Mr. Alexander Gordon, called in; and Examined.
Are you an Engineer?—I am.
Have you had much experience in the propelling Carriages, on common roads, by Steam?—My principal experience in that has been whilst observing what Mr. Gurney has done. I have also been connected with locomotive Engines, for which my father took out patents in 1822 and 1824; and also with an Engine that Mr. Brown attempted to propel by a gas vacuum Engine in 1824, 1825 and 1926. I have not had time to prepare a drawing, but I have made a small sketch of two distinct patents (producing the same) which my father had in 1822 and 1824. The one in 1822 was a machine, with a small high pressure Engine in a drum; as the drum advanced with a rolling motion, it moved, before it, a carriage body on two wheels, attached to the front of the large rolling drum. Subsequently, in 1824, my father discontinued his former plan, and took out another patent, in which his object was to substitute propellers instead of the driving wheel; for that purpose he had propelling legs in the middle of the locomotive Engine, similar to horses' legs and feet, working through the bottom of the body of the Carriage against the ground, thus propelling the Carriage onward. Mr. Gurney's progress in 1826 and 1827 showed clearly that this arrangement was not necessary in every case, but that one of the wheels of the Carriage, when attached to the Steam Engine, had a sufficient hold of the ground to give progressing motion to the Carriage without using propellers; and the introduction of that invention has subsequently been given up by me in consequence.
Have both the plans you have given in been given up?—Both. They were given up from prudential motives on my own part, as it was an expensive business to proceed with them. Mr. Gurney had made such great advances that it would have been throwing away money I think to have gone on further with them. I found that the propelling feet, shown in the
