Evening star., 1914-07-19

kilingworth colliery the Butcher drew
up incline and at speed
three miles hour load Of thirty
tons. distributed among eight cars Fur
thermore. and what was of most impor
tance. she continued to run successfully
and without hitch.
But Stephenson's pathway was not
strewn with laurels as the result OF
his achievement. The noise of the es-
capement of steam from the Blucher's
machinery drowned the plaudits which
his associates nay have wished to be-
stow upon him. In fact. the officers OF
the law gave warning to the inventor
that this din was nuisance and that
steps must be taken for its abatement. 1t
was complained that Butchers eco
nomic advantage over horsepower was
hardly appreciable, that her speed barely
exceeded that of a horses walk. and that
steampower remained equal in point Of
cost with horsepower.
Meanwhile Stephenson himself was un-
daunted. He began thus early to reveal
his genius by his patience He alone re-
manned upon the pinnacle OF hope while
even his friends abandoned his locomotive
in despair. He stoutly contended that 1t
would eventually supersede every other
tractive power. So it was with confidence
and faith that he turned his attention
toward the Improvement of the Blucher.
He had made it his rule to keep in
formed on all similar appliances and de-
vices with which other inventors were
toying. AS result he was probably the
best posted man on the subject of loco
motives In the world. Besides, he was a
fine mechanic and could personally work
out his own theories.
Another point. which is of infinite inn
portance he received solid financial back
ing from Lord Ravensworth and his part
ners the owners of the killingworth col
liery, They furnished him with the
money requisite for the building of his
engine and the continuance OF the work.
Stephenson. therefore had only to apply
his ability to perfect the Blucher. and
the road on which it was to run. The
chief features Of the first locomotive.
which he desired to improve related to
the disposal of the exhaust from the en-
gine and to the adhesion Of the wheels to
the rails. He had turned the exhaust into
the smokestack. This more than re-
doubled the generation of steam, but at
the same time, made such racket that
the public redoubled its complaint OF It.
Likewise. the Blucher's wheels were
roughened with bolt heads and other pro-
tuberances to make them take hold Of
the rails. But the constant friction of
the wheels when thus spiked SO wrenched
and racked the locomotive that it was
kept constantly out of repair.
In his second machine Stephenson in
troduced the steam blast. This helped in
abating the awful noise that had kept up
while Blucher was under steam. He sub
stituted smooth wheels and demonstrated
that they would run on smooth rails. In
addition he made changes in the ma
chnery so numerous that it is almost
impossible to render an account OF them.
One thing suggested another to his mind
and remarkable composite was the re-
suit. OF the greatest Importance was his
application of the ball and socket joint
TO the connecting rods where attached to
the piston and his addition of crank pins
to the crank axles. BY this arrangement
he overcame upon uneven roads much Of
the difficulty caused by the rigidity of
the machinery.
During all of this time George Steph-
enson was undergoing an evolution
quite as remarkable as that OF his To-
oomotive. His life reads like that Of
the story book hero. who never fails to