The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1851-01-09
VOLUME lO.-NO. Is.
DAVENPORT 1 IOWA CITY BAIL ROAD.
ENGINEERS REPORT.

DAVENPORT 1 IOWA CITY RAIL ROAD.
ENGINEER's REPORT.
TO lie Grand Byington and Others, Direc.
tors Of the Davenport and Iora City
Rail Road Company:
GENTLEMEN Ill 10 very common and
natural impression amongst persons who
no,sess but superficial knowledge Of the
subiect, that route for Rail Road can be
established wherever their peculiar inter.
eats lead them 10 desire it. When, however
! Orea, line has to be located, there is but
one course for an engineer to pursue.-
Unless restricted by bis employers he must
be governed by those mechanical princi-
ulcs upon which the efficiency of Rail
road depends. What appears to others per-
fec.Iy feasible, he frequently regards as in
furious to the objects Of his survey. The
Davenport and Iowa City Railroad is one
Of unboundcd Importance, and involves in
i,s operation, not merely benefits to the i'm
mediate district through which il passes,
bu, the interests Of wide spread country,
and the welfare, at no distant day, Of an
immense population. Il SCENE therefore,
perfectly reasonable and necessary, that
The route upon which it may be built,
should be selected where its grades and d.
rec,ion might be in strict conformity TO
those fundamental rules which experience
has established. Il may be considered
very fortunate that line has been found
so we'll adapted TO the immediate objects Of
your enterprise, and 50 remarkably fitted,
10 every respect, to the magnificent pros
pec,ive Improvements hereafter 10 be un-
dertaken. Ny examinations, corroborated
by subsequent measurement, have enabled
mo 10 decide that there is no other route
that is in any respect comparable 10 the
one selected. On the north side Of the
route which is here reported, the approaches
10 the Cedar river were very Objectionable,
whilst between that river and Iowa City,
the country was too much broken up into
ridges and hollows. On the south side Of
the line, il is wholly impracticable for such
route MS have deemed essential, and the
nearer to the Mississippi my examinations
extended, the more forbidding was the form
Of the country.
The surveyed line, after leaving the
landing al Davenport, proceeds near and a
long the bluff in a westerly direction, and
passing through ravine two miles below
,own, rises to the prairie over ground con-
siderably broken and rolling, aud present
ioy the Characteristic features oi al the
lands in the vicinity Of the great river
The grade is here thir.y-fve feet TO the
mile for three and half miles but does no!
exceed twenty feet in mile on my other
part Of the line A different location near
Davenpor, is also practicable, and will pro-
badly be hereafter deemed exPedient, by
which the grade from the river will also bs
reduced 10 twenty feet per mile. The sur
yey further west, was continued along the
valley Of Duck Creek, and by ravine ex.
tending from il 10 tho highest ground be-
tween the Mississippi and Cedar rivers
From this SUNNI, along the depression
formed by Mud Creek favorable ground pre-
sen,ed itself, and very Iigh. grado was
preserved. Al Moscow, little above the
ferry, rocky bottom in the stream can be
made available for the sbutments aud piers
Of a bridge. The measurement for its
length is 74O feet between the extreme
banks, which are above high water mark.
Stone suitable for masonry, can be procur-
ed on the rircr a little ADORE, and easily
fontcd on scoms to the rork.
From Cedar river the route winds around
bluff upon an extensive fiat, and following
the valley Of the Wapsenonoc for many
miles, diverges by one ofits branches along
beautiful and level valley to section 10 OF
Township 70 in Range 5. Here the dly'd-
ing ridge between Cedar and Iowa rivers
must DO passed, involving tho heaviest cut
ting in the route, whereby an opening is
made from the last named valley into
deep hollow on the west. The survey was
continued along this hollow until It inter
sec.ed the South line Of section u; thence
it follows the section line for mile and q
half, on ground noarly lovel, and winding
gradually to the northwest, reaches it's west.
eru terminus at Market Square in lows
City. The distance is fifty four miles, over
ground generally very favorable for con.
s,ruction. The map and profile which &c.
company this report, will exhibit in detail
the character OF the line, which, in its gen
eral aud essential features preserves ad
mirably that uniformity Of light grades and
easy curves which will render it superior te
ma iority Of Railroad; and uiH hereafter
in connection ,rith its course, establish ia
claims as part Of the line Of the contempta
ted National Railroad to the Pacifc
A statement exhibiting in five divisions
summary Of the quantity aud cost ot ex'
cavation, embankments, bridges, culver''
&C., on differen. parts Of the route, ls an
ncxed. BY this il will appear that the 10 10
tai cost ofgrading is estimated at $2l5,723
or nearly $4,000 per mile. The super
structure, with wide guage and good !
rail Of sixty pounds to tho yard, will cos
$4,000 per mile. Engines, Cars, Wors
shops. Engine houses. Water Stations, aDt