Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1831-05-28
ALEXANDRIA, ID. C,
SATURDAY MORNING, NAY 2s. la;,
RAIL ROADS AND CANALs-No II


some practical facts connected with the ,uh;ss,
of internal improvements, which NAV serve ' :.
enlghten and instruct. Our friends in R,l, "
more have been extravasantly excited in cons.
auence Of the Annual Report of the Lvsrnss,
and Manchester Rail Road. We find in p II.
Mauch Chunk Courier all article, evidently wr.
ten BY practical and experienced man. on HI.
very subject. We invite attention to its reason
Ing:
From the Mauch Chunk Courier.
"The Directors state that 81 this Railway h..
now been in partial operation for six month, y
and proceed to show that the experience Of thps,
six months has justified the favorable sentiment,
they have from the first entertained Of its nr,,
teal advantages. Mr.. Stephenson has EXECUTED
the work with precision and effect truly VIM,
derfui. The Company are also under great Nh
legations to Mr. Booth, Tor the plan of his boiler,
which has given such additional power. In
wards Of $50, eco passengers have been booksd
at the Companv's Offices. The merchaDli,.
transported in December last upon it, was Lac
tons: ia January. S.84S do; February, 4,glSd..
and in March S. l04 do. Of Goals, only fen
thousand tons have yet been brought by The
Railway. The pressing demand made on n,
Companp for the conveynneeo Of merchandise and
passengers, has required The whole of he En-
CINE POWER, which the directors have on II.
onset been able to command.
But while the business Of the Railway in is
various departments has bre;i thus fully est.
b!ished, it must not be disguised that tthtc e,
penses of tire Company in some items have ey.
ceeded the previous estimates OF the directors
This has especially been the case in respect 10
the locomotive engines, the wear and tear d
which, owing to the rapidity Of their motion, and
to the machinery in the first instance being found
too weak IA defect which experience only could
discovery has exceeded all former calcuiGlim-
In the last month the capabiity Of the RalVu
for the transit of merchandise upon large scale
has been brought to an effectuaI test. On b.
25h of February al experiment was made uih
new and powerful engine, the SamsOD; her
load was l07 tons of merchandiZe-S0 wagons;
and the gross weight hauled was $50 tons: she
was assisted up the inclined plane by three Other
engines. and proceeded to Manchester in two
hours and IS minutes from time of starting"
1t would appear from the above that this ge,
Railway has had a complete trial, both for lisht
and heavy freight Of about six months. and thai
the directors are entirely satisfied with their 60
ginecr; that the wear and tear of their lOcomo
tive engines far exceed their calculation, AMI
that one engine (the SamsonJ has carried from
Liverpool TO Manchester lO7 tons of merchsh
die, in hours 50 minutes The greatest trans
portation of merchandise per month was at tx
rate Of 2cO tons day, on an average; and d
this add 1000 passengers, allowing IL to tOr
is $50 ions, making the total weight transports!
in merchandise and passengers, 1854 tors F'|
day, and that The yhole Of their ENGINE Povn
is employed IN this franspo, talon.
Now we Americans are half crazy in the b
lief that a locomotive engine does not get tired
like animal power, but can work "a hours dail'i
and therefore are the means by which Rail Roads
are made so vastly superior to Canals. CaIH'
Iatlng IN this way on the experiment made By
the SAMSON engine referred TO above, give: tie
following result:
One hundred and seven tons transported b
the Samson from Liverpool to Manchester. Il |
9 hours and IS minutes--say allow a stOpps
at each end of IS minutes; being about 18th
the whole time, gives trips every day and rlgi
10Y tons, is $50 tons. Whereas the best ava.
age DAVIS work of the l6 engines said to b'a
the Railway. has not exceeded 1885, tons, *
yet the Directors say they are all fully employs
ask for information respecting this discrrP'
cy. There is something here which we Pea
syvanians do not exactly understand. Wh'
Is locomotive engines fully employed at tran
portation which appears by the Directors rePS
has not been su fficient to employ half the ma'i
Of one single locomotive engine!
l confess the history Of tins work appear
me to prove that the nett practical result Of "
performance Of the engines upon it are l'a
part of their estimated and experimental Per'@c
ances-a performance much inferior to ann'
power"
We have not room this morning to con'In'e%9
publication of the articles which lie on our t''S
designed for the head under which this sPPs''
but will continue from time to time to Pe''
facts for the reflection of those who are moa %
cerned in Turning correct opinions. lotNF
pie in the Valley Of Virginia. with whom ~ sny
naturally connected, this subject must be 10"
interest.
NeWs Expected. New York paper :
Yesterdays mail announce the Napoleon, DIV"
.iav Of I Oath ADril.