The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-08-24

Strange Kisds - naiiways.
When we keep In view the important role
In social life that has been played by the rail-
way during tho last half century. We are not
surprised to see IL evolving q literature OF Its
own. which Is full OF interesting facts and
striking anecdotes. In u small book entitled
Wonders and Curiosities Of The Rdilcnv Is. @.
briggs & Col. tho author. Mr.. W. 8. KENNEDY.
offers us the we'll dgestod results OF judicious
winnowing in this new field. After succinct
account Of tho origin and the successive i'm
| provements OF railway travel. he proceeds
to touch on the anomalous and entertain
ing features OF his subject in chapters
bearing such suggestive titles ns The Light
ming Harnessed." The Locomotive In Slip
pers." The Luxuries OF Travel" and "A
Handful OF Curosities." We have road the last
named chapter with particular satisfaction.
and we can bost oxemplify the merit OF tho book
by directing attention to the unfamiliar data
collected in 1t. Tho average reader who has
not made railway building special study. will
perhaps be astonishcd to learn that thero have
boon railroads. not only under the ground and
in tho air. but among the tree tops and on the
leo. while the model OF oven submarine rail-
way has been exhibited.
1t appears that some timo ago a locomotive
on sled runners was constructed in Scotland
and employed for drawing messengers and
freight over the leo between st. Petersburg and
Cronstadt. The two driving wheels in the rear
were studded with sharp spikes whereas the
front part Of the engine rested on sled which
was swivelled, and turned to the right or left
by wheels working in connection with an end
less screw and a segment rack. From this
locomotive. which Is said to have run eighteen
miles IN hour in any direction. tho transition
is natural to railroads whose ties and track
800. l.tl 4
Mr.. Kennedy tells us that in 1870
when tho mercury stood twenty degrees
below zero. train OF tho Northern Pacific
Railroad passed over the Missouri River on loo
three feet deep. The pressure which the Ice
resisted may be estimated from tho fact that
the track was laid on twalve-foot tics. and that
the cars carried over quantity OF railroad iron
us well rs u number OF visitors. About year
aftera similar road was built across the river
ST. Lawrence ut Ilochelaga. In this instance q
rough road bed was first levelled In the ice;
then crossbcums were fitted in. and upon these
were placed longitudinal beams which were
themselves crossed by the tics that held the
rails. water being then pumped over the whole
structure to freeze it down.
Even more novel is the idea OF grading for a
railroad through u forest with n crosscut saw.
and laying tho ties on tho stumps. This has
actually been dono in Sonoma county Califor-
MIA. Hero tho trees nre sawed or and leyeed.
and tho ties are fastened on the stumps two
OF which are huge redwoods standing side by
side. and sawed OF sevonty-iivo feet from tho
ground. SO firm Is this support that cars loaded
with heavy logs can pass over with perfect Sea
curity. 1t is not generally known that In 1899
no less than hfty-two mies OF the projected
road Of the Ohio Railroad Company was laid on
wooden piles which wore from seven to twcn-
trt,,
four rows. No train. however. was over run
over this track Several wooden track rail-
ways. on tho other hand. arc actually operated
in tho United States and Canada Ono OF those
in the province OF Quebec is thirty Dliles long
and Is used in the transportation OF timber.
The rails are OF maple. and trains are said to
run over them with remarkable smoothness at
the rate OF twenty-five miles an hour Another
wooden track railway more than fifteen miles
long has been constructed on tho gradinGs of
tho abandoned South Carolina Central Rail
road in order to carry the products OF turpen-
tine disillories to II market.
still more curious arc what Mr.. Kennedy
would cnl the bicycle railways. whore tho car
wheels run on a single rail. Ono called tho
steam caravan" was begun in Syria. between
Alnppo and AleNandretta. but apparently never
finished. In the case of this experiment the
rail WAS raised on u wall Of masonry twenty
eight inches high and seventeen and one half
inches broad. On this ono rail were to travel
the wheels OF the locomotive AMI the carriages
attached. but It was intended to brace tho
engine and the last car in tho train by
obliuuely placed lenthcr-covcred wheels. run
ming along the sides OF tho wall. which
wheels were further to servo as brakes. A single
rnil or bicycle railroad has also been built In
t,io United i,ii states "nh was In operation at
Atlanta G,. With these bicycle engines may
which, ". learn nre used on Western railroads.
be propelled by iie ise ani hands Of the rider
~ The rate VI twenty miles IN hour
There is not hing specially new III tho nroject
Of atmoSnheric railways or in other, words
inosphsrir, rres ~lrr behind. This isvice has
tubular road Of Ills. Kind was Tor u time ii ac-
tual opsration ut the Crystal ralare ,Syien-
ii was used only Tor tho ,convsyancs, Of
tie eS was a tIs ', "T.!
by means M, Of, Of irnge e. hustle: eHlonding
tnnns and to s oo 'i fan W works ." h sns
steam engine. both exhausted and compressed
the mir. Ihe motion Of thr car was plnnsnnt.
With tbs hrnnc OF his S Subject, Mr.. kennady
tella us TINT flynn. locomotive" was made to
justify its name AT the neronnuticni exhibition
IN England in 1868. The engine weighed thir.
| teen pounds and was maids TO lift itself. with
| forty pounds in ADDITION, to n height Of six
Thn contriYmn n Of Wind. iriVen we ch ln
or ear with sails to which Milton alludcs
| in his Paradise Loaf" ms having been en-
| ployed on the plains II China has. ut various
| lines. been made use Of ON tho level roads Of
| Holland Mr., Remedy recalls tho fact TINT
recourse was had to tho same method OF loco
motion about 1880 on u railroad from Ba!ti-
more To- EIlico,ts Mills. Hnt n,noh more
| slcr"SSIll sailing car WAS invented FOR tho
| Kansas pnriiir l,niIrond. and la. been used for
| wears rs u hand ear IN Tint road. The nnst Is
| eleven 'rct high and the trianguInr sail has
| two bouins. On tho plains II speed nj forty
| miles mn hour has hhan attained by This car
viii, tho wind right aheaili. tho sail CLOSE
| curves
| IT Will probably ba news TO most persons that
IN 1876 nt Paris. ona DIR. In Combo exhibited
| tho modal Of u submarine railway which liza
| nd u Law nut the nnllllI IL lhn nuI.l