Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-11-13

fore. would not effect any other
wheel. and if even dozen were To
break the great number that would
be left would possess such an enor
nous surplus of strength, compared
with the broken ones that derailment
may be considered as practically i'm.
possible. The chances of derail-
ment are still further reduced by the
circumstances that the railway will
have 40 curves, and the speed will be
limited to ten miles an hour. Mr..
Eads considers that besides the equal
distribution of the load over the
wheels, the avoidance of all curves in
the road is absolutely necessary to
render ship railway transportation
practicable. In order to avoid having
curves, and at the same time the ne
cessity Of making enormous excava-
tions to preserve the straight direc-
ton of the road, floating turn tables
are introduced whenever it is neces-
sary to change the direction of the
route. This is another remarkably
simple and clever device, and it not
only serves this purpose, but it con-
stitutes shunting place, where ship
carriages coming from opposite dir
directions may conviently aud rapid
ly pass each other.
As the road is not intended to carry
such vessels as the Great Eastern, but
is to be constructed for profit, its
probable cost will be but SIS, 600, 900.
| If ia the future the transport of such
large vessels should BIZ required and
promise to be profitable, it would be
practicable to carry them by increas-
ing the width of the road beo, the size
of the cradles, and the tlotatlon power
of the psntoons and turn tables.
Ships of 5000 tens gross weight will
include 90 per cent. Of the present ton
mage of the world, and the ship rail
way will be constructed to accommo-
date those as the maximum sized
vessels. The single track is considered
to be capable, with the five turntables
that are necessary to changdthe dlrec
ton of the road in difficult parts of
the line, TO permit ten or twelve ships
starting from eaca end of the line, to
pass each other daily and TO accom-.
plish tae trip in fifteen or eighteen
hours without difficulty If these
vessels averaged but / 500 tons eacn
day they would amount to at least
one quarter more than the Suez canal
is accommodating to-day. The above
estimated cost is based upon the most
careful compilation By Mr.. E4ds up
on the entire project, including har
bors, docks, roadway, and general
plant and machinery for transporting
vessels of 5000 tons gross weight.
A distinguished engineer and scien-
tific scholar, after examining the
model yesterday said Looking at
the ship-railway project from a broad
and general point of view, there can
be little doubt that it is one. which is
fraught with great results. This will
be realized when it is remembered
that the isthmus separates about 100,
600, 600 of the most enterprlsing, IN
dustrious and enlightened people on
the face of the earth, inhabiting the
north Atlantic coasts Of Europe
and America. from 600, 10000 who
inhabit the orient and the islands of
the Pacific.
ut is true that the sailing distances
which separate England from India,
China and other Oriental countries
have been greatly reduced by the Suez
canal; but these districts are almost
insignificant when compared with
those which the ship railway would
laLnihilate, he continued. For in
stance, the greatest saving effected by
the Suez canal between London and
Calcutta is about 4, 500 miles, whereas
the sailing distance by the ship-rail
way from London to every port on the
| Pacific coast of North America will be
lessened by nearly twice this great
distance or about $3.50 miles. The
Suez canal brought London and Can
ton about 3 500 miles nearer together
by sea. The ship-railway would save
more han three times that distance
between New York, the great Ameri
can metropolis, and every port in
British Columbia. The American
| isthmus and the CorGilleras constitute
narrow but almost impossible bar
rier to the Interchange of the manu-
| facturerS and production of 40 600, 600
of the people in the Mississippi valley
and Atlantic states, not only with
those of 10, 600, 600 countrymen to the
west of them, but with the others on
the islands and coasts of the Pacific
who are seemingly their nearest neigh
bors. The ship Away would give to
the United States sea route between
the Atlantic and Pacific ports scarcely
900 miles longer than the railway
between New York and San Francisco,
and it would give to the vast valley
of the Mississippi a gateway equivalent
to the discharge of its mighty river
directly into the Pacific A work
designed to confer such great benefits
on the commerce of the world should
c )mmend itself with especial force to
this country, with its depleted ship
| service.
Didn't Like Short Men. -"Oh."
cried Miss Highup to the widow Jack