Weekly national intelligencer., 1850-08-03
THE MOBILE AND CHICAGO RAILROAD.

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The best route for this great improvement has been ascs
aned by elaborate surveys II passes through five States
follows 62S miles in Alabama, 27l miles 10 Eastern Mis-
sissPp, 1874 miles centrally in Western Tennessee 3sA
miles in Western Kentucky and 375 miles centrally in I'LL
nois making the distance from Mobile to the mouth Of the
Ohio river 492 miles, and the entire distance from the Gulf
OF Mexico to Lake Michigan, s67 miles It's general course
from Mobile to the Ohio ive slightly of NORTH thence
to Chicago about the degree Of north. Il
no navsabe stream (grea sma in its whole extent er-
cePt the Ohio river at its mouth II is an average
distance OF ninety miles from the Mississippi river and not
less than Sy miles average distance respectively from the
Illinois and Wabash rivers Unobsructed by the tributaries
Of the Mississippi river the west is equally clear Of
those Of the Tombecbee Tennessee and Wabash rivers ON
the east Thus in its nearly due north and south
occupies belt country almost entirely destitute Of natural
channels Of communication and forms the same time the
most Direct cheap, and durable trunk line Of railway tina.
be projected for the great valley of the West In length
is only ii per cent longer than air line with no as
cendng gradient going south sleeper than 80 feet per me
and going north 40 feet per mile and its highest
point Of elevation south Of the Ohio rver above tide 5O5h
feet Its position for the intersection of other cross or d.
vegng lines Of railway is all points very favorable to wit
100 miles from Mohi in Clarke county, Mississippi will
the Vicksburg and Montgomery line $50 miles from
Mobile, in Hamper county. Mississippi, it will receive
branch line from the coal fields of the Black Warrior Valley
via Tuscaloosa which branch may eventually be extended to
Huntsville Alabama In Tshimingo county, Mississippi,
il will connect with the line of road from Memphis
Tennessee through North Alabama to the Georgia railway
At Rome Chattanooga By branch road % miles long
will inersec the Tennessee river bslow the Great Bend
Shoal" 346 miles from Mobile. This branch extended
through Columbia and Nashville Tennessee Louisville or
Frankfort Kentucky, and thence Cincinnati forms coz
Meeting line Of immense value the States of Tennessee
Kentucky Indiana, and Ohio, and to the several railway in
erests leading from these States the Atlantic cities At
Columbus, Kentucky, will receive branch from the ST.
Louis and Pacific line, via the Iron Mountain of Madison
county, Missouri About so miles Of ST. Louis it will
inteSsect the important line from that city and Alton to Gin
cnnat and Louisville. Still further noh and half way be-
tween the Ohio and Lake Michigan will cross the very di-
rect eastery line from Springfield, Illinois, Indianapolis
Columbus, and Baltimore. At Peru the southern terminus
of the Illinois and Michigan canal will branch to Chicago
and Galena, to gather the traffic Of the Lakes the Upper
Mississippi, and finally be extended northwardly to Lake
Superior.
As north and south trunk line, these numerous con-
nexons with many not thought of which will one
by spring into existence the country becomes more
densely seted will give it immense amount Of recipro-
eating traffic. while its junction with the great rivers Ohio
and Mississippi their confluence, in this respect no less
fortunate There each and every passing will have
access to the road without going out Of its and thus
by the great number Of steamers the road win be connected
with all the towns and villages situated upon the banks of the
numerous rivers, whose waters here mingle.
The total present population, white and black in counties
to be mainly accommodated by this road is less than
100000, with aggregate export and import tonnage of
750 TONS The entire present population Of States and
parts of States, whose markets and will continue to be
chiefly at the Gulf ports, is upwards Of 600, with
estimated export and import tonnage of 4,9Os00O ons
While the whole present population of the Mississippi basin
including the portions of Virginia. Pennsylvania and
New Work, which will be connected with the Gulf by the
Mobile and Chicago road in less distance and time than by
any other avenue, 100000 The distances by this road
from several important inland towns the Gulf compared
with the river channels may be without interest," to writ
Bend of Tennessee river, via raroad 375 miles.