PROCEEDINGS OF THE POLYTECHNIC ASSOCIATION. 499 



Jersey Central Railroad was constructed, and that the wooden 

 portions of it at the present time, required to be renewed. On 

 roads where receipts are many thousand dollars a day, a day's 

 interruption in the freight line would be an incalculable evil. If 

 creosote is used, how far can it be deodorised as not to make it 

 offensive to the smell? 



CALORIC ENGINE. 



Mr. Seely. — I feel a little disinclined for two or three reasons 

 to discuss this subject. The only temporary reason that I have 

 is that my thoughts during the past week have been directed in 

 another channel entirely. I propose to give a history of some 

 caloric engines which I have invented myself I wish it to be 

 understood, that, although I have operated myself, that many of 

 the important ideas which I have had are represented in journals 

 one hundred pears old. In the caloric engine, the air expands 

 and drives the piston. Here (illustrating) is a receptacle in 

 which the air is to be heated. When this rises, I will have a 

 valve to allow the air to come in. When the piston is risen to 

 the top, the cylinder will be filled with cold air. When a com- 

 munication is made above and below the piston will be equalized. 

 I made many drawings and supposed this to be a chamber in 

 which the air is to be heated. This is a cylinder enclosing a 

 stove. The air pumped into that will be heated and carried 

 away through here. Here is the pump which pumps the air into 

 the cylinder, and it is carried off here. I very plainly see that 

 if you economically use the product of combustion, you cause a 

 great saving. A great quantity of air always goes into the fur- 

 nace that is of no use at all ; 75 per cent, of the heat does not 

 get to the boiler. In the Ericsson engine, the fire is only at one 

 end, and a great deal of it goes up the chimney. There are, 

 also, several difficulties attached to it ; one of them is, that it 

 is difficult to move the ashes without allowing too much cold air 

 to enter into the cylinder. By the application of the Barker 

 mill, this difficulty will be greatly overcome ; it will help to 

 overcome the difficulty of the ashes, smoke, &c. The air which 

 feeds a fire is 2000^ ; the practical difficulty is the ashes and too 

 great heat. If you cause the air to pass through the water be- 

 fore reaching the mill, the water is condensed, and super-heated 

 steam is generated which adds its force to the working of the 

 engine. You may get some metal that will not be affected by 



