Page:Report from the Select Committee on Steam Carriages.pdf/53



Mr. G. Gurney. 5 August, 1831.

you give in the Statement that you were directed to produce on the last Examination?—I Will.

In order to estimate the comparative expence between Horse and Steam Power for drawing Carriages on common roads, I will take the relative expence on 100 miles of ground for working a common stage coach by steam and by horses.

The first cost, wear and tear of the coach drawn, in every respect is the same in both cases.

The expence of men to manage is about the same also. In one case there is a coachman and guard; in the other, an engineer and director.

Government duty and turnpike tolls must also be considered the same.

It remains then to show the difference in the expence of only; viz, betwixt the expence of Horses and the expence of Steam. First in the outlay, on 100 miles of ground. To work a coach well with horses 100 miles up and 100 miles down once a day, will require 100 horses. A horse a mile is the present calculation for doing the work. If these bosses be taken at £20 or £30 per horse, or say £95, it will amount to £2,500. Three Steam Carriages will do the same work, and the expence of these will be about £500 each, or £1,500 for the three. A saving will consequently be effected in the first outlay of £1,000 in capital.

The wear and tear of horses may be estimated at about £5 each per annum on the 100 horses; viz. £500 per annum.

The wear and tear of the three Steam towing Carriages will not exceed £100 each per Annum; £300 for the three; saving in wear and tear, £200.

The expence of shoeing, keep, provision, attendance, harness, &c. is per day somewhere about 3s. each, or £15 upon the 100 horses.

The expence of fuel for two carriages, one up and the other down, doing the same work, will be that of 100 bushels of coke at 6d. per bushel, say £2 10.

Or if we take 1s. per mile per horse power, it will be about the same. The expence of fuel for the Steam Carriage will be, on an average throughout England, about 3d. In some coal districts it will not exceed 1d. per mile; while in other situations it will amount to 6d.