The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-02-02
THE CENTRAL's INSPECTION.
Genera, Manager BelknaD Explains
the Benefits to Be Derived From 1t.

GenEIds IN aId5SE 1o64E nap ES4OAhlA45
the Benefits to Be Derived From 1t.
The inspection party which went out
over the Central railroad two weeks ago
has returned, having completed thorough
examination of every portion of the new road
and its branches. As this is among the fea-
lures Of railroading n the south there is
naturally a considerable interest mani tested
as to what the inspection proved and
what may be expected from it in the
future.
The Central, under its present manage
ment is making rapid strides and its M
provement IS attracting attention all over
the country The object of the inspection,
as has already been stated in tne MORNING,
News, is the Improvement and advance
meuu Of the road each year. OF the in
spactioa lust finished q full record has been
made and viii be preserved, and a year
hence similar inspection will be made.
That INSPECTION will be compared with the
present one and any additions or improve
me that may be required will be noted
and fist Of all at ended to, so that instead
Of a Tetrograde on any part OF the system
there will be a continuous advancement.
Gene al Manager B9G1a ulder whose
supervision tho inspection was made, is
favOrably impressed with the result and
expects future inspections to place the line
in an advanced condition. In an interview
last night with MORNING NEWS reporter
he said that it was a satisfactory and
thorough examination. much attention
bsing paid to the alignment and service of
the track and the condition OF frogs, each
of which was especially examined, as were
the side tracks and buildings Of all kinds.
Although the condition of the rad
was found generally to be
above the average, Major Belknap
said that be felt that there is still largo
amount of work required to be done on one
or two of the lines to bring them up to the
standard which he hoped 10 arrive at ia the
end. The work to be done is important,
since it will be to secure the
road from overflow, which so often
illustrates commerce and brings detri-
ment to the shipping public. II order to
do this the general manager said that the
track will have to be raised and possibly the
alignment changed. To relieve the road or
the rough track caused by rains, a great
deal of ballasting will also be done. II
find that in the matter Of raj s." said Maj.
Belknap, quite a large amount will be
needed in renewals. Particularly since we
have yet 1877 miles of track laid
on stringsrs, of which about seventy-five
miles is iron rail, some of it of the lower
strap pattern, capable of bearing only the
lightest locomotives and cars While we
can arrange to avoid running the heavy en-
gines over it, we cannot avoid hauling over
it the heavily loaded cars in ordinary SER
vice, where for instance the carload
including the weight of the car, will reach
10000 pounds, which is nearly as much as
one Of the heaviest locomotives. From this
cause 1t is that there are sometimes wrecks
resulting in delay and destruction of prop
cry. With this in view the company has,
within the last year and a half
or two years, laid 1880 tons
of rails, inclusive of that used
in construction. OF this 1000 to-s have
been used on the main stem, the mos Of
them being 6915 round rails. The rail
released by this railing was sent 10 parts of
the line where the service required it. So
that the betterment of the whole system is
represented by practically double the
amount"
Mai. Belknap said that in addition to this,
the motive power being much worn and
being of the light type, suit BILE to the bust
ness of the line of former years, was rein
forced by the purchase of fifty-six new en-
gines, ten of which were a consolidation of
t e heaviest type, weighing, with their ten
ders, 49, 900 pounds, several m1gul engines
OF nearly as powerful a type and four very
large switch engines. The rest of them are
passenger engiUes, intended for the in
creased weight of trains of the service now
demanded.
1--WE have also added to the passenger
Stock said the general manager, forty
new cars, comprising six elegant sleepers,
thirty odd coaches and the rest baggage
cars Five hundred freight cars have been
purchased during this time, a number Of
others built and several hundred leased
Even with these additions of motive power
aad cars, the system is still lett short of the
heces airy facilities for business, and in
view Of this a contract will be made at
once for 1000 additional freight
cars, which will be supplemented by
others as rapidly as circumstances
viii permit. A large number Of the new
cars will be ventilated cars of the most
approved style and will be used in the
transportation of melons and fruit north
during the melon season. We have also
built and have uuder ntract twenty-four
spans Of iron bridge. The principal bridges
are those at Columbia, Ala, and at Column
bus, which are completed; ct Eufaula IN
der contract, at Cowiecki, and large num-
Der Of single spans which are replacing
wooden bridges, the tests OF which have
been unsatisfactory
In adding these increased facilities, the
company has incurred an expense aggre-
eating between 81, 800, 900 and 81 OO0, 900, so
that 1t cannot be doubted for an instant
that the property has not been cared for
and its condition greatly improved by its
owners.