The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-11-02
THE LATEST THING IN VAR.
Fraction Engines Drawing Army
Trains.
ANancy correspondent of the London Tele.

ANancy correspondent OF the London Tele-
graph says:
I now pass to subject which, from the COM
pete success OF the trials will form for the future
q most important part In modern war. alludo
to the employment OF steam I0r Inc parpISSe Ss UI
guns from one place to another IN an eneInys
country, where the railroads are eitner orohen up
been employing traction engines for agrlcnltu-
raj purposes, particularly for steam ploughlng.
Mesyrs Fowler & Sons, OF Leeds, arc very large
manufacturers; anu employing, Us ,h Loy ot ~, r."
time when the war broke out Two engines were
found to be lying In the dock at CeestennIue,
consigned TO Il certain Saxon farmer VINO aao
been called TO take his place among the ranks OF
his countryulen i take the opportunity OF men,
tioniug this, because Prussia has IN no way yo-
lated any law or neutrality by the appropria.
tlon of these engines; and when 1t was proposel
to General Won MoltSc 70 employ EnG!isn Work-
fused to commit what lie considered oreacn OF
the neutrality which England has Imposed upon
herself. The engines were placed under the dl
rection of Mr. Topper, and sent to Pont-a-
MouSson after successfully achieving pre-
hminary trial at Msgdeburg. Al Pont-a-
Mousson they were uiloaded, and as soon
rs they we're ready they started With q train OIL
twelve wagons, tied together by CHAINS, neavmy WY
Journey was accomplished In eighteen hours
without any mIshap, and the engines were driven
over q road where tho gradients In some places
were one in eight. The distance was about thirty
miles, and no one knew where either water or
coal could be procured on the road. wagon
fllled with water-casks ooytated one dlmculty,
whilst wood and refuse did duty for the other.
The engines ore now employed In taking locomo-
tiyes IN pieces, to be put together In Commercy,
80 as at once to set up railway communication
oteween that town, Sedan, Rheims, Bar-le. DUO,
Yerdun and Ohalons. Under these circumstances
It will be seen that, Rs far as the iortresscs OF
Metz and Toul are concerned, thcir efforts to
neutralize or prevent railway communication
have been rendered entirely abortlve by the
employment Of two steam ploughlng or trac-
csun saunot sf but be struck with the Importance
OF this new and simple feature, anu nave nso,s
taken care to make myself Thoroughly acqualntea
with the working details Of matter which shoold
at once engage the serious attention OF our gov
ernment. the engines are constructed as fol
lows They are OF twenty horse power, anu are
built upon the locomotive principle tnese are tWo
cylinders OF. nine inches diameter inside, plaeeu
upon muItitubular double riyeted boiler, capable
OF working OF one hundred and nfty poenus pres.
sure on the square inch. A steel crank smart OF
fourteen inch stroke, having q SILT pnion Keyed
upon 1t, by means OF three intermediate shalts
and gearing, all in steel, communicates the power
to the driving hind wheels OF the engine; the
power is reduced from one hundred and 11ty
revolutions per minute Of the crank SHAFT to seven
latter are six feet six inches In diameter, and
twenty.four inches wide In the tlre-thus pre-.
senting 8 considerable frIctional surface to
the road; the front end OF the boiler rests
upon an axle, and two wheels OF three
feet six inches in diameter and twenty
inches in breadth; q cup Joint at the place whore
the boiler takes its bearing allows the fore car.
riage to adapt itself TO any trregulartty on the
road and TO facilitate the steering gear This lat.
ter Is OF the simplest description. Two long rods
extend from the fore axle to the extreme Dack OF
the engine underneath the boiler, ending IN
spending wheel. This Is fastened to spur wheel
two and half feet IN diameter, and, by means OF
hand wheel attacked to an upright SHAFT and
small pinon, the steersman, who stands on small
platform attached to theputside or the tender or
the engine, obtains sufficient power to move the
leading wheels into any angle sufhcient TO guide
the engine round a corner. The most important
and the most useful addition to these engines lies,
however, In the winding. apparatus Under the
centre OF the boiler, exactly 10 the middle,
and revolving upon strong stand, is placed In q
drum, capable Of holding five hundred yards
OF seyen-eighCh inch steel wire rope. BY
means Of an upright shaft and bevel gearing
can be put In motion, and ls ready to haul, at
distance Of $50 yards, aload equal to three and
half tons strain upon the rope. This winding
gear Is really most essential adjunct to trac.
| ton engine; for by means Of 1t heavy guns can
| be dragged up steep acclivities. The engine
weighs about seventeen tons when empty, anu
the driver, standing in front Of the fire box, has
| Of each such machine is, believe f1000. From
what have seen Of the engines and their trial,
! am more than convinced OF their immense I'm.
portance In times Of war, and also OF their prac1
cal and enduring usefulness. would, however
suggest that the tender be made larger, In order
for the purpose Of ploughing field.
L