Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1877-08-28
For the SPECTATOR.
Gen. ImbOden'S Engine.

NH. EDITOR since the appearan ce
OF the article from Col. cClure's paper,
the Philadelphia Times, the first notice
OF this engine the public have had, moth
ing has been said about it, and this has
excited remark and given courage to
tnat unfortunately large class who claim
direct descent from the doubling Apos-
tie Thomas to begin their earnings and
criticisms, II told you So" another
car-greaser," "another patent coal car"
all exceedingly alike, all closely akin,
and as likely to be useful as that i'm
mense trap to catch quails, sometimes
called the Heavens" but an indispen-
slble requisite to its usefulness, not fully
provided for in the patent, is pair Of
triggers to insure its falling.
Not SO fast friends; the proper time
Tor preaching your jeremiads has not
yet arrived.
Before the street-car engine was put
on the track, it was determined, on the
part of its inventor, that it should be
perfect to the dotting of every and the
crossing of every t. The few gentlemen
of liberal and generous hearts, and full
purses, who, at the first, seconded his
efforts in the introduction Of that desid-
eratum the world over, which has made
all men the hearty sympathizers with
Berg in his praiseworthy efforts to light
en- the toll of that noble servant of man
the hOrse-and substitute for it the
steam-car, agreed most heartily with
the General in this wise caution, to .fes-
tina lente-hasten slowly.
1t was discovered he realized one of
lis fears, when the engine was building,
that the fire.hearth was few inches too
small, and slight addition to the ca
pacity of the boiler was necessity to
insure sufficient amount of steam to
overcome any grade. These changes
involved some delay, of course.
We have seen an extract from a pri-
waite letter from gentleman of Wash
ington city, who has been spending
some days in Philadelphia, to a gentle
man in this county, in which he re-
ferred to Gen. Imboden's engine, and
before quoting his remarks about it, we
will take the liberty of saying he is one
of the most practical men, and has a
greater quantity of that too rare COM
modify in these last days, common
sense, than any one we know.
His attention was called to it some
weeks since by a friend, and he has scru-
tinized it in every part most thorough
ly, and such is the degree of confidence
the writer has in his judgment, he would
not exchange his opinion for that of any
one else in wide range of acquaintance.
including some practical machinists.-
I may say that his name and his char
acter will be brought prominently be-
fore the people of these United States
this Winter, and in such a way that
neither he nor his friends will have
any cause to blush therefor. He is en-
tirely disinterested as between Gen. I'm.
boden and President Hayes or Jim
Blaine, or any one else.
His letter from Philadelphia bears
date 18th inst, and says;
LAS regards Gen. ItnbOden's engine,
| can only say 1t is G. success. There has
been a necessity for some changes, and
great Improvements have been made,
which cover the only objection of any
Importance that has been made by prac-
tical men to the construction of the
whole machine. The new fire. box and
enlarged boiler arrangements are now
about complete and will be put in place
day, SO that during the week the
whole thing will be ready for demon
stration; and as to the result, I don't
think there is room for O. doubt.
P. ST. have delayed mailing this
letter, as [ was expecting something
more in regard to the engine To-day
(17th) was up, and can now say the
thing will be on the street possibly to-
morrow night. 1t is now a success as
an engine-no question about 1t. The
fireman of that immense works, one of
the very largestin the city, is now maxi
ing draft of an engine on this princi-
pie for stationary use, SO you see they
must think there is something in it.
even outside its application to street
cars.
Why, it may be asked, put it on the
street after night? For the reason the
street cars run every few minutes up to
midnight, Immediately after which
they stop for one hour, and in this hour
it will be put on MARKET STREET.