The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-09-20 00:00:00

STEAM LOCOMOTION ON COMMON ROADS,

Mr. W. Hancock, of Stratford, has published a compara-
tive statement of the advantages of steam locomotion on
common roads and on railroads, in which he says—" It has
been asserted that steam locomotion on common roads can
never be profitably adopted ; that it is against the laws of
nature—because the resistance of a common road, compared
with that of an iron rail, is as twelve to one ; and it would
be inferred that the wear and tear would be in proportion.
Although the above ratio, twelve to one, is believed to be
too high, yet I will not dispute the point at present, but pro-
ceed to prove, that through the enormous first outlay in the
formation of a railway, common road locomotion can well
afford to pay for increased wear and tear. No person would
forego the accommodations of the common roads to travel by
railways, but for the sake of expedition ; and as wear and
tear is increased by the squares of the velocities, this will
be some set off in favour of locomotion on the common
road, not only in theory, but which practice has also fully
established. I shall take the speed on the common road at
fourteen miles, and for the railway at twenty-five miles an
hour. The average expense for the repair of railway loco-
motives has been allowed at thirty-three per cent., equal to
a renewal every three years. The square of the velocity
fourteen, gives one hundred and ninety-six as the ratio of
wear and tear of common road locomotives; the square of
the velocity twenty-five, gives six hundred and twenty-five
as the ratio of wear and tear of railway locomotives ; or
above three times more through increase of speed. Multiply
one hundred and ninety-six by twelve, the difference of re-
sistance, it gives the ratio of wear and tear of a common
road locomotive, compared with a railway one, as two thou-
sand three hundred and fifty-two is to six hundred and
twenty-five, or nearly four times greater, which from my ex-
perience during fourteen years' running on the common
roads, and from all the information I have been able to obtain
upon railway affairs, I am quite certain cannot be the pro-
portion.

" As we are on the subject of wear, we should recollect
that the present rough surface of the roads, arising from the
horses' feet and narrow wheels, would be materially smoothed
down by the rolling of the broad vertical wheels of locomo-
tives, and the resistance be materially diminished. We will
now proceed to ascertain the merits of the two modes of
locomotion, under as equal circumstances as possible, that
is, the removal of light weights equal distances. The forma-
tion of the Birmingham railway cost, gay £5,000,000 ; the
annual interest of which, at 5 per cent., is £250,000. The
formation of stations for water, fuel, workmanship, &c., on
the common roads would cost, for the same distance, about
£10,000; the annual interest on which, at 5 per cent., would
be only £5OO. The number of locomotives on the railway
we will take at 50 ; to perform the same work on the common
road would require 70 ; and the reason that no more would
be required is, that I make my engines of double power in
size of cylinder to those used on the railway, and to use
steam at double the pressure, which makes one of mine equal
to four railway engines, without weighing more, the lower
speed, and other circumstances, not requiring many of the
parts should be so strong. The total value of the railway
locomotives, at £1,400 each, would be £70,000; the annual
amount of repairs, at 33 per cent., would be £23,300 ; the
common road locomotives at £l.BOO each, would be
£126,000 ; the annual amount of repairs, at 33 per cent.,
would be £42,000. It cannot be unfair to anticipate, that an
equal annual sum would be received for goods and passengers,
as with the railway, when we reflect that by passing along
the ancient and accustomed line of traffib, both the expence
and inconvenience of cross-road conveyance, as from the
railway, would be avoided, greater accommodation (speed
excepted) would be afforded, and that without risk of acci-
dent from running off high embankments, or the disagreeable
confinement in travelling at the bottom of deep cuttings or
through tunnels." He then gives a table showing that the
daily interest of capital on the common road, would be
£27 18s. Od., and of the railway, £685. On the common
road, he says, the cost per mile would be 4s. 10d. ; and by
the railway it is 17s. 7d.

EXPERIMENT OF MR. BOYDELL'S IMPROVED
METHOD OF PROPELLING CARRIAGES.

On Wednesday last, an experiment was made of Mr. Boy-
deli's machine for propelling carriages, near the King's Ferry,
and, notwiths anding the day was extremely wet, about ICO
persons assembled to witness it. Two large carts and a four-
wheeled carriage, were attached to the machine, and all
loaded with people, at one time. There were seventy per-
sons riding, and fourteen holding back, and two men drew
them forward with the greatest ease. Subsequently three
good horses were attached, and they could not stir the load.
The seventy persons remained riding, and a little boy, by sit-
ting on one of the handles of the machine, brought the whole
load forward. The distance the carriage went forward each
revolution of the cranks was measured, and it was ra-
ther more than six feet, although the circumference of them
is only three feet. If the machine and chains would have
borne it, double the load might have been dragged by the
power of the two men. The speed of this machine with its
load was about half a mile an hour; the same power would
have moved it at double that speed, had the nut wheel been
twice as large as it was. Another carriage was shown to
prove that speed may be obtained by the same action, but
the roads were very heavy from the rain, and after being pro-
pelled about 100 yards, and getting up to nearly seven miles
an hour, one of, the wheels failed. This carried three men.
On the night previous, a carriage was attached to it, and was
taken up hill at the rate of six miles an hour—seven persons
riding. On the railway. ten miles an hour has been obtained,
and on the common road eight; three men riding, and two
working. The speed entirely depends upon the revolution of
the cranks, as the carriage must go forward a certain dis-
tance each, revolution, and there is no doubt that any speed
may be obtained by proportionate power.
This machine differs entirely in principle from any pro-
pelling machine that has ever been attempted, although se-
veral attempts have been made to push forward carriages by
means of legs. The action of those used by Mr. Boydell
are precisely as if they, formed a wheel, and the pressure on
them, as it is on the spoke, continuous.—Chester Courant.

•
AUCHTERARDER CASE.—We understand that a summons
of damages, at the instance of Lord Hinnoull and Mr. Young,
against those members of the Presbytery of Auchterarder who
refused to implement the decree cf the Court of Session, or-
daining the Presbytery to proceed to the trials of Mr. Young,
with a view to his ordination and induction, is in course of
preparation, and will be executed against them forthwith.—
Glasqou; Courier.

LARGE GASOMETER.—On Wednesday last, a new gaso-
meter was pnished and lowered into its pit at the gas works.
It is one of the largest, if not altogether the largest, in Scot-
land. Its diameter is sixty feet, its depth 30, and it will con-
tain about 56,500 feet of gas. It is supported by eight stea-
dying pillars, which guide rods from top to bottom ; it is on
the principle that requires no back weight. The weight of it-
self is about 17 tons. The quantity of gas for which the com-
pany had stowage before in all their gasometers was about
120,000 feet, so that this immense vessel has added nearly
a half to their stowage. Another pit adjoining, admitting a
gasometer of equal size has been formed to meet farther ex-
tension, and to present appearances it will in a year or two by
required. The echoing sound produced in the gasometer by
conversation, is remarkable—a tune played in it on a flute
was quite astonishing, while a plank thrown on it sounds in
the ears of a person within like a long and loudly reverbera-
ting peal of thunder. It is large enough to admit of 300 men
to dine under its ample canopy ; and we believe a pretty large
section of that number intended to partake of a cold collation
under it on the platform before it was lowered, but the ma-
kers were not aware of such intention, and lowered it when
ready. Had such a vessel been on the grounds of Eglinton
at the tournament to shelter spectators and supply them, the
owner of it would have made a little fortune. The workman-
ship, which was executed by Messrs. Reid and Hannah, is of
a strong and beautiful description, and exceedingly creditable
to them as workmen. So satisfied, indeed, are the governor
and directors with 'the superior workmanship, with its being
finished and lowered into its place without the smallest acci-
dent—that they entered a vote of thanks to Messrs. Reid and
Hannah on their minutes, and transmitted them a copy
through the hands of the clerk.—Paisley Advertiser.