Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1831-03-19


cannot beth succeed, contending for the Same ident
cal commerce and the same tract of location. From
the time that the idea OF the Baltimore and Ohio mil
road was hrst conceived, we find publications con-
tnually made by that company and its friends, de-
agned to cxult rail roads and dcpress canals in tho
public estimation. These publications have been cir
euiated oy the many newspapers in the city Of Ba-
more, very widely and the piece of rail road which
has been finished, at the expense as IL N aid of
double or treble the original estimate from Bstin,orc
to Ellcotts Mills has been udustrousy used to IN,
pest advantage TO extend the popularity of the rail
road. There IL great csncourse of strangers 10
that city, upon whom the performance upon that
piece OF rail road, from It's novelty has had an iupo-
sing effect THIS has assisted the city of Baltimore,
together with its wealth and influence, TO max. rail
roads quite tho favourtcs OF late. Certain II ;s
that they were little thought Of in country until
the pnject Of the Baltimore and Ohio rail rood WINS
framed; and II highly probable that II would No.
yet have been thought of had not been to coun,c,
act or defeat the chesapeake and Ohio canal from,
wnch Baltimore apprehended great injury In saving
'his mean no d'sparageincnt to the city of Balt-
more II true, ra roads England ha We received
late impulse from the great success of the Liver
pool and Manchester rail road: but the ADVANCES
whch u has are so great, that it can hardly be a
precedent for any othor the world THAT "a b,,, o.,
miles in length. and has deposited at each end d,v
as II IS SAID 1000 tons OF merchandise besides yast
NUMBER oil passengers This commerce. IL can n,
satisfactory shown, lis more than ten timas az much
az VIII probably ever pass on the Baltimore and Ohio
rail road but even this has not ENCOURAGED tho neo
pie OF England to attempt any undertaking one third
or one fourth part as great. Indeed the chief engi
nect OF the Manchester and Liverpool rail ro,d 10.
pronounced, that it would be highly incxped,en, n
| make rail roads on many thoroughfa,es IN England
where the commerce was certain to be rs much If
not more than would ever the Baltimore and
Ohio rail road Rail roads are not q now invention
nor has there been any late improvements which
were not known from the first except running car
riages by steam That cannot be done in this csun,
try and venture to say, never will be done to any
extent, because they only be used on n dead
level, or where the angle of the line of ascenI with
the horizon is not more than half decree md
where that angle does not change short distances
In England where the use of canals and mil r,oJ,
have been known for the same length of time. il
would have been thought foolish IN the extreme IN
prefer rail roads to canals As proof of this canal
stock in England has in almost all instances been
above par, IN some instances high ten fold and
ra road stock has almost uniformly been under
par with the exception of the Manchester and Irvcr
pool rail road, and perhaps, or two others NJ
short distances My object in this is to show that
we IN Virginia, IN determining between rail roads
and canals. ought not TO be influenced by the est
mates exhibited by the engineers of the Baltimore,
and Ono rail road company, well for the reasonp
above stated, as because they have been made sowo
OF them evidently with eye success in tho con
test with the Chesapeake and Ohio canal comp,nv.
and further, because they only on paper and h,v
never been cs ed proved by experience to be cor
rect, any where the contrary, il is evident tbo,
they are grossly incorrect.
! They made an estimate for that rail road from,
Dai'Ihore 10 the Vhio river, over q continual sue.
cesslon OF high and steep mountains, foI one third
oil the way at least, at 900 per mile. When tho
Manchester and Liverpool rail road-made upon
nearly level ground, in country where materials
ana aoour are cheap IN compn risOn with what tbev
are IN TINS country, and where there the most
sNliul and experienced Englneers-cost from 500 900
to $1,000 per mile, who can have confidence in
Engineers who make such estimates? Moreover in
tne next ~ miles after passing Eicotts Mills from
Baltimore, the ascent TO be overcome is $50 fee,
whereas the whole ascent upon the Manches,o- anJ
Liverpool rail road was but 100 feet. We have good
/ reason 10 oeieVe that that part of the rail road
which has been finished, unsubsa ntial as i, ia COS,
tcoic the Original estimate per mile Again these
/ Engineers have proposed and recommended ,a;I
road from Baltimore 10 the Ohio river distance of
more man "3o miles, one third of which distance at
leas', Is fllcd up with mount ms some of Thorn soo
ieet high, and having ascent and descen, of 100
idet To the mile, md in places much more with
only narrow val"s between them. Ye, thov con
template passing all these mountains Ly STATIONARY
engines, and hold out tho idea that tho whole
may be travelled thus in o. hours If tb. - ~.
building castles IN the air, it would al least be miami
ing me OF stationary engines in rank and file for
some nundred miles, the thought of which must be
oVerwheImlng, and VIC become so far los, in onr
calculations whilst attempt TO form an dca NJ III.
that we can see but little difference between such
an undertaking, and that of raising and keeninp
s'an''y N the Held an army of $4,000 or 100 600
men, lie must indeed be poetic TO imagine tho
operation OF being pulled up and let down over those
immense ridges by ropes and pullies or cbana for
distance or near 100 miles. Can we then bnvo con-
| !" OF gentlemen who behave
such mode of conveyance practicable or evnodon,3
These stationary engines suppose, will cost from
SBooo to o 600 zach, with their necessary bnId
ngs una what II VIII cost to keep them in operation
and repair, | cannot conjecture. They must stand
so close thnt one can operate within reach of tho
other' wish those Engineers had mnde some
statement & estimate ofa this wish also that thew
nad gwen us an estimate Of the expense Of keening
the road IN repair. understand that all the iron
ras and all the cars, and all The horses, must be
renewed every i've years. They ought then IN have
shewn us what quantity Of produce they would ex-
PeCt 10 DO delivered at each end of the rail road
upy after that' we would at once whether their
lstock would be profitable not for most assuredio
" " ~ not, the rail road will be abandoned
Prom calculation taken from Trcdeold, on rail
roads "a book of good authority i, is shewn that on
rail road OF 200 miles in length if it cost 900 600
per mule. 1t will require 100 tons Of mcrchnndzc 70
nc deposited at each end Of the road daily nj cc,s
per ION per mile, to make the stock net Der cent
Vow u 10 evident that the fourth part Of that ouanti
W never cen be carried on the Baltimore and Cbio
raw toso except y0u add coal and that will not bear
0OD