Omaha daily bee., 1888-09-24

served by the 7-fobt. gauge. Tho first
German road, from Nuremberg to
Furth, wa built with n 4 feet 81 inches
gauge, which is now used by all
the principal roads Of Germany, all
though there is n very considerable
mileage OF narrower gauges, mainly n
metre. or 3 feet 80 inches. France
started her roads with n width between
rail ccnters Of 4 feet ii inches, which
has led to some slight variations Of
gauges, according to rail width. Tho
later roads have been built with n gauge
of 4 feet 81 inches. Holland began with
II 6-foot 4-inch gauge, but has now
altered all its roads to 3 feet 81 inches.
The railroad congress at Berne in May,
1856, adopted the following resolution,
which is to apply to Germany, Austria
Hungary, France, Italy and Switzer-
land: Tho gauge of railroads meas-
ured between the inner edges of the
rail heads shall, for railroads built or
altered as to gauge after this resolution
takes effect, not be less than 4 feet 81
inches on straight lines, nor more than
4 feet 90 inches on curves"
In Russia the first road opened in 1888
from st. Petersburg to Harskoe-Selo,
about sixteen miles, had II s~iX-foot
gauge. When the second road was
made in 1912 from st. Petersburg to
Moscow, the car, at the instance of our
countryman, Major Whistler, fixed tho
Russian gauge at five feet, which in
croase over the English guage was
thought desirable for locomotive pur-
posed. Major Whistler thought as wide
II guagc rs six feet uncalled for. Tho
iive-foot gauge has continued the stand
ard in Russia: but that it was made diff
fercnt from the German gauge for milf
tprN rpnSDDS sppmat n hn ,,,,nNnI Inv thn
fact, instanced by Herr Claus, That the
lines built under imperial direction
from Warsaw to Vienna, and from War
saw to Bromberg (thc Berlin). were
carried out with the German gauge.
The history of American gauges is
briefly and intelligently reviewed, with
out reference to the narrow gauges, the
author combining himself to the standard
gauges Of the world for the IN part.
Ireland has a standard gauge of 5 feet
3 inches; Spain and Portugal, 5 feet 81
inches; Sweden and Norway have the 4
feet 81 inch gauge over the majority Of
their railroads, but 20 per cent of tho
Swedish roads have other gauges. vary
ing from . feet u inches up to- feet.
Norway has 592 kilomcters Of standard
gauge and go kilometers of 8 feet 6 inch
gauge.
In Asia, of the British Indian roads
with a collective length of Ia 66 miles,
about 7,450 miles have ~ gauge of s feet
80 inches, The remainder being divided
among six gauges from 2 to 4 feet. OF
the narrow gauges, the most prevalent,
embracing 1920 miles, is the meter, 3
feet 81 inches. The Ceylon railroads
have the standard Indian gauge. The
Russian trans-Caspian lines have the
Russian standard gauge of 5 feet. In
Asia Minor the line Mudania Rrussa
has a gauge of 3 feet Il inches. The
island of Java has 4i9 miles of 8 feet 6
inch gauge and l26 with 4 feet 81 inches.
In Japan, with the exception of an
eight-mile piece begun in 1885, with n
gauge of 3 feet 8 inches, all the roads
have n 3 feet 8 inch gauge.
In Africa, the Egyptian railroads,
amounting to 932 miles, are of the 4 feet
81 inch gauge. Algiers and Tunis, with
inch standard on all except 1876 miles,
which had a 3 feet II inch gauge. The
English Cape Colony had in 1885, 1872
miles, all of 3 feet 6 inch gauge.
In America, apart from the COMPARE
lively small mileage of United States
roads with 3 foot gauge, practically the
whole of the United States and Cana
dian railroads are of 4 foot 81 inch to 4
foot 8 inch gauge. In Mexico, in
1854, 2,OS3 miles were 4 feet 81
inch, and 944 3-foot gauge. In Brazil,
at the end Of 1884, there were $50 miles
of 5 foo 3 inch guage and 4l94 miles of
various gauges between eject and 4 feet
Z inches, so that this may be considered
the standard gauge of Brazil.
In Australia the different colonies,
rather singularly have different gauges,
that of New South Wales being 4 feet
81 inches; Victoria, 5 feet 3 inches:
South Australia, 5 feet 3 inches and 3
feet 6 inches, and the other colonies 3
feet 6 inches.
The total mileage in operation in the
world at the end of 1885 was 303 ,0S4
miles. OF this length, "A per cent were
of the 4 feet 81 inch to A feet 8 inch
standard, II per cent had larger gauges
and ii per cent smaller.