The weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1858-1860, 1858-07-06
From the Chicago Democrat.)
Traction Engines for the prairies.

4
Our attention has been called by Capt
Heyworth, Of England, and now in this city
to new English invention. which is attract
ing much curiosity in England, and which
it is confidently asserted, is destined to pro
duce great revolution in agriculture Cap
tain Heyworth is large stakeholder in the
Illinois Central Railroad, and he anticipates
that the introduction of this improvement
| upon the prairies of our State would DO more
to deyelope its resources than almost any
other In connection with the patent reap.
ers and haryesters, it would add one hun
dred per cent to the agricultural resources
Of the State
The particular traction engine to which
Capt Heyworth called our attention is illus
trated in the last Illustrated London News.
1t is the invention of Mr. Brady, Of Folke.
stone, England, and is intended for all ope-
ratlons in which horse power is at present
used, sucn as drawing large loads upon CON-
mon roads, ploughing, &c, &c. Traction
engines are not new in England. As long
ago as 1880, they were used, but only for
drawing light loads, and then merely as an
experiment which never was really perfected
SO as to prove of much utility to the public
generally. Latterly, however, number Of
these engines for use on common roads have
been constructed both for the Government
and private individuals and they have sue
ceeded in drawing very heavy loads over
common roads up steep ascents, &c. The
great difficulty found with these engines
heretofore has been, that the wheels of fthose
adapted for ploughing or dragging weights
over soft ground have not had sufficient hold
upon the soil when constructed in the ordi
nary manner. Mr.. Brady's improvement,
however, is so constructed that the wheels
are furnished with teeth or blades. which
enter the ground and obtain a firm hold. The
teeth are made to slide in and out by an &C.
centric motion, so that they clean themselves
OF the soil, and are again ready to enter the
ground, the smooth surface of the wheels be-
ing also cleansed by means of sef-acting
scrapers. The eccentric is capable of ad-
Justment, SO that the projection of the teeth
may be raised, and thus the wheels may at
pleasure be made to act like ordinary
wheels
10 test this engines capacity for plough
ing. experiments were made on Broadmead
Farm, Folkestohe, England The engine
was set to drawing three ploughs in frame,
over light loamy soil, the ground being
rather wet The quantity of work done in
day OF ten hours, was at the rate Of six
acres, at a cost of not more than four shiI-
lngs, British, (ess than one dollar.) per
acre.
10 test the capacity of the engine for draw
ing, load of ten tons was attached to it,
which it drew up a gradient varying from
in to ! in | L. 1t then returned down the
hill with the same load For agricultural
purposes the engine is intended to draw six
pioughs, drive thrashing or other machine,
saving mills, Gc, &c As steam fire en-
gine 1T Is also said to be invaluable, steam
beng raised in forty minutes. 1t is steered
with perfect ease, and only requires two men
to work it. The consumption of fuel ia one
shilling, British, per hour, twenty-five
conts. The weight of the entire engine is
six tons. 1t was generally supposed that an
engine of this weight would sink into soft
ground, but the greatest depth it has sunk is
three quarters ofan inch For warlike pur.
poses 1t is said to be invaluable, as it would
convey over the country, in day Of ten
hours, 300 men, with baggage stores, Sc,,
fifty miles
Upon trial Of series of experiments by
the English War Department, this engine
was loaded with three sixty eight FOUNDER
guns, Of total weight of twenty tons, and
with these it steamed on common roads at
the rate Of two and half miles per hour.
Capt Heyworth thinks that an engine OF
this kind would be just the thing for the
Western prairies, where material for the
creation of wealth from the soil is boundless
but where labor is SO scarce We would
like to see one Of these engines imported, and
see if it could not be improved, so as to adap,
1T fully to the peculiarities of our soil and
country generally.
"a few days before christmas | took q
three year DID, distant relative, without