McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1885-04-09
OUR EXPOSITION LETTER.

are constantly being added to thE
"greatest show on earth," whose las
days bid fair to be its best. The --latest
single object of universal interest te
be placed OH exhibition, and one de-
serving of more than passing notice
is complete working model of Capt
Railway" now on exhibition, very
appropriately, in the Mexican section
of the main building, and is constant.
ly surrounded by a crowd of interest.
ed spectators. This most interesting
'model" shows the entire practicable
ity of lifting the heaviest vessels out OF
water by means Of pontoons, or float
ing docks, almost precisely such as
are on the river in this port, the ordi-
nary method in use for docking ships
in all commercial countries. The
"model'' shows the sinking of the pom
toon in the dock to receive the vessel
when she is raised by lifting block
which is capable of raising a vessel
of five thousand tons gross weight ;
the dock will be $50 feet long, IS feet
wide and Is feet deep, arranged with
a system of hydraulic rams placed on
an intermediate deck of the pontoon.
The object of these rams is to distrib-
ute equally the weight of the vessel.
The pontoon is guided in its upward
and downward movement by strong
anchor rods, or columns, passing
through it freely, and firmly secured
in the foundations of the dock. Upon
the pontoon is placed carriage for
supporting and moving the vessel,
and, as shown in the model, receives
and moves off with the ship with as
much apparent ease as any railway
train. The sstrack" or railway, will
have six rails, three standard gauge
tracks of 4 feet 81 inches each. A
full detail of the proposed railway
would occupy too much of your space
and could not be made clear without
the aid of diagrams, but the working
of the "model" conclusively demon
strates it's entire feasibility, and the
gentleman in charge of the exhibit re-
marked, to your correspondent, that
"they would certainly net be advocat-
ing the enterprise if any doubt exist
ed in their minds of the success of the
system"
1t may be added that all the best
engineers in Europe and America
have given Capt. Ead's plan their en-
dorsement, and it only remains to Oh
tain the necessary capital, when the
work will be begun and prosecuted
to successful completion. Several
surveys have already been made to
find suitable route across the 18TH
mus, and the distance it is known can
be reduced to 1874 miles of track, at
cost not to exceed fifty millions,
though Capt. Eads himself believes
he can complete the entire work at
total cost of thirty-fve millions.
The result of this mammoth undertak.
ing will be to revolutionize the carry
ing trade of the world, and cannot
fail to he of incalculable benefit to
the people, not only of America, but
of Europe and Asia. To the people
of the entire Mississippi Valley it
must especially prove Of vast CONNER
cial interest opening up, as it must,
new and most desirable trade with the
entire Pacific coast, and its now far-off
Islands. This route will reduce the
distance of ocean travel between San
Francisco and New Orleans 1861
miles below that via Cape Horn,
and lessen the distance between the
former city and New York, by water,
1O,797 miles, and between San Fran
cisco and Liverpool the Ship Railway
will reduce the ocean travel from 15,-
SOB via Cape Horn to 1897 miles
or a saving Of fifty per cent. Any one
can thus see what important results
are inevitable on the completion of
the new route. That conflicting IN
terests are likely to antagonize the
may readily be expected,
but when the people learn of its GER
tain advantages they will over ride all
and compel the necessary
aid to insure its success, which will
be another step towards the solution
Of the vexed question of cheap trans
portation. Mr.. E. L. Corthell, Chief
is in charge of the "model"
to explain it and illustrate the COM
mercial features by large map of
the world.
The exhibit made by this territory
is called the "Gem'' display of all the
states-and Judging from the valua-
BILE minerals and other products shown
is certainly a rare gem. 1t
has been the good fortune of your cor
respondent to meet several gentlemen
from this territory, and if the balance
of Idaho's population "are made from
the same cloth" it must indeed be
70 J-on -, e,,ob oo,,,+a,,