Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-02-28

One ~ the-rnoet remarkable irven-
t;ons of the dav Is 3 new, elevated, one
mil steam road. designed eDd patented
by Capt. J.v. Aeius, Of boston' which
aeems 10 be adapted 70 all the purpose
of any ordinary railroad. and msny
more. and for AN account ct vh,cn We
are indebted to''the Mail. Of Lo~eh
That paper saws Capt. Mei9s' pa'en
has proved the seeming parodo1. 'na' I"
IN practical. easy and safe for steam
propelled cars TO be driven upon a SIN
oislrail. elevated upon posts ct any con
yeuient HIGHT above the surface OF tne
ground. -And n peculiar and sfriK'hs
feature of the system is thefac' 1t wouio
appear next to impossible to derai'
train. even IL every wheel OF every car.
and az the locomotive besides, slouia
ba broken or lost of. 7s7The practise
means by which this great degree OF
security is attained j. would be difficult
to explsin without drawings, but thai
such safety il assured is plain to the
dullest perception upon inspection OF
the plans Of models. From the fac'
that the use OF elevated railways has
hitherto been confined 10 city streets IL
Il il difficult for the public To com.'re-
bend that such a system can be applied
profitably TO general railway commune
cation. and still harder ia 1t to under
stand that for such general purposes IL
Ia in many pointassuperior to the plan OF
surfaoe roads that have been IN COM
mon use since railways were invented
But such is the cage. The Meigs sys-
tenn can be extended across the country
in any direction. II requires no roao
bed as do the present railways; 1t G u
traverse valleys, climb hills, turn sharp
curves, and span ravines and cross nv
ora without bridges; the cost OF con
struction is much less, and the expense
for maintenance and repairs il reduced
70 mere fraction Of that now required
all grade crossings of highways or other
railways are avoided, and neither fences
gates or oulverts are needed anywhere
on line.
Add To these advantages a wonderful
saving in friction aud consequent wear
of rails, running gear and machinery,
greatly increased traction power IN the
engines, with n remarkable augmenta-
ton in speed. combined with almost
absolute immunity from the most ire
quent and dangerous accidents to which
trains are now constantly exposed, ana
It will be readily perceived that railways
may be operated on this new plan great
" in tho interest of the public, with
fares reduced far below those made
necessary to pay for the expensive con
struotion, high cost Of maintenance,
and losses by accident of the surface
roads,
II this invention Is what 1t seems to
be. the matter ia OF more than local in
forest. Tho demonstration Captain
Meigs is able to make that his invention
combines high speed with safety, Meth
or broken rails or wheels producing &C
cident, the severcst winter storms I'M
impeding travel nor even affecting
speed. and all ut less cost, makes it an
affair OF national, nay, of worldwide
importance, that he be allowed opportu-
nifty to put his invention to n practical
tcst, which he cannot do without the
legislation he seeks to obtain and which
neither private interests nor baseless
prejudiccs should be allowed to hinder.
II his invention proves to be as success
full in practice rs there seems To be
every reasonable assurance of its doing,
II will rank in importance with the
greatest scientific and mechanical
achievements of this wonderfully in
vsntivs age, and will mark progress
sion in the means of land transportation
that will quickly supersede tho present
system Of surface railways.