Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1846-01-19

the year. BY finding when you reached your n,
s'ess arrested by the frozen condition u the canal when
a stage travelling having been suspended.) you would be
LETT In the heart Of the STATE find your wsy Richmond
by sloighs, sledges CARTS horseback foot rs cir
cnm,'anees might determine. And such answer you
give 10 yourselves such. you be assured would be
determination OF ninety nine Of every hundred Again.
you had produce the Ohio would you be willing %
encounter such delays together with the
snd expense 81 rbnshipmsnt iiom tho steamboat the
Ohio To the railroad Guysndoe and the necessary tran
shipment from the railroad to the canal Buchanan when
by gong To wheeling, would have only one uanshp
mcnt' which would take you directly to Baltimore by q
continuous lne Of raitoadi Surely you would not-and
you would not. then the line Of mprovenr mt
by canal from Richmond and proposed TO he continued
by railroad from Buchanan must fail 10 aee,mpisb the
end DESIRED Tor could contend with its riyal the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad. You have commenced
wrong you need not rub out whatyou have done but you
must begin again.
But let suppose the railroad made from Buchanan to
Guyandoi,e, either by CovingoG the circuous
route o the Horse Shoe-~hat then Why for the rra-
have mentioned already, you would find the who,
investment protess and useless; for you could nd
both the trade and travel (which will suppose Tor agu
ment sake then there would be- PERHAPS several months
Of the year when your canal particularly in the region Of
the mountains would be obsructed by ice and thereby the
entire line rendered idle aud vaueess for that portion OF
the year; and, in work Of such extent magnitude and
cost would be enabled keep up the line by
its constant employment Certainly you would not. What
iheni Why, sir. you would find yourselves compelled by
unavoidable circumstances and indispensable necessity
continue the railroad from Buchanan Richmond which
Is doubt conte paied by the friends and projectors Of
this sebeme thus not ouly furnishing lines
ncaion (eoch at great cos) between those points,
where one would answer, but creating rival and de-
structye ya to ihe canal which the State and udiy
dual citizens have embarked many millions of money
which is in every way desirable avoid for If the road
should be inside from Buchanan Richmond one these
consequences result: either the railroad would tnke
the trade aud travel from the canal aud thus break down
the canal, or the canal would take from the railroad and
thus break down the railroad they would divide and
thus break down each other!
To break down the canal, utterly and entirely. some
upn n..f .any
some propose To extend this line OF road, reaching
Buchanan, either upon the banks bed Of the canal
Sir am utterly and irreconcieably opposed both IL
enough To have sunk the capital invested that great cen
tral Improvement Us intended To have been without
sinking the work ITSELF lar has progressed No cir
abandon that line at Buchanan means Of conmunca-
ting with the Ohio riyer, altogether times
and behind the spirit oi the age but leave far as made
To work out its salvation IL is calculated 10 answer
many good ends: IL will serve 10 accommodate the entire
trade aud travel Of the whole Of Southwestern Virginia
aud especially when Connected with the
Mncadsmizsd road railroad las the may bel TO
the Tennessee line-whch should be looked u great
ieeder TO the canal together with the many lateral roads
the necessity and location Of which would be developed by
circumstances and experience.
take ior granted. there be much doubt the
public mind as TO the necessity Of having line
OF railroad from Richmond point on the Ohio ry-
err we hope To compete successfully with the Baltimore
and Ohio road for the trade and travel nj the vsey
Mississippi and proposition is construct line alto
gethef unconnected WITH and independent Of the James
River and klnBwha company its line OF improvements;
ana my plan make under the suf
new company from Gordonsvile, To which point f73
miles from Richmond it alre sdy completed by Stsnn-
ton, by the mouth of the Cowpasiurr TO CoynRton the
White Sulphur Springs to the mouth Of Geenbrier ryer
al no more practicable. route could be oundN 10 Charles
ton and Guyandote Aud the first qu, that arises H.
Is practicable Notwithstanding the confident and au-
thove tone that has been assumed by those who
manufacture Than public opinion when they under
take TO pronounce its utter impractcabity ven
tue 10 that upon critical survey Of the route which
should be made by altogether ced with
/ INV
ded To previously expressed opinions aud by
prejudice against any particular Improvement IL will be
found not only Practicable, but eminenty desirable
route do not venture TO speak thus confidently upon my
own knowledge OF the entire county through which the
road would pass but from surveys that been actual
made and from information sought after and obtained
from gentlemen O the first intelligence and
living along the line Of improvement who are not only
competent from scientific aainments decide also in
maey acquainted with the Of whom are
regularly educated engineers, though perhaps time
following different pursuits.
The first report which shall refer is that made by
Col Crozet in 1889 the Chief Engineer for the State
the route from Gordonsvie. the Blue Ridge noun
iains, al Rocksh Gap to Stanton which portion Of the
road much the formidable obstacle through
out the whole ne and which is reported by him be
perfectly practcabo; and the estimated OF not more
than an average OF about 900 per mile, with eI-
ception OF small secOn OF about even miles in the
OF the mountain, which he estimates much greater cost
But another gap, called Harners Gap, north of
Rockhsh has been asceraned be perhaps much
and more desirable route than by Rockfh From aunton
TO Covngton am not aware that the has tcea
ua surVeyedi but as TO this point that have enqured
and received information that has every particle o.
doubt from my mind its practcabily, il will per-
haps be found the opinion OF many we>niomed per-
sons IN that section OF the country present fewer diff
cules than any other portion Of the road-and for the
road from Covington TO Guyandoe it has been surveyed
over and over again. but for the present. will refer you
only TO the reports OF Major Mcneil OF the u s. corp, OF
Engineers made in 1897 the Secretary Of War and 20
the report OF Mr. Elicit, made in the year 1888 10 satisfy
even the most pudiced and scepea Of its entire praci-
| ~ Ruf -
line surveyed aud reported upon which would of course
be done before either the State individuals could be
asked to embark their means in tho enterprise And will
conclude this branch OF the subject by remakinR that
selection Of for WORK Of this magnitude no slight
obstacles should be permitted operate barrier to the
choice Of the most J1dicous location in the first nsaace
and with the additional remark, that there nothing
possible TO overcome in the construction OF road by pro-
per and Judieous application Of means, energy and
priTe.
The question to be considered is-wonId thi,
line Of improvement successfully compete with its great
rival the Baltimore and Ohio road. and accomplish the
great ends for which it is desRned7
Lot us compare the advantages and of the
| two routes to determine this
In the first place, the distance from Guyandotto to
Wheeling Is 24O miles; between which two points the chief
difficulties IN tho navigation OF the Ohio be oncoun
tered occasoned by low water in the summer and ice in
the WHITEHALL Of which would be avoided by the Guy
andotte route From Wheeling Cumberland IL 1855
| miles; and from Cumberland Baltimore, lS2 miles
making IN oil 602 miles from Guyandolio to Baltimore
30 OF which To be travelled in small uncomfora-
and inconvenieut steambons for IL is only the smaller
class OF boats that ascend the Ohio Wheeling; and
ut many seasons Of tho year. from low snd Ice
mentioned beiore their passage is obsructed and
| frequently altogether suspended.
On the other hand the navigation Of the Ohio river is
never or rarely ever, interrupted from Cincinnati TO Gus
yandoiie from which point you will have, by the route
proposed an uninterrupted railroad ue Of
10 Baltimore with the exception Of sixty miles on the Po-
omao, which, with the boats used by the
on that line, occasion delay even when the Potomac
- frozen Then again, TO distance; from Guyandoto
TO Charleston IL so miles, from Charleston to CovnRton
l69 miles, from COyington TO Stsunton 80 miles from
Siaunton 10 GOrdonsvlo IS miles, from GordoDsvie TO
Junction 80 miles, snd from Junction Baltimore ISL
miles, making IN all SIS miles from Guyandotte 20 Bath.
more being ~ miles nearer ihBn the Wheeling route to
say nothing Of tho increased speed Of the railroad route
over the steamboat route Wheeling; 80 that a traveller
when he reached Guyandote HE way TO the East or
North, would find that he would be Baltimore by tho
Virginia route almost not quito he could reach
wheeling even when there impednens the ma.
VRauon Add Ia this that the Virginia route passes through
rch, romantic country, by tho fashionable watering
pisces IN the State within % miles Of the capital of Vr-
gns end through the capital Of the Union;