Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1871-08-25
VOLUME VI. NO. 44.

prolific in losses and DAMAGES to the differ
ent companies. One does not gain what all
other loses, but all suffer alike; and from a
common cause, namely. that when off its own
line, no car receives that timely repair which,
at home, would be given the ssstitcl in time /"
However bud be its condition, if st can be
got off the hands of the part;esat present !re {.
off Do
the next parish, employees rejoice Sin a sense
|%ef duty performed. Around the great ter
minal stationsare bone yards, filed with the
remains of these victims of neglect, whose
owners arc too far away to care for them
1t is also probable that the cost of trans.
ferring freight may be materially diminished
10y srecial appliances for the purpose. For in.
stance, all articles in bulk, US grain or coal,
may be spoutcd from one car to another by
an arrangement of tracks OH different level;
and 1t is possible, by the use of cranes, to
raise and transfer the Smaller box car bodies
to flats of wider gauge. It will be sufi
ccnt tor this argument to let the question
rest on the comparative money cost Of the two
systems.
This discussion, then, leads me to these
conclusions
First--That the three feet gauge will an
swer all the requirements of our prospective
traffic.
Second = That the saving in frst cost will
be immense, enough, in fact, to place the
completion Of the road within our reach, by
raising 81, ,0O0,0 Of additional capital, while
it seems impossible to obtain the large SUN
necessary for S feet line.
Third-That, being built, the narrow
gauge will be much more economical in wor-
king, the expense being only 523, instead of
roper cent. Of the gross receipts. ~
Fourth.-That tho main, if not the only
objection to be urged against the change Of
gauge, is that drawn from the necessity for
transferring freight at the tcrlnini but that,
without seeking to diminish the force of this
argument, it is greatly overborno by the
weight Of advantages, which must be coun.
ted in favor of the narrow gauge.
OPINIONS OF EXPERTS.
However satisfactory to ourselves are the
processes of our reasoning, and whatever
confidence we may have in. Tho sopssa. .ess .,f
our conclusions, yet, should we lead the man
ayers of this enterprise to such an important
step as the change of gauge, the public
will be likely to inquire, aud with propriety,
whether the system adopted has the sanction
OF experience, and tho approval Of those pro.
s'ssional men whose reputation and attain
ments command public confidence.
addition, therefore, to the experimental
details which have hcreinbeforc been given,
| think It well to conclude this paper with
few brlet memoranda OF the results attained
ny l?y, SUCH European narrow lines as have pub
l'shed statistics OF business and, also, to
give the testimony of some professional au-
thGrities and experts.
During eight years, the Festiniog Railway,
OF 70 inch gauge, has been worked by loco
motives. The tonnage OF this line, for 1863,
reached l36, OOo net and 81 900 passengers.
The gross tons on hauled, exclusive Of engines,
2a2:ooo' The total receipts for tho year
ls6o were 4.. G23,676
ESpc.nhd'surcs sa. 1868
net income 1858
Captal 36,IS5
Mr.. George A. Parker, in report to the
llth, 1870, says of this road
uIuler its reform ,coiue T. ;s n ,vondor