The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-11-15

View 0ftne danger OF Amortceu
Composition to European Makers.
That a new country. as North America
must still be regarded from many points OF
view, should be able to supply its W needs
IL in itself a remarkable fact. This, however.
does not seem 10 satisfy tho activity Of It's
people, with which Europe will have to count
In future, on the battle-ground Of industry.
The news that comes TO US from the United
States Of an order for 10 locomotives for
Russia, placed with the Baldwin works OF
PHILADELPHIA, will DE received with q certain
degree of surprise on this side Of the Az.
iantic, especially II. az we are told. this order
a 10 be followed by more important ones.
Already in the matter of furnishing railroad
material American constructors had taken
possession or the South American market, and
were carrying ON q formidable competition
against the English In their own colonies. es'
pecialIy in New Zsaland and Australia, but
IL was hardly expected that they should bs seen
obtaining a foothold in Europe. Now. In
what concerns more especially tho railroad
materials OF which we speak here. this sue
cess Is not due to the commercial ability and
skill OF the Americans. II depends. above all.
on Industrial and technical causes. which II
is, perhaps, just as we'll TO recall hers.
The types from which modern American
locomotives have grown were selected from
the point Of view OF being suitable to run in
light roads, often poorly constructed. with
curves Of very short radius, in countries often
destitute OF material for repairs, or where
IL is dificuit TO make repairs.
The result was locomotives at once flexible.
rough i'm form, and extremely strong, which
in new countries aud in the colonies have
shown themselves to be clearly superior 10
European engines in the matters Of duration
and cost Of maintenance. Provided with ais
tributing springs in all parts and resting on
divided trucks. which. while insuring snfl'
clent stability, give them great fiexibility,
these machines adapt themselves in a wonder
full manner TO uneyenness In the roadbed. and
easily pass around curves OF very short
radius. The simplicity OF their construction.
and the. solidity Of the parts allow Of their
being put In charge Of men of little expert
ence. and OF the employment OF persons more
OF less rough and clumsy. They are. besides,
very powerful. and built on broad lines. yet
not weighing too much I'm the axies. thanks
TO tho use Of divided trucks that do away
with the need for the outer framework.
These were reasons more than sufficient TO
secure the success Of these engines In unde-
yeioped countries and colonies. ever though
! their cost had not been less than that Of Eu-
ropean locomotives. But as q matter Of fact
the Baldwin Company is able to deliver COM
plete locomotives, with their tenders at from
eight to nine cents a pound. including pack
ing. Why arc our constructors. who have
less TO pay for labor. and no more for ma.
terial. unuble TO produce for the same pricei
Tho Low eo.. IF Amarican locomotives. IL
must not be forgotten. does not arise from lack
of care in construction. but because they are
studied aud built by makers who never lose
sight of the cost price, and who do not sscri'
fee the simplicity Of the parts to any sciei'
tikA consideration. Advance 70 them means
delivering more and more powerful engines
for a constantly diminishing price: they care
little whether or no they act economically or
present certain guarantees demanded by the
great European companies. Yet the Baldwin
works now turn out a great many compound
engines of a type that seems hardly logical.
7 isfacior- results.
The low cost of American engines arises
from the fact that all the parts are studied
and drawn with a view to their being made
entirely by machinery. and that ali tho cast.
lbtr " htNoihAhS w IocttA't tnco'f's
are interchangeable. and can be used for any
engine of a particular type, dispensing with
new calculations for each new construction.
The wheels are Of cast steel and very strong,
the hcaribs are Of steel. and the boilers OF
iron; the stopcocks are generally castings.
and the tube work iron OF steel, neither cop
per nor bronze being used.
American builders do not mako engines and
tenders in one piece, as the axle weight would
be too great for the light roadbeds. Russia
may. from some standpoints, be looked upon
as q new country, and TO this reason doubt
less may the success Of the Baldwin Company
be attributed. We must not forget. however,
that the Americans are improving their lines
year by year, and are now able to suit their
engines to the new conditions that are grow
ing nearer TO those existing in Europe. and
that their competition, as ii e~nlarges its
sphere of action. becomes daily more formid.
able.-Le Genie Civil.