Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1857-01-28
Mas imum grade 60 feet coming last

Do. Z" IS " going West
Elevation overcome, ITO feet.
These features show very conolusiyely that
this line Of road is not n very favorable
one, to say the least Of il, upon the ma
chinery Of the road. This road commenced
working to Liberty, distance Of twenty five
miles. in March 1852, with the usual amount Of
locomotives and cars for road of that lrnSth;
and has regularly progressed sine each yenr
adding to the length of road and amount Of
equipment--till it was completed in September,
1856, at which time the equipment Of the road
consisted of ID passenger cars, ; baggage and
mail cars, 300 eght.wheeled freight cars. ii
eight wheeled stock cars, 10 four wheeled freight
oars, 80 gondolas, 81 flats and 40 four wheeled
dirt cars. Its entire length is two hundred and
four miles.
During the period from March, 1852, TO this
time, (nearly five years. this company have al
ways used axels made from the best Virginia
charcoal pig iron. Their axels were manafac-
tured at the Tredegar Iron Works nj Richmond,
and they rolled, not hammc ed During
this period of nearly five years,not ono lxcl made
from Virginia charcoal pig, and manufactured at
the Tredegar Works, has ever broken, and we
huus Win brtut EidiihNhtion, TINT NOT one pas
senger has ever been injured by the failure of
wheels, axels, or any other part Of the machine
ry of this road; or from any other cause whUtso-
ever. within the control or under the manage
ment of the officials of this company. Wa re
gard this as the highest oncomium that could be
passed upon the Superintendent of rransporta
ton, aud the President and Directors of this
company.
1t is a matter well deserving enquiry, why is it
that passengers on this road have been go re-.
markaby exempt from the usual casualties of
railway travel. That it is not in the character
of the country through which the road passes. all
must admit; because the characteristic features
OF wild, mountainous region are seen at every
step OF the way, presenting difficulties of great
magnitude, to be overcome by engineering skill;
but still iraught with danger to the traveller un
less those who are entrusted with tho manage
ment OF the road were competen, to the impor-
tant and responsible duties develved upon them
The answer to be made 10 this enquiry is. first
That the officials of the Va. and Tenn Rail
road have long since repudia,ed the wretched
not to say criminal. policy of purchasing ohoal
rail, cheap machinery, cheap axels. and oheaT
consequences of the contrary policy were not of
ten so appalling it would be amusing to review
the attempts to economist by some Railroad com
panies but, we wi not indulge in such train
OF thought; the subject is too important and seri
Gus in its character. In the second place the
unusual safety afforded to those who travel over
the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad in a great
measure, attributable to the admirable system
adopted by our able and distinguished Supern
tendent OF transportation Col f. H. Gin Hi,
vigIant supervision of the machinery of the road
and of each train when il arrives and before il de-
parts from the depot, saves, as far as human car,
and vigilance can, the traveller from the danger.
incident to railway journeyings The important
mechanical questions settled, as we conceive. by
the remarkable exemption from broken aXels
which is shown through a period of five wears o
the working # the Virginia and Tennessee road
Is, first: That rolled arels are superior ta thos,
manufactured by hammeriug Secondly. ,h,
axels made of homogeneous masses of iron ar,
superior to those made from heterogeneous mas
es, or what is known by the iron masters an,
those engaged in the trade as scrap iron. Tn
important bearing which this decision Of III
question has upon one of the most important in
dustrial products of the State will form the sub
jsct Ola separate article, which we hope to b
able to present to our readers in a few DAYS.
Mr.. Keitt, of South Carolina, one of the No
tionet supporters of Mr.. Buchanan, made
speech in the House of Representatives on tn
18th inst He took issue with those democrat
who had announced q political millennium il
Al