Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1847-02-06
From the Miners Journal.

5. rso From the Miners Journal.
Continuous Railroad from PhiladeIph,a
Iii ...i 20 PhtAbwrE. a. 'rsff7 ".n
This subject has excited much interest, du.
ring the past year in many parts Of the State.
II 10 one Of great importance to her future pros
perty. The selection Of proper route is
matter Of no small consequence a mistake in
this FIRST step OF the work may lead to the most
disastrous conseQuences--oniy TO be remedied
BY the future expenditure Of millions. In Phil.
adelphia meetings have been held and address.
ses issued in, which decided preference has
been given 10 what is termed the NJ Middle Route
and many arguments are adduced TO prove that
railroad on that route would not iniure but
rather benefit the State works. In this we
think they are mistaken.
Win: is called the middle route for such
rail road, commences at Harrisburg, and pas.
sing up the Susquchanna and Juniata rivers to
near Lewstown-parallel with, and in most
places in close cuntgui,y with the Pennsylva-
mia Canal is from Lewistown TO Logan's Mar.
rows, on the Little Juniata, the road leaves the
river aud is to be carried across chasms. over
ridges snd through mountains, considerably
shortening the distance, but descending again
10 near the bed OF the river, 80 that nothing is
gained in this distance, in ascent towards the
great SUNNI: Of the Allegheny mountains,
save the sctual rise in the river between the
two points. Soon after passing Logan's Mar.
rows the road begins to ascend the Allegheny
mountain. and it requires 32 miles Of climbing
along the south eastern side Of il to attain the
summit, ; and it thence dcscends 50 miles or
more to the Connemaugh--the whole distance
10 the vicinity Of the S,ste works ANer eros.
sing the Ccnnemeugh it 10 TO be carried across
hill and dale ,othe Mononguhela. and down it
TO Pi,t.burg. The whole length il stated to be
1894 miles or the whole distance from Phila.
delphia TO phtsb'rg in round numbers is 1886
miles. The road is to have ascending and de-.
cending grade both ways, the maximum Of
which s As 4. per mile. There will be u sum.
mits, and - tunnels varying in length from
$50 to 1860 yards. amounting the whole to
6l3l yards OF three and half miles.-Thcre
is to be viaducts OF bridges 80. % and even l30
high with cutting 80 and 50 feet deep and
embankmen,s 50 and GO fest high, and both Of
great length. These are few Of the gigantic
obstacles % be overcome. How many more
there may be and of what size hss not as yeI
been made very apparent. For in the report
from which the above is derived, and which is
constantly appealed to by the sdvocates of the
route Is undou6ted authority, the 80 miles Of
the n,ouatain division. the hea West, most diff
cult ard rugged part Of the ork. is passed owe,
with few details, in place Of which VIC have the
oft repeated remark that much heavy work will
occur. ..r ..r
The cost Of the road as estimsted by the en-
gineer is about 81 millions Of dollars Its ad
vocates however, say that the cost will not ex
coed million, owing 10 the greater knowledge
aad experience that we now have in maxim.
railroads.&c. this a. it may. We predict that j
is much more likely to cost IA millions than ei
ther Of the above sums, before it is fairly il
oPSaotOus NSOuufo sssV souu ubV n5 VYutptuGuu
cost equal to the Reading railroad in proportion
to its length il would not be safe to set it dow,
at less than 25 millions. Nov can road tha
must necessarily be very costly to make AM
having ascending grades Of As feet to a mill
compete with Canal whose rate oftolls is yer,
low and must continue 20, to ensure a share O
trade. iii, cannot, what is TO become of thu
investment until there is trade enough for both
But suppose it can carry cheaper than the Ca
nal, or in some other, way should obtain tn
preference, what then becomes of the Stat
works and the millions expended on them
We know it is confidently asserted, that tn
construction, of the railroad will increase tn
business Of the Canal, and the case OF New Yor
is cited. but was it the pronf! part of tn
railroad from Albany to Buffalo is s'sSctly pre-
hibited from carrying freight while the cana
is open, m at other times it is duly permitte
to carry freight by paying to the State toll
: EQUAL 10 those charged on the Csnai. The NAL
ing ofthe rail road from Philadelphia to Hal
risburg has not increased the business on III
Union Canal, neither has the construction {
the Reading railroad increased the business o
the Schuylkill Navigation, thus far, wha,eve
it may do hereafter while, it has drawn to i
self tonnage unprecedented, in this coun,r
at least. isyEsTloAroR.
I: AN ogsER 80 GOvkRkMEST.-.Th The w yonin
Troop have psirioaicslly, oifareGtheis ssrsc'