The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-02-28

|
| DIR. LARDNER
| An essay written with singular spirit and ability
| and showing thorough knowledge Of all the details
and bearings of this question: appeared in the Civil
Engineer and Architects Journal published in Lon
don on the first of January last and received here by
by the Britannia. 1t is evidently the production of
writer not only well versed in practical science, but
| of the highest literary pretensions.
| After some general reflections the influence of
practical and philosophical minds the progress of
| national enterprise, the writer notices the steam
| mania which prevailed IN England a few years ago,
| and the clamor and confusion produced by any at
tempt to moderate its rage. g So much of palpable
abslrdity,n he observes, ''was mixed up in the doe
trines currently attributed TO the most distinguished
of the dsputants, referrng TO Dr. Lardner to de-
stroy the minds OF men not affected with the steam
rabies all confidence in the genuneness of the imputed
declarations. Men of penetration, indeed regarded
the representations that suggestions pregnant with
absllrdity, were the sentiments ayowed by eminent
nquirers as sort Of de guerre intended to shake
the reputation of those whose arguments were unsus-
| ceptibe of refutation."
The writer then proceeds to show what really
the opinions expressed on the subject of Atlantic
Steam Navigation by DIR. Lardner, previous to its es-
| Enlistment. This he accompshes by reference To
the published reports of Dr. Lardners speeches and
lectures and by articles written by him on that sub
! ject in the Edlnburg Review and other leading Eng
| lish periodicals. BY such documents he demon
strates- First: That Dr. Lardner did not express
any opinion of the impossbiity of crossing the At
lantlc by steam Secondly; That DR.. Lardner did
| express that project for maintaining permanent
| steam communication between Bristol and New York
in unbroke trip, could not be continued perma
nenlly throughout the year with sufficient commercial
| advantage to induce projectors to continue such
enterprise in the then existing state Of steam power
| and that If established, il would probably be aban-
doned after an unsuccessful trial which might con-
tnue for greater less time according to the endu
rance of the losinS shareholders. Thirdly; That
DR.. Lardner did ex press an opinion favorable to the
! establishment OF line of steam communication be-
tween the British Islands and the United States, if
Halifax were taken an intermediate station.
Having clearly abllshed these points, the writer
proceeds briefly, but with great force, TO show that
/ even to circumstances of the most minute detail,
| he predictions and anticpaiions OF DIR. Lardner
have been fulfilled to the letter-fullilled indeed
i with degree Of completeness and precision Of
which scarcely another example can be found IN the
| history OF the application OF science to the arts.
g The present condition of the enterprise says the
writer, " Tor maintaining an unbroken steam commu-
nication with America, may perhaps best be shown
by enumeration of the several vessels which have
been employed upon that line, and the mode Of their
respective dispositions.
Sirius. Withdrawn.
| Royal William. Withdrawn.
Great Liverpool Transferred to steam communica-
United States. ton with India
| British Queen. :. Sod.
President. lost
] Great Western. Offered for sale.
Il
| ped.
Such are the results of the project which Doctor
Iardner predicted would probably be unsuccessful
| The Halifax line, which was established in accord
ance with DR.. Lardner's advice and opinions in all
respects except starting from Liverpool instead Of the
West Coast of Ireland as advised by him, has alone
been successful The shares in the Great Western
! have fallen to discount OF fifty per cent.
The writer, however, further notices the curious
accuracy with which the philosophical deductions Of
La.ra Il 10
In 1897, DR.. l.. addressed to Lord Melbourne let
ter, which was published in the form of pamphlet
and had wide circulation in England in which he
/ urged upon the British Government the expedency
of establishing line Of steam communication with
India BY the Red Sea- and that project being then
unpopular and the Government being supposed ia
be adverse to ii, DIR. Lardner emphaticay declared
his opinion to Lord Melbourne i'll these words -
I" There is no proposition, however seli-evdent
4 which carries to my mind more clear conviction
than have that this measure If efficiently carried
into operation, will more than return its own ex-
4 penses"
"Here,' says the writer in the British periodical
{" is an opinion Numerically opposed to that deli
yered respecting Atlantic yoyagng. Let inquire
how far this conclusion is borne out by experience
The Great Liverpool having, in single season
earned loss of $4,000 upon the New York line, i,
was determined to withdraw her, and with another
vessel (the United States) built for Atlantic voy-
aging, to open communication with India by the
Red Sea. The propretors of the British Queen
after loss of about 900 in the Atlantic steam
transit, became competitors with the Great Liver
pool and Oriental Omitted States) for the Aexan-
drian line, plainly showing that both of those com
panies, after vast expenditure of money, had ar.
rived at the very conclusion DR.. Lardner held three
or four years before. recent meeting of the pro
prietary of the Pennsular and Oriental Steam Nav
cation Company enables TO state that Orenta
steam yoyagng has been highly successful, and this
result has been attained with the same vessel:
which, under the same management, incapa
BILE of realizing any thing but loss Oh the New lorl
line. Can coincidence such as this between pre-
dction and realty be merely iortuitous;
Has Atlantic steam navigation been successful
Has the establishment of the several lines of steam
communication between Great Britain and New
, York been productive of a permanently profitable
, issue We leave the verdict to our readers, our
part being merely TO furnish such remarks and data
as may conduce to the attainment of a Just concl
sion. Had we set out with different resolution,
might perhaps have given it opinion that the
{ Atlantic scheme has proved signal iallure-that DR.
Lardners views have been confirmed with singular
, eXactness-that
, g Earth has its bubbles as the water hath,
And this is of them"
i One consumllat on there is deyouy to be wished
namely, that DIR. Lardner will soon return to this
country, To resume the wand which, like Prosperos
none but It's master can WELD We can see no other
antidoe against that than Egyptian plaques the
swarms of vermin with which the track of practical
philosophy is now overrun We are deatl-sick of the
reign OF minute philosophers. If the choice rested
with US would say, give us back our wolves again
restore the dominion of barbarism-cutse us with
any thing except the cant Of philosophical imposture
the disgusting ego,ism of dlotic nlounlebanks. Dr.
Lardners return to England would be the deah-war
OF all such quacks, which is of itself sufficient
reason to inspire the ardent desire that his return will
not be much longer delayed
From The Clinton County ON. ~ Uhig,
THE >nNII>TS,rp ,uInN u,pu,v