To shew the ruinous effects that follow the trade with those who examine them of the existing NECESSITY (as well to the planters as to the farmers and manufactuGreat Britain, because of the irregularity in the markets of that country and our own, and which, by build-rers), of building up a home market, and encouraging all ing up the "American system," we desire mainly to guard against-take these items:

In 1825 we imported British goods of the value of

In 1826 the same

year.

Difference,

such branches of the domestic industry, as may enable us, by trading among ourselves or with other nations, to sustain our trade with Great Britain, "they will not be$36,713,000 lieve though one arose from the dead." 26,131,000 The manufactures of the United States, exported in 1826, are valued at $6,100,985, all the bread stuffs, $10,582,000 except rice at $5,609,812-all the products of the fisheries $1,473,388 all the products of the forest $3,951,250 -all the products of animals $3,098,860-all the rice $33,042,000 $1,917,445-all the tobacco $5,347,208; so that the 18,871,000 value of the manufactured articles was greater than that of either of our own staple products for the foreign $14,171,000 market, except cotton! What revolutions are going on! We shall probably export eight or nine millions of dollars worth of manufactured goods in the present year!

Who can calculate the distress and destruction caused to the planters of the south, and the manufacturers of the east, middle and west, and of the farmers who supply the latter with food and materials, because of such enormous fluctuations in the value or amount of articles exported or imported. The cotton exported to Great Britain in 1825 was 131 millions of pounds, valued at $30,463,000, and in 1826, 134 millions of pounds worth only $15,829,000, or less than half the price of the former And in 1825, we were glutted with cloths to such an excess, as to arrest the progress of most of our woollen factories, if not to ruin their proprietors, in 1826.It is given to us as a fact, and we certainly believe it, that woollen factories, fairly esteemed, worth a certain sum in 1825, will not now fetch, even with the prospect of passing the woollen bill, more than sixty cents in the dollar of that valuation. Many have changed owners at 50 cents in the dollar! What a waste of wealth, and of comfort, of national power and private happiness, and in the space of one year, do such uncertainties in business bring about! But we only just mention these things

now.

MEETINGS ABOUT THE WOLLENS BILL. A convention of manufacturers and wool-growers of Vermont, was held at Rutland, on the 27th ult. Elijah Paine, esq. of Williamstown, chairman, and Robert Temple, esq. secretary. Eight counties were represented by about one hundred members. Messrs. R. C. Malresolutions and address of the Pennsylvania society had lory and William Jarvis addressed the meeting, after the been read. The following gentlemen were chosen delegates to the Harrisburg convention, viz. Messrs. William Jarvis, Rollin C. Mallory, Elijah Paine, William Hall, Heman Allen.

[The people of this mountain state are firm supporters of domestic manufactures, and have profitted much by their industry applied to improve their natural advantages. They raise very many sheep, manufacture much cloth, iron, copperas, &c. The water-power is abun dant, the Champlain canal has brought them close to the sea-board-population is very rapidly advancing, and the hardy freemen of this state, just reclaimed from the wilderness as it were, will assume a much higher rank in the union than has hitherto been calculated for them.]

A numerous meeting of the farmers and manufacturers of Rhode Island, was held in the state house, at Newport, on the 29th ult. James Rhodes, esq. chairman, and Zachariah Allen, esq. secretary. The proceedings of the Pennsylvania society being read, certain resolutions were passed, and Asher Robbins, Jeffrey Hazzard, David Wilkinson, John Farnum, and James Rhodes appointed delegates to the Harrisburg convention,

We see that cotton, tobacco, and rice, make up more than nine-tenths of the whole value of our domestic articles exported to Great Britain; but of the goods imported from that country, not more than a fourth (perhaps not a sixth) part are consumed in the cotton, tobacco and rice growing states, and we think not a twentieth part by those immediately interested or concerned in the cultivation or product of these articles-under such circumstances how is it possible that three-fourths of the people of the United States can sustain this trade, unless they are encouraged and supported in their agriculture, manufactures and commerce, that they may exchange The following resolution was then adopted. articles, or labor, with the remaining fourth part of their "Resolved, That the delegates appointed by this meetown fellow citizens in the south, or vend their products to foreign nations other than the British? Let the ablest cal- ing be requested to use their influence to have laid an culator in the "Virginia school," answer this question.—additional duty on all imported wool, and that said duty The commodities of all the farmers and manufacturers take place at the same time that the additional duty upon of all the states north of the Potomac and Ohio, with imported woollens shall take place." those of the states of Kentucky and Missouri, exported to Great Britain in the last year, were worth no more than $350,000, and only a part of this insignificant amount was consumed in that country, the people not being allowed to eat one ounce of our bread-stuffs, except casually on board of an American ship, lying in a British harbor! And in this way, or for sea-stores, we presume that the small amount of bread-stuffs exported to Great Britain are disposed of.

We received in 1826, the value of $127,000 in spirits and beer from Great Britain, and $12,000 worth of potatoes together $139,000; and exported in bread-stuffs, (though not used by Britons, as stated above), $86,339, in apples $7,667, in beer, porter or cider $233, in spirits $30, in manufactures, [chiefly models, machinery, curiosities, a few copies of books, &c.] $23,026, beef, 36 barrels, worth about $360, pork and bacon $271, the fisheries $2,591, being STAPLES of all the populous states above designated, valued together at $119,517, nearly $10,000 less than even the spirits, beer and potatoes imported from Great Britain cost us, small articles as they are, and (comparatively) contemptible in value as they were!

We submit these things, for the present, to the consideratim of our readers, and hope that all parties will deeply think upon them. If they shall not convince

Meetings have been held in many of the counties of New York, to send delegates to Albany, the proceedings of the convention at which shall be noticed. Our accounts from New York are of the most encouraging character; except in the city, all parties favor, or at least decline an opposition to, the "American system."

We have an official copy of the proceedings of the late convention of farmers and manufacturers of Pennsylvania at Harrisburg-but must, at least, defer the publication of it, however interesting some of the parts are to the people.

Another meeting is to be held of the farmers and manufacturers of Delaware, on the 21st inst. because of some dissatisfaction expressed at the manner in which the former meeting was conducted.

*In this account is included-"gold and silver coin $605,855," which, we suppose, must be the product of our own mint. With great submission, we would rather that it had been kept in a separate item. But being deducted, it leaves the amount of undoubtedly manufac tured articles $5,495,150, or nearly $150,000 more than the value of tobacco.

EARLY PROTECTION OF MANUFACTURES.

From the Boston Courier.

The principle of the encouragement to domestic manufactures was probably brought by our forefathers from England. The annexed paragraphs are extracts from the records of the general court of the Massachusetts colony: 1640. "This court taking into serious consideration the raising of the manufacture of linen cloth, and doth declare that it is the intent of this court, that there shall be an order settled about it, and therefore doth require the magistrates and deputies of the several towns to acquaint the townsmen therewith, and to make enquiry what seed is in every town, what men and women are skilful in the breaking, spinning, and weaving, what means for the providing wheels: and to consider with those skilful in that manufacture, what course may be taken to raise the materials, and produce the manufacture, and what course may be taken for teaching the boys and girls in all towns the spinning of the yarn, and to return to the next court their several and joint advice about this thing: the like considerations would be had for the spinning and weaving of cotton wool.

much assistance in getting forward in life. Eli, however, from a lad, resolved upon securing bimself a collegiate education, and succeeded after the usual efforts and struggles of young men similarly situated in New England, in entering himself at Yale college, where he was graduated in 1792. Thus far he defrayed the expense of his education, partly by keeping school and partly by assistance derived from his father.

When he left college, he found himself without funds, for his maintenance during the pursuit of a professional education, and his father was unable to yield him further aid. Thus circumstanced, he reluctantly found himself obliged to enter into a contract with a gentleman in Georgia, to become a private teacher in his family. With that object in view, he sailed for Georgia. On arriving there, he found his employer embarrassed by a failure of his crops, and unable to fulfil his contract, except at a reduction of one half of the compensation which had been stipulated to Mr. Whitney. Destitute as he was, this was positively refused by Mr. Whitney.

ed for exportation in the United States, and his object be ing to secure to the English the carriage of the West-India cotton to its market in Europe. This is the reason why the senate of the United States refused to ratify the 12th article of that treaty.

In this emergency he found a friend and benefactor in a gentleman living in the vicinity, of the name of Miller: September 24, 1640. For the encouragement of linen, Interested in Whitney's appearance and character, and woollen and cotton cloth: it is ordered, that whosoever in the situation in which he was thrown, Mr. Miller took -shall make any sort of the said cloth fit for use, and him home to his plantation. While there, Whitney saw shall shew the same to the next magistrate or two of the the slaves employed in cleaning cotton from the seed, by deputies of this court, upon certificate thereof to this hand, a process, so slow and expensive, that it scarcely court or court of assistants, the party shall have allow- enabled the laborer to earn his bread. In fact, the short ance of three pence in the shilling of the worth of such staple cotton, the great article of exportation of the cloth, according to the valuation which shall be certified southern states, was not then thought of, as an article for with it, and the said magistrates or deputies shall set the market. In proof of this, it may be mentioned, that such mark upon the same cloth as it may be found to by the twelfth article of Jay's treaty, it was stipulated have been allowed for-provided this order shall extend that no cotton should be exported from America; it not only to such cloth as shall be made within this jurisdic-being known to chief-justice Jay, that there was any raistion, and the yarn here spun also, and of such materials as shall be raised also within the same, or clse of cotton. This order to continue for three years next following. It would be an easy matter to prove by historical facts, if one had leisure to start upon the research, that from our earliest history, the wisest and best of our rulers in The mechanical genius of Whitney, acting upon his every stage of our progress, have given all possible en-acquaintance with the general principles of machinery, couragement they could offer for the advancement of agri- and stimulated by witnessing the monstrous expense of culture, commerce and manufactures. The continen- labor in cleaning the cotton by hand, soon led him to betal congress in 1776, were not unmindful of these great lieve, that a machine could be constructed, which would supports of a nation. The following order was inserted greatly abridge the process. He communicated his views on their journals, and sent to the several provincial assem-to Miller, who was so fully convinced of their soundness, that he proposed to furnish tools and machinery, to "On the 21st of March, congress recommended to board Whitney, and to be at all other expense incident to the several provincial assemblies to exert their utmost an attempt to construct a machine. This offer was ac endeavors to promote the culture of hemp, flax, and cot-cepted, and the parties were to be jointly interested in ton, and the growth of wool in the united colonies, to the fruits of the invention. This was in the fall of the take the earliest measures for erecting and establishing, year, and in the course of the winter, Whitney got a main each colony, a society for the improvement of agricul- chiue into operation, by which one person could clean ture arts, manufactures and commerce; and forthwith about 1 000 pounds of cotton per day, instead of 6 pounds to consider of the ways and means of introducing and or thereabouts as was formerly done by hand. improving the manufactures of duck, sail cloth, and steel."

blies.

THE COTTON GIN.
From the Boston Courier.

It has often and justly been observed, that Whitney's cotton-gin is one of the most important discoveries of the age. It has lately been quoted in illustration of the undeniable fact, that the mechanical skill, which is developed and perfected in manufactures, has conferred the most signal benefits on the other branches of industry. It is plain, that none but a man of mechanical genius, acquainted with the combinations of the mechanical powers which exist in machinery, could ever have invented the cotton-gin. As captain Whitney is a son of Massachusetts, we have been the rather disposed to offer the public some account of him and his invention.

Captain Eli Whitney was born in Westborough, in the County of Worcester, and received from nature a gift as atrongly marked, and in this country perhaps as well calculated to be useful, as the most brilliant intellectual endowments; we mean what is called a mechanical turn. From his early youth, he showed insight into the combination of machinery, and was remarkably observant of the construction, and operation of mill-work. His father was a farmer of comfortable circumstances, in the town of Westborough, (where a portion of the family now reside), but was unable to render his children

The invention became known and created great excitement. It was not believed, that any human invention could so abridge the labor, required to seperate the seed from the cotton. The populace (as is usual in such cases) believed the ingenious inventor to have employed not the mechanical, but the black art. The fever of feeling rose so high, that the building in which the machine was kept, was broken open by the mob, and the machine itself carried off.

Mr. Whitney took out a patent for his invention, but it was speedily, and, in the end, ruinously, to him, evaded. The sum of fifty thousand dollars, liberally granted him by one of the cotton growing states, was expended and more,-in defending the lawsuits brought against those, who had pirated the invention. In the result, Mr. Whitney settled down in New England, individually poorer for the invention of a machine, which has increas ed the annual product of labor in the cotton growing states, by nearly the whole amount of the short staple cotton now raised.

It was with the introduction of this machine, that cotton began to be looked to as an article of exportation. Hence the opposition in the senate of the United States to the ratification of the twelfth article of Jay's treaty.

It is believed, that there is scarcely any illustration more instructive, than that which is furnished by this invention, of the mutual benefits conferred upon each other by the various branches of industry, and particularly of

the obligations of all the other branches to that which furnishes them with mechanical improvements.

It is impossible to read Whitney's history, without feeling the obligation, which every man is under, to encourage, wherever he beholds it, every spark of native genius. The poor Massachusetts youth, who went to the southern states with no fortune, but his mechanical genius, left there an invention, to which they owe ninetenths of their wealth and population.

er to counteract their plans and secure the advantage to ourselves, shall we hesitate? The criticisms of the editor of the Times merit, perhaps, a passing notice. The first is on the following proposition:-"That must be a false construction of the constitution, that forbids us to provide for our existence and independence." The editor must remember, that he had revived the obsolete constitutional objection to the woollen bill. Food, clothing and habitation have been generally deemed indispensable to comfortable existence. Experience has shown us-so late as the last war, when hundreds of our citiCOTTON MANUFACTURES. zens perished in Canada-that, without protecting laws, From the New York Statesman. the necessary clothing for the nation will not be fabricatIn my last I endeavored to explain the effects which ed. A construction of the constitution, that denies the an increase of duty on imported woollens would have on power to provide for such an emergency, cannot be the our manufactures of wool by opening a wider market true construction. The absurdity of the other proposi and thereby rendering sales more certain, at the same tion must be attributed to the editor's own positions and time that they would, from the increased quantities pro-admissions, on which it is based. Since, however, he duced and sold, be enabled to afford their fabrics at low-afterwards conceded the constitutionality,-we are saer rates to the consumer.

The effect can be illustrated on an extended scale by the facts which the history of our coarse cottons disclose. I have procured an account of actual sales made in this city at different periods, the qualities adjudged to be the

same.

In 1815 (the year of the peace) when cotton was 20 cents per pound, the sales of domestic shirtings were 25 cents per yard,

The next year, 1816, cotton rose to 28 cents per lb. and shirting fell in price to 21 cents per yard.

In 1818 when cotton sold at 32 cents per lb. shirting continued at 21 cents per yard. From that period till this, they have declined in price, and now when the same quality of cotton is sold at 93 cents per lb. shirtings are

sold at 94 cents per yard.

The present low price cannot be attributed to the fall of cotton, as one fourth of a pound of cotton will make a yard of these goods whether cotton is 93 er 20 cents per Ib. it will differ less than three cents per yard. If we add 3 cents to the present price of shirtings it will make then only 12 cents per yard. The sales in 1815 were therefore one hundred per cent. above the present prices, adding the difference in the price of cotton.

Here we can give matter of fact evidence of the influence of regular home competition operating under a protecting duty. This is the way consumers are taxed by paying 12 cents instead of 25. What becomes of the

argument about the high price of labor in this country? Will it be said that the same reduction would have taken place if the minimum duty on the square yard had not been imposed? Arkwright's invention had been introduced more than 20 years before, and its influence had not been felt.

tisfied he should adhere to his error, in relation to prohibitions, until some urgent occasion calls for another embargo or non-intercourse. The ridicule attempted to be thrown on the woollen interest, under the name of notions, by his fictitious memorialists, savours of some of the productions of 1816, except that woollen is substituted for cotton, and the tone of abuse softened; many of the then violent opposers, having since become advocates of the American system-and instead of being employwith their pens against it, wonder how they could have remained so long in error. AMERICANUS.

RAIL ROADS.

(COMMUNICATED FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NORTH AME-
Letter from lieut. col. Long, U. S. topographical engi
RICAN.)
neer, to Philip E. Thomas esq.

PHILADELPHIA, APRIL 16, 1827.
in relation to the subject of rail roads, having for their
SIR-Agreeably to promise I submit a few statements
object a developement of some of the leading principles
that ought to be kept in view in the location and construc-
tion of works of this nature. Having no treatise at hand
for ready reference, and no leisure for a careful investiga-
tion and application of principles, I shall confine myself
to such remarks as a general view of the subject may sug-
gest.

The topic first presented for our consideration, as immediately connected with the means of transportation, is a proper estimate or expression, for the locomotive power employed for that purpose. Inasmuch as all expressions of this import hitherto adopted, are of an arbitrary character, (except in-so-far as relates to a proportional part of the load being regarded as capable of giving moBut prices have fallen in England, it is said. If there tion to the residue), we shall choose that which approxihad been a demand, on their market for an amount mates a mean of the various estimates that have from equal to what we have consumed and exported, would time to time been made. A great variety of experiments they have fallen to their present prices? It was said have been tried in England and elsewhere, for the purwhen our protecting law was agitated, that it would not pose of ascertaining the average power or force of a horse, only tax the consumer, but also ruin the manufacturer. or the greatest useful effect resulting from an application We were told of hot-bed growths, Chinese system, and of the powers of this animal. These have led to various all that sort of thing. Is it so? Are not the manufac-results, each of which has been assumed by different writurers with their goods at 93 cents per yard as flourishing as at any former period? Is it not admitted that ample reward has generally attended good management in the cotton department? The general prosperity prevailing in those places where they are established, confirms the fact. If the woollen manufacturers had been favored with similar protection with the cotton, would not similar benefits have resulted? and a small reduction on our enormous consumption for a series of years would have essentially contributed to our prosperity. But even with less than half the protection bestowed on cottons, they have made sufficient progress to interest the jealousy of the British cabinet. Laws are enacted and treaties entered into, with the express view of checking their progress, and enabling their own manufacturers to continue in possession of our market. Mr. Huskission, the president of their board of trade, in his late speech in parliament, justifies the treaty with Prussia, by asking, "How could we successfully enter into competition with the woollen manufacturers, &c. of the United States, if any change be made in the shipping by which the raw material comes to this country? When it is in our pow

ters, as the measure for estimating not only the effective force of animal labor, but that of mechanical agents of various kinds. The results we shall choose as approximating the mean of those alluded to, is the same as that adopted by Mr. Wood in his late treatise on rail roads. This result which is usually denominated a "horse power," may be expressed as follows, viz: a horizontal stress or traction of 112 pounds, moving at the rate of two miles per hour during ten hours of each day. This amount of force being resolved into a continued action, operating day and night, will give for the expression of the power of a horse, 46 2-3 pounds, continually moving at the rate of two miles per hour. But as we shall not have occasion to consider, very particularly, the speed or rate of travelling, at which a horse can labor to the great

*It has been published, and not contradicted, that "the nation suffered the disgrace of a regular proposition being offered to congress by the secretary of war to suspend the non-importation act for the purpose of importing & supply of 5 or 6000 blankets for the Indians- for whom the department had not been able to make provision.”

est advantage, or ease to himself, we shall assume a trac

TABLE II.

tion or draft of 112 pounds acting through the space of Showing the comparative advantages of animal and me

twenty miles, as the daily performance or power of one horse.

Agreeably to the statements of Mr. Wood and others, based upon experiments, a single horse laboring at the rate above stated, viz: two miles per hour and ten hours per day, with a stress of 112 pounds, can draw on a oanal 30 tons, exclusive of the weight of the boat in which it is conveyed. But as the resistance of the progress of a boat through the water, is as the square of the velocity with which it moves, and consequently the load is inversely as the square of the velocity, it follows, that when a

horse moves with a speed greater than that abovemen- miles. h. m.ho'rs
tioned, the load he is able to draw will be far less than
if he moved slower.

24

2

10

3

640 24

49.33 20

34

542 24

49

20

84

21

The resistance to the progress of carriages on a rail road of the best construction is governed by laws widely different. According to experiments of Messrs. Coulomb and Vince, this resistance remains very nearly the same, whatever may be the velocity, except in-so-far as relates to atmospheric resistance, which, though inconsiderable, at the greatest speed attainable upon a rail road, is to be estimated on the same principle as that encountered by bodies in their passage through water. The amount of this resistance, according to Mr. Wood, is equal to 1-200 part of the load, on a horizontal railway, weight of In the construction of the foregoing tables, no allowcarriages being included. Hence a traction of 112 lbs. or ance has been made for the unavoidable detentions that one horse power, will propel, on a level rail road, 22,400 must occur, both on canals and rail-roads; of course the pounds, or ten tons, through the distance of 20 miles per daily performance will be somewhat less than that statday. ed in the tables: moreover, in reference to canals the It is obvious that a horse exerting the force abovemen-weight of boats is not included in the estimate, whereas, tioned, cannot attain a speed greater than four or five miles an hour, without serious injury, nevertheless, for the sake of a more extensive application of the principles involved in the discussion before us, we shall suppose him capable of moving with this force at any rate of speed not exceeding eleven miles per hour.

in reference to rail-roads, the carriages are regarded as constituting a part of the load; of course, some allowance ought to be made in favor of canals, on this account. But as the difference thus resulting is small and somewhat difficult to estimate, it has been altogether omitted in the tables.

ways. Our estimates under this head, will be predicated on the supposition, that this expense will always be in direct proportion to the quantity of power applied.

We shall next consider some of the circumstances atMr. Wood in the treatise before alluded to, estimates tendant on the passage of hills, by means of inclined the expense of a locomotive engine, including first cost, planes, with the design of exhibiting the comparative excost of repairs, fuel and attendance, as equal to the ex-pense of transportation, on horizontal and inclined railpense of four horses, every thing included. But, as horses can be procured and subsisted somewhat cheaper in this country than in England, we shall estimate the expense of an engine as equal to that of five horses, We would farther premise, that all descents are to be which is probably near the truth, inasmuch as machinery regarded as equivalent to levels of the same extent, inand fuel will cost much less in this country than in Eng-asmuch as the maximum speed admissable in descending land, owing in no small degree, to the great difference in the plane, whatever its inclination, ought not to exceed the expense of procuring coal and other fuel, in the two that determined upon, as most proper for level roads; countries. As a mere matter of convenience, we shall and, although no locomotive power except that of graviregard the power of such an engine as equal to that of five tation, may be required in the descent, the usual powhorses, actually hitched, or five and a half horses, (the er (or rather the means of generating it) whether animal expense being the same, or very nearly so, in both cases), or mechanical, must descend in company with the load, as may suit the occasion, the weight of the engine being in order to be in readiness for application at the bottom five tons. of the plane.

All ascents, whatever may be the length of the planes, will be attended with an expense of power, in direct proportion to their heights,-double the elevation in all cases requiring double the expense of power. Hence, if we assume for the cost of transportation on a horizontal road, one cent per mile for every ton, the absolute cost of ascending any height is readily computed. We shall accordingly exhibit in a tabular form, a variety of statements illustrative of the difficulties of ascending inclined planes, comparing with those of passing on a level road, under the following several heads, viz. Height of plane or elevation to be overcome;-Amount of power, or force of traction required to ascend through any given height;-The distance on a level road through which a given load may be conveyed, as equivalent to the assent of a plane whose height and length are given;The amount of tonnage, or number of tons that can be conveyed upward daily, on inclined planes of a given length, and of different heights, by means of a given power;-The time required to ascend such planes with a given load and power, (viz: 55 tons, and 5 hours);-The number of horses required to ascend each plane, with a speed of six miles per hour;-And the cost of ascending, estimating at the rate of one cent per ton, for each horizontal mile. We would further premise, that the daily performance of a horse is to be rated at six miles per hour, for 2 h. and 20 m. of each day;-That a locomotive engine, weighing five tons, can perform,

during every hour of the day, the labor of five horses ble. Whether this expense is incurred in the purchase actually employed independently of its own locomotion of power to surmount the height, or in the payment of and that of its tenders;-of 54 horses independently of tolls, may be regarded as a matter of little moment, its own locomotion;-or, of 6 horses inclusive of its own either to the public or the proprietors of the road, prolocomotion and that of its entire train of carriages, the vided an adequate power for the passage of inclined whole weight being 60 tons.-N. B. It may here be planes, is always at hand. Nevertheless, the mode of suggested, that in all estimates of mechanical labor in conveyance being much more simple and uniform on a its application to transportation upon rail-roads, a loco-level, than on au inclined road, it is obvious that wheremotive engine, in order to perform the work of five hor- ever hills can be avoided, even at the expense of horizonses actually hitched, in addition to the conveyance of its tal distances, nearly or quite equal to those stated in the own weight and that of its tender, (the sum of which may table, this measure is to be preferred. be estimated at from 6 to 10 tons) must possess the pow- Agreeably to the statements in table IV. it may be iner of 6 horses. In conformity to this view of the sub-ferred that when the inclination of a plane is 3 degrees, or ject, a locomotive engine of the power just intimated, 277 feet in the mile;-its length & mile;-the load 55 tons, and moving with its train on a horizontal road, will af- and the power 5 horses,-the time required to ascend at ford a useful effect applicable to the purposes of com- speed of 6 miles per hour, will be about 55 minutes, and merce, equal to that of 5 horses, and when serving in the load for 5 horses, or one locomotive engine, about 5 the capacity, of a stationary engine at the head of an in- tons. On the supposition that the horses employed for clined plane, its useful effect will be equal to that of 5 the conveyance of the load, (the inclination, number of horses. Hence some slight corrections, in the former horses, &c. being the same as just stated), are exclusivepart of this paper seem desirable, but want of leisurely employed in the ascent of the plane, the number of asprecludes any amendment. cents will be eleven, and of descents, ten, amounting to a distance of 103 miles which, being travelled at the rate Expense of surmounting heights, the length of planes of 6 miles per hour, and allowing only two-thirds of a

TABLE III.

being

definite.

a

minute for turning, hitching, &c. on each arrival at the top and bottom of the plane, will occupy two hours nearly. In case a locomotive engine of the power just mentioned, were substituted for horses, the time required to ascend such a plane, (the load, &c. as before) with its entire train of carriages, would be as follows, viz: time required for the engine to ascend unaccompanied by its load, 5 minutes-time required to draw its load upward, in portions of 5 tons, in 5 minutes each, 55 minutes, amounting to one hour, no allowance being made for detentions.

In case the same labor, (load, &c. as before) were to be performed by means of a stationary engine, or horses operating at the head of the plane by means of an endless chain or cable, the power, or number of horses requisite to the conveyance of 50 tons (which is equal to the load of a locomotive engine exclusively of itself and its tender), will be that of 50 horses, and the time 5 minutes-or, if the power be equal to that of 5 horses, the time will be 50 minutes, no allowance being made for detentions or extra friction.

It is manifest, that tables III. and IV. have a direct allusion to the passage of inclined planes by means of locomotive engines. The mode of ascent just intimated, is, that the engine first ascend the plane unattended by any part of its load, and become stationary at the summit, where its power is to be applied, by means of an endless

Comparative expense of transportation on horizontal and chain located within the ascending rail track, and other

inclined rail roads.

92.4 2 4

44

40

1,980 6.87

8

105.6 2 17 4.5

49.5

118.8 2 34 5

55

60.5
66

45 1,760 6.05
50 1,584 5.5 10
55 1,440 5

132 2 53 5.5

the plane.

appropriate gearing, for the purpose of drawing up its load, either in portions, or the whole at once, as may be deemed most expedient.

In column 2d of table III. is represented the power or stress required to draw upwards on planes of different inclinations, a load of 55 tons. Hence we may infer what ought to be the strength of a chain adequate to the traction of the whole or any portion of the load.

In the event of a single ascending rail-track being inadequate to the conveyance of the whole amount of tonnage on the rode, additional tracts may be constructed, as the occasion may require.

In regard to stationary engines, it is pretty certain that two will be required at the head of every inclined plane, in order to ensure an uninterrupted traffic on the road. Their power as adapted to the ascent of planes of different inclinations, is indicated by the number of horses in column 4th of table IV. An estimate of their cost and the expense attending them would require more data than I have at command.

A full investigation of the subject we have had under consideration, would require far more time and attention, than I have it in my power at present to bestow. The 11 foregoing remarks and statements, although they may not 145.2 3 10 6 60 1,320 4.58 12 be entirely free from inaccuracies, are believed to be a It is apparent from table III. that the cost of transport- near approximation to the truth, and are cheerfully subation on a rail-road will be greatly enhanced by the pas-mitted, with the hope that they may be of some service sage of hills; also that the extra expense thus accruing to the cause of the great work you have in prospect. will add quite as much to the cost of transportation, as the I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your most tolls upon a horizontal road for the distance correspond- obedient servant, S. H. LONG. ing to the height, as represented in column 3d of the ta

Philip E. Thomas, esq. Baltimore.