The New York herald., 1864-11-11
RAILWAY THROUGH THE ALPS.
From the Manchester Guardian, Sept 23. |

land TeIegrsp pin Between India and
Northern Australia.
RAILWAY THRoC0H THE ALPS.
From the Manchester Guardian, Sept 23]
We are glad to learn that this scheme is pro-
crossing, and that it is likely to be attended with
success commensurate with the magnitude of the
undertaking. There ore at present in Switzerland
throe gentlemen representing the Board of D-
Fectors OF the Central European Railway Com
Hany-namely: Mr. Cave, Sheriff of London and
Middlesex; Mr.. Walford, director of the Finan-
ciai Corporation, and Mr.. ]. W. Maclure, of Man.
chester. They went out to inaugurate the COM
mencement of the works.
Ihe OBJECT of the line, as is known, is to con-
nect the lines running from Ostend and Rotterdam
70 Basic, with the Lombardian and Italian sys-
TENS, thereby shortening the overland route to
India by about four hundred miles, or sixty hours,
0sd making England independent Of France by
Gf0fdtng raj route through Belgium and Sactzer
land neutral countries IN the erent of European
DGr. The line to be made will leave the Lombardo-
venetian Railway at Como, and run by Chiasso.
Lugano, and Belinzona to Biasca. Thence it will
take either the pass of the st. Gothard or the
Luckmanier Pass, according to the decision of the
Swiss federal government. A letter from mem
ber Of the deputation, dated the 18th inst states
that on the previous day the deputation with the
local representatives of the company, Signor Cat
taneo. and others visited the works at Lugano
where they were received with salvos of artillery.
The united bands of the canton of Tcino played
n front Of the hotel where the deputaton stayed.
and the Mayor, with the leading Inhabitants paid
them complimentary visits, prior to their interview
with the government of the canton. It was hoped
that very shortly about ten miles of the line
would be open for traffic. On the Goth inst. the
deputation were to meet the federal government
at Berne, where they expected to learn what the
government subvention womb be. The line from
Como to Biasca is estimated to cost about a mil
Hon and half, of which abont seven hundred and
Afty thousand pounds is already issued and held
by British capitalists.
TRAMwAY ON MOUNT GEMS.
newspaper readers have at different times been
INF &c
concert with Messrs. Brassey and Jackson, to the
French and Italian governments, for laying down.
tramway on the present Mount Cents route,
covering the same with wooden, iron and stone
galleries, and working it by means of a new and
lighter species of locomotive, SO that the distance
between Susa and st. Michel, which now takes
ten, might be safely and regularly traversed in a
period Of from four to five hours The first series
producing low engine capable of carrying a
train OF one hundred passengers, with their lug
gage, over the mountain, have lad satisfactory
results The trials have been made on an
incline OF one in thirteen (the Mount
Gents being one in twelve), and the expert.
mental engine, a new one. on Mr.. Fell's peculiar
system, has taken up and down the entire load
proposed, while the break power Cor descending
u most perfect great number of practical and
scientific men have been witnessing these locomo-
tive experiments with much interest and now a
second series of experiments is just being COM
menced-viz: on gradient of twelve, and curves
which piece Of Ine is in process Of construction
the fac sa,iae of the Mont Cenis.-
TRIAL OF AN ALPINE LOCOMOTIVE
From the liverpool POST
An interesting trial of locomotive engine
built upon novel principles at the Canada Works
Bfrkenhead, took place lately at Whaley bridge,
on the Cromford and High Peak Railway. and upon
. short line made especially for the experimest
The engine is constructed to ascend and descend
steepgradients, to pass sharp curves, end to per-
form work which locomotives as yet nave never
been able to accomplish.
The practical object of this invention cannot but
be greatly interesting, inasnuch as it proposes
% run line of railway for passengers, mails and
merchandise over the very heart of the Alps, and
along a road hitherto considered impassable for
locomotives It is the wen known military road
Aewn out Of such giant difficulties by the first Ma.
poleon that it is thus contemplated to traverse.
At present there is tract of mountain pass forty
way systems Of France and North Italy, the
tsrminus OF the former being San Michel,
IN Savoy, and the latter Suse, in Pied
mont. The Mount Gents, by which this dis
6ict is known, has been considered 80 i'm
portant for purposes of traffic that the French and
Italian governments five years ago commenced the
excavation of tunnel to remove the difficulties SO
often felt AT the lowest computation this great
Undertaking will take twelve years to complete
The proposed railway over the surface of the pass
will only be two years in making, and the projec-
Nors would, therefore, have ten years of working
before the tunnel was available for traffic. The
IN connection with a company of well known Eng
Gsh capitalists and contractors, and the scheme
has met with the appreciation OF the Italian gov
eminent. The present road is sufficiently wide to
accommodate the railway and leave room for local
traffic, and the usual engineering labors OF tunnel
ling, &c., will not be required.
The chief difficulty, however Is that which the
new locomotive is especially designed to over
come-namely, the excessive steepness. Starting
from San Michel, the road gradually rises as far
- the village of Lansebourg, whence it takes
rapid ascent, with gradients OF one in twelve to the
summit OF the pass, which is seven thousand feet
above the level OF the sea. From this point
there is an equally rapid descent to Suse. In
addition to this rising and falling there are
frequent sharp curves. 1t is proposed to cover In
those portions OF the line where 1t IL known ava
lanches and snow drifts fall. Tie locomotive to
be employed here is, in fact, double engine,
horizontal and vertical engine combined, and SO
arranged that it may be worked either together or
separate, according to the steepness of the in
cline. Not the least feature of this invention is
the safety which it ensures. The horizontal wheels
referred TO above facilitate the passage of curves
enable the driver to stop the engine in the middle
OF the steepest gradient, give propulsive pres
sure Of several tons, and by means Of tho flanges
which, underlap the centre rail. renders it nearly
Impossible that the carriages can be overturned.
The brakes are extremely powerful, and, as they
are attached to each carriage, no danger arise
from a coupling chain giving way. The extreme
narrowness of the gauge renders the curves less
difficult to pass, gives more room for the public
kOau, anu Srehtly dSslsIs III eTeCunR the covered
ways for the more dangerous parts.
The trials on Tuesday were in every way sue
csssfu, and for once the High Peak proved an aid
rather than obstacle to the engineer. There we're
two incnes the first being two hundred yards
long, at gradient of one in thirteen, and the other
hundred and fifty yards long at gradient Of one
In twelve with curves of about two chains radius.
This represents the most difficult part of the Mont
Gems road. The shortness oS the line upon which
the experiment was made prevented the full getting
up OF steam, and the trial may therefore be taken
~ fair test. The locomotive itself, weighing
sixteen tons, but with a tractve force of thirty
two tcns-frst ascended and descended the lines.
stopping in the middle, and going backwards and
forwards as required, with perfect ease. Four
wagons, laden with twcnty-sx tons of ballast
were then attached, and the experiment was re-
peated with equally satisfactory results. IL is pro-
posed 10 work the Mont Gems line at an average
speed Of twelve miles, thus performing the jour
ney in from four to five hours. Tie number OF
passengers will not exceed one hundred and nine-
iy-eullivalcnt to twenty.iour tons.