Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1874-10-24
Broad VS.. Narrow Gauge.

Shenandoah valley AAliiNdA- "a "9e s.'' va
u,il be able % 6ui space IN your paper this
week fr tie enclosed extract from the Phila-
f.lpin Ier,rlr of late date, which seems
ary f5 clv.r the points Narrow Gauge
bas been thrust upon the people by specu!a-
AIRS AMI others rs Panlcel Coz The Ills that
communities snder 90 account %! overcharges
s, F.eisits. Passenger Fares, sc. But the
conclusion of Che most eminent Engineers and
practical Railroad men Is that although for
certain Locli Lines aud or short distances, as
from q Niue toa Furnace or o. Canal or 9TH
cr uayigaU'e watcF where transfer is aoso-
.utely necessary, they may do very well yet,
or general purposes they have been very much
oyoua,ed.
I, would be- great misfortune II the She
rau3oah Valley RHlroal should be obliged 20
become mere Local Line 10 feeder 20 the
Baltimore and Ohio mouop ly, as by IFS unu-
sual gauge &C. certainly would u Che views OF
yarr contributor were carried OUT instead cd
he Grand Trunk Liue. 10 Is intended % be,
connecting Che Lines Of the Southwest with
those Of the North. 0ni making the Two VIZ
ei.iss the Highway over which viii lee passed
tle ~. duets OF California, Texas and the South
.on their way O. Baltimore. Philadelphia New
York aud The manufacturing towns OF The
North ana East. believe uo true friend OF!
Your enterprise would advocate any such poll
cy asa break 90 cargo aui coos-luenty q trans
fr Of Freight aui Passengers 40 every utter
section oi Roads &C Standard Gauge.
What your country needs IS more Railroad
facilities oul che general reduction 20 ffelghts
uli.l will le obtained when tle Shenandoah
Valley Railroad Is c'mp.yt,i. Bni, % ile
break ofGlu1e should be made between this
Railroad and its connections, You may be as
srr.l th.t the r.,u,asn hoped FIR VIII never
como. frtie C.-, ot Transfers would have o.
hep.iI aud the Farmers aud Producers would
have G., lo the Paying. LNalNttR.
The lusth of the uarrow-euage railroads
in tle Uauei States having width between
tie r.H, % three feet SIX inches and under, Is
1888 mies. 90 this may De added $50
miles d. Canada, making a total Of 1913
miles 800 operation Ia the United States
and bib, British Provinces. The mileage pro-
..c,.l lutuat vet built aul completed Is 44ol
,..l.,-a part % which BIAS uat been COM
merttl. The uluJW-eauge lines built in
ibis country are al short aud Intended lor lo-
ca. a,d and RIGHT tle ionEest-thc Den
yer auj RIO Gaude ralrad-hayiog lof
miles actually CONSTRUCTED aud $40 projected.
BYt Do less ,Lau tweuiy-t.lr lines measure
three u.'c, aud are uuder twelve uIes ln
le.gth. About twenty-five ol.cs seems % be
tae average length % the uauow-sauSe.
More PRECAUTIONS lines hlye been projected, as,
ff example,. between ST. Louis aud Rich
l-arl. tut SD Tar without leading o. any re-
suits. 4, tos been also proposed to make the
Atlantic aai Pacific railroad, from ~. Louis
o. san Frasisc1. uarIow-gAusc road, but tue
.r.p.s.l seems o. have met gth little or 20
favor.
The chief advantage of the uarEow-cAuee
system IS sand o. De rs economy. llls claimed,
and 10 IS OLD seem properly i7om thc result
DO. mIu>hed already, that uarrow-SauSe
roads can De constructed ana operated 90
m.ss economical terms than are possible 90
the STANDARD Agu.e. Recent engineering eN-
peumeuts. however icuI o. show that Is only
true o. Ia limited extent, aud tAat The difference
claimed 10 favor u Che uarrow-eauee roads Is
more apparent than real. staudari-eauss
road can be- bulk. and operslei, other things
beng equal. Gr about tbe same expense as a
uarruu-S4uzs road a. the same quality aud
capacity The relative capacity 90 the rolling
stock % che tw0 systems, aud the nie "a
strength @ car If q given SIZE o. transport q
..,,,. .-,,t,.y of GOODS a certain distauc,
go, ..., h, ,,--ila,.1 Wben these ele-
$500. ..,. .i.,i,. examined u vll be seen that
...'l,-,.,..,.. a. f,,,rof tbs narrow-euase
-. go co,.,4srshlv reduced. The mar
,......... ,.,-. ,.,, 3. much smaller and m,
s-.-..,,..,.... -, ,..l,,,.l ti.ot II &.
.t..t 49,, ~, d., .,,,ar,sr 80 much
l.'s,'.-l .'--9 ~, 90 .pir = ,n~,b ro,ge, =.
,t.'..,..s ',,.,,, .,.lv0..i,.,o, ~.
~'''0 -. - ..7l,,;.,
.''''''..' go 'i'' 80 7pt,,t;. +. t.r,s. ~,
20 0.' pug @''.''', ...,
exact ''.,' '''o - ~,
i.'"! '"''
zoe '. '.' ,.'.....- ,..,;-,
'-- $780, ...'...,l.-. ',..r
.' .r .l.-I .,.
'N" -..'-' p ''1'N "''''
ltn- '-s ",',-,
toward ,INDitI' ''A'-''- '' 500
ttat have been cl"u-I I-5 zoe u'''
usth'i ius stANdiIi -'"s IS d" o'
20 tle l-L aud ai great cvsi. 10 connect
III che great arteries aud centres 90 t'ii"i-!D
o. Zoe continent. aud any ore'@ oi c'il,,', q
iu gauge involves degree o1 business l'.'a
GOA u.lcu o." communities can "i''t 'H
cur. 10 Is claimed That The south aDd 'Ae Te
ODD gte West is IecLHAI'y AlAt'," 90 'Ns le'
system. We ,huk the contrary Is we i'c'
tNctp; 90 tla mountain i5-''ls * ''-'o"
Ald tennessee t-- uA'r'"--ADs. > sven
would pc loss ana INJURY % ''- ''''n,
would complete tte pa"'1A'' 0~'H' anu ou.'
u-ss ISOLATION between tn1 -'lI'h auI IN