The St. Louis Republic., 1904-07-31

Enthroned in the midst of the vast Ma
chinsry Palace at the Worlds Fair. splen-
didly typical Of the wonders shown in the
great building. where mind. matter and
force are embodied in countless striking
combinations. is the one feature which
every visitor is able to appreciate in some
measure. the Big Engine"
| 1t is big. There can be no cavil on that
| point And this 5,OO0-horse-power steam
electric unit grows in apparent size and
real interest as one examines it more
closely.
There are other large things in the Pal
ace of Machinery. so that the engine and
generator. modestly decorated in gray and
gold, and standing under a 70-foot roof.
do not always appear to their full ad-
vantage
1t Is when one sits down and watches
the 25-foot nywheel move almost silently.
making seventy five revolutions minute.
that one begins to appreciate the immen-
sity of this great machine and under
stand that the indicated horsepower prob
ably Is real. Its possible capacity, worked
at full speed and under full pressure. is
s.0G0-hOrsc-power.
One Of the attendants explains that the
engine Is of the Manhattan type. named
after those which produce the current for
the electric trains on the elevated rail-
road at New York.
Its low-pressure cylinder. however. IS
six inches larger than those of the same
type in New York, and. consequently, 1t
Is the very largest single engine ever
built.
DIMENSIONS OF THE GIANT.
Some of the dimensions Of the giant ma
chine when set down on paper give 4
better idea of its immensity. The fywheel
alone weighs 100000 pounds. the rim hav-
ing & face OF 10 inches and depth OF IS
inches. At ordinary speed the rim traveis
considerably more than mile q minute,
and does this day and night. The shaft
weighs 30l2 tons and the crank 10 tons.
the engine stands exactly 0J let Inches
above the floor. The entire engine weighs
10000 pounds and the revolving parts,
including the generator. sl4.voo pounds. The
stator yoke Of the generator. which is n
feet in diameter. 80 feet over all, weighs
0s.0 900 pounds. The stroke of the giant pis-
ton rods is 5 feet. The high pressure
cylinder is "A inches in diameter and the
diameter.
BY the time all these facts are absorbed
about in the middle OF the afternoon. with
no need for lights on the grounds. for the
engine is the principal one of those fur
nishing power for the nightly illun1ina-
ton.
In a dinky little cage. close to one cor
ncr of the engines base Is boarded up the
current which the engine produces through
the daylight hours. waiting for the time
when cage: crowds shall be on the watch
for the first faint. red glow that marks
the beginning of the illumination In the
fairy land of the Cascade Gardens.
THE MAGICAL BUTTON.
On one side of this little cage-the at
tendant calls 1t rheostat-is an arm
which is turned by a tiny e'ectric motor.
Its business is to cut out the resistance
through the wires into the myriads Of
lamps all over the Exposition grounds
When the time comes for the illumination
to begin somebody touches a little button
and the tiny motor begins to whir. A
chain belt arrangement starts the arm
moving. driven by the little motor. Pres
other moment and the. outlines of the
Cascades and the crowning Colonnade of
States begin to appear. Before the min
ute is ended al the glories OF the worlds
pent-up energy guarded so well by the ut
terly insignificant looking cage.
the building are four big engines in a row;
all doing their best to help in the task OF
making current, but none larger than 3,50a
horsepower. Like good soldiers, they, do
all they can, but even in appearance they
seem to acknowledge the superior power
Of the engine which has monopolize6 most
of the adiectives expressing IargeneSs.
Near by, however. Is a diminutive tur-
bIne engine that attracts much attention
The turoine is something new. This par
ticuiar one is of the newest make. It is
500-horse power. but does not begin to .ook
ii. The engin, occupies about the space
that grand piano requires-a little long
er and not nearly so wide. The shaft Is
attached directly to an electric generator
The speed, 1850 revolutions n minute. is
beyond ordinary comprehension. Thee is
10 vibration and little sound save low,
tense, insistent hum. The engine has been
running at the same speed for more than
two weeks, and the builders say that it
will continue 10 run. not stopping for any
thing until the close of the Exposition.
GREAT COMPOUND ENGINE.
While one is examining the engine Sec
ton F'rench-German compound engine
Is sure to attract attention from its struc-
ture. which is peculiar to American eyes
1t is a 1,2G-hoTse-pOwer machine, with
both cylinders. nigh and low pressure
using the same piston, tandem. II is
built by the Sociotc Alsacienne de Con-