Page:Report from the Select Committee on Steam Carriages.pdf/174



Mr. Alexander Gordon. 17 August, 1831.  through the streets of London, and I have not seen horses frightened in any case; they may be sy, and prick their ears at it, but they have not started.

Have you turned your attention to the question, how Tolls should be fairly charged on such Carriages?—No. 



you an Engineer?—I am.

Were you brought up to that business?—I was.

Are you the Patentee or Proprietor of a Steam Carriage?—I am Patentee of a new method of more economically and safely generating Steam, which I am applying to Steam Carriages.

Has it been practically carried into effect in Steam Carriages?—No; I am building Steam Carriages, one of which is complete. I have been to Cheltenham to see the effect of a Carriage there, and travelled nearly 100 miles between Cheltenham and Gloucester, with Mr. Gurney's Carriage with that view.

Did you find that any inconvenience arose to the persons travelling upon the roads from Mr. Gurney's Carriage?—I did not observe any particular inconvenience, certainly the horses shyed a little, that may be accounted for from too great a quantity of fuel being consumed, which caused too great a smoke and vapour, but that will be reduced as improvements take place.

Have you paid attention to the effect on the roads of Mr. Gurney's Steam Carriage?—I have.

Will you give the result of your observations?—I conceive that Steam Carriages do no injury to the roads further than the Carriages at present in use, no horses being applied, there is so much diminution of injury to the road from the horses not being used, the wheels I do not conceive do any more injury than those of a Stage Coach, supposing them of both the same weight.

Then deducting the weight of the horses, do you conceive that the injury is the same weight for weight?—Precisely.

What opportunity had you of examining the state 