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John Henry

(Encyclopedia)John Henry, legendary African American famous for his strength, celebrated in ballads and tales. In the most popular version of the story, John Henry tries to outwork a steam drill with only his hamme...

Parsons, Sir Charles Algernon

(Encyclopedia)Parsons, Sir Charles Algernon, 1854–1931, British engineer. He invented a revolutionary steam turbine that bears his name. His first turbines were constructed to drive generators to produce electric...

safety valve

(Encyclopedia)safety valve, device attached to a boiler or other vessel for automatically relieving the pressure of steam before it becomes great enough to cause bursting. The common spring-loaded type is held clos...

Gramme, Zénobe-Théophile

(Encyclopedia)Gramme, Zénobe-Théophile zānôbˈ tāôfēlˈ gräm [key], 1826–1901, Belgian electrical engineer. While working as a model maker for a Parisian manufacturer of electrical devices, Gramme became ...

Hachinohe

(Encyclopedia)Hachinohe hächēˈnōhā [key], city, Aomori prefecture, N Honshu, Japan, on the Oirase River and ...

tugboat

(Encyclopedia)tugboat, small, strongly built vessel, used to guide large oceangoing ships into and out of port and to tow barges, dredging and salvage equipment, and disabled vessels. Tugboats range in overall leng...

gunboat

(Encyclopedia)gunboat, small warship for use on rivers and along coasts in places inaccessible to vessels of larger displacement. In the U.S. Civil War both sides used as gunboats, on the Mississippi and other rive...

feedback

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Basic feedback control system feedback, arrangement for the automatic self-regulation of an electrical, mechanical, or biological system by returning part of its output as input. A simple exam...

rocket, in aeronautics

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Relative positions of the components of the Saturn V rocket, the U.S. space vehicle used in the moon missions rocket, any vehicle propelled by ejection of the gases produced by combustion of s...

Douglas, cities, United States

(Encyclopedia)Douglas. 1 City (2020 pop. 16,534), Cochise co., SE Ariz., at the Mexican border; inc. 1905. The mining and smelting of copper have been ...