The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-01-29
Steel Sleepers.

| or more importance often than new mark cts
are new uses for manufactures. And when
the description of manufacture is also a raw
material which constitutes one Of the leading
industries of any kingdom, the significance of
new uses tor 1t becomes to many in that king,
dom topic Of engrossing concern. Such a
| topic the iron and steel industries of England
are this week discussing in a spirit of con
spicuous hopefuness; and we need scarcely
intimate that that which is of engrossing con-
Germ to the steel and iron interests IS hardly
| less so to the interests which yield them their
minerals whether fuel or ore. To the colliery
proprietor the demand for the most useful of
all metals has always since bud Dudley taught
us its smelling qualities been subject OF IN.
innate interest; but it was never more so than
now. Not only have the metalurgists taught
the owners of blast furnaces to smelt ton Of
stone at much smaller consumption OF fuel
than was at one time deemed necessary, but 10
its subsequent stages up to the finished article
much of the product of the blast furnace now
needs less fuel than ever. And the tendency
of invention upon the lines both of BeSsemer
and Of Siemens is in the direction OF still fur.
Their diminutlon. With much satisfaction,
therefore, we note that the present yield Of
Grade iron likely to he augmented to an eX-
tent at ne time altogether beyond reasonable
expectation.
OF all the consumers Of iron and steel none
have hitherto been more vOraclOus than the
railways. The past will not, however, suffice
them. Railway engineers views have greatly
changed since the time when they laid the
iron raisof the old Grand Junction line from
Liverpool 10 Birmingham upon The blocks Of
red sandstone of the district The stone was
much too Inf1exhle and had 20 be replaced 10y
sleepers of timber; and upon sleepers of TIM
Der placed, some transversey and some longi
ltudlnally, according to the views Of the eng-
neer, it has now for many years been usual to
lay the rails Of ell our trunk lines. But the
days of the years OF the timber sleeper are num-
bered. The more enduring steel rail, which
has replaced the rail Of iron, has sounded Its
knell. A we'll seasoned and Thoroughly picked
timber sleeper might be fairly expected to need
no replacing within n period strlaIngly in
commensurate with the life Of a rail OF the in
ferior metal; but compared with the endur.
ance of an ordinary steel rail- that of the best
available timber sleeper would be very dispro.
portionate II, therefore, the steel rail is to en-
sure the railway engineer all the economy
which its use makes practicable, 1t must be
laid upon steel sleepers; for sleepers Of steel
are very flexible, and may with good reason
be regarded as endowed with powers of Ion
cevIty outlasting the toughest Of rails. The
greater cost OF steel over the timbe, sleeper
would be amply compensated by the more
protracted endurance Of the sleeper and the d.
unfinished expenditure under the head Of re-
laying sleepers which lave become decayed
Railway engineers upon the Continent are
ahead of US in this matter. In his speech a.
the annual dinner of the Cleveland engineers,
which we reported last week, Mr. +. A. Cow
per, the president Of the Institution OF Me
chanical Engineers, correctly enough pointed
sleepers have been laid down as an experiment
IN different parts of the Confident and that at
Dusseldorf they are being manufactured IN
large quantities We fully share the certainty