The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-12-01
Tour OF Inspection over the Route Of the
Hudson River Railroad.


On Wednesday la st, a large number .of the d.
rectory, shareholders and Others interested in this
undertaking, made up party for the purpose Of
examining the works along the line, and the pro
GRE IS which has been made towards Its compile.
ilon. The nature and magnitude Of the engineer
ing operations, the depth OF the cuttings, the
length Of the tunnellIng, and the ragged aud PIC
ture sque chaI acter OF many parts OF the country
through while the line passes, invested the trip
with degree OF interest that was equally partici-
pated by engine ers, as well as shareholders. Inc
whole distance traversed by the party extended to
point which erE aged attention. This section OF
The Dad runs core to and parallel with the river,
and is IN a considerable state OF forwardness,
being ready for laying down the rails. Along his
section, for a consldt rab!e distance, there Is
embankment against the entertainments of the
river, consisting oil sea-wall, about TOUR feet
thick This feature OF the road furnished topic
for some rather diversified opinions on the proba-
bic durability OF the work itself, well the po
licy of carrying the line in that dlr.ctlon. Ii was
the opinion of some, whose Judgment on such
matters is entitled to considerable weight, that
this wall will never be able to resist the nnpetue-
city of the winter currents and that 1t must crum-
BILE away before the assaults OF the little ice bergs
that will be drlfted towards II with irresistible
Jury, during a severe winter. Others, again, were
of different opinion, and SCENE to think that 1t
would be more than match for the dia-
pdating effects OF the water, and the fury OF the
storm Whatever may be Its capabllity, time
will tell but IN the mean time, 1t would be hazard
ing a premature judgment to pronounce deci-
sively one wav or other. 1t can at present be
considered only in the light OF an experiment, and
we shall wato WITT ess the effects OF severe WIN
ter upon ii before we guaranty Its success. The
consideration of these several views natu ally
led to the inquiry whether the difficulty aud dan
ger of this part OF the line might not have been OBJ
waited by the selection Of another route; and not
few gave II as their opinion that better section,
and one not open to the objections above stated
might have been made by running the line little
more towards the interior, aud through the Saw
Mill Valley, much in the same direction as the
CrOton aqueduct. BY this route there would be
but tiflIng cuttings embankments, the gradients
would not he very large. the curves would be In
considerable, and, IN fact, there would be no engl-
neerlDg d. fficulties OF any magnitude. The out
lay first might be little greater In consequences
of the purchase of the land and the comparatively
greater diff Guilty of constructing the line; but
when the cost of this sea wall is taken into ac-
count, and the repairs which from time to time
may be ne cessary, the section we have suggested
might NOT, in the long run, prove the most expen-
sive. We should not be much surprised II II may
yet become necessary TO make such a deviation
AT Fort Washington the works begin to increase
in magnitude, where the passage runs through the
Highlands. At this point the solid rock was cut
INTO 6iy-f feet, at a cost, we were informed,
very little short of 100000. The next place OF
any interest touched at, was Phillips Hill, lit
tie below West Point. A tunnel $50 feet in
length is here IN process OF construction, the
| examination of which, as well as the various
| appliances for economiz,ng time and labor In
| IT'S construction, we've particularly interesting.
| New Han burg was the only remaining point OF
exploration. There Is tunnel here seven hun
! dred feet long but the nature OF the works was
| of a similar character TO those which had been al
ready examine d. IL was now thought that the sur
| vey had been continued far enough, and the party
| reimned, arriving in New York about eleven
| o'clock. Altogether about ioriy-hve miles OF road
| have been nearly completed. There are four thou
sand eight hun dred abOrers at work on the line
! With regard TO the future prospects and CONNER
cial success OF this great northern route, this Is
but as Every description OF view, both financla
and engineering, was INDUCED IN during the uip
was interesting, II not amusing, to hear the va
nous hopes and fears that EXPIRE ssed concern.
| ing it. The majority, of course, pronounced the
| speculation as certain to be remunerative but
nom their earnestness of manner, and the oracular
| and unctous way IN which they gave expression
| to this view, one could not help entertaining the
| impression that with this class " the wish was
| father to the thought" Some, again, who were
| not 10 orthodox, (and how they managed ts get In
am ong the true believers could not be wei ascer-
| taIntd) called 1t another " South sea ouObe =
| that u would never stand the competition OF the
majestic Hudson, and its formidable rlval running
| little more TO the interior and that so TAI from
woyinp II mune rative, IL would never pay the cost
| Of working much less the cost oil construction.
| Whatever ruth there may be IN either OF these
views. il il impossible now to give any opinion.
| II must be confessed, however, that II is great
| enterprise; and whetherits projectors may reup the
golden proftihey anticipate, or not the WORK isel,
It's erglh the physical obstacles IN The way oil Its
construction furnish other powerful evidence OF
Il A ennlss