The Sun.
London, England, 1846-03-30 00:00:00

RRA 117 4 r el (11.1 1% vrirr
„ C,k_.;,l

(FRI D •)

GROUP 19.
IMETER., TOPSHAM, AND EXMOUTN (ON
___

ATMOSPIIERIC PRINCIPLE.)
Dlt Joseph D. Samuda, examined by Mr. Mesiveats
~,ar are an engineer ? —I am.
of h 'o have heard the statements with respect to the character
e:
i) 0! bridge cresvorg !he canal ? -1 have
am 4 Y. u see any difficulty in the passage of the canal by a
-.lw-bridge, with the adoption of the atmospheric apparatus ?
n 4
:is! no difficulty in the passage of trains across ; there is
th. watever. It may be managed so as to leave it en-
free from all objections.
ur you agree entirely with Mr. Brunel that it might be
of
eas at other intersecti ?—The plan Mr. Brunel speaks
fc
.1r terminating the tubes on each side of the canal, and
pi 'alg the train over by the. momentum, would be an ea,y
rsode oft • • e
,h_ ranng it ; tue communication between the two tubes
e as disjointed, would be, by a close tube, taken under the
,7)41; i, might be made without any interruption in the
°the whatever ; and the tube is so arranged as to join with the
leir tubes at the time the bridge was not open.
th (t's would vou arrange it in a general way ?—As a general
eb,tif I should terminate the tube on each side of the bridge,
pass it over by momentum.
lan,l lon do take the tubes across, how would you do it ?
er the bed of the canal.
Cross-examined by Mr. COCKBURN
}tier Croydon an atmospheric line only ?—lt
'IP. en to the eublic7—Yes
and trains running' ow it ?—Yes.
A—Yes.
Nnce when ? —Since the 19th of January.
teeli°.ts often ?—We have now thirty- two trains every day
-seterig.
en„!,°t; mean thirty-two trains including both ways, going and
eaire,?__ yr
X es.
D 0
• have met with some little difficulties ?—None.
seo
tam
you mean that the trains have tun without any accident
of °ever? —Ne • I do not mean that the trains have run with-
Sim Y accident whatever—l mean that we have met with no
enlties
d
al; I not know exactly what you mean by saying that the
dftit's have net run without accidents, but you have met with no
sojtilties. Occasionally you have had to get your passengers
r't the carriages, you not being able to complete this jour-
ts.„„_,
• That has happened more than once?—l think not.
ink not ?—Not more than o' c.. lam not speaking
• great certainty about it, but I think not,
lao!'w much of your line is open ?—We have five miles open.
al; nave a distance open from Forest-hill to Croydon. We
la; had interruptions to the working of our traffic on that
t° t°°
interruptions, but no difficulties. I will explain
t°° what those interruptions have arisen from.
I,4hat were the interruptions ?—The interruptions we have
440 e then, have mainly been occasioned te, the breaking of
Ito of the principal parts of the steam-engines, the crank
alis of the steam engines ; they are an important part, which.
N,"4 they break, cause the engines to be disabled till it is re-
br-,7• Every one of the branch axles of the engines were
tra:eth the engines having been made without a due regard
het strerigth we require for the work ; through mere than o uf-
Nth:jell:l wer arts of the engine are unequal to the strain
is put on them ; that is one portion of the reason. Another
146." of the interruption has been caused by the air-rump
''s which have been introduced into these engines being
to talodiffetent character from that which was Branactically found
to fftletive; there were a heist wooden valv d were fourei
ehPractice to be inefficient ; the consequence is they are being
peed for the ordinary iron valve used at Datkey.
be, are being changed ?—They have not been changed
llttY are being changed. In one instance they have been
need.
Alto
Altether there have been a good man interrutions ?
tilether there have been but very few interruptions.
tat, w many ?—I think, putting aside the breakage of the
tit axles
jot, dotna want you to put that aside ; I am speaking of the
the PLuPtlnns, taking them altogether.—Then I should suppose
to „Lot! rruptions which have taken place may have amounted
~,en ,telse or fourteen, probably twelve or fourteen occasions,
the traffic was interrupted ; I should think so.
taptnd what has been the time for which it has been inter-
"l?—The very first day we opened to the public two of
• dt,esee crank axles broke in the same engine-house, and ren-
kir d an interruption ot course necessary till they could be re-
. yojd- That occupied I think two days. Now I .ant to guard
this °t to guard myself, against conveying an impression that
made ai an ac ident to be expected. If these engines had been
for the
ktts they shauld have been made, with suitable materials
l'e work they had to perform, that an accident that
taIN
041 not have occurred ; or, if the acrid, at tai occurred to
eeo/ une engine, the traffic would not ha:e been stopped, be-
a, se the other engine would perform, and Las pertained the
orit.
ittlae,at is the period during which those interruptions took
ha'. —The trains ran the next day. I thought it was two
011' I recollect they ran the next day. The other interrup-
t spoke of, with regard to the air-pump valves, never
'used delays of more than half an hour. As to the other acci-
-1"8 to the engines I think there was one other accident to the
ittillte itself, which caused a delay of about three hours.
a1),117r many engines have you at work it. the five miles that is
lithe s-We have three pairs of engines ; one pair fixed at
tray extremity, eXtremity, and one at a station not quite, but nearly half
Do
Aaloll mean at each extremity of the five miles ?—Yes.
Itertn"auathe other is at an intermediate spot ?—Not exactly in-
Otheredra. 1r is three miles fom one end and two from the
eat Ite is fixed there for there onvenience, of the station.
what is the extreme length at which you propose to have
pott.s/Igines from every station ?—The extreme length we are
d 0,14 them down—on the general length we are laying them
ts,Z.---is three miles asuner, the same distance as exists be
° Norwood and Forest Hill.
Locke, Esq.,called ; examined by Mr. COCKBU RN—
.1 21 un are the engineer to the Exeter and Exmouth line ?
I And
ypl are acquainted with the whole of the line ?—I am.
loates":B,7eke here gave detailed evidence as to the line, esti-
I believee : Yott have turned a good deal of your attention to
(piece()
,nai the arm epheric principle of traction ? have.
ave you been carefully attending to the progress of the ex-
/ eras on the Croydon line?-1 have.
believe yen have had some one constant'y watching the
''dress of the trains there since the line was opened ?—I have.
Igave you got the results ?—I have some of !hem, as far as I
10 get the fart irom inquiry and from observation.
the result of that inquiry satisfactory with reterence to the
eicability of the applivaaion of that. principle ? It is neither
I.: ;factory as to the application of it, nor is it satisfactory in
;?arnercial point of view, as to the expense of it; neither in its
cation, considering the number of delays that have oc-
I totrt al on the line during the last three manilla or as a com-
qCal question, considering the nature of it.
me you got there a list of the various instances of delay ?
et, a h
ave
ki"Thst.palt state, the result have not them here, but I have the
fir'k!. Mx len A :t,x objected to this line of examination, con-
/ttltng it was upon matter which ought to have been gone
tiro the examination of Mr. Hamilton.
The Coes MY al,/ was heard in answer to the objection..
Llt QounixTEE were of opinion that it was competent for
bilii;"''°ellburn to examine any witnesses to contest the applica-
• (4. the atmospheric system. The weight the Comtsiittee
44 ,
,171 at ach to the lee:tilts produced by Mr. Locke would de-
li ''l the authorit y from which they were derived.
tt alr. COCKBURS—Without taking you into great detail
ttakee subject, you were about to say you thought with refe-
tla, to the question of experience, the atmospheric principle
llttT.ls not properly aaiplicable to the subject of railroads?—
, atral,s my opinion.
eal; You gave any grounds for that opinion ?—I already
Att4 e" that opinion some time ago, that the first cost of the
setitPherie system cost as winch in interest of money as tne
I dill, - 'oost of locomotive power, and I entertain that opinion

b'e You any evidence with reference to the cost which
1)4"' occasioned on. she Croydon line ?—I have.
ks' that throw any light on the subject?—lt has enlightened
iiJYVLICh.
ail
4t,) to the matter of recent fact ?-1:1p to the present time.
motive power has be en considered as from 1 s to 10d. a
111 p, 44'1 it is at this mot nent averaging, in the metropolitan
1411tk Surnething like wet. a mile. The South-Western, for
!I,_t'e, two years ag( was Is. The contest which hen arose
(its,4"oether locomotis, e power was cheaper at t
per mile
tide the atmospheric. I believe the atmospheric now, by
is experiments wt dch have been tried, instead of costing
on 2,10 d. per m e for labour and coal only, saying no-
ther of wear ad ear of the achinery, the intrest of
kvs.'. the supplyingn t m
of the grease and materials, of wehich I
means of formin g judgment.
4altz:St. enables you to .etne to that conclusion ?—Beeause I
4cl men who hay, s ascertained the quantity of coal con-
ki4l at each engine, and there are persons in this room pre-
114re to give evidence •of these facts ; that in point of fact it is
%st'ttles as couch ac the cost of locomotive power; the mere
labour and coalr., independently of the other expenses in •
tke,e4 On that line cq which 1 have no means of giving the
Pl,l,:ti have heard of ;as cents with the engines; can you ex-
tt th to us those accidea is which have taken place ?—The fact
N) gat the engines have broken, and it may be attempted to be
4ks,`led that they are ! tot properly adapted for the work they
'4 itc) perfor, but I b lieve the engines to be very good ones.
4,
'' Your opinion Oita t the engine power, as first tried on that
as adequate to the work it was put to?—I believe it was
4.41,,1ry to overstrain. the engines in order to get a certain
,
of power.
tit it was necessary to have a more powerful engine, would it
kmore ?—lt
it,An that paper of delays,. you say there is somebody here
"I•s taken a Lae of them. ?—Yes.
41" s-examined by Mr. FOOKS—In the construction of
tiatlgeg, I believe the foundations f,rm age vry considerable por-
e! the expense ? Yes the y do very ften.
64.11! that expense is increas ed in great woportion by the
itter ot the soil you have •to go throtagh?—No doubt.
nl,_l34lltes a very considerable difference ? —Yes.
'whether it is on a rock, or .on mud, or on silting substance ?
doubt.
u'ari
You give us the difference between the relative facility
tkatt "king the speed of trains on he atmospheric principle,
sst°ll the ordinary locomotive principle ?—Tnat is the sub
dispute again, on which it is impossible to give an
rely opinion is, you can stop a train with a locomotive
4Nigker than you can with. ti,e atmospheric ; it is a matter of
on.
tzt 0.,1d it be necessary to rtonstruct two swing bridges on the
and the canal, the -danger you apprehend will be very con-
rt"lY increasyd—two bridges, one over the Exe, and over
okiiil4lll. Supposing it to be necessary, for the purpose of
tri,ring the navigation, that there should alto be a swing
11,,"kg there, for the purposes of the navigation, the danger to
ee.Prehended will be considerably increased?—No doubt.
the a° you give us, as a matter of opinion, whether 1,4001. for
Its unltruction of bridge ever the canal is a reasonable and
Per
sum?—l have already said, Ido not think it is.
114 witended, we her.r, to carry the tube of the atmospheric
t:oner the canal, and then to shoot the train over the bridge
13,'w0 momentum?-..Yes.
you see any inconvenience in that 1— Yes, I do ; it is a
tilir,43': pretty thing to talk of, but it is not a good practicable
liable have heard of accidents and delays, which you are always
Op Suppse any accident should occur while the train is
ishithe bridge, while it is separated from the top of the pipe,
of ttle II passing under the river at the time, what ill become
It ? —lt. will be fixed to the bridge.
%top riii depend on whether they had power on the bridge to
, tit, in order to prevent an accident; if they have. they
op it, and icannot tart aain ? The have no power;
tu,r
mast keep a hote, or s a
locogmotive engine if they like it
Irs to take the train.
s*".et,attitl3liight occasion considerable delay and inconvenience?
/be ; and a great certain exp.nse.
Itaui,, 7 must have spitne means of traction then, or else they
cauv`eZ liable to considerable delay ?—lt is subject to that in-
ero_ts.nce ce.rtainly.
to step on by Mr. Mx alvaLE—That if they were
taeThlS a. transit of thirty feet ?—Wherever they stop. •
bring a transit of thirty-three feet only ?—Wherever
lhePPage may be.
sate not very likely to stop in passing thirty feet ?—I
bYon ot ,
in re aware that an intersection of the passage of the tube
..._°Pfration already on the Croydon line, not under a canal
ruder road ?—I do not know the fact.