The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1869-03-18
The Invention OF the Locomotive.

From the Western Railroad Gazette.
We are indebted to Mr.. Brose Z. Fan
ming, an inventor Of this city, for num-
ber of clippings from newspapers pub
lished between 1929 and 1892, among
which are reports of the early
English experiments with locomotives.
together with editorial reflections on the
probable importance Of the invention.
In the Troy Sentinel, of Dec 4th, 1929,
is an account of the experiments with the
locomotives offered for the prize of $500
by the directors of the Liverpool & Man
chester Railway Company:
"The carriages entered were the follow
ing - The Novelty weight 2 tons, Is
cwt., by Messrs. Braithwaite & Erickson,
of London; The Sans Pareil,' tons, s
cwt., 2 qrs, by Mr.. Ackworth, of Darling
ton; The Rocket 4 tons, 2 cwt, by Mr.
Robert Stephenson, of Newcastle-upon-
tyne, and The Perseverance, tons, II
cwt., by Mr. Burstall, of Edinburgh.
Besides these, which were all moved by
steam, there was another carriage brought
to the ground, not so much as a competi-
tor for the prize, as for the purpose of ex-
hibitiOn: it was moved by tr0 horses, and
was named the 'Cycloped,' weighing three
tons.
The Rocket, without any load, went at
the rate of "a miles an hour, and with a
load of 10 tons, 10 cwt., at the rate of 1015
miles an hour, for II miles. The course
was / mile and q long, with furlong at
each end for stopping, turning and getting
under way. This was one exhibition.
At another day, when the Rocket was put
to work forthe prize, she actually travelled
7S miles on the short course above named,
with her loaded wagons attached, at the
rate of elecen miles an hour, Including stop
pages. On another occasion, this carriage,
wholly divested of all appendages, and
with no weight but that of the engine car
riage, ran seyen miles in IA minutes, which
is at the rate of 80 miles an hour
"But the performance of the Novelty
was the most surprising. With load of
6 tons 2cwt, making with her own weight
more than 10 tons, she went at one trial,
at the average of 161l miles nearly, on the
short course referred to, and it was, on
that occasion, judged that if she could
have made continued journey along the
road, without wasting power and losing
speed by frequent turning, she would easi-
ly have moved with her load, at the rate Of
90 miles an hour! At another time, hel
wagons being unloaded, 40 persons got
into them, and she moved with them at
the averaging rate of 30 miles an hour!
In the New York Courier and Enquirer
of Dec. 1, 1929, is the following:
LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEs.-The expert
ments lately made in England with the
Locomotive Engines on the various rail
ways, have excited great surprise and ad-
miration, and are opening new era for
the most extraordinary improvements IN
travelling ever made.
"a London paper referring to the sub
ject Observes
"sThe engine of Braithwaite and Erickson
moved at the astonishing speed of 2S miles an
hour 1t seemed indeed (says a spectator) to fly
presenting one of the most sublime spectacles
of human ingenuity and human daring the world
ever beheld. II actually made one giddy to look
at 1t, and filed thousands with lively fear for the
safety of the individuals who were on it, and who
seemed not to run along the earth, but to fly as IT
were on the wings of the wind. IL was most
sublime sight-a sight indeed which the individu-
ais who beheld ii will not soon forget
SHOULD nothipgintervenet to check the
prospects which railways hold out, the
Improvement will carry us far beyond
ANYTHING that steamboats, can accomplish.
A railway between New York and Phila-
delphia, with Locomotive Engines, would
enable passengers to breakfast in this city,
dine at Philadelphia, and return to New
York TO supper and in the transporta-
tion of merchandise, will do away at once
with water carriage. We live in a won
derful age, and nothing should surprise
us"
This newspaper was not alone in fore