The noise of the explosions is prevented by a device invented by Mr. Stevens himself.  It consists of a drum covered with asbestos or any other material which absorbs noise.

According to the inventor, the saving over the use of horses for traction is considerable.  This system is soon to be tried practically at Antwerp in Belgium, and then it will be possible to arrive at the actual cost of traction.—­Industrie Moderne, Brussels.

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WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA LOCATION OVER THE BLUE RIDGE.

[Illustration:  Location over the blue Ridge.—­Western North Carolina railroad.]

The interesting piece of railroad location illustrated in this issue is on the mountain section of the Western North Carolina Railroad.  This section crosses the Blue Ridge Mountains 18 miles east of Asheville, at a point known as Swannanoa Gap, 2,660 feet above tide water.  The part of the road shown on the accompanying cut is 10 miles in length and has an elevation of 1,190 feet; to overcome the actual distance by the old State pike was somewhat over 3 miles.  The maximum curvature as first located was 10 deg., but for economy of time as well as money this was exceeded in a few instances as the work progressed, but is now being by degrees reduced.  The maximum grades on tangents are 116 feet per mile; on curves the grade is equated one-tenth to a degree.  The masonry is of the most substantial kind, granite viaducts and arch culverts.  The numbers and lengths of tunnels as indicated by letters on cut are as follows: 

Ft. in all of these.

A. Point Tunnel. 216 ft. long.[1]
B. Jarrett’s " 125 " "
C. Lick Log " 562 " "
D. McElroy " 89 " "
E. High Ridge " 415 " "
F. Burgin " 202 " "
G. Swannanoa " 1,800 " "

[Footnote 1:  For the sake of economy of space, our cut omits the Point and Swannanoa tunnels (the latter is the summit tunnel), but covers all of the location which is of interest to engineers, the remainder at the Swannanoa end being almost “on tangent” to and through the summit.]

The work was done by the State of North Carolina with convict labor, under the direction of Mr. Jas. A. Wilson, as president and chief engineer, but was sold by the State to the Richmond & Danville system.—­Railroad Gazette.

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NEW GASHOLDER AT ERDBERG.