The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-12-04

r Newbury, in Timcs-Herald.
There is a direction in which there
has been a startling, almost trium-
phant. DEVELOPMENT of American trade
during the last two years. and Of which
the public has as yet heard practically
nothing. II has been in the building
Of locomotives for foreign countries.
1f locomotives could talk, as Rudyard
Kipling has recently supposed, they
could not only tell wonderful tales,
but the American locomotive would bc
found TO he quite a linguist, for he Is in
daily contact with almost all the pCu-
rles of the earth.
To accomplish his purpose man has
put together some $500 parts and las
called the whole a locomotive. 1t is
claimed that the first American built
locomotive to be put into actual SER
vice was the BEST Friend" constructed
Ivy T.. l.. Miller for the South Carolina
PailrCad company In 1890. Since that
time one of our largest locomotive
works alone has turned out over 1000
engines. Last year (and it was a had
year, the total number of locomotive es
built in the United States was 1.175,
which, at the average cost of about
$4,000 each, CT l1,i60, ,O00 makes pret-
~ lii S' SANlll " dttli III. VI llllN uNlll-
Der 3O9 engines We're exported to foreign
countries, or over one. quarter of the
entire number manufactured, and con-
tributing $S,09o.0o0 to balance trade in
our favor. The year betorA only Ii per
cent. of the American production Nss
exported. Improved by the labor and
thought Of the best mechanical minds
of the age, the American locomotive
is making great strides in the markets
of the world where our greatest COM
petitor is the British manufactures.
OUR ENGINES EVERYWHERE.
Exclusive of the United States on the
western continent American engines
are now taking their share Of the bur-
den Of commerce in Mexico, Brazil, Col
ombia, Peru, Chile, Ecuador. Bolivia.
Uruguay Argentine Republic and Can
ada. They have gone to South Africa.
Palestine, Australia, Norway, Sweden,
Spain and Italy, and to Japan, China
and Russia
There is no room for play of poetic
imagination in the picture of an Amcli-
Can-buit locomotive awakening The
echoes of the holy land; but more pic
turcsque still have been the incidents
connected with the use of American
engines in Russia. There are many
American visitors at the splendid cerc-
monies connected with the coronation
of the car in April last year. But il is
safe To say that hardly Cne of them
knew that all the tremendous crowds
which were brought to Moscow at that
time on the imperial railways were
hauled by motive power built in Phil
adelpha. 1t is a picture of magnificent
light and shade. The coronation cerc-
monies were the very symbol of all
that is left in this latter civilization
Of the dark ages. Eut when the auto
clat of all the RussiaS called for his
subjects who are yet almost serfs, to
come and pay him homage, they could
not have come had it not been for the
work Of the frce-born American work
ingman.
LOCOMOTIVES FOR THE CZAR,
Even as it was. Russia had a narrow
escape Of being short of engines to haul
the crowds. 1t was not until well on in
January Of last year that the imperial
government discovered that they had
not locomotives enough to handle the
throngs that would he coming to Mos
COW in April. There were no shops in
Europe that could undertake To furnish
engines in the time required The gov
crnment cabled to the Baldwin Loco
motive works of Philadelphia. asking
If they could build and deliver thirty
two locomotives in Russia by April =
The Philadelphia firm replied that they
would not assume the risk of the sea
voyage, but that they would build the
machines and undertake to have them
ready for shipment by fast steamer
from this side by April /. The terms
tnI.
and 1t was not until Jan. 20 that the
order was was finally received to go
ahead Between Jan. 20 ana April !
say forty days--there is not much
time in which to build thirtv-two en-
Eines hut the Baldwin Locomotive
Works are in the habit of doing things
after fashion which on many uCca-
Sions has astounded foreign locomotive
builders. liy March l sixteen engines
were ready for shipment. by March
- the entire order was completed and
noHed, being twenty-five days from
the receipt of the order. A large
steamer the Strathcairn, had been
chartered to take the engines over and
was to sail from this side not later
than April !. When everything was
ready, except the steamer, the enCOut- .
aging news was received that the
StIathCairn, which ought 10 have
been arriving in Philadelphia, had run
her nose or rock and had put into
Halifax for repairs, which would take
az least month to complete Then
there was some hustling on this side of
the water, Finally two other boats
were secured and, thanks 10 an Amrri-
can firms ability To do what all the
rest of the world thought imuossiblc,
there were engines enough in Russia to
bring everybody who wanted to travel
TO Moscow. even if there was not much
accommodation for them when they
got there.
IN THE CUBAN WAR.
Baldwin locomotives are used i'm the
Spanish service in Cuba. The locumo-
tive is armored and especially built.
with steel shutters to the cab, etc, to
Withstand attack. Grief for the pur-
poses to which the locomotive was put
may be somewhat mitigated, however,
by the fact that she had not been run
ming very long in Cuba before she was
effectively and artistlcally ditched by