AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 546 



public may have it fully before them, voted unanimously that 

 Mr. Creamer should give fall explanation as soon as convenient. 

 Mr. Meigs said that the terrible accidents on our steam travel 

 by land and water, had alarmed our community, and that the 

 pride of the Republic was ashamed at such an exhibition of want 

 of science, of caution and humanity. That all good and inge- 

 nious men ought to do all they can by closer investigation, and 

 calling out all American genius to reconcile high velocity with 

 safety ; for since we began to use steam travel, the killed and 

 wounded men, women and children, far exceed the killed and 

 wounded in our great revolutionary war. 



It is proposed among other things, that as our ships always 

 have pilots in all dangerous passages, and as railroads are liable 

 to unforeseen and unknown dangerous obstructions, from numer- 

 ous causes, therefore let a locomo-tive engine with a competent 

 engineer, be always sent ahead of the train as a pilot; let this 

 pilot have the best signals, and especially when a great danger is 

 discovered, to fire a small cannon towards the train ! One cannon 

 in front and another in the rear, so as to alarm the trains in either 

 direction. By means of percussion cocks the engineer can pull a 

 string and fire the gun ! 



As to the person having command of the engine and trains 

 with hundreds of our citizens of all ages and sexes. Surely he 

 should be possessed of the highest qualifications in science and 

 character. He should be an officer of more importance than any 

 colonel or general of any army that ever mai'ched ! 



This suggestion for competent engineers on trains, was many 

 years ago made to this Institute by one of its members, the late 

 Major Charles Mapes, of the U. S. Army. That as the steam 

 travel was national, the United States government should edu- 

 cate in the most perfect manner that science and practice can do, 

 men best fitted to be so educated. That our government should 

 commission them as officers of rank, to have absolute command 

 of trains. 



To obtain safety with the desired velocity, demands all our ge- 

 nius and caution. 



A discussion on the character and operation of the clogs used 

 in braking took place, the effect they had on the wheels, the 

 effect often of a brake on a wheel to restrain it for a short time 

 from rolling, and thus bringing a small surface of the wheel to a 

 plane by the friction on the rail ; the consequent jolting move- 



[Am. Inst.] 35 



