The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-06-07


When the branch to Point Pleasant shall have
been completed, il will have the means of send
ing them ell the way to Cincinnati and thence
to ST. Louis and to the Lakes. They will be
enabled to enter into competition with Pitts
burg on all that enormous extent Of railroad
connection which lies West of Virginia and
North of the Ohio. On the South they nave
a fair sweep at North Carolina, while IN VIZ
ginia they have chance for every railroad con-
Meeting either remotely or directly with the
Central. The military force which these roaos
would bring on single trains IS out OF all cur
| culation greater than could be brought oy
adopting the foot gauge, TO say nothing OF "e
acces 10 Washington by means OF 'he oia"s'
and Alexandra road and the Richmond anu
fredericksburg road. But it is not worm
while TO enlarge upon this point. 1t VIII be
perfectly obvious to any person VINO VIII mere
Iv glance his eyes over the map. The four
foot eight and a half gauge connects all Viz
sinia North of James River in single band.
r, mites US to the wealthiest and most pops-
| lone mart of Kentucky, and to the whole of
North Carolina. 1t carries us in one unbroken
line of travel to Cincinnati, and thence TO ST.
Louis, on one side, TO Louisville and St. Louis
on the other.
Cos, is a matter of so little importance in the
ewes fool. Garnett that we do not expect to
gain much by referring to the renort of the
Commissioners in the case of Brunei and
Stevenson where it is asserted that 'the broad
err gauge involves the greater outlay" Yet,
for the information of the public generally we
would venture the assertion, that there is no
railroad in the country, or indeed in the world,
| TO which this observation would apply with
greater force than to the Covington and Ohio
railroad. So far as mere original cost is con.
cerned, the addition, three and half inches,
while in the abstract they are worth nothing,
and with regard TO the connections il is desira
BILE to form, are extremely injurious, are ofvery
great importance. Let any man reflect upon
the additional expense to be incurred in tun
neling and in cutting through the cliffs of New
river, and though he be no Engineer he can
| form some idea of what it would cost to cut
out the additional work necessary for the wider
gauge, for no reasonable man can doubt that
grades for double track will have to be made
for the Covington and Ohio Railroad in the
course of very few years. We have said
nothing of the greater space which the narrow
gauge will leave for the canal, which will, in
all probability, form basin here. Yet this is
cons liberation of first rate importance.
For the information of Col. Garnett, we will
state that the letter from Mr.. Stevenson to Col.
Fontaine is dated the second of May. 1t is on
file in the Office of the First Auditor. and by
applying to that gentleman he can obtain a
copy of it. Col. Fontaine never said that the
adoption of FIVE foot gauge was known to
him when he wrote to Mr.. Stevenson, nor do
, we know how or where he learned it. We
heard it as coming from Mr.. Apperson, the
President Of the Lexington and Big Sandy
Railroad, who was here about the middle of
May. II is, however, matter Of little impor.
| lance as faT as we are able to see.
Thus, then, principally out of his own mouth
we have answered Col. Garrett. We have
shown that, according to his own computation,
break in the gauge, under the most favorable
hire alone to ten cents instead Of one, and that
when the additional expense of a depot, with
its train of officers, added to the danger OF in
jury in frequent handling and the compensa
ton for losses thus sustained to the owners
are estimated, the charges swell up far beyond
that amount We have shown that, from his
own confession, the cars must be detained a,
least one hour in cases of transhipment, even
we're the cargo composed of -four in barrels
| and tobacco in boxes, alone, and that, conse.
| auently it entails loss in distance of at least
80 miles. AS in the transactions of every day,
and the transfer Of ordinary freight, no man
can think that one hour is fair average, OF
that even two would come up to the mark
we might have come nearer the truth by add
ing 80 other miles, or even more. We have
shown, what it was hardly necessary to show
and what we did not think any man would dis
pute, that day is a matter of immense i'm
porance in the transportation of tonnage. We
have shown that there can be no serious rea
son why, when two or more companies are
concerned, one car should not go as we'll one
thousand miles as one hundred. We have
shown that Col. Garrett, so far from consider
ing transhipment to be a mere bugbear, ha:
proceed it to be a most formidable obstacle. -
We have shown that scientific men, SO far from
unanimously condemn;ng the narrower gauge
have been divided even upon the question be.
tween it and seven foot gauge, and that thu
most eminent engineer in the world, supported
by parliamentary commission, has decided
in favor of A 81. We have shown that the
most successful railroads in this country, one
of them built since the Brunei and Stevenson
discussion, have the narrower gauge. We
have shown that on the question of military de-
fence, the arguments, as applied to Virginia
are vastly in favor of the Ash. Like Coione
Gainett, we do not desire controversy OF
this subject, and having answered him, WI
shall close the subject here. We presume III,
Board will of course make all the necessar,
enquiries, and that they will he governed !,
their decision by the result. They will see .
5 narrow gauge road of ninety miles extend;n.
e from Louisville to Lexington on one side