Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-24
CANAL VS. RAILROAD.
Their Respective Merits Discussed, by
Colonel 7. P. Roberts,
IN HIS ANSWER TO COL. ANDREWS
His Objection Of Expense to the Overland
Freight Scheme.
TIE WATER SUPPLY CAN Be OBTAINED

1
James Andrews, the well-known contractor
of Allegheny, and associated with the late
Captain James B. Eads in the Tehuantupec
ship railway scheme, proposed in lieu of
canal between Pittsburg and Lake Erie,
grand four-track freight road capable OF
transporting 800, or even 500, tons of ore
coke or coal in single cars. Colonel An
drews feared there would be trouble in find.
| ing a sufficient supply of water for the
canal, and anticipated much greater cost
in construction for that plan than would be
required for q railroad such as he pro-
posed.
With a view of obtaining the ideas of the
advocates of the canal project on Colonel
Andrews mammoth railroad project. call
was made on Colonel Thomas P. Roberts,
one OF the canal commissioners appointed
under the recent act of the Legislature by
Governor Beaver. Mr.. Roberts stated that
he had read the article above referred to
with interest, and at the same time ex-
pressed warm admiration of Colonel An
drew's abilities as an energetic contractor,
and as man whose ideas in engineering
matters were entitled to the highest consid-
Grafton.
COLONEL AGAINST COLONEL.
"But," continued Colonel Roberts, 'in
this instance 1 regret that must differ with
my fathers old friend and coadjutor in the
ST. Louis bridge work. The Colonel is pro-
posing a new departure in the science OF
railroad construction, which, I believe for
| this semi-mountainous region at least,
verges on the impracticable. Now do not
pretend to say that it is impracticable to
build the lour-track, low-speed roads, such
as he proposes, capable of carrying 500 or
even more tons in single car loads. Colo
mel Andrews has not yet taken time to
elaborate his project and discuss its econ
omy as compared with the existing system
of rail transportation between Pittsburg and
the lakes. Nor have done so, and can
therefore speak only in general terms on
this point.
81 think he will find, even considering
the matter as an abstract proposition, that
there will be little, if any, saving in cost
with his big cars over the present 20 and 30
ton cars in trains. A single locomotive on
moderate grades can readily haul 500 tons
TO-DAY, say 25 of them, in much quicker
time than his great compound engines
would do the work-probably make two trips
to one. That is one point. He might be
able to show an advantage in transporting
less dead weight in proportion to paying load
than is carried now, for it is manifest that
25 freight cars would weigh considerably
more than one of his cars.
DIFFICULTIES AHEAD.
''There are some cVrious difficulties in
the proposed system of Colonel Andrews,
which he would have to solve, also."
"Ot what nature are these difficulties"
"Oh, 1 cannot go into detail. Twill
merely mention one-that he has probably
thought of-and that is this: in arranging
trucks on parallel tracks. On curves the
inside trucks would not move as fast as
those on the outside track. This difficulty,
while it can be provided for within moder-
ate bounds, limits the curvature that would
be practicable to arcs of great radius; such
curves as are used on the Pennsylvania
Railroad would be entirely out of the ques-
tion. The Light curves required in the
regions approaching Pittsburg from Lake
Erie, would involve tremendous cost IN
side cutting. Next he would have a
greatly increased cost at bridges, particu-
larly where the floods in the streams called
for considerable spans. No bridges have
yet been designed in this country to bear
such loads as this road would bring
within the limits Of, say 200
feet. But more than this; for 1
do not consider the bridge problem a very
serious one, IN going north from Pittsburg,
provided tolerably direct route was
sought, the grades deemed advisable would
run into enormously heavy cutting at the
SUBMITS. Lei. the Colonel make trip over
the Pittsburg and Western Railroad to
Butler county-and he will begin to appre-
ciate the difficulties 1 refer to. He could
not we'll avoid several tunnels-aud long
ones-and on a venture I will say that four
froa I'm will
as single track tunnel, foot for foot.
TERMINAL ARRANGEMENTS.
"Then," continued Colonel Roberts, "I
see still greater objection than mere cost
of construction would be to the Colonel's
plan, and refer now to his proposed term
inal arrangements.
"He proposed, If recollect, to terminate
at some point near the city, foreseeing,
doubtless, the difficulty in crossing the Al
legheny river and traversing the city, and
the utter impossibility of reaching the
manufacturing establishments To this
terminal station, say at the mouth of Pine
creek, all the coke and coal from the mining
district would have to be taken, and ore
trains, destined for the furnaces, would
necessarily have to load there Therefore
his system would promise no relief
to the nuisance with which our local
tracks are now afflicted, of overcrowding,
interference of street crossings, etc. He
would have two transfers of freight where
only one is now required. As for the canal,
it would have no transfer Of freight at all, |
the boats would load directly at the mills |
or the mines, as the case might be, and take |
their loads directly through to Chicago,
Milwaukee or Duluth, or other lake ports,
as may be demanded"
"But the water for your canal? Colonel |
Andrews says the cattle suffer in some years |
for water in the Western Reserve where |
your canal goes. How about that?"
"Yes. believe he did say something to |
that effect That would be rather dusty |
region, will admit, from which to gather |
water for the summit level of ship canal; |
but apprehend the Colonel was in the |
wrong district, and missed seeing the canal /
route. He will not seriously question Mr.. |
W. Minor Roberts and many others whom |
1 might name on this point, which was to
the following effect, viz: that French creek |
in the lowest stages OF which he had any |
viz: between the years of 184O /
and 1870, period Of 80 years, discharged at
the Bemus dam, and was available, al
though it was never nearly all used, Il, 900
cubic feet of water per minute, for the sum-
NIT of the old canal; this, too, without the
aid of reservoirs. Twelve thousand cubic feet
per minute for "a hours would make
Il, ,28O. 900 cubic eet. Now, allowing, upon
an average. seven and a half gallons of
water for each animal, the Colonel could
drive more than 100000 head of cattle
there, and they would not suffer for water in
the dryest season known. French creek, at
its lowest stage, discharges more water than
the Monongahela river has been known to
do at Brownsville in very dry seasons In
addition 10 this large minimum flow the re-
yions, not only in French creek valley, but
about the heads of adjoining streams, both
In Pannsul r-a MIA md Ohm are rem q IL n hlu |