Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1847-11-10


| in the cost of gradation; but as the grade Of
SO feet per mile is compatible with the
safe and economical movement of heavy
trains, either ascending or descending, as
has been proved on other lines of road, it
! has been deemed advisable to adopt it near |
the summit in order to avoid expense.
! At the Mahoning summit this route is |
| connected with that surveyed by Col. |
Dodge in 1946 The report of his survey
shows the distance from the Mahoning
Summit to Ravenna to be % miles and
s,1O2 feet; the steepest grade so feet per
mile, and the least radius of curvature
1900 feet.
On the part from R Ravenna to Cleveland,
the distance, according to that report, is 81
miles and 1850 feet; the steepest grade 40
feet per mile, and the least radius OF curva-
ture / 500 feet.
From Pittsburgh to Wellsville the dis
tance as per survey made by order ct the
United States Government in 1887, is Al
miles and $50 feet. The most difficult
work on this part Of the route would be at
the Narrows, between Pittsburgh{ and Big
Beaver, and at the crossing of Big Beaver.
Sewickly, Little Beaver and Little Yellow
Creeks are the only streams beside Big
Beaver where bridges Of magnitude would
be required. The whole distance from
Cleveland to Pittsbufrg rgh by our rail road
route is l45 miles and 9, 3,472 feet.
The estimates are for single track; the
width at the level Of the road surface will
be in excavations not less than II, feet, and
the embankments will have q width on top
Of not less than Is feet.
The plan Of the superstructure is that
which is now in use on rail roads Of the
most approved construction. The super
, structure will rest upon q foundation Of
, broken stone or gravel we'll packed and
rammed, upon which the sills will be firm
t ly bedded; the cross ties will then be PLACED
f ut intervals Of two and a half feet, meas
ured from centre to centre, and securely
e fastened 10 the sills. The space aroune
0 the sills and ties will then be well packed
. and rammed with broken stone or gravel
\ The H or inverted T rail will be used
Y weighing about 80 pounds to the yard, ane
d resting at the ends upon cast iron chairs
9 which will be bolted to the crossties; tn
g rail will be secured upon the cross ties b,
0 hook spikes driven SO that the hook will
g cath over upon the fange Of the rail-
s The excellence fthis plan has been prov
a ed by the results upon the new rail road
in Massachusetts, where the line is kept il
7 good repair and great speed attained will
less annual expense than on other roads
e and with advantage and comfort to the bu
, siness and travelling community.
The hills on both sides of Big Yellow
3 creek and the North Fork abound with bi
luminous coal; there are four principa
e veins, the lowest Of which is four feet thick
!, the next two and half feet, the next foul
J.. feet, and the upper vein from FIVE to six
e and half feet thick. These veins have
}. been worked at various points along the
" valley, and the quality Of the coal found tc
+ be good. The coal could be delivered
S into the cars upon the line from two
S to three cents per bushel and in quan
titles sufficient to form large item OF bu.
= siness upon the road.
g When it is considered that this route
3 will form the great thoroughfare from Pitts
burgh to the Lakes-thal part Of it will
' constitute a portion Of the Great Western
0 Railroad that this route traverses q sec
3 ton of country Of grea: natural resources
s and inhabited bya people noted for theil
q industry and enterprise-and that it will
r connect the two great thoroughfares, Lake
Erie and the Ohio river, at the most favor
} able points, by the shortest practicable
f route-it must be apparent to every re
1 hectng mind that investments in tho stocl
3 Of this road will be Us highly profitable te
t the stockholders as in that Of any improve
f ment yet brought forward for the consider
a alton Of the public.
h From the Mahoning Summit, at tn
g point of termination Of our present surve,
@ and location, route diverging to the wes1
it ward from our Cleveland route, has beel
+ surveyed as far as Canton, in Stark coun
t ty, to ascertain the practicability OF con
b structing a railroad. The result of tn
e survey shows that the route is favorable
s This would form part Of the Great w Wesl
S ern Road, to pass along this route as ia
}. as the point of divergence, and theme
:; through Canton, ,Massillou, Wooster, Mans
n field, &c. .-.
s 1t is with pleasure that refer to tn
n meritorious conduct ofthe whole party, dur
r ing the various surveys and locations, ON
$ particularly to the zeal and ability man
n fected by Messrs. G. E. White and lsaiat
9 Linton, the Assistant Engineer, in the dis
d charge Of their duties. ...
n Respectfully submitted,
Q GEO. R. EICHBAUM,
: Chief Engineer.