ON THE ADVANTAGES OP RAIL ROADS. 



223 



which horfes could travel in a day, the freedom from dirt and 

 duft, the fecurity by night, the eafe with which the fick and 

 infirm might be tranfported from place, to place, are all obvious 

 confiderations ; but the chief convenience of this project arifes In this plan the 

 from the mode of receiving and tranfporting on rail-ways carn f ges r . equirc 

 every carriage now in ufe without any change in their ft ruclure, 

 fo that a traveller may quit and relume the common road at 

 pleafure. To enumerate all the advantages that would arife 

 from fuch roads, is unneceflfary in this flight fketch ; the in- 

 telligent reader will probably perceive many that are not even 

 hinted. It is felf-fufficient to lay the general idea before the 

 public; the contrivance and economy of the different parts of fuch 

 a projecl require long and minute details, which muft be re- 

 ferved for another ftage of the bufinefs. If fuch a plan fhould v • 

 have a fair trial, it might lead the way to farther fpeculations. 



It is not impoffible by flight circulating chains , like thofe of a Draught by- 

 jack running upon rollers, to communicate motion between eam ^fi 11163 * 

 (mail fteam-engines, placed at a confiderable diflance from 

 "each other ; to thefe chains carriages might be connected at 

 will, and when neceffary they might inftantaneoufly be de- 

 tached. What a prodigious faving of expence might be thus 

 effected ? If the freedom and facility of intercourfe, which 

 has been obtained by good roads and canals, be, as Adam 

 Smith afferts, one of the grear caufes of our national wealth, 

 how far might this freedom and facility of intercourfe be ex- 

 tended by the perfection of the fcheme, whofe outlines I thus 

 lay before the public. 



Every great projecl requires time for confideration ; time The detail and 



accuftoms the public mind to new views, and what, at firfl reception of 



r . every great pro* 



appears too diftant and unattainable by time becomes familiar j e <a require* 



and praaicable. time > &c * 



Mechanics will not fail to comment on what appears in 



fuch a refpectable publication as yours. You will not, Mr. 



Editor, hefitate to give your own opinion j you will at leafl 



be certain, that whatever objections are raifed will be treated 



with candour, and replied to without enthufiafm, by 



Your humble Servant, 



RICH. LOVELL EDGEWORTH. 



Edgezvorth Town, Ireland, 



XIV. Defcription 



