Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1866-11-01

u VVU00D98U1 U1OGov0Sy0s4soco
messon watkoee vVheels.
Il IL not generally known that there is to
be seen 1t La Louchre, eloee TO the pretty
village Of Beuginall, near Paris, the sxtsaor
binary sight OF I railway train ascending
steer Gradient without the cid OF Steam, and
the carriages Of which are destitute u
wheels. This 10 the invention Of Monsieur
L. d. Gisssd, French engineer. II Is
founded on new application Of IN old prin.
6pai. via: that layer Of WISER introduced
between 10 metal surfaces, enables them to
glide on each otter with as little friction as
= slab eli on the polished surface Of fro.
gen lake.
n. 0irasd has conceived the idea Of ap.
plying this prn iple TO locom Dion, 81 l has
successfully de nonsuated tia, it is applica-
ble TO il. In thi. systcin wheels are di'.
pensed with, and applying his invention 10
ordinary rail ways, II 10 claimed that an ems
CINE ourA . B noW 10 ~. with only power
TO dsoe tsain weighing Say 500 tons, 1t the
rsts Of 20 miles IN hour, would. II construc-
ted according to the principal Of N. Girard,
With the same expenditure Of fuel, be capa
bic Of drawing double the weight q double
the speed. The rails used by N. Girard are
broader and higher than those on ordinary
niluuya Their upper spacs 10 20 centime.
tres 10 breadth the wheels Of the carriage
being suppressed are replaced BY slides or
skstes, which have kind Of ledge On ether
side 50 a. to 1T on the rail, but not too
clse0y. The uppse psst Of the
skate next the surface Of the rail
10 followed in its centre into small groove
which il pierced With holes, communicating
with the tubes leading TO reservoir in the
carriage in which mass Of water Is subject
I'd. by means Of compressed cir, to pres
sure Of from seven to eight atmospheric. a.
The turning Of cock establishes the CON-
munication between the reservoir and the
dkal0.s The WaAsf rushes - from n.y.
dsallic press, through the holes IN the
grooves 81 the sksees. and layer Of wafer is
intcrposed between them and the rails, on
which they are thus enabled 10 move as on
the smo0thest ice. the friction being thus re
duced 10 minimum. the tractivc propel,ing
force ia greatly reduced, aud proporuonate
amount Of steam power asd consumption Of
fuel is saved. and at the same time that great
desideratum, a powerful brake, il secured
for il 10 only necessary 10 cut off the supply
of water between the raiIa and skates and
the friction of the tao surfaces resumes its
intensity and every skate becomes ipso facto,
Z bsoke or 10 effective Z character, that II
caution 10 not used in supprcsaing the sup
ply Of water gradually. the efTe I would be
to produce shock equal to that Of a COLLATION.
between two trains, destructive alike TO pas
scngcrs and carriages. So far. so good, and il
Mr. Girard eon1asd he invention 70 VIA. Ne
=. =. t,>n., -. Ac-~n~ss~~,s IN A-~e..k.s - ~c.stA
90 the whole way with him, and be Of the
opinion q at It is we'll worthy Of the attcn-
tion Of the practically scientific man, but he
goes further and d,>cards steam as the mo-
tive power, he adopts the Pindaric syste =,
and trusts TO water power. The plan he
sasgcsts 10 accomplish THE 10 TO have tube
laid between the rails, receiving water 1t a
very great pressure from reservoir estab
Iishsd At high level; The tube il provided
every Afty yards with faucets. from each Of
vhich, when opened, by . kind needle
projecting from the bottom Of the f1rst car.
riage, there issncs-in . horizontal dircc
tion-a o1erful jet of water, which, strik-
ing on place prepared Tor il, drives the
carrisgc o., and, according 10 n. Girard' :
notions. nccompiishes every thirg the steam
locomotive can possibly do without the at
tendant expenses Of fuel, and being also, M
he says, under better control and more
easily worked. However. in this respect
~e den't agree With che inventor, - We
hardly think the hydraulic propeller could
be made practically applicable to . line Of
any considerable length. and therefore con>
fine ourselves 10 recommending to attention
thai part Of the invention first described,
being Of opinion that no reasonable cxcep>
ton can be taken to the use OF water TO d.
finnish friction. and whether is taken into
consid' ration the easy motion produced, the
expense saved, or the powerful and effective
brake power brought into application, We
see no reason why, in conjunction with tho
steam locomotive, this very ingenious in
vention should not be utilized on ordinary
railroada