Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1831-06-16

1t mas been acknowledged that these items, ex
elusive of tie rail tracks on the first miles Of
this road, leading out Of Baltimore, cost S4Ss,
IT'S IS, exclusive of all contingencies, being
81, 654 80, and allowing for three tracks with
stone siIls. making up a sum exceeding $4,000
mile, exclusive of contingencies. These even
on this part of this road cannot appear inconsld-
cradle when reference is had to the report OF the
President and Directors, from which the above
facts are obtained; wherein sixty one thou
sand one hundred and seventy seven dollars
and twenty-five cents are charged to expenses
incurred in surveys and locations, including the
pay of Engineers, and their assistants; SIX thou
sand eight hundred and sixty-6ve dollars, thirty
two cents for law expenses, fees of counsel. and
chaucery expenses; and sixty-sx thousand nine
hundred and eighty eight dollars, sixty two cents
for cost of machinery, for the purpose OF construc-
ton Of the Railroad, of transportation and weigh
ing including the purchase OF patent rights, and
moving power, contingencies, expenses OF widen
ing the cuts, and entertainments, and peJect,ns
the graduation at the time Of laying the rails;
releases of the right of way, discounts, expenses
of opening the books. Sc How much of the
S66, 988 e. cts should be charged to the first Z
miles OF the road is not stated; though it would
seem to belong to the graduation, or the per
fe,ting ofMe graduation" prior to laying the
rails; it being the part of this road, wherein the
rails were first laid Nothing is added for the
improvements, subsequent to opening the road
It would, il is obvious be unfair to charge the
proposed Railway, between 1arper's Ferry and
the Point of Rocks, with the maximum cost of The
graduation, on The most expensive part OF the
route of this road, but it would be equally cor
rect. with the course actually pursued BY the
chef Engineer Of this company, in ascertainine
the relative cost of Canals and Railroads, by re
ferriug to the construction of short pieces of Ca
nails, and Railways. under or upon precipice;
of granite, and in the bottoms or along the rocky
margin Of rapid rivers.
Much more incorrect, however, is the sweep.
ing general assertion of this Engineer, that, 'or
the most favorable ground, for a canal, its g COS
will exceed by so or 25 per cent. (the cacuat
or scorns fractions; that Of Railway" 70
course, such as he has been describing,) of three
tracks, or at least of two tracks.
| Several miles of the Chesapeake and Ohio Ca
nal have been constructed, along the bottoms o
the Potomac. for less than the cost Of a single
Railway track; one half mile, on level ground
at little more than 100 dollars. Aud the pos
sibility of this, is so obvious, TO any engineer
who will take the trouble TO make calculation
of the necessary deNh of cutting, to supply thu
banks of Canal, where you can choose its. evel
that the assertion Of this writer, in face of biz
own facts, is not little remarkable.
1t is not however, more SO, than what thu
same Engineer attemps to prove in relation t,
other routes of Canals and Railroads, than thos
of few thousand feet under the precipices o
the Potomac, to which he first gives his candid
attention.
The liberaIity of his course of enquiry toward
the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal is here agail
manifested in his statement, "that, so far as tn
structure of this canal has been prosecuted, i
has been understood, he does not say by whom
| that the estimate OF its cost, at $4,000, 900
- between Georgetown and Cumberland, ha
$ been found to be wholly inadequate; and he i
"of opinion. that unless the dimensions OF TIT
" canal be contracted, or the work be mad
4" less permanent in character, the estimate, frs
| Is mentioned, that of 100000, wilt be not fa
.s from the amount which that work will have
I" actually cost should it ever be completed tc
q" Cumberland"
1t is now we'll known, that no survey, Of any
description, for railway up the left bank OF tht
Potomac had been attempted, before the pur
chase, by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Com
pany, with celebrity unexampled, Of the ground
along the difficult passes. on the left bank Of thai
river, where they admit, themselves, that nc
choice of way existed: and while, it is be-
levcd that. no working survey has ever since
been completed of the entire route of railway
from the Point of Rocks to Cumberland, it Is
not little astonishing, that the Chief Engineer
of this Company. who has so little reliance on
the calculations of experience, entertains the
confident belief, that the Railway from Balti
timore to Cumberland, will not exceed, in cost,
5000, 1000 dollars!
TO be continued.