The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1869-11-09
ABOUT ROAD RAILS.

The alarming frequency OF railroad e''
ciden.s imparts universal interest 10 inc
discussion Of any means calculated to con-
duce to greater safety in railroad travel
The dangers most difficult to guard against
.ro those that Turk in broken or defective
rail. Vigilance il train men and skill IN
anuiueering may take moderately certain
guarantees against accident, but none
Of them can provide against the terrors that
sleep unseen in defective rail, which may
snap At a most critical moment and precip'-
tate hundreds Of helpless travellers to sud
den death. No precsution can be taken
which will totally divest travel by rail OF
this peril, yet it can be greatly dim'ni'nea'
And for this purpose no modern improve
mept in railroading equals the Introduction
of steel rails, of which it is said there are
now laid in the United States about l,lOO
miles, or 10000 tuns in weight. the first
experiment in their use being made by the
Pennsylvania Central road in 1861.
The New York Tribune lately published
an interesting account Of the various manu-
features Of steel rails, their cost and the
advantages to the companies of their u'e
OF the latter, which really constitutes the
hope of the public in their general intro
duction, the Tribune writer says;
The great advantage of steel rails hes IN
their homogeneity. An iron raj OF s'eei,
headed rail, is made Of a pile q oars neaieu
and welded together, but p'ild steel rail Is
rolled from a single ingot and consequently
il subject to wear only, 'hereas the others
orc aynossd N swear and tear" and the
tear a, auy one aust know who has ever
noticed The hattie ed, lsminsted and disinte'
rated couditicn of the iron rails, on much
nsed track. = most serious consideration.
81 great !, this advantage that single stee
rail has Been known to outwear no less thar
% iro, rails placed successfully in the same
track and it is perfectly safe to say that any
good solid steel rail will outlsst dozen rail-
II iron. The argument that steel rails arr
worthless when once worn out never had
much force, and is now entirely upset by th'
discovery Of the Martin process, by which
old steel can be reworked with perfect ease
And the grand objection that steel ID brittle
and, therefore, steel rails must break, II
now fully overthrow by actual experience
OF course steel rails may be made so britt
as TO be worthless, and it is well ascersaine
that punching holes IN them has mos
INJURIES effect; but this process is now di
continued, and it is certain that rails role
from good Bessemer steel and drilled, i
stead of punched. are not only far more du
able. but are at least as tough as the bet
iron rails.
Good steel rails are said to cost ia Eng
land, El2 per ton, which amounts with tn
a. per cent duty, and cost OF trsnsportatio
20 about $50. Good iron rails cost onI
about $50 per ton, but it is alleged that
great many Of our railroads, particularly
the West will not even pay the cost OF
good article Of iron rails, but use the mo-
inferior grades weighing only so pounds
when 60 pound rails are the very lghtet
that ought ever to be laid Of iron.
OF the fifty roads in the United State
using steel rails, only the Chicago, Roc
Island 4 Pacific, the Chicago & Northwe
tern, and the Toledo, Wabash Il Wester
have them laid in the West, and these on
on a portion Of their lines.
Ii is hoped, for the sake of the traveli
public that the experiment which is bel
made with the steel rail, will result so 81
isfactorily to the companies using it, that
will soon supplant iron entirely and, in
measure, at least give that assurance
confidence in the safety of railway travel
this country which il 30 much needs.