Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1837-09-06
CiIERAW AND WACCAMAW RAIL ROAD
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEES
To The Members Of Ike Cht1ar and Jfs
cdnsaw RaH Roaa Co tyent;on: E

10 The Members Of Tie Chcyar and va
camav RaH Roaa Co .ventoa:
The Conni ;sioncrs appointed und s.
y ,ur resollt ons providing for the EXPORT
ioi of a Fail Road route from the to-. of
Cheraw to the Waccamaw river have the
honor 10 submit the following Rcror:
The first duty Indicated % be pcrfornr,i
by them, and that which they regarded rs :
paramount in its importance, was the stI'r-
ton Of TN Engineer 10 execute the r-co:-
nolSsancc AID make estimates Of !hc preb- J.
abecost OF the projected Rail Rom. They
,I:ougit it highly necessary thai the indytl.
ual selected should have such reputation
for exI c:iencc and skill as 10 commend his
opinions to the unqualified belief and cui-
idence Of the community: but from the nov
ely Of the duty they were called upon 10 :
discharge, they found that their acGu"i;l;.
ance with iils valuable class of our -citizcps =
vas so limiIed, that they were unwilling TO !
confde entirely in their own ldgemen. An
Intellectual application was made toa dis.
lingushed Engineer, whose services in an
adjoining State had conferred on him Il very,
Ifgh reputation among our own ciizehs.-
They deemed isrrudcnt t'en 10 consult tee
experience Of otacrs: and the gentleman
". ON they finally employed wasr comlncn.
ded to then, by the President Of the Charias-
ton and C,ncanatiR. R:Comi any as : -ivl
Engineer of high character, d every way
competent io!hc proToscdunjcr,ak.n-." lia,
executed tie reconnaissance, a::tcnte -tya
portion ef your commissioners: arid in pre-.
sen,!ng his report. we take grca'r!eass,fe IN
adding 10 the high testimony of Gen. Haynes
the expression OF. our en-: re appreciation 4
and confidence in the accuracy os his es;i-
maies. The Report is accompanied hy y
neatand correct Map ct,!e country between !,
Chtraw and @Yaccamaw, designating TIE
rou'c wkici, was pursued, and upon wbci;,
the estimates of Mr. While were predica:cs.
On alo subjects emhIaectl i'll The Rrpof,
i would be labor of cxr'mc supcrcro.ato:i.
10 add IA single word, aud indeed, 50 CON. :
prch"usive is the review taken Of the wi:o!c,
subject relations, that any thing in addition
to it is demanded from your Commissioners,
only by their own sense Of the preprie'y nj
dischargng the aole duty wi,ich;yo wetcs
pleased to impose or tlp.n.t Fhcy there,
lore, design presenting a few observations,
chiefly for i!le purpose Of ilIus.ria;iogg he re-.
pori OF Mr.. WnFe. l. vii he perceived /.
that distinct Inc was laid IN yiea in the
exploration oflle .co,lstry. Ofcoursc II 3
wt,s no part of onrsdrtN- nor> was II our
privilege, 10 designate The one which, S, all
b. hereafter adopted. But ii was necessary,
for shc conysn;enceso the Eagiaacf, AMI
ine accuracy OF his, estimates, that the re.
connossancc should be confined TO dim.
i.c route, wi Ii fixed and known icrn,;nl.-s
In selecting this we were governed Cy Our
own opinion of the mos, practicable and ad-
visable route, aided by the advice OF ,h, !n-.
chi commiteesin in the respective Districts
! Indeed, there was no room for any conjra-
rie,y.. of opinion. Tie country IS so per.
iieclly uniform.in its surface and gcnerakas.
.pcct that the most direct line, is that wh sil
/. m:nu:e examination mus necessarily pro
nouncc l!.e best.
The estimates OF cost have been based
upon the highest price of the most su5s.an-
,ial and durable ma arial. With regard %
lie wooden structure, the very besi timber :
is convenient 10 every point in the route,
and can be obtaned al 50 cecap rae, .l;;.t
the mos: n;ggardIy view Of present economy
could offer that an inferior qualify. The
allowed price of labor is the, hlg!i-
est that has obtained in the coultfy darag
the period in which its staple proJuc ions
commanded price in market, g'ea'iy ex-
ceedins lis pr, sent or probable iu ure vaIt'.
The Iron selected is that which has r"sa!.
| ted from practical experimn' in OR own
State, on. the Charleston and Hamburg Raii
Road, in section Of country very slm'tir
TO that which, tie Cheraw and Waccamaw
Rail Road Will traverse, and under circun'.
stances which ent,ilc the experience o! .!.ai
Company tc the highes: crtdI;.
True; moro poadcrous raj his bccn
! recommended and most generally us'd ~
Great Britain and in the Norsesn States.
But it will readily occur 10 vnu, that Nori!.-
ern climates, where the Whole sn!ss'ratun
ofrhe road is liable TO be dis.urb:d twice
year by the freezing ard thawng Of Of HE
| earth, much heavier rail is necessary 10
countcract the effects OF temperature, Than
in Southern latitude, the influence OF wh!ct
is more ,aiId, and comparatively no; 'nlu'
rious. Nor is the difference o! clrcunisti:..
ccs confined 20 this fact alone. The grcalcr
cost of labor, the broken, and in most H.
stances mountainous c'larac er OF i'e coun.
try, It's hard and rocky s. i,mpose so heavy
an expenditure in grading and preparing t''c
track, that works of the kind can. only b,
undertaken where the duanti y of,rayeland
freight is very large. The wear oftiic rails
occasioned by friction and hY unavoidatle
yibr,,;oa under the wei slt @! the iocomo.