Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1871-04-20
Narrow Gauge.

County, which was manifested during the
winter of lS69-7O. seems to have disap-
peared entirely.
This unovement was not well sustained.
and even those most sangiine found some
dineulty IN making clear from whence the
necessary capital was TO be obtained. or
what sufficient transportation the road
would command when built. As il to
make the case still more hopeless. comes
the discouraging and almost fatal expert
ence of Belfast.
This Is a question of vital importance.
for the condition of the lumber and ship
ping interests warn us that Ellsworth, like
other towns In Maine. will soon have
reached the limit of healthful growth. M
less some united effort is made TO open
new avenues for enterprise in the future.
! That we shall grow rich, without rail-
| roads. because we have In the past. and
arguments ike this, cannot stand for 4
moment. The wealth of the future is not
to be achieved a. has been the wealth Of
the past. II we wish 10 maintain our rcla-
tive fhriif and growth. we must avail our
| selves of the business facilities which
others grasp.
| The rapid increase of trade. and popula-
| ton. in localities under the influence Of
railroads. has been no less apparent in
| New England than at the West. This
| growth j. attained at the expense. and To
the material injury OF all other sections
not beneficial la the same way. These
| facts may be more evident in other States.
where railroads have had longer time to
develop effects. But. even in Hancock
County. the pcr>istency Of foreign capital
in avoiding Us. and the poor encourage
men' for the employment of home capital.
plainly indicate what the ultimate result
! will be. unless we emulate the example
! presented Ia IL. over the whole state. IN
providing cheap and speedy transportation
by railroad connexions For this. in the
present age. i the key TO all prosperity
and trade
But, admitting this. the great COS, Of
| road. and the length of time which must
| elapse before It would become remunera-
tive. have thus far been obstacles too great
to overcome. without opening these
questions a formerly discussed. we wish
To call attention 10 recent movement In
Massachusetts IN favor OF narrow gauge.
And SO confident are We that thi. furnishes
plain and entirely practicable solution
of our railroad problem. that We bcspeak
for II the earnest consideration of all.
The common gauge OF four feet eight and
onc-half inches. of almost universal APP
plicaiion in England and America. /, the
result of accident. Ii Is the gauge Of the
first tram road laid down IN England.
which was adapted to the width of the yc-
hiclcS Of the country. Although wide
gauge has been much discussed and Ia
some cases adopted, experience proves
tina; the gauge of four feet eight and one
half inches i sufficient for the hea,ic-,
traffic. But the construction of a road Of
this gauge in many localities J. practically
Impossible. on account of limited rcsour-
ce-. and natural difficulties. together with
the great disproportion between the origi-
nal Investment and cost of operating. aud
the work TO b. performed.
Leading railroad men have therefore
been led Ia enquire whether thc>.. ob.f,-
cles may not DE overcome. and ai tn. sain.
time. the demand. Of ordinary traffic he
satisfied, by roads Of much narrower
gauSc. This has resulted in the passage
Of a bill by the Massachusetts legislature.
allowing branch railroads TO adop; a gauge
OF three feet. instead Of the existing gauge
of four feet eight and one half inches.
The report Of the committee to whom
the subject was referred. clearly sets forth
the superior advantages of thi. gauge for
certain localities. and contains many in
tere-ting facts in regard To it.
This system i. already in successful ope-
ration in Wales. Norway. Russia. south
America Canada and Pennsylvania. The
Fes,iniog valley road in Wales. Ia, a grad,
of seventy feet TO the mile. and gauge
of one foot eleven and one-half inches.
The Passenger cars are ten feet long. live
wide and carry twelve persons The
freight ears carry three tons net. On ihi.
road trains one thousand feet long are run
with perfect safety At 4 speed II twenty
miles an hour. la one year it, tonnage per
mile amounted Ia more than double thar
carried by the Connecticut River railroad.
and is passenger business per mile was
greater than that of the Worcester and
Nashua railroad. for the year $50. Both
o! these are among the prosperous roads
OF Massachusetts The committee STYLE
this "a wonder Of mechanical science. and
lamp Of hope to the railroad forsaken
everywhere
Another road il in operation in Wales Of
two feet six and one-half inch gauge, and
A grade of sevehty feet TO the mile
road Is spoken Of in Germany with a
gauge Of two feet seven inches The cost
OF the road and stock has been s. 900 per
mile. The average cost of transportation
has been about two cents ton per mile.
In IsOi road was put into operation with
gauge Of three feet six inches, i'm a mar,
OF Norway. where the resources and pros
pective bushes, was not sufficient to justi-
~ road of the common gauge Five
hundred miles of road with the same
gauge are now projected in Canada.
In Colorado gauge of two feet nine
inches is TO be adopted for road be ween
Denver City and Rio Grande distance Of
$50 miles. The estimated cost per mile i.
IS 900.
In Pennsylvania. railways with gauge
Of two feet six inches are coming into use
for mining purposes. On these a speed of
twenty miles per hour is reached with per
feet safety. and the engines used weigh
less than eight tons.
The operation of these roads for ordi-
nary business purposes has surpassed even
the hopes of their projectors. And the
reports of all who have examined them
are without exception favorable. They
may seem diminative. but the size OF a
I'll