Columbia telescope. (Columbia, S.C.) 1828-1839, May 13, 1837, Image 2
ie tiuee or ftor~*4onare fbr ooe thotmDd
, mod*. >TW? lipoid "Be-?oogh to sow one
btlg&e&and SixtJ^ wx acres. A drill tor the |
new instrument, which is ?f^b-v ^Vmctft !
better,and will not cost above $20. I
nttreriH point in sowing1 is the "j '
ploughing. The land must be piougheu eijit
?inches deep at least, and this .ought to be done
in the month of August Still fine crops of
beets have been obtained by breaking up g.ass ,
ground in the spring, immediately b-ifure the j
feeding The land should be turned up I and- ,
a melf, and all the grass and other vegetable' ;
matter fairly deposited underneath. Then it
must be harrowed deep and fin<\ but the nine
way with the fiirrowa. It the furrows bj dis
imbed, it spoils or greatly injures the crop. .
The seed is to be sown in rows, twenty in- ..
apart, on the top of the furrows, and t he same j
way with 'hem. No plough must ent.-r ^ r ,
the sowing, but the land tuusL be dressed two :
to four times, according to its tendenc) to ,
weedmess, with the hand and hoe. 1 he yeg- j
e table matters decay and give tnetr whok .
noonshment to the beets. I suppose these re- .
marks mav be of lew consequence to the pro
nrie.ors of rich prairies of the West , than to ,
fhM* of the lands in France and m the rsor :
tbern and Middle States of America. There t
caii be no doubt, however, that the decomposi
tion of fresh vegetable matter will a?ord a more
active stimuhAo vegetable lite than old mould, >
however rich. The land for beets must be J
gowk but it may be *oo good. In this case it
will produce beets of an enormia size,but hoi- j
low and decayed, and affording less saccharine ;
Than much smaller ones. Very poor land,
rich by high manuring, is sard to yield ,
ian*e beets, containing a great deal of potash ,
and saUammoniac, bat very little sugar. At 1
the first weeding, when the beets are about one :
or one and a half inches high, they mu?t be
tlanned so as to leave one plant to every twelve j
or thirteen inches of row. It there be spaces
where the seed has not come up, some of the !
plants putied up should be transplanted into |
those spaces. |
There are some other considerations wlncn j
it is material to suggeft to you at this time* ? j
The first is the necfas ty ct prov d:ng season- .
ably a stow of good bones. In tie proper mak- j
- in g, washing, and otherwise cleansing and j
resuming of animal coal, consists the soul of a :
beet sugar manufactory. The best bones are
-those from kitchens, ui-at- shops, dead horses, I
and other dead ammais thrown away. A
Frenchman would make his fortune out of dead ,
hogs and dead dogs which float every day in j
East River. Fresh bones are the thing.? j
Those wbich have been bleaching a good while i
t a fields and highways are very nearly worth- 1
;eg3. Those who intend to make b-%et sugar j
in the United States must look beforehand to |
^the collection of bones. If they should have i
more than they want, which is scarcely possS j
oie, they wiM have sufficient demand for the ;
surplus. The profits of the manufacture of
animal coal, though constantly declared to be
little or nothing, are,' nevertheless, carefully
concealed. Bones are bought here at from ? i
Jtol cent per pound.
? A gTeat deal of lime is used in the opera
tions of the sugar manufactory, say from a j
peck to a bushel per day. It is well for man
ufacturers to make their own. It must be of
finer quality than that used in masonry. The
liuw manufactured from the chips and waste >
pieces of marble is considered the purest of j
any, made on a large scale. The convenience I
and eeonooy of having your works situated up
on navigable water will not have escaped the
ttt nation of yourselfaud associates. An abun
of pure water is required by a beet su
m jJsucrinei the wcrd com rr only used by the
French.) This may be taken from a rifer or
canal if it be clean. Here it is generally ta
ken from wells with forcing pamps,worked by
steam. The reason is, that the water of the
rivers and canals of this country is very dirty.
. In the manufactory where I h?ve hitherto been,
tbe quantity used is about 15,000 gallons per
day.
Seasonable provision must bo made of bricks
or wood for a building 150 feet long, 50 wide
- and 20 high. Besides this, there will be a low
part for toe steam engine, for a furnace to re
born tbe coal, and a kitchen where part of the
utensils must be washed every day. This will
? be of the above length, and 15 feet in breadth.
? am not yet satisfied what is the best plan for
a building". I give the above dimensions as
embracing sufficient materials for any form.
I may hereafter thiuk that it would be better
to increase the height and ci ninish the length.
Tbe walls should be thick and substantial, but
clay mortar and second quality of brick are
& used.
gs The steam engine can be made as well in
| tbe United States as ny where. It will b ?
aaffieient if the boiler be of 40 horse power, and
I the machine 12. Perhaps in the course of
three or four years we should want greater
| powers; but, in that case, an exchange or
t sale could be easily made, and greater substi
i tuted, wheu operations are suspended as they
will be of course durwg the spring and ?u n
mer. Sach an engine would be sufficient for
working up 10,000,000 lbs of beets per annum,
producing not less than 500,000 lbs. of sugar.
"The engine ought to bo delivered, and the
buildings commenced by the first of next J uly,
ifyou intend to go on this year. I shall send
drawings of an engine when I aJdrcss you
again. Several months later than July would
be better than to let the year go by without a
beginning. If working were commenced this
year, although hul i were done, every thing
| would be in readiness to go at it betimes next
? year, and you would proceed with confidence
and satisfaction to make a large crop of betts.
If no more were accomplished this year than
?merely to get together the utensils, set up the
machinery, and make a fair trial of them for
? one weck^ it would be well worth the interest
of the capital for one year, in the increased
confidence, facili'y, and punctuality which it
t would impart to all the operations of the ensu
*:inj year. There are seven months from the
last day of August, (at which I should prefer
to begin,) in the very iast week of which you
^ might make the experiment of which 1 speak,
and enable yourself to detect any faults or de- j
ficiencies, and remedy them against the com- i
: i?l_year- . i
There are portions of the machinery which i
it would, perhaps, be advisable, if not n^ce-s i- ;
ry, to procure jn this country, in ord -r that
tlvey might be ready in time, and more especi- !
| aiiy tiiat they may b : ^ood ard serve as mo- 1
deis to ntichantcs who have no experience in I
tbe matter; thu* American mechanics would be
able to execute additional ones as they si ould ;
she wanted. I will n*-.tne the principal articlc-s !
?which would be indispm able to a beginning j
oa the smallest fcslev supposing you to procure j
the atea n engia j in the Jmted Srates. They }
aie those wnich could not, I think,* be wdi ;
\ made in the United States, or made in any J
maimer there without great delay, trouble and j
| in all probability, greater expense than would j
be incurred in getting th' Qi here: 1 rasp, j
f20D; 2 presses, ?1200; 1 table, $75, 1 de j
fecating kettl-, ?*250; 1 evaporating trough
1 boiU-r, $153; 1 coo:er ^100. Total,
^'175.
1 woold also suggest to the company that I
authorized to ^n^ags one or two good work- j
men. They could be had for less than a com
mon laborer in the United States, and they are
willing to make considerable sacrifices for the
sake of getting to our country.
And now, my dear friend, 1 believe I have
said as much as is needful at this time. I shall
address you again at no distant day. I propose
to continue in this place about three months,
and return to the United Suites in all of May
and June. It is my wish, not only to perfect
myseif in all the operations oftiie beet sugary,
b it a.'so to observe t.'ie several systems which
exist, and compare tiiem with one another. ?
1 i-hail return to the United States by way of j
England, chiefly for the purpose of conferring j
with a:i eminent chemist, who has kindly pro- !
posed to instruct me in a new method of refin- i
i-.ig, which he iius discovered and patented.
1 am affectionately, your friend,
Geo. Kimball, Esq. D. L. CHILD.
From the JY. Y Evening Star.
FAR WEST? LETTER VII.
LAKE TRAVERSE, li*3C.
A PRAIRIE ON FIRE!
Leaving the scene of my extreme rambles in
the Far West, 1 proceeded over a beautiful
rolling country designated on the maps as
"Cott-au Des Prairie," a ridge about 1000 fret
abov?! the River Sr. Pwers, and reached this
place, the American Fur Companies old tra
ding post.
We have met with several adventures, and
among the rnst came near being roasted alive
in a Prairie F,re. I have a mind to describe it
to you. Pliny did not more gloriously in the
crater of Vesuvius, than your humble servant
might have done in a Praine Fire! It is worth
travelling ten thousand miles to be an actor in
a scene so sublime.
About an hour before sunset we spied a
cloud of vapour in the direction we were trav
elling, rising gradually from the earth, and
spreading itself to the right and left as far as
the eye could reach.
It resembled at first a foo- I have seen rise
.
from that great waste the Pontine marshes,
and pass olf over the Mediterranean in light
columns of a feathery form, until it was lost in
a higher altitude of lig it. After a half hour's
progress it acquired a greater density, and like
a London smoke extended itselfover the whole
heavens. Sudre ily the sun, which had partial
ly illumined the sky, sank below the horizon
over the rolling Prairie country, in which we
vere travelling, and all the light became in
stantaneously transferred to the east, in these
clouds which became brighter ar.d wtre driving
before the wind towards us.
Until then I had regarded it as a phenome
nen of the atmosphere, but the gare of light in
crease.! fast, the air bejarne heated and suffo
cating, as the wind here it directly upon us.
'i h ; Indians, who were far in advance, fell
back and announced the Prairie on Fire, and
that it was fast approaching us. At first there
was a general consternation among the whole
party. 1 was alarmed, and demanded through
a half breed, who spoke a few words of Cana
dian French, what was to be done.
Our P.onetr,the old Chef "Whirling Thun
der," give instant ord rs fjr the whole party
to form a line, which every one obeyed, gal
loping away to the right and left, and dis
mounting some ten or fifteen rods apart. In
five minutes every one had struck a fire, and
applied a torch to the tail dry grass of the
Piairie, which was soon borne before the wind
with terrifice fury in the direction we had
come from, snapping and flying i ito the air
lvke small rockets. The glartrand heat ofthe
fire advancing in the other direction increased
every moment; our horses became rest ve
gnorUhg and exhibiting the greatest terror, as
it cauio cracking and streaming in the air be
fore tne wind, which had increased to a per
fect hurricane.
At this moment the fire we had kindled
j advanced slowly against the wind, and from
which we were retreating to avoid the flames
and heat. The Prairie over which it had
passed, being but a sheet of flimes, gradually
diminishing, however, in brightness. Here
we were between two tires, and both advanc
ing towards us, though that against the wind
was slower and less intense, but both extend
ed to the right and left to an lmmens ? dis ancf.
The one before the wind we since ascertain, d
to have been about 42 miles wide, and to have
am a distance of 170 miles, crossing the
streams by the force ofthe wmd. This sccne
iii connection with the perilous situation in
which we were placed, was grand beyond the
power of description. ? Thousand of buffalo,
d.-er and wild fo*vl were bounding and flying
in every due.wton around ug, which, added to
the noise of ihe elements, sounded like the
clashing encounter of hostile armies. 1 have
stood within r.he convu sed crater of Vesuvius
during a night eruption, and seen a thousand
travellers and visitors flying with lighted torch
es gleaming in the d.stance, before the fiery
Wives of a io rent of lava, i have seen the
deep flood of the Niagra lead from its rockv
heig.it' into the foaming abyss below; and the
rushing avalanche tumble fioui the glaciers of
| the Alps, carrying desolation and dismay to
tne lunauilauts of the valleys below ? but to
i witueos a vast Prairie in the Fa r. Far West
on fire, is a scene more grand and thriliintr.
Tis vaiu to draw a picture oft his night on
the Prairie, when earih and air were one com
: piete blaze of light? a perfect whirlwind of
i hre and tiame, and the wild be >sts were driv
I en masse from the.r h d u r plac.*?,
j The heat becoming intense the old Chief
| gave the signal for retreat, by a wild whoop
| which was eenoed by thy wiiole of the Indians,
j though hilt io t amid he noise of the ele*
jmeius. It was^ instantly obeyed by all, fore
j h'aT vvith urtjcn difficult y our horses through
I the conflagration we had kindled; and contin
| uing to ride fur about three miles at full speed,
until we reached a h gh ridge where gra.ss had
i been light, and was soon consumed. In other
j placcs it was of^en from four to ten feet in
i height.
i ^
Here we encamped for the night am dst
: clouds of smoke, nearly suffocating and which
; rose so thick as to shut out the glorious scene
j we had before witn* ss?'d, and how much more
romantic to be between two fires, than cast
among the emb< r3 of one.
Ihe following inori ing when the patty
where all mounted, on our singed horses, with
smoky fac* s, dresses and blankets, th? re be
ing but a shade of difference in the complex
ion bf -tween the white and red man, I could
but laugh heartily at the exhibition as we o-al
iop -d off in Indian file.
Never was a party better dressed for a
Carnival misqueiad ?. There was something
wild; a pcture^qe beauty, in such images as
we were under this smo'iy d s^uise, for the
t?vo first days, particularly wh.le travelling
over l his wide d so.'ation. There was a pecn?
liar adaptation of looks to the brown bunt sod
on our trail. Th s fire had swept through for
est and riHd consuming the young trees, and
the fi-w autumn flowers, which now stud the
Prairies; and 1 felt satisfied that we owed our
lives to the resolution and coolness ofthe old I
Chief, for I should have been burned to a mo- '
den Mummy had I not hav ?* been rescued bv j
the foresight of "Old Whirling Thunder." j
Yours, J. H. B. !
From the American Journal of Science and Axis
Notice op the Electro-Magnetic Ma
chine of Mr Thomas Davenport, of
Brancon,near Rutland, \ ERMONT.-^Many
years have passed since motion was first
produced by galvanic power. The dry col
umns of De Luc and Zainboni caused the
vibration ot delicate pendulums and the n-tg"
ing of small bells, for long periods of lime,
even several years without intermission.
In 1S19-30. Prof. Oeisted, of Copenhagen,
discovered that magnetism was evolved be i
tweeu the pol?>i of a galvanic battery. Prof;
Sweigger, of Halle, Germany, by h;s galvanic
multiplier, succeeded in rendering the power
manifest, when the galvanic battery was no'.h
ino* more than two small wires, one of copper
and the other of zinc, immersed in as much
acidulated water as was contained in a wine
glass* The power thus evolved was made to
pass through convolutions ot insulated wire,
and was thus augmented so as to reflect the
magnetic needle sometimes even 60. Prof.
MoTl, of IJtrecut, by winding insulated wire
around soft iron, imparted to it prodigious
magnetic power, so that a horse shoe. bar, thus
provided and connected with a galvanic bntte
rv, would lift over one hundred pounds
About the same time Mr. Joseph Henry, of
Albany, now Prof. Henry, of Princeton Col
lege by a new method of winding* the wire,
obtained an almost incredible magnetic force,
i lifting six or seven hundred pounds, with a
pint or two of liquid and a battery of corres
ponding size ; nor did he desist until a s^o#'
time after, he lifted thousands of pound^flfe
a battery of larger 6ize but still very 4*6 VV
(1830.) , ..
This gentleman was not slow to apply nia
skill to the generation of mot'on, and a suc-?
ce*sftil attempt of his is recorded in this
journal, vol. xx p. 340. A power was thus
applied to the movement of a machine, by a i
beam suspended in the centre, which perform- 1
ed regular vibrations in the manner of a
beam of a steam engine. This is the ordinal
application lrom which have sprung, or at least
to which have suceeeded, several similar
attempts both in this country and in Europe.
\ o-alvanic machine wis reported to the Brit
ish5 Association in 1835, by Mr. McGauly nf
Ireland, and he has ren wed his statements of
s icc ssful experiments a,t the late meeting at
Bristol. Mr. Sturgeon, of Woolwick, hn
trland, also reports a galvanic machine as betn*
Tn use on his premises for pumping water,
and for other mechanical put poses.*
But, I believe that Mr. Davenport, named
at the head of this notice, has been more
successful than any other person in the discov
i ry f of a galvanic machine of great sirnplicU
ty and efficiency. During the last two
or three years, much has been said of this
discovery in the newspapers, and it is proba
ble, that in a fu'ure number of this journal,
drawings and an accurate description of the
machine may be given. Having been recently
invited to examine a working model, in two
varieties of form, and to report the result I
sha 1 now attempt "nothing more than a gen
eral d scription, such as may render intelligi
ble the account I am to give.
1. The Rotary Machine , composed of re
volving electro-magnets , with fixed permanent
magnets.
This machine was brought to New Haven
March 16, 1837, by Mr. Israel Slade ofTroy,
N. Y., and by him set in motion for my ex
amination. The moving part is composed
of two iron bars placed horizontally, and cross
in.r each other at right angles. They are
both five and a half inches long, and they are
terminated at each end by a segment of a
circle made of soft iron ; these segment* are
each three inches long in the chord lintf, anw
their position, as they are suspended upon the
ends of the iron bars, is horizontal. ?
This iron cross is .sustained by a vertical
axis, standing with its pivot in a socket, and
admitting of easy revolution. The iron cross
bus are bound with copper wire, covered by
cotton, and they are made to form at pleasure,
a proper connexion with a fmall circular bat
tery, made of concentric cylinders of cop
per and zinc, which can be immersed in a
quart of acidulated water. Two semicircles of
strongly magnetisedsteel form an entire circle,
interrupted only at the two opposite poles,
and within the circle, which lies horizontally,
the galvanized iron cross moves in such a
manner that its iron segments revolve paraU
lei and very near to the magnetic circle, and
in the same plane. Its axis at its upper end,
is fitted by a horizontal cog wheel to another
and larger vertical wheel, to whose horizontal
axis, weight is attached and raised by the
winding of a rope. As soon as the sma.l
baitery? destined to generate the power.js
properiy connected with the machine, and
duly excited by diluted acid, the motion begtns,
by the horizon! ai movement of the iron cross,
with n s circular segments or flanges. By
the galvanic connection, these crosses ard
their connected segments are magnetized,
acquiring north amfsouth polarity at their
0pp')site?euds, and be ng thus subjected to the
attracting and repelling force ot the circular
lised maTmets, a rapid horizontal movement
is produced, at the rate of two hundred to
three hundrtd revolutions in a minute, when
the small battery was used and over six hun
dred with a calorimotor of large size. I he
rope Wiis wound up with a weight of four
teen p -unds attached, and twenty-eight pounds
were lifted from the floor. The movement is
ins' antly stopped by breaking the connexion
of i he wires of the battery with those of the
machine, when H becomes equally rapid in
the opposite direction.
The machine as a philosophxal instrument,
operates with beautiful and surprising effcrt*
and no reason can be discovered why the
motion may not be indefinitely continued, ft
is easy to cause a very gradual flow of the
impaired or exhausted acid 1 quor from, and
of fresh acidulated water into the receptacle
of the battery, and whenever the n eta! of the
latter is too much corroded to be any longer
efficient ^notiier battery may be instantly
substituted, and that even before the connect
tion of ti e old biitery is broken. As to the
energy of the power, it becomes at once a
J most interesting inquiry, whether it admits of
indefinite increase ? To this inquiry it may
| be replied, that provided the magnetism of
! both the revolving cross and the fixed circle
| can be indefinitely increased, then no reason
' appears why the energy of the power cannot
I also be indefiu tely increased Now, as mag
! nets of the common kind, usually called per
I manon magnets, find their limits within, at
most, the power of lifting a few hundred
pounds, it is obvious that the revolving galvanic
magnet must, in its efficiency, be limiud, by its i
relation to the fixed magnet. But it is an
important fact, discovered by experience, that
the latter is soon impaired in its power by the
influ nee of the revolving galvanic magnet,
which is easily made to surpass it in energy,
and thus as it were, to overpower it. It is
obviou-, therefore, that the fixed magnet, as
well as the revolving, ought to be magnetized
by galvanism, and then there is every reason
^Sturgeon's Annals of Eleotrioity Magnetism, &c.,
No. 1. vol. 1. October, 1836.
t Mr. Davenport appears to have been strictly the
inventor of a method of applying gatv?nism to pro
duce rotary motion. i
to believe that the relative equality oi the two,
and ol course their relative energy, may be
permanently supported, and even carried to an
extent much greater than has been hitherto
attained.
2. Rotating Machine , composed entirely of
electro magnets , both in its fixed and revolving
members.
A machine of th;s construction has been
this day, March 29, 1837, exhibited to me by
Mr. Thos. Davenport himself, who came
from New York to New Haven for that pur
pose.
It is the same machine that has already been
described, except that the exterior fixed cir
cle is now composed entirely of electric mag
nets.
The entire apparatus is therefore construc
ted of soft unmanageable iron, which being
properly wound with insulated copper wire, is
magnetized in an instant, by the power of a
very small battery.
The machine is indeed the identical one
used before, except that the exterior circle of
permanent magnets is removed, and in lis
place is arranged a circle of soft iron, divided
into two portion* to form the poles.
These semi-circles are made of hoop iron,
one inch in width, and one eighth of an inch
in thickness. They are wound with copper,
wire insulated by cotton ? covering about ten
inches in length cn each semi circle and re
turning upon itself, by a double winding, so as
to form two layers of wire, making bo'.h
semicircles about one thousand and five hun
dred inches.
[; The iron was not wound over the entire
length of one of the stee! semicircles ; but
both ends were left projecting and being
turned inward, were made to conform to the
bend of the other part; each end that is
turned inward and not wound, is about one
third of the length of the semicircles. These
semicircles being thus fi ted up, so as to be
come, at pleasure, galvanic magnets were
placed in tin* same machine that has been
a'read* described, and occupied the same
place that the permanent steel magnets did
before. The conducting wires were so ar
ranged, that the same current that charged
the magnets of the motive wheel, charged 'he
stationary ones, placsd around it, only one
battery bemg used It should be observed,
that the stationary galvanic magnets thus
substituted for the p 'rnianent steel ones, were
only about half the we ght of the steel mag
nets. This modifica'ion of the galvanic
magnet, is not of course the best form for
efficiency; this was used merely to try the j
pr nciple, and this construction n?av be super
seded by a different and more efficient one.
But with th s arrangement, and notwithstand
ing the imperfection of the mechanism of the
machine ? when the battery, requ.ri ig ebout
one quart of diluted acid to immerse it, was
attached, it lifted lfilbs very rapidly, and
when the weight was removed, it performed
more than 6(H) revolutions per mmute.
So sensible was the machine to the mag^
netic power, that the immersion of the battery
one inch into this acidulated water, was suffi
cient to give it rap d motion, which attained
its maximum, when the battery was entirely
immersed. It appear d to me that the ma
chine had more energy with the electro
magnets, than with those that were permanent,
for which tli^ smallest battery, whose damper
was three inches and a half ? its height five
inches and a half, and the number of concen
tric cylinders three of copper and three of
zinc, the instrument manifested as great pow^
er as it I ad done with the largest batteries,
and even with a large caiorimotor, when it
?wis used with a permanent instead of a gal
vanic magnet. With the small battery ai.d
with none but electro or galvanic magnets, it
revolved with so much energy as to produce
a brisk breeze, and poweifully lo shnke a
large table on which the apparatus stood.
Although the magnetization of both the
stationary and revolving magnets whs impart
ed by one and the same battery the magnetic
power was not immediately destroyed by break
ing the connexion between the battery and
the stationary magnet ; for, when this was
was done, the machine still performed its
revolutions with gr 'at, although d.mimshed
energy ; in practice this might be important,
as it would give time to make changes in the
apparatus, without stopping the movement of
the machine.
It has been stated by Dr. Ritchie, in a late
number* ofthe London and Edmb. Phil. Mag
azine, that electro magnets do not attract at
so great a distance as permanent, and there
fore are not well adapted for producing
motion. On this point Mr. Davenport made
the following experiment, of which I gave
full credit, as it was reported tome by Mr
Slade, in a letter dated New York, March 24,
1837.
Mr. Davenport suspended a piece of soft
iron with a long piece of twine, and brought
one pole of a hign charged st el magnet with
in theattracting d. static* th.it is, the distance,
at which th.- iron was attracted to the magnet
by measurement, it was found that the steel
magnet attracted the iron one inch and one
fourth. A galvanic magnet was next used of
the same lifting power, and consequently of
much le.-s weight ; th? attracting (hslflp-ce of
this magnet was found to b; one incii and
It _
three fourths, showing a material gain in favor
1 n ~
of the galvanic magnet. Mr. Slade enquires,
"has Mr. Ritchie's magnet been so construct
j ed a? to give a f vorable trial to this princi
ple V*f M r Davenport informs me that each
increase in the number of wires has b^en
tended with an increase of power.
Conclusions.
It appears then, from the facts stated
$Dove, that electro .magnet ism is qute ade
quate to the generation of rotary otion.
2. That it is not necessary to employ per
manent magnets in any part of the const rhc
lion, and that eloctro-tn-g iets are far prefer
able, not only for the moving but for the s;a
tionary parts ofthe machine,
3 That th? power generated by electro
magnetism may be d finitely prolonged, since,
for exhausted ac ds, and corroded mttals, lr< sh
acids and batteries, kept always in readimss,
may be substituted, even without stopping the
movement.
4 That the power, may be incr -ased beyond
any limit liitli rtoattaine<l,a- d probably b yond
any ^*vhich can be with cer.'ai tv assigned.
? since, by increasing all the number.- of the
apparatus, due r< fererce being had 'o the re
lative proportionate weight, size, and form of
the fixed and moveable parts ? to the length
I ofthe insulated wires and the manner - f wind
ing them ? and to the proper*sizc and con
struction of the battery, as well as to the natur"
and strength of the ac d or other exciting
"gent, and the manner of connecting the bat
tery with a machine, it would appear certain,
that the power must be increased in some ratio
which experience must ascertain.
5. As electro magnetism has been experi
mentally proved to he sufficient to raise and
sustain several thousands of pounds, no
reason can bo d scovered why, when the
acting surfaces are, by skilful mechanism,
January 1837.
tTbis question lam not able to answer, ns I have
not seen any account ot the apparatus or of the ex
periment, but only of the result.
brought as near as possible, without contact,
the continued exertion of the power should
not generate a continued rotary movement, of
a decree of energy inferior indeed to that
exerted in actuJ contact, but still near y
aprrit>wi.t;can be generated cheaply
and certainly? as it can be continued indefin
itely ? as it nas been very greatly increased
by very simple means ? as we have no 'now
led-'e of its limit, and may therefore presume
on an indefinite augmentation of its energy, it
is much to be desired, that the i n vest iga ion
should be prosecutcd with zeal, aide* y cor
reel scientific knowledge, by mechanical skill
and by ample funds. It may, therefore, be
reasonably hoped, that science and art, tne
handmaids of discovery, will both receive from
this interesting research, a liberal reward.
Science has thus, most unexpectedly,
placed in our hands a new power, of great but
unknown energy. . r . ?.?i.
It docs not evoke the winds from their
caverns, nor give wings to water by the ur
gency of heal; nor drive to exhaustion the
muscular power of animals; nor operate by
complicated meclunism; nor accumulate hy
draulic force by damming the vexed torrents;
nor summon any other form of gravitating
force; but, by the simplest m ans? the mere
contact ol metallic surfaces of small extent,
with feeble chemical agents, a power every
where diffused through nature, but generally
concealed from our senses, is mysteriously
evolved, and by circulation in insulated wires,
,t is still more mysteriously augmented a
thousand and a thousand fold, until it breaks
forth with incredible energy; there is no ap
preciable interval between its first evolution
and its full maturity, and the infant starts up a
g ant.
Nothing since ths discovery of gravitation
and of the structure of the celestial system, is
so wonderful as the power evolved by gal
vanism?whether we contemplate it in the
muscular convulsions of animals, the chemical
decompositions, the solar brightness of the
galvanic light, the dissipating consuming
heat, and, more than all, in the magnetic
energy, which leaves far behind all previous
artificial accumulations of this power, and
reveals, as then; is full reason to believe, the
arand secret of terrestrial magnetism itself.
New Haven, March 31, 1837. B. S.
Claim of Thomas Davenport.
In the words of the patent taken out, this
invention -'consists in applying magnetic and
electro magnetic power as a moving principle
for machinery, in the manner described, or in
any other substantially, the same i-: princi
pie." ,
-Mr Davenport first saw a galvanic mag
net in December, 1833, and from the wonder
ful eff cts, produced by supending a magnet
of 150 lbs. from a small galvanic battery, he
immediately inferred without any knowledges
of the theory or the experiments of others;
that he could propel machinery by galvan c
magnetism. He purchased the magnet and
produced his first rotary motion in July, IW.
I , July, 1835, he submitted his machine to
professor. Henry, of Princeton New Jersey.
also withoffl any knowledge of Prof. Henry s
t xperim nts in producing a vibra'ory motio i.
From this gentleman he received a certificate,
testifying to the originality and importance ot
the invent ion " ,
Mr. Davenport is, by occupation, a blacK
ami' h, with only a common education, but
w:th uncommon intelligence? his age about
thirty-five. Mr. Ransom Cooke, of Saratoga
Springs, is assoc at d with Mr Davenport,
and has rendered essential service by in.
improvements he has made in the machine,
and bv his assistance in bringing the subject
before the public in the most effectual way
Airangements have been made to take out the
patent in Europe.
P. S. The proprietors are constructing a
machine of seven inches in diameter, and aUo
one of two feet in diameter. Galvanic magnet*
will be used as the moving and stationary
magnets of each.
Fanaticism and Outrage ? Seldom have
we heard a more sickening detail ot fanatic
ism, than th-t which was communicated to
us a day or two since, by a friend who wa.>
cognizant of the subjoined facts. It appears
that in the vicinity of \uburn, Cayuga county,
a knave by the name of Sweet has gathered
around him half a score of silly women, who
beli ve him to be a divine being, whose com
mands they are implicitly and unhesitatingly
bound to obey, under the penalty of the dis
pleasure of heaven. His househould consist*8
of himself six white and one black woman.
T.iete deluded beings, al hough some ot them
are well educated and respectably connected
?reverence him as their -divine lord, and
hold themselves in readiness at all times to
yield obedien <?? to his wishes. 'I hat they
are obedient has been repeatedly demonstra
ted On one occasion, the impostor command
ed the wench to take a huge carving knife,
and proceed Hi rough the streets and slay what
ever might iin|'"!'' !"" prugrcsi, ? eenlere
upon her task, and had not the instruments 0
deaih been wrested from her hand by the
first person she attacked, she would have
obeyed the command to a letter. On another
occasion, he commanded three of the white
women to proceed, on a Sabbath day, to a
neighboring church where communion was
about to be administer, d, to ups t the table,
scalar !ll? yessi Is and drink uo the wine.?
Accordingly, at the prop'-rhour, they entered
the house singing and dancmg as tlwy pro
ceeded, and performed the duty assigned
them.
These outrages incensed the neighborhood,
and it was secretly determined by a few who
had imbibed an attachment to the code of
judurc Lynch, to present the whole household
Witn a coat of tar and feathers. For this pur
pose some ten or twelve young men blacken
ed their faces and otherwise disguised them
selves, and proceeded at a late hour on Mon
day or Tuesday night of last week, to Sweet s
house, which' they entered, seized several ot
lhe inmates, (among whom was Sweet) cov
er. d their bodies wi h tar, and then feathered
them with the contents of abed wh:ch .hey
t ok from the house for that purpo-e.
The intruders then retired; but again soon
returned, and stole a large quantity of niapli
sut/ar, with which they decamped. On in -k
i:iS th s second visit, one of the disguised gen
tlemen was recognized, and the next day ar
rested, examined, and bound over for trial.
During the examination, the females repea
tedly declared their belief In H e divine char
acter of 'their lord," as they called Inn, and
their obligaiion to ob<y him implicit y.
have not heard the result of the subsequent
examination, nor whether any dtsposaionhas
wen made of the impostor who has beet
instrumental in establishing this new creed
Cayuga, ? Rochester Democrat.
From the New York Express .
The anxiety about money affairs still con
tinues in lhe city, and it is now quite clear
that people will not be satisfied, nor will lhj
alarm be allayed till we hear from England,
and hear definitively. If the Bank of England
can, and has, sustained the American houses
in London and Liverpool, there will be somd*
thing of quiet, and of relief. All eyes, there
fore, are Hxod upon England, and the arrival
of the packet ships for a month to come will
be expected with great anxiety.
It is understood that the United States Bank
hesiiates as to accepting the proportion ot the
Bank of England, ? the latter institution de
manding one half in specie, for every draft up
on it. Thus, for 100,0(0 it demands 50.000
in specie, and so on. ? a proposition with
which the Bank of the United States does not
feel at liberty to comply in the existing rela
tions, between that institution, and the go-?
vernment of the United States. Ifthe govern
ment was disposed to co operate with -the
merchants, relief would be felt by all classes of
society in twenty-four hours, and confidence
would soon be restored.
There is now great distress among the work
ingmen of this city, and every day, particularly
on Saturday, many are thrown out of employ.
Every employer is now so afraid of incurring"
responsibilities that he is freeing hfms 'If front
them as poon as he can. It is highly fortune-'
ate for the poor, that summer is before them
instead of winter, fdr the existing distress of
the c ty would be horribly aggravated* if this
was the month of November.
The Commercial Advertiser of this evening
says ? 4tBy actual calculation it has been as
certained that the looses, in this city, on the
depreciation of stocks alone, since the fourth
of March, have amounted to within a fraction
of Twenty Millions! IjOss-s upon cotton,
abroad. Fifty Millions. Loss's by failnres in
New York, SiXtv Millions. Losses by failures
in other cities, Fifty Millions."
It is said in the street, and upon what seem*
to be good autho-ity, the report having come'
from a gentleman direct from Tennessee, that
a large hous? in N^w Orleans. which has fail
ed, was the house to which Gjn. Jackson- and1'
Mr. Donaldson made their consignments- ofT
cotton, and to which was entrusted" ttoei* busi
ness. By this failure Gen. Jackson is repor^
ted to be a great loser, to an amount even
which will mo?t seriously affect the comfom
of his old age. Tennessee, and the whole
VV ^st, is just beginning to feel the storm.
The Foreign news wlirch was received by
the George Washington, enlivened affairs in
Boston and Baltimore, as it did in this c W.
There have been two or three n ore failures in
Mobile. It issaid that fit, and about the coun
ty of Hartford, (C <nn.) and the vicinity, sixty
facroricsof various kinds, large and small, have
stopped under the pressure of tiie times.
Several failures took place to-day. Previous
ly, this we-'k, there had been but v>?ry few.
The state of the Money market is w.thout any
improvement for the better. The slate of our
Domestic Exchange? is no way improved. It
is now more difficult than ever to make col
lections, for in m iny places the banks will not
collect at all. It is a fact, that whil< |the Char
leston banks arc making a demand on ourjbanks
for specie, our banks save a demand on them
for a large amount.
UNION AND SPARTANBURG RAIL ROAD
MEETING.
At a meeting of the Commissioners appoint
ed by the- Stockholders in the Charleston,
Louisville, and Cincinnati Rail Road Compa
ny, from the Districts of Union and Spartan
burg, held at M'B ydesville 17lh of April*
1839, Theron Ear e, Esq. was called to tbe
U?air,aud S. M. Gowdey, was appointed Se*?
cretary.
The following resolution was offered by
Col. Win. K. C'iownev.
Resolved, That the surveyors appointed by
the above named districts, be directed to ex
plore the most practicable route for a Rail.
Road through Union and Sp\rtanburg districts,
commencing at, or near the mouth of Tyger
River, thence alo-?g the ridge near Uniouville
and Spartanburg Court House, to the most
direct route to any of the passes in the (noun**
tains deemed practicable for a Rail Road; and
that the Suiveyors enter upon the discbarge
of their duties on Monday the 24 inst.
ll was further Resolved , That the following"
persons be appointed as committees to attend
with the Surveyors and Engineers, viz : from
Tyger River to Unionville, Messrs. Wm. C.
Pearson, Clough ?S. S nis. Thomas Bowker,
Nathan Sims, Austin Wilson, and John Rodg
ers. From thence to the Spartanburg line,
Messrs. Win. K. Clowney, S. M. Gowdey,
Joseph Dogan, Jno. Gist, J, S. Sims, M. A.
Moore, Nathaniel Gist, and A. VV. T. M'
Bryde. Tnence to Spa rtmburge Court House,.
Messrs. Jehu Wells, Elisha Poole, Samuel
Otterson, Wilson Nesbit, S. N. Evans, Ed^
ward Patterson, Thomas Moore, and Richard
Thompson. Thence to the North Carolina,
line, Messrs. Tneron Earle, Wm. Jackson,.
Thomas Bryant, H P. Woodruff, A. B. Flem
ining, H.H. Thompson, John Poole B. H.
Durham, Foster Jackson, David Dantzler,
Robert Jackeon, R. C. Poole, aid Samuel
Jackson.
Resolved , That Col. Wm. K. Clowney, Col.
Tliomis Moore, and Col Thomas N. Dawkina
be appointed to receive the report of the Sur
veyors, and wilh them prepare a -eport and
address to the Directors and Engineers of the
Charleston, Louisville and Cincinnati Rail
Roa.1 Company, recommending the above route,
to their nonce. .
On motion of Col. Nathanit. Gist,
Resolved ; 1'hat the proceedings ot t his
meeting be published in the Grv^nVI[ . .
taineer, and the Columbia Papers.
THERON EARLE, Chairman.
S- M. Gowdey, Secretary.
Latest from Mexico. ? By the Cxunanehe^
at. N. Orleans from Matamora6, antr the Sarah>
ynn from Tamp co, advices are received to>
April 12. The M xican army were in a inosfc
leplorable condition ? in fact, in complete
desutulion. G -n. Bravo had resigned. The'
expected $150 000 from Quintana had not ar^
rived, nor the jrrot is vm sfrom New Orleans ! .T
Thus are 6000 men left without food. The.
Texas invasion is abandoned. Private Iclkers
from Mexico to .March 28th announce^ the
a rival at Vera Cruz of the French national .
bri? of war La Badine, the frigate D.don, 64
guns, and twootier Brigs, all under command,
of Capt. Bretomore. It api?eare there had.
been ?80,000 received for tbe troops, but the
offic. rs kept it. Six Mexican vessels of war
have b^en off Matamonn, five ot which had
sailed for Tampico, I* aving one schooner for
the protection of the commerce*
About ?270,000 in specie arrived in the
Camanche and in the Sarah Ann, from Tam
pico, for Messrs Lizardi, Merle and others.
Two persons of Havana came in the Sarah
Ann, expelled by Gov. Pi?-dra. CaJ Palom^
mo, who had none with 200 men agaiest
Olarte, returned wiih 50, the rest having
joint d the Indian chieftain. It was thought
Santa Anna would unite with the un educated
but brave Oiarte, near Tampico,
New custom house negotiations and pledges
to raise money are talked of.
Bustamente :s chosen President.
Santa Anna is at bis seat* a l Manga de
Clavo, watching his opportunity, and plotting
and intriguing behind the curtain. ifo
throws the blame of the $$an Jacinto defeat
on Gen. Castrejon, and two or three others
killed in the action.. Safe depository of his
folly and cowardice