The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-13

Compressed Air Motors to Take HIs Place and
save Much Money.
From the Philadelphia Times.

From the philadelphia Times.
BY spending thousands upon thousands Of dol
lars. and after many years of unsuccessful ex-
perimenting. an air engine has been perfected.
ard an economical method furnished OF trans
porting coal from the interior Of mines TO the
bottom OF the slope. The new device was built
by the Baldwin Locomotive Works, and will. 1t
Is expected, be the means o~fsaving millions of
dollars per annum TO the mineral mining com.
panies. While the locomotive has been under.
going, a severe test in the mine near Girard
vile for the past few months, all have awaited
.hG result with much anxiety, and now that 1t IS
declared a success. most OF the principal min.
ing concerns are making hurried preparations
This state of affairs means a hoom to the loco
motive builders OF the world. 1t also means
that thousands OF men and boy employed in con
veying coal from the " breasts" and gangways
Of mines will have to seek other occupation.
The leading coal companies have long been en-
dcavorins To obtain a mechanical substitute
10 replace the mine mule, that would reduce the
the underground workings to the bottoms OF
the slope. They tried engines propelled by
steam, electricity gas, &c, but all proved con-
the steam locomotive was abandoned because
the 'apor had a tendency to loosen tho top or
roof ot the gaigways, and various chambers
throughout the mines; II also ratified the pine
ana, caused the top TO cave in frequently. en-
failing large losses. Electricity and gas were
abandoned because either was liable To ignite
he gas in the underground workings;
The new air locomotive was built almost a
year ago and IL the invention of a Philadelphia
man. With the exception OF a huge air boiler
or tank, the construction of the air locomotive
Is similar in every respect 10 a steam locomo-
tive. and 1t 10 propelled in the same manner.
The air tank Is not unlike tho steam boiler OF
an engine, and is carried in the same position,
thus doing away with a tender. On account OF
It's pointed head II 10 better able to cut its way
through the heavy air OF a mine, attaining a
high rate Of speed. The air is supplied by an
air compressor located on the surface.
The air is pumped through two hve-inch
pipes into the mine at a pressure OF 800 pounds
per square inch. One OF these pipes runs TO the
bottom OF the slope and the other to the end OF
the underground workings. These pipes serve
as a reservoir for the air. At the ends OF the
lines and along the route of the locomotive are
stations where the air tank of the engine can be
rctl,ed when exhausted. Exhaustion frequent
ly occurs, and without the station pumps the
engine would he useless.
The air tank on tho locomotive has a cApac-
ity OF 1874 cubic feet, q sufficient amount OF air
10 carry a train, including eight or ton heavily
cOrding to the number OF mine cars attached
and 10 the track. On u level and straight rail-
way one of these engines can carry from ten
10 twelve loaded mine wagons at The rate of
twenty-five TO thirty-hye miles per hour. BY
the old method the mine cars were loaded
from a chute, which ran directly up to the face
OF the breast" at a pitch a OF from 40 to 90 de-
grees. From there they were con yeyed through
small gangways BY teamso Of mules to the main
gangway, where bigger teams picked them up
and carried them. 10 tho bottom OF the slope.
Here they we're hoisted to the surface In . self
Taking ali this into consideration, the air
locomotive Is the solution of the problem and
will reduce the cost OF mining 70 Q minimum.