Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1845-09-11

mittee is the most ex ldinary IL lisa cour
oi inquiry consisting OF five members who's,
principal qualification is absolute previous
Ignorance OF the localities and conflicting in
tercsts with regard To which they must decide
Oh their impartiality, therefore, there can b,
no doubt You OF | might just as well si
down at a moments notice, and adjudicat,
upon the merits OF three competing lines be.
tween Pekin and Canton, With an equal chance
oil arriving at satisfactory conclusion. %
course they must be guided entirely by e,i-
dence, and have plenty OF materials laid before
them from which they may pick and choose.
II is the richest thing in the world TO see two
crack engines pitted against each other. The
hrst, who appears on behalf of the line
does not know and cannot conceive the
slightes; engineering difficulty. II a noun.
tain stands in his way. he plmges fearlessly
into his bowels, finds in the interior strata oil
SURPRISING mineral wealth, yet mnrvelously
adapted Tor the purpose OF tour-mile tunnel
and brings YOU out sound aud safe al the oppo-
site side, as though he had been perforating a
gigantic cheese Instead of hammeTing his patti
through whinstone coeval with the creation.
IL a lake stands in the way, he will undertake
To drain IL, with immense advantage To the
ncighboring proprietors. Ii "a valley inter
yenes, nc will bridge il with aviaduct, which
shall put TO shame the grandest relics Of anti
putty. lie has no knowledge of such bugbears
as steep gradients cr dangerous curves; a li,tl,
hocts-pocus with the compasses transform,
all tlsse into gentle undulations, and sweep.
oil the most graceful description. He will
run you his rails right through the heart of the
most populous city.-yea, even Glasgow her
seli.-and across the streets, without the
slightest interruption TO the traffic. He will
show that the kissing of the locomotive shall be
as graceful sound as the FLASHING of foun-
tain in the midst of our bisecled squares; and
he is indignant at the superstition that any
human being can be bcsotted enough TO prefer
the prospect Of a budding garden to clean
dow, with jolly train steaming il along at
the rate OF some fifty miles per hour.
The opposing engineer had contrary story
TO tell. He has the utmost confidence in the
general ability of his scientific friend, but ON
this occasion he has the misfortune to differ
IN opinion. Verv carefully he has gone over
the whole of the line surveyed. He is sorry
10 say that the gradients are utterly impossible,
and the curves approaching to circle. Tun-
melting is out OF the question. How are two
miles OF quicksand and two of basaltic rock to
be gone through? The first is deeper than the
Smbonian bog, and would swallow up the
whole British army. The second could not
be pierced in shorter time than Pharoah took
TO construct the pyramids of Egypt He con-
slders railway in the heart OF a town 10 be an
absolute and intolcrable nuisance; and, on the
whole, looking at the plan before him, he has
come 10 The conclusion that more dangerous
and impracticable line was never yet laid be-
Tore committee of the United Parliament of
Great Britain.