The Cairo daily bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1870-1872, 1871-07-28
AGAINST TIME.
OHIO AND MISSISSIPPI RAIL.
ROAD GUAGE.
TT Is CHANGED IN SEVEN
HOURS.
THE FEAT AND HOW 1T WAS
ACCOMPLISHED.

hNNONI hlCI1ED.
AN ARMY OF woRKMEN STRETCHED ACROSS
THREE sTATEs--A VICTORY WON BY
CRowBAR, HAMMER AND sPIKE-THE
TRACK OF THEIR CONQUEST.
IRON the st. Louis, Republican, 2ith.)
The work of changing the gauge of the
Ohio and Mississippi railroad from six feet
10 four feet eight inches and half was
commenced and finished yesterday morn
ing. Long before the first streak Of dawn
appeared in the sky, cars were in motion
conveying men to their work on the road,
and as the morning light rendered objects |
visible, the great work was commenced.
THE MoDus oPERASDI.
In each gang of workmcn, six went
ahead of the party, drawing the old spike
on the inside of the rails. This was done
by claw-bars, curved at the 'clawed' end
to give leverage, by which the spikes we're
pried out and the rails loosened. Six men
followed with crowbars and handspikes,
with which they threw in the "a inches on
each side, to line of spikes which had
been previously driven INTO the ties, and
served not only to fasten the inside edge Of
the rails, but also to mark the new guage
of the track. The balance Of the gang
numbering between 20 add 30 men, came
next and fastened down the rails in their
new position, with spikes driven on the
outside rim Of the rails. To expediate the
work, only three spikes were thus driven
for each rail--one at each end and one at
the middle. This was all the fastening
necessary to admit of the safe passage Of
trains till the whole of the spikes can DO
driven.
| THE NEW GAUGE.
For the first two miles there were three
rails laid, that number having been placed
there some time since to furnish q track
for the narrow-gauge rolling stock used
In filling up ground at the new passenger
depot. After passing these two miles,
however, there was q single narrrw- gauge
track all the rest Of the way, and row Of
old spikes running parallel with tho rails
on the outside edges of them, marked where
the rails had been. The track was remark
ably smooth and even, and, as the train
passed over 1t at express speed for miles
without creating jar it was difficult to
believe that the rails had been placed in
position only fow hours before, and
that SO much work could have been SO
thoroughly accomplished in such short
space OF time.
| THE PEOPLE ENTHUSIASTIC.
At each station, as the train drew up, a
crowd Of people greeted its arrival with
repeated cheers, and at one place an en-
thusiasiastic youth waved a national flag
in commemoration of the successful event.
He obtained permission to accompany the
party, and he Immediately planted the stars
and stripes on the platform car, and went
as far as Odin with it.
COMPLETION OF THE WORK.
At each telegraph station on the way
dispatches were received showing that
the work was rapidly approaching
completion, and, when the train reached
Sandoval at ll:30 telegram was received
intimating that the change of gague was
completed throughout the entire len 9Th of
the line "A distance of three hundred and
forty miles. Mr.. Griswould and Mr..
Smith, to whose ability and untring
energy tho success of this great under
taking is principally due, received the
congratulations Of friends on the receipt
OF the tidings.
THE TRACK AT CURVES.
The outside rails Of the curve were al
lowed in such places TO remain in the old
position, and new rails were laid for the
narrow guage. This was necessita.ed by
thessless are. To suit the old outer rail-
for the new position it would have been
necessary 10 unrivet the fsh-plates, cut
little of the ends of each rail, and fasten
them together again with the hsh-plates.
To avoid the loss of time which such an
operation would have entailed, new rails
were laid as stated With the inner rail,
however, 1t was different and it was
thrown into the new position the same as
a straight rail. No trouble was occas-
toned by the fsh.plates. They yielded
sufficiently to prevent the track from be-
ing too riged to move, while they held
the rails firmly together. Some slight
difficulty, however, was experienced with
the old chairs, and more time was en-
ployed in moving the track in couple of
sections where they were than any other
part Of the line.
RAPID OPERATION.
The FIST section in which the change
of gauge was completed WAS fifty mile
section between Vincennes and Clay City,
under charge of MI. Wright Kenner.
The last spike in this section was driven
at $50 A. NJ. The best time was made
between East st Louis and Csseyv,lle on
the straight stretch Of six and three-quar-
ter miles across the bottam. Tho change
in this section under the control of Mr.. W.
w. Jones, was complMed in four hours.
MEN EMPLOYED. "A
On the whole line there was q force of
2,72O men employed. OF these $50 were
from other roads centeriDg at st. Louis,
and 80 were from Springfield and the
southern part Of Illinois. Each man re-
ceived twenty-five cents for each hour he
worked on the road. Tho actual work of
changing the gauge without including re-
duction of rolling stock to suit II or pur-
chases of narrow gauge stock, amounts to
about 1926, 900.
CHANGING RoLLISo STOCK.
The work Of reducing locomotives was
one involving considerable cost. 1t, is
done by narrowing the fre-box under the
boiler n inches on each side Each boil
er is on an average 40 inches in diameter, |
and the dre-box would therefore be re-
duced to rs inches in breadth. The aYles
are shortened "A inches at each end, and
the frame work is set in, in the same
proportion. The broad-gauge cars are
reduced by placing the bodies on narrow.
gauge trucks and axles.
CROSSINGS.
Mr.. George Elliott, to whom tho con-
tract for changing the crossings was awar-
al c,,hatituta1 tyyn