Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-09-07
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

o'eenulnS the grant Dy costa hlca Oh NlCdra-
gua's transit route to Webster, Morgan, Harris
Co., together with a pretty full history Of the
eventful life and remarkable financial achieve
ments of the Mr.. Webster in question, which
Mr.. Young Anderson, of Costa RIGA, made in
the New York Herald of Friday last, may
fairly be regarded as having consigned the Costa
Rican speculation to so deep an infamy as that
it will only be remembered hereafter as the
most desperate and disreputable speculation
that has marked the financial history of the
current century, save and except those in the
lives and health Of some seven thousand Amer
lean sacrificed under Walkers auspices in order
to get possession of the estates, mines, &C., of
Nicaraguan gentlemen, upon the cut. throat rob-
ber's plea of right.
The e1pose TO which we refer above was not
wanting, however, to make it certain that the
Government of the United States would by no
means lend itself to the desire of Costa Rica to
dismember Nicaragua, appropriating to herself
OR, rather, as the private property lin part of
General Mora and other Costa Rican spscula-
tors-all that is at this time of intrinsic money
value to Nicaragua-her transit route. We
have repeatedly taken occasion to explain that
the intrigues in progress to the end Of obtain
ing this Government consent to this scheme of
Costa Rica. were equally as futile rs the late
intrigues to induce the Government here to con-
sent to wink at the renewal OF flibustering
against Nicaragua by Walker and those hold
ing his grants" of various descriptions for
property in Nicaragua, which he has no more
legal right to grant away, than he has to grant
. e - - L. uT,.t
States in the States Of this Union.
We were long since satisfied that this Govern
ment only awaits the news of tho consolidation
Of the Government of Nicaragua under one, in
stead of two chiefs as at present, Though the
latter act in perfect accord with each other,) to
consummate with that State a treaty which
shall secure for the United States controlling
influence in all her affairs connected with her
transit route. Thus will the present Admins
tration do what the last Administration, con-
trary to our repeated warnings, among others,
to the citizens of the United States of a safe and
economical Isthmus transit between our Pacific
and Atlantic coasts, above and beyond all con-
tingencies Of Central American turmoils or Eu-
rOpean interference, which at this moment is
the most important essential TO the future Of our
whole Pacific commerce, as we'll as to the con-
tinued unity of the United States of the Allan
tic and Pacific slopes-for Oregon and Washing
ton Territories will not long hence be, like Cal
ifornia, full-grown sister States Of the great
North American Corfcderacy.
LIKELY TO PROVE OF GREAT VALUE-Tbe
new railroad brake of Mr. A. j. Marshall.
Fauquier county, Va, known as the MELON
aid brake seems likely to prove of immense
value TO the future of American railroads. 1t
has been tried (used) constantly for six months
on train Of the Potomac River, Fredericks-
burg and Richmond Railroad in Virginia, which
Is under the management Of as careful, compe-
tent and experienced railroad men-the Rob-
insons, (Moncure and Edwin)-as perhaps any
other railroad in the Union. The result of
their experience with it is entirely Satisfactory.
Recently test of its capability was made on
that road, as compared with that of ordinary
railroad brakes managed by % brakesmen," in
the presence of many of the leading railroad
men Of Virginia. We extract from their report
on the experiments on that occasion, as follows:
- The machinery has been In use several months
and has proved advantageous to the company;
but il was not in good order and acted badly, as
compared with its daily operations. Yet the ex-
pefiments speak favOrably for the principle The
train consisted of one locomotive and tender, and
three passenger ears.
81 EzPsTinisHt.-Three hand bra kes to which
Tour experienced brakemen Were pacrd-sp-ed of
train ~ miles per hour. Brakes applied at sig
nal . cam thrown of; [ ain ran a. econds and a
distance of 40 Yards
-, EyP,IinIent.-Speed u miles Gin conse-
qTence Of a COW running in the WAY. steam Doyer
applied TO the brakes at signal steam thrown Of
the engine, train ran 33 seconds and % Yards
81. EXPERIMENT. Speed ~ miles; steam
thrown ON the brakes at signaI, and engine re-
yersed As soon as the brakes operated Well on the
wheels train ran ~ seconds, and 81 Yards
-. Experiment. Speed 20 miles; steam
thrown on brakes at signal train ran J3 seconds
and lGS yards.''
1t seems that the new brake is operated by
the engineer, who works it by applying steam
for pressure. Even with such results rs these
experiments Indicate land the report says that
its machinery was not in perfect order at the
time, and failed TO work as we'll as usual upon
the train to which it had been long attached,)
its advantages in preventing collisions of ap-
preaching trains must be immense Sufficiently
great, it strikes u.s. to enable the drivers of To-
comotives to guard against them in nine out of
every ten cases where they now occur through
Wiz An PooSiHhitJ VI CHeChinS the momentum Ot
trains in due time. The report concerning this
invention, emanating from such parties as the
RObinsons, after six months trial Of it, cannot
fail to awaken the attention of every railroad
corporation in the Union, and thus to result
in other and immediate experiments with this
" Mcdonald brake" in all quarters of the
country. If they confirm the high opinion
which the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Po-
tomac Railroad Company now entertain of it,
the inventor and those who have aided him in
Its perfection may fairly be written down as be.
ing great public benefactors.
The LEADERS IN PARLIAMRyr.-AlI in the
United States know all about the leading men
In the American Congress, because all Ameri-
cans read our newspapers But not one of our
eountrymen in thousand know aught, person
ally, Of any foreign statesman of note, though
their names-or at least those of England--are
almost as familiar to American newspaper read.
ers, as those of the noted men of their own Ma.