The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1884-05-29

~ - e@a Ves0a4a8s
The following account "a taken from
a paper published in England in 1892,
and will be read with some curiosity
and amusement by the people of to-
day:
Some time before the Liverpool Rail
way was opened contest took place on
II between three different steam coaches
the Rocket. constructed by Mr..
Stevenson; the Sansparel, by Mr..
Hankwerth and the Novelty. by Messrs.
Braithwait " Ericsson for a prize of
100, offered by the directors to that
which should accompl sh the greatest
distance IN the shortest time. On this
occasion the Rocket, which gained the
PRIZE. went over the space of thirty
Niles IN two hours ak minutes and
forty nine seconds, being at the aver
age of fourteen and fifth miles per
hour. But in the course of the Jour
ney 1t sometimes proceeded ut the rate
OF above twenty-nine miles an hour,
and Its slowest motion was about eleven
and half miles In that time. In May
last, DIR. Lardner saw the engine called
the Victory draw ON the same railroad
the weight of ninety-two tons nineteen
cwt. and one quarter, in twenty
wagons. together with the tender con-
tanning fuel and water, from Liverpool
to Manchester, distance of thirty
miles. in one hour thirty-four minutes
and forty-fve seconds, besides ten
minutes spent in taking in water. The
speed on this occasion was in some
places twenty-five and one-half miles
AN hour, and on level ground, whore
there was no wind, it was generally
twenty miles an hour, On another
day, the engine called the Samson drew
fifty wagons. laden with merchant Sc,
and, with itself, making gross weight
Of above $50 tons, the same distance in
two hours and forty minutes, exclusive
OF delays upon the road for watering,
etc., the rate of motion having varied
from nine to sixteen miles per hour,
per hour. The coke consumed In this
Journey was l,762 pounds, or quarter
of pound per ton per mile. The at
tendance required is only an engine
man and a fire-boy, the former of whom
is paid shilling and pence for each
trip. and the latter l shilling. The
expense of the original construction of
the engines, however, and of their wear
and tear il very great, though
not nearly 30 great on the lat
ter account, DIR. Iardner assures
us, as has been sometimes stated.
The price of one of the most
improved engines at first is about g500.
and it will travel from 200 to so, 600
miles without costing as much more for
repairs. Notwithstanding many extra
expenses which this undertaking, as the
first of the kind, has had to bear, and
from the experience purchased by which
future spectators will profit. it has
been perfectly successful in CONNER
cial point of view The profits on the
capital invested have been from the
first above per cent. per annum; and
during the latter six months Of 1881, it
was at the Fate of above 8 per cent. per
annum, and It has since probably ex-
ceeded that amount The original E10O
shares already sell for above e20J. On
the other hand the advantages to the
public have been as great as to the pro-
pEietors. Fully 100000 passengers
now pass by the railroad in the course
of the year between Liverpool and
Manchester, or four times AZ many as
used formerly to make the journey.
The transferenoe of merchandise Is also
effected both with Infinitely greater
speed, and at vast reduction of OK
peuse.'
In October, 1880, parliamentary
committee made the following report
Il. That carriages can be propelled
by steam on common roads at an aver
age rate OF ten miles per hour.
90. That at this rate they have con-
veyed upward of fourteen passengers.
"3. That their weight, including en-
CINE. fuel, water, and attendants, may
be under three ton.
al. That they can ascend and descend
hills of considerable inclination with
facility and safety.
%. That they are perfectly safe for
passengers.
"6. That they are not Tor need not be.
If properly constructed) nuisances to
the public.
81. That they will become q speedier
and cheaper mode Of conveyance than
carriages drawn by horses.
50. That, as they admit of greater
breadth of tire than other carriages,
and as the roads are not acted on so
injuriously as by the feet of horses in
common draught. such carriages will
cause less wear OF roads than coaches
drawn 10y horses.
-. That rates OF toll have been inn
posed on steam-c carriages. which would
prohibit their being used on several
lines of road, were such charges per-
mitted to remain unaltered.'
Romance Of Crime.
One Sabbath morning in the summer
of 1888 the dead body of burglar was
found at the bottom of the hatchway of
Kilgour & Taylor. prominent whole
sale house m Cincinnati The circum-
stances Of the case seemed TO indicate
that the movements OF the burglar had
awakened clerk who 81, pit in the store,
and that the former. in endeavoring TO
mako good his escape to the lower
story, had missed his hold upon the
rope and fell to the bottom, dashing
<,,,@ lie hra,po I,v tba foil The footrroo