The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1889-03-01
STEAM ENGINE.
A Oaesr and PonderOus COntriYance, b9a
1t Did It's Work Well

A Oaeer and PonderOus COntriYance' bU
1t Did It's Work Well.
II has been claimed that to Rhode
Island belongs the honor OF using tns
first practical stationary steam engine
in the United States. Without at
tempting to vouch for the historical
accuracy of the statement. 1T Is sum-
cient to know that the engine was az
work in the town of Cranston mora
than a hundred years ago, and that,
although of crude construction and
ponderous movement, it did the work
for which it was designed. The en-
oine was built by Mr.. Joseph Brown.
of this city, and cost upward of tl,OOO-
It was founded upon the English type
of engine known as the Newcomer,
but contained some improvements and
qualifications original with the build
err. The engine was set up at the
Crauston ore beds beyond knights
Vile, and one of the most complete ac'
counts of it is to be found in the
biography and diary of Manasseh Cut
Ter, Ii. D., Ipswich, Mass. DIR. Cut
Ter appears to have learned of this en-
zine and took occasion to visit 1T. In
the diary, under date June p, 1877, he
thus describes the mechanism:
ITO go to the furnace and engine was
eight miles, nearly. out Of my way, but
nv curiosity was so much excited by
the description of so singular scheme
the only one in America-that
could not deny myself the pleasure o!
viewing it. l arrived at the ore beds
(iron ore) at twelve o'clock. The en-
CINE was at work raising water from
well eighty feet deep. The iron fiue il
two and one-half feet wide by six fee
long, with a square hearth at thu
mouth, secured from tlre by large
thick, iron plates. On the back par
of the fue is a winding funnel, which
passes into a chimney back of tn
building.
above the fue is placed a woodel
boiler, six feet in diameter, which /
constantly kept full of water when tn
engine is in motion. The boiler rise
above the first story of the building
much in the form of the large cistern
at the top, the condensing cylinder
two and one-half feet in diameter, an
made of plated iron. From this cylin
der large worm passes with man
| windings down the boiler. The valv
that passes into this cylinder is NOR
than two feet in diameter, and rise
and descendS by means of an iron ro
made fast to one end of a larg
beam. Around the top of tn
| boiler are numerous leaden pipes
some connected with the cor
denser and some not-furnished wit
stop-cocks for admitting or excluding
air or water, as necessary in workin
the machine; but they are too numer
Gus and complicated to admit of an
description from mere view Of the
machine. A large reservoir of waite
! is placed in the third loft of the house
and is constantly supplied with pun
for the purpose, by the working of tn
machine.
The large beam is massive piece G
timber near four feet in diameter an
twenty feet long, being two very larg,
oak timbers nicely forged together
1t moves on large iron bolt in tn
center, like the beam of scales, an,
has two arching timbers, at each end
forming the segnont5 OF a circle
along which two chains of prodigiou
size play as the bean moves. One @
these chains leads TO the piston, o
valve of the condenser, and the other
at the opposite end, to the pumps il
the well. There are four cold waite
pipes, one feeding pipe, and one vent
ing pipe. By the same motion of tn
beam which raises the water out of tn
well all these pipes open or close b.
means of sten-1ocks and valves as tn
design of them requires. Their
are two large pumps in tn
we'll, which is eighty feet deep an
twenty-three feet wide. The sides O
the well are supported by large tim
bers laid horizontal, so as to make tn
form of the well quintangular, and tn
ends of the timbers are let into on
another. The engine raises seve
! hogsheads of water in minute, an
the flue consumes two cords of wood i
twenty-four hours.
"The immense weight OF the beam
the cast-iron wheels, large chains an
other weighty parts of the works occa
sion a most tremendous noise an
trembling of the large building il
which it is erected when the lnachiner
is in motion. By the sides of the wei
from which the water is drawn ar
two other wells, seventy feet deep
These are sunk down in the bed o
ore, and in these are the wOrkmen
ten or twelve in number, digging ore
The ore is raised in large buckets
which hold about one ton weight, lie
down and drawn up by large chains
carried from the well to large CAP
stan, which is constantly turned by a
OK. AS one bucket arises another goe
down. These wells are kept dry b.
the water continually drawing off int
the well where the pumps are fixed
and the pumps keep the water beloy
the height where the men work" ~
| Providence fR. l. Journal.