The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-03-26

paper ONCE in London Is al No 10
Gresham street, and In Liverpool Columbia buildings
This is connected country the we'll known
mouse OF Adams Co., entitled
dence Of our friends abroad.
Improvement Ia Railroads.
Some OF readers may, perchance remember that
nearly two years ago mentioned an important inven
ton made by Mr. James s French, citizen Of Virginia
with regard to railways and railway engines, by means
OF which the weight Of engines and wear and tear could
be greatly economical while higher grades could be sur
mounted than engineers had hitherto deemed possible,
thus saving great expense in excavations de,ours &C.
Oar article was extensively noticed the time, and was
severely crticsedn quarters ridcued as vision
airy and absurd We could moi then Justify ourselves
because patent had been taken GU, by the inventor,
and we Were not Of course. at liberty to give such de.
tailed statement OF the invention would have justified
the opinions advanced. No alternative was left 10
u.s. We had to submit, without reply, to contemptuous
Jeerings with what patience we could command The
only consolation we had was the knowledge that Mr.
French using his utmost exer,ons test his theory
by practical application, and awaited the result with
patience
Yesterday received from Richmond. Virginia, the
following report from a special committee raised BY the
Virginia Legislature to witness tue operation of Mr.
Ffencs engine and report the house on the prac,i
cablily of his invention The State of Virginia is largely
interested stakeholder in most, il not all of the
railroads in the State, and most if not all of those not
yet completed. We presume therefore, that this commit.
tee appointed in order to the feasibility of Mr.
Frenchs plan. with view to apply it, far as practica-
ble railroads already completed, and TO adopt il on
those not yet completed.
We give below the entire report, which is entitled
/" Document No. 65: Report of the Committee appointed
to examine Frenehs Experimental Raasay"
REPORT.
The comm who directed by the house to exam
inc the experimental railway constructed by Jane. s
French esq authorized by the last egsature beg leave
That said road is on the Manchester side of
the river, i.w hun tyads above the Petersburg road,
about DO ieetn Ixih and, with the pton of 100
feet the s~er olty rises the the dis.
lance about s0 fe the mie the incline being nowhere
less than loot % The road differs but lre IRON the
common railway sth wooden supetstructure. Ths same
sized TIMBER, used and the string Piecc' in place Of
being secured by wedges as is usual, noched
stills and secured by bolts the ends OF the sis cut
OH flush with the sie-pers, and the on which fla, bar
inches wde thick Is placed the edge
striog piece, projecting over u inches The road has
very him and ,9'ia 'Ppsaance and the IRON has been IN
being cut on flush with the secpers and the project
ing "a inches, there is thus formed free and open
the depth of the stills and string for wheels
TO play, revolving up against the rails
the cranks are liked on the ends of the axle.
and between the cranks and the inner surface oil the
wheels, suspended from the axle the friction wheels,
which revove under the rails These friction Wheels by
OF compound lever, the long Of which by
and the o. being s ns s
driving ~hsels pressed down upon the rails and made
produce any requisite degree OF adhesion la this
the CHIEF features of the invention.
The friction wheels when not IN by theif
gravity position about one inch below The rails and pas.
freely Glong without rubbing touching either iron
the road When brought up against the RAILS they pauske
Of The revolving mouon OF lhe driving wheels above aud
oil ms Ives 10
thickness the iron la addition this, by of
small steam cylinder they are made 10 pass at pleasure
from under the rails and assume position some inches
above them, the engine differing then In no way IRON the
common locomotive.
objections which may be made crossing roads,
running on turnout and admits OF their application on
roads by merely relsying the rords heavy in
clnes where additional adhesion be required The
mechanical arrangement IS extremely simple and works,
as a Judge, remarkably well,
The machinery on The road consists OF engine and
passenger ca, capable OF seating sixty passenger The
about 81 ons its driving whe.s ~ inches In diameter
cylinders inches with l6-inch The COMMITTEES
examined the working OF the engine AID have been
repeatedly drawn The road aud hs witnessed
permsnts enough TO convince them st by means OF Mr.
french'- invenuon lar greater adhesion Is readily
duced than due To The weight OF the engine and That the
apparatus entirely manageable snd convenient In So.
pctty ease Of application, and effectiveness, this nvrn
doubt exces all the Ingenious contvsuces hhe 10
proposed Tor attaining similar ends, On road on Nj
FreDohs plan, locomotive engine readily, and
the railway TO take ADVANTAGE OF his principle o.
adhesion would have TO be changed only on the noues
portunes results by careful expert
They only submit 10 the house what they saw
They have the engine, when atemp 10 ascend the
grade without friction gear unable 10 do The wheels
slipping without progre.-ing and nrucd,sey the friction
gear applied the engine moved M Tue plane lhey
have repeatedly tried, the engine slipping when
the friction gear thrown OIL, and immediately
roxressng when applied and thus experiment has been
OF the plane The power oil
the engine committee have had no exact means OF as
cetainrng oil obtaining the exact value oil toe me-
adhesion, the resistance consequent upon ~
To do this would require several additional loaded care
aud series of careful experiments made when the rails Of
cred different degrees OF adhesion influenced by the
weather There have been drawn over the plane, At from
twelve to fifteen miles hour, Mt least hundred pas
sengers the engine stopping and starting readily win s
load aud the train being perfectly manageable During
our have had few persons present and
sufficient resistance 10 the u maze e
engine slip readily have applied the brake TO the car
until engine could pull with its own adhesion
We ha We applied tbs friction gear and readily ascend
moved and progressing the moment IL was applied To
some oil the resistance occasontd by tbo
brake alter ascending the plane we marked the point
where 1t applied then d,ssnsAxed ~ ana a'so ho c.
ton rollers and suffered the train 10 run down by IT'S own
gravity After had cbta med the velocity do. TO descend
ing one hundred yards more on the pnne, we sppea
brake point where stood on gong up ana
readily stopped the Ialn In going up the P'abs wy ~
tanned velocity IL mites per hour, sheh we
doubt could have been considerably Increased
At the examined the iflcton
rollers; they we're well 'up he'd With on, ana nov =. W.
heated could perceive The Iesissncs occssoneo
10y the brake t this Instance was equal 10 Mt least TWO
loaded us exact quantity We know not bow 10 c'"-
THAT by tbi. simple coo,rivapce much adhesion as
4. can be INSTANTLY obianed think obvious
and follows, therefore, that this experimental engine al
ways ny its steam capacity and not 10 Us weight
rs with locomotive engine, and always bas
an adhesion affected the rails may be by
rosts or snow The adhesion which Ia now produced by
handeyef the inven'os popo'es In Practice to do by