The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1870-05-05
Progress Of Railroads.
THEIR REAL EFFECTS ON THE COUNTRY AND
ITS PROSPERITY.

Thirty years ago, which is as late as 1910, if
any one could have foreseen the progress and
results of railroads in this country, the scene
would have been to human eyes miraculous.
1t would have seemed impossible, not to make
the roads, but to have expended such vast sums
of money-to have done such a prodigious
work, and to have reached such results.
We think the national debt enormous, and
many persons even think we cannot pay it
but we have paid as much as the national
debt-in twenty years, in one branch OF indus
try, and that not as end, but as. means-ln
merely furnishing facilities for transportation.
In the nature of things, this must have been
so, for we inhabit vast continent, full of won
derful resources and the very first problem
was, how to get at those resources and how to
transport its products. This was a physical
problem involving no moral or intellectual
grandeur; but it did involve an amount of in
dustry, and production Of wealth which is
really wonderful to look upon.
A railroad is mere machine; but it is the
greatest and most costly machine on earth,
which has called forth successfully all the en-
ergies of men. This country was the proper
theatre for its exhibition on grand scale, and
the results are marvellous
The following is the progress of railroads
from 1850 to the present time:
eess aiss of # as1$ sss sos5SS
For 1870, this is, in some degree, an estimate,
but based on well known facts, and is not too
high. The progress of this work has followed
the necessities Of the country. Beginning in
the commercial ports on short lines, it proceed
ed to the great agricultural States of the Cen
trail WestEthen to lines connecting the Missis-
sippi with the Atlantic, and lastly to the great
line across the continent, soon to be followed,
we hope, with others to the north and south of
that line, connecting the lakes and the Ohio
with the great ports of the Pacific. The lar
gest proportion of railroads is in the great ag-
ricultural States of the Central West, Ohio,
Indiana and Illinois, and here is precisely
where they are mostly useful, Us we shall show
hereafter.
1t will be interesting to note some of the re-
suits of railroads, compared with the theories
formed of them in the beginning:
l. The great virtue, power and grand results
of railroads depend wholly upon one principle,
the expansive power of steam. 1t did not con-
sist in the rails, for railroads, literally, had
been made two hundred years before in Eng
land. 1t was steam which made. the rails val
uable 1t was not merely steam, it was the
expansive power of steam. Why not send a
locomotive by electromagnetic power? 1t has
been tried, and succeeded in small power, but
electro-magnetism wants the expansive power
of steam, and therefore, in order to raise high
powers, is too expensive.
2. But, granting the immense power of steam
applied to a locomotive, what could locomo-
tive do on rail? Here the engineers and the
public were at fault in the beginning. Know
ing the force of cohesion, and therefore Of fric-
ton, the engineers decided, in 1925, that rail
roads can only be used for passengers and light
goods. What has been the actual result 7?
Why, that railroads are used for heavy freight
more than for anything else! Some OF the
principal lines of railroad receive two-thirds of
their income from heavy freight! The truth
is, we have come back to the first principle.
The expansive power of steam overcomes trlc-
tion and all other impediments Itwas thought
at first that if a car went at the rate OF thirty
miles an hour it must meet with an immense
obstruction in the column of air displaced; but
apparently this obstruction is nothing. The
passenger who puts his hand out of the window
perceives strong wind, but that appears to
have no influence at all on the train.
8. The engineers decided, that for the same
cause-friction and gravitation-the locomo-
tive could not take train over grades above
so feet to mile This opinion was so preva-
lent, that when in 1886 surveys were made for
the Charleston road the engineer decided that
the road to Lexington could not go direct by
Ridge route, because it would require a grade
of from so to so feet, and therefore the road
must 20 up the Licking Valley, which the Cen
trail Kentucky does, and loses 20 miles between
Cincinnati and Lexington. Soon after that
time, however, it was demonstrated that loaded
trains could 60 over grades of 200 feet per
mile; of course this was not desirable or prof.
table. After that the Baltimore & Ohio Rail-
road was made with 10 miles, on grade of
12O feet. So ended the obstructive theory of
grades.
3. If these errors of theory were in favor of
the railroad system, land they certainly were
another error was by no means in the same di-
rection The cost of railroads was, until within
the last ten years, always assumed at too low a
rate Up to 1860, the average cost of rail-
road was always taken to be about $4,000 or
$50, 900 per mile. Indeed, the latter was as
sumed to be very eXtravagant estimate. But
by referring to the above table it will be seen,
that in 1850 the average cost of railroads per
mile was S37, 900, and in 1860 about the same.
But if the table for 1870 be correct, railroads
have cost $4,000 per mile, and there is no
doubt whatever, that the roads which may be
regarded as finished have really cost $50, 900
per mile. The fact is, that railroads are put
in operation long before they are finished.
More locomotives, moro cars, more sidings,
more depots are constantly demanded Hence,
for ten years after railroad is put in opera
ton, its capital, its real cost is constantly in
crcasing. The road may be profitable, apd its
managers in that case will, probably, pay the
additional cost out of the receipts. But the
cost is not less real and not less to be consider
ed as the actual cost Of the road.
4. There was another curious result of rail-
roads which was not contemplated in the be-
ginning. The making of railroads was urged
by cities and towns, originally with an idea,
that the benefit of railroads occurred chiefly to
them: In one sense this was true. Railroads
were absolutely necessary to the towns, in or
der that they might continue mayts of trade,
La. l,r;nn;nn thu nroductc of thn country To