Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Mass.) 1828-1830, 1829-01-27

about . mills ton, per mile, on the most
level portion Of the road, and an average
Of about one cent a ton, per mile, for the
whole distance between Boston and Alba
ny, without any assistance from stationary
powers on the steep inclinations. 1t is
shown that horse power, at the low rate
of horse keeping in this country, is cheap
er than steam power for locomotive en-
gines in England, even at the low cost of
coal near the coal mines in that country
and that the rate Of tonnage for the con-
tveyance of the principal article of trans
|portation on the Darlington railroad,
where locomotive engines are principally
used, il. a half penny, or one cent mile.
These topics occupy about third part of
the report. We have not leasure for a
further analysis of it at present. The fol-
lowing extract is from that part of the re-
port, which embraces the description of
the route preferred, and the estimate ofthe
cost of transportation.
The directors having caused such sur
veys to be made between Boston and the
Hudsy River. as were thsr,g ht necessary,
to enable them to fozm judgment Of the
Comparative advantages Of the several
routes which appear to be practicable
have selected the southern route, passing
through Worcester and Springfield to AL
bany, as that which admits ofbeing made
at the least cost, and of being travelled
with the greatest ease, and which will al
SO accommodate the largest population.
The grounds of this preference will be
more particularly stated, and some de-
scription of the other routes given, in
another part of this report.
The selection which has been made,
however, must be considered as applying
to the general direction, and not to the
precise location, of the line described.
For the final location, much more DELHI
crate survey will be necessary,to admit OF
the choice of the best ground, and the
adaptation of the route to the best mode OF
construction and should different mode
of construction be adopted, from that on
which the estimates are founded, conside-
rable deviations will probably be made,
for shortening the line. A different ter
mination, in the city of Boston, may also
be selected if on more deliberate examina-
ton, it should be found, that any other
termination would better promote the va
rious objects in view.
The line indicated by the surveys al
ready made, is particularly described in
the report Of the engineer, andan estimate
has been made by him, of the cost of con-
structing upon it, from Boston to the
boundary line of the State of New FORK,
double railroad, in the form, and of the
materials which we have already describ-
ed. This line departs from Charles-street,
in BosteHs crossing Charles RaRer to Cam
bridgeport, and again from Cambridge
port to Brighton. The estimates are for
wooden bridges across the water. solid
road supported by stone walls, across the
flats, aud an embankment of earth across
the marsh. This line proceeds through
Brighton and Newton, to Charles River,
which it crosses again near the Newton
Lower Falls, crosses the Worcester turn
pike, in Needham, and continues on the
south side of that road, at short distance
from it, to Worcester. 1t proceeds thence
through Leicester and Spencer to the
Chickapee River, in Brookfeld, and
thence pursues the channel of that river to
Sprinield. 1t there crosses the Connect
lieut. River, by wooden bridge, on stone
piers, about mile north of the present
bridge, proceeds in nearly direct course
on the north side of Westfeld River, to
the western part of the town of West6eld,
and thence along the southern branch of
the river, to the source of its western
branch in Washington. After crossing
the height of land, which divides the wa
tiers of Connecticut River from those of
the Housatonic, it descends by a branch
of the las, named river to Pitts6eld, and
proceeds thence through Richmond TO
the boundary line of the State, near the
north line of West Stockbridge. From
this point, two lines have been surveyed
to Albany, one by Mr.. Young, of Albany,
under the direction of the Commissioners
of the State of New-York, and the other
in the autumn of 1927, under the direction
of the Commissioners of this State, by the
present engineer Of this board. The dis
lance by the line here described, is "a
miles and 81 chains from Boston to Con-
necticut River, 100 miles and A chains
to the border of the State, and by the
shortest of the lines surveyed, 1913 miles
and chains to Albany. The direction
of this line will be more clearly perceived,
by reference to the plans of the several
surveys which accompany this report.
Before the estimates for the construc-
ton of the road we're made, Mr.. Willard,
an eminent architect, who has been par
ticularly conversant in the erection of ed
i6ces of granite, and with the quarrying
of this kind of stone, was employed to ex-
anime, in company with Mr.. Makepeace,
one of the directors, the quarries of gram
lite near the line of the road. His report
on this subject, which shows that abund-