The Sun.
London, England, 1851-07-26 00:00:00

ROADS.
(From the Bath Chronicle.)
On Friday evening a public meeting took place at the
Guildhall, in this city, for the purpose of receiving from
Messrs. Motley and Clarke an explanation of the details,
improvements, and advantages, of their patent steam-car-
riages for travelling on common roads. Mr. E. Saunders
was called to the chair, and the audience, which was exceed-
ingly numerous, manifested considerable interest in the
proceedings. Mr. Motley having made a short preliminary
statement, Mr. Clarke proceeded to describe their steam-
carriage by the aid of several models. We may pre-
mise that experience has demonstrated the practica-
bility of running steam-carriages on common roads,
though it is a question whether it c,ri be done profit-
ably. Hitherto, the general opinion amongst engineers
has been, that wherever sufficient traffic exists to render
the use of steam-power profitably, a railway must al-
ways supersede a common road ; and that even on the
limited branches, or on roads feeding. trunk railways,
horse-power would he cheaper than steam-power on
common roads. But steam-carriages on common
roads would be a tar more preferable mode of con-
veyance than horses, because it is under the most
perfect control, and a carriage thus propelled is
capable of tieing guided with the most admirable
precision. It may also be stopped almost suddenly,
whatever be its speed, cud it may be turned in less
space than a four-house conch, while in turning sharp
corners there is no danger, if the conductor exercises
common care. On the other hand, horse-power is under
very imperfect control. It is very difficult to control
tour such horses as can draw a heavy stage-coach ten
milesan hour, in case they are frightened, or choose
to run away; and fur such quick travelling they
must be kept in that state of courage that they are
always inclined to run away, particularly down hill, and
at sharp turns iu the road. The only danger peculiar to a
steam carriage is that of explosion, but owing to the man-
ner in which the boilers of steam-carriages are con-
structed, this is imaginary rather than real. Tho pipes or
.flues used in the boiler being weaker than its sides, must
invariably burst first, and the result is that the fire is put
out, and all danger prevented. For instance, Mr. Hancock
states that whilst travelling with his steam-carriage on
a common road, tho carriage came to a dead stop, and
on examination it was found that the boiler had bazar
the water had flowed on the fire, but neither noise nor
explosion, nor any dangerous consequences ensued.
Mr. Hancock, Mr. Gurney, and others, it will be re-
membered, used steam-carriages on common roads prior
to the formation of railways, but they were defective
in several points. The great resistance of turnpike
roads required a great power to overcome it; whilst
the weignt of the machinery rendered it essential that
the carriage should be very strong to resist the
shooks of the rough surface of the road. The jolt-
ing motion of the axles was liable to break the bar of
the steering apparatus which was fixed to it, thereby ren-
dering the carriage unmanagable; and the use of springs
rendered the motion of that part of the carriage which
rested upon them, different from that of the part of the
carriage which supported them, whilst the moving
power was so connected with the wheels that the
machinery had one motion, and the wheels driven
by it had another motion. The result was that the
steam-carriages formerly worked were very prone to
break down. Messrs. Motley and Clarke assert, how-
ever, that they have conquered all the defects which mar-
red the success of their predecessors. In the first place,
they have invented a new mode of steering, whereby
the steering-wheel is connected with the wheels, and
move them quite independently of the axle on which
they turn. The breaking of the steering apparatus,
which was a very common occurrence in the carriages
where it was connected with the axle, is, therefore, ob-
viated. Next, the power is applied to the driving
wheels in such a manner that the springs on which the
machinery is supported, act efficiently in preventing the
injurious effects both of vertical and horizontal concus-
sions, whilst the driving wheels can be made to move at
different velocities to facilitate the turning of curves.
Next, great power is obtained by an ingenious mode of
separating the spray from the steam, whilst lightness
is secured by keeping the steam hot and working
it expansively. Messrs. Motley and Clarke propose
to place the machinery in one carriage, and convey
the passengers in another attached to it. The boiler,
which is the most essential part, is cheap in first cost,
light in weight (not weighing more than one hundred
weight per horse-power, when using the steam without
expansion), it is easily repaired when deranged, and
will bear a pressure of 3001bs. on the inch with perfect
safety. A boiler of fifteen-horse power will only oc-
cupy a space of two-and-a-halt feet wide, four feet
long, and six feet high. A steam dray, as they style
it, of ten-horse power, the cost of constructing which
would be 4001., would convey forty py,sengers at an
average speed of ten miles an hour. The maximum
speed would be fifteen miles ap hour, and it would as-
cend au incline of one in ten at'the rate of four miles an
hour. The expense of working a steam-dray, in wages,
coal, tolls, and repairing fund, the projectors estimate
at one farthing a mile, sonhat the passengers might be
conveyed from Bath to Bristol for 6d., at a profit of
50 per cent. much interesting information was
elicited on the,, subject of steam travelling from
Messrs. Motley Inri Clarke by questions put to them
by William M dam, Esq., Mr. Mitchell, the City
Engineer, and other gentlemen. The Chairman after-
wards lucidly recapitulated the points touched upon in the
explanations of Mr. Clarke, and expreesed his readiness
to aid in furnishing Messrs. Motley and Clarke with the
means of giving their carriage a fair trial. A vote of
thanks having been given to the projectors, on the mo-
tion of Mr. G. Hunt, seconded by Mr. C. Cox, Mr.
' Motley returned thanks iu an interesting speech. He
remembered, he said, at the last interview which he had
with the ingenious Lord Stanhope, in 1615, his Lord-
ship, who was then endeavouring, at great expense, to
propel ships by amine made this observation to him .
" Mr. Motley, I am told that I um a madman to attempt
to apply wheels to unequal surfaces, but though I
have spent much time and much money in the attempt,
lam not discouraged, for lam confident of success."
His Lordship was no more, but the whole ocean was
traversed by steam-ships.
,He (Mr. Motley) had erected
a bridge near this city which General Pasley, the Go-
vernment Inspector, had pronounced to be of a supe-
rior kind; and having done one good thing, he asked
the meeting to give him credit for doing another. For
he was satisfied that steam-carriages running on
common roads, in those directions which were not tra- -
versed by railroads, would be a great advantage to the
community. Mr. T. Harvey moved a vote of thanks to
the Chairman, which was seconded by Mr. M'Adam, and
carried unanimously. The Chairman acknowledged the
compliment in a very happy manner. A vote of thanks
to the Mayor for his courtesy in granting the use of the
hall followed, and the meeting then separated.

Extract from a letter addressed to Mr. Motley by
James Sims, Esq., the eminent Cornish engineer, read at
the above meeting :

" Redruth, July 12, 1851.
" You have got with you a partner in the patent who
.5 endowed with a highly inventive mind, and having
myself noticed the various plans hitherto brought before
the public, I have no hesitation in saying that the plans
suggested to me by Mr. Clarke are very far superior to
any other that has come under my notice.
" I have no doubt whatever that the steam-catriago
for common roads will soon get extensively into use, and
will be the next magnificent improvement with which;
the inventive genius of this great scientific country will
astonish the world."

We understand it is proposed to raise the sum of
5001. in sums of 5/., and to give the advantage of success
to the first subscribers in due proportions to the amount
subscribed. The project is warmly advocated by the
Chairman, E. Sanders, Esq., and other members of the
Town Council and the public, and that the Chairman and
other influential gentlemen will form a committee of
management for effecting the important object in view.

Two PRETTY PILGRIMS.—The Milan Gazette
relates the following curious story:—" On or about the 113th
inst., at two o'clock at night, two young girls, the eldest
were
both whom could not be more than eighteen, presentedr
themselves at one of the gates of Florence. They _:_e_.?
both dressed in white and barefooted, wore broad-brimmed
straw-hats, and had their heads closely shaved.
and appearance naturally called the attention of
i gue en-
darmes who were at the gate, and the following
,v_ ,_,_
pii.
sued between the officer in command and
.thee, t ,° "1"
? We want
grims :—' Ladies, what is there at your srrAvnicd
where are you
to leave this town ; pray open the gate.' fTthheeirgaegne.
intention?" We
going to?' "ro Jerusalem.' With what
4But have you money
want to visit the Holy Sepulchre.' _ (l6s. 4d.‘,
ot
nh
e)w
dhba
no
whom
1.. t
for so long a journey?' We haveelvue peonp protector
ti
ed
ce
tr
oe
rd
elceosnssreenftuesdedtotoaccoopmen.
ilttrii-eeL7igearnr-tehost priest in the neigh-
we shall beg our way.' But have
Oobiliweer, although he had nothing
gers you may encounter ?"
we can rely ; it is God.'
be a friend of their families, and
tt, oh
the
say a againstte,
but
aftertheir
ma protector,r
bPaorluYrhthoedin, little astonished to learn from him, that
the officer was not a
tv pilgrims belonged to o f h
one of the two Prer", ' , We need not addthey
wthoothtuerhneoeteerfe
. . f Fierenc „weree both
noble families o .
As,s HOS.PITAL.—The annual distribu-
ST. Dom upils of th
,s to the P e medical school, took place
pion of prize
-t i on Thursda
homes."
pupils were introduced to his
Y. The Right Hon. the Lord
reco.ndupertesedidteod.theTahheosmu
at the bosPI a-
Ma) °r • d the following
npartizioens_wesr.e pjroesneens,tedc :r—ickCileaswsoiocadl,
,and examination—S. and mathematical
scholarship. Medical scholarships for the first
;ear students—E. (,laptop, Stamford, Lincoln, first prize;
J. Blake, bolts, Wilts, and ... Jones, sig., seond prize. Phy-
siology—C. W. Caldecott, T. B. Crosby, H. Lankester.
Alateria medica—lL Lankester. Comparative anatomy—J.
W. Leyworth. Descriptive anatomy—T. B. Crosby and J.
Clapton. Clinical medicine—J. W. Keyworth and T. J.
Complin. Surgical reports—J. W. Keyworth. Midwifery—
Messrs. Carpenter, Wills, Timothy, Teanby, Gurney, bey-
worth, and Money. A variety of minor prizes and certifi-
cates of merit were also awarded.

A FRENCII WAITER.—A coffee-house keeper of
the Rue de la Harpe having perceived that his more expen-
sive sorts of liquors disappeared every day, suspected the
waiter specially charged with the care of them. Having
seen that a bottle of vermuth was half emptied, he got a
druggist, his neighbour, to put a strong purgative into it.
A little later, the suspected waiter was discovered to be suf-
fering from violent colics. "Good heavens !" said the coffee-
house keeper, with affected sympathy, " you have not surely
been drinking vermuth in the cellar ; if so, you are most as-
suredly poisoned, for the druggist next door asked me to
take care of a bottle into which he had put poison !". The
waiter no sooner heard this dreadful statement, than he
rushed from the house, but the idea that he had been poi-
soned had such an effect on him that he fell in the street,
and was seized with an attack precisely resembling the
symptoms of poisoning. The druggist gave him a remedy,
and he recovered, when the police, who had been attracted
to the spot by the crowd which had assembled, and had
learned the truth of the affair from the keeper of the coffee-
house, took him into custody.Galignani's Messenger.