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Page 17
THE PANTANEMONE.
The need of irrigating prairies, inundating vines, drying marshes, and
accumulating electricity cheaply has, for some time past, led to a
search for some means of utilizing the forces of nature better than
has ever hitherto been done. Wind, which figures in the first rank as
a force, has thus far, with all the mills known to us, rendered
services that are much inferior to those that we have a right to
expect from it with improved apparatus; for the work produced,
whatever the velocity of the wind, has never been greater than that
that could be effected by wind of seven meters per second. But, thanks
to the experiments of recent years, we are now obtaining an effective
performance double that which we did with apparatus on the old system.
Desirous of making known the efforts that have been made in this
direction, we lately described Mr. Dumont's atmospheric turbine. In
speaking of this apparatus we stated that aerial motors generally stop
or are destroyed in high winds. Recently, Mr. Sanderson has
communicated to us the result of some experiments that he has been
making for years back by means of an apparatus which he styles a
pantanemone.
The engraving that we give of this machine shows merely a cabinet
model of it; and it goes without saying that it is simply designed to
exhibit the principle upon which its construction is based.
[Illustration: THE PANTANEMONE.]
Two plane surfaces in the form of semicircles are mounted at right
angles to each other upon a horizontal shaft, and at an angle of 45�
with respect to the latter. It results from this that the apparatus
will operate (even without being set) whatever be the direction of the
wind, except when it blows perpendicularly upon the axle, thus
permitting (owing to the impossibility of reducing the surfaces) of
three-score days more work per year being obtained than can be with
other mills. Three distinct apparatus have been successively
constructed. The first of these has been running for nine years in the
vicinity of Poissy, where it lifts about 40,000 liters of water to a
height of 20 meters every 24 hours, in a wind of a velocity of from 7
to 8 meters per second. The second raises about 150,000 liters of
water to the Villejuif reservoir, at a height of 10 meters, every 24
hours, in a wind of from 5 to 6 meters. The third supplies the
laboratory of the Montsouris observatory.
The first is not directible, the second may be directed by hand, and
the third is directed automatically. These three machines defied the
hurricane of the 26th of last January.--_La Nature._
* * * * *
RELVAS'S NEW LIFE-BOAT.
The Spanish and Portuguese papers have recently made known some
interesting experiments that have been made by Mr. Carlos Relvas with
a new life-boat which parts the waves with great facility and exhibits
remarkable stability. This boat, which is shown in front view in one
of the corners of our engraving, is T-shaped, and consists of a very
thin keel connected with the side-timbers by iron rods. Cushions of
cork and canvas are adapted to the upper part, and, when the boat is
on the sea, it has the appearance of an ordinary canoe, although, as
may be seen, it differs essentially therefrom in the submerged part.
When the sea is heavy, says Mr. Relvas, and the high waves are
tumbling over each other, they pass over my boat, and are powerless to
capsize it. My boat clears waves that others are obliged to recoil
before. It has the advantage of being able to move forward, whatever
be the fury of the sea, and is capable, besides, of approaching rocks
without any danger of its being broken.
[Illustration: RELVAS'S NEW LIFE BOAT.]
A committee was appointed by the Portuguese government to examine this
new life-boat, and comparative experiments were made with it and an
ordinary life-boat at Porto on a very rough sea. Mr. Relvas's boat was
manned by eight rowers all provided with cork girdles, while the
government life-boat was manned by twelve rowers and a pilot, all
likewise wearing cork girdles. The chief of the maritime department,
an engineer of the Portuguese navy and a Portuguese deputy were
present at the trial in a pilot boat. The three boats proceeded to the
entrance of the bar, where the sea was roughest, and numerous
spectators collected upon the shore and wharfs followed their
evolutions from afar.
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