The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-10-28
The 0ne.RaiI Railroad.
o tho Editors Of Tho Intelllgencer.

Az 'uV HuISuIs ol tnu InpeluRencef.
The following description OF zone
Rail Railroad" now in operation near
Opalika, Lee county, Alabama, may
prove interesting 10 your many readers.
The inventor, Mr.. i. Crew, formerly Of
Alliance, Ohio, is at present negotiating
LOT the erection Of about sixty miles oil
this road in ALBANIA.
tFrom the OpalIks whIg and Era.l
THE PRIsMATIo, on, ONE RAIL RAIL.
wAY.-Wc have at different times called the
attention Of our readers 10 this enterprise
going on in our midst. AS itlias been
put fairly in motion, and Its merits some.
what tested, VIC propose to speak Of 1t in
a descriptive way. As you stand on
Court House hill looking 10 tho west in
the direction Of Colonel Young's Lake,
you will observe q single row OF posts not
much larger than telegraph poles, stretch.
ing away across the fields and over the
hills, preserving water level and upheld
by posts that vary in length with the un.
dulations OF the earth, from six inches
to eighteen feet. The sight is picturesque,
but when you see gliding over this
line at railroad speed, miniature
cars and sec people riding in
them, the effect Is heightened, and you
behold what you never expected to see,
to.wit:-Travel on one rail at railway
speed high up in the air. And is this
really sale? you ask. Upon examination,
we arc prepared to say It is even more
safe than our present two-rail system.
And, why so? We will proceed to ex-
plain. The rail Is prismatic in form,
composed OF wood and iron, the load is
carried on center wheel which Is gray
itated by side wheels or governors re.
volVIng on base ofprims, the center wheel
is keyed on 10 the iron rail by means of
two wheels that carry revolving llange,
rendering it impossible for tho center
wheel to leave the iron rail. The wood
en- portion of the prism is put together
so as to form almost one unbrOken piece
oil timber-in this lies its great strength,
and It Is capable Of carrying several
tons weight at very high rate OF
speed. 1t would seem by this system
that We might have cheaper railroads
as well as safer ones; instead Of the ten
ton car that comes laundering along
drawn BY f0rty.tOn locomotive, that
we shall sec carriages drawn by one and
two horse power engines at railroad
speed, und Mt cost less than onc.tcnth
OF the 40 ton locomotive and the lotion
car. These could carry the U. S. mail,
express matter, sc. Some might suggest
that this would endanger our present rail.
road system. We do not see 1t in that
light. On: double track railroads would
be swollen with business as main arteries,
if these little veins Of cheaper railroads
netted the country over and hastened the
produce to market. Volumes might be
written on the ends and advantages this
system of road would entail upon our
country. The millions of untitled acres
in the South would be opened up to an
approaching world. With climate I'm.
equalled, rich forests Of pine timber, min.
erals, coal, iron and gold, our country
would be made to TEEN with wealth. We
long 10 see q little locomotive come snort.
ing out Of every valley and over every
hilltop leading to Opalika then would
we have brisk times. Produce would
then reach our market from distance OF
ten to fifteen miles with less effort than it
is now brought one half mile. To the
projectors Of this enterprise We would
say what We feel, that your aims are
high, but directly ut the mark, and once
fairly attained future generations will
bless you for the achievement.