The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-08-18
AMERICAS OLDEST ENGINE.
Recovered Unfnjured From the Low
err Rice MIL Ruins.

Rice Mil Ruins.
The old James Watt engine. which went
through the Lower Rice mill fire last
June and which is undoubtedly the oldest
steam engine in America, has been re.
covered from the ruins Of the mill and
taken to Rourke & Sons Novelty works.
The engine has been purchased by Mr..
Rourke. 1t was little injured in the fire.
A Few rods were bent, but in few weeks
time II can be put in motion. 1t was nrst
set up in 1915, and for four-score years
has not been idle more than a few months
at a time.
The old engine will probably be taken to
Atlanta and will form a part Of Savan-
nah's exhibit at the exposition. There
would certainly be no more interesting
relic. Mr.. Rourke was offered $1,000 for
the engine a short time after he bought It
by gentleman from the north. The only
thing in the way of the exhibition is the
cost of setting up the machinery, which
would be in the neighborhoOd Of 5000.
Having been built by the inventor of the
steam engines and being the oldest en-
CINE in the country it IS surrounded with
much interest.
Those interested in the steam engine
and its history who have not seen the old
engine at work, have missed the chance
Of Witnessing its stately movements, the
vibrations of its massive beam, the veru-
cal path of the -head-kept in line
by that mechanism so well known in the
early history of Watts steam engine,
which is termed the parallel motion. The
ascent and descent Of the ponderous con-
Meeting rod at the crank end Of the
beam are motions which attract the eye Of
any one who possesses the least spark Of
enthusiasm in regard to mechanism.
To see the movements of the various
parts of the parallel motion together, calls
attention to it's intricate details, the links
connecting the cross-head of the piston
rod to the beam, through which the whole
force acting on the piston is communi
Gated to be worked off at the opposite
end in the shape Of useful effect, by turn
ing the main shaft, which in this case
turned others performing various offices
in the preparation of rice. Attached to
the ends of the cross-head are the radius
rods, two of which-one of each side
extend in a line parallel to the central
line of the beam, which is apart from 1t
at one half the length Of the stroke, and
to one-half of the distance between the
gudgeOn on which the beam pivots. Those
radius rods take hold of another pair Of
links, the upper ends of which are pi-
voted to the beam, and the center of the
pivots being exactly in the central line
of the beam. The point moving in YER
teal line in these links is not at the lower
end of them, as in case Of the main links
at the extreme end of the beam, but at a
point halfway between the beam and
lower centers. At this point the rod which
works the air pump of a cendensing en-
CINE is usually attached, by a suitable
cross-head. At the lower end of these
links and outside of them another pair
of radius rods is attached, which run back
to the plane. running through the piston
rod, where they are firmly pivoted to the
frame fixtures connected with the entabla-
ture supporting the beam. To get the very
best kind of a vertical motion practically
from such an arrangement of parts, the
lengthening of the outside radius rods
so as to extend them a certain short dis
lance beyond the vertical plane just mem
toned, is usually resorted to by those
who have experience with this style of
engine.
As for the rest of this Watt engine,
the parts in detail may be seen at work
anywhere; but the exact motion is more
due to its expense and to it's not being
thoroughly understood by the common
mechanic, than to it's out-of-date-a-tive-
ness or it's inadaptablity.
In the details of the engine there are
a few points worthy OF mention. The
connecting rod is attached to the crank
pin by a solid strap. similar to that used
by some of the builders of engines to-
day, where a key only is used to adjust
the brasses as they wear; also the pivots
on the end of the beam, connecting with
the main links are made adjustable,
showing how great was the foresight of
the ingenius Watt, even when dealing
with the engine in it's infant state, when
so much more was to be learned of it
from after experience.
Rourke & Son had a set of drawings
of the engine made a number of years
ago. which Mr. Rourke has preserved,
and which are now on exhibition in the
windows of Estilrs news room.