The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1874-10-29
Narrow Gauge Railways.

ways, which occupied so much space IN INDUS
trial papers some two or three years ago, has
not been without substantial fruits. Railway
men in many parts of our country have paid
serious attention to the subject, and though
| there have been and are doubters in the teasl-
bility of the plan, the general voice OF the
public is in favor of them. The great deslde-
ratum TO be obtained in the construction OF
railways is reduction of the present great
cost Of their building and running. The heavy
rolling stock of company takes a serious
amount from the profits of the road, and COM
pels repairs in the track and at the curves, far
oftener than is consistent with good dividends.
In addition to this, and perhaps the most
powerful objection to our present plan OF rail
ways, is the fact that this great demand OF
capital for the construction of road must
work serious harm to thin ny-settled countries,
whose inhabitants cannot command the requl-
site wealth for the building of a road.
The first notable example of narrow gauge
railway was the Festiniog road in Wales.
This road has been used entirely for the heavi-
est freight, and can be run at a speed of from,
forty to fifty miles an hour. In the section of
country it drains, it would be an absolute im-
possibility to construct broad-gauge railway
without the expenditure of millions of dollars,
vet the Festiniog Railway, built at a compare
lively trifing cost, serves the purposes of the
country and moves freight proftably, when the
construction of a line of railroad with broad
er gauge would not only be Improbable but
impracticabe.
Probably the most important narrow gauge
railroad in this country is the Denver and Rio
Grande. This road has gauge of but three
feet, and the results of their working have
been eminently satisfactory. The company
has saved about 374 per cent. in the first cost
of the construction and equipment of its road,
by reason of the adoption of a cheaper gauge.
It has the same capacity as it would have with
the regular width of track, and runs its trains
at the same rate of speed at which the trains
west of the Missouri river are run. We quote
from it's last annual reports
"The trains-passenger and freight-have
been run at the same rates of speed which
have prevailed on the Pacific lines, and on all
the other broad gauge roads west of the Mis-
souri, river, and when required on special occa-
sions have run with steadiness at 80 and 20
miles per hour. The passenger cars have
proven comfortable, and al least as steady in
riding as those on the wider roads, and the
freight cars have carried satisfactorily all
classes of traffic, bulky and concentrated.
There has been no accident on the road, and
the centre of gravity of the cars is so much
lowered that one could hardly occur that would
be traceable to the gauge In addition to first
and second class passengers, the road has car
ried during the past year freight of great va
riety in character Besides heavy articles
COAL ores, stone, lumber, iron, hardware, grain,
etc.-it has carried wool, furniture, hay, wag-
ons, and other freight Of the most bulky and
lightest nature; while of course, on this last
class, the benefit derived from the gauge by the
saving in dead car weight has not been so great,
yet there is no class of freight upon which the
proportion of paying to non-paying weight has
not been in favor of the narrow gauge as COM
pared with the wide"
What more testimony is required? The fl
nancal system of the country is in such chaos
to-day, that it would be impossible for any, but
a road with remarkable promise to obtain mon
ey sufficient to construct its line on the regular
plan. To the South these facts are especially
interesting. Her great need is better railway
communication, and narrow gauge roads are
what she needs. Tributary branches can be
run from every county to connect with the
leading roads of the country. Every section
can bring it's productions into market without
the payment of exorbitant freights. Railroads
will be run with fewer complications, and the
smaller the expenditures the more the profit.
We shall refer to this subject again, and hope
to prove clearly and conclusively the great ad-
vantages of a narrow gauge.