Railways, Steamships, and Telegrephs

Join Our Community of Science Lovers!


On supporting science journalism

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.


RAILWAYS—I have seen on page 291, this volume ol the Scientific American, that there are some hopes of improvement on our railways which will make them less destructive of life and property. Permit me to recall a proposition made in the very beginning of the system by Mr. Morgan, an able but too modest a man for the times we live in ; this engineer was one of the first employed in Massachusetts and New York. He proposed to have timber between the two rails, about eighteen inches high, against which horizontal wheels should run treely, touching occasionally ; the car wheels were to be without ilanches, thus saving much Iriction ; such wheels might be used on the present tracks. Perhaps more has been written on this subject than I have seen ; I merely call it up for re-examination, if it has not been absolutely exploded. Corporations must do something for their own interest, and they will look to your valuable paper as the locus ot mechanical intelligence ; it would be well therefore, at this time, tha' speculationgood, bad, or indifferent, shoulc bring forward their notions ; a fool's hint may be made useful by a wise man. SEA STEAMERSI have seen also in you valuable paper, that a monstrous large steam er is about to be built in England, with fou side wheels and a screw propeller. Here beg leave to remind you that I had the hono to propose in your paper some time ago to con struct all our long steamers with four wheels and referred to the advantage of wagons ove carts by way of illustration. The four wheel to a steamer will have some advantages ove the wagon, for this will perform Fulton's de sideratum, they will raise the vessel out o the waterthat resting medium which offer more resistance exactly in proportion to th increase of speed; which proposition wa thrown in the teeth ot Fulton by the Frenc philosophers when he told them that he coul make a ship exceed fourteen knots an hour. TELEGRAPHS AND STEAMERSIt will b long before we get a telegraph across the A1 lantic ; but a combination of the two system extend your telegraph as farEasFas possible through Nova Scotia or Labrador, then cros from Newfoundland, or Labrador to Irelanc by a steamer of iron expressly built for th postal service, and so strong, as to tear n storms or waves, very long compared wit her width and depth, and with as much pow er as can be put into her, wheels and prope lers. I am convinced that you will find i New York, builders and engineers who wi produce a post packet which will fly over th water like a flying-fishmerely touch-and go. This was indeed the philosophy of Fu ton, practiced in a minor degree, for the dou ble purpose of speed and freight; but we ar willing to sacrifice freight and even passen gers' feesall for speed. I should prefer, a a passenger, this mode of flying from wave t wave, to flying over the clouds. The passage over the water would be s short that little coal would be consumed. Boston, June, 1853. if such a line could be supported, we woulc heartily agitate the subject. There is nothin impractical in it; it is only a question of pa or not pay. A steamship running at an ave rage speed of fifteen miles per hour, could ru from Newfoundland to the West coast of Ire land in 5 days 13 hours, allowing the distanc to be 2,000 miles, which is not tar from th mark, This project will no doubt be carriec out at some future period.ED.

Scientific American Magazine Vol 8 Issue 40This article was published with the title “Railways, Steamships, and Telegrephs” in Scientific American Magazine Vol. 8 No. 40 (), p. 315
doi:10.1038/scientificamerican06181853-315

It’s Time to Stand Up for Science

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.

I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.

If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.

In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.

There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.

Thank you,

David M. Ewalt, Editor in Chief, Scientific American

Subscribe