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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (July 1, 1880)
July, 1880. THE WEST SHORE. 205 FIRST LOCOMOTIVE IN AMERICA. It is about SO yean since the locomotive u introduced in the V. S. There ii now living in San Frauoisco one of the veteran railroad men of the country, who is absolutely familiar witb Uu interesting incidents of the early history of the railroad and the locomotive engine in this coun try, "all of which he saw and part of which ho was." The name of this veteran is David Matthew, now nearly three-soore-and-ten. He is a worthy representative of the American me chanic, at onoe intelligent, alert and trust worthy. In the oourse of an entertaining con versation with Mr. Matthew recently, we learned that he was born in Scotland and ar rival in this country at tho tender age of seven, and that a few years later he was sent to the West Point foundry shops in Now York City to learn the trade of machinist It was at those West I'oint maohine shops that the vory tint American locomotives were built, and where ohine, which were constructed after the Kngliah praotioe, sprung and got off the track; but they were replaoed by oast iron wheels, and 00 Do oember 14th and 15th the engine was again tried and ran at the rate of III to SI miloa an hour with live oars oarrvinir about ,10 mmum. without the oars it attained a speed of 30 to 3S miles an hour. In the Charleston Courier, March 12, 1831, there is au account of a later trial o( the soed of the "llest Frieud," on whioh occasion, the writer remarks, "safety was assured by the introduction of a barrier oar, on which cotton was piled up as a rampart between the locomotive ami the passenger oars. " Tho second looomotive for aervtoe built in this country was nailed the "West I'oint," ami was for tho same road. It was also constructed at tho West I'oint machine shops. The lirst loeomotivo built iu Amerioa for a uorthiira road was called the "Do Witt Clin ton," and was the third American looomotive. It was for aotual service on the Mohawk and Hudson railroad. This engine, like tho others, '" " . ", aaaaaaaaaswsaaasaaasi aaasewaaajj THE "BEST HllKNI)" FIK.ST AMKItlCAN BUILT LOCOMOTIVE the first English locomotive brought to the country was reoeivod and set up anil exhibited. Tho first locomotive engine built in America for actoal service on a railroad was called the "Beat Friend," and was constructed for tho Charleston and Augusta railroad oompauy. This pioneer locomotive (which is the subject of onr accurate and handsome illustration) was built at the West I'oint foundry machine shops in New York City, and the work of fitting it up fell to the lot of Mr. Matthew. I mmod lately after the engine was completed it was placed on the oompany's road, anil the first experiment with a train wis mad November 2, 1H30, N. W. I Urn 11 acting a engineer. Some few days previous to the above date, or about the 20th of October, in accordance with a notice given in the Charleston papers, a public trial was mads with this locomotive, without any cars attached, at which trial Mr. W. B. Ewer, one of the proprietors of this paper, was present. It was on this occasion that the lirst American built looomotive turned it wheels for the first time on a railroad track. At the trial 00 November 2d the wooden wheels of the ma- was built at the West I'oint machine shops, and was also fitted up by Mr. Matthew) anil when it was completed he took it to Albany, June 23, 1831, and made the first sxmrsion with a train of cars over the Mad August U, 18.11. According to Mr, Matthew's statement, the "lie Witt Clinton" weiuhed 31 tons, and hauled s train of 3 to fi oars at the speed of 30 miles an hour. It la especially noteworthy that both the cab and the tender of the "lie Witt ( 'linton" were covered to protect the engineer from the weather a "happy thought" of honest I lavid Matthew, for which all American engi neers at least ought to hold him in kind re membranes. About the middle of August the F.nglish looomotive, "Robert Clifton," built by the younger Stephenson, arrived ami was placed on the Mohawk and Hudson road for service in the middle of the following Heitemler. These locomotives hail been used and fairly tested both on the southern and northern rail roads, and the neeeaeity for a radical change in their construction hsd become evident. Very soon John B. Jervis devised toe plan of putting the truck under the forward part of the eogine to enable it to turn sharp oorners easily and safely. The machine so constructed was called the "bouio" olivine. The II rat nf ............ ever built was for the Mohawk and Hudson road, and was called the "Experiment" It ... i 1 .. 1 1 . ... I, " ""w u" wait IMI i.j ... itum, Klw eays it was as "lleet as a greyhound." The i . j'.'i mim'iii nnu imm'U ouill VO Otim Slltlirai'ltn iial aiilelvi after a whili. if av& r..l....li ..J adapted to the use of any kind of coal, and its -1 1 . .1 ..ii .1 . . ., wwa vnniiK'1 hi me nroinnr .innacnan. -Shortly after theee changes had been made the 1.-... .11.1. 1 . . 1 1 . i - ... 1. ,, t .uuiiau ioi-oinou 11 HOIK, n ruitou, neiongtng to the same company was also rebuilt and fur nished with the truck, and named th "John Bull," The "Brother Jonathan" was a remark able machine for those pioneer days. Mr. Mat- tluiw uvi ill ii- "U',l, Ski. V L- crossed the Mohswk and Hudson railroad from piano so piane, 14 miles, 111 13 minutes, slop- liinu mii'o for u.iti'i I l,.,., 1 ,...! I,.,.. ........i upon a level, straight line, and have run a mile In 4A seconds by the watch. She was the fastest and steadieet engine I have ever run or seen, and I worked her with the greateet ease." This Is certainly wonderful bkhmI, and may be, as Mat thew t'srmtatlv maintains it la tl,., CaaVaaaS (,... - I - wm Mill at least 011 the American railroad reoni-d. 10 1 ipariaou to the splendid and efficient an- gine of to-day, our tint looomotivsa, built after the Kngliah mods) mainly, wen olnmsy and mm' nun u . .Min i' who our improvemeiita have been manifold and extraordinary, and the American locomotive is now prouounosd the Illoat "lierfent railmad tool in tha .....I.I " la. exquisite symmetry and llexihllity. and its ai- traonlinary Hiwor must till ths mind of a vet- ..... 1.1 .. vi .1.1 l r.r; , ,. ' iii wno naa waxonetl ita growth from ita infancy in this country with feelings of generous admiration and pride, Slininn muf ftrietttUn ,,,. rKooMsuw in Urn.ir.ATioN or Soi.aii Hut, Since May last year, M. Moucliot has lieen oar ryiug on experiments near Algien with his solar receivers. The smaller mirron (O.NOm. ) . I iame tor) have been used successfully for various op stations in glsss, not requiring more than 400 to 'ii Among th. an are the fusion and oalci 1 nit i,,n of alum, prearation sj bsnaoio acid, purl lloalion of linseed oil, ooni'eutrstiou of syruis, sublimation of sulphur, distillation of sulphuric acid, and uarbouiaation of wood In , I. n,a aela. The large solar receivsr (with mirror of 3.80 m.) has lieen improved by addition of a suf ficient vspor chamlwr ami of an interior ar rangement which keepa the liquid to las vapor iied constantly in contact with the whole sur face of healing This aptiaratus on Novemlier 18th, last ysar, raised 3A liters of cold water to the boiling point in 80 mluutee, and an hour and I. .If l-i... l I . -a . . . . ii. 1, o... 1 iiiiani a j,n aaiiin 01 eigni allflMS pheree. On Dooemher 24lh M. Mnuchot with it 11... 1 ,1,,. . n. on lu. . 1 i k. ... pii 1 m 11 aaiy .,, aiita in iw mill. utssi, producing four llten of brandy, Hteani illslillation wss also successfully dune, but per haps ths most interesting results an those relat ing to mechanical utilisation of solsr beat Nine Msrch ths receiver has been working a horisuu tsl engine (without expansion or condensation) at a rate of 120 revolutions a minute, under a oouatant pressure of 3.6 atmospheres. Tbo die ieabln work has beea utilised in driving a pump which yields six liters a minutest 3,A0m. or 1,200 liters an hour at I in., ami in throwing a water jet 12 m. This result, whioh M. Mouohot says could be easily improved, is obtain! in a eon slant manner from 8 a. at. to 4 . at., neither strong win la nor passing clouds sensibly affect lti li lMrlgTlT TO KlSIIMM.-Th HrittUJle Antrim says it is a well-known fact that fish always return to tha seme ground each year to spawn, but that it has recently been dtsoovered that they always follow the I. It hand sU at the river on Ihsilr trips to the spawning grounds, sad returning take the right-hand aula of ths river . Oar fishermen should reavers ber this.