Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-01-30

as complete satisfaction. The result of the
English experiments may be comprehended
from the following report on one Of them, Of
which friend has kindly furnished us copy:
WAR DEPARTMENT,
Pail Mall, LIST January, 1866.
SIR Agreeably to your request, I have the
commands of the Secretary of State for War,
to transmit to you the enclosed copy of a re-
port from the Superintendent Royal Carrisge
Department, dated 18th ultimo, upon your
patent corrugated metallic army wagon.
am, sir, your most obedient serv't,
(Signed) -. Woop.
To JOSEPH FRANcIs, Esq. care of Major Vim
cent, Atheneum Club, Pail Mall. 80
ROYAL CARRIAGE OFFICE,
18th December, 1856
Sir: In compliance with the order from
Lord Psnmure, dated the 18th August, 1855,
and your minute of the 18th August, 1855, upon
my letter of the 10th of the same month, or
dering me to carry my recommend alton for
the purchase Of Francis's patent corrugated
metallic wagons into effect, and when obtained,
to give my opinion, de-.
Ihave the honor to report that lost no time
in writing to the parties in New York, and .
few days since, received the wagon in ques-
ton, with which, on Friday, the 30th ultimo,
an experiment was made in the presence of
Mr.. Francis, Che patentee. =. $50
It was first placed in the water, with the
whole Of the running gear attached, including
the pele-the weight was IL cwt. 0 qrs. 4 lbs. !;
sixteen men then got in, and their weight
amounted to Is cwt.-this brought the wagon
down about foot from the top. Attempts
were then made to upset it in the water by the
whole of these mon bearing down, first on one
side and then on the other, but without effect.
The upper edge of the wagon could not be
brought to the tcafer, The same experiment
was tried with only six men in it, and with the
same result. The next trial was with the body
alone-the running gear being detached and
allowed to sink in the water. Attempts were
again made to upset it without effect. Itwas
then loaded with planks and two men in all,
weighing 81 cwt., but neither in this case
could any rolling bring the upper edge under
water. 1t therefore appears that this wagon
body has great buoyancy and stability in the
water, Four Of these bodies connected TO-
gether would form an excellent craft" Ca
pable of supporting any heavy ordnance of the
service; and, by keeping the running gear
attached, they can be used 10 run in and out
of the water with great facility.Tror .-.-s
The weight of the wagon body alone is
cwt. qrs. lbs. with its running gear,
wheels, &C., &C., complete, IL cwt. 9 qrs. 4
lbs. There are many circumstances in which
wagon body Of this description could be
found very useful, and, by making some alter.
atoms in its construction, as stated by Mr..
Francis, it could be made to pack up in Sec
tions in small compass on ship board. Any
damage done to the corrugated iron can be
easily repaired. The running gear of the
wagon possesses no advantage over our own;
it is similar in construction to the American
lumber wagon, but much heavier. The
" feeding trough" can be fixed on the pole for
feeding. Two Of these connected together form
a small boat, capable of conveying one person
across stream in order to make a communi.
cation with the opposite side, which might be
found useful. l am, therefore, Of opinion that
the invention might prove valuable to the
service, and beg to recommend it, strongly,
to the attention of the Minister of War, for,
with the Improvements that are capable of
being made, by reducing its weight and rem
dering it portable, have no doubt this mate
rial, from the peculiar form of the corruga-
lions, affording such great strength, might be
made highly useful for carts and wagons: and
I have the honor to be, sir, your most obe-
dieRt servant, ALEx'R T. TULLoH,
Col r. A, Sup't h. c. D.
TO j. WooD, Esq, DO, &C., &c.
We have to add that the public, who are
deeply interested in the success of so impor-
tant an improvement, as well as Mr. Francis
himself, are greatly indebted to Col Charles
Thomas, Assistant Quartermaster General, u.
s. A with whom the idea of the application
of corrugated iron to the end of furnishing
better and more economical wagon bodies for
ell purposes of lengthy transportation than
were heretofore in use in any country, origin.
ated, it is said, and under whose immediate
advice the patentee brought his so useful i'm
provement to its present perfection.
The result Of the visit of Mr.. Francis across
the Atlantic has not only been the adoption
of the result of his labors into the English
service, but, we judge, into that of France
also ; his experiments conducted in Paris very
recently, having doubtless turned out as sat
isfactorily as here, and in London. His wagon
bodies were adopted long since for our Army
transportation, and are found to perform the
work desired of them in all respects as well
as can be desired, as multifarious and rack
ing, on the Indian frontier, as that work is
We presume that this improvement is des-
tined to be adopted into the military service
of every European Government ere long, where
it will be known as the American military
wagon. AS wagon body for ordinary trans.
portation, its durability, lightness, compare
tive economy Of first cost, &C., will doubtless
soon bring it into universal favor in our own
country; for our fellow citizens are always
prone to avail themselves promptly of every
thing that is sure to be profitable in the long
run in their business
Its Gist In the course of his few remarks
delivered yesterday, Mr.. Richardson ex-
planned, Enthusiastically, tho policy which the
Democrats are pursuing in the contest for the
Speakership. Thatis to compel the National
American party of the House to elect between
Republican and Democratic Speaker To
elect, in other words, between necessity for
postponing their peculiar views upon the
question of religious equality under our laws
and on the nAtu ral alton N action On N a ~ .