Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-09

ISIS III England over the OFQ0TS given lOI
American locomotives for use on English
railroads. He warns American builders
that an effort will be made to find the loco
motives inferior to British-built engines.
and adds:
1.-The railroad managers who have pur-
chased American locomotives have been
under a continuous fire of questions and 1t
is hardly worth while to add fuel to the
flames, by boasting that prices will settle
future locomotive orders in America
favor. Why not 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
soothing influence? The matter of price,
or of efficiency If a change in construction
is required, counts for less here than in 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 to
buy abroad articles which might be made
here. The Atbara bridge contract, the BIZ
mingham Post says, promises to become d
classical instance of the kind OF competl-
ton in which English firms have been apt
to get the worst recently; it promises also
to be a classical instance OF q protest, pc
cause British officials in Egypt purchased
where they could get the article quickest
The Birmingham Post says: That the Eng
fish makers were hopelessly underbid with
regard to price has been before explained
but it appears that the principal and. IN
OeeQ, the sole determining factor WAS lAo
time of delivery
1.-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 Tor
ty-two days. Parliamentary inquiries 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 inquiry
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 petore
me- as consul, of apparatus purchased here
by the United States War Department Tor
use in Cuban light houses. l have heard
of no protest from the United States"
Mr.. Halstead sends printed account cr
the history of the Atbara bridge contract,
which is not given. as 1t has already ap-
peared in American newspapers. Septem-
Der s. Mr.. Halstead wrote further: Under
the headlines Tried and Found Wanting
and No Repeat ORDERS the Ironmonger
says: The American locomotives which
have been delivered to the Midland Rail
way Company are naturally being SUBJECTED
to some very keen criticism by English en-
gineers The representative of one we'll
known locomotive building firm In this
country gave me the other day quite long
list of their alleged defects, one or the
gravest being the state of the boilers, " hich
are said to leak so badly as to leave dis
tinct 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 1t took the work
men as long to put them together as an
English firm would require to build the en-
tire machine.
1.-The comments of English engineering
experts who have examined the American
locomotives are by means ftattering, and
1t is confidently asserted that when Tin the
not far-off future) the engines have to be
sent to the repairing shop, the verdict on
Sir
as to bar the placing of further orders.
That this opinion is not due to mere in
sular prejudice the part Of the makers
in this country will be conceded when l
mention that two French engineers who in
spected the Yankee locomotives at Derby
fully confirm the conclusions arrived at as
to the nferiority of the imported machines
to those of British make. alike in point
of strength of construction and general ex-
cellenCe of workmanship. y
The London Daily Mail quotes Mr. c.
Rous-Marten as saying that Mr.. Johnson,
the mechanical engineer in chief of the
Midland line informed him that: las soon
as all the American engines We're erected
they would be placed on regular duty in
comparison with a like number of British
built engines of approximately equal power.
and after certain period, the results
would be fairly and impartially compared"
Mr.. Rous- Marten credits Mr.. H. A. WATT,
locomotive superintendent of the Great
Northern railway, with saying: Il 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