Railv:ay Gauges. 169 



A difference of 397 lbs. per head, 3,573 lbs. per car load of 

 5 head, and, in a train of 20 cars, 71,460 lbs. or 35 tons in fa- 

 vor of the narrow-gauge. As so many are not put together 

 in the latter, the danger of the cattle getting down is much 

 less, while they can be fed and attended to much better. 



COMPARATIVE COST OF TRANSPORTATION. 



The average cost of transporting freight by the broad- 

 gauge may be estimated at 1 1-2 cents per ton per mile, and 

 on the narrow-gauge one cent. Estimating the cotton crop of 

 the south at 4.000,000 bales, transported on an average 200 

 miles, the narrow-gauge would effect a saving of $4,000,000 

 per annum to the producers; a sum sufficient to build 400 

 miles of narrow-gauge railway at §10,000 per mile. The East 

 India Company, looking to the extension of the cotton culture 

 in their territory, have projected 10,000 miles of narrow-gauge 

 railway, and that, too, in a country far more densely popu- 

 lated than ours, and offering a large general business. They 

 are, besides, changing their broad to narrow-gauge. Break of 

 gauge is an evil, but not so great as generally supposed. The 

 time of transferring freight need be very little, if any, greater 

 than is now necessarily consumed in the inspection and repair 

 of cars at intermediate points, which are sent over long lines. 

 In Great Britain the cost of transferring freight is about 2 

 pence per ton. In Canada 5 cents per ton. The cost will be 

 heaviest upon through freight, which has to be changed at 

 each end of a line, at a cost of 5 cents per ton, or a charge of 

 10 cents per ton total. As the average cost of transportmg 

 freight by the broad-gauge is 1 1-2 cents, one ton transported 

 200 miles would cost $3.00. But, as is seen by the following 

 table, there is a saving of 25 per cent, in actual working ex- 

 penses. A saving of 25 per cent, on $3.00 would be 75 cents, 

 so that an expense of 10 cents per ton may be incurred in 

 transferring freight, and still leave a balance in favor of the 

 narrow-gauge, or shipper, of 65 cents per ton, $6.50 per car 

 load of 10 tons, or $162.50 for a train of 25 cars. 

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