Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1865-1872, 1867-03-22

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teams to average in number twenty, and
to carry each ono ton, this amounts 10
twenty tons per day, or for three humid
red days Ia year. 10 six thousand tons
annually ut this present time. Suppose
then the additional facilities produced by
the rail road ehould increase the carriage
to double That amount, which is very
moderate calculation, without taking into
view any circumstances connected with
our external relations, that would make IL
twelve thousand tons annually. We are
further 10 calculate that the amount Of
carriage and travel will increase by sirtue
OF our own internal resources alone in
proportion 10 the population Of tho coun-
try, which, according 20 tho ratio upon
which II has proceeded for the last ten
years, IL will double itself in every seven
years so that in seven years from this
time, II will amount to twenty four thou
sand tons annually. To transport $1,000
tons from Indianapolis to Cincinnati on
rail road nj four dollars por ton, will cost
ninety six thousand dollars. Tho. travel
along the same route will average ut this
time, as near rs my observation can APP
proach TO certainty, 10 about three thou
sand persons annually backward and for
ward, aud which would increase, (Indian-
.apolis being the scat Of sovernmeut) be-
.yond NIL doubt. TO ten thousand-which at
two dollOrs fare for each person, would
amount to twenty thousand dollars more
making in the whole one hundred and
sixteen thousand dollars annually"
Whether his calculations relative b. the
amount of business for this road has been
fully realized, the officers could answer
better than citizen Of Iowa.
But let us sec how obesply Judge Test
proposed 10 construct this Road. We
prefer giving it in his own words, as
follows
"0n thisroad whore the ground is level
IL is dtchod and raised about foot and
half above the common surface for a
single track, il Is made about eight or ten
feet wide; when this Is done, slcepers are
laid down Of good timber, about six inches
square, across tho road; these sleopers
ought to be laid on bed Of pounded stone
about three feet hsunder, and in them
notches are cut 80 wide apart as the wagon
will track La these notohes the rails,
which are made Of pine, oak, walnut, OF
indeed any kind Of wood, arc laid 80 that
the wheels Of the car will run on them,
and they arc keyed in the seepers, TO
keep them steady and equidis,ant. SO that
tho wheels may never run of them. These
rails ought 70 be about four by five inches
square aud shod with iron. 4 inch thick,
aud ! inches wide, but this is not absou-
tely necessary, unless there Is n great deal
Of travelling on the road, or il is intended
TO propcl the whgons with steam, and even
then plate Of iron on tho rail, quarter
of nm inch thick, will last twenty years,
aud tho old iron will then sell for nearly
the price Of new. The above is the man.
ner In which rail road Is constructed, and
where thoro ia no extraordinary ezcaya.
ting, or ombanking, that IL, where the site
Of the road is level, the whole expenses
shoeing the rails with half inch iron and
all, will not DO more than about fifteen
hundred or two thousand dollars per mile
Merely ditching aud throwing the earth up
so as TO raiso IL lt for receiving the slip
pors, may be done, aud part Of the Phil.
adelphia e. Columbia rail road; has bocn
dono, for $3.50 per mile, and even less than
that. Mr. Earl, who in 1880 published
treatise upon the subject Of rail roads,
compiled from the latest aud most authen-
tic aud correct authors, gives a bill of the
cost Of mile Of a cheap and substantial
rail road as Follows: