The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-01-06
hpaeteIGIgetreer.
NARROW-GUAGE RAILROADS.
Their Cost and Capacity, as Com-
pared with the Ordinary Road.
A General View of the Question.
stA - |Ek jlt
Interesting Facts-OperatIon Of Mar
rOw-Gauge Roads In Europe.

Learning that pamphlet on the advan
tages of Narrow.Guage Railways had beer
prepared by Messrs Paul Bros, civil en-
glncers, Akron, o., we recently addressed
a note to those gentlemen requesting to be
favored with copy, We have received
the document, accompanied by the inter
esting lettersubloined. "- = ~
One Of the most pressing needs OF Till
community, and q many others, Il
an increase in tho facilities Of railway
communication. But the cost Of the
ordinary railroads is SO heavy US tc
make the building of them very diff
cult, and for many localities greatly in
need Of them quite impossible, A plan
of railroad building which promises to
afford to large sections Of the country The
advantages OF steam lreighting and traye
ut a cost within their means, becomes
therefore, q subject OF exceeding inter
est. We have already printed several
articlesrclatlng toit, and believe We can.
not serve our readers better or more nc.
ceptably than by laying before them the
letter and the brief pamphlet referred to-
oPFIcE or PAUL DROs. Civil ENGMgERs,
AKRON, Ono, Jan. 4, 1871.
To he Editor Of 0t MteltlqMeer:
We have your favor of the 9Sth ult, and
take pleasure in sending you copy Of
our pamphlet. 4lnlt ,,.j,..l,.
Ina pamphlet for general circulation
We did not think II necessary TO enter in
to q detailed statement Of the cost and char
acter Of u narrow guage line, our primary
object being to place the subject in such u
way rs to lead men to think Of the sub
ject, and not mislead them by fixed esti-
mate, which could not 10 correct one,
inasmuch Is the requirements ofditlerent
sections arc so widely different.
To build a road simply for the accom-
datiOn OF mineral traffic or other slow
moving heavy freight, would be fur
different thing than tobuild one for light
ireights and passengers, Again, the cost
in billy region would Of course be
greater than through level country.
But in any Of these circumstances tho
saving in first cost ard in running cXpcn.
SEES would be strikingly in favor OF the
narrow guNge, and we think there arc few
circumstances where we cannot save at
least one half OF the first cost by using a
5 foot guage instead OF 4 n 10 in., while II
would do the work oil fifteen trains per
day on the ordinary guage.
The subject OF narrow gauge is not II
new one, nor II matter Of mere theory, TO
be tested by experience. lHf.
In Norway, the ordinary gauge is un.
known, and we find other examples Of
narrow gauge lines in nearly every cOun.
try in Europe.
The Broethal Valley line, in Germany,
Is 12t miles long, and has u gauge Of 81
inches only, and follows the course Of the
public highway, cncOuntering gra-
dients of in so, and curves of 12iS feet
radius; weight OF rail, 90 to 90 lbs; width
Of ground occupied, 50 inches; two loco
motives, weighing 12t tons, worked with
0 pressure Of 90 lbs, and hauling load
Of 1891 tons nine miles per hour.
The celebrated "Festiriog" OF Wales has
a gauge of 23t inches, - miles long, with
a rise Of 700 feet radius oil curves, as low
IS feet; tons hauled, 10; speed, 10 miles
an hour; but 35 miles per hour has been
run on 1t. 1t was built 10 carry slate, &C.,
but for several years used Tor general
traffic and passengers, and has yielded
some 90 per cent dividends to It's stock.
holders, so as paying road it might be
called o success.
We arc collecting data for a work on
the subject, and have all the statistics of
European and American lines, and will
be happy to furnish any information on
the subject. Yours,
PAUL Bros.