The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-03-10


ana Rochester. Observation-Disclosures. 400, 600
&c at Long Dock ...................... 1000, 900
Elevator at Long Dock. ............,,. 100000
Elevator NJ Buffalo. .....,............... 10000
New depot lands and river front at Newbnrg 225OOq
Ferry slips at Twenty-third street. ..... 26,001
New ferryboat for Twenty third street SER .-
vice. ,.............-........ 7o,000
All OF which is respectfully submitted.
JOHN $. ELDRiDGE, President
NEW YORK, March 9, 1867.
REPORTS OF THE GENERAL SUPERINTENDENT. z
OFFICE GENERAL SUPERINTENDENT
New YORK, March 8, 1868.
Hon JoHS s. ELpRlDoE, President Erie Railways
sis-on the 81 Of December addressed commune
purchase Of 5000 tons OF rails and at inter.
view with you expressed the opinion that IL, 900 to
OF track during the year 1868. II
Since that opinion was given we have passe6
ter weather and moved more than an averages
winter tonnage, with the road bed froze4
solid rock, the rails encased in snow and
ice, so that 1t has been impossible to do much inf
the way Of repairs; the iron rails have broken, la
mated and worn out beyond all precedent, un l!
with steel rails, between Jersey City and SALAMANCA
Buffalo, where 1t Is safe to run train at the ordi
nary passenger train speed, and many portions OF
the road only be traversed safely by reducing the
speed Of all trains to twelve or fifteen miles an hou
solely on account Of the WORKOUT and rotten condia
ton Of the rails. Broken Wheels axles, engines and
trains on the track have been Of daily almost hour
ly occurrence the last two months caused mostly
by defective rails. Fully one Thousand broken rail1
were taken from the track In the month OF Januaryr
while tho number removed on account Of laminatonh
crushing or wearing out was much greater FebrQS
airy will show still worse record than January. =
The failure Of rails s confined to no particulal
between those made at Scranton and those rerone0
at Emlra. The former break readily into many
train from ON the track; large humber Of these ra
have broken with less than SIX months SERVICE
some with months wear. w = /!
The Emira rerolled iron seldom breaks until very
much worm but It does not possess the hardness an0
durability found in the scranton iron when the latter
has strength to resist breaking strains.
With the ten miles OF track laid with the Jonq
Brown Bessemer steel no fault need be found. Bu9
lamnation and very little wear is perceptible,
Twenty steel rails were laid in Jersey City yard las9
wear have been renewed four times since the steel
was put down, and l have no doubt the steel rails
Will outlasi three times as many more iron rails.
This winters experience has satisfied me that the
quality and weight OF the iron rails IN use cannoe
be depended upon to sustain the traffic OF the Erie
Railway. Forty-two ton locomotives hauling trains
OF nifty and sixty loaded cars and passenger engines
weighing thirtyseven tons running at y speed Of
grind ont the iron rails beneath them. Instances
nave been reported TO me OF rails removed from tne
track too much worn for safety, when the drst I'M
perfection was visible but the day before.
Ia view OF this state Of things, what IS thd
remedy Maniiesty the adoption Of steel rails aa
far az practicable, and iron rails Of superior quanCy
aud heavier section, TO be followed by the gradual
reduction OF the weight Of engines and cars as new
equipment becomes necessary The tendency OF late
years has been to larger and more powerful loc0m0.
tves and heavier. stronger ears, and this has been
carried TO such an extent as to render them out Of
all proportion to the strength ana durability OF track
Especially has this been tie fact npon the Erie Rau.
The condition OF the iron at the present date Ia
such as TO give me much anxiety and apprehension
for the safety OF trains We cannot and do not at.
tempt TO make tie schedule time with our trainst
nearly all lose from two to live hours In passing over
the road, and II has been only by the exercise OF ex.
IRENE caution we have been able thus Tar to escape
serious accident.
very large quantity OF rails must be laid as soon.
as the weather VIII permit and they can be fur.
In conclusion desire to modify my estimate
OF the quantity OF rails required for the curfens
road, assisted by information obtained from divisioh
superintendent and track masters have come To
the conclusion that twenty-five thousand tons OF
rails viii he needed to keep up your track In 1863,
and would earnestly recommend that NJ large
proportion as possible shall be OF steel. Very re-
spectfully, your obedcnt servant,
II. RIDDLE, General superintendent
OFFICE GENERAL SUPERINTENDENT,
NEW YORK, March 3, 1888. !
Hon. J. 8. ELDRrDoE, President Erie Railway com.
SIK-A careful review OF the present condition OF
the motive power OF the Erie Railway Company
enables me to present the following statement for
The company own 81 locomotves-of this number
about thirty are condemned entirely useless, and
some forty more are OF but little value owing their
long service and general infirmty, being considered
unsafe " carry even moderate steam pressure and
20 1 aps e"v run long Two
ten years. service, and l43 OF that number over
fifteen fifteen years service. The master mechanics
report 12S OF these locomotives az reQuirin0
new boilers and recommend the complete recony
struction Of 1O7 OF tho number whenever the
boilers shall be renewed, or In other words instead
OF giving the old engine new boiler IL is deemed
more TO the interest OF the company to construed
complete new engine, for the following rcasons:1
Most OF these engines are OF the kind known as half
crank engines-an expensive and troublesome clasa
70 keep In repair The engines having been SO lona
In service no dependence can be placed upon Tho
strength and durability Of any OF their parts. They
are Of great variety Of patterns and make II neces
TO provide against breakages, there being something
over sixty different kinds u engines on the Erie
road.
1t will be seen by the foregoing that the company
have only three hundred serviceable engines consd.
erably less than that Of really efficient ones From
neen ~ twenty per cent are In shops undergoing
repairs ordinarily nj this often larger propor
ton. Our mechanics estimate the life Of an engine
at fifteen years. Assuming that to be true we should
build twenty every year 70 keep our three hundred
good, to say nothing Of the seventy now idle and
worthless; but have added by purchase and
construction only twelve new engines to our stock
during the last two years ut the present mo.
ment some wenyeis engines short OF what we
therefore, OF the certain increase OF the coal tonnage
and probable increase OF both through and way
new locomotives added to the equipment Of the
road during the next twelve. months In the
SRp we shOps el AND WITH Rup
slight increase OF machinery It Is estimated thirty
sagnes per Sn ,r can be 9nt present we sr
that number. THE engines built In the company's
shops, in point OF strength durability and perfec
ton OF workmanship far excel those procured from
locomotive builders, and while their cost may fully
equal, perhaps exceed the price for which simiai
engines may he contracted for, yet deem 1t good
policy TO fully employ our facilities for the con.
struction Of engines.
TO OH out the number I have ventnred to suggest
as needed twenty will be required outside OF the conf
pany's ability TO construct These I would contract
Tor to be built after specifications and plans to be
furnished by the companyis officers, and under the
inspection or n good mechanic to be selected and
paid by tue railway company. In THIS way tninK
We could obtain satisfactory machines.
also deem IL my duty 10 recommend an increase
OF eight and coal cars. Say 700 box freight cara
aud 100 coal In addition to those heretofore or.
dered.
The coal cars are sure 10 no needed, and the boz
freight cars unless the freight trac should fall Oh
contrary to all expectations. Respectfully your ODE.
dent servant,
IL. RIDDLE, General superintendent
r. S.-Since writing the foregoing report have
learned from General Potter that he IL DESTROYS Of
establishing stock yards at Urbana aud Cinclnnatk