The history of the first locomotives in America. From original ...

170 HISTOET OF THE FIRST LOCOMOTIVES IN AMERICA.
make. I presented my conclusion that the comparison was in
favor of locomotive-power, and I based my recommendation, that
the road should he huilt for locomotive-power, essentially on the
ground that there was no reason to believe that the breed of
horses would be materially improved, but that the present breed
of locomotives was to furnish a power of which no one knew its
limit, and which would far exceed its present performances. At
the meeting where this report was submitted, the directors, before
they left their seats, passed the resolution unanimously that the
South Carolina Railroad should be buUt solely for locomotive-power.
" To one other circumstance in connection with the same road
I will refer. I had early come to the conclusion that to make the
locomotive the instrument that would be required, it must furnish
more power in one instrument and one engineer ; that it was plain
that the materials, and that, too, of the road which carried the loco-
motive, limited the weight to rest under each wheel, and that, as
more power required more weight, there must, of necessity, be
more wheels, and that, if more wheels are required, power must be
made in reference to curves and change of grade. In reports made
in 1830-'31, 1 set forth the combinations by which such provision
could be made. At that time the locomotives in England were all
on four wheels, and it was maintauied by a strong English influ-
ence that it was not for us, in America, to depart from English
usage. The subject was matter of discussion for a winter. I took
the position (English usage to the contrary notwithstanding) that
no long road for general passenger and freight purposes could
maintain itself without the use of eight-wheel locomotives, and
that probably ten-wheel locomotives would also be found desir-
able. Experience has amply sustained my position. My efforts
were successful, and in 1831 the first eight-wheel locomotives were
built on my plans and under my direction. The combinations by
^ which provision was made for curves and changes of grade are
substantially those so generally used on eight-wheel locomotives
and eight-wheel passenger-cars.
" It is of some interest that their introduction, without patent,
was in a great degree the means of saving the railroad companies
and the public from charges for their use.
" It is with difiiculty that I have found time to put on paper, in
this brief way, this reply to your inquiries.
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" Yours respectfully,
"HoEATio Allen.