THE PBESIDENT S INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 



9 



and I think it will always be found, in sncli a onso, tlmt 

 something lias been omitted. 



I may mention a remarkable instance of tliis, wliicli 

 oocuiTcd wlion tlio Bill for making tbo Great Western 

 Railway was in Parliament in tlie House of Lords. The 

 opposition oamc from the London and Southampton Com- 

 pany. They retained the celebrated Dr. Lardnor, amongst 

 others, to give evidence for them against the Bill ; and he 

 selected the Box incline, of 1 in 100 for about three miles, 

 as the strong point for his evidence. 



Yon may remember that this was in 1835. Railways 

 were then in their infancy ; and Dr. Lardner had the name 

 of being a groat mathematician, as well as the editor of his 

 then well-known scientific GyclopauUa. I was a pupil of 

 Brunei's, and attended the committee-rooms in tliosc days. 



His evidence wont to the effect, that the trains descend- 

 ing this incline, if at any time and from any cause the 

 brakes were to fail (as in all human affairs they must be 

 expected to do sometimes), the train would run down the 

 incline with a constantly accelerated velocity, until, at the 

 bottom, it would h.ave acquired a speed of 120 mil(>s an lionr 

 — a speed lie tliought their lordships would not bo ])rcpared 

 to sanction. 



The members of the CommitttiO were all aghast at sucli 

 evidence from such a man. 



Now, the Doctor's figures wci-o no doubt quite correct 

 according to Ms theory, which was that of a body falling 

 160 feet in vacuo; but he altogether omitted the restraining 

 forces of friction and air resist.ance. If he had taken those 

 into his calculation at their true value, he would have found 

 that the train would have got up to a speed of 56 miles 

 an Jionr, at about which speed it is found that frictional 

 resistance balances the force of gravitation : so that if a 



