Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1838-04-19

Sfounton. to the Mouth eft4e Little AZ.
natsha.
For the purpose Of ascerlaining the course
Of the straight line. which connects the two
extreme points Of the intended road and al
90 in order IL form n map, by means Of which
the respective situations of the different MA.
ces TO be examined, might be embraced At
one view; survey the shortest road between
Stsunton aud Pafkersburg. The survey
was made partly by triangulation, from
mountain to mountaia, with a large theodu.
lite, partly with the chain and commas when
the nature 81 the country forced me- to resort
TO this inaccurate method.
In the calculations and plating of the sur.
vey, two kinds OF corrections have been in
troduced, which deem necessary in survey
Of such an extent. The first correction. i,
relative TO the difference of variation of the
compass in different places. / found by So
lar observations, taken With small theodo.
lite, that the variation from StaunuOn 20 Ty.
garrs valley, is deg. 81 min. east from The
latter place; It kept increasing, as 1 pro-
cseded westward: il was, on the 26th 81
september, deg. min. east, at Raymond
san works, and on The 20th of same n,UntL
deg S5 min. at Petersburg.
The other correction relates to the curya.
.are Of The sarth. Knowing, that the course
from S,aunton to ParkersbGry, did not differ
much from N. 60 W., l took this course. as
the basis Of the plating, and hav ing cslcu,s.
ted the spherical triangle, formed by this
course, and the meridsns OF Stanton aud
Parkersbsrg, [ found that a straight line
drawn from Staunton, in the course N. SO
w. would increase in its bearing about q
min. Tor every miles, and would hear N
OIL deg. 53 min. w. al or near Parkersburs
so mat on tbs account, together with the va
ration oil the compass, there would be iount
IN the course at Parkersburg. a difference o
. deg. min. from that, which would resul
from the plating, without attending 10 In,
above mentioned corrections.
MY field books contain all these calcula
iions
Numerous stakes, and marks, have beer
left along the line, in order that the orera
lions might be easily resumed, and correct.
ed both on the ground and map, with tn.
ornamental survey at any place and time
All such marks are carefully recorded ant
designated in my field books.
The length Of the straight line, b.,weer
the 1--we extreme poiats, was found by triyo
aometric computation TO he 1855 miles. Th,
actual distance surveyed by The road, is Ok
miles,
AZ is"V NtOSoCS tu0 IOhu or D6tl. IL on
The top oil the Shenandoah or Calf Pasture
mountain, % ON the top of the alleehsnv
mountain, 80 at the loot o! the second ALE.
ghany or Greenbrier mountain. From mi,
last place, the path is very devious # de.
clines considerably to the north, To some dis.
lance beyond Tygarts valley; il then takes
south-wes,erly direction, and crosses the
line again In the woods of Lewis county
near The plantation of cnpt. Gould's, afte.
which 1t devia,es greatly from the siraigh
course, by passing through Haymond's sal
works. From this latter place, il follow.
the meandeis OF the Little Kanawha TO Load.
ing creek, and then crosses the dividing
ridge, between this and Hughes's river,
where it comes back again to the line, near
70 which ii is generally found, from tina. point
TO Parkersburg.
The general direction of the line possesses
The very material advantage, that ii heads
the principal waters of the country, and that
the road will open a communication bel
the vallles OF tho tributary streams of james
river and Potowmac, without crossing any
considerable river.
The line crosses nearly at right angles a
number Of parallel ridges, which are oil very
sIeep, as far as the Allegheny mountain.
MS anu the following mountains are gener-
ally less sleep, and more broad at top.
rhe ridges, in the order they ars found
are,
Il. The Big or North mountain. which
is intersected by the line between Jenuinps'
and Buffalo gap.
-. The Shenandoah or Cali pasture noun
tain. Through this mountain there is no gap.
The two lower places, in the vicinity of The
line, are that where the present road passes.
and Hodges draft, miles to the south of il.
81. Shaw's ridge. The map shews that
about half mile Is lost in ascending il.
-. Tho Bull Pasture mountain. Over
this ridge the road is badly located on the
otasaicn side: miles south OF The road
there "a very good gap, commonly called
Stewards
jackson's mountain, o very steep and
rocky ridge. 1t is now erossed along the
Grab ran il may also be traverse,l, but with
more difficulty, about one mile more to the
south, along Stewards run.
q. Straight Creek mountain, which j,
'teeP but not rocky. II may be entirely a,
yoided ny passing Jackson's mountain, al
Stewards run.
u. Back Creek mosniain. This cannot
be crossed, otherwise than by graduating the
road on its deslivity.
-. Middle mountain.
ne Aiieghany. The point where the
ROAD and line meet on this last noun ain. is
Tho Fest place where il can be crossed over.
The ascent on the Siaunton side is very prs.
dual; on the other side, the path descsnds
on spur, and requires only widening TO
mako good Wagon road. The only OBJ.
Jeciion TO this direction is, that il runs rotb.
er too much north. But, it 10 general undl
unfavorsble circumstance, thai all the spurs
and gaps lake a very obliuue direciiso Il, ,ho