Page:Inland Transit - Cundy - 1834.djvu/90

 between these places, a level road, regularly four times a day. It carried in this time upwards of 3000 passengers without a single accident, at a greater speed than that of horse coaches, and at half their fares. The value of the coke expended in this performance was about 50l.,—giving an annual rate of 150l, for fuel. A horse coach to perform the same work, going at a rate of from eight to nine miles an hour, would have required eighteen horses constantly to be maintained.

The evidence afforded by an experiment continued for such a period was not to be resisted; and it carried conviction to the minds of those who fancied their interests would be affected by the impending change. The project was now to be opposed, not by fair objections, but by any means which unscrupulous men will resort to in a desperate emergency. Agriculturists, trustees of roads, coach proprietors, coach drivers, grooms, stable boys,—all were immediately up in arms. Not a day passed without gross misstatements being industriously and extensively circulated, with a view to deter passengers from choosing the new mode of conveyance. The continuance, however, of successful journeys giving constantly the lie to such reports, deprived them of their poison. The next measure was of a more effectually mischievous and atrocious character. On the 22 of June, a considerable space of the road, about four miles from Gloucester, was found to be overlaid with heaps of loose stones, to the depth of eighteen inches. The road at this place, and indeed generally, was at the time in the most excellent order. The horse carriages in crossing the stones thus laid down were compelled to unload; the steamcarriage, not being built with that degree of strength,