New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-08-25
YANKEE and ENGLISH INTERIORS;

II is customary TO speak OF the Yankees as
remarkably inventive, and the civilized world
seems to have united in giving them this rep
utation. Yet it may seem that, with some few
notable exceptions, they have exhibited their
mowers of invention more with reference To sec
ondary than to general principles; more by
using the discoveries of other people than by
their own. OF course, we shall be told that
there are but few general principles, while the
details may he considered as infinite, ana we
shall he reminded, too, that upon DIR. Frank
Inns discoveries in electricity almost a whole
science has been founded, that steamboat nav
igation the use of ether in surgery, the NOW
ing machine are ours, and the power printing
press, the telegraph, and the sewing
machine. were all conceived beneath
the skies of this new world. We
grant that these, and others which
could bc named, are proud achievements and
their application to 50 many of the wants oil
daily life gives them especial prominence;
-tll wo ought to consider that, III compass
acutcncss, and perseverance, the English mind
is uncXcellcd for 10 it We owe the discovery
of the use of steam, the invention OF the
stcam-cnginc, of the powerloOm, OF the spin
ning-icnny, and of the locomotive and railway
all of which required the application of grand
principles, and they are of such immense
utility that they have an influence upon almost
every being on the face OF the globe. How
ever, the art Of printing from movable types
clearly was a necessary preliminary, and 1t
would seem that the German nation was not
to be deprived of some share in the great
work of modern progress.
Inventions growing out of great principles
and connected with the most pressing wants of
men, certainly exhibit high intellectual pow
crs, and whatever individual makes n discoy-
cry of this kind builds much "bctter than he
knows for there seems scarcely an end TO
the uses which may be made of his ideas. In
seeking these uses il will be found that the
first modification TO be made will bc akin 20
the original and that all notifications will
have a relation to each other, not disSlmilar TO
the relation of geological strata; and an in
vention of high order may be said to core
spOnd TO gold lying in the mineral group.
In The Engineering and Mining journal of
this city we find a description of u modiiica-
ton of the common railway which can scarcely
be called an invention for we think the piv
Otal device originated in this country, and it
seems so practical and capable of extension rs
to be worthy of notice here. We refer 10 the
suspension tramway now ia operation IN Lei
ccstershire, while models are in course OF cree
ton in France, SPAIN and Italy, and ncg0tia-
tons are on foot for their construction IN Tur-
key. The general appearance is that Of an
exceedingly stout telegraph line, and transporta-
ton is effected by means of series of boxes
hanging from Il strong wire, supported by
posts, $50 or more feet apart, and the power is
applied to a wire passing over Il clip drum,
worked by a stcam-cngnc. This Leicester
shire tramway is only three miles long, and it
is used for carrying stone, of which ten tunS
per hour are transported in boxes, each hold
100 lbs. The friction attachments correspond to
hooks or semi-circular clasps by which points
OF support are passed unObstructcd Neither
grading tunnelng, nor superstructurc Is re-
quired, and grades are overcome either 10y
greater length or position Of the posts, and
thus an unObstructcd passage is secured
through the air, though perhaps only few
feet above the general surface. The expense
of construction in England is about 1000 per
mile, which is less than half what plank or
gravel road costs with us.
The immediate application of this device
with us can be made at furnaces which are Il
few miles from coal, ore. and limestone, and
even for transportation of metal TO railways or
rivers and also in the mining regions, where
water or even horsepower can be used. The
plan, it is to be presumed, has disadvantages,
since it has but recently been put in execution,
and none of the hundred thousand men who,
for thirty years, have combined to perfect the
railway, have turned their attention to this.
IL is easy to conceive that tits capable of much
greater extension. First, supports can be made
of east iron and two wire ropes, or, perhaps,
rails, used; and instead Of one section Of few