Virginia free press & farmers' repository. [volume] (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1827-1832, 1831-03-17

other expensive erections. An inspec-
lion Of the map would almost satisfy
IL. that his estimate Of the cost per
mile of . canal IS feet wide aud 5 feet
deep. ~ cot too low, and I am persusd-
ed that an actual survey will confirm
il.
The third plan which has also its
il tn construct . railroad
from ilarpers Ferry to Staunton. in
the most direct and practical route. -
Could this be effected il would be an
important link IN the line of commu.
n'cation between the Chesapeake and
Ohio, through Stanton, over a de
pressed point Of the Allegheny. near
the White Sulphur Springs, aud down
the valleys of the Grccnbrier and Ma
nawha; and might furnish \ strong in
ducement TO the State 20 complete IL,
and thus command the whole trade Of
The South West. including East Zen
nessee and Alabama, which il could
divert BY means Of connec ting lines 10
its various towns, in sufficient qusn,i.
ties TO fill them TO overflow ing. and
snli leave enough for the Pa,apsco and
Potomac. The cost Of such an i'm.
provement mean from Harp-r.- Fer
~ to Staunton) must be matter of con-
lecture only. IL consists Of two items,
the rails and the foundation. The to.
tai cost OF the rails Of a single track
laid on wooden slerpers, including
horse path. on n part Of the Baltimore
railroad, VAS 81, $50 81 cents per
mile. and fur . stone block railway.
SIS. lis 81 cents. Where the mate
rails are convenient and cheap, these
sums might De reduced TO four aud five
Thousand dollars respectively. The
cost of the foundation. that is, the gra.
duation Of the third division of the
Baltimore road, including a distance
of II miles and some poles. is esti-
mated and in part contracted for, at
$1,000 % cents per mile. The est
mate of the whole cost Of the Peters
burg railroad, Ia work which like the
former ought never 10 be mentioned
without paying the just tribute Of praise
I" the public spirit Of its projectors
aud supporters) rs. ] think. little more
than 100000 per mile, and contracts.
II IS said, have been actually made for
less than the estimates. Taking these
facts as data, and considering the
shght elevation Of country along the
Shenandoah; the few tributary streams
which IL would be necessary TO pas,
by cuiverts, yladucts Oh bridges; the
abundance OF materials, whether iron,
stone. timber or lime, near its shores |;
the cheapncss Of provisions, and the
knowledge and experience acquired 10
the construction Of railways which
might be brought Ia the aid of this,
should not imagine that $4,000 per
mile. IS too low an estimate Of its en-
tire cost, especially as the cost of n
angle track from ELECTS Mills to the
Point VI Rocks, 4 distance Of SIS miles,
will cot, probably exceed BIS, 900 per
mile. Should this conjecture approx
mate the truth, considerations might
be urged Of great weight in favour Of
this plan of improvement. The cost
OF transportation apart from the toll, is
less on a rail road than on a canal;
Mr.. Mercer estimating the latter at
one cent, and Mr.. Cr0zet the former
at three .tifths Of cent per ton per
mile. The tolls to produce the same
revenue. would not be greater, unless
the cost OF the road was NJ least third
more than that Of the canal. because a
considerable revenue would be yield
cd by II from the travelling. and pro-
badly from the transp0rtion Of the
mail. Its adaptation To these purpo-
ses constitutes another of its importan,
advantages. The celebrity with which
burdens OF very great magnitude are
transported, is also a principal one,
and IN particular states Of the market.
would be decisiveIy in favor Of the
agrIculturist. It is proved by actual
experiment upon the Baltimore road
that an average speed Of ten miles an
hour may be easily secured, sud re-.
Gently q locomotive engine took 81
tons l c~f. Of produce from Liver.
pool to Manchester (equal to SIS bar.
rels Of four At the rate If Ioi miles
an hour. What would . substantial
farmer, making $500 bushels wheat,
think Of carrying his WHOLE crop 10
Baltimore in ONE day, returning the
next with his plaster, iron and Croce.
ries' A canal or river Improvement
- sometimes obstructed for a conside.
Tsble time by ice, &c. but a rail road
never more than a few hours. Tbi,
has just been demonstrated near Bal.
timore, by the facility with which in
single day the track has been cleared
and the cars put into operation, not
withstandig the snow was in some
places more than ten feet deep. Above
all. science and human ingenuity, seem
capable Of introducing greater i'm.
proysments both in the construction
Of railways and the application Of the
moving upon them than 10 any ether
mode oi transportation. Since the