The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1832-01-04
FoR THE MASSACHUSETTS SPY.
RAIL ROAD FROM WORCESTER TC
DnSTnN

/. BOSTON.
Mn. EDTTeR-The contemplated Rail Ro; Il
from Worcester TO Boston presents d varie &,
o. routes and the one which has been adnpte I.
by the Engineer is, in my humble opinion, tn g
last to which the stockholders should give the i
assent. | should not thus venture an opinio n
on this important subject, did not believe,
can give reasons which cannot fail to satisfy
- D are friendly to this enterprise, who wi I
take the trouble to investigate the subject
Local or personal considerations in all publ c
works of this kind should be put out of m q
case; we have good practical illustration
this doctrine constantly under our eye, in ii, {
Turnpike over Mill Stone Hill and over Lon q
Pond
Although do not pretend to scientific know l.
edge on the subject of Rail Roads, do claim II
possess some practical information, havin
viewed with considerable scrutiny all of til {
principle Rail Roads in this country.
All will agree, that that route shonld be 10
Gated, which can be made at the least expense
on which the greatest weight eau be trans
ported with the least power; in that direction
which shall secure the greatest amount Of bu
siness, and on which the whole distance can ba
performed in the least time. 1t is demonstrable.
that route can be selected embracing all the
foregoing advantages over the route located by
the Engineer. ami aware that an Engineer
unscquainted with the country, and surrounded
by interested individuals, companies or corpo-
| rations who are induced from interest to direct
! his attention TO certain routes and decoy him
| from others, is exceedingly liable to be deceiv-
ed and TO be led to make report from the best
motives which is not conformable to the gensr-
al INTEREST," of the corporation.
| The route adopted by the Engineer passes
over a swell of land, which after cutting 30 feet
/ deep in some places for great distance. and in
other places filling valIies by raising em5ank-
ment. to the height Of 80 feet 1t is necessary to
ascend an elevation of30 feet to the mile, through
section of country almost uninhabted for the
/ first eight miles from Worcester, where it can
never have any tributary business, there being
no water power either occupied or unoccupied
on this part of the route.
/ | shall put in competition with the located
route the one down the valley ofthe Blackstone
this route passes down the east bank of the
! Blackstone river until it arrives within half a
mile of MlIbury village. thence through a
notch in the ridge, which cannnt but believe
vas designed by a bountiful Providence for
this very contemplated Rail Road. thence in
The direction to West borough near the New
/ Eng land Factory, until it touches the located
route. The extent of The distance of this
route to Westborough cannot exceed fourteen
miles, without any obstruction, excent such as
are usually presented in passing over any level
country, and believe | shall not be contradict
ed when | say, that this excess of distance of
two or three miles could be made at an expense
Of fifty Thousand dollars less Than the extra cut.
ting and enIbanking on the located route. For
the purpose of carrying out my calculations
| will assume the distance to be eleven miles from
Worcester to Westborough on the located route
and fourteen miles on the proposed route. 1t is
not too much to say that car would move
|
feet level at the rate of twenty miles per hour,
or mile in three minutes, if propelled by
locomotive engine, at which rate car would
perform the fourteen miles over the proposed
route to Westborough in iOrty-two minutes. |
will admit that eight of the eleven miles of the
located route could be performed at the same
rate. three miles in a minute which would be-
twenty-four minutes; the other three over the
elevated ground could not be performed at
rate to exceed eight miles per hour, which
would make twenty-five minutes and half for
the three miles, which added to the twenty -four
minutes fer the eight miles, will make forty six
and half minutes, for the eleven miles over
the located route, four and half minutes long
er than over the proposed route
1t is well known that the velocity Of a car
is accelerated or retarded like that of steam
boat, according to the resistance it meets with
it is not uncommon for a steamboat, in smooth
water, to move at the rate of fifteen miles in
an hour, when the same boat under the same
pressure in ascending river, or against strong
tide is retarded to four or FIVE miles per hour.
Also car with propelling power sufficient
for twenty miles in an hour, would not with the
same power be able to move up an inclined
plane of thirty feet to the mile with more than
one third the speed. The corporation surely
will not lose sight of their interests in relation
to the comparative business of the two routes.
There can be no comparison between these two
routes, in this point of view. The proposed
route passes within half mile of the large and
dourisaing village of Millbury, which from Its
extensive water power, both occupied and un.
occupied, will soon be second TO no town in this
County as 10 amount of freight actually con-
sumed within the town in addition TO this
there is great amount of business, that comes
to the canal at Millbury, which will never cross
the canal the distance of six miles to get into
the Rail Road. This route would add some
thousand tons of freight annually to the bust
ness of the Rail Road, which il could never
have where it is now located
A FRIEND TO THE RAIL ROAD.