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THEORY.—The fact that the power of steam was not applied to the propelling of vessels or driving machinery for one hundred and fifty years after it was known and used for raising water from mines, is spoken of as an unaccountable wonder: but it is no less surprising that this power, being so well understood and in general use for doing almost all kinds of work, is not applied to propelling common carriages, hauling stone and timber, ploughing, harrowing, &c., instead of the work of horses and oxen. The only difficulties which have been encountered in the various attempts to apply steam-power to these purposes, have consisted in the excessive weight of the ordinary steam-boilers, and in regulating this power to correspond with the occasion, in cases of miry roads or ascending hills. Both of these difficulties are evaded, however, in the plan which is represented at the head of this article, and which has been satisfactorily proved by a partial but imperfect experiment. The inventor is perfectly sanguine as to the complete success of this plan, but having met with heavy losses during the recent convulsions of trade, is waiting for circumstances to enable him to bring it into general use.

EXPLANATION.—The body of the carriage, A, is about the size and capacity of those of an ordinary gig-wagon, with a convenient seat, B, for two riders, and under the seat is a box that will contain two or three bushels of coal. Behind the seat is the boiler, C, which consists principally of two rows of copper tubes, placed in a vertical position: and the two rows being parallel to each other, and ten inches apart, the fire is contained in the space between them, and is restrained from coming in contact with the tubes above the surface of the water within them: the smoke escapes by the funnel, O. A strong frame consisting of two parallel beams, E, connected by cross-bars, is made large enough to enclose the driving wheels, F, which are put in motion by an endless chain, which passes from the wheel, over the pulley, G; and the shaft of this pulley, passing through the body of the carriage, has a double crank under the floor of the carriage, and nearly under the rider's feet; and this crank is operated by two small engines, which are placed horizontally under the floor, and are operated by steam, which is conducted to them through a small pipe, from the top of the boiler. This carriage has but three wheels; and the forward or steering wheel, has its bearings in the sides of a horizontal circle, H. This horizontal circle is so constructed and mounted as to be moved rotarily on its own centre; and from the rearward side of this circle, a lever projects horizontally to I; and from the extreme end of this lever, a cord passes horizontally to the sides of the frame, near J; thence forward and over another pulley, K, and thence to the hands of the rider, where it meets another similar cord from the lever via the opposite side of the carriage. Thus by pulling one cord the steering-wheel is turned in one direction, and vice versa. The body of the carriage is hung on straps or braces extending from L to M, which secures the rider and machinery from any violent jolting which might otherwise be occasioned by the roughness of the roads. There is an arrangement in the machinery, which we shall describe, with an illustrative engraving, in a future number, and by which the power of the engines is applied to both driving-wheels equally and uniformly, notwithstanding the occasional excess of motion in one of the wheels, in passing corners or curves in the roads. Another peculiarity is, that the force applied, may be occasionally increased by leverage,—consequently reducing the speed,—to such an extent that one horse-power of steam will propel as great a load up-hill or otherwise, as can be drawn by six horses. One of the uses to which this carriage is intended to be applied, is to draw a plough or harrow;—lift stumps and rocks, and do other agricultural work. For ploughing, it will be requisite to have the rims of the wheels wider than for traveling, and the tire of the wheels must be furnished with teeth or projections to prevent the sliding of the wheels on the ground. The cost of this carriage, when completed, will not exceed $500. The weight of it, including the engine and machinery, with water and fuel, will not exceed 600 lbs. The speed has not been fully tested, but it will evidently run ten miles per hour on good carriage roads. The rider and manager of the carriage, is perfectly safe from any harm by explosion, and can conveniently manage the machinery, replenish the fire, and guide the carriage, at the same time. There can be no doubt of its ultimate complete success.