AMERICAN RAILROAD JOURNAL.

1001

ence, which is saved to the consumer, is the chief
advantage which the company offers to its stock-
holders ; but the profit on the coal sold, will fur-
nish satisfactory dividends.

To secure, beg/and ,rpera(Zvemfu.re, the advantages
held out to the purchasers of the preferred stock,
the Directors engage that no coal shall be deliver-
ed on the stock issued to the projectors of the
company, until the whole amount due to the holders
of the pre_fe7'7'ecl slash shall have been delivered,
and until enough coal shall have been sold in the
market to pm; seven per cam‘. ammal al-ividend on the
par value of the _ymgfer9~ed stock. This arrangement
will leave forty-five thousand tons of coal, which
may be sold to pay dividends, amounting to only
$13,000——requiring a profit of less than thirty-five
cents per ton; less than one-fifth of what may be
reasonably expected. It is believed that the cash
dividends would be much more than seven per
cent

Dr. J. P. Kimball, Mining Engineer, says of the
quality of coal of this colliery:

The anthracite of the Mammoth Seam in the
Ashland basin is a dry, hard and dense variety, of
a deep black color and splendid lustre. Its frac-
ture is semi—conchoidal-—a test of -great purity
and homogeneousness. In specific gravity and
composition, it greatly resembles the best stand-
ard Lehigh coal. It is practically free from sul-
phur, and burns to a white ash.
a superior as an anthracite for blast furnaces, and
is commended as a steam-generating anthracite-
burnirrg freely, and igniting readily. The divid-
ing slate separating the two benches is so clearly
defined, and its subordinate courses of slate are
so few and insignificant, that the coal is prepared
for market uncommonly free from this a.dmixture.

The Overland 'I‘ruction Engine Co. of N. Y.

Among the many projects which are now being
agitated for facilitating the mining operations of
our westefn Territories, and for quickening and
cheapening the communication between the cen-
tre of this great region, and the rivers and rail-
roads of the Missouri Valley, not the least import-
ant is that of placing a line of steam Traction En-
gines and Trains on the Plains, between certain
points on the Missouri River and the Rocky
Mountains.

Engines of this description have been used for
several years. In England they are quite exten-
sively adopted, not only for agricultural purposes,
but for hauling the heaviest loads in the dock
yards, and great numbers are now constructed in
that country for Australia. I

Successful experiments have also been made
with alight class of such engines, both in Eng-
land and on the continent for the carrying of per-
.sons, and a rate of speed has been obtained on
good roads, exceeding 20 miles per hour.

So far, however, their use has been confined to
local purposes, and it is only within a very recent’
period, that attempts have been made to introduce
them on long routes like the one in question.
The great difiiculty in the way has been the sup-
ply of fuel. The ordinary engines in use, have
been unable to carry any useful load for consider-
able distances, unless supplied with fuel at fre-
quent intervals. And the adhesion of their wheels
upon the ordinary roads, has borne so small a
proportion to the great weight of the engine, and
to the power it ought to exert, that they have not
been able to haul the loads. due to their power.

The stereotyped plan is a boiler similar to that
of a locomotive, mounted upon four wheels, the
two rear wheels being the drivers, and the for-
ward wheels serving to steer the engine; The rear
aisle is fixed. While the forward one turns upon all

It has scarcely

king bolt, the whole arrangement being precisely
like that seen in any ordinary wagon.

Two cylinders are applied to a crank shaft from
which endless chains running over proper pullies
give motion to the driving wheels.

Having but two cylinders they are applied to
the same shaft in order to avoid any dead centres,
and consequently bothidriving wheels must move
at the same speed, no matter how sharp a corner
it may be necessary to turn. One wheel must ne-
cessarily slip, and it therefore becomes impossible
to provide any additional means for obtaining ad-
hesion, unless the engine is confined strictly to a
straight line. About one-third the weight of the
engine is placed upon the forward wheels, so that
the traction power of such an engine is limited
entirely by the adhesion due to two-thirds the
weight of the engine, resting upon two smooth
wheels, and it makes no difference how much
power there may be exerted in the cylinders, the
engine can haul no more load than its adhesion
upon the road will permit. The additional_ power
exerted serves simply to slip its wheels.

A great improvement in the construction of
these’ engines, has been made in this country by
Jesse Frye of Brooklyn, and the value of his in-
ventions has been practically demonstrated by
the performances of an engine, of about 22 tons.

In F1-ye’s engine, all the wheels act as driving
wheels, forward as well as rear the power being
communicated to the former at all times, no mat-
ter how much they are turned from their normal
position in the process of stearing.

Each wheel is driven by two cylinders, and
therefore they are entirely independent of each
other. No slipping being necessary in passing a
curve, additional means of adhesion are applied
in the shape of cogs or corrugations on the tread
of the wheels, which enter the surface of the road
slightly and grasp it so‘ that adhesion to. the full
extent of the power of the cylinder is obtained.
Thus is an engine of given weight, made to do a
duty twice or thrice as much as is performed by
an ordinary engine of the same size.

The Overland Traction Engine Company of this
city, has been organized for the purpose of placing
Frye’s Traction Engines and Trains, on the various
routes between the Missouri River and the Rocky
Mountains, and is now constructing an engine of
32 tons weight, with a train of wagons which is to
start from Nebraska city as soon as completed.
These trains are to be multiplied as fast as pos-
sible. From the actual tests made with the engine
completed, no doubt is entertained that the new
onewill easily transport a net load of 200 tons of
freight" across these plains to Denver city, a dis-
tance of 600 miles with a consumption of coal
less than 100 tons. Until within a very recent
period, such a performance would have been im-
possible, simply for the reason that the engine
has capacity to carry only a supply of fuel for 20
miles, in addition to such a. load of freight.

Coal, however, is now found near the city of
Denver in unlimited quantities, and as the con-
sumption of coal for the round trip would be
less than the engine can haul, it can be brought
back and distributed at proper intervals on the
return trip.

Paying freight _will be hauled West and coal
brought -back. The company has taken hold of
this matter in earnest;  thorough survey of the

routes has been made during the past summer by
A. P Robinson, Esq., civil engineer. ,

He reports that a. route may be followed for the
entire distance, upon which the inclinations need
not exceed 3 feet per 100 in any case, and that
with the exception of the construction of three or
four small bridges and the filling of a few unim-
portant ravines, very little expenditure will be re-
quired. The transportation across these plains is
enormous, and is increasing almost beyond belief.
In 1864 from actual returns kept at the various
points from which trains are sent it, is reported at
about 80,000,000 pounds. For the year 1865 the

which it is known is yet to go forward will make
a grand total of 200,000,000 pounds, and all this
is hauled by cattle and mules requiring from 40
to 60 days’ time.

The rates are about 15 cents per pound which
would show that the expenditure for transporta-
tion across the plains this year,would reach the en-
ormous sum of thirty millions of dollars. The rail-
road is needed to-day, and will come in due time,
but at least ten years will be required to reach
the mountains.

_ In the meantime this magnificent traffic is open
for the Traction Engine. The entire expense of
the round trip, cannot exceed $5,000. _

Two hundred tons of freight would at 10 cents
per pound yield a profit of $35,000.

The engine can run night and day at a speed of
5 miles per hour, crossing easily in 6 days. It is
the intention of the «company as soon as their
freight trains are established, to place on the
route a. class of light engines for passengers and
express packages, which will run at about twice
this speed making the trip in 3 days.

The present stage coaches require 6 days. The
establishment of such a line of freight and pas-
senger engines across the plains, would defy com-
petition by anything except a railway. Until the
Pacific Railroad reaches the mountains the Trac-
tion Engines must rule, and tliere-offers a pros-
pect of profits in their operation, during the in-
termediate time which hardly any of the great
projects of the present day can equal.

Baltimore and Ohio R. R.

The regular meeting of the directors of this
company was held in Baltimore on the 11th inst-.
J. W. Garrett, Esq., President in the chair.

After action upon the reports of the Committees
of Transportation and Construction, the C_onnnittee
of Finance reported the following resolutions
which were unanimously adopted:

Resolved, That a dividend of four cent. be de-
clared on the stock of the Main Stem of the Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad Company, payable on
and after the 23d October, instant, at the Mer-
chants’ Bank of Baltimore, and that the transfer
books he closed on the 12th instant and remain
closed until the 23d instant. .

Resolved-, That the United States tax be paid by
the Company.

Resolved, That a dividend of five per cent. be
declared on the stock of the Washington Branch
Railroad, for the half year ending 30th September
last, payable on and after the 16th October, at
the Merchants’ Bank of Baltimore.

Resolved, That the United States tax be paid by
the company.

In connection with the financial condition of the
Company, the President stated that the expendi-
tureswere still very large, the, force of employees

being larger than at any former period. and 110W

accounts of freight already sent, added to that_