The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-08-22
The Galway Railroad Route.

The editor of the New York Tribune, in a recent
letter, gives the following description of the coun
try through which the proposed Galway railroad is
to run:
81 came down here yesterday from Dublin ZONE
hundred and twenty six and half miles) by the
st railroad tram ever run through for the travel
ing public, hoping not only TO gain some personal
knowledge of the west of Ireland, but also to gain
some idea of the advantages and difficulties attend
ing the proposed establishment of direct comrnu-
nication by mail steamers between this port and
our own country: And, although my trip is ne
cessarlly hurried one, yet having been rowed
nearly across the bay, so as to gain some know
ledge OF Its conformation and It's entrance and
having traversed the town in every direction and
made the acquaintance of some of its most intelli
gent citizene, shall at all events return with a
clearer idea of the whole subject than over SO much
distant study oil maps, charts, and books could have
given me-
"The Midland railroad from Dublin passes bv
Alaynooth, Mullingar, Athlone, (where It crosses
the Shannon by noble iron bridge) and Ballina-
soe to this place, at the head of Galway bay,
some twenty-five miles inland from the broad
Atlantic. The country is remarkably level
throughout, and very little rock cutting, and but
O moderate amount of excavation have been re-
CURED IN making the railroad, of which a part
lirom Dublin to Mullingar) has been for some
time In operation, while the residue has Just
been opened. (The old stage-road from Dublin
to Galway measures 1873 miles, or nearly seven
more than the railroad) IPresume there ia
with good double track (now nearly completely
there can be no difficulty in running express trains
through In three hours. From Dublin TO Hoyhead
will require tour hours and from Holyhead to Lon
don six more, making fifteen hours in all Tin
GLIDING two for coming into Galway for the trans
portation Of the mails from the broad Atlantic off
this port to London. Allow three more for leeway,
and still the entire mails NAV be distributed In
London about the time that the steamship can now
be telegraphed as of Hoyhea and at least twelve
q hope hiteen) hours earlier than the mails can
now be received in London, to say nothing of the
saving OF thirty forty hours on the mails to and
from Ireland, and twenty or SO for those of Scot
land Ia there any good reason why those hours
should not be saved? perceive none, even
though the steamships should still proceed to Liv-
erpool as heretofore.
Galway bay is abundantly large enough and
safe enough for steamships, even it is, though
its security is susceptible of easy improvement 1t
has abundant depth inside, but hardly twenty feet
at low water on bar in the harbor, 80 that large
steamships coming in would be obliged to anchor
mile or 30 from the dock for high water if they
did not arrive 80 as to hit it, they must now wait
Oft the bar at Liverpool, only much further from the
dock. But what contemplate as a beginning is not
the bringing in OF the steamships but of their mails
Let small steamboat be waiting outside when a
mail steamer is expected, Gas now off the bar at
Llverpool,) and let the mails and such passen-
gers as would like to feel the firm earth under
their feet once more be swiftly transferred to
the little boat, run up to Galway, put on an ex
press train, started for D6bin, and thence sent
over to Iioyhead, and despatched TO London and
Liverpool forthwith Let Irish mails for Galway
Dublin, Sc, and Scotch mails for Glasgow, be
made up on our side, and let see, by three or
four fair trials what saving of time would be eff
fected by landing the mails at Galway, and then
we shall be in a position to determine the extent
and character Of the permanent changes which are
required. That saving of fully twelve hours for
England and thirty for Ireland may be secured by
making Galway the European terminus of the At
lantic mail route, am very confident; while in the
calculations OF those who feel local and personal
interest in the change, the saving is far greater
But this ia quite enough to justify the inch rider
able expense which the experiment urgo@ould
involve"