New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-06-23
THE CIVIL ENGINEERS.

SiPri-ROILING II BEAMs-TIIE DANks pUD-
- DING rURNACr-BIG TUTrs-TUE OIL rTGION
IND iiIR PIPF MONOPOLY.
IrRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRBJSEl
PIrTsBURaH, June 14-The excursions Of
the civil engineers ingeniousy Interpreted with
their discussions In this correspondence they will he
Kept apart TIE debate the subject OF cheap trans
portation ended still further 10 shed light the ac
Inowlcdgcd obsCuries Of that knOtty pr0blcm Col w
Minor Roberts regarded the tendency toward heavy
rolling stock OF The Of present financial DIFF
icultles among railroads. Tie sleeping ears would be
seen anomaly if the real questions of ransora
ton ana its cost were fairly considered The CHIEF value
OF te narrOwgangc system was that Ii was movement
toward lighter equipment and less bulky rolling stock
Mr. Francis COllugW God OF th9aEast River Bridge sad
thai II had frequently seemed to him that great effort
might well b. male toward reducing the size Of bulky
freIght This was done with cotton and lay after reach
inc Ncw.York; hut why could not all such Helsb's DC
eompressed at the OH dual points Of shipment IneIe
was always loss OF tine ANA labor III GET
ting out one or two pieces Of freight from closely
hacked car the stowagc rarely having much reference TO
the delivery. vast ftl way IN Which hand LABOR vas
employed upon railroad fright where cranes anu ""o'
stationary machinery would be more RAPID ana 'Sei"
was serious burden upon railroad shipments The cost
OF handling merchandise for delivery in New-Nork 0y
exceeded 81 per ton simply for getting 1t across tle
North River. Nj Wa. p Shnn OF the Allegheny N"l''y
Railroad, chairman ~ the meeting coroboaieu the ''
estimate and said it was under rather than over 'Le
road to another for transport and delivery across re
North River 81 30 would he nearer the ust' cost MI
shpn took the opportunity 10 state more precisely MS
belief as TO cost of transportation OF cesiS lroi
Chicago 10 the seabOard # were TO include seven per
cont interest the invested capital 1t was moi likely 70
be less than eight mills per ton per mile.
Mr. l. Dntton 81. Gle OF PotstOwn Penn, suggested
that the fourwhc ears used for coal were less costly
and weighed in proportion 70 their loads Tran inc
ordinary freight II might be advisable 70 S"Dsu
tute these lighter dcadwchts in variety OF instances
Mr. Uolcy best known by his inventions in the Besomcr
steel manufacture said that tho Of tarpanns to
cover goods on platform instead of employing box
car Was largely prevalent in England ana was on toe
increase SO far as il went 1t was an economy. M
ela.aper Chief Engineer Of the Perns wanna htoaa'
discussed various points in which European lai"Ss
were better managed than our own their freight caiS
vero AS carefully built their passenger cars and were
not SO roughly handled ours. But American ioc'no
tiyes were the best The last statement called from Nr
sbinn fin the chair mention OF report OF the DrccoS
Of the treat Western Railroad of Canada, which stated
that two locomotive engines OF the American Kind were
emma, in work 20 three of the English Col Roberts told
of the use British locomotives ten years age III b1
and of the superiority OF the American -oneS' anu inc
reasons Why they answered better Tor tue eherSeheS
of mountainous country. As further indication Oh an
element of cost in railway Transportation MI Shhh sd'u
that GOOD springs made remarkable difference
rocortinc pencil had been attached TO lever which
passed under the JOINT % hshlate on the fennsFNa
mia Railroad and it found that twenty ton freight
car made much heavier impression than sleeping car
Of the same weight.
UNITED STATES TESIS OF IRON AND STEEL.
Tho ranort Of committee appOnted with reference TO
for physical experiments st forth that Prof
Thurston OF HobOkcn aud the Stevens Institute oi IFeI-
noogy had literally proiered every facility OF TINS KIM
tina, tho members of the Society were likely 10 need
Mr. IoDey then proOcc TO state in detail the WORK oil
the United States Commission for Testing Iron ana Steel
This body WAS Organized under act Of the last Con-
gress in the carly part OF the pfesen; year. Ihcr hrs
endeavor had reference TO obtaining chemical KhpW
edge Of iron steel that would make knowledge OF the
properties of the metal Of specific value IeJ
expected 20 the chemical characteristics "ih
very few hundredths Of per cont. and TO tablae
these side by side with the physical differences Indicated
by various strains Thus when the CONSTRUCTOR
of bridges buildings wants metal to endure CERTAIN
strain Ae viii ind in this tabuated report, opposite 10
iron or steel OF such and such phy'ca properties
statement OF the corresponding chemical constitution
20 at least tenths of per cent OF carbon ana the
effects Of silicon. manganese phosphorus sulphur,
&c, will DO similarly demonstrated. The Board
will state the facts about the samples
OF metals furnished TO them. but Will not
give the manufacturers Tho use of the testing
maehines-the principal one has been greatly improved
by the inventions Of Mr. Charles L. Emery OF
and the skilled assistance OF the Board VIII be tree 10
applicants wishing TO make Investigations for them
selves; but the Commissioners Will not give their own
opinion respecting samples Of metal. Mr.. Holcy eX-
pressed his great anxiety that nothing should eanate
from tho Commission which At all doubtful, or On
which the experiments wereinsut5cent III the course
of the rmaIks which followed this report Mr. Melcalfe
OF the Works, Pittsburgh described his
own experience, and the manufacturers need OF
knowledge as TO the relations between chemical and
physical properties As specifications now sent alike
from Government and from private individuals 1t would
be quite possible for the manufactures TO meet the letter
of the demand and yet 10 furnish metal utterly unfit for
the service Intended Mr. Metcalfe then made an elabo
of the effect Of combining carbon with Ion
containing wide review Of the eI,ct Of various com
bnatons in prOducpg iron and steel lie said that any
steel manufacturer who understood his business ought 10
be able order any required combination of
iron aud carbon within half OF tenth OF one PEI cent o
the amount Of the latt0r
IMPROVING THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI.
Engineering operations at the mouths Of rivers were
made the subject of brief discussion. Col Minor W.
Roberts in reviewing Gen. BanarCs paper on the best
form improvement for the mouths OF the Mississippi
said that had himself prepared paper with reference
r. improvements n other rivers specially in Europe
where the jetty system lad been successful In many H.
stances IL would with all rivers Inc Me-
for instance would be helped by etties because no
water flowed mouth for at least eight months
IA the year that started FROM its was lost in
evaporation and irrigation Even during the flood of The
other four months there only seven feet OF water
OIL the bar The Irest afluent of the Nile Is LOCO
miles away from its mouth To all these conditions the
Mississippi presented marked contrast Cen Theodore
c. Ellis who Is in charge Of the construction Of jettos
for the Improvement Of the Connecticut River stated
that the results OF These operations are Of necessity tenn
porary. would form just beyond the jetiy per
baps within so or 10 years; though exactly how soon
Is In any case difficult Of estimate But
for many years the jetty improvement would
subserye its purpose IL faithfully constructed.