OF THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE OF THE State of Pennsylvania, AND MECHANICS' REGISTER. NOVEMBER, 1840. Civil Engineering. Letters from the United States of North America on Internal Improvements, Steam Navigation, Banking, &c., written by FRANCIS ANTHONY CHEVALIER DE GERSTNER, during his sojourn in the United States, in 1839. (Translated from the German, by L. KLEIN, Civil Engineer.) LETTER III. Wilmington, North Carolina, March 31st, 1839. Post Office Department, Transportation of the Mail in Steamboats and upon Railroads. The Post Office department forms in the United States an important branch of the administration of the General Government; the principle has been adopted that the surplus of receipts over the expenditure shall be applied to the establishment of new post roads; the General Government derives, therefore, no increase of revenue from this branch of the public service. The whole Post Office department is superintended by a Postmaster General, who is a member of the Cabinet of the President of the United States: but, like the other cabinet officers, receives only the moderate salary of 6000 dollars. The Postmaster General appoints all the Deputy Postmasters and their assistants, throughout the Union; and dismisses them at his discretion. The Postmasters have no fixed salaries, but receive a per centage of the income to an amount not to exceed 2000 dollars a year. The transportation of the VOL. XXVI. No. 5.- NOVEMBER, 1840. 25 mail is let by contract to stage proprietors, or to railroad and steamboat Upon common On horseback and Upon railroads | Total number of Year. roads. Transportation of the Mail. in sulkies. and in steamboats. 1,878,296 1,793,024 2,413,092 miles. 27,578,620 32,597,006 $4,580,202 In the year 1838 the transportation of the mail was let to 1947 individuals or companies, and the expenses have been: Year 1838. mile of single The mail was Expenses of Expenses per : : i These statements serve to show the immense extent of the post arrangements in this country, and the increase in the transportation of the mail upon railroads and in steamboats. In 1832 the mail was carried 499,301 miles upon railroads and in steamboats; 6 years later the number of miles had increased to 2,413,092, or five-fold. The Government considers railroads as private property, and each contract for the transportation of the mail upon them is therefore made with the free consent and agreement of both parties. Congress had up to this time only determined that the maximum compensation allowed to railroad companies should not exceed 25 per cent. over that allowed on common roads, upon which the mail is carried so much slower. The transportation of the great Western mail, between Baltimore and Cincinnati, costs annually 190 dollars per mile of road, for which sum the contractor has to carry the mail daily once in each direction. The addition of 25 per cent. gives 237 dollars as the amount, which is paid to most of the railroad companies; this is equal to 32 cents for the transportation of the mail a single time one mile; an amount which might be reduced to one-half in Germany, in consequence of the prices of all articles being there smaller in the same proportion. The railroad companies here were dissatisfied with the above compensation, and declared their unwillingness to transport the mail any longer for the same; Congress, in its present session, has, therefore, authorised the Postmaster General to increase the compensation to 300 dollars per mile per 1 year; this gives for a single transportation of the mail, one mile, 41 cents. It is to be remarked, however, that upon railroads the great mails are principally carried weighing from 2000 to 3000 pounds, while with stages the mails are generally smaller. The high price allowed to the railroad companies shows sufficiently that it is regarded here as highly important to have the mail carried upon railroads in preference to other conveyances. The railroad companies are on their part bound to keep the time prescribed by the Postmaster General, and they lose the compensation for a whole day if the mail arrives once later than at the specified hour. Management of Railroads in Winter. The majority of the American railroads are located in the northern States, where in winter the canals are frozen during four months, and the snow often falls several feet deep. As the railroads frequently pass through deep cuts, the difficulties occasioned by the snow are much increased. After many experiments, a proper apparatus has been invented, which has been found to answer very well. This machine clears the snow, and breaks and clears the ice off the rails. If the snow lays only a few inches deep, the apparatus is attached to the locomotive, and the train starts at the usual hour; but when the snow is deeper, a separate engine is despatched with the apparatus, in advance of the train, to clear the track. Parts of the Utica and Schenectady Railroad were covered with snow last winter, from three to four feet in depth, two, and once three, engines were sent from the depot, which, being connected together, moved the apparatus before them, and cleared the track. In this way they succeeded in overcoming the obstacle entirely, and in making the trips regularly and in the usual time. Precaution is also necessary with the locomotive engine, to prevent the pumps and pipes from freezing, and to protect the engineman and fireman from the frost. The engine is therefore put under cover, and engineer and fireman stand under a tent of canvas, which covers part of the engine and tender. Two windows in front allow the engineer to overlook the road and engine, while the access of the cold air is almost entirely prevented, and men and engine are safe from frost and snow. The passengers are transported in long eight-wheeled cars, containing each from fifty to sixty seats, and a stove, to heat the car comfortably. On each end of the car is a platform, over which it is easy to get from one car to the other during the journey, and to visit one's friends and acquaintances. Some cars contain a bar with refreshments; others have separate apartments for ladies, in which they are attended by female servants; finally, they have gone so far as to construct a car with forty-two beds, that the passengers may quietly sleep during their night journey, which beds are transformed into seats in the day time. A railroad car here, resembles, therefore, a steamboat; on board of it, (as the Americans say,) one may have all the comforts of the latter, and accomplish an agreeable journey, without being subject to sea-sickness. The longest Railroad connection in the United States. In my second letter I took occasion to make mention of the most expensive railroad in this country. I shall now speak of the longest railroad connection, in order to show that the American railroads are not short, not without connection with each other, and not constructed for pleasure travelling only, but that they are regarded as great thoroughfares, as connecting the most distant points of the Union, and are principally used by business men. The railroad which may be regarded as the longest in the world, extends from Boston, in Massachusetts, to Greensboro', in Georgia, and is composed of the following sections: NOTE. Between Aquia Creek and Fredericksburg, the railroad will be constructed in 1839; between Weldon and Wilmington, (N. C.) there are now only 103 miles of railroad in operation; the remainder of the distance is under construction, and will likely be completed in 1859. On this line of 1203 miles in length, therefore, 853 miles are traveled upon railroads, and 350 miles in steamboats. The whole distance is performed in five days, or 120 hours, or at an average ten miles per hour.This includes all stoppages for meals, and besides, ten hours in New York. As soon as the above mentioned two sections of railroads are completed, the passage may be performed in 100 hours, or 12 miles per hour, including stoppages. This is a considerable speed for such a long voyage, on which five nights are spent, and if the railroads did not belong to thirteen different companies, whereby much time is wasted in passing the baggage from one train to another, a speed of fifteen miles per hour, including stoppages, could be attained. The Americans, however, are not satisfied with the above railroad and steamboat connection of 1203 miles, and are establishing an opposition line between Stonington and Weldon, consisting of the following parts: |