The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-04-21

for the conveyance of loaded ships that
have to be lifted bodily from the ocean
we think Capt. Eads' suggestion of a
capacious carof great strength and mount
ed on a much greater numb er of wheels
and trucks than ordinary railways pos
sess, has suggestion in it that may
have future Importance to railway trans
portation. We recently commented
upon shipment from st. Louis and
New Orleans by five ,barges containing
the equivalent of six hundred car loads
or some three hundred thousand bush
els of corn. No railway, as at
present constructed, can compete
with river transportation on a
scale like this, and we see no reason
why if engineers of Captain Eads' ex-
perience believe it possible to lift ships
from the sea and convey them over rail-
ways in safety, that cars having the ca
pacity of steamboat barges may not be
constructed for transporting $4,000 or
100000 bushels of grain each from the
west to the sea board on a truck and
car specially constructed for the pur-
pose.
We see it stated in an Eastern ex-
change that the Baldwin Locomotive
Works are now constructing locomotive
to be run over the Bound Brook Route,
between Philadelphia and New York,
capable of running 80 miles in 80 min
utes. This engine will differ in some es-
sential particulars from the ordinary rail
road locomotive, having but one pair of
driving wheels instead of two
small ones, as is usual, but this
pair will be 81 feet in diameter,
and the weight of the whole affair is to
be $4,000 pounds. 1t win have water
tank holding 1900 gallons, so as to make
the entire distance between New York
and Philadelphia in one hour and half
instead of two hours, the best now attain
able. This new departure in locomotive
building is a step that may possibly
be the precursor of further changes
in railroad machinery, and taken
in connection with the suggestions
made by Capt. Eads of what is possible
in multiplying tracks, and incre asing
the force of steam motors, looks as
though far greater degree of railroad
development is possible than we have
been dreaming Of hitherto. In the dis
cussion before the House Committee the
following interesting testimony was
educed:
The Chairman - But you have twelve
rails Suppose an accident should occur,
and that one be displaced under the car on
which your ship is resting. You would
have q weight of 6,000 or 5000 tons; have
you thought of any possibility of raising
the mass?
Mr.. Eads-Every wheel is independent
of its fellow, any wheel that breaks or be-
Icomes derailed or meets with any accident,
can be taken out and replaced without
raising the mass. The proportion of the
strength of one wheel to the strength OF the
whole number OF wheels is so insignificant
that it conld be broken to pieces without
the possibility of deraling the Others
Where you have only two rails, if one
wheel gets off, the deralment of the other
wheel is almost inevitable; but if you have
four rails, an accident to one of the wheels
will not necessarily throw the other three
off their rails. Ii you have twelve rails
there is still less possibility Of derailment
The great length of the car also prevent:
derallment, because there would be the
hanches of SO many perfect wheels to re
sist it.
The struggle for supremacy betweel
the railroads and the river in the carry
ing of the great grain products of tn
Northwest has reached an interesting
point, and we shall be surprised if tn
next few years do not mark new de
parture as great, almost, as the invention
of the locomotive itself.