An essay on the nature and application of steam by Alderson M. A

Author:Alderson, M. A. [from old catalog]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Steam. [from old catalog], Steam-engines
Publisher: London, Sherwood, Gilbert, and Piper
Published: 1834-03-25T05:00:00+00:00

Pla^te XIV.

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of its liability to for up with the saline matter contained in the waters of the ocean; and it is not idtogether freefirom the objecticm offered to the boiler of Mr. Perkins.

A representation is given of diis boiler at plate XIV. Fig. 1 is a front elevation, fig. 2 a section, and fig. 3 a plan of the same. A in all the figures is a series of tubes which form in fact the boiler. D two cylinders, into the sides of which the ends of the tubes A are screwed. E a cylindrical reservoir of steam. G the chimney. H the fire-door, and I the ash-pit.

Mr. Gumey chiefly directed his attention to the propelling of carriages on the common roads, which was the ulterior aim of all his experiments, and the utmost extent of his ambition. He succeeded in producing a steam-carriage, which ran on the highway between Cheltenham and Gloucester, but after experiencing much opposition from the narrow prejudices of the surrounding farmers, &c. who, having the repairing of the roads in their own hands, managed them in such a manner that no locomotive carriage could run upon them, he desisted. The tolls charged at the turnpike-gates, too, were heavy, as appears from Mr. Gumey's evidence before the House of Commons, where a special committee was appointed to sit on the subject of steam-carriages, in consequence of a petition which Mr. Gumey had presented, praying the House to take a more liberal view of the subject, and not

throw impediments in the way of a project fraught with public good. In several new turnpike acts which have been framed since the introduction of steam-carriages on the common road, the tolls are so heavy as to be almost prohibitory. Mr. Gurney, in his evidence, mentions particularly the Liverpool and Prescot Road Bill, of the previous session, wherein a toll is charged per horse power, which is difficult to determine. His objection to it was, that if the horse power be taken as the common engine horse power, a steam coach would have to pay £2. 8^. where a common stage coach pays only 5s. In a subsequent part of his evidence he said that he had no objection to a maximum weight of 3 tons being fixed for his steam-carriages, which is the weight of the present four-horse stage coaches when loaded, and to pay the same toll; and that, when steam-carriages exceeded that weight, they ought to pay a very heavy one ; but that, when the wheels exceeded four inches in width, the tolls should be less.

From the opposition above mentioned, and the impending evils of heavy legislative enactments, Sir Charles Dance, who had agreed with Mr. Gurney to carry his plans into effect in organizing a line of steam-coaches between the two places above mentioned, withdrew his carriages from the road altogether, so that the public are thus deprived of the benefit of a cheap, a speedy, and a safe conveyance.

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