Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1873-03-07
Narrow Guage.


mon and important one, and inasmuch as
we are particularly in need of railroad ia
eiIities, and in view of the fact that at no
very distant day we shall be blessed with
those facilities. perhaps it would be well
to look into few facts relative to this all
absorbing subject.
Az we mentioned last week, there is q
project started for the building Of q
through trunk line of narrow gauge rail-
road from Chicago to Tomah. This line
is to be entirely Independent Of any other
existing line, and will be $50 miles in
length. The route, as far as We have been
informed, is about as follows: From To-
nah direct to Wauzcka, crossing the Mil
waukee and st. Paul Railroad at that
place; FROM theEce up very slight grade
TO Fennimore Center {; from thence through
Wingville, striking Iowa county at that
place, and continuing on the ridge to
DodgevilIe; from this place the proposed
route is down the East Picatonics, by
Blotz's Mil, passing through the towns of
Waldwick and Moscow. and running about
on the line between Green and La Fayette
counties, leaving this State at the south
west corner of Green county; from thence
to Freeport, and SO on to Chicago.
That this proposed route is practicable
and feasible there remains no doubt in the
minds of railroad men. 1t is the shortest
practical air line from the Mississippi, at
Prairie du CHEN, to Chicago.
This wonld connect Dodgeyille with the
greatest grain market in the world, and
with the great lumber regions of the
North, state Of things devoutly to be
wished for by the people of Iowa county F.;
but these blessings cannot be received by
<hc people without some sacrifice being
made. Tie object Of Mr.. Williams visit
to this place last week, was to ascertain
the amount of local aid that could be
counted on throughout the line-it de-
ponds much on the sett .ement of this
question, whether the project will be a
success or failure.
If we desire the prosperity Of our coun
ty. We must endeavor to aid such an EN-
terprise as this. for it is all importan: to
the welfare of the county that we should
have railroad facilities. Mr.. Williams
proposes to procure all the local aid be-
fore anything else is done; and the COM
pany makes'a very fair proposition when
they state, that in any case, the aid that
may be subscribed will not be required
until the road is in actual operation to
some point agreed upon by both parties.
That these narrow guage railroads are q
success is beyond doubt or contradiction
A three-feet road, well supplied with roll
ing stock, has the capacity to do more
business than is actually done or three
fourths Of the standard roads in the coun,
try. w. FL. Greenwood, General Manager
of the Denver and Rio Grande Narrow
Guage Railway, says: THAT so far as
he has treated the narrow gauge system il
has proved decided success. The Den
yer and Rio Grande has one hundred and
seventeen miles of road now in operation
As to the capacity of the road, he had ne
hesitation in declaring it fully equal Il
that of broad gauge road. He could d.
as much business on this road as could b,
done on Observation-Disclosures of the broat
guage 'oads."
The advantages of wear and tear are
v'ry much in favor of the narrow guage
j is mainly the enormous weight of thu
locomotives now in use that inflcts suct
great injury to the track, requiring large
lv increased expense on bridges, trestl
work and culverts to render them equal t
the sustaining of such immense loads
The extra dead weight of train also doe
its share of mischief. Hence it is tina
ordinary iron rails have life of only fiv
or six years. Of course this hammerin
and crushing process reacts upon the roll
ing stock, injuring it to nearly the sam
degree.
To this destructive agency of weigh
must be added the momentum. which be
comes fearful on trains moving at higl
speed. A calculation made in the repor
of the Narrow Guage Convention show
that, where joint is injured so that tn
wheels pass over it with a perceptibl
shock, the passage of wide guago trail
of fifty passengers will inflict series Q
blows to the further injury Of the join
amounting in the aggregate TO 6.S9l,S4
pounds. while similar narrow guage trail
will expend force of only s,24s,64
pounds.
The excessive cost Of the present road
has no doubt been the means of keeping
back for two years the true system of rail
way economy-trunk lines with tw,
tracks for freight and two for passenge
traffic. The New York Times, speak in,
of the proposed quadruple track on tn
New York Central, says:
"'rhe wonder is, not that the separation
of freight and passenger business by pro
vidlng separate tracks for each is nov
about to be adopted, bu hat the sam
system was not adopted long since. Tn
truth is, however, that Our whole railwa,
system is crude and suited rather to will,
frontier district than thickly settled an,
busy community. A future generation
will learn with astonisbment that railway