The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-12-04
PRELIMINARY BUSINESS.

The Board met ut 10 O'Clock A. NJ.
Prayer by Rev. DR.. Burrows, of the Baptist
Church.
PRELIMINARY BUSINESS.
The President appointed the following
Committee on River Improvement and
Bridging, under the twelfth, thirteenth, and
fourteenth propositions MessrS. Cook, OF
Cincinnati Cullen, Of st. Louis TreZeyant,
of Memphis; Monroe, Of Dubuque; and
Marsh, of Buffalo.
The Secretary read communication from
the Union Merchants Exchange of St.
Louis announcing, with an expression OF
regret. that that body would not be repre-
Sented at the session Of the Board. The
Augusta Board of Trade was admitted rs
constituent member, and Mr.. +. p. Branch
took his seat rs its delegate.
THE DoUBLE-TRACK RAILWAY FROM WEST
TO EAST.
The Board then resumed the considera-
ton of the resolution Of MIR. Richards, Of
Chicago, requesting Congress to charter at
once 4 railroad, with two or more tracks.
exclusively for the conveyance of ireightS
between the centre Of the chief source OF
supply of grain in the West and the Atlantic
seuboard.
The motion Immediately before the Board
was that of Mr.. Holton, of Milwaukee, for
the reference Of the whole subject to the
committee appointed on the twelfth, thir-
teenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth, PROPOSE
tons.
Upon this, Mr.. Monroe, Of Dubuque,
took the floor. He argued that the figures
of Mr.. Richards, intended to show the ST.
periority Of rail over water transportation,
were unreliable, and the scheme of that
gentleman for Il double-track railway with
such arrangements as he had described was
visionary.
The gentleman had suggested the idea OF
4 double-track road twelve hundred miles
long, with trains starting every five minutes,
and running at the rate of eight miles IN
hour, each train consisting of fifteen cars,
carrying ten tons each, or one hundred and
fifty tons. There would be 2SS trains, oc-
cupying twenty-seven miles of the track
arriving, and the same departing, each day
ut each end of the road, or 1920 cars
arriving, and 1920 cars departing each
day at each end of the line, or S,640
cars to be received and dispatched, loaded
and unloaded. each day at each end OF the
line. Moving at eight miles an hour, it
would take $50 hours to make the trip.
| There would be in constant motion on each
track =, 800 trains, occupying ITO miles on
each track, and separated by distance OF
only two-thirds Of mile and five minutes
of time. In other words, there would
| be 1900 trains, consisting of $500 engines
md tenders and 81, 900 cars, in constant mo-
ton on the road. The depots and work
shops would occupy about 400 acres at each
end of the line.
TO insure regularity and to avoid COLI
sionS. all Of the | 800 trains on each track
would have to stop to wood and water ex-
actlv at the same instant, start again exactly
at the same instant, and move Mt exactly the
same speed. In other words, they would
have to move with the precision and regu-
lality of the heavenly bodies.
| And, after all, this wonderful, impossible
road, if run every hour in go days, with
| full loads, and worked with celestial regu-
larity, would have capacity of only ID, 7GS,.
! 600 tons each way; while the Virginia
water-lne, with boats of go tons and
double locks. and used only 500 days in the
year, would have Il capacity Of IL, lbs, 00C
tons each way.
Mr.. Taylor, of Cincinnati, was satisfied
of the inability of railroads to compete with
natural lines Of communication in the trans.
portation of heavy freight He announced,
too, his entire opposition to the present
policy Of the Government in subsidiZing
railroads. He characterized such scheme:
as schemes for public plumber, and, in con
clusion, moved to lay the whole subject OF
the table which motion was agreed to by
q vste of so to 16.
NIAGARA SHIP CANAL.
The nineteenth proposition being ther
called up, the following resolution was OF
fered by Mr.. Bagley, of Detroit
"Resolued, That the National Board o
Trade respectfully urge upon Congress the
urgent necessity Of ship canal being con
structed around the Falls of Niagara, con
Meeting Lake Erie with Lake Ontario, ant
that the Executive Council memorabilia
Congress to this effect"
Mr.. Cullen, of st. Louis, said he was now
beginning to feel economical himself. The
West and South had just made an effort tt
have an enterprise for their improvement
recommended to the favorable considera
ton OF Congress. and the subject had beer
summarily laid on the table. Now Il similar
scheme for the benefit of the people on tht
lakes seemed about to 60 through withou
opposition. This would not do; he hat
about made up his mind to go against any
plan which would result in the benefit
solely Of the country north Of the thirty
fifth parallel of latitude.
i Mr.. Dore, Of Chicago, showed the adj
yantages Of the proposed canal, and hoped
the resolution would be adopted.
/ Mr.. Wetherill, Of Philadelphia, thought
4 that q matter Of such Importance should &c
before O committee before action by the
Board. He therefore moved Its reference
to committee of fifteen. composed Of dele
igates from the States particularly interested
In the project.
Il Mr.. Holton, Of Milwaukee, had hopet