RAILWAYS. 



801 



ten tons, moving at the rate of three miles an hour. 

 It has now (1837) been in operation ten years. 

 The Boston and Lowell railroad. This railroad 

 commences at Boston, near the entrance to the 

 Warren bridge, on the westerly side of the bridge. 

 The railroad crosses Charles river by a wooden 

 viaduct, and, passing through Wobum. terminates 

 at the basin of the canal in Lowell ; from thence 

 there are branches along the several canals to the 

 factories. The Boston and Lowell railroad com- 

 pany was incorporated in June, 1830. 



The Boston and Worcester railroad. A company 

 for the purpose of constructing a railroad from 

 Boston to Worcester was incorporated in June, 

 1831, by the legislature of Massachusetts. The 

 length of the route is about forty-three miles. It 

 is also proposed to continue this road to Connecticut 

 river, and to construct a branch road to Milbury. 

 The Boston and Providence railroad. A company 

 was incorporated by the same legislature in June, 

 1831, with a capital stock of 1,000,000 dollars, for 

 the purpose of constructing a railroad from Boston 

 to the boundary line of Massachusetts, in the direc- 

 tion of Providence. The Boston and Taunton rail- 

 road. A company was incorporated in June, 1831, 

 by the legislature of Massachusetts, with a capital 

 of 1,000,000 dollars, for the purpose of constructing 

 a railroad from Boston to Taunton, and from 

 Taunton to any part of Taunton river at which the 

 waters are navigable by vessels of heavy burden, 

 with liberty to extend it from Taunton to the line 

 of Massachusetts in the direction of Providence. 

 The Hudson and Mohawk railroad. The company 

 by which this railroad was constructed was incor- 

 porated by the legislature of New York in 1826, 

 with a capital of 300,000 dollars, with liberty to 

 increase it to 500,000 dollars. This increase has 

 recently taken place. On August 12, 1830, the 

 ground was broken at Schenectady for the purpose 

 of commencing the construction of a double track 

 road. With two slight exceptions, the road between 

 the Albany and Schenectady planes is perfectly 

 straight. The line passes principally over high 

 table land, where there is little or no population. 

 It is about sixteen miles in length. The railroad 

 commences at the termination of the city line on 

 the Hudson river, and about thirteen acres of land 

 are owned by the company in the vicinity, part of 

 which will include the wharves which are now con- 

 structing for the accommodation of the transporta- 

 tion on the road. The road crosses South Pearl 

 street, under a handsome stone arch, and passes 

 thence up the hill with an inclination of one foot in 

 eighteen, until it reaches the summit, 185 feet above 

 the Hudson. At this place a building is erected 

 which contains a double stationary engine of twelve 

 horse power, for hauling up the cars. The road 

 then proceeds north-westerly up to the head of 

 Lydius street, to strike which it takes a curve of 

 4000 feet radius, and passes over two heavy and 

 high embankments, and through some deep cuttings 

 near the alms-house. From the head of Lydius 

 street (where the travel at present terminates), it 

 proceeds in the same direction, crossing the heavy 

 embankment called the Buel viaduct, ascending a 

 plane for about three miles, of one foot in 225. 

 Afterwards ascending by two other planes at dif- 

 ferent points, and crossing several waterways, upon 

 embankments, it proceeds to the summit at Schen- 

 ectady. There are in all six principal embankments. 

 About four miles from Schenectady there is a curve 

 in the road of 23,000 feet radius. Just at the sum- 

 mit is a smaller curve, with a radius of 1100 feet. 

 There is also another plane of three miles, where 

 the ascent is one foot in 270; and another of one 



v. 



and a half mile, where it is one in 450 feet. The 

 descent from the Schenectady summit to the level 

 of the Hudson is 335 feet. At this point a double 

 stationary engine is placed. A plane overcomes a 

 height of 115 feet, with an inclination like that 

 near the Hudson, and, running down a heavy em- 

 bankment, strikes the canal about half a mile from 

 the principal street in Schenectady ; but the track 

 is prolonged upon a level to within sixty rods of Use 

 same. The soil through which the road passes is 

 sandy. Some considerable elevations are cut 

 through, and several ravines crossed. The slopes 

 left by the cutting, or formed by the embankments, 

 are to be covered with sods. No settling of the 

 road has taken place, except to a very slight 

 degree in some of the embankments, which may 

 be easily rectified. The road was constructed in 

 the following manner : After the grading is fin- 

 ished, under each line of the rails, square holes aie. 

 dug at the distance of three feet from centre to 

 centre, capable of containing nine cubic feet ui 

 broken stone. In clay, the holes are connected by 

 a neck. In these holes the broken stone is placed 

 and rammed down, so as to form a solid mass. 

 The stone, which is principally grauwacke, is 

 broken into pieces that will pass through a ring cf 

 two inches diameter. On this foundation, stone 

 blocks, dressed upon the upper side only, are placed. 

 The next step is to drill the holes in the face of the 

 stone. In these drillings, small plugs of locust 

 wood, about four inches long and about an inch in 

 diameter, are loosely placed. Into these plugs are 

 driven the iron spikes which pass through and hold 

 down the cast iron chairs. The chairs are double 

 or single. The double chairs are of sufficient length 

 to pass across, beneath the rail, and are used in the 

 proportion of one to three single chairs, which are 

 on each side of the rail, but do not pass under it. 

 The rails are of wood, from twenty-one to twenty- 

 four feet long and six inches square, hewed out of 

 Norway and white pine. These rails are placed in 

 the iron chairs, and are wedged with wooden 

 wedges, on the outer side, into a perfectly true 

 line. On these lie the iron rails, which are made 

 of wrought iron. They are two inches and a half 

 wide at the bottom, and rounded off to 1 7-8ths on 

 the top; their thickness is 9-16'ths of an inch. 

 These bars are tongued and grooved, and are 

 secured to the wooden rail by iron spikes driven 

 through oval openings. The expansion and con- 

 traction of the metal are provided for in these 

 openings, and also by the tongues and grooves. 

 Where two bars join an iron plate is placed under- 

 neath ; and it is remarked that, although additional 

 strength is gained by this, yet the iron rails wear 

 faster at these places than at any others. At the 

 distance of twenty-one feet, tie pieces, as a further 

 security, are laid down to bind the rails to each 

 other, and to keep them in their proper position. 

 Broken stone is also laid down between the rails, 

 and at the sides of the road. Upon the embank- 

 ments, the rails are laid without stone blocks, which 

 are proposed to be put down after the earth has 

 settled. The other track, which is on the south 

 side of the one now in use, is in a state of active 

 preparation. Both locomotive engines and horses 

 are used upon this road. A locomotive has travelled 

 upon it with a load of eight tons, at the rate of 

 thirty miles per hour. The number of passengers 

 in October, 1831, averaged 387 per day. The 

 Schenectady and Saratoga railroad. This railroad 

 extends from Schenectady to Ballston, and thence 

 to Saratoga. The route is admirably adapted for 

 railroad purposes. There is no inclination grrjitrr 

 than one fool in 400. The execution of this work 

 8c 



