Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-03-05
In SENATE, FEBRUARY L.

Mr. Foor made the following report, which was oruer-
ed to be printed, and 1000 additional copies;
The select committee 70 whom was referred the
Of James s. French asking appropriation Of
for the purpose Of testing the practical Value u
plan of railroad and locomotive engine atey az
by him. have had the same under consderaton a., ~
ter a careful examination OF the SUBJECT oeS 'ea'
nit the following report: -, d i ,be
The plan of Mr. French is certainly origlhai nv
only known to your committee IN Whs - - oroble
and the rails of the track are so arrahgeu ~ = aas
the engine TO work readily and safely lar hisuei FL
than have heretofore been attempted IN NM. ods
railway transit This is effected by very h.;t"ting
cat;on NJ the present plan, and consists IN
pressure for weight in producing the requireu ;a
The apparatus by which adhesion 70 any simne
by the engineer may be produced .. hut few hun
dred dollars readily attached TO any engine ana may e
thrown in or out Of gear instantly oy the turning
steamcock When Of gear, 1t IS lfted some 'Nei,e
- e;btaan inches above the rails and the engine IN no
way differs from the common locomotive but runs realy
BY the adhesion due to its weight over the ie'e
Of the road. -, o &c
constructing railroad small increase ~ IN;
If the rail ON heavy inclines Wnere e5n rainces |
vnu put sa, expenditure III grazing REFUGEES
the weight of the engine, and consequently 'he hoiug
expenses Of the road gives greater secr roas with
travelling and suggests the dd in weight the or
machinery 30 light Is scarcely 70 eNcee" = "N'a
binary mail stage .ororIsl "a greatly |
Surely the present system mast be regaIuel =
ofsctiya when 10 express even the President Hessase
obtained in few newspaper slips weighing oul lew
nonnds II can only be done by some thirty :" W. @
and the disproporon throuSLou' tne ~
tao batween lightweight and pay lns-i "hehe'e
light articles ranspore 80 great as
ccesnt readily for the great depreciation IN railway
tcls. This invention. by substituting pressure Tor
Sight eaualizes this dsproporon and suggests
tire change in system which has absorbed and is alb
sorbing all the floating capital of the world 1t proves
that millions Of dollars have been unnecessarily expend
ed and looking the future mutpies roads and dis
tributes their advantages at greatly reduced expendi
Of time and money.
Your committee have no doubt that this plan far
dc ha p0ps
with corresponding light machinery than any now IN use
they doubt that by it engine may be made 10
ascend any required grade These things are perfectly
apparent from the working model which has been sub
mited inspection and see nothing whatever to
justify in asserting that this invention will not accom-
psh all the inventor claims for it. The application Oh
weestabshed principle is simple IN this invention,
reason why it viii not work as well on
large scale small and, referring to the expe
rments heretofore made by the inventor on this PLAN our
confidence increased in the belief that he has perfected
regarding the interests to be affected by IT. one OF
the remarkable improvements Of the age he has
supplied what has been considered as the greatest
desderatum in railway motive power-namely suhclent
adhesion for the engine the rail- 1t this want Of
sufficient adhesion which for many years delayed the IN
PRODUCTION Of railroads into common use and led to vast
expenditure of time and money and much ingenuity IN re-
medyng this defect With the exception of ingenious
contrvance which gave the engine legs to enable i to
push train of cars all the early plans for obtaining ad
hesion consisted of wheels and rails in some
other Some few years after the building Of the
Liverpool and Manchester railway centre rail- pressed
by two horizontal wheels driven by extra cylinders, was
tried in England and found too complicated for use and
all these various contrivances have with slight modca
TONS from time TO time been brought before the Amerl-
can public In addition these many other plans have
also here been resorte1 to to obtain the same END The
tender by of lever has been made to add por
ton Of its weight that Of the engine when required
the Of the boiler has been conveyed into perpend
cular cylinders and made TO exert its entire pressure on
the drivingaxles and the ordinary driving wheels oil
the engine have inclnes been substituted for very
small wb@os running elevated rails, thus increasing
the power Of the engine by diminishing the diameter OF
the driving Magnetism has also been invoked 10
furnish the necessary adhesion with many other sugges
tons which we have not time 10 enumerate None OF
these however have answered the purpose ana the grow
ing Of the railway have only been supplied by heap
ing weight upon the engine until il has become huge
steamtug with the sandbox appendage for sprink
ling the rails; thus carrying within itself elements of de-
sruction which road however well built, losg
withstand; for while the huge engine presses the road
into The earth and Eliminates the rails the sand vhch
sprnkes away its journals and greatly adds 70 the
wear Of the road
We have examined and reviewed all thee various plars
for the purpose Of comparing them with the one now De
fore us and while they serve to strengthen our c.,
tons that the railway system never be perfected 50
long weight limits the power Of the engine tney con
firm in belief that Mr.. Frenchs plan s the mo-,
simple the effective and most readily adapted 70 n'
present system which has yet been suggested
The model which has been for some time working IN w.
c>pitol shows at glance the whole arrangement :.
consists of common wooden superstructure, with nat
bar-rail ends Of the crosstnbers are cut al uush
with the seepers and the Ba3 bar resting theseepers
the outde OF the track, forming
continuous space on each side Of the road N friction
rollers, small wheels TO reyoye up against ne project
ing edge of the rail The cranks attach TO the ends
u the driyfngaxle and between these andthe driving
wheelsls suspended from the axle each jde friction
rolrr wheel, which is made TO drop pleasure di
rety under the driving wheels Using he driving axle
= fulcrum, By means Of compound liver. these ric-
usn rollers wheels pressed up pleasure, and 70
mat exteab press down the driving wheels producing in
tanty whatever amount of adhesion may be required
Ihs treal u the driviDgwhees vide the rsits
ana me friction rollers revoive just under them with
hange 70 prevent their rubbing the sides of The road
Jaese friction rollers small wheels when not required
instantly thrown UP some eighteen inches above the
tacA "Aere they reBan until they are again required
Wnen they are Instantly thrown into gear This facility
OF removing them adapts the engine in MI respects 70 the
common rc~d, anI qures Modification ~ .e ra only
in working the inclnes -
That ROAD on ths plan may be a. Substantially CON
- "a any otner yonr committee d not Question
~ tha' t,e heaN ra may re readily adapted TO it, thus
giving 70 the road however Constructed Tho use ~ M
chiner, directly suited to is wants Light engines b
light Dads at high velocity, while on the Same roaJ
might Follow freight engines and even these create -
duced in weight. with large loads slower velocity ana
the adhesion being at all times ready certain induces
the belief ON the part Of your committee that roads with
high grades be worked ia all conditions OF the wea
Their, with more certainty and regularity than arc now
the more level lines The various modes which sugro,
themselves for eeyating the rails and fastening them
down, as well for taking advantage Of this principle
will readily to mechanical minds, and your com
mtee therefore deem il unnecessary dwell upon them
They think important however to call attention the
TACT that the railway now always seeking level lines
frequently passes At considerable and nconyenent dis
tances rom villages and towns, which are in a great
measure cut Of from "a cnuld