The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1859-07-13
steam ON Common Roads.

steam carriage MADE Il trlal on tuesday
last, on .he common road from Trenton to
Philadelphia. 4 correspondent of the New
York Courier and Enquirer gives the fol-
lowing account of the trip:
As niEe was deemed n sufficient number
for the machine TO carry on this occasion
Though if necessary it can accommodate
iitteen), coach was provided for the re-
mainipg passengers, who, however, took
turns in riding on the machine.
ave started at 2:26 p. NJ, the carriage
nearly mile in advance. The engine had
been sufficiently tested in short runs, like
that at Trenton, to make sure that it would
90 well over paved streets or macadamised
roads, with easy grades; its endurance and
speed on long pulls, and its power of over
coming high grades, were yet TO be proved.
The first half hour on the road not only set
tied all these questions, but developed a re-
served power, far beyond the requirements
of any ordinary duty. 1t had been the in-
tention TO keep the carriage ahead, but it
was soon apparent that this could not be
done. The engine in Il very few minutes
overlook il, held up 10 il, got another
start, came up again, and finally passed it
| and arrived at Neshaming Bridge, half a
mile or more ahead, having made the dis
tance, three miles, in exactly l6 minutes
running time.
The road was smooth, with hard bed
aud light grades, covered all the way how
ever, with more or less loose material, with
4 occasional stretches of pretty deep sand.
I On examination, the engine was found TO be
all right in every part, and so far all was
well. Before us, however, was a long COW
| cred bridge, with E draw in the middle, in
regard to which We had been cautioned at
/ Bristol as an inspection showed, with
! very good reason. Though heavily timber
ed enough originally, it was old and shsky p,
and the loads which ordinarily cross it not
large enough to furnish decisive proof of its
sufiiciency to bear the weight the engine
would bring upon it. 1t was obvious that
it must be crossed at high speed, if at all,
/ and certainly there was no disposition 10
/ finch from the attempt. Beyond. the road
climbs long Hill, with a particularly sharp
pitch about ne-third of the way up, with
an inclination of at least one foot in ten,
perhaps one in eight, and very much more
severe than any the engine had had experience
Of 1t must be done, however for the engine
was on trial, and its judges, the Philadelphia
Committee, were present and it must be
done, too, the first time trying. a furious
/ fire sent the steam up $50 lbs, the spectators
took up their posts of observation, and the
men their posts of duty.
Our chief, standing erect, with head barred,
on the deck forward, gave the word, steam
was let on, and the engine started There
was moment of suspense as it entered the
bridge, and fairly jumping as it seemed, with
the vibrations OF the long a.ches, approached
the treacherous draw, but it was of short
duration; sooner than the story can be told
or read, it had cleared the draw, crossed the
remaining length of bridge, and emerged
from the covered passage lihe some internal
monster frOu the mouth of the pit, with en-
ergies wrought up 10 the highest pitch fol
the final struggle. With every valve wild,
open and all steam on it whirled along tia,
slope, apparently at the highest lOcomOtiv,
speed, and approaching the steep pitch sur
mounted it with unfaltering tread, hurried
far on along the level summit, and stopped
in exactly one minute from the time q
starting, having traversed in that short in
terval distance of fully one thousand feet
The next mile was made in FIVE minutes
; the next following, which included the as
cent of another long hill, was made in six
Without going into further particulars as Il
the remaining portions of the way, it ma,
suffice to say that it was perfectly easy {,
maintain, on easy grades, motion at tn
rate of twelve miles per hour; that whel
there was any occasion for it, this rat
could be increased one-fourth or one-half
that the steepest and longest hills could b
ascended at the rate Of ten miles per hour
As no previous arrangement had been mad
for supplies OF fuel and water, much tim
! was consumed in stopping to procure them
more even than there was in running; th
: whole time occupied on the trip being fiv
hours aud thirty-four minutes, while the &C
Il tual running time was but minute or tw,
n over two hours. The last four miles of th
way, lying through the streets of the city
!. was necessarily made at less speed, but eve
= including this, it will be seen that the actu
al running time gave an average rate of tel
miles per hour.