Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1854-02-21

fits might be expected to be realized IRON TWO feafa iu
enjoyment Of the road after II Ia put IN I'M oas Gap'ah
Dmmnck computes the loss 81 600 General Burnett
hlg 81 900 Judge Robertson a even Tess han
good round Mexican or American doiaf, .s.S' gsnas
men, !s matter Of some importance 10 he o'ae 10 aho"
which Of you are right in your opinion;
So much for the remarks OF Judge Il ~hch We cannot
notice any farther for want oi time
AS 10 Mr.. Lyons had always given MN crealt 'o'
fae address, great tact order OF elocuon and no or
dnnry powers as debntcr But In addition 10 all these on
this OCCASION he displayed power augmentation aho
al accurate acouuin,ance if not with all The details, at
with all the principles of his subject which enabled
him TO expose the false conclusions anu 10 pon on. e
obscurtes and mpeec!lons wnich are everywhere u oe
met with in the report oil DIR. tisS.
Mr. Lyons argued first that MIR. Fisk had underraed ho
difference of costs In OF the Monroe route by al enst
million of dollars Ii not more Second that be had not
only exaggerated the importance OF the 10 ee OF grae IN
favor of The Geenbrer On the Western acc9i!y OF the
eghany but had actually msappehended und issaled the
whole ptIncple on which that difference ought 10 have been
stated On first point be sustained himself by the tes-
tmony of Messrs Crozt Dimmock and Understanding
difference the Of unneng alone Of at least SIS per
linear foot between the estimates Of those and Mr.
Fsks and aggregate difference In the unnelng flavor
the Monroe Of from 76l0 for single track and
81 O23 346 for double answered on the other
SIDE that the prices for the tunneug were even
lower than tho estimate OF Mr Fisk. But that was no an.
the argument In estimating the costs o saeh an
iten s whit may bid under the Influence
OF strong personal rivalry and competition but what they
can actually afford work for profit; because they
may otherwise abandon 1t altogether and before the work
lis half completed, they give security whateV.
err for the faithful performance of their contracls--
enOWn Inc Reports Ol u
srklngy illustrated In the progress Of The Blue Ridge TIM
mel There The contract price first IS 5U per cubic
yard Next s. 80 per cubic yard and the contractors being
still unable get along with IT, aud being compelled in fact
abandon It, the work Ia being conducted upon Stale
account alone, of 81 so per cubic YARD $50 PER
linear foot erestre Of Is nearly twice as
and time will show whether the opinion Of Claude Cozet
the practical results of tunneog the Blue Ridge ore
safer criterion for The probable cons OF unncns he
Aeghany than either the report OF Mr FISK or the unlred
bids OF his contractors.
AS 10 grades Mr.. Fiak's whole argument upon this
point involves necessity of snpposing that in The
ca operations Of rail roads engines ought 10 be taxed
taxed 10 the full maximum capacity OF he mo-
tive power But this ia worse than mistake; u is down
right a5surdity it Ia contrary the policy as well as pac
OF the best conducted rail- roads In The country and ~as
shown be so by Mr. Lyons not only from the opinions o
Messrs crose Dlnmock aud Barnett os. 'IllI more en-
phaticaly upon the high authority of Mr. Elicit whose
opinion and report, In the famous Fish Creek and Grave
Creek controversy were introduced as evidence before he
Boad. 1t appears from that report thai on the Baltimore
and Ohio Rail Road with i,s immense amour, OF through
tonnage and lis ample supply o. locomotives, the utmost
average tonnage ha, road for any year. has never re-
qurcd more than about thirds OF the maximum power
Uf The engines for the purpose Of transportation fs Is
the testimony OF Mr. Elicit II is the opinion OF Col Gro
zetand Captain Is e s, ., o 'no ,
per!ence Of the Coyingon and Ohio Rail Road over com
peted We venture TO assert ruisn very axiom 10
rail road engineering, Iha, engines should never be
taxed to hes maximum near Ii, II avodable.-
And yet In the face of booka Practice theory engineers
cxpeence-eycry thing Mr. Fish labo,s prove because
maximum grade siie It Is IS feet In case and
high fifty the oher that the difference OF grade in
favor of Greenber Is Ia the direct ratio Of IS TO 3D. and
the whole question should be considered and determined
precisely If the freight we'll passage tfaus on the
srea, Covingon and Ohio Rail Road like broken wnded
pack horse would have loaded their utmost m11
mum. 1t have occurred TO him that the cars
would excep! with full loads and under full pres
sure Of steam all the timo ECONOMY.
Since writing the above, understand the Board Of
Public Works have decided In favor Of Tho Grecn5Ter route
and this after 1t to the Board that reeelu
,lon amendment actually pending before the Legs.
aure pohss and report Of sr Fsk subjected
the scruoy and opinion Of other Engineers before
the question of route should be decided Might not the
Bosrd have waited least know what the Legislature
would do upon the subject