Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1849-02-14

IL an erf1ng sister claim,
Aid and pity in her shame,
Spurn her but take thy stand
On higher ground, and ,-"Lend a hand!"
EPORT
OF THE CONSULTING ENGINEER
To the President and Directors Of tn
Cleveland and Pittsburgh Rail Roa'
Company.
have, in compliance with your request,
examined carefully your route from Cleve-
land to the line of the State. In this la
Dor have been obligingly furnished by
your engineer. Col. Eichbaum, with the
maps and profes of the location and with
every variety of information in relation
both to the location and the constructions.
Jointly with him have also re-examined
the estimates of work remaining to be
done. The results of these examinations
and observations | have now the honor TO
state.
The respects in which route like yours
presents itself for observation and consid-
Grafton are, mainly, four: First. its me-
ehanical properties and faciliies-as, for
example, its gradients, curvatures. &c.
Second, its expense of construction and
equipment: Third, its character as a prof.
liable investment for stockholders: Fourth,
its general relations of value or necessity
to the counties it intersects, or that lie
within its influence, and its connections
with the great channels Of intercourse be-
tween different parts Of the Union.
The two northern divisions of your line
are, mainly, in a region which extends
from Lake Erie to within about thirty five
miles of the Ohio river, and which, al
though somewhat undulating, would be
characterized rather as plain than as bro
ken. The inequalities are however. SO
slight deviations from an entire directness.
The vallies of several minor streams-as
the Mill creek, the Brandywine. Hahm's
run and others materially assist the gradi-
ents. All this portion of your route, en-
bracing nearly lwo-thirds Of the whole, has
a general directness with only moderate
amount Of curvature. The gradients, al
so, are favorable, not being quite so high
in any instance, as forty feet TO the mile,
and descending, mainly towards Cleveland,
towards which the heavier transit may be
expected 10 pass in consequence oil the
great tonnage Of manufactured articles
from Pittsburgh and of the coal hereafter
to be spoken of.
AS the line approaches with the in1u-
ence of The Ohio river the country becomes
more broken. The original high table is
deeply channelled by tributaries OF that
river, with their branches and forks. 1t
is necessary. therefore. to find way along
the valles of those minor streams: and
any route whatever will naturally be ex-
pected to prove somewhat circuitous.-
Two deep cuts occur through the dividing
ridges of minor streams. for short dis
tances only-one averaging about forty
feet for twenty four hundred feet of length,
and the other about twenty-eight feet for
length Of fifteen hundred feet. The
Yellow Sreek then offers q ready way TO
the Ohio river.
For four and three fourths continuous
miles, at the upper pare of the Yellow
Creek valley the gradient, as at present
arranged, is fifty feet to the mile. With
this exception the same fact holds good, as
to this portion Of the route, which was
referred 10 in relation to the oiher-that
no gradient is found quite equalling forty
feet to the mile. On no part of the route
from Cleveland to the Ohio nor Onward to
the State line is there any curve Of radi-
US less than twelve hundred feet; and al
though, as it has been already stated, the
curvature on this smaller section is consid-
cradle, yet on the whole route together, it
would not affect the equated distance by
more than two or three per cent of the
whole.
1t appears. therefore. that the route is
feasible and excellent one in respect to its
mechanical properties and facilities: to
which may add that the location, as now
made, appears to me TO have improved,
substantially the best facilities which the
features of the country offer. Perhaps it
may be we'll, also, to turn attention TO the
fact that the only existing gradient Of fifty
feet although even such an inclination is
not obiectionable-can be reduced here.
after to forty feet at no excessive expense,
if that should be esteemed desirable.
With respect to the second point Of con-
sideration-,he expense Of the construction
Il need only say after careful examina-
tion, that the estimates given in the Re.
port of your Engineer, and now in course
of publication, will, in my confident opin
ion. cover the expense of the graduation
masonry, bridging. &C.. together with {
neavy rail superstructure Of the best de
scription, and with all the depots, engines
and other equipments necessary for ,h'
business with which your road promises Il
open. in abundance sufficient for ample
dividends. After the road shall have beer
for some lime in operation, and the bus