American watchman and Delaware advertiser., 1827-03-30
RAIL ROADS.
Extracts from Strickiand's Report

NAIL ROAUS
Extracts from Strickiand's Report.
In addition to the foregoing evidence os =,
superior advantages Of Rail WAYS over Can,l. ~
furnished by Strickland and Wood, the comm;ss
submit the following extracts from verv yalu,hI
treatise, entitled 4" Observations on General. i."'
Rail Way or Land Steam Conveyance, ,"bv Tbaw ,,v'
as Gray; and in proof Of the high value n wsa.
this work is held in England, the committee nss1
only remark, that in very short time il ha, NJ,
sed through five editions. from the last Of wbieS
these extracts are made.
"Ihe experience already had Of our Canal con
veyance, cannot fail to convince every reader. as.
due observation, that the heavy expense attpnd;n,
the construction and repair of Canal boats Win Il
their multifarious tackle, mems wages, horses and
their keep, must render the transport much d,un,r
than BY Rail Hay, which so peculiarly cOmbin,,
both economy Of time and labor; and the few hand,
required to superintend a gang of wagons on tn
Rail Way, compared with those EMPLOYED in the
conveyance of the same freight by Canal"
,,r (Gray. page s6)
Ahe enormous expenses so peculiar to shpp.
ing, and the further detentions by Canals, (suc !,
the total stoppage to commerce when they are IN.
dergong repair, and in time Of foods, or frosts Or
droughts,) greatly retard the intercourse Of The
country, and consequently enhance the transport
OF merchandise on all these points refer nv res.
ders 70 the merchants and traders, who cannot for
pear D their testimony in support Of this statement.
ran Ways are tree from all these objections, and
the great speed with which journeys might be made
would enable coach and wagon proprietors 10 re.
duce the present rate of carriage one half"
Gray, page 4l.)
"The proprietors of the fe,o Canals which Do
answer, will have the greatest reason to complains
but they, in common with the rest Of society, mus.
OF course submit to any superior method Of iimprcv
ing the conveyance or transport of merchandise
Just as the common coasting traders will to the es.
tablished steam vessels; with respect to those
Canals which do not answer, and those that never
can, the sooner they abolished in the better"
(Gray, page 66.)
The expense OF forming Rail Ways is not ouly
far less than that of Canals, but the former exhibit
the peculiar advantage Of better conveyance than
Roads and Canals conformity afford at present"
(Gray. page g.
a Rail Way can, according to circumstances,
be made at from half to fourth Of the expense
OF Canal, and convey goods more cheapy, which
would render them lucrative when any other mode
would be ruinous.''
(Jessop, in Gray, ,pags l04
"On the proposed Rail Way, where the ascent
from Cromford by four inclined planes is nearly
1000 feet, and the descent to the Peak Forrest
Canal between and 800 feet, by three others, the
average cost Of working each place will be about
hnJpenny per ton. When these very moderate ez'
penses Of carriage are considered, it furnishes an
additional argument in favor OF the opinion eX'
pressed in my former report, that Rail Waytorm.,
ing SO important a connection betUetn rich ono
populous districts. and with Canals which yield an
abundant revenue, cannot be speculation Of hdz.
ard /; but must be q secure and lucrative mode q
investing capital"
(Hem, in Gray, page 107 and 1857
Railways have latterly been extensively con-.
structed from the collieres in the neishborhood o.
Newcastle, and experience has confirmed the aa'
vantages above stated, and the simplicity attenu
ing them they obviate many objections to Canss
arising from the localities of the country. Wneh
great elevations have to be passed over, the OcSaSe
on Canals is excessive, and the consequent supply
.! water expensive, and perhaps only to be oo'a m
ed by interfering with the vested rights Of mn'
owners" (Grau. page 1870 and 1917
I" Rail Roads, as hitherto worked by horses pos.
sess very little, if any advantage over canals; ou'
hail Roads worked by the locomotive steam engns,
nave SO decided superiority, both as regards 'u.
anu expense, that there can be no question: w.
they will be generally adopted wherever s,. new
line Of conveyance has become necessary, eas. eas
from an increased trade, or from the exoF0.u' 1ls
demand of canal proprietors. BY the locomO!ns ars
engine, fifty tons Of goods may be eonrsysa Wv w.
Ten horse Pomer engine, on evel road, at the ~.
Of sic miles an hour. and lighter weights at Az Il,
Portlcnate increase of speed. Carriages lot u,
conveyance of passengers, at the rate OF ~ =
miles per hour. For canals it is necessary tOn.'.
dead level, but not so for Rail Roads an eng',t
will work goods over an elevation of one eghn'",
an inch to the yard. " here the ascent or ht'''S
IS rapid, and cannot be counteracted BY crttlrs''