Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-09-03
MILITARY RAILWAYS.
Their Manufacture Under "A System
Which Brings Labor and Capital in
Partnership.
From pTllastration, Parts.

From Polarization, Paris.
The English army has succeeded in
establishing a portable railway on several
points OF the Bolan pass. This railroad
is of the Decauville system, formed in
sections of small steel rails, which can be
put down or taken up very quickly. This
ingenious ra~ilway-which has been used
considerably for work on the Panama
canal, and for the transportation of sugar
cane in Australia and Java-has become
the indispensable means oftransport in all
wars. 1t is at present being used in
TOnquin and Madagascar by the French
army, and is also being used on the Red
sea by the Italian army. When the Rus
sian government commenced the war
in Turkestan, in 1882, it bought 100
versts, or about sixty-six miles, of the
Decauville railroad, which Gen. Skobe-
fl used with great success for the
transportation of potable water and
tor all the provisions for his army. This
railroad was taken up as the army
marched forward, and when the Russians
advanced recently, in Afghanistan, the
little railway appeared at the advance
posts, and was described to the English
army by the officers who watched the OPP
eratlons OF the Afghans. An order for q
similar apparatus was given by the Eng
llsh government to NJ. Decauville, direc-
tions being given that the road should be
of the same type as that furnished to the
Russians. The object Of this was, prob
ably, that any sections of road which
might be captured from the Russians
during the war could be used by the Eng
lish. In this last order there was one
problem which was very difficult to solve;
all the material had to be carried by ele-
plants, and they wanted a locomotive.
NJ. DecauvIlle had the locomotive made In
two parts, the larger OF which weighed
only 3,97S pounds, the greatest w~eightthat
an elephant q carry.
This episode of the Anglo-Russian con-
fict is a great conquest for our national
industry, for the works Of NJ. Decauville
are Petit-Bourg, that is, in France, and
only an hour from Paris. They cover
about twenty acres on the Seine, and adj
join the p. L. NJ. The great hail is 525
feet long by 525 feet deep. The material
is brought in at both ends at one end the
rails and steel for the road, and at the
other end the sheet metal and iron for the
cars J, and the manufactured products are
taken out at the middle, loaded in the
cars of the p. l.. M. company. In July,
1884, the works of Petit-BOurg attained
theiI greatest development, with 1000
wOrkmen, and $50 machines, which do the
work of 1900 men. Among others, there
are four painting machines, which do the
work Of 60 painters. Three thousand cars
Il 93 miles OF road are produced each
month.
Inc rapid development of the Decau-
vile works made it necessary to build a
village for the accommodation of the
wOrkmen, or rather a little city, we
should say, for there is even a theatre
there. The comfortable houses, surround
ed by gardens. are rented to the workmen
for 6, 8. 10 and II francs a month, a de-
ductiOn being made in proportion to the
number OF children or the number OF
years that tenant remains, so that after
a certain time the tenant ceases to pay
rent. IL he becomes disabled by old age,
the treasury Of the society for mutual as
s~istance pays hlm a small annuity. The
bakery furnishes bread at a price below
cost. The savings bank OF the establish
ment pays interest to the wOrkmen who
wish to save. The committee OF rewards
give prizes to those who invent improve
ments in the machinery.