Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1845-10-16
Atmospheric Railway.

on which the Atmospheric principle OF
loo emotion is applied, on IA more eXtcn-
s've scale than in any previous expert
nent.
| CRoYDON ATMosPHERic. Two years
have nearly elapsed since the principle
ni atmospheric propulsion was developed
IN It's daily practical application on The
Oakley section Of the Dublin aud Kings
ton Railway, OF two miles and three
quarters, aud upon which, since 1914,
upwards OF forty tialns per day have
been constantly running, carrying, upon
an average, $40, 900 persons annually,
without the occurrence Of AN accident.
The success, or rather solution, of the
me chanlcal problem Of the possibility,
by means ol stationary traction, and mul-
tplied columns Of air, 10 convey by
wheel and vapor, merchandise and men,
with safety and despatch, equal 10 that
of locomotive system, encouraged the
inventors to Try the principle on more
comprehensive scale, aud according ly an
experimrn nj al line ,ol 10 niles in length,
has been la,d down on the London and
Croyd don line, and yesterday, the work
having been consolidated, and the ap-
paraius pronounced to be IN periec, or
der, the first public experiment took
place Of its working elements and pow
ers. To clear comprehension OF the
experiments, it is necessary to state iha,
alcng the length of the line is laid down
between the rails a tube OF iron, having
n groove in its upper surface, into
which piston, eighteen inches in diane
ter, is sunk, connected with the leading
carriage OF The train. Three stationary
engines, each oftwo iliy-horse power,
at nearly equal distances, the centre n,
Norwood, and the remaining two ut Ell
lhcr extreme, exhaust the air from before
the train, a valve behind giving It ndnIs
sion, atmospheric pressure upon the pis-
ton drives The carriages on in exactly the
same proportion with the vacuum formed
before them. To prevent any loss by
leakage, n leathorn flap, protected b,
plates of iron, covers the groove. "A
wheel going before the piston raises The
flap, while another wheel, following,
closes it, aud a preparation Of beeswax
and tallow Theoretically seals it. The
ruling gradient is III 600, excepting al
crossing OF the Brighton line, where the
Jisadv antages arising from crossing on
the level are avoided by leading the al
ospheric line by viaduct, at an in
cline of IN so, over the Brighton and
Dnver lines.
AT half past O'Clock the first expert
mental train started from the Croydon
station, containing about forty passen-
gers, amongst whom were Sir Ephraim
Siaihous, Governor of Addiscoinbe
Major Fitzgerald (; Professors Cape and
Johnstone, OF Addisconlbc MIR. W. a.
W ,lkinson, chairman of The Croydon
Company Mr.. DE Castro, director oi
the Portsmouth Atmospheric Mr.. }.
Woods, G.. f.; MIR. Charles Hutton
Gregory, c. f., resident engineer Mr..
Cooke, patentee Of the electro telegraph;
and several other scientific gentlemen.
The experiments we're conducted un-
der the supcrIntendenceo Of Mr.. Samuda,
the patcntee, and his assistants, and at
hall-past two an order being given for
the stationary engines to exhaust the
tube, the train stated AT n gentle pace
towards the Dartmouth Arms, stopping
at the interme date stations. Owing to
some misunderstanding or defect in the
arrangements the speed was extremely
slow, and nearly bali an hour was oc-
cupied in accomplishing the distance
between the iermini. The return trip,
however, completely established the
power and prac,cabI'ty OF the system.
The train, consisting Of six carriages,
giving a total weight of twenty five sons,
slaited-ihe equilibrium valve having
been turned of-at a working vacuum
of twenty -one, and accomplished the dis.
tance between the Dartmouth Arms and
Croydon, as timed by the chronometer,
in 6 minutes and 40 seconds, or at the
rate OF 65 mules an hour. La ASCENDING
the viaduct, there was no perceptible
dimnution Of sperd. The highest at
IainabIe working vacuum power hither-
to attained is 81 inches, sufficient TO cre-
ate n velocity Of 10 miles an hour, II.
rate Of speed which, with light propor-
,ionaI weights, has been accomplished
The leakage WINS about half horse
power per milo, and the friction almost
nappreciable results OF great impor-
tance To the successful developement of
the system, and points upon which the
opponents of the system have chiefly
calculated in predicting that the princi-
pie IN lis practical application and work
my cost would prove a failure. The
experiments Of yesterday were not we
understand so much with the view OF
asceitainIng he highest altainable We
loc'i,es, as tor the purpose OF testing the
tractcahilI'y ofihe system,a and Of drilling
the staff oi men on whom wilt hereafter
devolve the working and management OF
The trains. The following is a copy of
Mr. Samuda's official report on these
experiments -
81. We obtained a vacuum OF 81 10
inches in miles of pipe, working only
one engine over the two sections to oh
tain it /; no, only once, hut every time
with ease. q When the engine is
stopped, the vacuum allowed 10 be
destroyed by leakage, It takes two hours
10 reduce the barometer To zero (thOuuh