The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-05-14
west side OF. the city, will be one and quar-"
ter miles long.

digging as soon as possible; and 1t Is claimed
by the officers of the company that they vii
have their foundation laid from the Battery tc
Magnolia Cemetery within four weeks.
THE PROCESS OF CONSTRUCTION
is follows: The ground is excaVated to q
depth of sixteen inches, and slx.foot cross
ties OF five by seven timber are laiG. On these
crossties, and fastened 10 them with ten-inch
spikes, are laid. six by eight striDgers, and to
these stringers will be spiked the rails. These
| are thlrty-fve pound rails, with one and
three.quarter inch lange and fish Joints, and
their surface will be exactly even with the
surface of the ground. The space between
the rails will then be substantially paved with
cobble-stones through the whole length of The
road, and the gap between the pavement and
the rails Is to be solidly filled with patent
asphallum preparation, leaving only narrow
groove on The inside Of the rails for the fanges
of the car-wheels, and Offering as litlle OBJ
struction as possible to the wheels of ordinary
vehicles. A large number OF switches will be
necessary, especially along East Bay, where
the branches from the main road are 10 run
down on nearly every wharf, and the use OF
Wharton's patent safety switch has been deter
mined on. This Is self acting contrlvance,
which Is 80 arranged as to always leave The
straight track open except when the side
track is kept open by the car-wheels actually
passing over it, and is claimed 10 be certain
preventive against accident.
THE ROLLING STOCK
OF the new road will include some patterns OF
cars which have been extensively used In
other cities, but which will be new TO Charles.
ton. The main bulk of The freight to be moved
between the .allroad depots and the steamers
will be conveyed in the regular freight cars of
the railroad companies, which are about thirty
feet long, and weigh about eighteen thousand
pounds. To each OF these, four horses will be
attached, and it will then be run 10 its destna
lion over the new road, which will have five
foot gauge to correspond with that Of all the
roads runnlng into this city. Most of this
class OF freight will be moved at night, how
ever, 80 as 10 interfere as little as possible
with the passenger traffic during the day.
although 1t has been proven by the Fourth
avenue railroad line In New York, and many
others that, with proper precaution, the
heaviest freight cars can safely be run over
the same track, and at the same time with
passenger cars.
A number of very light frelght-cars have
also been ordered from the extensive carshops
of John Stephenson, New York, (,he builder
of all the horse-cars now used in Charleston.) }
These are small platform cars, with removable
side and end-boards, having four wheels, and
weighing about four thousand pounds each.
They arc provided with haud-brakes at each
end, and may be drawn by either one or two
horses These will be used for oil sorts Of
light freight between the different lines OF
transportation, and especially for the prompt
handling of produce and vegetables from the
truck farms In the neighborhood OF the city.
The regular passenger cars Of the new line
will be novelty In Charleston. They will be
Sbephenson's 0ue-horse car, with "Slawson'S
patent fare box and change gate" which
does away with the services Of conductor.
The car Is twelve and half feet long seven feet
wide, weighs twenty-seven hundred pounds,
and runs on four light wheels. The front plat
form is semi-oircular, and Is rallied 10, leaving
no room for any one but the driver, and there
Is no rear platform. Instead OF rear plat
form there is one step 10 assist passengers In
getting In or out OF the car, and strap pas
ses from the door to the driver, who is ex-
pected to keep the door closed ct all times
when the car Is In motion, so as to almost
prevent all possibility Of accident. The fare
will be five cents, and passengers will be re-
quired to deposit their iares In an ingeniously
arranged glass box inside the car, change
being furnished If necessary by the driver
through an equally Ingenious "ctange gate
In the front door of the car. 1t is claimed
that this Invention, which is extensively used
In Washington, New Orleans and other cilles,
will effect saving of twenty per cent. In the
running expenses Of each Car by saving the
salary of the conductor, aud reducing to O
minimum the chances OF dishonesty on the
part of either the drivers or passengers.
EXCURSION CARS.
The new company also propose TO Introduce
q style of excursion Car, which is largely used
10 Brooklyn and other cities, and has proved
very popular. It is light open car, Weighing
about $500 pounds, and capable of seating thir'
" persons The seats are reversible, and the
roof s supported by light stanchions, between
which are canvas curtains, which can be let
down as protection as ainst sun or rain.
The officers Of the company claim that they
will have their passenger cars running this
summer, and assert confidently that they will be
prepared to handle the freight passing through
the city in the course Of next falls trade. They
promise that they will be able TO unload the
largest steamer that sails to this port in one
day, and that they can thus effect an impor-
taat saving to our merchants, as we'll as at
tract Increased commerce 10 our city. The
great majority of the people Of Charleston are
already much grallaed by the energetic com
mencement Of this work, and if the new en-.
terprse is faithfully carried out, and skilfully
and honestly conducted, it can hardly tail to
benefit every class of our citizens, and to In
crease the importance Of our city in thousand
different ways.
SPIRKS FROM THE WIRES.
"A negro, convicted OF rape, was hung al
Torf