Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-03-20
TPROPRIETORS.


that number on the Baltimore and Ohio
road, the saving Of amilc Of distance would
be worth $4,000.
| That the business OF this road viii even
tually be greater than that ofthe Baltimore
and Ohio road at present, may be conf.
IDENTIFY predicted and the value of dis
tance saved VIII be correspondingly in
creased.
AS a farther confirmation of the correct
ness of the principle, on the Central Rail
road Of Pennsylvania, between Pittsburg
and Philadelphia, which is in reality the
rival Of the Memphis and Charleston rail
road for the southwestern travel, il has
been established, as their invariablc rule, to
expend S52,s00, wherever, by SO doing,
mile of distance can be saved.
As an additional reason why this rule
should be strictly adhered TO, il may be
considered that the shorter your line and,
consequently, the lower your charges, the
greater will be the area Of country tribu-
tary TO your road. Ii is not unreasonable
to presume that the saving Of 10 miles on
this hne, will increase the area of tlibu-
tary country for an average width of one
g,.ile for the whole length ottheroad, which
will give 2S0 square miles, and il is proba-
bic that double thaG area may be claimed
as added to thccountry drainedby this road
from such saving of distance.
Moreover, the rival lines, north and south
of us, will enjoy the advantage oievcry
mile added to the length Of our hnc,in their
struggle for the great stream Of travclwhich
may be expected.
The difficulty Of carrying the main line
by Holly Springs results from the fact that
it must run Immediately across the streams
and ridges. A branch might be made to
Holly s. rings. from some ONT west Of
Moscow, on the graded road, which would
not exceed y niles in length, and would
not cost more than $2,5oQ per mile for
graduation and masonry Little doubt can
be entertained that this branch would pay
its expenses. and it would certainly add to
the receipts of the main road. 1t is better
to build branch TO accommodate large
local trade than to lengthen the main line
OF road like this. 1t would cost the
Company less to build the branch than to
carry themaintrunk through Holly Springs,
and this plan would command more trade
than the other.
The estimate made for dcpots, locomo-
tivos, cars and every thing necessary TO
equip the road fully is $780, ,000-which
would make the whole capital of the Com
pany less than 50, 500, 900.
or course 1t is not necessary to cxpcnd so
large an amount at iirst,a the whole sum
would be required only when the business
and rcce.pts Of the road requiredt,
the capital necessary to construct the
road We're secured, no difficulty would
be found in obtaining the cost Of motive
power, &c.
As line Of travel, the Memphis and
Charleston railroad possesses an impor-
tance which can scarcely be too highly
estimated. Without concert of design, in
fact without even the knowledge, on the
part OF the different projectors,o of what each
other was doing, there has been system
Of railroads laid out, which, when compile
ted, may be called emphatically, the high
way Of nations. Much Of tins system is al
ready completed, and every link in the
great chain is now under regular organi-
zation and in rapid progress. Four years
will not elapse before the greater part, if
not the whole. will be in full opcration.-
There are now, finished and an process of
construction, railroads, forming one un-
broken line, from Memphis to Boston--and
this line may be called practically straight
VI is in fact the shortest line on which
road could be constructed between those
points, the natural features of the country
not admitting a shorter one. 1t is truly
wondcrfulthatthem merits ofthisrou should
have been 50 long unknown to the public,
for Nature herself seems to have marked il
out. Here is line nearly straight, pass
ing through the centre Of the Union, on
which the mountains have been levelled, as
if by design Though this line crosses all
the mountain ranges,it encounters no grade
exceeding 6S feet per mile, and lt IL only
on the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad,
that this rate Of ascent is used The line
generally follows natural valleys, where
the grades are gentle and the work light.
From Memphis to Lynchburg, distance
Of $50 miles, the whole cost Of construct
ing a road, Of the most substantial charnc-
ter, and fully equipping it, viii not reach
$4,000 per mile, although 500 miles of
that distance traverse mountainous re-
glon. II this great Inc had its tcrmini III
Memphis and Boston, it might well be
called a National work. But this is not
all. There are two schemes recently put
on foot, at the extreme points Of this line,
which must add greatly to its importance
One is the plan Of canal across the 18th
mus OF Tehuantepec, which is now cxcit-
ng much interest in New Orleans the
other IS the European and North Arneri-
can la lway," which may date its birth
from convention held in Portland, Maine,
on the 3lst Of July last.
The immediate effect Of the first Of these
schemes wall be to r,.ake spr road the chan
mel OF communication, between our eastern
cities Including the seat of government,)
and ourpossesslons on ntbc Pacific. And not
only this, but our intercourse with China
must be by the same route.
Careful surveys and examinations have
fully established the feasibility Of this
scheme. The lsthmus of Tehuanicpcc pos
sesses rich soil, salubrious climate and
great variety of natural productions. The
bar at the mouth Of the Coatzacoalcos is
as good as the one at the mouth Of the Mis-
sissippi. The river itself is navigable for
"a miles for large vessels, and can easily
be improved higher up. This river flows
through dense forest Of oak, cedar, pine,
iron wood, Brazil wood mahogany and i've
oak. -.-'' "''
On the Pacific side are two lakes, afford
ing a commodious harbor; the interior is
connected with the exterior by commun-
ication called the canal ofSanta Teresa and
the ENTRANCE frnrn the nccan To the cxtcr