Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1853-06-02

the cost Transportation on FIVE miles oil road.
VIII !. be eontended that even day is a
matter Of serious consequence IN the transport
tation Of tonnagei Where there Is much ton
mage 10 transfer, large force must be EN-
played. and twenty hands can transfer the
loads of 20 cars in ono hour.
will hazard the opinion that. where two or
more Companies are concerned. no loaded car
will ever run more than three hundred miles
and probably not as much. Frequent tran.
shipments to be avoided but motives Of
policy. prudence snd economy will inevitably
FIX limit mol to be exceeded.
| 1t is $50 miles from Nashville TO Chattanoo.
ga, and 3Os miles from that point 10 Augusta.
They now building an immense Depot in
Chattanooga for the convenience of tranship.
ment. It consists oft two tracks separated by
platform of moderate width, and the whole
under roof.
II is not the bug bear of transhipment that
makes me prefers FIVE feet gauge. 1t is because
the almost Unanimous voice of scientific and
practical men has condemned the narrower
gauge /; and do not want the line Of trans.
portation, from the Ohio TO Covington, by rail
road, and thence to Richmond by canal, to
throw away this advantage, which the State
might possess in the competition with Balti-
more. There is much weight of authority in
favor of still wider gauge and have hereto
fore been with those who advocate a still high
or limit. ! would not now feel any serious
objection to the five feet three inches or FIVE
feet six for the Covington and Ohio road.
There are some considerations which have de-
cided me in my preference for FIVE feet. Ma
ny Of those in whose judgment | have most
confidence think it the very best width. Iii
the gauge Of all the Southern States except
North Carolina 1t will enable the work
shops OF Virginia to send loo omotives passen
ger and freight cars to all the Southern States
1t would give to the slave holding States great
military strength, as, in the movements of an
army, where it might be difficult 10 arrange
relays of cars at different points, one train
could go from Richmond to Louisville, Mem
phis or New Orleans.
But Sir am not axious to have a controver
sy on this subjct, and | am perfectly willing
to rely on the Board Of Public Works to set
tie the question. The people of Virginia will
certainly expect that Board TO investigate the
subject thoroughly and collect such evidence
as may throw hight on it. Let them ntcrrogate
the most eminent locomotive builders in the
United States as to that gauge which would
enable them to build the most perfect locomo
tive. Let them interrogate civil engineers of
standing who have no interest in the question
as TO the best gauge for rail roads.
With regard TO the fact stated by me that,
certain rail roads in Kentucky had fixed on the
FIVE feet gauge, certainly understood Mr..
Chidc, the Chief Engineer of the Maysvile
& Big Sandy road to say that they had adopt,
ed FIVE fee, gauge. He might have express
sed his own opinion of what would be done,
but understood him as saying it had been
done. The adoption of Eve feet gauge by
the Danville & Lexington road could not have
been known to Mr.. Stevenson when he wrote
to Col. Fontan, as it occurred several DAYS az
ter my conversation with Mr.. Childe. 1t was
done chiefly upon the urgent appeal of the
Lexington q Covington road W hich Company
had previously adopted it. still believe thai
these two Companies can bring the others into
the measure.
All these facts can be ascertained in the mos
authoritative manner before it can be necessa-
ry for the Board of Public Works to settle the
question.
With an apology for the length of this com.
munlcation, | remain, with great respect.
Your OBJ servt.
CHAs. f. nj. GARNETT.
| Curious CaSe-Circum Stantial Evil
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