Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1854-01-18

Abstract Of the remarks Of Mr.. CHRISTIAN Of
AUGUSTA on The amendment 10 the COrington and
Ohio Bill, proposing TO ne the gauge Of the Road
dtire reet delirered an The House Of DeIeqates on
tie 10TH inst
Mr.. Christian argued that the practical point ON
which the decision Of this question turn the fact
as to the guhges of lines connecting with the Covngton
and Ohio road The primary object in the construction Of
this road to form such connection afford the great
facilities in any competition or CARRYING through yr
gnia the great through tonnage and from the South
aud West to the North and East. To attain this object
continuous and uniform gauge with connecting lines is
, Indispensable What may be the advantage in an
increase in width Of feet l2 uChesthe gain of tre
gauge one-certainly material advan-
tage be gained in increase of the width by only
IL inches, proposed by the pending amendment
The Eastern connections of the Covington and Ohio
Road, with the Virginia Central and through il with
the Orange and Alexandria the liordonsyc and Freer
icksburg the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac In
Petersburg. Weldon and Wilmington aud the York Rive
railroads; all having gauge of feet le inches The
Western connections are with the Big Sandy, Maysvile
Lexington and Louisville roads; and thence with certain
Indiana and Illinois roads and by the Point Pleasant
branch connection with the Cincinnati and Mariea road
sweeping the whole Southern border of Ohio All of
these roads 1t indsputaby shown by letters from o
of these lines, have the foot . inch gauge "as
fixed fact" Thus the Covngton and Ohio ROAD II made
of that gauge, will be the great conduit ppethe artif
cial siphon, bending over the Allegheny nountans to
draw from the fertile valley of the Ohio the rich flood Of
Western traffic to be poured upon ,s,ern shore.
Philadelphia and Baltimore alive to the importance of
a continuous gauge, have advanced literally of their
means TO construct horoughac of uniform cuage from
their limits to this very region to which our Coyinp
ton Gnd Ohio road is extending Pennsylvania has con.
trbuted 100000 to the Cincinnati and Marietta company
in Ohio aud have secured aran gcmens by which ia,
feet 2 inch gauge may be continued through the Scota
| valley, to connect with the Big Sandy and Louisville
road al that gauge. Iere we have dangerous rival to
compete with the very ground. IL behoovoi us to
yield advantage in tho struggle. Philadelphia would
doubtless give US millions TO accomplish the very object
the pending amendment proposes, break Of guage in
line, giving her monopoly Of the through trade Let US
not part with our birthright for mess of pottage.
| The adoption Of the Amendment would cause two
breaks of gauge line. IL is estimated by Engi-
that each break Of gauge is equal loss Of fifty
miles in linear distance-thus the Covngton and Ohio
line would be virtually increased by half its present
length. The consequence would be forfeiture of the
through travel North and South which would undoubted-
y prefer the uninterrupted guage and shorter transit
through Ohio to Baltimore and Philadelphia. The re-
suit 10 the through tonnage would be less disas.
The Os be encountered in transipments by de
lay, pferage aud injury would force the freight
hern route Hence road void utterly fail IN its char
dcier ofd through rOufs AMI sink to the nsgnfcancc of
local line local line too, running over succession
of mountain ranges comparatively uninhabed and unpro-
ductve and yielding no marginal tonnage or travel at
all sufficient support the line Ii would thus become
dry and withered branch 10 system of improve
ments
The compromising advantage for all this inevitable evil
proposed to be found in increasing the width Of tack
l2 inches The advantages predicted OF wide ggagc,
If admitted applicable toa feet gauge, itself
a narrow at best Yet the Of the amendm
has urged the arguments advanced for feet gauge.
To show the ficy Of his arguments take for instance the
great advantage claimed and conceded for the wide gauge
that gives increased accommodations for passeng in
guage OF feet il gives increased width of ncht
for each passenger but in the proposed gulge Of feet
1t gives only 9Th Of inch additional space each
passenger So other advantages claimed for wide guage
we're shown to be Insignificant between gauge Of o
feet aud that Of feet 10 inches the real issue. II
| claimed that the wide gauge gye0 greater mechanical
scope to increase tho power Of LOCOMOTIVES which we're
| larger aud more efficient on wide gauges.
Mr Christian argued that experience the only arbiter
this question, had demonstrated that the wide gauge
roads Of feetnOt feet Ony-in this country were no
more efficient for amount Of freight number Of pas.
sengers than the gauge roads, shown by
ofTesus collected ny Hera Colborn aud published
without contradiction in the numbers Of the Railroad
journal Mr. o. read from Hnglish work railways
the respective dimensions Of broad and narrow gauge
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT the type Of its kind. exhibited at the
Crystal Palace In London when appeared that the
gauge engine, Of equally large dimensions Of cyin.
der, stroke. &C. had 2TO feet Of steam surface
than the largest engines OF the broad gauge had
power represented by tl40 horse power TO the 1000
horse power OF the broad gauge engines while the latter
weighed 80 tons to 80 tons, the weight tho former
Thus, whatever msy be the theory, practice establishes
that the gauge be fully equal 10 power and 81
iciency the gauge OF feet Where then the
advantage in increase feet only TO compensate for
on break Of gauge, aud which will not down a, your
Il hiIding