The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1851-05-28
MAJOR GwTNS's REPORT.

hskEh, May Oh, leets
~ a. Psfssdslf gsd DiytaWs a ~ NH
cmuElI Rail Rcd cenpsHg.
GENFLENENs-I have the hnnar 10 sab
NIT she following rrpon &c me progress
and results ~ lhe Surveys Cor The Nonh
c.raiias Rad Road.
Arpng nndsr yenr isirnrlions n me Of
July 18Th. 1 proe~rded 10 aIganlze four
parties oi Eagineers. To give efficiency
10 these parties. dssslse dnerespopsibiliiy.
and inrile lsBd@hie en-. lalion. ! gave 90
each party aciing under my Instructions a
separate and iadeprndenl ehsrge. and 10
shis end The line Was divided lnlo four d.
visions.
The First Division commences al the
Wilmington and Raleigh Rail Road and
terminates six snd half miles wesl Of
Raleigh. The Second Division. CON.
meneing Al The last named point. extends
n The Guiidford cennly line. The third
Division thence 10 Lexington. and the
fourth Division from Lexington 10 Char.
io,ie. The duIy Of surveying and locating
these divisions. was assigned respectively
10 Mr.. Lewis. Mr.. Provost. Jr. Mr.. John
G. MrRae. Mr.. j. T.. Gregg. and Mr..
John MeRae. with The rank OF Principal
Assistants. Each party was furnished
with the necessary Assistants. Drafts
men. Rodmen. Chainmen. and Axemen.
Mr.. Presosi was seai 10 the Geld on the
2lsi of August. Mr.. John e. McRae IN
the ooh OF The same month. Mr.. Gregg
on The 18Th September. and air. John
MeRse on the 18th August.
The aggregate number Of miles run BY
these parties. including The experimental
surveys. the approximsle and final loca-
tion. amounts 10 l494 miles. When il is
remembered that Tie period OF their en-
ploymenl embraced The inrlement season
al The late fall months. and The winter
and early Spring months. Tie amount Of
labor they have performed cannot but
prove satisfactory, aud il fully ai,e-is The
energy. industry. and fidelity on the pari
of the heads Of the respective parties.
The conditions imposed BY The Char
Ter, make Raleigh and Salisbury in,erme-
diaie points in the line Of The road. By
resolnt on of the stockholders at their
meeting held 10 Salisbury on The I2lh &c
July. INSTRUCTIONS were given 10 asceriain
by actual survey whether a route passing
near the Towns Of IIilsborouqh. Graham,
Greensborough. Lexington and Concord.
all things considered, would not be The
most practicable. Keeping these insiruc-
lions before The. regarding them however
as imperative only so Car as respects the
requirements Of the Charter. 10 construct
Rail Road from the Wilmington and
Raleigh Rail Road uia Raleigh and Sails
bury 10 Charlotte. and nnly as absolute un-
der The directions Of The stockholders TO
ascertain The practicabilny in comparison
with other routes, Of location through
the towns Of Iiilsborouph, Graham.
urresuDrnugn, Lexington and Concord.
and moi by any means as restricting the
location To those towns. The line would
occupy precisely the same ground which
II does had no alusi0n 10 those towns
been made in the proceedings of The stock
holders. lexplored or caused to be ex.
amlned every ronie between the Whining.
ton and Raleigh Rail Road. and Charlotte
wa Raleigh and Salisbury, which I
Thought al all feasible, and surveyed every
line that in my judgment was deemed ne.
cessary 10 The attainment oflhe most prac-
iicable route. and the Ies;lIis Of those ex.
aminaiions u Is now ms purpose as briefly
az may be 10 lay before Won. Blu, /, may
be pertinent before entering upon a dessrp.
ton Of the lines which were surveyed, Ia
submit. lev remarks upon The general
features Of The intermediate Country be-
tween Raleigh and Salisbury. and their in /.
fluenre upon The location. An inspection
ni the map OF the Stale will show thai a
straight line between Raleigh and Sails.
bury is crossed by tie waters Of the Haw
and Yadkin rivers. and by their almost
lnnumerable tributaries. embracing among
The most conspicuous. with their branches
New Hope. Rocky. Deep and Uharie riv.
ers. Any one who has travelled the d.
rect road from Raleigh TO Salisbury, BY
PIlisborough and Ashboroueh. must have
lndelibly impressed on his mind the MANY
ups and downs" which lie encounters.
and Il must have occurred to him when
slowly climbing up the hills which ever
and anon rise before. how much The road
might be improved by winding around
them through some Of the numerous ra.
vines which constantly present themselves
on The one hand or the other. These hills
which so much obsirnci The common road.
and The graduation Of which TO easy grades,
would render il so serpeniine and devious.
ana carry II so much out of The direct
course. would affect in a much greater
degree the route Of rail road; no line of
any extent. either level or OF given in.
clInailon 70 the horizon. could>be main.
tanned. without resaring 10 continued
succession OF heavy cuttings and Filings.
and an infinite series Of abrupt curves. In
many places the ridges and hills ,ha,
would be crossed are composed of gravel
intermixed with stones. and not npfre-