that which produces the incandescent
light.
The action Of the whole apparatus is as
| follows: The two inlet valves are opened
at the same time by the valve mechanism,
while the outlet valve Is closed Gas and
compressed air then rush into the globe
and mix in the proportion which shall be
found to give the best results in explo-
! sion. Then by a reverse action Of the
mechanism these two inlet valves are
| closed simultaneously. The instant that
Is accomplished, the outlet valve is open
ed and the highly explosive mixture of
gas and air pours out into the conduit.
| Here Ii comes in contact with the glow
| ing platinum wire or the intense heat OF
the voltaic arc and an explosion is the re-
suit. Tue gases thus formed then rush
out Of the conduit, driving the water, In
one direction and the boat in the other.
This issttIe mechanism as originally de-
signed. Some changes may be made In
the details before the boat comes to be a
working success Many changes will I'M
dOubtedly have to be made before it
reaches its highest efficiency. Some
hitherto unseen. but practically insuper-
able difficulty may arise which will ut
terly destroy Its usefulness. The princi-
pie seems TO be feasible. The working
details, In the original plan at least, pre-
sent some bad points. The valve motion
is complication and liable to get out OF
action; that is, the valves are
closed by the aid OF springs
and worked by ratchet gearing. Any
or all OF these may fail 10 do their duty at
the most important moment. In case Of
such faiIure-eay for instance that the
explosion should occur before the valve
which shuts of communication with the
gas reservoir had closed, and the whole
should be ignited-afairs would take an
unpleasant turn for those on board.
Inquiries still continue TO pour upon
the builders. The other day the Govern
ment at Berlin cabled their representa-
tive at Washington TO investigate the
matter, and altogether Its possibilities as
q system OF propulsion for war vessels
are attracting much attention.