The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1854-10-20
SPEED ON RAILWAYS

1
often predicted in the newspapers, and two
years after in the Legislature of New York.
that the time would come when railways
would be travelled at an average speed of fif-
teen miles an hour. Few believed him. He
has recently published book, in which he
states that the Emperor Nicholas, of Russia,
has taken the first great step in the construc-
tion Of railways which looks to the attain
ment of the highest practical speed in travel
ling on them. Instead of opening narrow
cuts and going round every obstacle, the road
from st. Petersburg to Moscow, five hundred
miles, is made on strsight line and opened
two hundred feet wide, so that the running
engineer can see every thing on the way
The guage of the truck 10 broad and the loco
motive is on wheels Of large diameter, and
the signals and time are perfectly fixed, and
the roads crossing the track are shut off by
gates as tie trains approach. In this way a
speed of one hundred miles an hour is attain
ed, and Mr.. Meigs thinks this may be ncreas-
ed to three hundred miles. On some straight
runs sixty miles an hour has been made in
the United States and one hundred in Eng
land.
| A line of road is now in progress of con-
struction from Savannah, Georgia to the Gulf
of Mexico on perfectly straight lne and is
to be opened one hundred and fifty feet wide.
IF open way is secured, curves avoided, and
proper machinery provided, we see no reason
why one hundred miles an hour cannot be
as safely run as thirty is on our common
roads.
Railroads will only have attained their per-
fecton when perfectly straight lines, level
tracks and substantial materials shall have
taken the place of fincined grades and curves.
Real economy will be found in the Russian
plan, and the Emperor Nicholas has indeed
taken the first great step. Like all he does,
there is substantial and practical magnii-
cence about it.
AMERICAN PRINCIPLES s.-The Boston Olive
Branch says:
In eur opposition to foreign influence and
Romanism, we would not be understood as
wishing to establish religious test, and
requirement of citizenship in the United
States. But our design is to oppose the
Vaccinations of the Pope and his minions
in this country, who have the entire con-
troll of the hordes of ignorant, degraded
men that are poured upon us from the old
countries, particularly from Ireland, who know
no other master but the Pope of Rome,whom
they faithfully serve through the Bishops
and Priests that are located in our midst
Every Roman Catholic, when he takes the
oath of allegiance to this country, and goes
through the process of becoming n natural
lied citizen, does what amounts to nothing,
in comparison to what he owed and still owes
to the supreme Head of the Church at Rome,
whom he will serve even if his duties to the
country of his adoption come in direct con-
ilict. Taking it for granted that this is true,
and we have had sufficient proof from Ro-
manists themselves to satisfy our own mind
that it is no exaggeration of the facts, is there
no danger in trusting offices of responsibility
in the hands of persons who have in time past
boosted that it was no crime to break, ornot
to keep faith with heretics, and that it is
there intention if they ever obtain the power,
to PROSTATE our free institutions in the dust,
and build thereupon Il despotsm which shall
destroy and take from us both temporal and
spiritual liberty We repeat that we are op-
posed to religious tests except when as in
the case of Roman Catholicism, its necessary
accompaniment is treachery TO our beloved
country and her institutions.
DAME FoRTUNE-A COUPLE OF VICTIMS
George Law is another memorable example"
He is now estimated to be worth between
five and six millions of dollars, and owns a
line of steamships that could carry fiiiibusters