Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1846-09-25
THE RAIL ROAD.

ratner IMAM support SuCn plans, let the whole
system perish together. Yours, &c.
THE RAIL ROAD.
Rail Road Survsy-Healh Of the party-En-
thasiasm of the people, Sc.-Rau Road fever
80 degrees-Stock acH go up, &c.
Extract of a Letter received in this toa0n,
dated
CAMP ON Folk SWAMP. Marion District, s. C
September 18th, 1916,
S1R-Ths bids fair to be quiet and un-
disturbed day with US, have consequently
determined to spend portion OF it at least, in
an effort at writing you letter. | should
have done this before, but that no opportunity
has occurred except at night, as you can we'll
understand have generally felt too much
fatigued to undertake such task. My last
to you was from Fair Bluff, (by Mohawk.)
Since then we have progressed with our sur
vey tolerably well; having succeeded in
crossing the two Pee Dee's, the latter of which
may be said to be the most important point on
the whole route From Fair Bluff we ran
down on the ridge between the River Uum
ber) and Gapway swamp, to Floyd's Ferry
and there crossed and from that place we ran
nearly with the direction of the Road, for the
purpose of getting below the foot of a very
high ridge that runs down between the Little
Pee Dee and a swamp, Immediately along side
of the road, called the Raft swamp; after get
ting below the point of the ridge we ran for
the River, crossing it at Huggins's Landing,
about l-2 miles above the Bridge, at DR.. Gil
christ's. The crossing here is very favorable,
and do not know that it could be bettered
much. unless it was decided to cross below the
junction of the Lumber and Fee Dee, about 3
or 1-2 miles below Huggins's. To cross at
this point would effect a saving of one Bridge,
and would require, | think, not more, if so
much, Truss work as will be necessary if we
cross the rivers separately. We could not
run a line across at this point, because of our
being at Fair Bluff, too much out of the way.
From Little Pee Dee, we ran strai ght and We
nv favorable line over level country to Ma
ron Court House, at which point we changed
direction and ran across to Mars Bluff, on the
Big Pee Dee, from Marion Court House, to
within three or four miles of Mars Bluff.
Nothing of importance presents itself ex-
cept Catfish swamp, Immediately at the
Court House; this, however, presents no
other obstacle than its width, it being about
II mile Within three miles of the river
big Pee Dee,) we strike some very high sand
ridges: to cross which, and creek that makes
through them, will require some very heavy
ora ling. but not so much as we feared, from
the description we hal of the country before
reaching it. The River we cross about SO
yards above the head of Gibsons dam; that
YOU must have heard spoken of at the Marion
Convention There is no swamp on the Other
side, but on this side we get enough to make
up for it, the distance to the highlands bens
/ ga miles; the whole of which will have tc
be made of Truss work from % to 80 fee
high. At the highlands we strike bluff about
sixty feet above the level OF the swamp; a thir-
ty foot grade will bring us to the top of j
about one mile from the swamp. From tina
point, the surface of the country is very uni
form, as far as we have come, some three O
four miles In addition to the difficulty in cross
ing the Big Pee Dee, we shall have anothe
t obstacle to encounter in the matter of Timbe
for the construction of the Road and Bridge
for distance of four miles on the other sid
there is not pine sufficiently large to make
, sill-the growth being exclusively Black Jack
, On this side, after we get clear of the Cotton
plantations we find an abundance OF very fin
Timber; but this it would be Impossible t.
make use of in consequence OF the difficult,
of getting it to the points desired. For tn
| Truss work through the swamp plenty o
, Cypress can be obtained within very shor
distance of the line, as the swamp abound
: with it.
We are now on our way to the point, tel
5 miles South of Darlington Court House, speci
l fed by the Convention; which is some Is 0
/ IA miles distant, with Polk swamp and JET
t frey creek to cross before reaching there. To
/ morrow we shall cross the former, and hop
by the last OF the week to get over the latter
E and be some distance on our line to Manches