Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1875-05-27

be considered that, in comparing the
ratio of operating expenses and ne
earnings of these frontier roads, the ex.
cess in charge is more than counterbal
ced by the leanness of business in 8
sparsely settled country.
Three years experience on this road
has determined the fact that wider
cars can run more safely than was al
first supposed possible. They are now
building passenger and freight cars
eight feet wide. The superintendent,
Mr.. w. 3. BOrft, says that, were he to
begin anew, he would make all the
passenger cars eight feet three inches
wide, outside measurement, giving
room with narrow aisle, for good dou-
bic seats on each side as in wide-gauge
cars. By placing the sills of the mar
rOw-gauge car so much nearer the rail,
an angle of safety is secured amply suf-
ficient to prevent overturning even at
high speed; this also greatly diminish
es the oscillation of the cars, an impor-
tant point for the comfort of passengers.
a Denver editor gives il as his expert
ence that he Can write on a narrow
gauge with less difficulty than on any
wide-gange car, not even excepting the
Pullman Palace.
The question is frequently asked, Can
narrOW-gauge roads
CARRY LIVE STOCK?
The officers of the Denv.& Rio Grande
say they can transport cattle Cheap
er and much more humanely than can
| be done on standard-gauge roads; their
cars eight feet wide can carry fourteen
| head of average western cattle, cross
wise the car, the standard-gauge hold
only three or four more, and weigh
| twice as much. In 1878 the railway
officials at Kansas City thought to put
up job on the !'one-horse road by
inducing Mr.. Robinson to telegraph to
the Den. q r. Grande, inquiring if they
could carry his circus and menagerie
from Denver to Pueblo (118 miles); the
answer came back Yes But we
want it done all in one day. All
right; it shall be done.' When the an
imals reached Denver the road was
ready for them; they were loaded on
the cars, elephant and all, and taken to
Puebla rejoicing, on their way to Mex
leo. Subsequently Mr.. Robinson wrote
the superintendent that on no other
railway in the United States had his
menagerie been transported so prompt
ly and satisfactorily as on the Denver
4 Rio Graude.
This road has always paid its inter-
est promptly, has no floating debt, and
its home credit is A l; hence it is in
fine condition to go ahead with the
proposed extension to Trinidad 600
miles) in the spring, for which 40 miles
of grading is already completed. A
further extension of $50 miles, to the
San Juan mining district, is also con-
teinplated at an early day. One of the
pioneers and most efficient promoters
of the road is the Hon. A. @. Hunt, eX-
Governor ofColorado, formerly of Free
port, Ill.
This road finds no trouble in making
as good sch edule time as the standard
gauge roads. When / was in Denver
a special train was run from Colorado
Springs to Denver, 76 miles, in two
hours and forty minutes, including
several stOps-a little better than 80
miles an hour running time.
The Denver and South Park railroad,
another narrOw-gauge, was begun in
1874, and has 16 miles in operation,
with 20 more graded, and expects to
have so miles finished by the middle of
the summer. 1t contemplates main
line of 200 miles, with 100 miles of
branches, reaching through the famous
South Park district, rich ill mines,
timber and grazing lands, opening d
door from Denver to Southwestern
Colorado. 1t is a Denver corporation,
built thus far with Denver capital, with
out the issue of mortgage bonds. The
President is the Hon. John Evans.
NARROw-GAUGE ROADS IN UTAH.
OF these, there are six already in op-
Grafton, as follows: Utah Northern,
from Ogden, Sc miles, to Franklin, in
the northwestern corner of the terrific
ry, looking to an early extension to
Montana; Bringham, Canon & Camp
Floyd % miles, from the Utah South
ern railway to the mining district
west: this road is paying 20 per cent
upon its cost-$350, 600, with equip
ment; American Fork, 16 miles, has
grades as high a 207 feet to the mile,
and curves only go feet radius; it is OPP
Grated with Fairlie engine. The
tie Cottonwood Valley, liz miles; ave-
to the mile; proposed extension, 10
miles, of which . were built in 1874.
Summit county railway, from the
Union Pacific at Echo, south to Coal
ville,s 10 miles; this road is delivering
200 tons of Coal per day; an extension
of 20 miles southwark is contemplated;
also another three-fee: road from these
mines direct to Salt Lake City, thus
saving an immense distance in the
transportation of COAL Utah Western
railroad, the successor Of the Salt Lake,
Sewer Valley d Piacbe Company,
was organized last June and has al
ready II miles in operation, which
will be increased to % during the WIN
ter. 1t runs directly west from Salt
Lake City to the lake shore, where it
will bend southwark through TOoeie
county. The line Immediately prOpo.
sed is only As miles, but an eventual
extension of 800 miles or more is con-
templated into southeastern Nevada
and southern California. John w.
Young is President of this road, rs well !
as the Utah Northern. He is son of
Brigham Young, man of remarkable |
business talent and energy, and bids
fair to become the railway king of
Utah. That he is satisfied with the |
practical working of the three-feet !
gauge on the Utah Northern, is proved |
by his adopting it for the Utah West
ern, which is designed to be very |
long line, and, moreover, through a
country that would offer no difficulties
to the construction of wide-gauge |
road, were not the three-feet gauge |
considered superior. / was informed |
on good authority that actual trial has
demonstrated the fact that the eigh-
teen-tOn locomotives on the Utah |
Northern haul as much paying freight |
up 100-feet grade as can be done with |
the 40-ton locomotive on the Union and
Central Pacific roads. This remarka-
BILE fact is explained by the great diff
ference in dead weight in the two class |
es of rolling stock, which figure so
largely in the battle of gauges.
DIES MONIES & MINNESOTA RAILROAD,
is another of the three-feet roads that
have hppu hnilt and mt in ODeratiOQ |