The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1876-01-14
where small gauge railroads have

waste of money to build broader q
gauge when a narrow and cheaper
gauge will meet all the require !,
ments of the business of the coun- :
try" :
a committee of engineers and I
railway experts appointed by the
British Government to consider
what gauge should be adopted in
India, report: alt is manifest that
lines on this gauge (three feet six
inches) are worked with as much
convenience to the traffic as on any
broader gauge, and vehicles may
be used on this gauge which will
afford complete GccomOddtions for
classes Of passengers and goods
traffic"
AIR Spooner says:
First. That through the whole
time he has had control OF the
Festiniog (23k inch gang e rail
road, it is entirely demonstrated
the theory of the immense saving
on the narrow gauge system, in
having carried more freight and
passengers at less cost than any
line of railway now in use; that it
is almost free from oscillation
that it has wlthstood the severest
wind storms in the county with
out being effected; that the cars
can run at thirty-five miles per
hour safely; that the wear and
tear of rolling stock and rails is re-
dnced to an absolute minimum.
Second. That a two feet nine
inches to three feet gauge meets
the only objection that can now
be raised against narrow gauge
and that all the requirements of
commerce can be fully transacted
by lines built on that gauge; that
they can be built for from one
fourth to two-fifths of the cost Of
the standard gauge through the
same section of country, aud can
be maintained at not to exceed
one-half of the cost of the present
system to do the same business"
GENERAL CONCLUSIONS.
President Chas. f. Holland says:
"There is no doubt that the three
feet gauge IS the best and the
cheapest, and will be largely built,
especially by those who build roads
for legitimate investments" His
road paid twenty-five per cent. net
profits in 1874.
J. c. Sharpless says: "From my
own experience aud from the
experience of others, in the con-
struction and operation of narrow
gauge railroads, am satisfied that
iudiciously constructed. they pre-
sent to the stakeholder many more
chances of realizing full value of
his Investments, while they give
equal facilities for doing the bus
mess required by the wants of the
community"
w. Stuart Watson, G.. E., San
Francisco, Cal, says: "The change
that is proposed Ito narrow gauge)
will build roads that have an equal
capacity, both for freight and pas
sengers, and upon which equally
fast time can be made, for less
than forty per cent; and when
built can be maintained at not to
exceed one third of the expense of
the present system"
1.-THE cutting and filling of a road
bed through a country of ordinary
even surface, will not be over one
half. The cost of permanent struc-
ture can be reduced at least one
third; ties two thirds"
The practical result will be econ
omy in construction and operation,
, cheap freights, large dividends,
!. and the easy development of
sparsely settled but valuable dis
tricts."
The committee on narrow gauge
roads, at the st. Louis convention,
report as follows: 1--WE may there
fore conclude that the narrow
gauge railway is by far the best
means for general and quick de-
) velopment of our resources, for
| the following reasons:
: 1. ''Costing so much less. it is
within the means of all sections to
build them, where otherwise they
will be compelled to dispense with
+ them.
2. ''From their small cost, light
operating expenses, and small in
terest account, they will prove to
be paying investments.
8. They ariU supply the great
,cant Of the Gge-cheap transporta-
tion.
4. "Cheapening transportation,
they will develop dormant inter
ests more rapidly than our pres
! ent costly structures with their
high rates can possibly do. Their
general adoption in sections with
{ out railway facilities will enhance
; the value of properties largely in
I excess of their cost.
: 6. Penetrating those sections
and rapidly developing their re-
sources by low rates, they will
bring a large, new business to the
broad gauge roads, enabling them