Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1860-03-17
Steam on Common Roads.

steam to carriages on common roads have
again raised the question rs to the practical
bility of crossing our Western plains in this
manner. The proprictors of certain laryc
iron works IN this city, we understand, offer
to furnish steam carriages at Il moderate cost,
| after pattern they have tested, and 10 guar
| antcc performance on common roads up hill
aud down, at the rate of twelve miles am hour.
1T is contended that these curragcs, with
wheels properly constructed, would be able to
make an equal speed over the plains, thus
bringing San Francisco within about seven
days of ST. Joseph, in Missouri, aud ten days
Of New York
The question as to the use of steam, or
some better motive power, on common roads,
would seem to be only question of time
The examples of the stcam-cariage which we
| occasionally see running through Broadway
and other thoroughfaros; of the steam fire.
engine which recently traversed the distance
from this city tc Philadelphia, over the
turnpikcs, with such satisfactory results, to-
gether with experiments to the same effect in
Europe, extending over n long period of wears,
all load to the conclusion that this use of steam
, is practicable.
| The first carriage of the kind of which we
find amy account was invented by NJ. Cu"uat.
III France, not far from one hundred wears
| ago. 1t was tolorablc success, End attract
cd attention at the time. He was followed.
toward the close OF the last century. by Mr..
Murdock, an engineer, of Cornwall, ENGLAND,
and by MIR. Simngton, of Scotland, both of
whom constructed steam land carriages, which
were exhibited TO the public and pronounced
successes In 1902, NIsssrs. Trvithicl aud
| Vivian exhibited similar carriage in London,
which was tested in variety of ways, and
pronounced practicable by competont engin-
eers. From that time on succession pe
steam carriages has becn patented in England;
and the names of Griffith, Gordon Cur
ncy Bmstal and IliR, James, Hancock.
| Church, and Sir James Anderson are among
i those of the prominent inventors and paten-
tees. Most or all of these, the evidence goes
to show, were successes the carriages having
performed their stipulated tasks with ease and
safety. But the question is, Why have they
not come into use? And to this corrcspor- :
dent answers as follows:
"ln February, 1881, line of Gurncy's
steam carriages was established bctwecn Gl0u
| ccster and Chcltenham, a distance OF nine
miles, to run four times day 1t made lis
! trips regularly for four mouths, at an AVERAGE
time of fifty five minutes. though a much
| groaterSpetd WAS often obtaincd Opposino
Interests, such as too oitonarruy themselves
in hostility to charges-such as opposed the
introduction of the steam tilc.cpeine in this
city-;.t the cnd of tImt time crushed it,
Not only legal but Illegal means were rcsortcd
to, to effect this. end, which was finally accom-
| phshcd by obstructing the road with broken
! stone, aud rendering it impossible. About
the same time Mr. lIanccch commenced iun-
ming steam coach from i.oEuontu Sn;';irord
| ond soon after, for weeks together. h d seyc
Elof his steam carriages plying on tie tltol
Qu%hf;rcs arCuud London His success. say
! the ,ionrnals Of that time, was such as t. leave
liitle reason 10 doubt the proftbe introduc,
I tloa OF such vehicles could the "onposiun
irfcrcsis" " have been overcome. But tilrs,
| "opi o>n@ interests" it seems, found means
10 crush HIN, as In the clse of Carney. IN
! 1881, line OF steam carriages were establish
ell between Glasgow and Paisley IN Scotland.
six eoachcs of l,us ellis patent were put on
,herOid The opposition attacked tie scheme
with great virulence, ard I'm Ny rcso,cd tc
the plan OF rendering the TO d impossible.
/ lhcy piled it with stone so us to drive horse.
carriages completely from it nevertheless, the
steam carriages continued their tips md
notw tliStanding broken w! eels aud other
[ damages, continued to, average twelve miles
! nm hour, until one of them, b,ng ovcrLnrned
/ by the distractions, burst its boiler anl sey
eral persons were killed. Tie opposition
urncd this event to so good an 0cr0unt that
they obtained an interdiciion lust The line
and it was assupprcsscd."
/ Now, this may be trwc in rg,rd to G. rcat
! lir tain whore the vested interest are S., M.
| ny ndthe conservative feelingis very stronc
We know from Saitns Life of Stephenson
what difficulty he fpnnd IN introducing the
locomotive. But surely in this country these
adverse influences are not powerful. Con.
vince our trymah that alnachine-is real
Improvement, and we arc ce,tsin it will find
| capitalists to bring 1t into use. If for in
stance, the stcam-carrage at the iron works
to which we. have alluded ON, as its friends
| say, be relied upon for a speed OF twelve miles
an iioor, We do not see why it is not at,once
p'!de available iu practice. Now than the
J public mind and the attention OF capitalist,
are directed to the subject so forcibly bv tho.
success OF the steam fire engine, it is desirable
that the whole subject should be considered
anew'and under the best scientific auspices.
NeW' Pork Post.
CoLDFRoM DAMP CLoTnEs.-Tf the clothes
which cover the body are damp, the moisture
which they contain has tendency to eyono
rate BY the, heat communicated to it by the
body. The heat absorbed in the clothes must
be, in part, supplied by the body, and will
have tendency to reduce the temperature of
the body in am undue degree, and thereby
to produce cold, The effect Of violent labor
or exercise is to cause the body.to generate