Mr Sang on the Rapidity of Motion, §t. 885 



rail-road, and then the sensation of rapidity, which hardly ever 

 leaves us while travelling in a coach, disappeared entirely ; and 

 it was only by looking at the passing objects, or by attending to 

 the rattle of the steam, that I could form an idea of the rate. 



With the velocity of twenty-five miles an hour, even when 

 exposed to the current of air, there was not the slightest ap- 

 proach to any feeling that would lead me to suppose that four or 

 five times the velocity would disable the engineers from directing 

 and managing the train. Such was the result of my own obser- 

 vation, and it was fully borne out by the experience of the men. 

 I may cite two instances of common occurrence. 



When the train arrives at the foot of one of the inclines, the 

 banking engine follows to assist it up. Now one would be apt 

 to imagine that, for the purpose of attaching the new engine, 

 the train would stop, or that if it did not, there would be a con. 

 cussion when the banking engine comes in contact. 



So completely, however, are these powerful engines under the 

 control of their directors, and so well are they managed, that a 

 passenger in the train who is not aware of what is going on from 

 ocular perception, is altogether unconscious of any change. I 

 frequently watched this operation, but on no occasion could per-, 

 ceive the slightest shock, even when situated only one or two 

 carriages from the end of the train. The only thing noticeable 

 was, that the springs which keep the carriages apart were com- 

 pressed, and that their shadows on the ground approached each 

 other. 



On one occasion, the banking engine had got before us on the 

 incline; as the hooking of it on in such a situation was a much 

 severer test of the skill with which matters are managed, I 

 attended closely to the operation. We were going fully twenty- 

 five miles an hour. The banking engine gradually slackened its 

 rate, and allowed the train to gain upon it, until it could be 

 hooked on, — that done, more steam was given, and we proceeded 

 with its assistance, yet not the slightest shock was felt in the train* 

 These facts are sufficient to shew, that much greater rapidity 

 is practicable, so far as the power of managing the apparatus is 

 concerned. 



As to the rapidity itself I made some observations. Twenty- 

 five miles an hour is not so very rapid. Over and again I saw 



