Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1868-01-02

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Curious Whilns, of L4ocomotives.
4H Every experienced engineer4-to lake steam
Sd engines asa sample-has noticed ire
quently, Or repeatedly, says the Scientific Amer
lean, that while one engine developed its full
! = amount Of power, q that quota which was ex
pected oflitS another: built after the same pat
!, tern,Gth the same tools, and by the same work
men, failed to fulfil tie design OF the consruc
tor. Sometimes it is dltlicut,iit, not ilnpussl-
bic, to account for these differences, but it is
--hotieeable-tif,s they are the more marked as
The machinery Is the moro complex, so that it
Is natural to suppose that there is somewhere,
10 the details, u difference Of construction,
otherwise We must impute the variation to
: some mysterious agency whose operations are
irremediable by mechanical skill. But even
= when the nachine or plement IS simple in
its parts and built after unvarying tguages, the
differences may occasionally be detected. The
- little pocket pistol which may tie one ot thou
sands built by the same machinery and work
men, will, In some cases, differ! widely In its
execution, from others of the same lot, when
4 That there must be some variation either IN
quality of material or constructions the mechan-
. ie assured, but he may not be able to ascer-
tain what it is. Sometimes, however, the
cause of difference may bel1detected. A case
IN point, which<we remember, was that of two
locomotives running on the same road, the ma
chimes being so nearly alike that their parts
were interchangeable, yet which differed wide
alyin their respective performances. Repeated
examinations of the working parts failed to
reveal the cause. The engineer of the inferior
machine spent many hours in g tinkering" and
''coaSing" his engine, yet still it refused TO per-
j.. form the work ofSits mate AS a last resort he
measured the appertures of the exhaust pipes
on both engines, and found that while those of
z the rival machine measured one and a quarter
inches, his measured one and three eights in
j. ches. The pipes being of copper, he drew IN
ii those of his engine one-eighth of 40 inch when
d it performed even better than the other, owing,
undoubtedly, to the better care which had been
: taken Of it and its more perfect condition The
difference in the diameter of these pipes was
but a trihe, yet no doubt it was the reason OF
the variation in the work Of the two locomo-
:, tiyes. So it may be often that slight change
in the proportions of the actual dimensions OF
parts may insure evenness and accuracy where
the divergence and uncertainty may have been
2 remarkable and mysterious To ascertain and
remedy these points Of difference is the pro-
vince of the intelligent, practical and educated
mechanic. ExactnesS and accuracy of tools
= Of which we spoke in recent number--and
" educated skill, are the true remedies tor these
>. differences which seem to be mysterious or un
discoverable. s@5 .,st 3.
But there are some curiosities about ma
chimes which seem to be unaccountable. Eve
g ry. user of sewing machine knows that from
some unknown reason the machine which yes
terday performed its work so well, SO almost
enthusiastically, to-day refuses to do more than
half its task, and does that half in surly, IN
different manner So with the other machines.
Even the steam engine is subject to these fits
goIs there some occult bond OF sympathy between
o1, the operator and his machine by which the
~ latter is influenced by the mental condition OF
the former? For it is certain that these dIl-
Vi ferences cannot always be attributed 70 ata "
= pherie or other external influences! This mat
ter is quite humorously and trutbfuly t'eatea
Id the subjoined extract. .".
- 80 ssI is perfectly we'll known to expericH ce
practical engineers that if a dozen different lo-
comotive engines were made at the same time,
of the same power, for the same purpose, OF
! {, like materials, in the same factory, each OF
: !, these locomotive engines would come out with
it's own, peculiar whiuls and ways, Only ascer-
tainable by experience One engine will take
! a great deal ot Goa land water at once another
gs will not hear?to such athlng, but Will insist on
,..f beiug .coaxed aby spadesull and bueketstul
One is disposed to start off,, when required, at
y the top speed; another must nave =, lttle
time to warm al. his work, and to get we'll into
It. These peculiarities are 50 accurately mas
tered bv sEillful drivers that only particular
ETmen can persuade particular engines to do their
best. 4aIt would seem as if some OF these 'ex-
.jcellent monsters declared on being Brought out
- Of the stablc 1t it's Smith who is to drive me-
j. T won't 90, Ifit's myfriend Stokes, I'm agreea-
BILE to ANYTHING. p9nAll locomotive engines are
low spirited in damp and toggy weather
They have havea great satisfaction IN thelr
work when the air is crisp and frosty. At sucn
a time they are cheerful and brisk 6ut tney
- strongly object to haze and mists. 1hese are
n points of character on which they are all united
1t is in their peculiarites aud varieties OF char-
acter that they are most remarkable. The
railway company that would conslgn all their
locomotives to one uniform standard OF treat
ment without any allowance for varying shades
a of character and opinion, would soon tall as
much behindhand in the world as those greater
Governments are, or ever will be, who pursue
the same course with the finer piece of work,
called man" . - 80 s s,,a2@.,
THE ORIGINAL THIRTEEN. N.--Ihe following
is the order in which the original thirteen
States adopted the Constitution of the United
@ States. According to provision in the Com
81 stitution, it became binding upon the States
ratitying it, when adopted by nine States.-
az New Hampshire was the important ninth
, ~ State: Delaware, December 7, 1887. 2.
Pennsylvania December -, 1857. 8. New
z Jersey, December 49, 1857. t. Georgia, Jan
fuary 3 1888. IS, Connecticut, January s, 1888.
6. Massachusetts,, February 7, l7SS' Z. Mary