Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Mass.) 1828-1830, 1829-12-01


interest, an account copied from an English
publication into the Boston Daily Adver-
tiser, in relation to the late experiments with
locomotive engines on the Liverpool and
Manchester railroad. They prove beyond
controversy, beyond the expectation Of the
most ardent and saDguine, that the railroad
is well adapted to cheap and rapid travel
ling.
The railroad between the two cities is
not yet completed, but considerable por-
ton of it is finished, and the Directors are
busily at work upon the remaining part.
They offered premium of .fue hundred
pounds, "for the locomotive engine which
should draw on the railroad a given weight,
with the greatest speed, and at the least ex
pense."
The following from the Daily Advertiser,
is an account of the preliminary trials, be-
fore the engines we're entered for the con-
test. Mr.. Wood, the author of the Treatise
on Railways, Mr.. Rastriche, civil engi-
neer, and Mr.. Kennedy, were the judges.
A portion of the railway which is laid on
perfect level, at distance Of nine miles
from Liverpool, was selected for the run
ming ground, crowds of people were assem-
bled to witness the competition, and many
persons, chiefly engineers and. men of sci
ence, capable Of approaching the Importance
of the improvement, came hundreds of miles
for no other purpose than that of-being spec
tators. The following is an abridged state
ment of some of the experiments, which
were continued for several successive days.
The first trial was made by the Rocket,
of Mr.. Robert Stephenson, son of Mr..
George Stephenson, the engineer of the
Liverpool and Manchester, railway. 1t was
a large and strongly built engine, weighing
A tons cwt. and it drew after it load Of
three times its weight, or IL tons 9 cwt.
With this weight it travelled at the rate of
ten miles four chains in an hour, and with
out the weight, eighteen miles an hour. 1t
did not move with an equable motion, and
it but partially consumed its own smoke.
The next engine exhibited was the Nov
city, of Messrs. Braithwaite and Erickson,
of little more than half the weight of the
Rocket. Its compactness and beautiful
workmanship excited universal admiration,
which sentiment, the narrator remarks, was
" speedily changed into perfect wonder, by
its truly marvellous performances" 1t was
resolved first to try its speed only. 1t was
put in motion, carrying only its
of coke and water, with Messrs.
Braithwaite and Erickson to manage it.
Almost at once, it darted off at the amazing
velocity of twenty eight miles an hour, and
1t actually did one male IN the incredible short
space Of one minute and tffty-three seconds
Neither did we observe any appreciable fall
ing off in the rate of speed. II ,cas uniform,
steady, and continuous. Had the railway
been completed the engine would at this
rate have gone nearly the whole way from
Liverpool to Manchester within the hour
and Mr.. Braithwaite has indeed publicly Of
tered to stake thousand pounds, that as
soon as the road is opened he will perform
the whole distance 80 miles in that time.
The same engine was then tried with
load equal to three times it's weight, viz IL
tons cwt. 1t drew this with ease at the
rate of 20 "a miles an hour. GIVE took
particular notice" says the narrator, 6 of its
power of consuming its own smoke, and did
not at any time observe the emission of the
smallest particle from the chimney"
The Mechanics Magazine, speaking of
the same experiment says, "we can say for
ourselves that we never enjoyed any thing
in the way of travelling more. We flew
along at the rate of mile and a half in
three minutes; and though the velocity was
such that we could hardly distinguish OBJ
jects as we passed by them, the motion ,Oas
so steady and equable, that zoe could manage
not only to read but aOrite."
The editor of the London Mechanics
Magazine, in speaking of this, says, that
Z" living IN the country will be no longer a
term synonymous with every sort of incon-
venience, and it will come to be a mere mat
ter of choice, whether man of business
lives close by his counting house, or thirty
miles from it.'
Son the third day." says the account,
the Rocket of Mr.. Stephenson was exhibit
ed, and it was understood that this trial
should be considered decisive of its merits.
"The engine with its compliment of water
in the boiler weighed A tons 5 cwt. and the
load attached to it was IL tons Is cwt., or
including few persons who rode, 10 TONS
The journey was 12 mile each way, with
an additional length of 220 yards at each
end to stop the engine in. making in one
journey~3 l-2 miles. The first experiment
was for IS miles, which is exactly 10 jour-
neys, and including all the stoppages at the
ends was performed in hours and 10 min
utes, being upwards of IL miles an hour.
A fresh supply of water was then taken in,
which operation occupied l6 minutes. The
engine again started, and ran IS miles in
two hours and So minutes, which is more
than IL miles an hour, including all stoppa-
ges. The speed of the engine with its load
when in full motion, was at different times
IL, ID l-2, IA, and 16 miles an hour, and had
the whole distance been in one continued
direction, there is little doubt but the result
would have been Is miles an hour. The
consumption of coke was on an average
about half ton in the 20 miles,"
Oct. 10, the Novelty was weighed and its