The times., 1899-10-08
THE YANKEE LOCOMOTIVE.
A British Opinion ON the Effective
ness of American Engines.

ness of American Engines.
Consul Marshal Halstead OF Birmingham,
IN report to the State Department. says
that strong feeling exists in England
over the orders given for American loco
warns American builders that an effert Will
be made 10 find the locomotives inferior TO
British-built engines, and adds:
THE railroad managers who have pur-
chased American locomotives have been
under a continuous fire of questions, and
it is hardly worth while to add fuel 10 the
flames by boasting that prices viii settle
future locomotive orders in Americas 5 ia
vor. Why mot permit the answer OF The
railroad managers-that the purchases were
made because British shops were too busy
to take further orders-to have Its sooth-
ing influence? The matter OF price, or OF
efficiency, If change in construction is
required, counts for less here than il the
United States.
There is good deal that is protective
in this attitude on the part OF the British
public. in questioning those who dare 10
buy abroad articles which might be made
here. The Atbara bridge contract, the
birmingham Post says. promises to be-
come "a classical instance of the kind OF
competition in which English firms have
been apt 20 get the worst recently it
promises also to be a classical instance of
a protest, because British officials in Egypt
purchased where they could get the article
quickest. The Birmingham Post says.
:. That the English makers were hope
lessly underbid with regard to price has
been before explained but it appears that
the principal and, indeed, the sole deter
mining factor was the time of delivery
''The earliest English offer was six
months: the Americans accomplished the
work, despite a weeks delay because OF
the great snowstorm OF last winter in
forty-two days. Parliamentary enqniries
were Instituted by Sir Alfred Hickman last
April with regard to the circumstances
Under which the contract for the bridge
had been given TO an American firm. which
enquiry has resulted in full report on
the matter by Lord Cromer. An exactly
similar case. though with smaller value,
has come to my knowledge through the
declarations before me, as Consul, OF ap-
paratus purchased here by the United
States War Department for use In Cuban
light houses. / have heard OF no protest
from the United States.
Mr. Halstead sends printed account OF
the history of the Atbara bridge contract,
which is not given, as IL has already sp-
peared in American newspapers.
On September 5. 1899. Mr.. Halstead
writes further: Under the headlines
Tried and found wanting and No repeat
orders. the 1ronmonger' says:
The American locomotives which have
been delivered to the Midland Railway
Company are naturally being subjected to
some very keen criticism by English engi-
neers. The representative OF one we'll
known locomotive building Arm in this
country gave me the other day quite long
list of their alleged defects, one of the
gravest being the state of the boilers,
which are said to leak SO badly as TO leave
distinct track along the ballast wherever
they go. The engines are nothing like so
strong as English makes; they are very
roughly finished throughout, and when the
parts arrived in this country it took the
workmen as long to pu. them together as
an English firm would require to build the
entire machine.
:. The comments of English engineering
experts who have examined the American
locomotives are by no means hattertng.
and it is confidently asserted that when
Tin the not far-off future) the engines have
to be sent TO the repairing shop. the YER
dict on their construction will be so un-
favorable as TO bar the placing OF further
orders That this opinion is not due to
mere insular prejudice on the part OF the
when / mention that two French engi-
neers who inspected the Yankee locomo-
tiyes at Derby fully confirm the conclu-
sions arrived at as to the inferiority OF the
imported machines to those Of British
make, alike in point of strength of con-
struction and general excellence OF work
manship.'
1.-The London Daily Mail today quotes
Mr.. C. Rous- -MarteB as saying that Mr.
johnson, the mechanical engineer in chief
of the Midland line. Informed him that
"sAs soon as all the American engines
were erected they would be placed on reg
ular duty in comparison with like num-
Der OF British built engines OF approx
mately equal power and, after certain
period. the results would be fairly and i'm
partially compared
'Mr. Rous- -Marten credits Mr.. H. A.
Ivatt, locomotive superintendent OF the
Great Northern Railway, with saying:
. I have been examining them, and
cannot find any important part that ought
not. with fair usage. to last as long. or
nearly so, as those of our own engines