The Cairo daily bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1870-1872, 1871-07-09
RAILROADS..
NARROW GUAGE ROADS SUPER
SEEDING THE VILE.


THEIR PRAcTIcABILIITY AND Necessity
THE SYSTEM IN EUROPE, INDIA AND
AusTRALIA-oPIN1oNs OF EMINENT
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. CAPACITY OF
BRITISH AND AMERICAN STATISTICS
THE CAUSES OF HEAVY EXPENDITURE.
From the N. Y.Railway Gazette, April al
Proprietor of railway stocks, not only
in Europe but in all parts of the world,
are awaking to the fact that they have
spent great deal more in the constrIc-
tion Of their lines than there was any
necessity for. Experience has taught
them a painful and costly lesson. In al
most every case themselves in possession
of railroad with capacity far biyond
the present, and in many cases possible re-
quirements Of the districts through which
it passes, and which in addition
10 its ncedlessly larg addition
TO its needlessly large original cost, en-
tails in their echequer heavy annual
drain for expenses Of working, rolling
stock. and repairs, which would have been
avoid ed had the engineers who planned
their road been more wise in their genera
ton. The stockholders, for instance, of
the Great Western line in England-that
triumphant engineering mistake of Mr..
Brunel-after having spent the enormous
sum of FAC, 600 mile in constructing their
seven foot gauge railways have been com
PEELED to lay down third line for four
foot 81 inch gauge. The "plant' and roll
ing stock on hand, adapted to the broad
gauge system, is gradually replaced by
plant and rolling stock for the new gauge
When all Of the old stock is exhausted,
one of the broad gauge rails will be re-
moved. The company will then be poss-
essed Of a large extent Of unproductive
land, much of which is in cuttings or on
Had they originally built
q narrow-gauge line, the compensatons
they paid to landholders and
would have been so reduced as TO convert
the average dividend of It per cent. which
they now receive, into fair return, for an
English investment, on their capital. Earl
Mayo, the governor-general Of India, has
been so impressed with the unnecessary
width Of guage Of the English railway sys-
.em that he has persuaded the council of
Calcutta to reduce it in all lines to be built
in future from five feet to three feet six
inches. He has, moreover, been wise
enough to adopt the American style of en-.
gines and cars, and some timc ago re.
quested the duke OF Argyll, who in turn
applied to Sir Edward Thornton, at Wash.
ington, for the permanent assistance of q
well-known and eminent American en-.
gineer. This gentleman is now in charge
Of the India railway system. In our own
country the unfortunate Eric railroad com.
pany intend to reduce their six foot .guage
TO the ordinary four foot eight and a hall
inch through the entire length of their
line; the Ohio and Mississippi and other
broad guage lines propose TO do the same.
THE BROAD GUAGE COSTS ENORMOUSLY.
The old battle, SO fierccly waged forty
years ago between the Brunei and the
Stcphensons, is to be fought again by the
theoretical and practical engineers of our
lay. The Stephensons Of old gained the
he fight in the general adoption of the
our foot eight and half inch. guage, and
he advocates CT further reduction bid fair
o win the present contest. If trunk rail-
Ways are the arteries of great country,
,ranch lines are the smaller vessels by
which tue life blood is distributed from
md returned to the heart. On the cor
rectness of the theory that very narrow
suage lines can be probably and safely
worked, depends the construction of in
Vulnerable feeders to the trunk lines, OPEN
ing new districts, and placing others, al
ready peopled and cultivated, in the world
for in these days villages and townships
out of reach of railway communication are
practically out Of the world.
Economy in the construction of rail :
ways has for many years been the profess
sed study Of capitalists, engineers and
But they have almost all
made the grand mistake of looking for
economy in the wrong direction. Cheap
road beds, cheap rails and cheap bridges
are not economy; on the contrary, they
are reckless extravaganza. 1t is road
of sufficient capacity that true economy is
to be found. A well-cquipped narrow
gauge road, constructed at greatly enhan c.
ed cost, and. entailing much heavier
expenses for operation and repairs would
be out of the question At the same time
there would be an annual saving in the
capital account of the narrow gauge road
which would go far to meet the expenses
and development in years to come
Suppose that narrow gauge line can be
equipped and furnished with
rolling stock for 100000 wher,
a broad gauge limo would
cost $500, 000-an assumption that may
DO fairly made-there would be $500, 90,
less capital to be raised-itself no iEsig
nifcant consideration. If the bonds of tn,
company have 20 years to run, all thu
time Of their maturity the company viii
have saved the 100000 and the annua
interest on it, say ut seven per cent.
amounting in the aggregate to 500, 600
or $500, 900 more than the original cost OF
the line, furnishing abundant means
whereby TO enlarge or develop the line il
necessary.
But who can assert that engineering skill
may not by that time have rendered de-
in the shape of enlargement
When Mr.. Brunei built
the Great Western line he asserted that
he made it for all time. The very next
of stockholders has been com
PEELED to reduce its gauge from feet to
1 feet 81 inches, in order to save them
selves from utter ruin.
SUCCESS OF NARROW GAUGE
ROADS.
Indeed, engineers have by no means YET
agreed to what extent the width of gaug,
may not be reduced. In Wales there was
formerly horse railroad running between
the slate quarries of Festiniog and Por
Maddox. This line has been converted
into u steam railroad, but the width Of thu
guage remains the same, only 3d. inches
When the company first began to carr,
passengers on this line, Capt. Tyler, thu
government inspector of railroads, Limited