The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-10-05
Career OF the Late L. K. Brunei, the EN-.
glish Engineer.

Inat we I'VE IN an inventive as well engineering
age and that John Bull is most contented well a
most condng creature all must agree who will take the
trouble to read the following sketch of the successful ca
Of the English engineer, K Brunei notwithstand.
ing the series plumbers made by him in all his great
works.
To begin at the beginning the first public work Il,
which, when very young man. he appointed engi-
neer, the tunnel under the river Thames which cost
millions Of money, and which has returned since its first
opening barely enough TO pay for the Goals for the steam
engine to keep the tunnel dry and the money taker who
receives the pence from the passengers This may cali
failure No. /.
Next in rotation bridge the river Avon,
in England, which to have been erected by shares
The money required by the estimate of the engineer was
all subscribed in 1899, and barely sufced to erect cou
pie pers for the arch bridge across the Avon 10
this day has still to be added This failure or bundec
No. 2.
Next in succession the Great Western Railway Of
England with its broad gauge, its imperial stations and
monster locomotives The engineers original estimate for
this railway e. sterling $40 oO0 and it
announced the prospectus that would pay 10 per
cent that capital What is the fact The Great Western
Railway of England has cost f23 600 600 sterling or
Sl25 000so that Of Ell 900 sterling
or Sos has been made the engineers original
estimate of 60 900 900 sterling After such gross misca-
yields such wretched dividend
But for the original cost in construction this magnificent
line might have been of the profitable and sue
cessul specuatons of modern times The reckless extra
vagance and expenditure the works by the engineer
have dispeled and forever such hope Burdened as
with larger preference debenure debt than any
other English railway it has been for years srug-
Cling hopeless of insolvency involving suspen-
sion dividends although out Of policy The dire,-
tors now pay one per cent $50 per annum each $500
invested il any such dividend has been really earned.
m nil odc hive
they always place implicit confidence in the directors who
in return trust all to their engineer and hence these dis
great line. This is failure bundcr No. 8.
Next comes the South Devon Railway, running from
fifty six miles in length when this railway was first
projected Mr. Brunei selected the engineer and,
opposed every practical mechanic of the age he
vailed on the directors to adopt the atmospheric principle
Of traction which all mechanics had over and again
condemned They did So The principle proved, as had
been predicted, utter failure The shareholders were
ruined the dividends declared the stock being
under half dollar per $500 shares which, but for this
crazy atmospheric fancy might have been one OF the
best paying lines in England This is blunder No T.
Last but not least the excess in the estimates OF
the Great Eastern, the awful in launching her oc
ESQ OO0whch Whaby shpbuilder had offered to do for
Is oOO-and the WHOLE the mechanical blunder,
BY all engineers ana o. tne ssea
destruction of several valuable lives, and entang loss
| on the shareholders Of $4,000
Epgshmen are disposed TO find fault for in work OF
such magnitude they imagine that every allowance must
he made1or an engineer. But when the steam Jacket
that surrounds the smoke pipe was condemned by ali
practical mechanics who had tested and found worth.
less well as dangerous their adm0nitons should have
had sufficient weight with the engineer to abandon ain
idea of il. But no. Mr. Brunes opinion was omnipoent
the Board Of Directors the Jacket was ntroucel
into the fittings of the Ievathan attendst as @ hn
seen, with the loss Of valuable lives besides money loss
to the shareholders Of $4,000. This may be called fall
ure No. 8. = ~ $50
Notwithstanding all these blunders, any one of which
would have ruined nine hundred and nney-nue uroSes
sonai men out Of thousand Mr.. Brunei ranked in hia
NM ,i,,y
neers and was considered great authority among scen-
In Justice to the departed it must be conceded that ho
was in every sense Of the word a gentleman kind ana
courteous to all better hearted not exist than
D. NJ Brunei his purse always open TO assist those
who needed II, and many struggling young by hs
counenance, money and advice has been raised to aa
ence in his profession. tg $500 4asHi e1
DE MORTUIS NIL NIN vERVN.