The Sun.
London, England, 1868-02-20 00:00:00

Those lucky people who had neither money noor free
tickets to get in may thank their respective planets for
their poverty. The ridiculous antics of the saffron-
coloured, shrivelled old guy were beyond and beneath de-
scription. He renders himself and his nation a laughing-
stock in an entertainment entitled, " The Dangers and
Trials of Love." If it is a correct representation of Japa-
nese love-making we should not wonder to learn that all
sensible Japs live and die bachelors. There is a little
girl—so-called, the boys and girls all look alike—who
does a very difficult and clever trick of balancing. To
those who have not enjoyed the Japs already the enter-
tainment is well worth visiting. •
The fT'all-street Journal states that the Central Pacific
Railroad Company proposes to push forward the line across
the plains energetically the present year, and have organ-
ized a force of 10,000 men to carry on the work through
Humboldt County. The Central Company also have two
corps of engineers surveying the route between San Fran-
cisco and Sacramento, intending to complete the connec-
tion of the two cities as soon as possible.

The Government Commissioners for the Union Pacific
Railroad have reported to the Secretary of the Interior that
they find the 16th section of 30 miles of said road, commenc-
ing at the 510th mile-post and terminating at the 540th mile
post west from Omaha, well constructed and ready for im-
mediate service, and therefore recommended the acceptance
of the sect on. The President of the United States has ac-
cepted the section, and ordered the pate is and bonds
accruing by law to be issued to the company. The 540th
mile post, where this section ends, is 7,525 feet above tide
water.

The Union (Omaha) Pacific Railroad Company have
notified the Government that they intend to construct a
railroad from Denver to the main road, a distance of one
hundred and two miles, and have it completed in October
next.

The ground of the Colorado Central Railroad was
broken on New Year's-day with great ceremony, at Golden
City. The road is to connect with the Union Pacific
Railroad at Cheyenne via Denver.
The California and Oregon and Marysville Railroad
Companies have consolidated, and will hereafter be known
as the California and Oregon Railroad Company.
STREET RAILROADS IN CHICAGO.—The gross receipts of
the three city railroad companies in Chicago during the
past year are estimated as follows :—South
8275,000 ; West Division, $322,000 ; North Division,
$129,000. Total, $7z6,000. The average daily receipts
may be rowghly estimated at about $2O per car.
The Metropolitan (Street) Railroad Company of Boston
has earned its 10 per cent. dividend, and has a surplus of
over $70,000 this year. It has carried 10,300,000 passen-
gers since Jan. 1.

NEW EXPRESS COMPANY. —The San Francisco papers
announce the incorporation of a new express company.
The Pacific Union, which starts with a capital of 3,000,000
dollars divided into 30,000 shares of 100 dollars each.
This company proposes to do a general express, exchange,
collection, and commission business in the United States
and Territories, and in such foreign countries as may be
desired. The president is Mr. A. K. Grim, and the board
of trustees includes eight other gentlemen. Arrangements
are now making to open offices throughout the Pacific
coast, and China and Japan.

THE UNITED STATES RAILROAD SCREW

SPIKE.

Tho importance of obtaining security in railway travel-
ling is a subject every one can appreciate, and every in-
vention which renders accidents less frequent cannot fail
to interest. The Iron Age of Jan. 30 devotes much of its
space to an explanation of a new description of screw
spike for railroads, intended to supersede the common
driving spike. A company has recently been formed in
New York for its manufacture, and are at present engaged
in preparing tools for putting in the screws with ease and
rapidity, which it is believed will reduce the cost to below
that of driving the ordinary spike. The Iron Age gives a
cut which clearly shows that the contrivance is simply a
wood screw with a double-hooked head. "It is designed
to hold the rail more firmly to the tie, and to avoid work-
ing loose as the present description of spike does, and in
this way to prevent the starting of the rails, which is the
cause of so many accidents.
"That a scrawls a more secure fastening than a nail, it is
of course unnecessary to argue—the extent to which the
one has displaced the other where strain or traction is in-
volved is the evidence of this, and it only seems strange
that a principle so simple and so obvious should have been
overlooked in fastening down iron rails on wooden ties or
sleepers.
"In order to remove the rail it will only be necessary to
reverse the screw one quarter; and when replacing it,
turn the screw back to its original position, when the rail
will be held as firmly as before. The ties will thus be
saved from the injury of splits, checks, an i the numerous
holes made in them by repeatedly clrawine and replacing
spikes in which water will collect, causing their rapid
decay. By the use of the screws, therefore, the durability
of the ties will be greatly increased and equalized. Be-
sides, when the rails are loose the ties are cut by the re-
peated blows made on them by the rails, and are thereby
materially damaged ; on the contrary, where the screw is
used the rails are held so firmly in their place that this in-
jury is prevented. The saving to railway companies in
ties alone, it is estimated, will more than pay the whole
cost of the screws. Where none but soft wood can be
obtained for ties, the screw manifestly possesses a still
greater advantage over the spike.
" It is also calculated that in consequence of the screws
holding the rails to the ties so firmly, a less number will
be required than of ordinary spikes, also a very great
saving will be realised in the wear of the rolling stock
and rails. Tee considerable loss arising from loose, bent,
broken, and missing spikes, will be almost entirely pre-
vented. Besides, where the screw is iu use, in addition to
the saving of time in relaying tails, a much less number
of men are required to watch the track and keep it in re-
pair, thereby causing a great saving."
Mr. Hilliard, trackmaster of the Erio Railroad, writes
that the new spike will prove cheaper, not only from the
greater cheapness in relaying iron, but from the much
longer endurance of the ties where screws are used. He
gives, in addition to the reasons already cited for advo-
cating the use of the screw spike in preference to all
others that he has seen in use for twenty-four years on
railroad tracks, the following: —" In relaying iron it will
be done much quicker. You simply give the screw one-
fourth turn back, lift the old rail, replace it with a new
one, then turn the screw back as before ; while the old-
fashioned spikes must be drawn from the ties, and new
holes made every time a nail is replaced—and every spike
driven i❑ a tie is, as we trackman term it, death to the
tie.' I tnink the ties will last at least four years longer
where the screws are in use, as they keep the ties up
firm to the base of the rail, thereby preventing pounding;
whereas the common spikes draw out as the ties settle,
allowing the rail to bend and cut in the tie."
Mr. Featherby, trackmaster of the New York Central
Railroad, says : "I know they are safer than the com-
mon spikes, and a great saving of both life and property—
at least fifty per cent. in ties, and quite as Irucn in spikes
—saying nothing of economy in labour, and of the firm-
ness of the rail, obviating the immense jarring which
cuts the ties—caused by loose spikes and rails —and yet
giving to the track that easy and connected spring so
long desired."
Another source of economy in the use of these screws
is that they can be drawn and re-used frequently, while
spikes are necessarily crooked in drawing them from the
wooden ties, and are commonly cast aside as scrap.
If it be true, as we suppose is unquestionably the fact,
that accidents involving great loss of property, and heavy
damages for injury and death to individuals, have been
caused by the defective fastening of rails, then an inven-
tion which avoids such danger may well be paid for
as a premium on a policy of insurance against such losses,
and, therefore, on the very lowest ground of pecuniary
interest, the use of these spikes will be wise and eco-
nomical.

COAL

rARKET.

Price per Ton
s dl

at the Close,

s d
Oowpen Hartley c.ls 6 Heugh Hall l6 3
H aswell lB 0 East Hartlepool l5 9

OriginalHarzlepool 18 0 • Russell's Helton... 15 9
Wylam l5 6 South Hetton
Hetton
Hetton Lyons 15 0 Caradoc l6 6
Braucepeth Cannel... 18 6 Eden Main
Tees