The Caloric Engine in Russia

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We understand that since Captain Ericsson's Caloric Engine was first brought before the public, enquiries with respect to it have repeatedly been made by the Russian Government. It has accordingly been supposed that Russia would be one of the first countries to adopt the new invention. A great deal of attention has certainly been paid to the subject in Russia, and great interest is taken in it. But it seems that Capt. Ericsson has a rival there who threatens to carry off the patronage of the Government. The " Northern Bee," a German paper published in Prussia, states that on Feb. 22, a Mr. Nobel exhibited an improvement on Ericsson's machine, which was kept in motion for some time to the great satisfaction of all the spectators, among whom was the Grand Duke Constantine. The improvement consists in putting the cylinders inside ] of each other, whereas Ericsson puts the sup-; ply cylinders on top of the working cylinders j About the arrangement of the machine and j the results produced, the " Northern Bee " communicates nothing further. [The above is from an exchange ; we think the improvement on the " Ericsson," which the " Northern Bee " speaks oi, is one of the most peculiar and wonderful ever contrived. An Ericsson engine has four cylinders—two hot air and two cold air, and these the Russian puts inside of one another. Well, wonders will never cease.

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