The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-09-15
American versus English Locomotive
in Chile, South America.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD.

American versus English Locomotives
In Chile, South America.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD.
In 1866 the government Of Chile ordered their Great
Southern Railway, to from the capital, Santiago,
through the rich and fertile regions of the central valley
to the south, two locomotives Of Hawthorne, England
FOR goods, the other passengers. At the time
ordered two others of the Rogers Locomotive
Works in the United Satesonc of each Glass; goods and
passengers The two Of Rogers were with the usual
prompness OF American orders, built first landed first,
carried crcuitous and zgzg mountain roads ninety
miles TO the interior rst set work rst and have from
that day TO this proved themselves the best and the first
in everything They splendid machines to look upon
and no less splendid in their operations, having for
years almost without any repairs, while their rivals
commenced operations by tearing up the switches and
performing tricks equally Objectionable the line,
with thirty cent in and fifty -four per cent in the
other greater fire surface than the Rogers engines They
often sadly in want of steam carry very ordinary
trains road which had gradients thirty
feet per mile, and which for line and curve would com
pare with any railway in Europe, there being only
four curves in seventeen miles, three with radu
over 6oo rect et, anu one az tho terminus with
for their class and had smaller cylinders than their rivals
they also weaker in tractive calculated power yet
they never failed 70 DO and DO well any and every work
Notwithstanding this there were numerous and CON
tnucd attempts to decry them and laud their rivals
which were as ponderous and powerful looking John
Bull himself Everybody who knew nothing thought that
John had done Jonathan this time enough
Gentlemen who visited the station would look with
der and admiration the thirty ton productions of
John, the wOrkmcn, who nearly all of
John, would expatiae with pride on their venerable
papas' production, and point their powers their
slab frames Of iron ten by one nch and their tubes four
teen and half feet long, while almost every
told that Jonathan in his build of locomotives this
railway had been at his old tricks Of wooden numegs
that his two machines were clap concerns, covered
with FURNISHED brass and polished steel from top toe
just merely TO their deformics mperiections
that they were gingerbread" "peacocks and would
some day fall to pieces on the road, blow up and kill
everybody within gunshot. One gentleman of
some note, and who ought TO have known
better, told the President that it would take
six dollars day TO clean of the American machines
poor things they had done nearly quarters Of the
work for two years, had used bad when the road
was first opened and received scale of tenth of an
inch all their tubes, and after proving themselves to
be good and faithful servants id the eyes and
from the mouth Of all who had learned to hate Yankee.
TO the merits Of Johns and the dement's of Jonathan
machines their fathers table they were able TO
express an opinion by saying El uapor dc los Aaquaos
In this way matters stood, when Mr. Evans the chief
auctions Of his country Should through ignorance and
prejudice, be placed in false position among the gentle
men Of Chile asked of and obtained from the Minister of
Sate-Don Geronimo Urmeneta-permission TO have a
trial Of all the engines under circumstances which would
prove their power, speed and economy in fuel He knew
full well that calculations from Dimensions would give
twelve per cent superiority to the English engines he
also knew from train Of reasoning facts that the Yam
kec machines could and woud whphcr rivals from the
odds Of any kind To have the trial made free from any
Yankee tricks the mechanical engineer Of the Valparaiso
railway, an Englishman, was invited to be present
note FACTS He went, and was on each Of the engines
during the four days OF trial.
The first day. July 10, the American goods engine, the
San Bernardo harncssed to thirty five eight wheeled
cars loaded with bar from total weight 687 TONS Many
were the calculations and surmses as to her carving
such train up gradients Of thirty seven feet per mile
Some Of the workmcn from abroad putting their fingers to
their noses, sad ooh, you are going to San Bernardo
with that train are you'll wish you may gett here" At
init twelve mies) in thirty nine minutes. She then ran
on 70 the seventeenth mile post returned all safe
aras he Big Boy Bos with pounas on she
driving wheels and 200 feet Of fire surface was hooked
on to the same train the San Bernardo with her 80 900
pounds on four driving wheels 900 feet of fire surface
had taken with success 10 the summit At the word "Go5
she went; but there was necessity for saying stop
Az che crawled up to the third mile post she gave her
last gasp and "cavcd in" She then backed TO the station
got up steam (ffteen pounds above the limit
which was l15), started again, and gavo her
curve she then backed the station took OF fifteen cars
got up steam and tried again. the ~ mile point she
point she repeated her desire for resting SPELL saying
THAT It was utterly improper to expect much of her in
one day. that was than double what she been
accustomed to- that the day hot and she wished to
60 home; that il she only allowed TO get on down
grade she would show the folks what she could do and
ask no odds Of any one" Co. after running to near the
end of the summiteleven miles, eighty eight minutes
she was allowed to return and reposc in ali her majesty
and power Of iron, in her she'd
the Montt named after the President was trotted on
the track and hooked train of fifteen platform cars
loaded with bar irOntotal weight 2S8 At the sig
nal away she went, took her train the summt-twcIyc
mies-n thirty nine minutes and to the seventeenth mile
post IN forty nine mnutes returning in with
gradients OF hy Six feet per mile and reached the twelfth
milo post IN twenty minutes thence running down
grade to her home Her performance was looked upon as
something may dsno (not TO be bca, "hexraordinary
&c, &c; her hackers confident spirits rosc-not
from the Vastly deep, but in the hearts OF
johns children and from the counters of various sa.
huth u,octan
doomed TO disappointment
The morning Of the fourth day dawncd like oil the pre-
had lued them to sleep. The American passenger en-
CINE, Santiago, was walked the course with nil her
splendid fittings and br ght work. and in as good
order as the first day she years since She was
hooked 10 the train of the day BEFORE and at the signal
walked i OF at speed which showed no hope for
her rival Of the day before 10 twenty minutes she
gained the summit and left the twelfth mile pos behind
her. and in thirty -four and half minutes she pulled up
~ the seventeenth mile running part Of the distance
turning she gained the summit in tweny-one and half
minutes and then quietly Slid down the grade
any one and without doing any dscred 10 her country
Or her countrymen The American Minister, Mr. Bgier
went out and returned with this train evidently delighted
nat Jonathan did not get thrashing from his respect
ed papa Since the over, various have been the
'ogtatons Of many the results unexpected 80 I'M
ooked for, SO uncalled for Who would have thought
hat those gmcrack Yankee affairs would have
been and gone and done II in that shameful manner.
sne 70
others say that Mr. Evans bribed the English drivers both
fighting IKE t h. for sx their snS glory
Valparaiso Railway char taking notes He is man
not to be found on this coast or any other :"
The American engine San Bernardo proved the great
ssn On ali per SIs per mile and had
vArAsAiso, Cnls, g. A., July Is, 1850
Of the Grand Lodge Of Free
Inn UTvsR<~