, 1872-11-19
Unpleasant Sensations Experienced by
Early Passengers on the Galena
I Road,
Iron VS.. Steel---Tlae Life Of the
Rail.


, tulflClSs
What Chicago is Doing in the
Business.
The TRIBUNE published, s. few weeks ago, an
extended article upon the g Iron Horse" HaV-
ing produced the horse, it is now proposed to
lay track for him to run on.
From tue time when wheel carriages we're first
used, many devices for facilitating their move
ments over the ground have been employed
The ancient Romans, when they built the Appian
Way, made an approach toward the invention Of
railway. It was formed Of blocks Of stone,
closely fitted together, their surface presenting
q smooth and hard track for the wheels; and,
indeed, the Egyptians, while constructing the
pyramids, we're possessed, eyon in the midst Of
such folly, with enough Of wisdom to enable
them to learn the advantage Of solid and contin-
nous track-ways in moring the great stones;
and remains Of these trackways, with deep ruts
worn in them, have been found on the line Of
the roads, constructed for this purpose.
But, like ali discoveries Of past ages, this
, structure contained but the principle Of the in
ventions Of like character of this age. While it
Indicated an appreciation Of tie utility of rail-
way, it also showed a lack OF that inventive &C.
MUS which, in these days, has accomplished such
great things that We have ceased to be astonlsh-
ed at the most wonderful discoveries.
According to Roger North, the first instance Of
the use of rails as trackway was some time
previous to the year 1876. At the collieries near
neutrality-suspicious., England, when the Goals
we're conveyed from the mines to the banks Of
- H.,
straight and parallel anu bully carts we're made,
With four rollers fitting those rails, whereby tho
carriage Was made so easy that one horse could
1raw four or five chaldrons Of coal"
But men in past ages vera great croakers.
They looked upon inventors and their products,
as hailing from the limbo Of the lost, and likely
to do them harm rather than good Despite tie
great utility Of the rail, it Was slowly appre-
ciated, and its adoption was for 8 long time con-
fined to the coal districts Of Northumberland
and Durham.
The railway, IS above described, was continued
in use almost o century, go opposed were the
people TO adopting or improving On new in
rentions. About the year 17G5 We Learn,
from a description made at that time,
that many changes we're introduced into the
construction Of the track, and, with the ezcep
ton OF the iron surface for the wheels to on,
the railroad had assumed many Of the principal
features OF the railroads of this time, including
even the Use Of danges upon the wheelz. Wagons,
carrying two or three tons Of coal, we're used to
run upon the e'tracks, and the structure was i'm
proved by securing secondsetof rails upon the
any of the rst thus increasing the facility OF
removing and replacing the wearing surface in
portion without affecting the remainder Of the
track. It was not long after the construction OF
this railway that straps Of iron we're nailed upon
the rals to diminish the friction at sharp
curves, or wherever the ascent was steep,
and it is probable these straps would have been
used generally over the length Of the road, but
for the cost Of them. In 1857 pig-iron, as it is
recorded, VAS very Cheap and it became poasi-
b1e to apply the METAL in the way Of experiment
to new uses. The iron works at Colebrook Dale
bs5an, therefore, the casting Of iron bars to
take the place Of the upper wooden rail- casting
one and three-fourths inches thick, with holes
for the spikes by which they were &C.
cured to the track. These rails we're much
I'm proved on in the year 1776, when the iron
rails were cast with perpendicular ledge upon
the outer edge, much like the ordinary street.
car rail. This did not operate well, and, by way
of further experiment. the ledge WAS transferred
to the inner side of the rail This rail came into
very general and successful use, being adapted
among all the golfers of England; but the idea
OF using it for general freight and passenger
traffic throughout the country had not yet been
entertained These cast-iron straps we're in
general use for long period, but since the con-
sruction of new machinery for rolling maleab1e
iron, this has been in q great measure substi-
tuted for it.
One Of the first roads upon which these iron
bars or straps we're used in this country WIS the
Baltimore d Ohio Road. This road Was con
etructed of wooden rails pinned down to wooden
or stone cross-ties, and upon them we're fastened
fat bars or straps OF iron. From considerations
hal o1S {od
in the construction Of the early American rail-
roads. The first road running into Chicago in
1847, the old Galena Road was built OF strap iron
bought with its frat rolling stock from the
York. But this style Of track vas
soon found very objectionable Old
citizens remember how often these '*snake-
heads" IS they were called, insinuated them
unpleasant sensations among those passengers
who we're suddenly pinned to the top Of tho car,
or had their back hair combed without request,
by the ends Of the rails. All these things were
senger traffic 30 fell OFF On :ssnake-head' roads
that they we're soon competed to substitute the
rei1 in present use. In 17ss, one Jessop laid
down at ;LIoughborough, England, cast iron
the place Of tram rails, which had been found
very objectionable. These rails were set and
bolted in cast iron chairs and on e1eepers. Like
all important and useful Improvements of past
road we're not Immediately appreciated.
It took about eleTen Jears to persuade the
men Of that day that Jessops rail aud road-bed
we're real improvements on the old style. 4
description OF this road ma: not be uninterest-
ing: The rails we're ~ fest long, each, and
terminating in C. block, the Ehnpe Of an inverted
wedge, which fitted d cavity in an iron sill i'm
bedded IN the road. The tire of the wheel WAS
followed out to fit the convex surface of the
rail but, as will be anticipated By railroad men,
It was soon found expedient to make the SURFACE
uf the rail fat, With ilange around each edge
OF the wheel
E. Many notifications Of this rail pro-
duced, finally, what is known as tie
g tisf,-bolled" rail. hich was contin-
rnils we're substituted for those OF ,ast iron
This substitution was very important, as the
cast iron rails could be made straight only three
or four feet long, and these required frequent
points of support, and the joints were numer-
ous. The material was, moreover, very BRITTLE
compared with wrought iron, and altogether I'M