Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1849-10-26
paCIEIC RAIL. ROAD

This appears to be an absorbing question in
many portions of the country, and The advantages
| and disadvantages Of lhe competing Starting
points of this mammoth road are freely discussed
Four prominent poin's are spoken OF, and the
merits OF each are compendiously ST. lorIh in The
following article Of lhe Missouri Republican oil
Sept. 9th. The 81. Louis lCouyenlion Of The
iG.h ins. acted wisely, We think, in recommend
ing that The grand trunk railroad be constructed
with branches 10 ST. Louis, Memphis and Chica-
go, ard sending Delegation 10 The Memphis
convention, 10 urge The cooperation Of that body.
II SO gigantic work is ever completed, il will
require The combined energy and capital OF al
sections of The Union, who will seek tar and
equal share Of its benefits.
Chicago, al The head OF Lake Michigan, is
conendcd Tor by extreme Northern men, and OPP
posed ON account o; the frozen climate and It's be-
ing iCo lar north 10 bcn.li, The States equally.
81. Louis is coEtenGed tor because il is IN lie
same latitude as San Francisco. and is The great
commercial city ol The Southwest while the
No,,h Pass 10 The Rocky Mountains is said TO he
considerably north Of 81. Louis, and The Souh
Pass is long distance south. The Southern
States will also contend that by starting 81 ST..
Louis thu river is CLOSED by ice 10 The mouth Of
The Oaio in he wiaier Tine AMI that navigation
| is partly suspended in summer on account OF low
water, With no railroad running south from s.
Lcui:; and that the business OF the road will ali
be carried north by Ihe 81 Louis and Cincinnati
road, hen 10 Piltsburg and Philadelphia; and
that they will receive no direct benefit from The
same.-Memphis is contend:d for by The South
!, on account oi its being a central point Tor The
SoMhernStat-s, and large md prosperous city
while the Northern States contend that they will
no, receiveany direct benefit from this terminus
Ohio Ci,yat The confluence OF The Ohio and
Mississippi isers, is eon,ente,l Tor AS a point OF
compromise be,veen The North and South. on &C
count OF lis Geographical central position. LIS
being the bounary between the slave and free
Stal,s; lis being Al The centre Of the greatest ms
land navigation the world and a! a poin, BE-
low which navigation is never interrupted by ice
or low water, and lie terminus Tor more han TWO
thousand miles Of abroad already com mencec,
10 vii: The road TIN Charleston, S. c., TO he
mouth OF the Ohio r'er, which is completed TO
Chattanooga, and unde conlraclto Nashville, and
is in,eisected by most o,the roads in The South.
eln States, including The rad from Savannah 10
ATLANTA, and the road ifon.Richmand 10 Nash
Vile The road from Mob,o The mouth OF the
Ohio is commenced, with pnspect OF lis spec
dy completion. The contemPaled road from
Lexington 10 terminate al or ne,r lhe Al ,uih Of
the Ohio, received an appropriation o. tea lhou>
sand dollars for lis survey, al the Isl SESSION
the Legislature: "Which road, when bLiii, il q
believed will be of nearly The same Advantage 10
the Stale Of Missouri, that the Ere Cana. has
been 10 the Stale of New York" The Cenral
Railroad of Illinois from The month I.
The Ohio 10 Chicago was commenced b.
the State and very large amounts q
money expended on the road. The same is nov
10 the hands of company for completion. B!
the completion Of this, and the road from S!
Louis to Cincinnati, (the two inlersectiny eacl
o.herl Ri" Il. open two railroad routes from th'
mouth O. IN. 10 through the Northern AM
Boston: One by way Of Chicsg" Axe
~ New York and Boston, aho ''.n o,"s'
~ c;n.;nna,, ami Pittsburgh TO Philadelphia .
7 81 that il will be seen bj starting !he fa', ~
d Railroad at The mouth OF The ONO nrel. !" ;.
state Of Missouri, thai 1t VIII connec' ., is.
road The following Atlantic cues pass.
I through the middle and Northern s.sus, "
o Mobile, Savannah, Charleston anu hicnnohu =.
;. the South, and Now York, Boston ana r ,aranb
e mia a. The North. Add to this .nS Of the,
!, cal central position at the conh re. a(r,rd mo
J, rivers. which with their !r,.pnof inland nayip
: than twelve .noasssour.e wash twelve States
d Ills sf;iU Ifo J."
This road would also pass The great lr'
Mountains of Missouri, elgh'y miles from 4
!. mouth of the Ohio, the ore Of which is said
pe the pures. in The world, and nc1haus,ibie
o quantity; from this point, and tho mouth of I,
!, river, The rails and other materials for the 70
J. can be forwarded on the same as the work pr
q presses.