The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1876-10-13
our Centennial Letter.

Our Centennial Letter.
PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 9th, 1876.
Just beyond the west end of Ma
chinery Hall, in the open air, is the
first locomotive ever run in America,
and which was attached to two passen-
ger cars such as were used in 1888.
Both the locomotive, cars and the
track upon which they stand, are such
curiosities in their way, in comparison
to those used to-day, that give below
full description of them. The rails
are not attached to wooden cross-ties,
but to great squares stones, upon
which are placed thin blocks of wood,
as it was considered unsafe in those
days to run an engine which
weighed tons on rails affixed to any
thing so frail as wood. The rails are
much lighter than those used to-day,
were rolled in England, and then ship
ped TO America at great expense. The
locomotive, "John Bull" was built in
England in 1881, and then shipped 20
America. On the arrival of this loco
motive at Bordentown, Pa, it was
transferred from the sloop, on which
1t had been brought from Philadelphia.
by means of wagons to the only per-
manent track of the Camden & Amboy
r. r. Co., then completed, about -
of mile in length, and about one mile
from Bordentown. The machinery
was then put together and a tender
constructed from whiskey hogshead
placed on a small four wheel platform
car, which had been used by the con-
tractor in the construction
of the road. The connection
between the pamp OF the locomotive
and the water-tank was made by
means of leather hose made by
shoemaker. This engine first began
to run in 1888, and took the place of
horses; which had been used up to
that time.
The cylinders are nine inches in
diameter, have twenty inch stroke.
and are placed underneath the front
end OF the boiler, in between the two
front driving wheels. There are two
pair OF these driving wheels, four feet
six inches in diameter. which are not
coupled together, so that the force of
the steam on the piston is exerted on
the rear pair alone. The cow-catcher
consists of two long wooden beams,
winch nave their rear ends pivoted to
the outside ends of the shaft of the
front pair of driving wheels, while the
front ends of the beams are supported
upon special pair of wheels three feet
in diameter. In order to prevent this
catcher from raising upward too high,
1t is held down upon the rails by q
Coiled spring. There is no cab for the
engineer and fireman, and the only
protection whf tever given to them
from the cold, heat, wind, rain and
snow, is that the front end OF the roof
of the little tender projects slightly
over the rear end of the locomotive,
The funniest feature is a covered box
that forms the tender, and which seat
Is turned so that the person sitting in
1t looks back over the train. What
that seat is for l cannot imagine, I'M
less person was placed in it to keep
a watch on the cows, and to let the
engineer know when they were catch
ing up, SO that be could go little fas-
ter, and thus prevent them from walk
|
two cars are each about thirty feet
long, and look more like the sBIack
Mariahs" that are used to convey pris-
oners from the different stations. than
passenger cars. The windows are
about II inches high, by inches wide,
are not made to be raised or opened,
and are furnished with sliding curtains.
Above each seat Is d Yentilator feet
long by 6 inches wide, so that each
one can Ventilate tor himself
In Machinery Hall there are about a
dozen locomotives of all kinds and
sides, one of which is one of sixteen
purchased by Dom Pedro to be sent
TO Brazil, and is named after him.
The locomotives built in England and
America differ principally in two par
ticulars. The Americans place their
cylinders outside of the driving wheels.
while the English place theirs in be-
tween them, under the front end of
the boiler. The Americans never use
driving wheels larger than about five
feet In diameter, while the English
have always made them from 6H TO
SO feet in diameter. As long as the
track is perfectly level, these immense
wheels are just what is nee led, but as
soon as grades are encountered, theY
only impede the progress of the train.
and the English are now beginning TO
realize this, and are disregarding these
immense drivers and adopting the
American plan of never having them
over about five feet. To the Americans
are due some of the finest and best
Improvements in the locomotive.
America has built the largest passen-
ger engine ever made, also, the largest
coupled engine, but the latter was a
failure, owing to the false theory on
which it was built. As general thing
the English run their cars faster than
the Americans, but this is owing to
better ballasted roads, and more uni
form levels. The best work put by
Americans upon their engines is only
aoont equal TO the ordinary work of
the English, owing to the fact that the
English haYe better skilled woFkmen.
and better metal TO work with. There
Is duty of 80 per cent. on locomotives,
but even if this duty were removed
the English could find no market in
America for their engines.
In the extreme western end of the
glounds is glass factory, where the
whole process of making tumblers. and
other glass articles NAV be seen
About the only improvements that
appears to have been adopted in this
art for nearly twenty years, is the use
of steam engine for the purpose of
comprising or blowing air, which Is
conducted around in pipes TO the differ
ent moulds, tor the purpose of cooling
on the plungers of the moulds. Among
the many articles on exhibition and
for sale is glass bonnet, made in the
latest style. Every part with the ex-
ceDtiOn of the LINING ia mazda Of 49,