The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-01-17
THE GREAT RAILROAD WAR At ERIE.
1T COMMENCED.
Explanation Of the Gauge s s.:s.
WHAT TIE ERIE COMMON COUNCIL Dn
The Difficulty at Harbor Creek,
&C., &C., &c.

The Diffieulty At Harbor Creek,
&C., &C., &c.
E2n, Jan. II, 1854
A . great deal OF Misrepresentation prevails in New
York. and the whole untry in fact to the
Of the unfortunate difficulty at this place have sndsa-
vored to procure the most reliable information in relation
to It. There have doubtless bsen great many false 70.
ports printed about the conduct Of the ErAns but from
what follows you viii that in AL they did they were
acting in conformity with the ordinances Of their city
government which they contend the only power to
grant the right Of use or occupancy Of any Of their streets
That the whole subject and its details may DO clearly
understood have treated 1t under different heads
HOW THE DIFFICULTY oRIGNArED-rHs GAUGE
LAw--THE OFFICIAL ACTION AND INTERFERENCE
OF THE COMMON COUNCIL or KRIE.
To enable your readers to understand this rather
plcated question IT Ia necessary to explain what called
the gauge system" Each State has an established
gauge gauges within Its nmitAthus the gauges Of
New York six feet and four feet eight and half In
eAes while the gauge Of Psnnsyvania four fest eight
and half inches. From this 1t win be that whore
there junction of the railroads Of two States whose
gauges different there must be break In the
nunoaton This 'break" ~ it is technically termed
necessitaos change Of cars and transfer Of freight
from the road OF State to that OF the other Such
break exists at Buffalo, although Is not rendered neoss
sary BY the laws OF the State OF New York. This break
b produced at this point by the termination OF the four
feet eight and half inch gauge, which commences ct
New York. and the four feet ten inch gauge which
tends from Buffalo to the Pennsyvania State line. This
four feet ten inch gauge is not New York gauge but
imported into that state from Ohio 1t will be seen
from this brief statement that there absolutely
necessity for break At Buffalo, any part the Buf
- md whstay
Pennsylvania State line. But the break wherever
might be made would materially advance the interests of
that place, the New York Central Road ths Albany and
Buffalo, concluded that there should be break ct Buff
fo. The produce and freight destined for the West Was
shipped the lake from this point and thus Erie was
deprived Of large portion OF the business which she
would have enjoyed had the break taken place at that
city instead OF Buffalo.
For great part Of the year, however, (about FIVE
months the harbor Of Buffalo 10 closed by the ice and
The freight during that time transported the road
to the West. Now, 1t is evident that break 1t Erie
would during this PERIOD give her eonsc cradle share
in the business by the transfer Of the freight from the
Buffalo line to the Western road. But the Buffalo
pany, to avoid break here, determined to have four
feet ten inch gauge to Ere where 1t would meet tho
gauge from the Wsst
1t may be asked here, Where the right obtained TO
continue the four feet ton inch track the State line
to 1858 B true that the road the Erie and
MOI theast running from the State line Erie distance
of nineteen miles, constructed the six feet gauge
put under contract constructed advance OF
the Buffalo and State line road and the six gauge
Was adopted on in pursuance Of definite Arrangement
with the New Yo and Erie Company by which that road
to be extended to Erie This agreement 1t appears,
nul6ed by the action Of Mr. Richmond Of the Albany
and Buffalo road, and, it Is said by Mr. Loder, then Pre-
sideat Of the New York and Erie Company who united
with him. At meeting Of this represen !atvss Of the
different lines Of railroad Mr. Richmond suggested to Mr.
Tndo - fooff ohOuId hat ard
four fest ten inch substituted By changing the road In
this manner, have already said the necessity Of
meet the gauss Of the same width on the other side Of
that city coming from the west and the communication
from Buffalo to Cleveland would thus be unbrOksn In
gauge through Eric 10 Cleveland.
Here the great Of a. rain al the socsled
riots in this sit sya a II "'' IN" 0'' -'~
change the road from six fest gauge to the four feet
inch gauge, which II people Of Ers say was foreign
gauge and was imported from Ohio until BY special act
OF Legislature they had obtained the wight TO do Al
the close Of the last Legislature in 1885, the Pennsylva
mia gauge repealed and immediately after the six
to the Pennsylvania State lne distance Of ninetsen
miller taken up and the four feet ten inch track laid
legged the people Of Erie was effected BY bribery and cost
$50 600 Hoveve this may be 1t is not for TO say
Erie. The company, they acknowledge empowered
by special act Of their Legsaure and so far IS that
body was concerned, they could do nothing But they
deter mined not to give way and as the recent I'M
fortunate have proved they In do
feAtng the company TO some extent at least The con-
struction Of the four feet ten inch track
meneed and the work went very rapidly till 1t to
the city Erie and here the local authoritieshe Mayor
and Common Counc-interposed By the olkwins ordi-
nance
ORDINANCE PReHIBI TING THE ALTERATION OF RAIL,
ROAD GAUGES.
Whereas by their act Of the Councils Of the
enact e ali such 81 laws and rules = shall be
deemed expednt promote the good order and benefit Of
&: :a. s.
coapssys Railroad divers gauges width Of tracks,
enter and meet in said city the gauge and track Of the
and xhsres and bensd. Of said citizens and
The E no Of 81. % rsSr 'sss s
hesen.ssr pr p1eVds ,h.rss q '''p''"''
Council: sis, iH: hereby .nsesss y shs
ss.s
using o,her width using
s:Ss is:ss ssss: i :.lS liz ssdsa s:psy
,ST every sss And 1Rsst a. a 81 81
on G srausaos usr.a remain
Sis s1sis & iss s.
read sy Sss q esSsssss o. TO do pvt
four feet eight inches snd half with cars and
eontnary' COMMUNICATING. -''A ''AN " ~
See any railroad track shall be put down
visions Of this ., dnsncs the High Consabs Is hereby au
moved from SUCH or and DO hereby aasho
lied and required employ sufficient force for that
Sec Zach and every resident OF this city hereby,
s M to I'D ID anS ID Il. s,
ofthe duties herein before enoned him and All per-
hereby prohibited under the penalty Of 500 from
ssng oberucting the High Constable. person
called TO his aid in the discharge of the duties above
joined.
SEQ; Nothing herein contained shall confer o. Be con.
srusd oonfesrpR right to construct maintain in
said cyupon Of the streets thereof rail
road TRACK for the and maintenance which
legal authority docs not exist independent Of this ordi
nance.
odainsd and enacted into ordnance this 10Th day Of
July, 1853
In defiance OF this ordinance and relying upon the got
Of Legislature, the company with the construe
tion OF the road into the city Nov the coma c.
)batHesn the Conmon Council and the OCT pAny. Sand