The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1873-09-19
Narrow Gauge Railroads.

an the Interests nl me protected nnrrow
gage railroad. from that city % Louis
Viiic. 60 III lll.ert ~ Atilnta ia spoke
Of the advantages OF The narrow gauge
ROAD. ami -oJl many Interesting and
vainahiy facts. W. snbjria his most
impariili .tttemeGts = they appear IN
the IaIrlai.
Co. iili1crf spoke ~ erett ler=ih Of
the s.vmtt-r IL the ss4rrpw gsugc reii
ga pe.nt of chrtpne-, ~ cOastFu -sion,
ec,rls. ~ ~ ilAs-'a sL. sal ctp4city.
Tie RET -rri fp tie ss-t HtrgaN gauge
rnai. wh.-h WIS huilt ia " ,lcs On a
track orc foot aud eleven aud half
in-A,s w.ic. Il Wa trst used tOr haul
in slate aal liiubcr. bat business IN
creIsin- 04 IL. 10 was converted into a
steam road. and j. now tie most prob
table road ia .Ac worid. Although III,
gauge j. al narrow. trains arc driven
over il AZ the rate Ol thirty or forty
miles per linur.
Sweden AMI Norway. with thcir bro
ken country and sparse population. found
them very profitable. anl used them
extensively.
Tie largest nsrrOw gauge was the
AffNhfA NAAl AA-N NAAAlAt. AANNtU " A. lNWI
miles long. There was also one im GeOr-
gia sad one IN Mississippi. and Il was.
evident that they would DC the most.
profitable foE the South ia their present
Impoverished condition..
i!r >kefche-l tie probable cost OF grad
ing narrow gauge roads. AMI illustrated
the difference ia expense by quoiiu.
lrom Use report OF a road Ia Colorado.
There was a great saving OF cost i'm the
super>irucinrr. ma h.aery and rolling.
stock ot narrow aug over broad gage.
AMI nne great saving On the cost Wa
tie avoidance OF tunnels Iva msny eases
where broad gauge rOai- made them
necessary. Another was the short curves
iiicv could take. and in safety there Wa
q great advantage. The trains on the
Denver and Rio Grsnde RIM a. fast as
on the broad gauge west OF the Nissi>-
>ppi. and the liability To being over
turned Wa reduced BY the centre OF
gravity being lowered. and the mOmen-
tam ~ tie same rate OF speed being.
pronorli0nately reduced
Capacity and saving in dead weight
We're treated az some length. and quota
iiOn> from the annual report Of the ID.
x II. C.. road were rcaitO show that the
proportion OF paying To nOn-psvimg.
weight was greater than in the broad
gauge. Tie calculations on compln-
tive capacity shows That the broad gauge
roads carry IS per cent more dead
weight than the narrow. aud the narrow
gauge can carry full loids with a. little
expense a. the broad can carry them
empty.
The speaker laid emphasis on The fac,
that the quotations above were from
actual experiences. aud he proceeded tOl
show that the strength and capacity.
aud in the transportation OF live stock.
the saving J. p per cont Passenger.
traffic wa equal 10 wide gauge. and
sleeping car, could he used a. well a.
on wide guage. La point Of cheapnes>
of transportation. quotations from the
same source were made 10 show Its SUI
perioritv.
The average load of cars in the Uni
ted States were three tons and twenty
passengers. because 80 many cars had 10
he tent back empty. and thus a great.
saving in dead weight vas made on
narrow gauge roads. because ears dill
not weigh 10 tons Is the wide gauge
did.
lie gave il a bis opinion that there
was more political economy aud com
mon sense in the report quoted from
than ia any similar wora he had ever.
read.
Concerning the question of transship-
ment. he read farther 10 show that the
reduced dead weight more than paid
the difference in expense Of transsnip-
ment.
lie quoted figures to show that this
assertion wa true. aud then a large
number OF the broad gauge roads had
10 tranship much of tie freight that.
passed over them.
Operating expenses were treated o..
10 show the average TO DC about 80 per
cent. while that OF the broad gauge a
50 10 % per cent. OF their gross earn
ings. and this showed a nice balance in
favor Of the stockholders