Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1871-05-04
70 tie Editor Of tie EilSeorA Amevfeaa

"ecioseu our ietter In your issue OF last
week with some mention of narrow gauge
railroads In successful operation.
Within year the relative advantages of
the common guage and narrow gauge.
have been thoroughly investigated by a
committee Of eminent engineers employed
by the government Of India. Their ex-
animation Of the Festiniog, aud other mar
row gauge roads has been in the highest
degree satisfactory. and for the 10000
miles Of road projected in India they rec
ommend the adoption of feet. . inch
gauge; being convinced that engines of
sufficient power may be put upon this
| gauge. and draw at a sufficient speed the
largest traffic which these lines are likely
to carry, and that vehicles may be used on
| this gauge which will afford complete ac-
commoda ton for all classes of passengers.
and goods.
| These gentlemen cons ider rail weigh
10 lbs to the yard, or even less, aud sleep
ers 5 inches by inches square. and feet,
8 inches long sufficient for this road. They
also recommend that passenger ears be
IL feet inches long feet wide, and feet
high. to weigh 3l-2 tons, with accommoda-
ton for Is persons.
In concluding their report. the commit
tee expressed It's confidence in the entire
efficiency of feet. o inch gauge railway
acter. being convinced that the only posi-
BILE doubt of the efficiency of such a road
has regard to its ability to carry an ex-
trcmely heavy traffic. or large trains at
high speed"
/ The question has recently been invesii-
gated by other competent men, with like
favorable results. The engineer Of the
Denver and Rio GIande Road. says he
cannot too strongly advocate the Use Of
the narrow gauge. because of its efficiency.
aud because the first cost per mile, will
not exceed one-half of that Of common
/ gauge"
| In many OF the examples cited the mar
row gauge has not been rcsorted 10 a. a
make-shin. in place of better road. but
because it is amply sufficient for the pur-
| poses OF freight, speed, aud for the com
fort Of passengers on roads of moderate
business. BY this We understand a bust
ness similar 10 thai of the Maine Central /:
/ and We judge from the examples presented
above. aud from the statistics given in the
/ report OF the committee Of the Mass. Leg
/ i,lation. that double the bushes. OF any
road In Maine. might be accomplished on a
| gauge of less than three feet with equal
satisfaction 20 the public and much great
/ cr 10 stockholders.
| The advantages Of the narrow gauge APP
I pear In whatever direction comparisons
| are made.
/ The heavy grade. OF these road-. and
curves which may be nearly three times
A. sharp a. can be used on the common
gauge, admit Of close adap;ion TO the
/ topography of the country traVcr,cl. aud
consequently the natural d.i,iculiie, NAV
b. far more easily overcome In following
the windings of river. planes more nearly
parallel To a water level may be adopted
and obstacles passed round which It would
cost, were the ordinary gauge u-el The
! saving also In the width Of cuts and ON
bankments. will he greater than the differ
ence between the width. Of the two gauge.
| There l. an additional saving of one-h4ll
IN the size and cost Of sleeper. and rails
Ia mountainous d>tric.s the narrow
gauge may be used. when the common
gauge would be- entirely impracticable
Hut throwing out 81 TIA. question ease.
where the feet. 5 Ia inch gauge could
no, be used, In the repor, above referred
To the cost of construction per mile OF a ,
foot gauge road over "A difficult country i
estimated at one-thrd the cost OF the com
mon gauge. and over n level dist rict al
about one-half
The next element TO be considered Is the
cost OF transportation. We have often no
ticcd the great loss Of power and unnec-
essary vast. In the transportation Of dead
weight In a train Of cars on a common road
when but half filled with passengers. a. is
too frequently the case in this state. The
locomotive In common nss weighs about
30 tons. The locomotives To be used on A
three foot gauge, are estimated NJ 10 tons
and Passenger cars at , tons. carving c
| tons. The same power therefore which l.
necessary to move an ordinary locomotive.
on narrow gauge road will be sufficient
for locomotive and four cars. with 2.
tons Of passengers and freight. An ordi-
nary passenger ear weighs 10 tons and
carries 10 tons. 80 that tn. same weight
OF cars on the narrow road will carry about
one half more weight than upon the COM
mon gauge.
Again a locomotive weighing 10 tons
has greater power than one-fifth that II
locomotive weighing 30 tons, on accoun,
OF the greater leverage of the low driving
wheels, and because fuel burns TO a great
er advantage in small boilers. The ratio
of paying 10 nnpaying trains on the Fesiin-
log road is a 1 10 |. while on common
roads 1t is only as l tol.
The cost OF hauling ton of goods over
narrow guage road may be safely rock
oned At less than one-half the cost ofha ul-
Ing the same goods over a road OF common
gauge"
An additional savingis found in the wear
and tear; tor although the same relative
proportion Is maintained in the track. and
between the different parts OF the narrow
road that is observed on common roads
the wear and tear is at least one-half less
Nor TO BE BEATES.-A New Hamp-
shire man and man frem Ohio CHANGED
to meet at u public dinner-table in New
York. The man from Ohio suggested
to him OF the Granite s. ate that il might
be advantageous to him to remove to
the West, especially if he proposed to
follow the pursuit of a farmer The
Yankee could not see it. There was no