658 



FARMERS' REGISTER— WALDIE'S JOURNAL, &c. 



the seed out in the same time, grind it to meal, or 

 press it to oil, it may also cut or prepare any other 

 vegetable for final use in the kitchen or bakery. 



8) Another small machine may sink wells and 

 mines to any required depth and in any direction, 

 and take the contents of the same up to light, it 

 may be in earth, rocks, swamps, or water." 



Here is a most ciTective machine, which will de- 

 molish at one fell swoop, all the Yankee contrivan- 

 ces in the patent office in Washington; this notice, 

 it is hoped, will prevent all our mechanics from 

 incurring any expense hereafter, in taking out 

 certificates of their inventions. The land machi- 

 neries are to be moved by the wind and the " sun- 

 shine." The author says of " wind power," 



" In order to form an idea near the reality ni 

 nature, how much power of wind there may be at 

 our disposal, we have to ascertain, by a deduction 

 from experiences and observations, how large we 

 may construct and expose surdices to the effects of 

 wind, and how close they may be brought together 

 ■without intercepting the wind and diminishing its 

 power materially. We know by experiences, that 

 ships of the first rank carry sails 200 feet high. 

 We may, therefore, equally on land oppose to the 

 wind surfaces 200 feet high. Imagine a line of 

 such surfaces 200 feet high, and a mile (or about 

 5,000 feet) long; the same would then contain 

 1^000,000 square feet. Suppose the surface inter- 

 sects the direction of the wind in a right angle, by 

 some contrivances, and receives consecpiently the 

 full power of the wind at all times. Tlie average 

 power of wind being equal to one horse's upon 

 every 100 square feet, the total power, this surlace 

 would receive, Avould then be equal to 1,000,000 

 divided by 100, or 10,000 horses' power. Allow- 

 ing the power of 1 horse to be equal to that of 10 

 men, the power of 10,000 horses is equal to 100,000 

 men's. But as men cannot unintei'ruptediy work, 

 and want al)out half of the time for sleep and re- 

 pose, the same power would be equal to 200,000 

 men's. Imagine such another surfiice just behind 

 or before the former at 1 mile's distance, parallel 

 to the first and in the same circumstances. This 

 second surface would then receive the same po\\er 

 of wind again as the first; for the distance being 

 25 times greater than their height, the one line 

 could not intercept the wind from tlie other in any 

 considerable degree, both lines would receive the 

 full power of wind, as soon as the direction of it 

 would deviate from the horizontal more than about 

 2 degrees. It may be easily observed, that the 

 Avind^will generally strike the ground in a steeper 

 direction, and therelbre admit a closer approach of 

 such parallel surfaces. That the wind strikes the 

 ground obliquely is evident on the high sea. Else 

 whence the disturbance and rise of the waves on 

 it?_If the wind moved parallel to the ground, the 

 surface of the sea could not be affected by it, and 

 would remain smooth forever. But such is never 

 the case. The least breeze ruffles the su-rfoce of 

 the water. And it is too well known, to wliaf 

 size and powerful effects the waves may be raised 

 by wind. Moreover, experiences in navigation 

 teach, that vessels of the first rank sailing along 

 a shore of about 200 feet high, trees, &c. included, 

 at their windside, at a distance of one mile, will 

 not suffer any considerable diminution of wind. 

 Now, if we find the power of wind to be at the 

 end of every mile equal to 200,000 men's power, 

 and so for every mile in breadth ; it follows, that 



every one square mile affords such a power. AVhat 

 an immense poAver ! The most populous countries 

 in the world contain in an average from 100 to 200 

 individuals on every square mile, of which hardly 

 one half is able to work, or to be counted for full 

 hands to work. But suppose even 100 full hands 

 to work on one square mile, the power of wind 

 within their jdacesof habitation will be 2000 times 

 greater. Yet we will get a more proper concep- 

 tion of this power, in extending this comparison 

 over the whole globe. The surface of the whole 

 globe is about 200,000,000 square miles. Accord- 

 ing to the foregoing statement of 200,000 men's 

 power for every one square mile, the whole extent of 

 the wind's power over the globe amounts to about 

 200,000,000 times 200,000, i. e. to 40,000,000,000 

 men's power. The number of all human indi- 

 viduals on earth will not exceed 1000,000,000, of 

 which hardly the half may be counted for full 

 hands to work, that is 500,000,000 ; consequently, 

 the staled power of wind is 80,000 times greater 

 than all men on earth could effect with their 

 nei-ves, when tlie wind is used but to the height of 

 200 feet. 



What a gigantic, awful power is this! 80,000 

 times greater tlian all men on earth could effect by 

 the united exertions of their nerves! — at the least 

 calculation. Suppose even one half should be lost 

 by friction of the machineries, or more, we need 

 not economise with such an immensity of |>ower, 

 let but one eighth of it be used, it would amount 

 still to 10,000 times the })ower of all men on earth. 

 But if 10,000 limes more can be done in one year, 

 consequently , can be effected as much as hitherto in 

 10,000 years!— to what awful grandeur may not 

 the human race exalt themselves?" 



One of his greatest conceptions is, that power 

 may be stored up for future use. He says much 

 on this subject, but we can only quote one speci- 

 men : — 



" But the manner, w hich I shall state hereafter, 

 to apply this power, is to make it operate only for 

 collectinc; or storing up the power in a manner, and 

 then to take out of this store of j>owcr, at any time, 

 as much power for final operation upon the machi- 

 neries as may be wanted for the intended purposes. 

 The power stored up is to re-act, just as it may 

 suit the purposes, and may do so long after the 

 orio-inal power of wind has ceased. And though 

 the^vind should cease at intervals of many months, 

 we may have by the same power, a uniform per- 

 petual motion in a very simple way.'.' 



The whole sea is to be covered with floating 

 islands, bearing palaces, and the inhabitants while 

 they are sailing about " without motion like ships," 

 are to catch fish by ''machineries" to supply the 

 land-lubl>ers without any cost whatever! but the 

 great tiling is, that these islands as they rise and 

 fall with the tides, shall by means of levers, "build 

 palaces," and so forth, for those on land, without 

 giving them any trouble! and our author declares 

 solemnly, " all such things ami many others, which 

 may seem now but extravagant flincies, require 

 nothing but the raw material for their construction, 

 and these are to be found in plenty." One ma- 

 chine island is certainly to sail to Europe, in four 

 days. " The island may be covered with fertile 

 soil in the highest cultivation, buildings, and every 

 thing that men may want for their enjoyment and 

 commodity. There will be no motion felt like on 

 ships. May this idea," he continues, " be const- 



