The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-11-14
Steam VS.. Sinews.


one new dummy engine, on the Bleeker
street road, which has heavier grades and
sharper and more numerous curves than
auy other in Philadelphia. Should it sue
ceed there, it is concluded that it would
easily run anywhere on ordinary tracks.
The Record states that this is only one OF
several steam devices which have been sug-
gested by the failure Of morse power, caused
by the epidemic, while different invention
contemplates the use OF compressed air in
place OF steam. Man never appreciates as
they deserve oil his advantages, whether
natural or the results OF invention and dis
covery, until he is deprived OF them. The
usefulness, the convenience and the comfort
OF the street-car system are beginning to be
understood now as they never were before,
as we'll as the inestimable value OF that
much-abused and oppressed servant OF man,
the horse, to domestic life and the whole
machinery OF business. II the pestilence
among horses shall lead to more merciful
and humane treatment OF that reliable anil
NAL, it will not be without compensating
benefit.
A general anxiety has been manifested
since the total or partial embargo OF street
railway lines, caused by the horse disease,
for the introduction OF some machinery
which shall be q suitable substitute for horse
power. The New York Nation, reviewing
the present reliance placed upon horse
power for street travel, we'll says "that
'there is one good that may come out OF the
'pestilence, and, perhaps, must come out
'of it, and that is the total withdrawal
sol the horse from the regular passenger
''trafic Of large cities. The way in
"which our car and omnibus horses are now
"worked and lodged ought to have brought
'a horse plague long ago, and the stables
sought to have produced man plague. II
s'people are to be transported on rails, the
'work ought to be done by steam engines OF
'some kind, even in the Streets" The liza
bility OF steam fire engines to suffer in the
same way from lack OF horses has caused
serious apprehension in New York, and, by
way Of experiment, day or two ago a
steam fire engine ran down Broadway at
good pace without accident. 1t was guided
with the greatest facility. All these facts
serve as indications to the awakening Of
popular interest in the subject OF new mo-
tive power for street travel.
In O. recent letter on the horse disease
Mr.. Bergh pointed out that the true moral OF
the calamity should be to substitute machi-
merry for horsefesh in drawing the street
cars, thus avoiding repetition OF the pres
ent loss and trouble, while solving the
problem OF swiiser travel in cities. Another
question has been suggested by these dis
cussions, which is, whether steam motive
power may not be substituted for horses on
ordinary roads, the greatest difficulties to be
overcome being roads properly constructed
for the purpose, which is not regarded as in
and steering power, which, how
ever, the inventive genius Of the country,
il stimulated by liberal encouragement
might be able to supply. If steam engine
could be made to run down such street as
Broadway, in New York, at good pace
without accident it would seem to be quite
practicable to guide it with equal facility on
roads prepared for the purpose. 1t Is GER
talnly desirable, in regard to street railroads,
essential as they are to the convenience OF
large communities, and the increase oitheir
area and suburban populations, that they
should not be dependent on motive power
liable to such an abrupt and universal
failure as bas just been caused by the horse
disease.