Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-06-18
CANALS AND RAILROADS.

A friend handed me, a DAY or TWO since, ue
paterson New Jersey lntelligencer," dated
7th April, and called my attention to a long ar
ticie signed by John L. Sullivan, civil engineer
wherein | am made to appear the enemy OF the
public improvements now going Oh In our country.
1t would be a poor compliment to human nature
for me to change at this time Of day, after TWEEN
ty years personal devotion to works of a public
nature, and twice jeopardizing my whole estate
IN promoting those improvements, ana now take
a contrary course.
We began our Rail Road early In January, Is
o., and finished it in May following. Up to
this time we transported on IT more than one hun
dred thousand tons. Its entire length, from the
river to the mines, is nine miles, single tracks
its branches at the ends and sidelings A miles
more. The elevation of the road from the head
of the Chute to the summit, Is 767 feet IN a dis
lance of s miles, being an average OF 90 feet to
the mile. We have not had a weeks Interrupt
ton from casualty since it was finished, so that it
NAV be called n practical road from its compile
ton. The first two months use of the road, our
wagons moved Is 4 90 miles an hour,a the men
who had charge of their descent were anxious
to get thrO' the route as soon as possible, to avoid
the fatigue Of holding them in check by the breaks.
We soon perceived our utter inability to keep
the wagons repaired without reducing the speed,
or be subject to costs in repairs greater than the
gains made over the turnpike we mad abandoned,
besides the tremulous motion occasioned BY the
wagons going at those rapid rates ground the
corners Of the coal into powder, which enyeloped
the driver in 4 continual cloud of dust.
Our Rail Road was new when we travelled at
tue high speed, and although not so perfect as it
mishtha been made. | presume it was as even
lv made as those which are made more perfect in
other respects, n the first instance, would be,
afe6r one years wear and tear from loo. 900 tons
per wear goiag on them, at the motion OF L. a %
miles an hour. Thirty years ago, the Rail Roads
IN England, and until very lately, had their fan
res on the track Of the road, or most OF them In
that way: and as 4 consequence, was always liza
ble to be covered with dust, dirt, &C.; ours is of
the modern construction, and we have adapted 1t
to ride the horses down, so that they perform two
ordinary DAYS work in each day. The only diff
ference between our road and the most modern
one in England, is, that their work is put togeth-
or more evenly and stronger, to carry their loco
motive engines, which weigh two or more times
aS much as passes on our road. Our road Is grad
ed SO as to have such a continued descent from
the summit down, as for the wagons to descend
ON all parts of it by gravity. When they began
to pursue this mode in England know not; ours
was the first of the kind we had any intelligence
of, and the English have not improved on it.
| am too good a republican to fear responsible
" when l see my way clear. l should suppose
the men of science in England, would be govern
ell in their knowledge of facts, the same as in
other places. 1t is but 4 thing of yesterday, they
had anv knowledge of wagons going at the rate
of 90 a so miles an hour, and they have no expe-
renee to test the consequences-to get these mo-
tons have caused them unusual efforts. The case
was different with us; we lad difficulty to go
slow; aud We thought We had exploded the eco
nomy of 4 rapid motion before the English began
theirs. believe that if Rail Road was made
perfectly even, aud could be kept so, that the
wear and tear would be very different from what
is the every days experience. am so unaccus-
toned 10 see perfect articles, that | sometimes
doubt Of their being such, and hardly 10 be ex-
pected on the track of long roads, exposed to all
kinds of weather and casualties. / have never
noticed a long bar of wrought or cast iron of an
even degree of hardness, the whole length on all
its sides.
had an interest in a wire Factory, al the Falls
Of Schuylkill. which made half a ton of wire per
day-we cut the bars into 5 to 8 pound pieces
(and our iron was the best we could select and
il was a very rare thing to find the bars SO evenly
tempered as to bear reducing this sm&d quantity
without their breaking, and generally in several
places.
With the utmost skill and experience of our
mechanics. we do not find them to bore a steam
engine cylinder perfect; the pistons all require,
packing, to prevent the escape OF steam. L
never noticed a wheel cast perfectly true: we
cast ours in turned chills, but they do not come
out perfectly correct; and If they were cast or
turned true, it is as difficult to wedge them on
p~erfectly correct. 50 difficult is the attainment of
perfection on this side the grave. With these
difficulties before us, | will take it for granted.
the wheel of the cars is 1-16th of an inch out of
truth, and that they are three feet in diameter:
to 90 thirty miles an hour, would require them
to r~evolve 27s times per minute, and the wag-
on and load weighing four tons, Is one ton to each
wheel, each wheel of the car strikes the road
with a weight of one ton s7s times a minute,
faster presume, than any mum can count; besides
this evil. the materials which compose the heavi-
est item of expense are ola perishable nature.
whether used or not, and wear and tear proper
toned To use. These are some of the reasons
why I believe a road will not be made perfect;
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