Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1889-01-25
OLD STEAM ENGINE.
A Queer and Pondcrous Contrivancc, hut
1t Did Its work Well.

A Queer and PondcrDus Contriyancc, hut
1t Did Its work Well.
II has been claimed that to Rhode
Island belongs the honor OF using the
first practical stationary steam engine
In the United States. Without at
tempting to vouch for the historical
accuracy OF the statement, IL is sufil-
cient TO know that the engine was at
work in the town OF Cranston more
than hundred years ago, and that,
although OF crude construction and
ponderous movement, IL did the work
for which II was designed. The en-
gine was built by Mr.. Joseph Brown.
OF this city, ind cost upward OF 900.
II was founded upon the English type
OF engine known as the Newcomer,
but contained some improvements and
simplilications original with the build
er. The engine was set up at the
Cramston ore beds beyond Knights
vile, and one OF the most complete ac-
counts Of IL is TO be found in the
biography and diary OF Manassoh Cut
Ter, IL. d., Ipswich, Mass. Dr.. Cut
Ter appears TO have learned OF this en-
gine and took occasion 10 visit It, In
the diary, undel date jan, ~. 1887, he
thus describes the mechanism;
TO go TO the furnace and engine was
eight miles, nearly, out OF my way, but
my curiosity was 80 much excited by
the description OF 30 singular n scheme
tho only one ip Americl-that 1
could not deny mysolf tho pleasure Of
viewing IL. arrived at the ore beds
(iron ore) at twelve o'clock. The en-
gine was at work raising water from II
well eighty feet deep. Tho iron lue is
two and one-half feet wide by six feet
long. with square hearth at tho
mouth, secured from hre by large,
thick, iron plates On the back part
OF the ilue is n winding funnel, which
passes into chimney back OF the
building.
"Abovc the nue is placed z wooden
boiler. six feet in diameter, which is
constantly kept full Of water when the
engine is in motion, The boiler rises
above the first story of the building,
much In the form of the large cisterns
used in distilleries. whore it receives.
ut the top. the condensing cylinder,
two and one-half feet In diameter, and
made OF plated iron From this cylin-
der n large worm passes with many
windings down the boiler The valve
that passes into this cylinder is moro
than two fect in diameter, and rises
aud desceuds by means OF an iron rod
made fast 10 one end OF largo
beam. Around tho top Of tho
boiler are numerous leaden pipes
some connected with the con-
denser and some not-furnished with
stop-cocks for admitting or excluding
air or water, as necessary in working
the machine; but they are too numer-
Gus and complicated TO admit Of any
description from II mere view OF the
machine. A largo reservoir OF water
is placed in the third loft OF the house,
and is constantly supplied with u pump
for the purpose, by the working OF the
machine.
The large beam is massive piece OF
timber near four feet in diameter and
twenty feet long, being two very large
oak timbers nicely forged together.
1t moves on large iron bolt in the
center, like the beam Of scales. and
has two arching timbers, at each end,
forming the sogmonts OF n circle,
along which two chains OF II aprodigious
size play MS the boan moves. One OF
these chains leads To the piston, or
valve OF the condenser, and the other,
at the opposite end. TO the pumps in
the well. There are four cold water
pipes, one feeding plps, and one vent
ing pipe. BY the same motion OF tho
beam which raises tho water out OF the
well all these pipes open or close by
means OF stop-cocks and valves as the
design OF them requires. There
are two large pumps in tho
we'll, which is eighty feet deep and
twenty-three feet wide. The sides OF
the well are supported by large tim
bers laid horizontal, so as to make the
form OF the well quintangular, and the
ends OF the timbers are lot into one
another. The engine raises seven
hogsheads OF water in minute, and
the fue consumes two cords OF wood in
twcnty-four hours.
"The immense weight of the beam,
the cast-iron wheels, large chains and
other weighty parts of the works occa-
sion n most tremendous noise and
trembling OF the large building in
which 1t is erected when the machinery
is in motion. BY the sides of the well
from which the water rs drawn are
two other wells, seventy feet deep.
These are sunk down in the bed or
ore, and In these are the workmen,
ten or twelve in number, digging ore.
The orc is raised in large buckets,
which hold about one ton weight, let
down and drawn up by large chains.
carried from the well to a large cap
stan, which is constantly turned by an
OK. As one bucket arises another goes
down. These wells arc kept dry by
the water continually drawing off into
the well where the pumps are fixed,
and the pumps keep the water below
the height where the men work"
a
Counterfeiters in China.