National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-06-13
GREAT FREIGHT RAILWAY.
ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND BUSHELS
PER EACH TRAIN.

IMPORTANT LETTER FROM Mp. S. B. DRIGG
STRAIGHT TRACKS HEAVY sTEEl
RAILs-IMMENsE CARS HUNG ON wIRl
CABLES LARGE WHEELS AND FORT,
MILES AN HOUR.
WASHINGTON, June l2, 1874.
TO the Editor Of the National Republican:
SIR: 1t is not denied either by the hardy hui
bandmen or the thrifty railroad operator, nor b.
the statesman or philosopher, that the grestprot
lem of the day In this country relates to trans
portation.
II the farmers and grain dealers Of the wes
can land their products at the centres Of com
merce in the East at so cheap . rate that add
tional production will be profitable and necessary
and If the merchants and shippers of the East car
obtain ths products Of the West at rates 30 cheaI
that expectation and manufacture becomes mort
profitable to them, then the whole question viii
be solved.
How can these objects be reached? Not b.
canals, certainly, for canals cannot run through
mountains, nor be Cooked" over them, and II W,
try rail and lake and canal 1t Is easy to see tina
the frequent breaking of bulk, the expense O
frequent reshipme1t, would defeat the objec
sought The expense of transportation by Gucl
means would render that course imperative. Be
noee, rapid transit ID a. necessary as cheap tran
sit, for IL lie most important to be able to accom-
modate increased demand with tho least possIbI
delay. The devious routes through the rivers
lakes and canals, and the slow time of all waite
orafte, dispsn forever all idea Of cheap waite
transit to the Seaboard
Nor can the object sought be accomplished b,
the present system Of NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. enough
II cannot be denied, but imperative for the pres
ent OBJECT IRON several causes. The source OF tn
trouble between the GrangerI and the railroadi
10 this: The Grsngers could not afford to rails,
grain and pay the excessive charges for trans
porting 10 70 the seaboard, for the market rate
sere NOT high enough to pay them for raising it
farmers IN Iowa, Illinois and other States burn
ing their grain for fuel! ID It any wonder thai
thsy organized against such oppression?
Inc fault u not with the railroads wholly. By
no means. The expenses Of their construction
the cost Of their operation and the necessity Of
transporting tho products double the distance
these and other causes combined to make the
nigh rates Of transportation q necessity. 1t is
Pot SHOWN that Unusual or extraVagant profits
ing the West With the East, and yet to freight
transportation 10 added the pront from passen.
gers and from the mails. In word, the trouble
- this: The Changers cannot afford to pay the
prices charged, and the railroads cannot afford to
materially reduce their rates Thus it is q stand.
on. The farmers have combined and the railroads
nave combined, and each is Hrrayed against the
other. What is the result? The farmer is burn
ing ais grain, and the railroad is lapsing its diVi
It cannot but be q matter Of great interest to
All intelligent Americans particularly that class
known as business men, to look over the history
Of rsilroading in this country from fits inception
TO the present time, and learn how much Of the
vast improvements in nearly all branches Of bust
ness, as well facilitating all the useful occu-
Rstions in life is due to their existence In fact,
they nave become such q material part Of our
common intercourse in almost all everyday a.
fairs, that any one who should advocate their
aorog alton, or restraining them, or in any way
curtailing their fullest operations would be con-
sidered insane. For instead Of in any way lessen
Ing them, their physical existence should be in
creased BY lsngthening and multiply their e1-
same N tns i E natter tesT Of t eu
tire system has been 50 little In broved beyond
5ns S.sHs,s 9h9 The z. Rs;gEal iHPsCve.
cosch car started on thin strap lipe from Albany
to Troy, IN 1929, to the present lime.
The system Of grading Is about the same as ct
he start, and there lie little change IN the man.
ner Of adjusting the cars on the small wheels that
sSsts he HbfstIGh, tSuI sscass sfistsf conn SnI
fort to the passengers and sa:e:y to valuable
goes, Considering the rapid development and
Improvement, IT Is matter Of establishment that
DO =" sics has yet been adopted to Obyiate the DIFF
ultisS which exist in This respect. Yet the
adlng and the adjustment Of cars are exceed
Inc important questions for on these greatly de-
pend the lives Of Passengers and the safety Of
It does not seem to have occurred to the build.
ers Of railroads that there 4 difference in the
Rarth over which their lines Tu3, that some will
absorb muen NV moistUEs sna rssain 1t Longer
than others. On this varying RSSs22i
port the track are embedded IN the earth, to rot
In the mud when the soil is vet, or TO take fire
when extremely dry. But this is only one, and
BY no means the greatest, Fisk 1t viii readily
laid now On moist, ErOqPa, RVT o. dry must have ave
rails are always uneQuslly DEPRESSED by the train
below the level and that ties are changable and
Uncertain. Constant work on q rosd-bed Of this
character would not change 1t, could not obViate
Its difficulties, which are natural. Under such
II fs tn ragulfs
FOR the difference between wet and dry weather,
between freezing and thaWlng, is very great upon
, railroad.
the building Of railroads IS tho small wheels. It
10 unphilosophical TO carry great weight at high
rate Of speed on such small wheels. The point Of
The, hRnRe that shuts down, iiAe shears. inside
the track 10 the end Of the lever guide the per-
pendicular centre Of bearing: anu even an ineI-
perienced eye can see how musn more wearing or
grinding this short lever of u small wheel would
cause, preventing, as it does, smaller angles to
The track, than would be = large wheel, for the
of double the diameter OF tine small one,
has twice the length Of lever and Of course could
distances to tSs trfcE' Because Of L, Covering 50
much larger portion mus g., necessarily keep 4
Wheel feels every little imperfectOn in the track,
at the ends of the rails, forming
mall indentations that lew years increase, for
,very wheel that runs over il helps to form de-
preston that corresponds almost perfectly with |
he perfphery Of the wheel, when every wheel |
hat passes over It at high rate Of speed adds
HEIDI hammer blow to the imperfectiop, and In
Tery few years the rail In unfit for use.
A large wheel would glide over these imper- |
ections with far less destructive eject.
The cars are now constructed Oh the principle |
II bridge designed TO sustain G-eEt weight be- |
.ween the bearing points at or near the ends, |
which Of course involves large amount Of ma |
eriAl In tim ber lumber and iron TO give IL suf-
,ent strength for safety. Some Oi the cars would
Weigh as much as thirty Ave thousand to forty |
hcdsand pounds and upwards, and render the |
tran nF
n comparison to the dead weight OF the material |
# the car itself
Another important part Of tho ear IS the springs
which connect the car TO the truck. The springs |
Ire said to be the most EXP srs!Ts portion Of rail-
-oadinR, and II is known they are more often at |
he repair shop; These, to ny Llin!, ara quite as
as the small wheels. For, II o |
erieS Of springs ten feet in height were put be-
Ween the unyieldnE truck on an iron track, and |
weight Of forty 10 nifty thousand pounds resting
Tertical vibrations must NECESSARILY be SO sudden
md powerful as to greatly tax the entire etruc-
ure, and durability cannot be expected, for none
" the springs have sufficient power TO absorb and
waste the vibrations they receive without commu-
iicating them to the car, thar the effect one
u the long heavy cars is rather that OF pushing
he truck to pillow and grind the track than pull
ng It. This old plan, however, has prevailed
pE9pRh al the increase Of roads and cars from
he BEGINNING.
business by obtaining portions Of the old rolling
Jtock from other ROADS, ana so they interchange,
md the cars belonging to one road may stand for
weeks ut the depots Of other roads hundreds Of
niles distant, SO that it has become quite q mat
er Of expense for road, in taking account Of
took, to hunt up and collect its cars. The nu-
nervous cars left or to be left at the various sta
ions along any of the roads require large amount
II rrSund-rOoIn, and scores Of men to Ilift them
lbSut Besides SSildings Sufficient to do q regular
Farehousing business. ali Of LAis involves
args amount Of expen8 tat Goes not Iegit-
mstely belong to rRilroadin.
A railroad Is but another name for speed and
hat there has not been la ye increase ia speed is
he best proof that could 10 offered Of tine defec-
i've and Insecure system. II would be not only
dangerous to Lives on pAssenTer Irdius, but speedy
destruction to the whole STRUCTURE. road and cars
% increase the speed generally to any considers
bic extent while surrounded with So many COM
Oined imperfections. THe s!s.s8n has so many
sxtrAneo1s branches that examination seems al
most hopeless, and It is 10 wOn'er that these stu
IendoUs extra expenses Iwnicn would be wholly
under 9 perfect sysVeiu) render IL
impossible for any Of the best roaus 70 realize the
par value Of their capital sIOcE, although under
IN improved system these great and tndispensa-
bic thoroughfares should he lntrinsically worth
double their cost, particularly in q new and In
,reasing country Ike this, and have mo doubt
they would bring that rate in any Of the markets
IN the moneyed centres Of the world. The present
plans have baeoms so interviewer that any At
Tempt at radical change would be attended with
such expense and loss vi Old material that no
doubt It would be prscluded, as heretofore, until
forced to adopt improvements Instituted by some
new road-entirely new throughout.
Twill suggest the plan for road that in many
respects is new, but in doing so, l invite the
criticism Of engineers and experts in railroAding.
OF course cannot give specification in detail In
. short letter, that barely admits Of suggesting