Year: 1867




vate letter from a gentleman now at the
Paris Exposition, of which the follow
ing portion describes the mysterious
positively known.


The iron horse bears no resemblance
to its equine namesake. imagine
trunk or box about seven feet long,
and wide enough for Il man to saddle,
and about five feet high, the whole con-
Germ mounted on five wheels; the
wheels concealed, however, under the
machine. 1t is covered with leather,
and has saddle; only the sadie is We
ry high in front and back, so that there
is no chance of being unhorsed. In
front is a steering apparatus OF the
simplest kind-two silk cords-just be-
fore the saddle steel bar, which re-
gulates the speed. If you pull 1t up,
you start the machine; pull 1t higher
up, increase the speed; if you depress
it, you slow until a point is reached,
when the apparatus stops.


The inventor, quite young man,
commenced winding up the machine
with what seemed to me to be crank
motion. and as I distinctly heard the
click of the ratchet, therefore suppos-
ed it was worked by coil spring, but
have reasons since TO think that was
mistaken. l suppose it took two mi
nutes to wind it when he mounted 1t,
and started it by pulling up the steel
bar 1t moved gradually off, so that
fol, the first minute [ could walk along
side of it but presently it started at
the speed of fast horse, and in mo-
ment more was lost, going round the
curve of the circle.


| suppose you know the grand expo
sition is a series of concentric rings,
each one devoted to a peculiar branch
of industry. The one the machine was
running on was the Nuneero G~0tre,
section de Neconiques, and is among
the largest, measuring some yards more
than an English mile. 1t seemed to me
t. be Incredible that he should have
performed the circuit in two minutes
and twelve seconds. A hearty clapp-
ing of hands greeted the machine as 1t
came careering on, and gradually stop
ping without any apparent trouble. L
noticed the Emperor, generally taclturn,
loud in his applause, clapping his hands
as Justify as did, and L was assured
BY NJ. de NJ. that he had never seen his
majesty on any occasion before show
the least sign of commendation. The
inventor then said that he would put 1t
up to its speed, but to do that he must
give the machine start. He then
wheeled round, and just like a jockey
starting horse, got it up to its maxi
mum: as he passed us he seemed to be
flying. The circuit was made in fifty |
seconds. A new salvo of applause met
him as he brought the machine to where
the Emperor was standing, and / must
say l felt some just emotion when the
Emperor took the Legion of Honor from
his button-hole and placed it on the
young inventors breast.


NJ. told me that its endurance, if
may use the term, was extraordinary
that at its highest speed it would keep
going for four hours. [ was led to be
lieve that the machinlcal power was Sc
condary in it, and that a galvanic bat
tery was the real motive power. 1t is
rumored that battery was the real
motive power. 1t is rumored that
battery of constantly increasing ele-
ments sustains the motion. Anyhow
the secret is well kept, the Emperor
having, with the inventor, the only
knowledge of it. NJ. also told me.tnat
at Vincenness battery of artillery was
to he moved with it instead of horses.


/ may add that l saw four persons
mount it, and it moved much more ra
pidly than would carriage. An in
teresting experiment was made as to
It's capability of going over rough coun-
try. Several loads of dirt were shot on
the floor, and it passed over it with ap- +
parent ease. One thing remarked was !
that there was perpendicular play in
the wheels, and that as difficulty was
surmounted, one wheel would lie higher