The Sun.
London, England, 1861-03-27 00:00:00

LOCOMOTIVES ON COMMON ROADS.

Yesterday the first public experiment, calculated
to test on an extensive scale the capabilities of loco-
motive engines to convey heavy loads over the main
roads of the metropolis, took place over the Hamp-
stead, Euston, and New-roads, and attracted, as
may be imagined, considerable crowds. There were
on the train at its starting the Marquis of Breadal-
bane, the Marquis of Donegall, and several scientific
visitors. As the bill known as the " Locomotive
Bill," introduced into the House of Commons by
Mr. Garnett, Mr. Headlam, and Mr. Bazley, for
regulating the use of locomotives on common roads,
and the tolls to be levied on carriages and waggons)
is now before the Legislature, the progress and re-
sult of the enterprising trip will be of interest.
Preliminarily, it should be stated that the occa-
sion onwhich the new mode of traction was brought
into play was in connection with the removal of
that immense mound of earth known as the New
River Resevoir, well known as situated close to the
junction of the Tottenham-court and Hampstead-
roads, and which was one of the earliest aqueducts,
if it may be so said, formed by the New River
Company for the supply of water to the north-west
of London. Being now altogether superseded by
their new system of water supply, the New River
Company have determined on its removal, in order
that the area it occupies, of between three and four
acres, may be let out on building leases, and for the
formation of a new street in the neighbourhood.
The great difficulty, however, presented itself, how
to effect the clearance of so vast a mass of earth,
amounting to some 170,000 cubic yards by means of
the usual machinery of contractor's carts, the earth
it is said, curiously enough, consisting in a very
large proportion of the immense mass of rubbish,
bricks, and debris removed out here after the great
fire of London, a circumstance seemingly confirmed
by the blue strata of fire clay, the coins, and other
articles that turn up in it in the way of treasure
trove. The Euston Baths and Washhouses
at the top of Drummond-street, and which were
supplied from this reservoir, having proved a failure
have been pulled down, and the old well 400 feet
deep, which supplied the reservoir by engine power,
will be filled in. The appearance of the reservoir,
from which all the water has been let out, suggests
from its circularity and extent reminiscences of the
ruins of an old Roman amphitheatre
In order to effect the removal of the immense
mass of earth, the contractor for the New River
Company, Mr. Reddish, of Bankside, determined on
trying the transporting powers of the steam loco-
motive, and so have it waggoned away in about two
or three months to form embankments and other
works in connexion with the Metropolitan and.
North London Railway,:and as ballast for the roads
on the estates of the Marquis of Camden, the New
River Company, and elsewhere, the experiment yes-
terday being undertaken by a company called the
English and Continental Traction Engine ComOany,
the train being under the management of Messrs.
Longstaff and Pullan, the inventors, and of Mr.
Cresswell, C.E., the manufacturer, who at half-past
three o'clock got up the steam of one of their loco-
motives in the Hampstead-road, and then had
hitched on to it two large waggons, each containing
10 tons of the debris, and which the locomotive, at
first starting, and notwithstanding it had to describe
a sharp curve, in order to make good its way on to
the road, drew behind it with the ease of an ele-
phant. The load, at a moderate calculation of a
ton per load per horse, would have required some
20 cart-horses. The engine was then steered at
only a walking pace up to the junction of the Hamp-
stead and Tottenham-court roads, owing to the
accumulation of traffic at those points, which had to
be regulated by police who accompanied the excur-
sionists, but after rounding the corner that leads
into the New-road, just opposite the establishment
of Moses and Son, the engine having left the Mac-
adam and got on to the block-stone road, with
clear way, rattled over it at the rate of five or six
miles an hour with its load. After passing St. Pan;
eras church the train, on arriving at Judd-street,
had to turn up there in consequence of the re-
mainder of the New-road being closed nearly up to
King's-cross by the works of the Metropolitan tin.,
derground Railway, and at this point of the pas-
sage the train, some 40 feet long, had to encounter
considerable difficulty, and which required all the
skill of Mr. Cresswell, the conductor, to steer it, in
the form of four sharp curves in succession—the
first out of the New-road a few yards up Judd-street;
the second, out of Judd-street into Claremont-place,
then down another narrow street, and again into
the New-road, which, e.fter frequent pauses, how-.
ever, and with the general public traffic of the road
'diverted into the same track, it effected, tegether
with the next stage to the Great Northern Rai ;way
at King's-cross, where a large crowd colleeted to
look on. Here there was another pause,
to adjust
the working gear and get up the steem, for the
severe test of ascending the well-known Penton-
ville-hill, which runs from this point nearly to the
Angel, at Islington—a good mile run, and at gi
gradient in some puts of from 1 in 70 to 1 in 100---
one of the longest and steepest hills in the neigh-
bourhood of London.

It was about a few minutes to four when the
train commenced scaling the hill, and the scene on
the road was remarkably animated and amusing,
popular pasquinading being every now and then
indulged in at the expense of the spasmodic speed
of the poor engine, which was designated by some
of the jarvies as an old " jibber," accompanied by
an offer of the loan of an omnibus horse to pull up
the hill, interrogating the engine driver to go "like
us," characterising the " hull consarn" as a " per-
feet cure," with ejaculations of " Rolloa, boys,
here's another guy, Make way far the Colossus of
roads." Pentonville-hill, it should be mentioned,
is paved with blocks of granite stone, bxt it has a
siding of softer Macadam, and this was selected for
the locomotive all along the.route, the flat flanges of
the engines and waggons being found to have no
grip or hold upon the former, and it was with diffi-
culty the engine held on to the latter without the
road being strewn with the rubble in the waggons
to enable the wheels to work on. Arrived at the
chapel on Pentonville-hill, half way up, and the
steepest part of the ascent, the train came to a dead
stop, and in spite of putting on the strongest steam
power, it was found impossible to proceed without
detaching one of the waggons, and thus diminish-
ing the load one-half. The train then proceeded.
at a smart pace for a short distance until it reached
the Crown Tavern, where just as it was about
" topping" the hill, a loud crack like the sound of a
rifle crack was heard, and on investigation, it was
found that the cog-wheel, or traction-wheel of the
locomotive had broken short off in a portion of the
periphery, and the whole affair came to a stand
still. It is, perhaps, only fair to state that a
similar load had been carried on a previous oc-
casion to the top of the hill, and for the remainder
of the distance to the North London Railway by
th© New Cattle-market without any such mishap,
and no doubt the accident of yesterday is attribut-
able to the excessive strain to which the driving
wheel and machinery were subjected in overcoming
the steepness and inequality of the road.

METROPOLITAN FREE HOSPITAL, DEVONSHIRE-
SQUARE, BISHOPSOATE, N.E.—A sermon in aid of the
funds of this truly valuable institution was preached in the
church of St. Andrew Undershaft, St. Mary Axe, on Sun-
day morning the 24th inst., by the Rev. F. G. Blomfield,
M.A. The rev. gentleman took for his text the 40th verse
of the 4th chapter of St. Luke's Gospel and delivered a most
eloquent discourse ; in the course of which he took occasion
to remark upon the great usefulness of the charity, which,
although entirely without endowment, offered relief and
assistance to every sick and needy person who applied for
it. The number of daily attendances last year was 77,832.
The rev. gentleman bore testimony to the great benefits the
poor of his own and the surrounding parishes derived from
it, and concluded a forcible appeal by calling upon his 4
hearers to give freely of their gold and silver; adding,
"Freely ye have received, freely give." An exhortation
which was most liberally responded to, the collection amount.
ing to £42 10s. 3d.

GOOD COMPANY AND DIGESTION. All those
manifold efforts and stratagems by which food is first
secured, then prepared by the elaborate ingenuity of cooks,
then digested by the elaborate machinery of the digestive
apparatus, and then conveyed to various organs by the won'
drous machinery of the circulation, are set going to bring
a little liquid into contact with the delicate membrane of
cell, visible only under the magnifying powers of the micro-
scope. Every organ of the body is composed of million,
upon millions of these cells, every one of which lives its
separate life, and must be separately fed. To feed it, thou.%
sands of men dig and plough, sow and reap, hunt and MI,
rear cattle and slaughter them ; thousands act as Yea'
agents and carriers of the food ; thousands as cooks ; and
each has to satisfy the clamorous demands of his own
hungry cells. The simpler plants floating
in water, or the
simple parasites living in the liquids of other animals, fees
without this bother and this preparation. The higher
organisms have to devote their energies to secure and to
prepare their food, because their simple cells cannot secure
it, and must have it. In man, self-indulgence and indo-
lence often weaken the digestive machinery, which has
therefore to be stimulated into activity by condiments, by
flavours, and by mental exhilaration ; his meal becomes e
banquet. The 'stimulus of festal excitement, the laugh and
conversatirin of a joyous dinner, spur the lazy 'organs of
digestion, and enable mon to master food which, if eaten la
solitude, silence, or sorrowovould lie a heavy lump on the
stomach. Eating seems a simple process, until long ex-
perience has taught us its complexity. Food seems a very
simple thing, till science reveals its metamphoroses.
the Year Round.