262 



FARMERS* REGISTER— RAILWAYS, &c. 



having- three grades of ascent, the steepest of Avhich 

 is 1 in 13. 



From the foot of the yilane, the remainder of the 

 descent is overcome in 10 miles, having an average 

 inclination of 18 feel in a mile. 



At Hamburg, two spacious depositories are in 

 course of construction, of brick, with zinc roofs, 

 on a commodious lot of six acres, gratuitously be- 

 stowed on the company by Henry Shuitz, esq. 



Theie is only o)ie bridge of importance on the 

 whole route, that crossing the Edisto river, which 

 is 400 feet long, lias a single arch over the main 

 stream of 6G feet. 



The road is a single track, except at the inclined 

 plane, where there is one mile of doulde read, and 

 at the turn outs and depositories, about three miles 

 more. 



Two stationary steam engines, v/hich work on 

 the same crank, of about 25 horse power each, now- 

 erected at the head of the inclined plane, and nearly 

 in readiness for operation, will effect a passage of 

 th.e loaded trains and passenger cars over the plane 

 at the rate of about ten miles an hour. 



The 7th residency, embracing the distance of 15 

 miles from the foot of the inclined plane to Ham- 

 burg, was much the most diflicult and expensive 

 part of the road — a more costly plan of construc- 

 tion being frequently necessary, owing to the liad- 

 ness of the foundation and the height of the work. 

 The excavation of this road cost nearly SIOOO per 

 mile, while that of the rest of the road will not 

 average $ 300 per mile. '^I'he high price of mate- 

 rials was one great cause of the increased expense 

 of this section. 



The profile of the South Carolina rail read is 

 remarkably favorable, as tlie entire length of incli- 

 nation, as great as 1 in 150, or 35 feet in a mile, is 

 but 1| miles, the occasional ascents not exceeding 

 1 in 200, or 26 ieet in a mile. 



The straight lines, with the exception of the 7th 

 residency, are generally uncommonly long, and 

 the curves easy. There is one straiglit line 25 

 miles in length, and several courses of from 6 to 

 10 miles. '1 he first 65 miles from Charleston va- 

 ries in length but half a mile from a uniformly 

 straiglit line. 



The road is now ironed a distance of 100 miles 

 from Charleston, to which point the steam engines 

 have frequently passed. All the iron would have 

 been on, and the road in complete operation, but 

 for imcxpected delay in the arrival of the locomo- 

 tive engines, three of which, contracted to b§ deli- 

 vered in Charleston by the 1st of March last, have 

 not yet arrived. The engines in use do not afford 

 sufficient power to transport the iron for the road, 

 and at the same time comply with their mail and 

 passenger arrangements, and the public conveni- 

 ence in the constant carriage of freight. 



Two of the engines now in use, are built on an 

 entirely novel plan, according to the instructions of 

 H. Allen, esq. chief engineer of this road. They 

 are supported upon eight wheels, by which means 

 the v/eight is difluscd, and a more powerful engine 

 is obtained with the same stress upon the road. 



This engine, however, is more complicated in its 

 construction, and more liable to derangement, than 

 a four weelcd engine, and therefore, at present less 

 generally approved — but, it is to be hoped that the 

 few practical difliculties which attend the use of an 

 engine, so w ell adapted to powerful transportation, 

 in this and other roads, which may be built on a 



similar plan, may vanish before superior skill and 

 experience. 



When in order, these engines, ft)r a few miles, 

 detached from their train, have frequently attained 

 a speed of 40 miles, and in one or two instances, of 

 more than 50 miles per hour. These engines will 

 carry 30 tons of freight, besides passengers, with 

 ease, 15 miles an hour, at a cost of about S 20 per 

 day, including all expenses of fuel, attendance, and 

 wear and tear of engine. The Phoenix, a light 

 engine on four wheels, has twice run from Charles- 

 ton, a distance of 72 miles, to Midway and back, in 

 tiie day, a distance of 144 miles, placing it, there- 

 fore, beyond a doubt, that the travel from Augusta 

 to Charleston can be effected in 10 and 12 hours. 



If the engines which have so long disappointed 

 us, should arrive in the course of this month, the 

 whole road can be in use by the 15th day of Sep- 

 tcmlier. The 15 miles from Hamburg to the foot 

 of the inclined plane, is ironed, and used with hand 

 cars. The mail is now carried 105 miles on the 

 road. 



DETAILS OF CONSTR UCTIO]V. 



There are four different plans of construction 

 made use of on this road, the adoption of which 

 was determined by the character of the soil, and 

 the height of the line of grade : — these are, the 

 sleeper plan No. 1, the sleeper plan No. 2 — the 

 pile construction, and the truss work. 



Sleeper Plan JVo. 1. — The sleeper plan No. 1, 

 which is a very cheap construction, answers well 

 on a good clay or gravel foundation. In this con- 

 struction, the rails, 6 by 10, arc supported on 

 transverse sills, 10 by 12, laid 6^- feet apart: these 

 sills are 10 feet long, of good lightwood or heart 

 pine, well hewed. In trimming up the excava- 

 tions and bermes, and preparing the side drains, 

 enough earth is obtained to cover the transverse 

 sills entirely, and afford a solid bearing to the 

 whole length of the rail. Most of our road on 

 this plan has been built by contract for S1450 per 

 mile — the excavation, draining and filling is not 

 included. We have about 5 miles of this road. 



Sleeper Plan No. 2. — Thisplan likewise is used 

 in excavation, and forms an admirable structure, 

 preferable to the other in being less liable to set- 

 tling and lateral derangement. In this case, the 

 size of the rail and distance apart of the supports 

 remain the same. The caps, into which the rails 

 are let a depth of three inches, and secured by 

 wedges, as before, are 6 by 9, and 9 feet long, fast- 

 ened down at each end by a 2 inch trenail, to a lon- 

 gitudinal sill, which is firmly bedded to nearly its 

 full depth in the ground. 



These longitudinal sills are put 3 feet from the 

 centre of the road each way, which bring them 

 nearly on a line, under the rails. The size never 

 was allowed to be less than 9 by 9, generally well 

 hewed in the upper and lower surfaces, and. block- 

 ed off on the edges. It is better to jog the caps 

 into the sills by a gain in the latter, and use a 

 wedge in preference to the trenail, as the pin hole 

 admits water and engenders decay. 



On this plan the inclined plane is built, but tte 

 lower sills are 12 by 12 — all heart of the best 

 pitch pine, well hewed on all sides, and the ends 

 lapped. 



The average cost of work on this construction, 

 is about the same with that of piling. on the same 

 grade— from §1800 to §2200 per mile. There 



