New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-12-23
THE NARROW GAUGE IN COLORADO.

HE N1fEOW CUC NV COLOhhDO'
AN EXCURSION OVER THE DENVER AND RIO
GRANDE RAILROAD-ITS CONSTRUCTION, OP-
GRAFTON, AND GENERAL MANAGEMENT-NEW
RAILROAD PROJECTS.
IRON THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT or THE TRIBUNE !
GREELEY, Colorado, Nov. 27.-An excursion
on the and Rio Grande Railroad narrow gauge
from Denver to Colorado CITY, 20 miles, Is an event OF no
small Importance tho railroad world for being an ex'
pertinent a large scale, and in country embracing
all the difficulties any road likely to encounter this
railway demonstrates the praccabity OF the narrow
gauge and ut the Same leads tho for ROADS 10
be built and made to pay In directions where thc oru
nary broad gauges could not be built.
Our party left Denver at o'clock mpassed up the
Valley the Platte the mouth of Plumb Creek thence
up this stream to the Summit Divide. thence down
Monument Creek Colorado City at the rate OF Is mos
AL hour The track had Just been laid; no ballesting
had been dono and yet riding easy and comfortable
In returning speed Of 30 miles hour was obtancd
The road runs not only parallel with the ROCKY
Mountains, but also across All elevation known Us
the Divide. which l. 1000 feet above Denver. ana
nearly 5000 feet above tho level Of tho sea.
There are three Of these divides or mountain spurs
stretching out eastw ard the Plains, each from 10 to
$50 miles On the north the Divide between the North
and South Platte, along the ridge OF WHOM runs inc
Union Pacific Raroad-next is the Divide already men,
toned j. Ing the South Platte and the Arkansas,
and Red Rivers.
The Northern Divide Il pasture region everywhere
presenting the rich Graua grass. except on the western
extremity Sherman, where pine and spruce abound
The middle Divide, which this narrow gauge rail-
way runs has many extensive forests, alternating with
large fields or gades covered with this max
Ing the region 20 to South. and 20 miles
from East West valuable for stock and timber; and,
beside rains frequent that irrigation IL not
quired hence the mountain crops OF oats barley. and
potatoes easily produced The Southern Divide has
greater elevation least the approaches sleeper,
and here are Spanish Peaks most OF the year covered
with snow.
In whole region in Colorado three principal towns
or natural points of distribution IRE Pueblo
on the Arkansas where the tradeOf Southern Colorado
centers; Denver. at the foot OF the Middle Divide,
around the eastern point OF which comes the Kansas
Pacific and where wagon roads divergc In great num-
bcrs to mines. the waters Of Clear Creek that H.
Of Central Black Hawk, Nevada and Georgetown and Of
South Park and Greeley, the outlet OF the valleys OF
all the north Of the Middle Divide, and in tho
gateway Of which railway lines crossing Iowa must pass
In reaching tho trade Of Colorado. No one OF these
towns lie close TO the moun'ans. and all attempts at
building towns OF much Importance next TO tho noun
tans have failed, because such locations have bat sin
gle line beyond. and their business Is cut of by towns
lying from Is to 20 miles TO the east.
The Denver ana IiO Grandc Railroad has 3fect track.
the ties G, feet long, and the banks have 12ce
The weighs pounds and is fastened with
hplate joints The xnum curvature is six degrees
to 100 feet The Pennsy Central has nine degrees
and the Union Pacific twelve degrees. Tho maximum
grade il rs feet to the mile, while the Denver Pacific.
rising to the North Divide, between Greeley and Chey
enDe, has 90 feet the Union Pacific 49, and the Balti
more and Ohio. 1lG. The cost Of the road as now
equipped WAS $4,000 to the mile. The equipment In
cludes engines, passenger, smoking baggage 10
box, and 90 fiat cars also depot at Denver. and
machinc-shOp so by 100 feet, with machinery
for making Tho engines cost 1880.
for passenger trains and $3.50 freight trains They
weigh respectively ~ AMI 10 There four drivers
on the passenger and six the freight engines with
pair Of TOny trucks IN front, and radius bar
DcctiOn The engines were made In Philadelphia, the
iron for the track in England. brought via NewOrleans
The freight has added onethird to it's cost
road be built In the
mile, with cash payments. The freight cars hav four
wheels but those with eight wheels to he made. and
with such It is estimated that tho same average Of
freight will be carried by the ordinary broad gauge
cara. The passenger havo eight wheels,
feet Wide from outside TO outside, and IS feet long, On
side double tho other side single seats, and
one car Will sca "a passengers. seepnRca with double
bcrihs can he made to accommodate many
rs Pullman now carries when each passenger has
double BERTH Excursion to be made with re-
volvng seats. one each sde and arranged that by
turning tho backs to the side Of the they form set
toe, AZ IN n Pullman.
The officers Of this road. state that do the work
that almost any road do with q single track
Tho present freight-cars somewhat smaller and
different from those to e constructed Stock oars are to
bc made for bringing cattle from the Arkansas valley to
the Mines for this road to with the Colorado
Genital. now building The rails OF street-cars
In Denver 10 he three feet the OF this road arc
to he ru the streets to load and unload at the
stores, saving drayage. single mule pulls loaded
with
" Is hoped that accidents by tho narrow gauge
will DO fow, because with the ordinary brake %
train can be brought ~ q stand az quickly as
other trains can DO by the improved patent brakes
The cepue o. gravity in the small cars 10 ten
less likely Overturn, and the whole weight Of the
train being ess collisions must be less violent. Tie
Denver and Rio Grande Line Is conducted under new
method. The eninecr alone has charge Of running the
train The conductor 10 an agent. and io Is asO u
ratns IT'D hun, and stations are attached to telegraph
poles being little than shelves and the agent com
Munlcates orders ~ the engineer The poles are numbered
in mile sections, from I to 3D. and tho miles
marked on the poles as II mic-,tones By this
tho engineer who keeps record OF tho condition Of tho
track can report to the master mechanic M tho end of
the trip any defect within 100 feet by nanin
the number Of the pole and section whrrr work Is
needed The master mechanic has charge OF maintrn-
Of way, and having reports by telegraph above
reported that this rond Is be extended TO the old
VI Mexico, and that Offers OF money have been mai
from the owners Of rich mine, In that remote
THUS expect that thia road, now Just comm
VII he extended Ia tho Capital al thu Mont
distance at 1870 m', from D.nAcr Il d, 10 hn
! add. non, mat ~ IL"
u ,riIi .i, rti ~
10 cOuar,l "lth tho Union IL.iiir ~ linU B. &C l.