Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-02-27

Il a
about go, 600 and the tolls received during thi
time amounted to nearly 5000, notwithstand
4 ing the constant interruption to travel by tn
progress of the work. This bridge was en-
larged and strengthened in the summer Of 1S4
sufficiently to accommodate the ordinary trave
| OF the country for several years" The railroa
| bridge would in due time have been com
pleted but that difficulties arose betwee
the engineer and the directors, and Mr.. Elle'
| resenting what he conceived to be injustice
| ard having demonstrated the business OF hi
| views and the boldness and originality OF hi
methods, withdrew from the completion OF tn
| work, which was accomplished IN 1899 D
another engineer and has been followed b
other costly constructions.
THE MOUNTAIN TOP TRACK.
In 1853 Mr.. Ellet was appointed chief enginee
of the Virginia Central railroad, a line designed
to extend from Richmond to the Ohio at I'M
mouth of the Big Sandy river. he 1ounu ~. .h
road about completed from Richmonu 70 Wv
base of the Blue Ridge, a distance OF lo' nines
and in rapid preparation for extension on 'n'
other side of the mountain 1hese Two SCI
tions of the great through line were TO De con
nccted by a tunnel, which the state OF virginia
was slowly building through the blue mug Ss,
An examination of the work just put uhoei
h. ~, roe convinced Mr.. Ellet OF the I'M
portance of promptly bringing the wv
sections into continuous communicaIon w"
out awaiting the completion OF the . tu
and he at once proceeded 10 constr To- ,-ar :
rary track across the mountain. lhis was
| work of astonishing labor ana oimcuity.
Iaborers we're in demand and haro 10 secure.
| Large quantities of lumoer were required 10
form tressles by which to bridge tne SIX oeep
rayines indented In the soPe % tne mountain.
/ Rnt timber was scarce and dincult 10 procure.
! !Tba rnateriaI to be excavated was stubborn, the
! 1-oatar nortion being of rock. From the first
| breaking ground until the engine crossed the
| snmmit was seven months A description of
/ this work can be best given Dy an extract rom
one of Mr. Elets own pamphlets, written
| whom the road was in full and successful opera
| ton.
OF the Blue Ridge at Rock Fish Gap, where the
elevation of the mountain is 1855 feet above
t1de The crest of the ridge is very narrow and
is passed on a curve of 300 feet radius.
there is barely room for an engine with an
ordinary train to stand on the summit before
the road slopes of, descending both toward the
east and west to the valleys on either side Of
the ridge.
WESTERN SIDE.
The length of the descent on the western
side, from the summit to what is here assumed
to be the foot of the mountain, is 1O,650 feet
or two and two one-hundredths miles.
The track descends in this distance on the
west side $50 feet, or at the average rate of one
foot in 232< feet. The average grade on the
western slope is therefore 223 lilo feet per
mile. The maximum grade on the. western
slope is $40 feet in 100. 279 S4-lO0 feet per
mile. On both sides of the mountain the ruling
curves are described with a radius of 800 feet,
on which the grade is 237 Clio feet per mile.
The excess of the maximum over the average
grade is occasIoned by the attempt to compen-
sate in the distributionof the necessary ascent,
for the effect of curvature. There was no ex-
perience to guide the writer in the arithmeti-
cal determination of the influence of such cur
Nature as II was necessary to introduce upon
this road, and the proper diminution of the
slope required on the curves to compensate for
the increased traction which would there
be due to the curves. On this point professional
information is still very deficient, even for
curves OF ordinary radii traversed by engines
OF common construction propelled at the usual
yelocities Of freight or passenger trains. For
such an anomalous line as the writer was about
TO construct there was absolutely no guide,
and his allowance was therefore almost entirely
conjecture.
When the road was first opened it speedily
that the difference of forty-three feet
on the western side and ffty-eight feet on the
EASTERN side, between the grades on curves of
'OO feet radli and those on straight lines. was
not sufficient to compensate for the increased
traction due to such curvature. The velocity,
With constant supply of steam, was constantly
retarded on passing from a straight line to a
;urve. and promptly accelerated again on pass
ng from the curve to the straight line.
But after little experience in the working
IF the road it was found advisable to supply a
mall amount of grease to the fange of the
'ngine by means of sponge saturated with
oll. which. when needed, is kept in contact with
he wheel by spring. Since the use of the oil
was introduced the difficulty of turning the
curves has been SO far diminished that it is no
onger possible to determine whether grades
Of 1915 feet per mile on curves of 800 feet
radius or grades of 296 feet per mile on straight
ines are traversed most rapidly by the engine.
EASTERN SIDE.
But the more difficult portion Of the work
was on the eastern side of the mountain, where
he ascent was greater, and the slope, in order
10 reach a certain level, which became a neces-
'ary condition of the problem of location, was
to be greater.
The length of the line of descent from the
summit to the foot OF the grade Is II, 500 feet,
DE- 2.37 miles.
The road descends in this distance 61O feet,
or at the average rate Of foot in 2O11 feet.
The average grade on the eastern slope is,
therefore. 2514 feet per mile. The maximum
grade on the eastern slope is Sc feet in 100. or
,93.6S feet per mile. This maximum grade is
iound In q continuous line of half a mile in
ength.
The shortest radius of curvature on this side
Of the mountain was intended to be 800 feet
but In the construction Of the work d more
abrupt curve was introduced at one difficult
the hill and keep the embankment of face of
'loping and treacherous rock At this ravine
which is found about half way down the noun
tain, the radius of curvature is only 234 feet
and the grade upon that curve is 237.6 feet per
mile.
The total length Of the track from the foot Of
The mountain on the west side, across the sum-
nit, to the foot of the mountain on the east
side Is i.39 miles. But, in consequence of de-
lays which occurred in the construction of
other parts OF the commonwealth road, it
became necessary to extend the track three and
One-Lalf miles further, running il around I'M
finished cuts and entertainments at four differ
emit points, SO that the distance actually worked
by the mountain engines is about eight miles.
This road was opened to the public in the
spring OF 1854. and 1t has now in the autumn
Of 1856 been In constant use for period of
more than two and a half years In all that
time the admirable engines relied on to per-
form the extraordinary duties imposed upon
them In the passage of this summit have failed
but once TO make their regular trips. The
mountain has been covered with deep
SHOWS for weeks in succession, and the cuts
have been frequently filled for long periods
many feetin depth with drifted snow; the ground
has been covered with sleet and ice and every
impeachment due to bad weather and Indictment
seasons has been encountered and successfully
surmounted IN working the track.
during the last seyere winter, when the travel
upon all the railways Of Virginia and the north
ern and western states was interrupted and
on many lines for days in succession. the en-
glnes upon this mountain track with the ex-
ception Of the single day already specified.
moved regularly forward and did their An,
pointed work. In fact. during the space of two