Year: 1865

An interesting discussion was held last night
al meeting Of the New York Association for the Ad'
vaucement Of Science and Art at the Cooper lnstnte.
on the use OF water fnsl. Dr. Will AIN H. hagan.
of Troy n Y, has recently been conducting series
OF experiments determine whether steam could not
be sgeousIy used ~ an aid TO combustion The
subject wasbrought before the Association at their last
monthly meeting and acOnmittee appointed 10 TEST the


merits vi Dr. Hsgan's plan. The committee reported


last night through their chairman, that although they
had been testing the matter by experiment for week
that inasrnuch the apparatus used by them
was not adapted 10 determine with extreme
accuracy the exact difference mhde iq the cop
bnstion Of the coal by the Introduction Of tbe
steam they had not PREPARED formal report Of the
results obtained. The chairman Of the committee.


Dr. Leonard ID. Gale, however gave very interest


ing informal account OF the experiments made and the


results thus far obtained The first object which the


committee sought 20 obtain being the value Of tue dis


covery for domestic purposes they had conducted their
first experiments with an apparatus much resembling


common cooking stove in fact, differing from only
in having attached to II III front thick piece Of cast


iron with cavity in the center very much like COM
mon water back" TO stove. On the top Of the ap-
paratus were four kettle holes in each Of which a
Kettle Of water placed wllo another vessel Of
water was placed in the oven behind. The amount
OF heat produced during tie various experiments
was determined by the weight Of water evapor.
ated from the vessels. Tie experiments were
conducted for three days by burning coal


in the apparatus in the ordinary manner the


coal placed IN the stove being carefully weighed each


day as also the amount Of ashes or rcsidum left and


the amount of water cvaporated. For the other four
Il
central cavity Of the hollow iron front above described


which being converted by the heat OF the fire into
steam passes through series OF small openings into
the center Of the burning coal AS in the other expert


ments the amount Of coal consumed and Of water eyap


GRATED was carefully determined and noted The not
results Of the seven days experiments showed that
while one pound Of coal burned IN the ordinary way in
the apparatus would evaporate on average s2.lOO
pounds Of water. the coal burned in connection
with the steam would evagorate 3 19-l00 pounds of
water per pound OF coal the proportion being
IS. In other words, that the use Of the stream Of
stea In connection with the coal increased the avail
able heat obtained from the latter about 50 per cent


We give the figures in gross. although DIR. Gale gave
them In detail at considerable length IS In these ox.
permeuts great part Of the heat necessarily lost
by radiation from the exposed surface Of the stove
was impossible 70 determine accurately the exact
amount Of increase of heat caused by the presence of
the seam but enough was shown 10 demonstrate that
the subject is well worthy the attention Of economists
Dr. Hagan stated that locomotive was now running
on the NewYork Central Railroad, in which. by the
his system 80 pounds of water were converted into
by average consumption OF one pound OF coal


This Company are now applying the principle to six
Of their locomotives and are about to construct
20 Others but expressly 10 include this principle.


After some discussion the further consideration Of
the subject was again referred TO the committee who
were instructed to examine 1t thoroughly and report at
some future meeting.