pulled up a grade of about 3 degrees (276 feet per mile). The 

 locomotive had some difficulty in starting with this heavy load 

 when relying entirely on the regular driving wheels, but when the 

 center rail was put into use, it ascended the grade without difficulty. 

 The most dramatic test came about by chance: the regular drivers 

 were accidentally put in reverse, but the power of the gripper 

 wheels was so great that it propelled the locomotive and car up 

 the grade while the driving wheels slipped, turning vainly in the 

 opposite direction. 82 



Whetstone described other incidents that occurred during the 

 New York showing in a letter to George Sellers: 



In the exhibition yesterday, not being able to find my man Friday 

 nor anyone else in his place, I had my hands full. I had besides the 

 engineering department, to do the talking, and to act as fireman and 

 policeman. It being Saturday afternoon, and the crowd of boys was 

 very great, and they were unusually troublesome, so much so that 

 they had come very near doing very serious mischief. While the engine 

 was passing off the lower turn-table to go to the depot some boy shifted 

 the turn-table so as to throw the truck off and the engine went into 

 the house minus a truck, it was very lucky that the hind end of it was 

 heavy enough to keep it from tilting down, otherwise it might have 

 been ruined entirely. I soon corrected matters, however, and every- 

 thing went on as well as ever. 



Tn another paragraph of the same letter he notes: 



Yesterday about noon Mr. Norris sent a note to Mr. Woodward [Jabez 

 M. Woodward] requesting an exhibition of the engine to some gentle- 

 men from New Orleans and elsewhere, appointing 5:00 o'clock as the 

 time. Mr. Randon[?] came there with Mr. Woodward and Mr. Jas 

 Lee brought a friend with him, Mr. Norris came afterwards bringing 

 Judge or General McNeal [Major William G. McNeill] one of the U.S. 

 Engineers who at present resides in this city. Mr. Norris says you must 

 see Mr. McN on your return. I suppose probably he thinks he will 

 take an interest. Mr. Norris certainly takes a great interest in this 

 matter. He has already brought 6 or 8 gentlemen to see it and talks 

 to them very much in the same strain that he did to you. What his 

 reasons or motives may be I do not know.^^ 



*-' Sellers, Improvements, p. i o. 



^^ September i o, 1 848, Peale-Sellers papers. 



62 



