The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-08-05
ON RAIL AND CROssTIE.
Local and General Gossip in Railway
Circles.

The pig iron shipments over the Alabama
Great Southern railroad for July were 50
per cent. more than those for July last year
1t is expected the August iron shipments
will show decided increase over those of
July.
The announced slight advance in grain
and meat rates to southern points went into
effect Thursday in all the territory south of
the Ohio river and east of the Mississippi
The rates in vogue before the June cut are
now resumed. This slight resume of the
old rate, and the fact that the southern
market was well supplied while the cut
rates prevailed is likely to make the -four
and bacon railroad business to the gulf
states rather light for the next fDw weeks.
Tho June reduction was to the customary
summer rate, and it is customary as well to
resume rates at the beginning Of fall bust
ness
Track laying on the Covington and
Macon has been suspended for a few days,
owing to the failure of steel rails to arrive.
The rails were shipped some time ago, and
should have made their appearance ere
this. The track has been laid to within
two miles of Watkinsville. The people of
that little town are anxiouslv awaiting the
first train; when a large barbecue will be
given by the people of tho place. Col. E. G.
Machon has arranged to be present. A
special car from Macon is expected to run,
carrying Mrs. Could and daughter, and
citizens along the line. Work on the line
through Macon is progressing finely. An
immense trestle will be built near the
depot, and is now being constructed.
Col. Fry's new road is full of promise,
and starts out under very favorable aus
pices, and with good prospects for early
completion. Its proposed route to tide
water is through a well developed and pros
porous country, and its air line to tide
water will give it the prestige of q shorter
mileage from Atlanta than any other road
now IN operation. This, in itself, will
make the road, when completed, a strong
competitor for the freight and passenger
business to and fromthe seaboard. From At
ANITA westward, the possibilities offered the
Atlanta, Atlantic and Great Western in the
way OF connections and n share for western
business are irst-cla $, and even now, before
a mile of track has been laid, the goSsips are
busy with various projects fpr extensions
Of the road westward, or the building of
extensions of roads now in operation to
connection with Col. Fry's road at Atlanta.
One of the kcenest modern writers on
railroad matters is John Bogart, WHO con-
tributes frequently to leading magazines of
the country. In Il recent number of Serb
neT'S he say: There are 10000 miles of
railway in the United States; 100000 miles
OF railS-ln length en- uGn T. maze twelve
steel girdles for the earth's circumference.
This enormous length of rail is wonderful;
we do not really grasp its significance. But
the rail itself, the little section of steel, is
an engineering feat. The change of its
form from the curious and clumsy iron
rear-head of years ago to the present re
fined section of steel Is a scientific develop
mont. 1t is now a beam whose every dimen-
sion and curve and angle are exactly suited
to the tremendous work it has to do The
loads 1t carries are enormous, the blows it
recei les are heavy and constant but 1t car
ries the loads and bears the blows and does
its duty. The locomotive and the modern
passenger and freight cars are great achieve
ments, aud so is the little rail which carries
them ali