The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-08-25
ships ON wheeIs.
CAPTAIN EADs EXPLAINS HIS PLANS TO THE
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. IN SAN FRANCISCO.

fFrom the San francisco Chronicle
| A special meeting Of the Chamber OF Com
merce was held OF 2 o'clock yesterday after
noon 10 allow Captain James b. Eads, the
famous engineer, TO present his views on the
subject OF n ship railway, instead OF canal,
across the Isthmus. After referring to the
benefits accruing to the State from cheap
TRANSPORTATION Captain Eads said: The
wheat surplus OF last year, according TO
figures furnished me by Captain Merry, was
COO. 900 tons, and it Is estimated that this
wear the surplus will reach 100000
tons. The average rate OF freight around
the Horn is S15 per ion, and after careful
Investigation it was found that such cargo
could be transported by the Nicaraguan ca
nal at an aggregate cost OF sl0per ton, thus
saving upon the total annual shipment the
large sum Of nearly S4,000,000, or fifteen
cents per bushel. / am told by some OF
your intelligent citizens, who have doubt
less thought but little upon the subject, that
they have grave doubts as 10 the value OF
ship transit across the Isthmus, because 1t
would probably lose to San Francisco the
trade OF the Orient But must this trade,
which no doubt benefits this city to
some extent, be enjoyed at the expense OF
the producers OF the Statef In the $4,000
900 Of annual saving to the State to which
/ have alluded reference is only made TO
your exports of wheat. III 10 this be added
the increased value OF that which is con-
sumed in the State, and the saving on your
other exports, the sum will be found great
enough 10 pay for the cost OF ship railway
in four years out OF the benefits that will
accrue 10 the people OF this State alone. The
railway which propose will not cost more
than one half as much as the canal, and the
fares being reduced, further saving eau
be effected OF 100000 on wheat ship
mens alone. The canal would require
eight years and the railway four for
Constructions saving in time whose
money value to the State would be S20,-
100000. The railway proposal may seem
rather a wild dream to some, but | assure
you IL is perfectly practicable. 1t is not
novel one, having been applied TO carrying
canal boats over the Allegheny mountains
forty years ago. There is at present in op-
Grafton within few miles OF Washington q
railway upon which canal boats, heavily
laden with their cargOes, are daily trans
ported up steep grade from the Potomac
river to the canal above. In Europe know
OF at least two railways OF a similar character
now in operation. Surely, If a railroad can
be constructed OF sufficient strength TO carry
canal boat there Is no reason why one
could not be constructed strong enough to
carry an ocean vessel. The work will me-
cessarily be on very large scale.
THE ROAD-BED
must be very solid, and to distribute the
great weight propose TO use not less than
Twelve rails instead OF two, with a multi.
tude OF wheels under each car. One OF the
first objections presented TO the mind by
Asf,l,f to lka ~
the road.bed. A cradle for ship and cargo
weighing 5000 tons would be about $50 feet
long, and would rest on twelve rails spaced
four feet apart; hence we would have Il
hearing forty-four feet wide by $50 long,
which is 15,400 square feet. This is equal
TO 7s0 pounds only on each square foot OF
the road-bed A brick wall eight feet high
will give the same pressure. On each OF
the twelve rails, under cradle $50 feet
long, we would have 1l5 wheels.
Each rail would then carry one twelfth
OF the 6,000 tons, or 500 tons. This
would be about four and one third tons on
each wheel. As the drivers OF large freight
engine at rest give pressure OF over SIX
tons each upon the rail, it will be seen that
we really need no heavier rails and ties than
are used on trst-class railways. With the
pressure Of the ship thus distributed 1t IS
plain that she cannot bend, twist, or strain
in any way, unless the earth gives way un-
der her, and this is not likely to occur II or
dinary care be used in building and main-
tanning the road-bed. Any inequality in the
level OF the track can be compensated for by
strong spiral steel spring, allowing seye-
raj inches OF play. To avoid bending the
ship in changing from one grade ia
another the cradle would be run on
to what may be called tipping.ta-
BILE, placed in the line OF the rail-
way. This would rest on fulcrum at the
middle and on hydraulic rams at each
end. so that the ends coald be raised OF
lowered to conform TO the different grades
To avoid curves in the railway, turntables
Hong enough to receive the cradle would Ot
placed at necessary points in the main track
and on these the cradle would be turned tc
the right or left to change the direction o
the ship. The cradle will be nothing more
than a movable dry-dOck. This cradle oil
dock upon wheels will be backed dowr
upon the railway, on grade OF about one
foot i'm 100, until il reaches a sufficient
depth of water to enable the vessel to bt
Aoated upon it. When the ship is in posi-
tion she will be safely secured over the era
die. and then the car will be slowly drawn
low, the vessel will naturally take her posi-
ton upon the cradle; the supports vii
then be moved up against her hull, while
still afloat, so that she cannot move on tbt
cradle, and she will then be drawn up tht
incline until she reaches the level tracf
above. Here two powerful engines will bC
attached, and the vessel will be at once
started upon her Journey across the 18th
mns AT the end OF her Journey she vii
he nut into the water In the same manner
that she was taken out. The objection 4
uroed with great pertinacity that it would
be impossible to carry yessel IN thls wa,
without straining or iniuring her, but Tue
the ablest engineers in the worid-amone
! them Hon. L. j. Reed, chief constructor
of the British navy-have declared that !
can be done with perfect SAFETY I'M
strain could not possibly be as severe a
that experienced in rough weather at time
at sea. III she bent at all in the direction
in which she is most easily bent, lengitudl
nally. she must bend the earth under her
canal with locks would be constan
menace to your commerce, and an inIur!
TO one OF the locks would suspend opera
tions on the whole line.
ANOTHER STRONG OBJECTION
is that canal, once constructed, cannot b.
enlarged 10 meet the wants OF increasin:
commerce. No one knows, in view OF th
progress in ship-building, what the ship p
OF the future will be, and number OF Cd
nails constructed years ago, oil supposed
: ample size, are now useless, or nearly SO
{ A iide-leyel canal. such as NJ. De Lessep
, proposes, would cost from $500, 600, 600 I
: s4O0. .000, 900, and the cost OF maintaining