Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1833-08-27

ings OF this meeting OF the papers in the city Of
Richmond and the town Of Lynchburg and that the other
Editors upon the line OF the Improvement DO aud they
hereby respectfully invited to copy them into their
tive papers. RICHARD S. ELLIS, Chairman.
EDWARD A. CABELL, Secretary
" Before the previous resolutions offered, II was
insisted that The subscription should be opened aud pro-
ceeded with much animation 10 furnish the strong
est indications OF successful issue 1877 shares
ken on this, the first day OF the court F.. A. c.
RAILROADS..
You will not be surprised at receiving commune tion
the subject OF Mr. John Hartmans plan Tor wooden
ways, developed by himself in letter you, and
published in the Enquirer The strong parality OF the
pubc mind Tor rail. roads all other modes
communication, will justly full examination OF the
rus oil every improvement proposed; and, though
able to do justice the subject nor willing to involve
myself IN much discussion, yet will risk failure in the
former, aud disappointment, in the latter, with hope OF
elicitlng from gentlemen such facts and arguments shall
be satisfactory TO the public. We live in an age for the
projection OF railroads; but how many we shall com
piete, depends upon our and perseverance,
Mr. Hartman says OF the plan Suggested by myself"
"As lar as have been able 10 obtain any practical or
theoretical opinion OF il, with truth saw that have
found but one or two Individuals who doubted It's
entire adaptation TO the purpose for hch it is more par
tcularly intended for collateral roads" He further saws
With regard TO the last of the tbers know from,
experience, that the rails will not out and that they
must last as long in aoaL-which Tor good timber
estimated AT from 10 to 20 yearssay 10 TO is for this,
and II will he the cheapest aud best road made
take ii Tor granted that Mr.. Hartman maintains,
lSt hat the plan Is new one invented by himself
I'll That the timbers will out and that they
viii last as long as in rails covered with iion.
81. That IT Is entirely and particularly adapted cola.
tersl roads
4h. That road made this plan will be the cheapes,
and best made.
! Farsi, then, as 10 the inrenti0n.
MIR God, in his Treatise upon Rail- roads quotes from
Mr. Gray's A" Chorography," or survey of Newcastle.
upon-lyne published in l649. the following: any
Thousand people employed in this trade Goals ma
ny live by ying them in Wagons anil wain to the
ver Iyne &c. And 80 interesting was this business to
The community, that Mr.. Cray says, Some South gen
ten hath upon great iosse of benefit, come into hi
country To hazard their monies in c0ae pits Beau
mont gentleman OF great ingenuity and rare parts adj
venured into mines with EDO 600 who brought with
him many engines known then in those pats as
te art 10 o0ore WITH iron rods TO try the decpness
thickness oil the cOdtes engines to draw alter out
OF The pits; Wagons with horse carry down
eoafes from the pits, TO the stayhes the river Sci with
in few years he consumed all his money rode home
upon his light horse"-N Wood thinks Ills to he the
introduction OF rail ways at New Castle They are thu.
described in 1916, in the lie OF Lord Keeper North to
wh' he manner oil the carriage is by laying rails OF
TIMBER from the colery 10 the river, exactly straight and
parael and bulky made with four roller. fitting
those rails whereby the carriage so easy tina, one
WIZ draw down four or five chaldons of Goals, and
is an Immense benefit TO the coal merchants" 1t is
stated in the 9th volume of the supplement- TO the
encyclopedia BRITANNICA that at Newcastle upon. T yne
WOODEN ran ways were very generally introduced and
Continued Tor long peod in use, in this part OF the
I hhg"om' The wagons of
usual construction. but OF larger SIZE so as to contain
several tons OF COAL and set upon low wheels the SMOOTH
ness OF the way rendering wheels of the ordinary size
unnecessary" In Jaa's Voyages of
l765, the Newcastle roads are thus described: When
the ROAD has been traced six in breadth and where
the decvies are fixed, and excavation is made Of the
breadth OF The said road less deep, according
the dwelling OF the ground requires there are aerw
arranged along the whole breadth of the pec
es oil OAK wood oil the thickness of four 6ve six
egh ihches square These placed across at the
s"H"" oil two or three feet from each o,her these pie
nteu o;y u ruared at their cxtreiIes and upon
'hese are hxed other ie-s OF wood well SQUARED and
sawed, OF about six l. hes breadth Inv 6ve in
depth with pegs OF wood these pieces 20 naced
side of the road along whole length; tirev
| froin ZACH
ioIms the interior breadth OF the road"
mere no very material difference in the plans spoken
oil by Mr. Hartman and Mr. Jaa, except that Mr. H. di
reefs The rails TO be made Of climber from 10 10 20 inches
diameter sawed through the CENTRE with the edges
oil; 3" upon the outer edge OF each OF which spike on
seah"Ihg OF inches square as guides for the wheels
orupon each edge OF the rails forming groove for the
wheels to run ia" Mr. H. proposes double track
The plan OF guiding the v heels the rails at Newcas
Tie not mentioned in any accessible TO me; nor
is thing said OF double tracks but it is obvious TO
ry one, that in forming plan keep the wheels ON The
rails, the FIRST lea TO the mechanical mind would dictate
the putting OF guides each side OF the rails so as 10
form track or groove for each Wheel and perhaps the
next would be, TO put Lodges on, form grooves in
me wheel; ana iiSy TO put one ledge the inner edge
OF each wieelthe plan generally in use The plan
oil putting scaniiings on the sides edges OF rails
50 dS 10 FORM grooves, Is adopted Tor the purpose
ung all Kinds OF wheels upon the road adds greatly
to The expense Of construction and repairs
/ IL would be hard TO convince any ingenious mechanic
that iron railway could have been ,lougbt Of amI
made before wooden one; and yet, il is not very diff
cur 10 discover The great superiority of the former over
] 4
6een seen Wooden railways were perhaps brought to
their highest state OF perfection Lefore iron was used
Mr. Wooh says, we find eight bos of coal (cuual TO IL
cwt.) was The regular load for horse with cart or
WAN upon The common roads, while upon the rails roads
(made oil woody the general load one horse was nine
teen bos, or about ~ cwt" After the invention of
iron railways, it is said in the encyclopaedia B,ia
h'cd that " this construction havigg been once fairly
reduced TO Practice was not only adopted niversally in
pace oil wood, but led new and more extensive
applications. Iron railways were quickly introduced in
10 all The coal aud mining districts of the Kingdom" So
valuable was This improvement that several pc rsons claim
ca Tie merit oil the invention. Indeed il has recently led
improper make few quotations that subject Mr.
iron works OF Coebrook dale, remarks that II appears
from the books of this extensive and long established
pany that between five and six tons OF rails
the 18th OF November, 1861 experiment the sug-
gesion of Mr.. Reynolds Of the partners" Mr. Cur
IN his Coal Viewer and Engine Builder" published in
1897, says, The making and OF iron rail roads
The first OF my Inventions and introduced at the Shelf
field Coliery about twenty years ago" An snoUy
writer noticed by several works of merit as well as
by Mr. Wood says, that in 1888 cast iron rails were first
substituted for wooden ones but he admits they did
succeed in the first attempt AS this author is
relied on there seems now TO be but little doubt that Mr.
Reynolds FIRST suggested the of iron in 1767.
ETg0-It is not possible that Mr.. Hartman oan be the
inventor OF wooden rail ways II any thing in the form
OF ms rails appears new perhaps it is because
wei informed OF all the plans actually tested when wood
only used.
/ 81. That The timber ,cW not tUedr out, &c.
will no, acge that the substitution of iron for
wooden rails $50 long ago that use of the latter al
ror substantially and economy in the former But NAV
so