The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-08-21
LOCOMOTIVES JAPAN LIKES.
American Iron Horses Have Been
Gaining "a FOOthoId I'm the Island.
Japan weekly Times.

Japan Weekly Times.
II seems from what we have been In
formed by the authorities that It was
from 1896 that railway engines made In
America began TO be imported into Japan
to any perceptble extent. Up to that
time, against us English engines used on
the Tokaido line, there were only six en-
gines of American make. But since then
more than seventy engines have been i'm
ported from America. This growing pre-
dominance of American over English en-
gines Is partly due to cheapness and part
ly TO the promptitude with which orders
are attended. An American engine, made
at Philadelphia or New York or New Jer-
sey costs, including freight and eund-
ries, 1000 yen, against 1000 yen for an
English locomotive. Further, chiefly ow-
ing to the outbreak OF the engineers strike
and later to the extraordinary activity
Of naval and merchant marine archltec-
ture, the orders IN England have been
very slowly executed ana forty engines
sent for in 1895 have not yet arrived
That Is not the case with America. But
though the recent tendency is In the d.
rection of the gradual supersedlng OF the
English engines by American, on the
whole, however, those of English make
still predominant over the others, the
American engines, as above stated. being
Of only recent Introduction.
The railway authorities have been en-
gagged since last year In carrying out ex-
pcriments with the American and English
engines, but the investigation remaining
as yet incomplete, no definite verdict can
be pronounced on the relative merits Of
the two kinds Of locomotives. That the
American engine consumes a larger guam
tity of coal compared with the English,
seems to be well established. AS to the
relative cheapness OF the American engine,
II ought to be remembered that the ma
terials used by the English and American
casters are not similar, so that IL Is i'm
possible to pronounce any definite judg-
nent in that respect alone on the question
OF the relative merits of the two engines.
However, one point is certain, namely,
that the American foundries utilize me-
chanical power to a larger extent than
the English.
The homemade engines demand our at
tentlon. Thus far only nine have been
made, or we should rather say composed
at the Kobe works, attached 10 the Kobe
station of the Tokaido line, for what Is
done at the shop Is to compose, as ii were,
materials ready made and imported in sec
tons from England. The work is assist
ed by a foreign expert who acts as engin-
eerlng adviser to the shops.
The cost per engine, estimated at the
current rate, IS said to lie between 5000
and 1900 yen. So far the homemade en-
gines have proved as serviceable as the
English engines. after which they are
fashioned. OF course 1t is still premature
to say that the homemade ones are as
durable as the English originals for not
much time has yet elapsed since they
have been put on the line. And then the
Kobe shop being primarily established for
the purpose of repairing damaged rolling
stock, it can undertake the making OF
engines only when the repairing work is
slack.
For 5000 miles now open for traffic, gov
eminent and private lines included. there
must be roughly estimated about 800 Loco
motives. Although these do not suffice,
even al present, compared with the mile
age IN operation. there must az least be
one locomotive per mile, though on the
Tokaido line the rate Is one per two miles.
Surprising that the life Of an engine Is
calculated az thirty years. II would fol-
low that thirty or forty are required ev-
cry year. very significant ngures COM
pared with the annual demand IN tho
Western countries
Cars ana wagons are a present made
ga Japan. Only the wood Is scarce. 20
that teak ana other hard tropical timbcrs
are being imported largely from abroad.
mostly from siam.