1886.] NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 139 



until the supply of steam was exhausted. One running in the 

 streets of Paris at about three miles per hour turned over, and 

 was considered dangerous by the authorities and locked up in 

 the arsenal. 



In 1784, Murdoek, 'an associate with Watt, made a working 

 model of a locomotive, but no further steps were taken. 



Oliver Evans, of Philadelphia, was at this time busy with his 

 experiments upon high pressure engines, and in 1787 patented 

 his steam carriage. In 1794-95 he sent Mr. Joseph Sampson to 

 England with his drawings, where they were shown to many 

 engineers, and it was said that they were copied without giving 

 him credit. In 1801, he constructed his Onictor Ainphibolus, 

 which mounted on wheels, was propelled by its steam power 

 through the streets of Philadelphia in the presence of 20,000 

 people, one and one-half miles to the Schuylkill. There it was 

 launched, and then, by a wheel in the stern, propelled around to 

 the Delaware front of the city, a distance of sixteen miles. He 

 was an advocate of steam locomotion, and is accredited with say- 

 ing " that the time would come when a party could start from 

 Washington, breakfast in Baltimore, dine in Philadelphia, and 

 sup in New York." The realization exceeds the prophecy, yet for 

 such remarks he was considered insane. 



Trevithick and Vivian patented a steam carriage in 1802 

 which was a high pressure engine. It was run in the streets of 

 London, but they were so rough and uneven it was abandoned as 

 a failure. In 1804 they constructed one to run npon the tram 

 roads, and it was tried upon the Merthyr Tydvil Kailway, in 

 South Wales, drawing ten tons at a speed of five miles per hour. 

 This was also abandoned ; the great difficulty being insufficient 

 adhesion. To remedy this, Trevithick recommended and caused 

 to be placed upon the periphery of his driving wheels, projecting 

 bolts and grooves, which proved successful for this purpose, but 

 produced a series of blows which broke the cast-iron rails. 



In 1811, Mr. Blenkinshop, of Leeds, took out a patent for a 

 rack rail and the necessary mechanism to work in it. I call 

 attention to this; as an improved form, Abt's system, has recently 

 been brought forward to work mountain lines of heavy gradients. 

 To secure sufficient traction, Mr. Chapman, in 1812, stretched a 

 chain in the road bed which also passed around a groove in a 

 drum under the engine. 



In 1813, Mr. Brunton brought out his mechanical traveller, 

 the cylinders connecting directly with the legs, which moved the 

 locomotive by a series of impulses. A velocity of two and a half 

 miles per hour was obtained, and a tractive power of four 

 horses. 



In the same year, Mr. Blackett, who had long experimented 



