Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1845-09-18
For the Waterman and Journal
CORRESPONDENTS,

ALABAMA, Sept. ?, 1916.
The State of Georgia is doing something for in
ternal improvement, but for year or two past her
works have progressed but slowly, owing to pecu-
mary embarrassment, which has afflicted nearly all
of the States. Besides the various railroads run
ming through different sections of the State there
are several navgable rivers. First, the Savannah,
which is navigabe for steamboats, to Augusta, l2S
miles, during the rainy season; next, the Atima-
have and its two branches, the Oconee and Oak
mulgee, the latter admitting steamboats, Of the
smaller class during the winter to Macon, about
200 miles from the ocean; and thirdly, the Chatu-
hoochee, great river of western Georgia, and for
a portion of its length forming the boundary be-
tween Georgia and Alabama This river is navi-
gable for steamboats to Columbus, over 800 miles
from the gulf All of the rivers above the points
mentioned are shoal and run with strong current.
The Central railroad connects Macon with the
Savannah river at Savannah. This road was built
by company, and is a very important outlet to The
products of central Georgia. Its length, as have
before mentioned, is 100 miles, for the most part
passing over perfectly dead level, and requiring
but little grading. There are but few bridges on
the road and not one vaduct across it in its whole
langth. There is another railroad from Macon to
Griffin, in Pike county, about 90 miles in length.
This is very much out of repair, and III some parts
the tmbers on which the rails are laid are COM
pletely decayed. This is called the Monroe rail-
road and that part of it from Macon to Forsyth in
Monroe county believe is the oldest railroad In the
State. 1t is contemplated to continue this road
about 40 miles further, into DeKalb county, to a
place called Marthasyille, about miles from the
Chatahoochee, and about the same distance nearly
west from Decatur The grading is nearly com
pleted and the timbers are rottng by the side of
the road the reason it has not before been finished
is the inability of the company, and the dapldated
state of the finished portion Of the road. The rails
were laid the last winter several miles above Grit
fin, and no doubt it will soon be completed. The
Georgia railroad extends from Augusta to Marthas-
vile, where it meets the Monroe road. This road
connects with the South Carolina railroad from
Charleston to Augusta. 1t is nearly finished; the
cars have been running, since December last, TO
Coymgton in Newton county, and before the close
of the wear will probably run through the whole
length. road called the State road, and being
built by the State Of Georgia, is designed to run
from the junction of the Monroe and Georgia roads
through the Cherokee country TO the Tennessee rv-
err, This road is completed from 20 or 30 miles
through the county of DeKalb and cars were run
some miles above Marietta but owing to an accl-
dental burning of an expensive bridge over a deep
ravine about three miles from the Chatahoochec,
The use of the road has been discontinued, but the
work on the road is still progressing, and in few
years the Tennessee will be united with the Attain
tic at Savannah and Charleston. The bridge on
this road over the Chatahoochee is a stupendous
work. 1t extends from high bluff on the south
ern bank, which approaches here within few feet
of the river, being at least threeourths of mile
in length. The bridge is not covered the track
lies along the middle and highest part Of the bridge
which on each side descends like the roof of a
house, firmly covered with plank oyeraid with a
coat of tar and gravel, and on the sides substan-
tial railing.
The railroads at the South are constructed quite
differently from those at the North the track,
at an interval of few feet, are embedded square
pieces of timber, on these are firmly fixed tmbers
hewed on two sides and about eight feet in length,
extending along the track; to these tmbers the
iron is bolted. A road constructed in this manner
is less expensive than when the iron is laid upon
stone, but the wood soon decays and must be re-
placed. The cars pass over these roads, when in
good repair, with an easy and uniform motion An
attempt has been made to prevent the decay OF
these tmbers by subjecting them to a chemical