The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1875-11-05
Railroad.
From the Eldorado Times.


EDITOR TIMEs.-The question OF
railroads will occupy the attention
OF our people for the next few
months, and the question of narrow
gauge and standard gauge is raised
at the commencement.
Nnat is the comparative cost q? and
what the comparative capacity?
The comparative cost
Poor Manuel says we have 10000
miles of broad gauge railroad in
the United States costing $4,000
per mile.
Another authority says the aver
age cost per mile OF standard gauge
railroad ia the United States is $44,-
600.
The cost In Kentucky has been
$4,000, and in Tennessee $50, 1000.
The Kansas Pacific cost $4,000.
H. X. Kornish in his memorial in
relation to the FOrty-first Parallel
railroad, says the cost of standard
gauge railroads with iron rails is
$4,000; steel rails, $4,000.
w. 8. Stewart, engineer, San Fran
cisco, says the average cost Is 81,
coo; in Norway, $4,000.
The engineers estimate for the
Walia Walla Narrow Gauge railroad
2S9.54 miles, including grading,
bridging, superstructure, buildings
equipments, telegraph, &c, was
SLABS per mile.
Mr.. Kornish estimates the cost OF
the narrow gauge railroad q feet
with iron rails, $40, 600; steel rails,
$4,000.
The report of the Toledo & Mau.
NEE Narrow Gauge railroad shows
the cost to average 81, 655 per mile.
Col. Hobert, of Georgia, says the
first narrow gauge railroad in the
coast cost S., 5000.
w. E. Moreley, civil engineer
gives the comparative cost of d
broad and narrow gauge road from
the north boundary of New MexieC
10 CimarQn, based upon careful sur
V"ys, ~ follows:
Mountain Division-broad gauge
$780, 100; narrow gauge, $l6,6OOO
Plains Division = broad gauge
$l3.4O0; narrow gauge, $3.50
ThOs. III. Millington. chief engin
err of the Memphis and Knoxville
railroad, estimates the cost OF thu
two systems as follows:
Broad Gauge--road bed $S,269
superstructure, $40, 179; total, $lS,
AS.
Narrow Gaugh-road bed, So, 1863.
50: superstructure, $5,507. 20; total
$lO,S76.83.
j. p. Missirean, engineer of tn
Denver q Rio Grande railroad, esti
mated from careful surveys tho com
paratlye cost as follows:
Mountainous district-broad gaug,
per mile, sos, 755 /; narrow gauge pc
mile, $lS,465
The Toronto and Nipissing Mar
row Gauge railway has cost pei
mile, $l5,724. The Toronto, Gre!
b Bruce railway, SIS, $50. The cos
OF the Hamer road in Norway, 3
inch gauge, was $4,000 per mile.
The lowest actual cost for an
narrow gauge railroad yet built, 81
far as can learn, is $685.. This !
q short road of ~ miles. The re
ceipts of this road from August IL
1874, to May 1st, 1876, for passenge
and freights was $5,869.5l.
From these figures we learn tina
the actual cost OF first class narroV
gauge road costs from one-third +
one-half that of q standard gauge.
The cost of construction has BEEF
materially reduced In q few years.
The cost of grading has been re
duced more than one-half, and irol
IL cheaper than IL has been for
long time before.
There Is no question but ~ frs
class narrow gauge railroad can b
built and equipped for $4,000.
A road can undoubtedly be buil
for less money, using lighter rail
smaller engines aud heavier gradeI
The next question which present
itself for our consideration i wi
discuss in your next issue-Is hal
row gauge railroad capsule of dOin
the business of the country?