MECHANICS AND USEFUL ARTS. 51 



Company. These are necessary where every thing is conducted according to 

 nature's first law order. 



" Of the advantage of telegraphs on rail-roads, we have already given our 

 opinion ; but its operation and daily use will be better understood by copying 

 a few of the hourly dispatches sent to the office of the General Superintend- 

 ent. Here is one: 



" ' TELEGRAPH OFFICE, New York, Sept. 23, 18551 : 14 p. M. 



'"To D. C. MCCALLUM, General Superintendent SIB : The following are the latest re- 

 ports of trains received at this office : Mail west New York express at Canisteo, on time ; 

 Rochester accommodation at Oswego, 10' late ; night express west at Dunkirk, on time ; 

 mail at Alford, on time ; New York express at Little Valley, 15' late detained at Tre- 

 rnont by night express west and mail express east ; mail east at Little Valley, 10' late ; 

 immigrant at Great Bend, 12' late ; New York express at Addison, on time ; Rochester 

 accommodation at Campville, 28' late detained taking on freight.' 



Another report that came in while we were present one day, reported that 

 the night express east was detained twelve minutes at Bale's Eddy by freight 

 No. 2. The question was immediately asked, "What was the difficulty witli 

 frieght No. 2 this morning, detaining night express east twelve minutes at 

 Hale's Eddy. Answer No. 2, with 35 loaded cars, left Deposit, intending to 

 switch for night express east at Hale's Eddy, but in approaching the switch 

 the engine was crowded by and was not able to back up ; conductor, fearing 

 that he would be hi night express train tune before reaching Dickinson's switch, 

 left a flagman at Hale's Eddy to give express train notice ; night express in 

 running slow lost the twelve minutes, but passed freight No. 2 all right at 

 Dickinson's. Then the telegraph ordered the conductor of freight train No. 2 to 

 explain why he allowed his train to run so fast as to be crowded by the proper 

 turn-out, contrary to positive orders. If he failed to give satisfactory reasons 

 at once, he would be suspended till he could do so. 



" Such is the discipline on this road such it should be on every road and 

 then travelers would feel a degree of safety that they do not now enjoy. But 

 with such an immense quantity of rolling stock, and such a length of road, 

 what would be the condition of things without discipline, order, and the tele- 

 graph." 



TABULAE STATEMENT OF THE DURATION OF IRON 



RAIL-ROAD BARS. 



The duration of the iron rails of our great railroads is a subject of vast im- 

 portance to ah 1 interested in the maintenance and extension of rail-way com- 

 munication. In all estimates for new roads for thinly-settled districts, tho 

 cost of the iron rails figures as the most prominent item ; and even in the 

 thinly-settled states of Europe, where the metal is obtained at a comparatively 

 cheap rate, the cost of the rails forms no inconsiderable portion of the whole 

 expense of construction. On the first introduction of railroads, it was con- 

 fidently asserted by their promoters, that the iron rails would last for an in- 

 definite period. A few months working, however, demonstrated that although 

 manufactured from the best metal, iron railway bars were subject to lamina- 

 tion and disintegration from the repeated rolling of heavy loads. Their dura- 



