The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-12-05
PRAILiS NEW MOTOR.
YOUNG INVENTOR CLAIMS TO HAVE A
WONDERFUL ENGINE.


pany about a year ago experimental in
the most mysterious manner with a new
motor on its tracks running from New
York to Brewsters. On the day on which
a large company of railroad men had
been invited to see it work it was an
nounced that in the fire which burned
down the shop the motor had been de-
stroyed. Wonderful tales were told of
this machine, but all experiments with
it were so we'll guarded that the public
never knew anything definite about it,
This motor was called by the New York
Central people "The Dark Secret.
The Worlds correspondent in Wash
ington has discovered what 1.-THE Dark
Secret" was and also that its successor
has been secretly built. but not for the
New York Central company. This en-
CINE will soon be put under the seat of
an ordinary carriage, and the inventor
says he will start some morning in the
next three weeks for New York and
reach there the same afternoon. He says
he will go over the regular wagon roads
at the rate of from 10 to 40 miles an
hour, according to the roadbed.
The inventor is William +. Prall, Jr.
He is only 90 years of age. His engine
is so small that it can be wrapped in
one of the sheets of al ordinary newspa-
per. In its proportions it looks like
small mail bag. 1t is only 8 inches by
12 ON the outside and the cylinder is
but inches in diameter and inches
long.
The motive power Is oil, vapor and
air, and the inventor says that it will
develop 40 horsepower and can be run
by what is practically an ordinary kero-
sene lamp burning under the pressure Of
compressed air.
The fact that young Prall was at
work upon some mysterious machine
leaked out through the strange noises
which for two months have been COM
ing night and day from the cellar of the
Hotel Arno, on Sixteenth street. This
hotel is large and we'll known one. 1t
| has been closed for several months. The
noises in the disused building started
rumors that dynamite bombs were being
manufactured for the Cuban insurgents
in the hotel cellar.
The correspondent found that the cell
| lar had been converted into an extensive
machine shop, with plants for the work
| ing of wood and iron. About dozen
carefully selected expert machinists
have been working there for two
months, quietly going and coming so
| as not to attract attention. The hotel is
owned by young Prall and his father,
| who is at present in New York. Both
are inventors, but they have quarreled,
and they are no longer together.
When Mr.. Prall was asked if he was
building the new motor for the New
York Central railroad, he said: mo;
am building this for myself. The Gen.
trail engine, or Dark Secret, ran with
hot water. This will run with oil vapor
and suitable amount Of air for its
complete combustion.
"The principle is what is known as
combustion at constant pressure. There
is continuous combustion without any
explosion, and with no jar. 1t works
Just as though you had burner burning
under pressure in vessel. The air is sc
| DtatCu UDdb ~ 10 CAPuhNSo opOu" wa
times its original volume. and the EN-.
CINE is run by that hot air. 1t is the
ideal way of running an engine by hot
compressed air. 1t has direct rotary
action. I call it concentric vibrating
engine.
"The patent Office people, when my
patent was granted, said that it was EN-
tirely different from anything they hat
ever seen. 1t overcomes the clutch prob
lem, a thing which inventors have con
sidered impossible.
after the exhibition / shall put i
in On ordinary buggy some day before
| Christmas and run over to New York IL
few hours. The engine. with thu
tanks, will not weigh over 100 pounds
and can and have run 1t up to Al
horsepower.
According to young Prall, after HI
had built several more or less successful
motors he showed his plans for no
water engine to Mr.. Clifford Of the New
York Central railroad. and although
Mr.. Bucha nan Of the railroad compan,
made an adverse report on it the othe
officials were so much impressed tina
they told him to go ahead.
He went to Philadelphia and will
his own hands built complete engine
He says it ran at the rate Of 1900 revo
lutions minute and surprised the Cen
trial people. The company sent him t.
Schenectady to build an engine at the 10
comotive works. This succeeded so wei
that O new motor for public exhibition
was built. 1t was tried at Van Cort
landt park.
This" continued Mr.. Prall, iva
the New York Central's Dark Secret
1t was built at Watson 81 Stillman's, Oh
One Hundred and Forty-second street
ran it up the incline Of l07 feet to TIN
mile to Dunwoody with perfect ease. Oh
the night before the day set for the pub
lie trial the shop burned down. but TIN
engine, as o matter Of fact, was not yer,
badly injured.
Mr.. Clifford had telegraphed for me
AZ my father had undertaken to rebuil'
| A.. o,,,;,,a aud Gilford aaid thew wer