The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1871-09-07
ORDERS SOLICITED.
RAILROAD oRowTH.
5omell llntersstiug Facts Of the Growth or
Railroads in the United States.

RAILROAD oRowTH.
| somellntersstiug Facts Of the Growth Of
Railroads in the United States.
i The following extracts are taken
from contribution to the Philadel-
phia North American:
i Americans, generally speaking,
appear to have a limited degree OF
information in regard to the history
OF the locomotive and of steam trav-
cling. a!H
| "Few of this day are aware that.
as early as 1909. twenty years be.
fore tho trial trip on tho Liverpool
and Manchester Railway, Oliver
Evans endeavored to establish rail
way between New York and Phila-
delphia, offering to embark every
dollar he was worth in the enterprise.
Yet such is the fact.
"There being no railways in
America, Afr. Evans, in 1887, sent
draughts and specifications Of his
plans to England by Captain Mas
ters, of Annapolis, Maryland. In
1794-5, he again sent thither his
plans by Joseph Stacy Sampson, of
Boston, Mass, and yet again in 1899
he sent thither his plan by Charles
Taylor. In short, from the fact that
Richard Trevithick, who in 1902
patented in England tho high-pres-
sure locomotive, introduced into
Cornwall the cylindrical. .f1uc boiler
invented by Oliver Evans for his
high pressure engine, there is hardly
Il reasonable doubt but that he ap-
propriated without acknowledgment
the inventions Of Mr.. Evans.
"Oliver Evans plan for railway
was that 1t be laid so nearly level as
not to deviate in any place more
than two degrees from q horizontal
line, made Of wood or iron, on smooth
parks of broken stone or gravel, with
rail TO guide the carriages, so that
they may pass each other in differ
ent directions, and travel by night as
well as by day.
The sole reason why the locomO.
tive was not used on rails in America
years before it was in Great Britain,
was because its inventor (Oliver
Evans) had not of his own means
sufficient to build railway, and he
could not induce Americans OF his
day to subscribe one dollar.
"Hence it was that he aimed To
run his device on turnpikes, and in
vited cooperation, pointing at the
time to the eminent success Of his ele.
yator, the hopper-boy, and his other
inventions, which had revolutionized
the manufacture Of flour; to his in
vention for making machine cards,
rs evidences Of the general correct
ness of his views, but he failed to OBJ
tain cooperation, and, unlike the
moro fortunate Watt (who had en-
listed for his low-pressure engine
men of capital,) Mr.. Evans was COM
pelled to furnish himself both the
material and pecuniary means for
those practical demonstrations which
he from time to time conducted, and
referring back to which, some thirty
years sfterward, Elijah Galloway,
the British writer on steam, declared
proved Oliver Evans to be not only
the true inventor of the locomotive,
but.also OF the first practical steam
boat.
Unable to move his countrymen,
Mr.. Evans rendered the following
remarkable prophecy:
"' The present generation will use
canals, the next will prefer railroads,
with horses, but their more enlight-
ened successors will employ steam
carriages on railways, AS the perfec-
ton Of tho art Of conveyance. In
the meantime the steam carriage
may be tested, even on the present
turnpikes.'
Gas Oliver Evans died in 1919,
aud the above prediction was render
ed several years prior to his death,
none, with the events of to-day in
view, can fail TO remark it's perfect
fulfillment.
= =, !" In 1902, Oliver Evans agreed
with James McKeever, of kentucky,
Gather of the late Commodore Nc
Keevor, United States Navy,) and
Louis Valcourt, to build boat to
run on the Mississippi, between New
Orleans and Natchez. The engine
(Mr. Evans high pressure engine.)
was built in Phiiadeiphia, and the
boat in Kentucky; both were sent
to New Orleans, but when the en-
gine arrived out, it was found that
that the boat had been destroyed by
u hurricane. The engine was then
set to saving timber in New Orleans,
and Mr.. Stackhouse (one of the en-
gineers,) who remained with it
twelve months and fifteen days,
states that during that period the
mill was constantly at work, his
word being:
IS Nothing relating to the engine
broke or got out of order so as to
stop the mill one hour
IS This was the kind of engine sent
by Oliver Evans to drive steamboat
against tho current OF the Mississippi,
five years before Robert Fulton Start
cd tho Clermont on the Hudson.
ain 1903, Mr.. Evans having built
u dredging machine (belioved to be
the first worked by steam) to clean
the docks Of the port OF Philadel-
phia, he embraced the opportunity
to practically demonstrate that navi-
CATION by steam was feasible, by put
ting the engine on scow in the
River Schuylkill, and converting the
scow into a stern-W heel steambo
made it propel its way down that
river to the Delaware, and thence up
TO Philadelphia, passing all the yes
sells in the river. This, four years
before Fulton started steamboat"
The Washington county Press tells
this yarn: ''There are many Ger
mans on the east line Of our county,
near Marshall, who belong to the
sAhmish' Church, if that is tho cor
rect spelling. The old stagers toler-
ate no buttons on their clothes, but