National Republican., 1886-08-14

Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, commissioner OF
railways, Is at Omaha on general inspection
tour Of the Union and Central Pacific lines for
the government.
A New York dispatch states that the Royal
Netherlands steamship line has again reduced
It's steerage rate to or from London via Rotter-
dam this time to Sl2,a reduction of So. in one in
stance; and TO or from Scandinavian ports
steeiage rates have been reduced to SIS, fall
ofS3 in another.
Thomas Fitzgerald. for three years superin-
tendent Of the Lake Erie, Central Ohio, and
Columbus and Newark divisions Of the Balti.
more and Ohio railroad, has been promoted to
the position of superintendent Of the main
line under General superintendent David Lee.
Mr.. Fit2gerald's headquarters will be at Balti-
-more The change goes into effect Sept. l.
The Toledo, st. Louis, and Kansas City
Company is laying ffly-slx.pound steel ran
on the narrow gauge east Of Decatur Ind.
New bridges are replacing old ones, aud the
work of grading for standard gauge Is pro-
crossing rapidly. AS soon as the grade Is COM
pleted the Toledo, st. Louis, and Kansas City
will be changed TO u standard gauge. The
increase Of freight business has made first
piEed narrow gauge seems TO be on the eve OF
an important future.
At the annual meeting at Portland, Greg,
Thursday, the Oregon Railway and Navigation
Company elected the following dlreetoIs Elijah
Smith, John H. Hall, Christopher Meyer. aud
Colgate Hoyt, of New York; Vim. Endicott IT,,
of Boston; Charles L. Colby of Milwaukee; q.
III. Lewis. Henry Failing, W. 3, Ladd, O. IL.
Prescott, Q. A. Dolph, II. W. Corbett and d. p.
Thompson, of Portland. The only changes
from last years board are Colgate Hoyt in
place OF BraytOn Ives, and ID. r. Thompson, OF
Portland, In place OF W. W. Ladd.
The Altoona Times says that the Pennsylya.
MIA Railroad Company has ordered twenty
hye OF the largest locomotives, known as class
IL, from Its shops in that cily. These engines
Will draw 10 TO 20 per cent. more than the
Moguls, the largest size hitherto used, and are
Tor use on the heavy mountain grades. They
weigh about 10000 pounds each, rs compared
with 5000 TO 10000 pounds for the Mo-
guls. The bridges all along the line are being
strengthened to bear the extra weight. II Is
stated that all the iron bridges on the Pitts
burg division, after being In use for twenty
hve years, are to give place to stone.
moonlight nights-they are the bane OF
railroad engineers" remarked head Official
of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad last night.
"All engineers dread moonlight nights. They
trythe nerves TO their utmost. Engineers like
10 run on dark nights. On a moonlight night
the trouble with them is no trouble at all
shadows. An engineer, looking out from his
engine, sees before HIM all manner of shadows
He Is sure the dark shadow across the track he
sees IS man or a rock, or some kind of an OBJ
struction. He doesn't know, aud he Is kent In
n state of nervous excitement all the time
Going around curves, along hllsdes, many
curious shadows are outlined on the track, and
very often a n engineer is 80 worked uD over u
nights ride that he is scarcely able 10 perform
his duties "-IHts5Wg Chr0Hicle.