The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1877-02-23
Narrow Gauge Progress.
From the Railway AgeRcY.

This journal is the confident
and hearty advocate of the steam
railway as the method of trans
portation destined to virtually
supersede all other inland systems
and hence it halls all movement
looking toward the more general
employment of the locomotive
such as the adaptation of steam to
street car propulsion, and the in
auguration of smaller and
cheaper kind of steam railway up
on the narrw gauge principle In
localities where first-class roads
do not seem feasible. That the
narrow gauge plan is rapidly
growing in favor and destined to
form a considerable portion OF
our railway system is now too
evident to be questioned.
Narrow gauge building on
this continent may be said to
have begun in 1871, only SIX years
sgo, and its PROCESS may be noted
as follows: 1S71-miles of narrow
gauge butt, 179; 1872, $50, 1879
555; 1874 8I9; 1875, 5S5; 1876
500. Total in operation in Amer
lea, 1857.
These figures are nearly correct.
though probably not entirely com
plete. The following shows the
names and number of miles of
narrow gauge road built during
the year 1876 the United States
alone:
Maine = New Brunswick, 12;
Massachusetts = Martha's Vine
yard, Il; New Jersey-Camden,
Gloucester and Mt. Ephraim, 81
Waikiki Lime and Cement com
pany, 2; Observation-Disclosures
and Shippenville,S; Parker and
Harms City, II; Peach Bottom, 4 !;
Virginia = Potomac, Fredericks-
burg and Piendmont, 10; North
Carolina = Chester and Lanioir,
IA; South Carol;na-Chester and
Lenoir, IA; Georgia-northeast-
ern part of Georgia, 40; Missis-
sippi-Natchez. jackson and Co
iumbus, 10; Texas = Corpus
Christi, San Diego and Rio
Grande, 5; Galveston, Brazos and
Colorado 10; Texas, western, "a;
Arkansas-Hot Springs, 33; Ten
nessee--Duck River Velley, 6;
Ohio-Cincinnati and Eastern, Is;
College Hill, 81; Dayton and
southeastern, 464; Lake Erie,
Alliance and Wheeling, IA; Spring
ield, jackson and Pomerov, 2;
Indiana-St. Louis, Bloomfield
and Louisville. %; Illinois, Hav-
ana, Rantoul and Eastern, 10;
Observation-Disclosures Center aud
Lone Rock. 10; Iowa-Burling-
ton and Northwestern, Is; Neb-
raska-Covington, Columbus and
Black Hills, 20; Misiouri-Wyan-
dotte, Kansas City and North
western, 27; Colorado--Denver
and Rio Grande, 10S California
Nevada County. 8; North Pacific
Coast, 80; San Luis, Obispo
and Santa Mira Valley, 8; Santa
Cruz, 3; South Pacific Coast, Is
Total, $50.
This shows an addition of 500
miles of narrow-gauge track in
twenty-one states more than one
fifth total number Of miles of
railway constructed in the county
during the year. according to
most authorities. For a system
of recent introduction
and which is still considered by
many of doubtful economy and
efficiency, this certainly is a very
encouraging showing, and indi
Gates that, in spite of the asser-
lions of some narrow-gauge roads |
will not be built, they have been |
and viii continue to be built. |
The thirty-three roads whose
sxteslon are noted above have
now a total length of nearly 1000 |
miles, and this is less than one
third of the total narrow-gauge
mileage now in operation in Amer
ca. The number of narrow
gauge roads now in operation IN
America is over one hundred, be-
sides an indefinite number pIo-
ected,