# Report from the Select Committee on Steam Carriages/Gibbs

Mr. Joseph Gibbs, called in; and Examined.
Are you an Engineer?—I am.
Were you brought up to that business?—I was.
Are you the Patentee or Proprietor of a Steam Carriage?—I am Patentee of a new method of more economically and safely generating Steam, which I am applying to Steam Carriages.
Has it been practically carried into effect in Steam Carriages?—No; I am building Steam Carriages, one of which is complete. I have been to Cheltenham to see the effect of a Carriage there, and travelled nearly 100 miles between Cheltenham and Gloucester, with Mr. Gurney's Carriage with that view.
Did you find that any inconvenience arose to the persons travelling upon the roads from Mr. Gurney's Carriage?—I did not observe any particular inconvenience, certainly the horses shyed a little, that may be accounted for from too great a quantity of fuel being consumed, which caused too great a smoke and vapour, but that will be reduced as improvements take place.
Have you paid attention to the effect on the roads of Mr. Gurney's Steam Carriage?—I have.
Will you give the result of your observations?—I conceive that Steam Carriages do no injury to the roads further than the Carriages at present in use, no horses being applied, there is so much diminution of injury to the road from the horses not being used, the wheels I do not conceive do any more injury than those of a Stage Coach, supposing them of both the same weight.
Then deducting the weight of the horses, do you conceive that the injury is the same weight for weight?—Precisely.
What opportunity had you of examining the state ​of the roads after the Carriage had passed over?—I frequently went in a Carriage attached to the Steam Carriage, passing behind it, my object was to know the right width a wheel ought to be made to obtain sufficient traction, and I never saw any mud displaced which was upon the wheel during its revolution. I particularly remarked the indentations in the tire which will be made in consequence of the wheel coming in contact with the sharp flints upon the road. Dow if the wheel had slipped, the tire would have been graved or cut into small furrows, but that was not the case. I had the wheels cleaned in order to observe the effect.
Did you go up any hills?—The hill going into Gloucester.
At what elevation?—That I cannot say exactly; it is a considerable hill.
Do you conceive great improvements will take place in Mr. Gurney's Carriage?—I conceive great improvements will take place in all Steam Carriages; that they are in their infancy; that there are not yet sufficient practical data to form a perfect judgment by as to the ultimate shape of the vehicle, arrangement of parts, and weight of machinery.
Have you considered what would be the best mode of charging toll on such Carriages?—No. I have not yet paid attention particularly to that subject.
Is toll charged on Mr. Gurney's Carriage?—None was charged while I was there.
Have you seen Mr. Hancock's Carriage?—I have.
He carries his passengers, he does not draw them?—No, he does not.
Do you give the same result as to your experience of the injury from that Carriage?—Yes; except that Mr. Hancock's wheel is not cylindrical, it is rather conical, and a conical wheel must be more injurious to the roads than an upright one, although in this case, the wheel being narrow, the difference cannot be very great.
On the principle on which you state that you are forming your Carriages, shall you be enabled to diminish the weight greatly?—The carriage I am now ​ constructing weighs two tons without water, it is made stronger because there are not any practical data yet respecting the parts.