Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1851-02-13

day last at Richmond, of the invention to overcome
high grades on Railroads. 1t seems to have prov
ed completely successful and if it can be brought
into ordinary use, will be of immense value
James s. French's Experimental RGat'cay-
Last winter the Legislature appropriated $4,000,
to test the invention of Mr.. French for ascending
high grades ON railroads. Mr.. F. has expended
large sum in arranging locomotive and car for the
purpose, and for laying down railway on the OPP
posite side of the river mile above Richmond
It starts from the Danville Railroad near the Spring
Hill Factory, in valley just above the Haunted
House" and runs up hills and over streams IN dl-
rectiom perpendicular to the river. The expert
ments with the railway were very interesting;
though, on account of some accident to the steam
boxes of the locomotive, they were not as full as
desirable.
For the ascending and descending OF undulatmg
surfaces it seems clear to that no better method
can possibly be found combining, as it does, many
requisite qualifications viz: despatch, in the con-
structon of roads, greater cheapness and certainty
of travelling; as by this method the road is neither
affected by Frost ice, or even grease itself Qor the
IaJteE Has Uecn OH runway 1ilC ioou 40
constructed. by Mr.. French is more than third of
a mile in length, on grade of200 feet to the mile.
The ends of the sills are cut off square with the
string pieces; the rail, six inches wide and three
fourths of an inch thick, is placed upon the string
pieces, and extends outwards two and half inches,
thus affording an under-surface, against which
pair of rollers (he simple principle of the whole in
vention) are pressed. These rollers or wheels are
suspended from the engine little in advance of
khe driving wheels, and are pressed against the ex-
tended rail by lever, by the regulation of which
any amount of adhesion may be obtained. This
mechanical adhesion has the advantage of being
graduated to circumstances, for on running on
level but little adhesion is required, and reach
ing any inclined surface it is put on in quantity
requisite for ascending and no more Thus are a
voided the effects of weight in great measure;
whereas, on the ordinary principle, much dead
weight is put on, only to be made use of at GER
tain points, and destroying the road on every pas
sage over it
The engine used for the experiment is only 81
tons, and was built by Messrs. Hogg and Detama-
tar, of New York, under the superintendance of
CAPTAIN John Erickson, gentleman we'll known
for his great mechanical talents. Up this grade of
200 feet, this little engine drew passenger car
filled with about 100 passengers, at velocity of
perhaps ten miles an hour. On descending, both
engine and car were perfectly under control, capa-
bic of being stopped at any moment in space of
ten feet, and this descending by steam power and
the force of gravity combind. The experiments
have clearly indicated the practical use to which
this invention can be applied.
Among the two hundred persons present on Sa-
turday, there seemed to be general qualification
with the experiment One of the great objects to
be gained by this invention is that the same pow
er may be obtained by lighter engine and cars,
and consequently less wearing out and injury to the
rails. We hear that the highest grade ever sur
mounted by locomotive is one hundred and eighty
feet in mile, in Pennsylvania. But there it re-
qured locomotive of twenty tons-while, with
French's invention, locomotive of only 81 tons,
(the Climber overcame grade of two hundred
feet in mile. When the experiment shall have
been fully tested, and heavy weight shall have
been drawn up and down, and great power shall
have been obtained by lighter engines it will be for
the State to order the adaptation of the invention
to some portions of the various roads now being
built, to which it is applicable We know not
what may be the effect, in time, of the heavy frc-
ton cf the two small rollers revolving 1900 times,
while the driving wheels revolve 80 times.
We are not engineers enough to venture pre-
dction.as to the permanent usefulness of the in
vention. AS far as it went it succeeded perfectly
on Saturday, and we heard several mountaineers
declare that if the invention could succeed in over
coming the grade of the present experiment, it
would be sufficient for railroads through their
mountain passes. In this age of invention, we
should not be surprised to see this application
improved that, in less than year, it will be made
use of in surmounting the Blue Ridge, superseding
the very expensive and snai-like tunnels through
the mountains.