Figure 6. — Street-Railwav Locomotive tested on Cincin- 

 nati horse railway in i860. Built and designed by A. B. 

 and E. Latta. (From Scientific Artisan, vol. 2, November 5, 

 1859-) 



undoubtedly underpowered, the curious little machine was a mechan- 

 ical success, pulling a car loaded with 41 passengers. Its undoing 

 was that which largely defeated the use of dummy engines on city 

 streets: horses became terrified when it passed. The Cincinnati 

 Gazette of March 28, i860, noted: "Scarce a horse could be coaxed 

 or compelled to pass it and within the brief space of twenty-four 

 hours not less than two accidents was the result." 



Since we have such a fragmentary record of Latta's career, it is 

 hardly possible to make any conclusive estimate of his mechanical 

 abilities, but in view of the foregoing facts, I am astonished by the 

 glowing and unqualified praise of Latta's engineering genius that 

 has appeared since his death. G. E. Sellers spoke of him as a 

 "progressive, skillful, and inventive mechanic,'''^- while Robert 



'^-American Machinist (December 19, 1889), vol. 12, p. 2. 



19 



