Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1867-08-29
.zz9LOCALs NEWS.
THURSDAY. EVENING, AUGUST 60

80 .
3 STEAMiPowER VS.. HORSE. Power. The
comparative scarcity OF horses, and their con-
sseauent high price, suggests the idea OF the
substitution of steam as a motive power IN
:. place of these animals. The late war; destruc-
tive as it was to human life, was probably still
more so to horses. Immense quantities per-
ished from disease, accident, and carelessneSs,
besides the vast number slain in battle. Horses
are scarce, and will be so for years to come,
p probably, and if steam could be used in more
fways that atpresent, and demonstration should
prove tas economical, it may seem that held
is; here opened for inventive talent, limitless,
save in the adaptation of the means to the end.
A great saving OF horse flesh has been lately
instituted in the restricted application OF steam
to driving threshing machines, about the only
stem, lis believed, that has been made in this
. direction Steam blowing has been attempted
both in Great Britain and in this country, but
so far has been made of little practical utility.
The idea of q !s'ssteam wagon is as old as Sir
{ Isaac Newton, and has occupied the attention
o
philosopher. The Due de Choiseul had
steam carriage made by Nj. Cugnut, which not
only travelled, but with such energy rs to go
through brick wall; and hence arose a belief
that steam was too good, too strong an agent
to be ever made docile. Subsequently, Mr..
Murdoch, Cornish engineer, constructed
''steam wagon, which operated so successfully
as to frghten the Cornish miners who saw it,
into the belief that the "author of all evil'
had again appeared bodily on earth In this
country, eighty years ago, Oliver Evans tried
to interest the Legislature of Pennsylvania in
a steam carriage which he had constructed, but
he was ahead Of the times, and the Legislature
refused to patronize him. One of the most
curious inventions Of this country in the line
of steam progress, constructed about forty
years ago, and which must have appeared fan
tastic enough was steam wagon, with wheels,
{; and with six legs to help it go up hill This
spider-like machine-steam insect naturally
enough died. But the inventors were not ca
silly discouraged by failure, as indeed inventors
; should never be, and accordingly we find 80
many new plans started or old ones revived,
that they must be passed by without mention.
A committee of the House of Commons in
1881 reported highly favorable to the project
of steam carriages: and the untiring friends Of
the enterprise, headed by Mr.. Quincy, it is
said, spent thirty thousand pounds in project
lug. At one time, Steam Carriage and
Wagon Company, was started and appica-
ton made for capital on large scale, but the
enterprise followed its predecessors into OBJ
scurity Six years ago steam carriage, built
by Mr. Rickett, Of Scotland, made journey
of one hundred and fifty miles, over hill and
valley, good road and bad, attaining speed at
5 times of eighteen miles an hour, and ascend
ing and descending hills Of which the grade
was one mile in seven This carriage carried
four persons, and weighed, freight included,
about one and a hall tons Two great difficult
ties, have hitherto existed in the way Of using
steam carriages on ordinary roads. One has
been, within the pastyear, removed effectually
by discovery which has perhaps not been
thought of as such. The use of kerosene oil
as generator Of beat so successfully applied
to ordinary engine sis the one thing particular
ly needed in this case. The heavy burdens of
fuel which must of needs be transported on the
steam wagon, constituted of itself a load
Kerosene oil will entirely obviate this necessity,
and furnishes ut once light, cheap and effec
tual generator of heat. There eau be no doubt
that it may be most successfully applied to this
use. The other great difficulty seems to be the
successful application Of wheels to the common
roads,. So far, when great burdens were drawn,
the wheels used have been found inadequate to
the tax on them. At least this ls so with the
majority of machines constructed. This diff
Guilty may and no doubt will be overcome
There are number Of traction (drawing) en-
gines in successful operation in the dock-yards
of England, which are made extremely useful,
running about the yards, lifting weights, draw
ing burdens in short applied to all sorts
Of useful work. Traction engines with broad
wheels, which would not sink in the mire,
which would not form ruts on roads, which
would not cut up roads as horses feet do, but
would, on the contrary, tend to improve them,
it certainly seems might be made useful. And
is it too much to say that a Stage coach might
be run as cheap'y as at present by horses =
The problem is soon solved, when the price OF
the horses used in stageing IL calculated, and
the cost of the vehicle ). while the fuel may be
put down as an cffsetsagainst horse flesh, and
the horses lost against repairs OF the engine
Railroads are unquestionab'y more useful.
n l. 4 [ ~. h