Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1845-11-22
From the U. s. Gazette.
sUNBURY AND ERIE AND pITTsBURG
RAIL ROAD,


sUNBURY AND ERIE AND pITTsBURG ,
RAIL ROAD.
Philadelphia and particularly those engaged in
commercial business, must be convinced of the
want of a connection with the lakes of the North
West and Ohio river of the West, by some means
Business is floating eastward New York and
Boston during all the commercial commissions of
the few past years. have not neglected to keep
the avenues of trade in perpetual notion" but
have also formed new thoroughfares through
which the rich and varied products of the West
are poured into their markets, in vast quantities,
adding largely TO The wealth Of thousands in their
cities and to the states of which they are the me-
tropclis.
We commend their vieilance-but why should
Philadelphia be so lethargic, II is a fact that
her commerce is annually decreasing by reason
of the energy of New York and Boston and Bal.
timore, in furnishing cheap and speedy means
of transportation, to and from the great West.
tPhlladelphians open Your purses, open your eyes
TO your geographical position, take the map of
your state in your hands, and examine the route
of the Rail Road that heads this article--Phla
delpha and pottsville ere joined by Rail Road
no, equaed in the United States for permanent
cy. and soon will be by canal admitting steam
vessels OF two hundred tons burden. Pottsville
at a small cost can be connected with Sunbury,
by finishing the Danvllle and Pottsville Rail
Road From Snnbury the route of The Erie and
Pittsburg Rail Road, passes up the West branch
of the Snsquehanna (at Williamsp port uniting with
the Elmira Rail Road 10 the mouth Of the Sinne-
mahoning, up this river tn the head OF Elk
Creek down Elk to Jacobs Mil, one mile above
Ridgeway, situated at the confluence of Elk
Creek and Clarion river-at this point, branch
to Pittsburg might diverge which would be about
40 miles long descending the whole distance
and having no grade exceeding l2 feet in mile
From Ridgway the line TO Erie passes up the
I valley OF the Clarion to Johnsonburg, and ther
4 takes the west fork and continues 10 its head
f. which rises near the South branch of the Teon
a is,a-from thence following the Teonista to Gran
!. berry Swamp. from which the water flows int
l., Teonista Creek and also into the Allegheny ri
t yer two miles above Warren. At Warren th'
;. Allegheny is crossed and followed to the mout!
Of the Brokenstraw--up the valley of this stream
and its tributary Harris Creek, to summit be
e tween i, and Mills Branch of French Creek. Tn
y line then continues down this to Big Frenc
ls Creek, and by the valley for three miles TO l.
Boeuff Creek near Waterford, and from this i
nearly a strait line TO La Boeuff summit at III
. head of Valiant Creek flowing into Lake Erie
le from which summit it descends TO Erie harbo
'e by an easy grade.
H. OF this route Mr.. Miller, Engineer Of the SUI
" bury and Erie Rail Road, in his report TO III
nj managers says :-"It appears that the whole di
eo tance from Sunbury 10 Erie is 2s3 miles, and
this distance are five summits two OF whlc
Cranberry Swamp and La Boeuff are of sma
consequence that the total amount of rise ar
y" fall from the surface water of Lake Erie TO tn
'' of the Sunbury dam is 430l feet--al of whi'
may be advantageously overcome by locomoti
in power, and that it is in no case necessary to
"a. crease the length of the line to attain this ra
ofactivity that on 5.Gths Of the road, no gra
exceeds 33 feet per mile, on 3-4ths none exec
"" 90 feet per mile and on 2.3ds none over l2 ft
:" per mile occurs. The steep grades are confn
H. to four places and except that of Erie in
sitions where Bituminous Coal abounds, a
, thus extra locomotive power may be used vi
advantage In this place will state for I
:, informoton of those unacquainted with the "a
that this line contains about 900 miles through
country abounding in Coal aud Iron Ore OF {
are cellent quality-ths with the other advantae
zen this route has over the roads of our Northern
for Southern rivals (such shorter and easier ro
4 OF Will enable company 10 carry passengers
Iral freight not only cheaper but more rapidly ii
, of any other in the United States. We refer ag
TO Mr. Miller. 1T will not of course be exp
ted that an accurate estimation can be made
and the cost of such work from the preliminary
pie, amnatons alone,-from as careful calculate
in however. as am able 10 make from the exist
hop data. aided by the experience | have had IN c
eed structing similar works in a similar country,
believe that in order TO finish It with dou
track OF heavy iron rails including turnou's,
tons, warehouses, machine shops, land dana
Nj and engineers expenses, the sum of s9,50so
or s33 900 per mile will be required" The
:, of a single track with turn-outs and all con
red se"''es ' ''''s '"'e "'"'' W "o'''
;, The branch 10 Pittsburg would be Tor the e,
distance through 9itnminous Coal region,
the rich Iron country of Western Pennsylva
ers' This road at $4,000 per mile, will cost S4,9
the 600, or single track, about $4,000 900.
lies Miller estimates that 100 passengers carried
aud ly for $40 days in a year, in each direction
toll oftwo cents a mile and 80 900 tons Of fre
ladp