The Washington times., 1901-10-06
WILL ANNIHILATB SPACE.
Proposed Locomotive to Make 400
Miles Per Hour.
Wonderful Machine Invented by n
Minneapolis Mnn-Driving Wheels
Fifteen Feet High-Power to He
Applied From Centre of the Axle.

The rapid transit question, by rail on
land and on the ocean and lakes by ships.
has been solved for decades. and perhaps
| for centuries to come. If the invention of
| A. L. Russell. 12 Twenty-fifth Avenue
south. of this city. only comes up to one
half that is claimed for it by the in
ventor.
Steam will be the future motive power.
and anywhere from 100 to 500 miles on land
can be Travelled in one hour. or $50 miles
per hour traversed upon the ocean. For
instance, so minutes to reach Chicago. 1s0
minutes to Washington 225 minutes to
New Yori: and Boston, and Portland only
few minutes later, and from Eastport.
Me-, to Los Angeles Cal. it would be but
the turning round of perhaps twelve COM
plete circles of the clock 5 minute hand.
Then, too, think of steamers fairly cut
ing the Atlantic in two, knitting the ocean
in reaching Liverpool from New York in
I ten hours and vice versa. Likewise Ja-
pan. China. the Philippines, and Austria
liza could all be spoken in from forty to
sixty hours.
The philosopher of the present time
might say, How grand that would be"
an age of marvellous opportunities, vast
saving Of time in travel. il not in
pense. the extending of ones acquaint-
ance throughout the earth, and a fur
ther chance of econOmizing life so that
the individual will have really lived long
er and accumulated more in his lifetime
than has fallen to the lot of man in all
the past 600 decades.
Civilization would leap forward at one
bound, and business would assume amaz-
ing proportions. Around the world in
sixty days would fade into a most far
cip
road train and the modern steamer would
very much resemble the Weary VIII
lies" who idle away the time along the
public highways. These are big Claims
perhaps about as large as any yet made
by any one individual, but the inventor
gives the positive assurance that they are
all backed up by the cold facts of practi-
cal experience and figures and solid met
al, and founded upon perfect, self-evident
recognized principles that never for once
make a mistake. Therefore, the inventor
states positively that his belief in his in
ventions cannot be shaken, no matter who
skeptical. and it is of no Importance
who may treat them .gith contempt.
The inventor firmly believes that it is
one of his duties to bring his inventions
to the attention of the public and in due
time they can be developed and take the
advanced steps accorded the useful, and
where their actual merits can be recog-
nized.
The chief invention consists in improve
ments in the mechanism of the steam en-
gine whereby 100 pounds of steam can
produce 40o 50O or 800 pounds of power by
actual pressure to the square inch, there
by more than quadrupling the indicated
power as registered by the gauge. This
means that boiler now recognized as a
25-horsepower would actually become 100.
125, or $50 horsepower in practice. and
that 5O-horsepower boiler OF the present
day could be converted into a 250-horse-
power.
Economy in the generation of the steam
would also rise into factor of the most
potent value. There would be a saving of
from SO to 75 per cent of the fuel, with
four-fifths of the steam. A steamship in
crossing the Atlantic could carry its
boiler supply of fresh water, and there
fore prevent the great amount of corro-
sion inciden. to the use of sea water,
as well as remove the troubles of evapo-
ration.
To warships it offers a special boom In
a few hours they could be on hand to exc
cute by force where diplomatic relations
bornness, and perhaps the peace of ma
tions might become more stable and per-
feet But anyhow, such fast-hying war
ships would not only command respect,
but exact obedience
The saving of four-fifths of the steam
and the saving Of one-half of the fuel are
certainly great feats in cutting down ex-
penses but the power generated by the
new mechanism is far more surprising,
bat must naturally follow the solution of
such large rapid transit problems.
For years and it might be said from
, toyhood the inventor has studied the ap-
piication of steam 20 steam engines and
machinery in all its details; engines Of all
kinds and sorts. and noted their perfec-
tions and imperfections, and he Is sure
that the claims he makes are certain and
positive But in the article he simply
takes the opportunity to furnish the read
ers of the Tribune" with some ideas in
general of what they may expect in ap-
pearance and design Of the new inven-
tions. leaving out the details, which he
does not wish to elaborate on at present.
There are some points. however. particu-
larly with reference to the modern loco
motive. of which it is perhaps proper to
take notice.
AS practiCaI men KNOW, IHS iu-
comotive is very faulty and imperfect.
and though the American is the best ma
chine Of its kind in the world, yet on its
present lines Of construction any increase
in speed or power can hardly be expected
from It. 1t has reached its limit of ex-
celIence. This Is so for several reasons
The side gearing that makes 1t dangerous
to employ wheels of more than seven and
one half or eight feet in height, cannot |
with safety make over sixty miles an
hour At that rate it always knocks, and
threatens to throw itself from the tracks,
and the engineer and fireman usually find
life considerable OF burden. wheel |
10 70. H. or leIA feet could not be thought |
of for moment on such an engine. I
The locomotive itself is very top-heavy: |
the natural friction is greatly reduced by
placing the crank pin between the centre |
of the axle of the wheel and the outer |
rim. instead OF having the connection at |
or close to the centre of the axle at the |
point of gravitation. The whole power |
then acts over the centre of the cross ties
and side play is dispensed with. The |
weight of the boiler is carried almost |
down on the rails. There is now the op- |
portunity to use larger driving wheels |
with the same safety as smaller ones on !
the sides. With wheels. 12, "A, or 16h feet, |
properly attached to the locomotive, there |
are neither jumps nor jolts, but the loco
motive runs smooth. like oil. and almost |
any speed can be attained, provided the |
engines can supply the required amount |
of power.
Large wheels, with the weight held close !
to the rails and direct centre application |
Of power to the load. overcome the dan |
ger and make it far more apparent than