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Show An Ingenious Istxntion. P-Rippiogham, P-Rippiogham, a Virginia city musician, has invented an apparatus for propelling propell-ing canal-boats by steam, without railing rail-ing such a "wash" as is inevitable with the ordinary wheels or propelling , screws. It consists of an engine to be 1 carried amidships on the boat, from which a horizontal revolving shaft projects pro-jects to the shore. At the extremit of this shaft is a large traction wheel, to run along the tow-path, and so ar ranged by mean" of a spira spring undrr the shaft, a U adopt itself to any inequaiitift. in U pout. d The working gear on th' boat can also bo raised and lowered at pleasure, according as the draft of the boat may require, so that the shaft may be kept in a nearly horizontal , position at all times. This haft and , wheel can be swuDg around, so as to run on either bank, or racgod length-wise length-wise on the boat when passing oiber boats, or under bridees and through locks. The State of New York has a standing offer of 100,000 to be paid as a prize to any one who shall devise successful apparatus of this nature, and Mr. Kippingbam, who has applied for a patent, feels sacguine of carrying off the coin. |