Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1871-06-29

ly we get away from those data the
comparisonin cost Of contraction tells
much more in favor Of the. narrow
gauge, and this in a constantly in
creasing ratio as the character Of the
country approaches to that of noun
famous. q -. =
b This arises from the fact thatcurves
of much smaller radius may beiadopt-
ed on a narrow gauge than are posi-
BILE on abroad gauge. aaItis necessa-
ny that the wheel-base Of a. carriage
that is, the distance from axle
should be at least twice the width Of
the gauge over which it is run, other.
wise the carriage gets an awkward,
unsteady, wriggling notion neither
pleasant nor advantageous. Mani
testify, the wheel-base Of carriages on
Ia 2-foot.9-inch gauge can be much
shorter. than a 4-foot- -8-l-2-inch gauge,
and the carriage will pass, without
any friction of the flanges Of the
wheels, round much sharper curves ;
the drag friction is reduced in SINH
lar manner. Any one examining
the wheels of a locomotive or truck
ona railway of the standard" gauge
cannot fail to see that, not only the
Esoles but the fanges of the wheels
are polished by friction, making it
plain that the fange friction, even in
passing round the curves which are
set out for their accommodation, is
very great. On the Festiniog line, on
the contrary, Notwithstanding the
marvellously sharp and continually
recurring curves, the trains glide
along them with perfect ease, and the
aanges Of the wheels are, positively
.rusted.
It's easy to see.that this power to
adopt curves of small radius gives
the engineer of the narrow gauge
railway an immense advantage. in
setting. out his line. He may follow
the course of river or the contour
of a-mountain side with comparative
ease. Hemay double out Of the way
of heavy gradients, long yiaducks.
deep cuttings, expensive tunnels, and
wind his way to his desired terminus
with ay.conseouent saving which in
some cases is enormous. In the case
of the Festiniog Railway careful SUR
vey has been made, and it has been foud
that to construct 4-feet,8 l-2-inches
gauge line between the same points
would costjust eight TIMES as much as
the present line did, and five and a
half times as much as a line Of 2-feet
9-inches gauge would have cost. I
have already remarked upon the fact
that though the line runs for all its
course through rocky and irregular
country, there is remarkably little
filing, cutting, and tunneliRg. Asec-
ton, however, Of the country through
which a Line Of the standard" gauge
must pass. (setting out the curves IN
due proportion to the existing ones),
shows that these heavy items in the
cost Of construction would be multi
piled to an astonishing extent.
It will be admitted / think, that
tn howe constructed a line of stand
-ard,"" gauge in such case as this
would have been the EXTREMIST folly.
In any case, be it remembered, it is
only a question of degree to spend
| gl0 900 where So, 900 would furnish
fall that is required is foolish; to spend
$4,000 where $4,000 would suffice is
oniy.a less degree Of folly.
Promoters Of railways and inten-
ding shareholders will do well to bear
this in mind. I hope to show that
narrow gauge railways offer other and
vet greater advantages over. those Of
broader gauges, but this alone, the
vast difference in the cost of construc-
ton, is sufficient to settle the great
question whether railway shall pay
or not. What that difference: will be
depends entirely upon the character
of the country through which the
railway passes. In perfectly tai
country the saving, would be about 9
fourth; in an ordinary country from
g third to q half; in an exception
ally rough country very considerably
more; but in any case sufficient te
turn the scales Of profit and loss,
The general public, too, will ;dt
well to consider the same fact. | be-
lieve that in some cases wherela mar
row gauge line has been projected
there has been an antagonistic feelin:
, on the part,of the people in the dis
: trict through which it has been pro
f posed that it should pass. Sharing
the unfounded preiudices of som
, Engineers, they have fancied that, II
| losing the broad gauge they woul'
be losing some advantage or other
: which they cannot define. and. the
!, have been indisposed to be conten
J, with what has been offered them
Such would see, I think-if the
:. would fairly consider this question G
/ the cost of eonstruction-rhat 1T
i not always a question of broad gaug
: or narrow gauge, but a question &
u railway or no railway. We need nc
E take long to choose between the twf
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: If You Can't Praise Your Neighbo
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