The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1886-06-09
THE CHANGE or GAUGE. =,
WHAT TIiE RAILROADS HAVE
DONE IN TEN DAYS.
How tho Work is 70 BE Donc--I1ore
Than Thirteen Thousand Miles Of {:
Road to BE Changed in Two
DAYS.

looNS. tIittc - al N.tSI nNllpcl ol Lllc
readers of the Register who vet have
q very indefinite conception of what
it all means. With II view to give
these IN Intelligent idea of the nature
and extent Of the work which this
change involves. and the method by
which it is effected. We have compiled
from the Augusta Evening News and
tue Charlotte Observer, two. of our
most valued exchanges, the following
clear statements. which will give the
fullest information on the subject:
The railroads in the South are
now in the midst OF great, rcyolu-
ton, and from to-day. to the second
day Of June each line will he bee
hive, or rather a long iron line Of Ia
hor. One Of the greatest railroad
movements ever known will in fact
be achieved when the present work
Of changing the gauge Of some tl,ir-
teen thousand miles OF railroad. in
the South is completed. ..,r~ 7>.f-.: ..
The standard gauge is now adopt
ed all over tie North, and uniformity
has long been desired. The South
ern gauge has for many years past
been . source Of endless expense and
Inconvenience to all the, railroads
South of the Ohio and Potomac
Rivers, and while the advantages Of
q uniform gauge have long been seen
its adoption has now come to be an
imperative necessity. The time has
at last arrived for the Southern roads
to correct the unfortunate mistake
made when the FIVE foot gauge was
adopted, and when the change has
been accomplished all Of the impor.
tant railroads in the United States
will correspond sufficiently in gauge.
to have the running gear throughout
the country alike and transferable in
every State. 10 !!',' '..''
"A meeting Of the representatives
Of the several Southern roads inter.
ested in the change Of gauge was
held in Atlanta on February ?, and
all the details Of the change were ar
ranged. 1t was decided that Mon
day, May 3d.. and Tuesday. June l.,
he set apart for the work, and that a
uniform gauge Of Z feet 8 inches be
adopted in lieu Of the standard gauge,
which is / 81 inches. The : foot
9 inch gauge is considered .aore con-
vcnient, and as a certain amount Of
lateral play is allowed on all tracks,
it is sufficiently near the Northern
gauge to permit Of uniform wheel
gauge al. over the country.
1T is said that many "a the rail-
road ca@panics. seeing that the
change must have come eventually,
commenced to prepare for It as early
as three years ago, and sach IS the
power OF organized labor and the de.
!nand Of business that nearly $4,000
miles of railroad will be changed to
the uniform gauge inside Of about
twelve hours, and without :ntemup-
ton in the running. Of lnsny Of the
important trains even on the day that
the change takes place .. .. ,.:. .
'',Ihe change of gauge viii lake
: place on almost every railroad South
! Of tie Ohio and Potomac Rivers, en-
tending over ator: 1925 miles of
railway, made Up rs fullows,: South
Carolina 1920 miles, North Caroiina
$50. Georgia 3,4l5, Florida, 1850,
Alabama I,8O5, Mississippi 77G,
Louisiana .5l3, Kentucky LIS, Ten
ncsscc 1886, and Virginia 991 miles.
: The fll:o..ins luce nil change
on May 3lst: Louisville and Nash:
,asiile, Chattanooga and St. Louis,
! Memphis and Charlc9t2n, 1E,abama
+ Great Southern, Cincinnati, Selma
and Mobile: Montgomery and Eu-
iauia, Northeastern Of Georgia, Pen.
sacola and Atlanta, Florida Railway
an;i Nayi8at;oS Company. All other
: ms:n ines change on june st.
The changing Of tie gauge Of the
track from five feet to luAr feet u;ne
;ncI.as I'll, he dapa q moving one
! rail in three inches without disturb
! inc the other rail at al. The prcpa
r;,tions Tor changing tie road bed
! commenced alnut OHc WUnth ahead
Tie preparation" consists j" adding
or cutting the tie to :: smooth anC