Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1839-01-07

9 So miles along the trace Of Ms. Grs line, down
the gh, bank Of the kanawha river. and terminates
IN BASIN in tho river NJ the foot Of Loup creek
tshoa' the length Of the whole railroad. from i,s
point ofeommencemeni 10 the basin. being 1913 20
miles, aud the basin being 663 80 feet below the top
OF the dam at the town Of COyingtou. =. ~,
The estimated cost of,he road 10 81, 495, 550-and
OF the engines aud tenders. burden and passenger
cars machine shops engine ard car houses, DC.
SLY oo0-makiax total Of 50 602, $50. -. i
II all the iunncls on tho line Of tho road, except
those at the Allegheny Mountain an ., S,retcheis
Neck, on Greenbrier River. which are deemed ia
dspensable should be omitted the length of she rail-
road would be 1895 miles aud It's cost would be 70
duced S55o'eo9, thereby making the aggregate amount
only S2,352,l4i. lie
Upon the whole line Of the shorter road, the only
near Stephens Ferry. on Grcnb,er river, with tho
exception Of which there Is none with u radius Of
excss than 800 feet. -
Upon that part Of the railroad extending from the
Basin in the kanawha river TO the White Sulphur
Springs, making distance Of II 65 miles. the linz
ascchds iron'Wcsl 10 Eas,,at grades which no where
coed 20 feet 10 the mile.
From tho White Sulphur Springs to the summit
of the road AT the Western side OF the Allegheny
mountain making distance Of 3 80 miles, tho line
ascends the following grades. viz for the frat
li-20 OF mile nj the rate Of 80 feet to The mile;
and FOR tho last Ia miles the OF 30 Zee, to
the mile
From the Eastern end Of The tunnel 10 the poio,
OF divergence ofthc Southern and Middle ,ou,rs,
near the mouth Of Fork Run IN he valley OF Dun
laps Creek, making distance Of I 2.5 miles, the
line dcsccnds to the eastward al the rate Of as feet
per nile.
Aud for tho - O. 0 miles. from the point Of d.
scrgcnce TO the town Of CoviDgion, with the eaccp
ton OF II single ascending grade OF ono hall nile in
length il dcscends to the Eas,w ard various grades
there being 800 miles Of this distance at tho
rate OF SO feet aud all the residue under 40 feet 10
the mile.
The result is. that upon the whole line Of l3a
30-l00 miles, from West to East. being the dnsc-
ion OF the heavy trade there will be no grade rsSf
cecding maximum Of 40 feet to the mile; and
only 4 miles rising TO that amount; and out vi
the residue, only ll20 Of u mile high ms 80 feet ,
and all the balance not exceeding 20 feet 10 tho
nc. Whilst from East 10 West, being in the d.
tection OF The light trade, there will be 25 miles
OF grades ascending AT the rate OF IS feet TO the
mile ? 3-10 miles, nj the rate oi 20 feet; and all
the residue at a rate now here exceeding 10 feet
per mile.
All tho heaviest grades are also within the com
pass Of % G5 100 miles, between The of CoviDg
Ion and the White Sulphur Spings, and 10 the i'm
mediate vicinity Of the proposed tunnel through tho
Alleg hany mountain.
From the desc ,ipton here given Of the character
OF the route proposed for tho railroad, be ap-
parent TO ALL that with but single dividing ridge 10
| overcome, and TINT by means Of such moderate
grades and with such nconsiderabie curves, IL might
not only challenge comparison with, but might
justly clam pre-enInence over, all other lines Of
railroad communication, whether executed or p,o-
jected between the valley OF tho Ohio aud the At
lanIic boarder. superiority, IN point Of advanta
geous approach 10 the Western side Of tho ,flgs
dividing the Eas,rrn and Western waters, has been
claimed by an eminen, Engineer, Mai. W. G. Me-
Ncll,) IN favour Of that part Of the Louisville, Gin
elnau aud Charleston Railroad which extends from
Knoxville up tho valley Of the French Broad River
and in this limited point Of view there may be some
slight ground for the preference claimed for that
route blu, it WILDE recolcc,ed. that upon the line
of that road, between Knoxville aud the Ohio river,
Is situated TIE Cumberland mountain at which
point, as well several other points hey ond H. IL we
right informed, difficulties Of formidable character
will have to be encountered in its further porsress the
the West. 10 overcome, which will call into requis-
non all the talents Of its able conductors.
An important fact should not be omitted, 10 con-
GLIDING the rapid sketch which has Just been present.
cd oil the railroad portion Of the Company's line,
which is. the practicabiII,y, as ascer,ancd by ,hS
examination OF the Engineers Of completing in ~
ture time, our line 0t water commune ation along
the route Of the proposed railroad; no, only in the
mode suggested BY Major w ilam q. Mcneil, iu
his survey Of this region in the year 1927 but UP
on different plan Of suppl ling the summit level,
which IN their view. would be attended with equal
success, and with much less difficulty and expense.
Ii is also believed that should the location OF the
railroad be ultimately established upon the line Of
the GreenbIieror the middle route. that that loca-
ton would present no serious impeachment to com
peiion of the line along the same route pro-
vded that, at the Joints where the two improvements
might otherwise come into conflict with each other,
any line OF canal forming part Of the water line,
should be judciousiy bfoken by the occasional in
PRODUCTION Of slack water navigation.
3, The improvement ofMe Kanamha.
The distance from the head Of navigation Al the
basin at the foot Of Loup creek shOa already de-
described, to the Ohio river is 81 75l00 miles and
the fall in that distance, is IS 90 feet.
From Loup creek shoal TO the Ohio. there are, /,
besides Ia rippes, 30 shoals, the most important Of
which are. Likcn's, IIarvys, Paint creek, Cabin
creek, Wiicher's creek Elm, Two Mile Island,
| Tylei's, Johnsons Rcdhouse, Knob, and Aibuc-
kic's o.,
The charter Of the Company calls for such an inn,
| provement Of the river TO make it nayiyable BY
steamboats, of 100 tons burhen. -,
After topog graphical survey Of the river had been
made by Mr.. Gill, the chief Engineer Of the Com
pany IN the Latter part Of August descended the riv
III boat, and made a personal examination
and in the month Of September, the Consulting En-.
gineer made similar tour; the river being at the
time Of Judge Wrights VISIT from TO inches
lower than it had ever been known BY the oldest IN
habitans. -
These two, officers have sent in separate reports,
concurring with each other the proprety Of pro-
vding everywhere depth of L. 2 feet water in Of
der TO make the river advantagtously nasigabals BY
boats, OF the burhei spec flied in the charter, but dit
iering in points the best Of eecting
the obec the Of executing the plan proposed eX
the chief Engineer foI the improvement OF tne. nvef
from the basin to its month. betty estimated 10 p
mount to the Of $40S 095, and that OF Consulting
Engineer to the sim of 26s 500.
In the maximum tonnage prescribed BY the .chtt-