The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-06-07
GAUGE ON THE CENTRAL RAILROAD.

aThere is much weight OF authoHy'
Garnett tells us, "in favor oil sun "'oe'
ssuge." and If the contest lay between gauge
ofa.sl and z feet. as in the case OF brunei
and Stevenson, there might be some reason IN
:, Rut vby SC much should be made TO de-
..,A an three inches and halt we cannot
imagine. The parliamentary commissioners
in a,ributing certain advantages to ~sds
-. s,oke of one feet wide as compared
With one of ASA inches. 1t is hardly probable
tina, thew would have attributed such virtues
,o 5foot gauge. What intrinsic advantages
does 5 foot gauge possess over one OF Asa I
The cars cannot carry more passengers, since,
in both instances, only two sit on seat. Even
IN the Erie Railroad, where the gauge is six
feet. This is the case. They do not carry more
freight, for the Asa inch admits an engine hea.
wv snoush TO crush and laminate the rail, as
experience on the Baltimore and Ohio Rail
road, and on others that might be named, suf.
6cieutly proves. Moreover, no man knows
better than Col. Garnett, that on 4 81 cars, OF
4 or wheels, as the case may be, more freight
than those wheels can bear, may be very east
ly put on. The greatest attention is necessa
~, at all times, to prevent the cars from being
overloaded. Where then is the gain. SO far as
freight and passengers are concerned?
Col. CTS "bugbear of transhipment" is Ger
fainly the most extraordinary bugbear OF which
there is any account. 1t has already subjected
the Coving ton and Ohio Railroad to an enor-
nous expense, in building and sustaining
mammoth depot, but it now performs what, for
"a bug bear" must be regarded as an absolute
miracle. 1t is to preve Mt the slime OF trans
portation from the Ohio TO Covington from
throwing ascay this Advantage, which the
State might possess, in the competition with
Baltimore!" What advantage? The advan-
tage OF "a bugbear?" If transhipment can be
effected at one cent a ton, and the delay occa
stoned by it is equal TO only FIVE miles Of travel
on a railroad, can it be Of any service to the
State in a contest for the trade with Baltimore?
So far IS the Canal is concerned, cannot heavy
articles be transfer ed to it from 4:Sl car as
speedily as from one of 5 feet If Col. Gar,
nett contend that it will not thus be tran.
shipped, but will keep straight on after it has
once started upon tie same gauge, then he ad
mits the whole question. He acknowledges
that break in the gauge is most formidable
difficulty, instead of being a mere bugbear. He
is welcome to either horn of the dilemma, in
which he has so deliberately involved himself.
Ifa break in the gauge is bugbear, then the
interests of the canal cannot be affected, nor
any other interest, nor can it by any POSSIBLE
ty protect Virginia in the struggle with Balti-
more. fit is no bugbear, but a most serious
obstacle, then his whole argument falls to the
ground. Our own opinion is, that the 4sI inch
gauge will bring to the canal quite as much
heavy produce as it will ever be able to &C
commodate. In the meantime, however, we
are glad to hear that there is, even in that
quarter, desire to protect the interest of Vir,
ginia against Baltimore.
We wish to Heaven 1t had been thought of
sooner before access was given to Baltimore,
TO a trade for which she has no right even TO
contend to trade that ought to have been ex.
ciusively Virginian. We wish TO God it had
operated to prevent the connection of Lynch
burg with Baltimore. We were deprecating
the injury which we saw this railroad would
do to the interests of Virginia. in the presence
OF one OF the most distinguished friends of The
Virginia and Tennessee railroad last winter,
when he silenced our objections by saying that
It could do no harm, because at Lynchburg
there was break in the gauge. This break
Col. Garnett tells US is mere bug bear. 1t
certainly does seem strange, inasmuch as we
heard no voice from Col. Garrett against this
road at the time, to hear him now protesting
an anxiety TO protect Richmond and lower Vir-
ginia by means of what he tells us is a mere
bug-bear. We say again, we wish to God he
had raised his powerful voice in favor of Vir
gInla and against this pernicious sche me, then,
aye! then, when it light have done some good.
TO talk in this strain now, after the mischief
has been done, is very much like locking the
door after the steed has been stolen-like leav
ing the furniture to burn and marching out o
the house with the fiddle safe from the flames
in one word, like adding insult to injury.
Tired, however, of attempting to maintain E
position which his good sense must teach him
is altoge Their untenable, Col. G at length gives
III up entirely, even III INC very pdTuSEdpn III
which he had taken it. He first tells us tina
ranshpment is ga bug BEAR" and immedi
ately after shows that it would stand in the way
of sending locomotives from our workshops Il
the Southern States, all of which ne SAYS, ex.
cept North Carolina, have adopted the five foo
gauge. at WOULD" he adds, "give to thu
slave-holding States great military strength, al
in the movements of an army, where it would
be difficult to arrange relays ofcars at dfferen
points, one train could 60 from Richmond tc
Louisville, Memphis and New Or,eans.n Ger
tainly an operation which would impede or an
null 30 important communication as this. mus
be something more than a bug bear, and VIC
are glad to see Col. Garrett coming out like q
man and admitting that he has all along been
reasoning fiom false premises. II was nc
more than was to have been expected of hi
candor. We are happy to say that we are abb
TO satisfy him in part at least. The Louisvill
and Lexington Railroad has already adopte
the 4:Si gauge. The Lexington and Big Sand
but await the adoption of it by the Coyingto
and Ohio, and then we shall have an nnbroL 3