Year: 1874

One of the greatest inventions in steam
machinery which the fertile genius Of the age
has produced has recently been announced
and successfully tested in England. Like all
other really valuable designs for giving safety
IL acts upon the principle that on ounce Of pre-
venuon is better than pound Of cure The
contrivance is an automatic engine governor,
whose work is to regulate the motion of the
steamships propeller, so as to save the ship
from the frequent and fatal breakdown by
straining Of the machinery.


The mammoth passenger steamship of the
present day, once at sea, is almost wholly de-
pendent on the strength and safe working of
her screw. The safe and efficient action Of
the screw depends on ths immobility of the
water in which it revolves and in its sufficient
immersion. Every sea-goer on the great
steamers has felt the shock and peril of the
'Tacing" of the engines when, in heavy seq,
the propeller is lifted out of the water and the
revolution is four or five times increased. In
stantly sudden check is brought to bear on
all the connections, the whole apparatus is
subjected to an intense strain and then comes
the ominous breaking of the shaft, leaving the
vessel at the mercy of the storm.


The invention to which we allude applies
an anticipative correction of this catastrophe
by its automatic action. 1t consists OF q
pneumatic air chamber, which communicates
with the sea through sea-valve and with the
throttle valve of the engine, and acting some
what after the principle Of the Westinghouse
air-brake on steam cars when the train
is broken. This pneumatic governor,
SO simple and instantaneous in it's
operation, cuts off the steam from
the engines by the transference of pres
sure the instant a heavy sea begins to lift
the screw out of the water. The adjustment
is such that when or before the propeller is
raised out of the resisting medium, and before
acceleration can ensue, the throttle has served
its purpose and the shaft been relieved from oil
tension. Nothing could be simpler and more
summary in its working, and scarcely any in
vention could afford greater safety, comfort
and economy to all steam vessels employing
the screw.


The economy Of steam, and consequently
Of fuel, by closing off the supply of motive
power from the boiler when the propeller is
in the air, must be very great in long voyages.
The enormous saving of the wear and tear Of
the facings and gearing and the relief Of the
shafts and rods from the tremendous tension
Of the rolling waves must be still greater
economy to the steamship company. But
the outweighing consideration of the great
security to life and property from SO cheap
and self-acting contrivance will very much
enhance the popularity of every ocean steamer
which it is known employs it. The SIM
plicity, inexpensiveDess ard self-evident
utility Of this invention should strongly COM
mend it to oil our steam lines, especially on
the boisterous Atlantic, and no time should
be lost in fitting it upon their vessels before
the winter gales set in.


WHERE ARE THE OLD LEADERS PA Rich.
mond correspondent paints a sad picture Of
the state of Southern society and politics since
the war. He critcises Mr.. Davis sharply, and
presents what will with some softening of