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RAILROADS, PACIFIC AND MONT CENIS. The Central Pacific Railroad Company of California is now building a railroad, which, in connection with lines completed, will cross the continent in a direct line from New York, on the Atlantic, to San Francisco, on the Pacific Ocean.

It is called the Pacific Railroad, and is being constructed under the patronage and grants conferred by the Federal Government, and is intended to connect the railroad system of the United States with California, etc.

The distance from New York to San Francisco, via Chicago, Omaha (on the Missouri River), Salt Lake, and Sacramento, is about 3,300 miles.

Omaha, the eastern terminus of the great national road, is about 1,450 miles west of New York.

The work is divided between two organizations (financially separate), one, under the title of the Union Pacific Railroad, constituting the eastern division from Omaha to near Salt Lake; and the other, the Central Pacific Railroad of California, extending from the tide-waters of the Pacific to near Salt Lake, where it is esti mated the two lines will unite, the east and west, during the year 1870.

The Pacific Railroad is estimated to cost one hundred million dollars. Of this sum the United States Government give the use of fifty million dollars United States six per cent. bonds for thirty years; also the fee simple of 12,800 acres of land per mile along the line of the road, creating a magnificent domain for the companies, of about 220,000,000 of acres of valuable land, which is rapidly becoming more so as the railroads are extended.

The timber on the lands in California is of immense importance to that State and Nevada. It is a common occurrence to find the sugarpine growing 125 feet high before reaching the first branches, and 8 feet in diameter at the base, while large numbers of trees are found measuring 34 feet and 4 feet in diameter. The supply of wood and timber in many places is becoming very scarce for mining and other purposes, and it is therefore rising in value annually.

The Central Pacific Railroad of California commences the ascent of the foot-hills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains seven miles from Sacramento (tide-water of the Pacific), and from thence to the summit of the mountainpass 7,042 feet, and 105 miles distant; there is à continuous series of heavy ascending grades and sharp curves. The maximum gradients on this portion of the line are 1 in 451, of which, however, there are less than six miles, and the sharpest curves are 575 feet radius, but there are only a very few examples of this kind.

The Sierra Nevada Mountains are remarka

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bly forbidding in appearance and reality for the purposes of railway building and operating: and to those who are unacquainted with this mountain topography, and accustomed to the lesser elevations and gentler slopes of Europe and the Atlantic States, it will be difficult to convey an adequate idea of the irregularities of surface which attach to them. The general direction of this mountain-range is parallel with the coast, and the western slope is intersected by numerous rivers and their tributaries, having their sources near the summit of the Sierras. The rivers run through deep gorges or cañons, in many places from 1,000 to 2,000 feet in depth, with sides varying from perpesdicular to slopes of 45 degrees. The ridges between these water-courses are sharp, well de fined, and in many places so narrow on the top as to leave barely room for a wagon-road to be made without excavating the surface of the ridge. The branches of many of the rivers course through cañons as deep as those of the rivers themselves, and present physical barriers to lines of communication crossing them in a northerly and southerly direction.

The short distance from the western terminus to the summit, 105 miles, and the deep cañons to be avoided, rendered it necessary to adopt steep grades and sharp curves to attain the summit elevation; but all these formidable difficulties have now been overcome, the line is finished and in operation to the summit, and the earthworks and bridging are completed for fifty miles eastward to the eastern base of the mountains. In September the rails were laid to the summit of the pass, and the locomotive steam whistle now sounds its sharp notes from a greater elevation than it has ever before attained, marking an important event in the era of railway enterprise.

From the eastern base of the mountains, for about 575 miles to Salt Lake, the construction of the railroad, for its extent, is remarkably easy and cheap, the greatest cost being equipments, cross-ties, and iron. The line follows the valley of the Truckee River down to the big bend (where the river turns abruptly to the north), and from there to the valley of the Humboldt River, to nearly its source, thence to Salt Lake, and the initial point of meeting of the Union Pacific Railroad from the east.

The following table will show the number of miles lying within certain elevations above tidewater from Sacramento to Salt Lake:

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The construction of 150 miles of mountain road, and that, too, across one of the most formidable ranges in the world, where so few important streams are crossed, and so small an amount of bridging actually required, presents an anomaly in the history of railroad enterprise.

The company are building and equipping the road in a first-class-manner throughout; their locomotives, cars, etc., are of superior materials and workmanship; and the iron rails are of the most approved American pattern, weighing 60 pounds per yard, the joints of the rails being fished with wrought-iron plates, bolts, and

nuts.

The tunnelling is not of any great extent, and the material pierced is generally of such a character as not to require lining. The longest tunnel on the line is at the summit of the Sierra Nevada, and it will extend 1,658 feet through a very hard tough granite. The progress here was rather slow in the outset, but the introduction of nitro-glycerine as a substitute for powder has enabled the company to make rapid progress since. All the other tunnels are completed. Whenever cuttings have occurred in constructing the mountain work, rock has been found in all conditions of hardness, from the softest slates and shales to the hardest serpentine and granite.

it has been planned with a view to strength, safety, and durability, the ties, stringers, corbels, and caps being of best quality of pine from Puget's Sound (nearly equal to oak), and the posts, braces, sills, and piles of redwood. The main posts, 12 inches square, are placed perpendicularly, let into a sill 12 inches square, with mortice and tenon, directly under the bearing of the track stringers. Two posts, 12 inches by 12 inches, extend down on the outside of the main posts, with a run of 1 foot in 3 feet to the sill, to which they are tenoned, being also bolted at the top to the main posts with inch bolts and cast-iron washers. The sills rest on piles, on stone foundations. When piles are used, they are so driven as to come directly under the main posts and braces.

The posts are capped with a timber 12 inches square and 9 feet long, into which the posts are tenoned and pinned. Upon the caps rest the corbels, 12 inches square and 9 feet long; upon these corbels are laid the stringers, 12 inches by 15 inches, which are secured by iron bolts passing down through the stringers and corbels. The caps are notched 1 inch to receive the corbels. Upon the stringers rest the cross-ties (or sleepers), securely fastened down to the stringers, and on these are laid the rails, which are secured in the usual manner. The "bents," or frames, are placed at

Wherever trestle bridging has been employed, intervals of 15 feet from centre to centre.

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country from ocean to ocean is already very large, and on the increase, notwithstanding all the delays, discomforts, and terrors of a sea voyage vid Panama, etc.

It now requires from twenty to twenty-three days to make the journey from New York to San Francisco via Panama; but when this line is completed the trip will be made within seven days, and then, in connection with the line of steamships already running regularly between San Francisco and Hong Kong, the trip can be made from New York to Hong Kong in less than thirty-five days.

The Mont Cenis Summit Railway.-Trains have passed over this line of railway, by means of which the system of French railways, terminating at St. Michel, in Savoy, connect with the railways which commence at Susa, at the southern or Italian foot of the Pass, and which now connect together, and extend either directly or circuitously to all the leading places and cities of Italy. The length of this railway system is at present 3,040 miles, and there is every prospect of about 250 miles being opened for traffic in the course of this or next year. The railway is upon a portion of the road-bed of the Mont Cenis Pass, the total length of which is 49 miles; the gauge of the railway is 2 feet 7 inches, and a width of carriage-way is left for road-traffic of at least 16 feet. For the purpose of increasing adhesion without increasing weight of engine, Mr. Fell has invented and patented a form of centre rail, parallel with and exactly in the centre between the two ordinary rails, 9 inches above, and in order to obtain adhesion to the centre rail, the engine has, in addition to the ordinary perpendicular wheels, 4 horizontal wheels, 2 on each side of the engine, which are made to rotate along the sides of the centre rail by identically the same steam from the cylinder that operates upon the perpendicular wheels. The effect of this rotation of the horizontal wheels upon the sides of the centre rail is to increase its adhesion. The amount of this increased adhesion was proved last year: an engine ascended an incline of 1 in 12, equal to 400 in the mile, with the steam acting only upon the horizontal wheels. The weight drawn was 7 tons. With steam applied to both the perpendicular and the horizontal, the weight drawn was 24 tons. In this fact is contained the whole secret of the extraordinary development and marvellous increase of power obtained by the introduction of the centre rail combined with the action of the horizontal wheels upon it. There is no curve on the Mont Cenis Railway of greater radius than 44 yards, and the engines and trains go round them without the slightest apparent difficulty or additional strain, and with a total absence of that grinding which is invariably heard by passengers in an ordinary train going round curves. The passage of the mountain may be divided into two nearly equal parts-that from St. Michel to Lansle

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bourg, little less than 25 miles, and that from Lanslebourg to Susa, a little more than 24 miles. St. Michel is 2,493 feet above the level of the From thence to Lanslebourg the rise is only 1,994 English feet, or at the average rate of nearly 80 feet to the mile. At Lanslebourg the real work of climbing commences. From here to the summit, exactly 63 miles, the ascent is 2,214 feet, or at the rate of 350 to the mile, with several curves, the radii of which are only 44 yards. The whole distance was traversed by the first excursion train in precisely 47 minutes, or at the rate of 8 miles an hour. At La Grande Croix, nearly 5 miles from the summit, the descent of the mountain commences. The brakesmen having received proper instructions (for they had never previously seen or been upon the line), the train started, and it was at once seen that for 6 miles to Mollavetta the gradient is 1 in 14, or 376 feet in the mile, and from Mollavetta to 63 miles it is not much better, being 1 in 15, or 350 feet in the mile. From the admirable arrangements of the break-power, the train is as completely under subjection as if running upon a nearly level rail.

The use of two outside rails and one central adhesion rail was patented many years ago, in this country, by Mr. G. E. Sellers, and its use was advocated by Mr. Trautwine, the engineer of the Panama Railroad. The engines were so built, but the engineer who succeeded him concluded to cut down the road and use common engines. An engine, weighing 1,100 pounds, was run in New York on this plan, which was capable of drawing 30 pounds up a grade of 250 feet to the mile with ease. The plan on which they were constructed was better than that at present used in Europe, as they were so made that the whole weight of the train should act in producing adhesion, so that the heavier the load the harder the grip on the central rail.

REFORMED CHURCHES. I. THE "REFORMED CHURCH IN AMERICA."-This is the new name of the former Dutch Reformed Church.

The long-discussed movement in the Church for a change of the official name of this Church from "Dutch Reformed Church" to "Reformed Church of America" was brought to a close in 1867. The General Synod, at its meeting at Geneva, N. Y., in June, declared in favor of the change by a vote of 102 yeas against 7 nays. The question being then submitted to the vote of the classes, 25 recorded themselves in favor of it, and 6 against it. Those voting in favor of the change were: Holland, Albany, Paramus, Rensselaer, Schoharie, Hudson, Saratoga, Greene, Schenectady, Long Island (South), Montgomery, Cayuga, Kingston, Geneva, Passaic, Michigan, Monmouth, Raritan, Illinois, Poughkeepsie, South New York, Westchester, South Bergen, Philadelphia, Orange. Those voting against were: Bergen, Wisconsin, New York, New Brunswick, North Long Island, Ulster. In a total of 681 votes cast, the ma

jority in favor of the amendment was 371.* At an extra meeting of the General Synod, which began at Albany on November 20th, final action on the change of name was taken, 112. members voting in favor of the change, to 7 opposed. The number of those in favor was afterward increased by 5, who desired their names to be recorded in the affirmative. The statistics of this Church, in 1867, were as follows:

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Benevolent
Contributions.

$17,329 11
3,708 96
14,617 20

2.282 10

The receipts of the Board of Domestic Missions for the last year were $25,208.28. The Board have extended their care to 86 churches and stations, with 4,213 families and 5,839 communicants, 96 Sunday-schools, and 5,652 scholars. The number of domestic missionaries and missionary pastors is 76. The receipts of the Board of Foreign Missions were $119,530.89, an amount considerably exceeding the receipts of any former year. The statistics of the foreign missions of the Church were as follows: 1. Amoy, China: missionaries and assistants, 6; members, 626. 2. Arcot, India: missionaries and assistants, 14; members in congregations, 1,525; communicants, 341; scholars in vernacular schools, 312 boys and 55 girls. 3. A mission has been established in Japan, in which six missionaries and assistant missionaries are engaged. They teach two schools, containing about 200 pupils, and have also private classes. Altogether, the foreign missions contain 20 missionaries and assistant missionaries, 3 native pastors, 54 native helpers, 15 churches, 17 out-stations, 698 communicants, 31 schools and seminaries, and $805 contributed from the natives. The following table shows the 1,865 79 growth of this denomination since 1820: 5,605 86

4,016 12
3,626 97
2,248 68

6,419 13
1,341 80
2,283 04

8,180 45

5,671 43 29,113 66 692 48 905 46 6,672 11 98,808 45 16,059 00

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7,181 33

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Raritan..

2,418

2,187

4,617 10

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5,081 37 4,758 64

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II. GERMAN REFORMED CHURCH OF THE UNITED STATES.-The Reformed Church Messenger gives the following as the official statistics of the Church in 1867: General Synod, 1; District Synods, 3 (Eastern Synod, Ohio Synod, German Northwestern Synod); classes, 29; ministers, 491; congregations, 1,152; members, 110,408; unconfirmed members, 68,448; baptisms, 11,585; confirmations, 6,781; received on certificate, 2,992; communed, 93,760; excommunicated or erased, 230; dismissed, 1,471; deaths, 3,793; Sunday-schools, 939; Sundayschool scholars (only partially reported), 36,268; contributions for benevolent purposes, $65,089.70.

The Church has six colleges, at Lancaster, Mount Pleasant, Meyerstown, and Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, Tiffin, Ohio, and Newton, North Carolina; one college institute, at Reimersburg, Pennsylvania; two theological seminaries, at Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, and Tiffin, Ohio, and a mission-house, at Howard Grove, near Sheboygan, Wisconsin.

The Board of Home Missions in 1867 had 70 stations under their care. Over $14,000 were contributed to this object, and upward of $12,000 for Church extension.

The Church has 5 English papers (1 quarterly, 2 monthlies, 2 weeklies), and 6 German (1 quarterly, 2 monthlies, 1 semi-monthly, 2 weeklies).

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The following table shows the growth of the jority of whom are "Liberals" (Rationalists), denomination since 1820:

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A convention of members of the Church, which was called at Meyerstown, Pa., on the 24th of September, took ground against ritualism, and condemned some of the features of the "Revised Liturgy as at variance with the old liturgies, and with the Heidelberg Catechism and the Word of God. Upon the resolution of the Meyertown convention being presented to the Eastern Synod at Baltimore, that body pronounced the convention and its proceedings irregular and schismatic, and warned the members of the Church against attending meetings "calculated to interfere with the peace and prosperity of the Church."

III. REFORMED CHURCHES IN EUROPE.-In Germany, most of the Reformed Churches have been absorbed by the United Evangelical Church. Before the establishment of the United Evangelical Church, the Reformed Church prevailed in Hesse-Cassel, Anhalt, Baden, and Lippe-Detmold.*

The Reformed Church of France had, in 1860, 105 consistories, about 1,045 congregations, 826 church-buildings,; 1,139 schools and a theological faculty at Montauban. A large number of the ministers are "Liberals" (Rationalists) in theology. A decree of the Consistory of Caen, requiring all desiring to take part in the Church elections to assent to the Apostles' Creed, excited much opposition on the part of the liberal division of the Church. It was finally annulled by the Minister of Worship, M. Baroche, who based his decision on the fact that the Central Council of the Church, a body selected by the Government several years ago, declared that the certificate of admission to communion was sufficient evidence of the candidate's standing. To get rid of this and other difficulties, the principal Consistories demand that the Government shall convoke a General Synod of the Church. This body has not met since the beginning of the French Revolution. Several eminent men have asked an audience of the Emperor, in order to secure its convocation. The elevation of Dr. Grandpierre to the presidency of the Consistory of Paris, and of the Rev. D'Hombres to a pastorate of Paris, in spite of the claims of the Messrs. Coquerel (Liberal), is regarded by the Liberals as further separating them from the orthodox party.

The Reformed State Church of Holland had, in 1860, 1,800,000 members, 1,272 congregations, 1,511 clergymen, the overwhelming ma

*Statistics in detail of the Reformed Churches of Ger

many may be found in Schem's American Ecclesiastical Almanac for 1868.

The number of classes 43, forming 10 provincial Synods. The General Synod meets annually. There are theological schools at Leyden, Utrecht, Groningen, besides the Athenæums st Deventer and Amsterdam. The Free Reformed Church has 28 classes, from 50,000 to 70,000 members, and a theological school at Kampen.

Before the union of Belgium with Holland, Belgium had only 4 Reformed congregations. The number increased during the Dutch rule. In 1838, all the Protestant congregations which received support from the state formed the "Protestant Union," which united under one Directory several evangelical denominations. The majority of the congregations are Reformed. Total number in 1859, 16.

Switzerland had, in 1860, a Protestant popalation of 1,417,754, who, with the exception of a few thousand Lutherans, Mennonites, and Independents, are members of the Reformed Church. In some cantons, especially in Geneva and Vaud, there are Free Reformed Churches besides the National Reformed Churches. The election of the Consistory of the National Church in Geneva this year resulted in the triumph of the orthodox party. The Consistory is chosen for four years.

In Russia the Reformed Church has a population of about 200,000 souls, about one-half of whom live in Lithuania, where they are di vided into four districts.

The Reformed Church of Austria, or, as it is there called, the Church of the Helvetia Confession, numbered, according to the last official census.a total population of 1,869,546, of whom 1,453,009 were in Hungary, and 297,419 in Transylvania.

IV. THE REFORMED CHURCH IN SOUTH AFRICA. The Dutch Reformed Church has a considerable number of congregations in the countries of South Africa (Cape Colony, Transvaal Republic, Orange Free State, etc.). The Dutch Reformed Synod of the Cape Colony has for years been considerably disturbed by the Rationalistic controversy. The meeting of the Dutch Reformed Synod of the Cape Colony was opened on the 8th of October. It excited much interest, but ended abruptly and unsatisfactorily. The first question to be determined before it was whether the Rev. Messrs. Burgers and Kotze, the clergymen whose doubted orthodoxy caused the legal proceedings that were adjudicated upon by the Privy Council on an appeal adverse to the Synod, should or should not be at once recognized as ministers of the Church and members of the Synod. A considerable minority of members thought the judgment of the Privy Council should be acquiesced in. The majority, however, decided that the Synod should be adjourned sine die, until an answer could be obtained to a petition transmitted to the Queen, to have it cleared up whether the judgment of the Privy Council was intended to have effect only quoad temporalia, or wheth

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