, 1872-04-13

Is not more IMAM ID lHClleS ny 4 Cd Ue broken DY IL
and the size of road metal required can be regulated
by turning a screw at the lower end of the Jaws.
Road Engines.-With regard to your Excellency's
wish for a report about Thomson's Road Engines, |
thought it desirable to inquire into the merits of any
other traction engines now before the public, and there
fore placed myself in communication with the principal
manufacturers, and also obtained a good deal Of infor-
nation from the Secretary of the ROYAL Anricu tnral
Society about their late trials of traction engines.
They may be divided into two classes those with iron
tyres ana those with indIa-rubber. / enclose estimates
based on the prices ofMessrs. AveIing and Porter, and
Messrs. Ransomes q Sims. The former firm gained
the Royal A griculturaI SOCiety's prize last year for traC
ton engines with an engine with iron tyres, and Messrs'
Ransomes and Sims have constructed several of Thorn
sons india rubber tyre engines for the Indian Govern
ment. After careful consideration | am of opinion that
tn e requirements of this colony will be best met by one
Of Thomson's engines, The hills in most parts Of the co.
lOny are steep, while the bridges are not strong enough
10 bear any unusual weight it will, therefore, be neces-
sary to procure an engine flight weight, out high trac-
ton power, and these qualities the Thomson's road en-
CINE eminently possesses. Its weight IS rather
more than half that of the iron tyre engines,
while its traction power is far greater.
The mode of working WOuId be as follows tho
Stone breaker and two or til rec trucks being coupled
10 the engine would be drawn at a rate Of about five
miles an hour to any spot on the roads where good
stone could be found the engine would be then I'M
coupled, the driving wheels thrown out of gear, andtAe
engine connected with the S,One-breaker by a driving
strap. This change would De effected in a few minutes.
After a sufficient quantity of macadam had then been
made by the Stone breaker, the trucks would be hIled
and drawn by the engine to any part Of the road where
repairs were necessary. The management Of the tram
could Oe lett TO one man and a boy, apart of course
from The necessary labourers quarring stone, feeding
the Stone-breaker, and spreading the macadam. 1t IS
hardly possible to furnish your EXceIlency with an es-
innate based on matchmaking the roads by hand Ia
bOur. the stone bpIu1 TRANSMITTED nv carts SDCh a
system would be exceedingly expensive, and involve
many casualties by loss of stock, scarcity of labour,
and difficulty of supervision. TO give an idea Of the
Comparative merits of the engines ard manual systems,
1t may be stated that the Stone-breakor and Engine
would make one mile of road s feet wide, and having
macadam 5 inches thick, in 81 days, while the same
distance would require at least 50 men working for the
same time. In conclusion, | may add that though /
have not yet been enabled to visit all he roads OF this
colony, | am, 50 far, most strongly Of opinion that
whether by the Stone. breaker, or other means, it Will
be necessary to use macadam in almost all cases ifthe
roads are to be made servlCesble. In the roads l have
already inspected, i. e. from 81. Georges to Grcenville
through st. DaVid5 and from Grenyiile to st. Georges
by the Lake, a total distance of SO miles, there is only
about 7 miles of road, viz. some 81 miles on each side
of the Lake, where the engine and stone-breaker could
not 90. The first outlay IS no doubt high, but once
properly made the roads will last for many years with
trihing annual repairs. Abundance of excellent stone
can frequently be found, and with a Stone-breaker and
Tract ton Engine there would be no difficulty in put
ting the main roads throughout jhe colony in thorough
~ good order.
I forward for your Excellency's information price
Lists and illustrations of the various engines.
ESTIMATE.
One Blake's patent Stone-breaker, mounted on
wheels and adapted to be drawn by a Road
steamer, complete. ...,,. ESQ 0 0
Freight and packing '.,..... 20 0 0