The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-07-13

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| of the broad gauge to Covington and the canal
thence 10 Richmond, in the contest. Even if the
roads from Cincinnati to the mouth of Big Sandy,
the Covington and Ohio road and the Central rail
road constituted the only line of transportation from
| Cincinnati TO Richmond and were | the exclusive
advocate of the Central railroad, would still con-
tend for the wide gauge between Cincinnati and
Coeington, Virginia With such an arrangement,
involving as it would the break of gauge at Coving
ton, the Virginia markets could maintain more
successful competition with Baltimore and her Par
kersburg line for the trade of Cincinnati than they
could with uniform narToW gauge for the whole
distance. The wider gauge for the distance between
Cincinnati and Covngton, Virginia, would, by its
superiority, far outweigh the small disadvantage OF a
transhipment at CovingtOn. Is it not casuistry to
attempt 10 make me attribute TO the cost OF tran
| shipment the importance in this contest which so
evidently attributed to advantage in the superior
| value of wider gauge?
| have said enough TO show that there has been
constant effort to pervert what said into some alb
surd position, and to use the most transparent sophis
| try III refuting my argument.
| And now TO the main questions at issue. You
seem fond of English authorities, and propose to
give you some. propose to show that the report of
| the gauge commissioners has been quoted by you
only partially, and in such manner as to convey a
wrong impression of their real opinion. | shall
make Use of a report on the gauge of the St Law
| renee and Atlantic railroad by A. c. Morton, ESQ.,
Chief Engineer, and one of the most talented eng-
neers on this continent. His argument and his ex-
tracts from the English reports are exactly what
want: so | shall make use of them mainly instead
of my own reasoning.
| Mr.. Morton says 'EThe experience of English engi-
neerS should and must have great weight with in
| the discussion of this question, and should turn
| our attention to their opinion doubt forming
the best grounds for just estimate of the Ualue of
| gauge The question of the best gauge for Ireland
was finally settled in le43 by Major General Paisley,
| Inspector General of Railways. He obtained the
opinion OF engineers and engine builders of the
greatest experience
| The OpuiopS nj the
he addressed his enquiries showed conclusivey that
| wider gauge than feet 81 inches was the best.
| The average of their opinions was feet inches,
and General Paisley decided upon this width. which
has been adopted by Parliament for Ireland
| Since that date, the report of the gauge commits
sIoners has given evidence that still wider gauge of
| feet inches has advantages over less width in
| reference to power and economy.
| 1t Is well known that the commissioners in the
examination of the subject came to the conclusion
| that, under the circumstances, there being ,90l
miles of narrow and only 274 miles of broad gauge
| roads in Great Britain in operation, in future all
roads to be constructed should conform to the narrow
gauge, and if a uniformity required among those
already constructed the change should be from the
broad to the gauge.
IhIs conclusion was arrived at, not from the al
| legged superiority of the 4 feet 81 gauge over any
| intermediate one between it and feet, but as the
best means in their opinion of obvating the difficult
ty OF break of gauge in England.
But In connection with this part of the subject the
| commissioners observe: We are desirous how
ever, of guarding ourselves from being supposed to
| express an opinion that the dimension of 4 feet 81
inches is in all respects the most suited for the gene
| raj objects of the country"
The object of the enquiry was solely to devise
| means whereby, under the particular circumstances
| III which the railways of England We're placed. the
real or supposed difficulty resulting from break OF
| gauge might be remeded, and therefore opinion
was expressed by the commissioners as to the best
| gauge for new system of railway in country
| where few or none had been constructed.
Thn
gauge commissioners brought the whole subject fully
before Parliament.
No less than l9 out of 81 persons, whose testimo-
ny was required on the abstract question to Uhdt
gauge trns in itself best, gave opinions in favor of a
| greater width than feet 8 4 inches. Parliament
referred the report of the gauge commissioners to the
| Lords of the Committee of Prvy Council for Trade.
| The Board of Trade, instead of advising entire
uniformity OF gauge, as recommended by the gauge
commissioners, say: 'They are unable altogether to
concur with the commissioners in the full extent of
| these recommendations" and further observe -
''They would therefore recommend that the lines
| for which acts have been obtained, but which have
not been completed, to the south of the line from
London TO Bristol, should be permitted to be CON
structed on the broad gauge as originally intended
And again add: - In suggesting, therefore, with
some exceptions to be specifed) the adoption of the
recommendation made by the commissioners, that
the 4 feet x inch gauge should be declared by the
Legislature to be the gauge to be used in all public
4 railways hereafter to be constructed in Great Britain,
they do not conceive that any declaration on this
point should be understood as positive and final.
The working of the wider gauge established in Ire
land, and the future history of railways in other
countries, may possibly prove the superiority of some
other and intermediate gauge, while the advance OF
science and the course OF experience may point out
practical method of altering an existing gauge, and
| of easily etecting great operation which is now
generally conceived to be costly and difficult
| as in truth to be impracticable.''
The decision of Parliament full vindicaton
of the opinion of the most skiful engineers and en-
4 hIla in, fhn
| llshed on their recommendation gauge of feet 3
inches for Ireland where the question open and
: unembarassed
The statute of and 10 Vic. cap 81, enacts that 5
feet inches Shall be the gauge for ireland, and that
all railways sothwGrd of the line of the Great Vest
ern Rdil,pay from London to Brsto,) shall be OF
the gauge Of feet and that those north of this line
creeping certain Independent lines and roads connect
ing uih the Great Western, shall be of the gauge Of
4 feet X inches.
This decision all that the friends of the broad
gauge could reasonably desire; and the deliberate
judgment of the British Parliament may fairly be
considered as adopting gauge of feet inches as
: | abstracty the best.
Thus it will be seen that the reports of the gauge
commissioners and of the Board of Trade very
far from expressing any opinion in favor of narrow
gauge as an abstract question; and the evidence be-
| fore them was decidedly against it,
call attention TO another point You have indus
trously kept up the idea that the only dispute
between feet 8 X inches and I feet. The adoption
that you are wrong. In reference to the cost OF
transhipment, again quote from Mr. Morton. He
says: "The article of flour, which will constitute
most important article of freight your road, am
informed on good authority, is ranshpped from cars
to resses at Detroit at the of shilling per 100
barrels Freight is transhipped at Albany from canal
boats to Bages at the rate of two pence per ton At
other points in the United States, where large
, amount of merchandise is to be transmpped it is
done with great economy by machinery propelled BY
steam; and 1t is believed that Improvements will be
made for the transfer of freight railroads that will
materially reduce the cost, and render il on every
account far less Objectionable than at present"
1t Is simply question of cost; and if facilities of
transhipment are such as to make the cost and in
conveniences no more than the difficulties and ex-
pense resulting from extended interchange of cars
believe it will be adopted in preference.
The time occupied for doing this with such ar
rangements as should always be provided, would not
be greater than is now often required stations in
loading unloading freight where no change OF cars
, takes place. There would be little difficulty in
transferring several kinds of freight without breaking
bulks, either by removing the car bodies or by the
use of boxes both being effected with steam cranes
| or other machinery. In the evidence before the
gauge commissioners il is stated by engineer (not
connected with the broad gauge mterest) of great
experience, not only in the construction of railways
but in the transfer of freight by both the above me-
4