North Carolina standard., 1851-05-21
MAJ. GWYNN,s REPORT.

crxr,purx II have the honor 10 sunni; The fol-
lowing repoEt of the progress ana results o. tue sur
veys for the North Carona Kaii Noau' ,.u
Acting under your Instructions TO me OF July IStn'
nroceeded to orpanize four parties OF Engineers
give efficiency TO these parties, devolve due RESPONSE
6tv and incte audable emulation, gave 10
each uartv acting under my instructions separate
and iudependent charge, dnu III this emu 'io i'" ~
divided into four divisions. ,
The First Division commences at the Wilmington
and Raleigh Rail Road and terminates SIX ana haiI
miles West of Raleigh. The Second DIVISION com
mencng at the last named point extends TO the Gull
Cord County line The third Division thence TO lex
inpton, and the fourth Division from Lexington to
Charlotte. The duty Of surveying ana locating these
divisions. was ASST gned respectively to Mr.. Lewis,
Nj Provost Jr Mr.. John &. Mc4ae, Mr.. ]. L..
Grnro. and MIR. John McRae, with the rank of Prin-
cinaI Assistants. Each party was furnished with the
necessary Assistants, Craftsmen, Rodmen, Chainmen
and AXemen
Air. Provost was sent to the field on the 2Ist OF
August, Mr.. John G.. McRae on the Goth of the same
month, MIR. Gregg on the 18Th September, and Mr..
John McRae on the 21th August.
The aggregate number OF miles run by these par
ties. including the experimental surveys, the approx
innate and final location amounts TO l494 miles " hen
it is remembered that the period of their employment
embraced the Indictment of the late Fall months
and The winter and early Spring months, the amoun'
Of labor they have performed cannot but prove sauS
factory, and it fuy attests the energy industry ana
fidelity the part Of the heads oi thelr respective
parties.
Raleigh and Salisbury intermediate points in the line
of the road. BY resolution ot the stockholders at
their meeting held in Salisbury on the 18th OF Ja'y
instructions given 10 ascertain by actua survey
whether a route passing the Towns Of HILLSIDE
rough. Graham, Greershct9ugh, Lexington and Con-
cord, all things considered, would not be the most
practicable. Keeping these instructions before me-
regarding them however imperative only so lar as
respec,s the requirements Of the Charter 20 construct
Rail Road from the Wilmington and Raleigh Rail
Road ria Raleigh and Salisbury TO Charlotte, and
only absolute under the directions OF HE Stockho-
ders To ascertain the pTacllcabIy In compar son with
other routes, of location through the towns of
Hillsborough, Graham, GreenSborough, Lexington
and Concord, and By any means as restricting the
location to those towns The line would occupy pre-
cisey the ground which II does, had no alluson
to these been made in the proceedings of the
stockholders. ] explored or caused TO be examined
every route between the Wilmington and Raleigh
Rail Road and Charlotte ria Raleigh and Salisbury,
which thought at all ible, and surveyed every
line that in my udgment dee med necessary to
The attainment of the most practicable route, and the
results OF those examinations 1t is now my purpose
as briefly as may be to lay before you. But it may
be pertinent before entering upon description of the
lines which surveyed, TO submit few remarks
upoa the general features of the intermediate
Try between Raleigh and Salisbury, and their infu-
upon the location An inspection OF the map of
the Stale will show that traighi line between Raj
eiGh and Salisbury is crossed by the waters Of The
Haw and Yadkn rivers, and Sy t5eir almost innu-
merabIe tributaries, embracing among the most con-
spicuous, with their branches, New Hope, Rocky,
Deep and L UharIe rivers. Any one who has travelled
The direct road from Raleigh to Salisbury. bv Pirts-
borough and Ashborough, must have imdelibly i'm
pressed his mind the many cups and downs -
which he encounters, and it must have occurred to
him when slowly climbing up the hills which ever
and rise before, how much the road might be
Improved by winding around them through some of
the ravines which constantly present them
selves the one hand the other. These hills which
much obstruct the common road, and the gradua-
grades. would
pentine and devious, and carry it much of the
direct course, would affect much greater degree
the route of rail road line Of any extent either
level or of given inclination to the horizon could be
maintained, without resorting to continued success
sion of heavey cuttings and filings and an infinite
series of abrupt curves. In Wany places the ridges
and hills that would be crossed are composed of gav-
el InlerInxed with stone, and unfreduently thew
formed entirely of rock, which would add greatly
10 the expense of graduation.
The extent of these difficulties may be regarded as
unlimited the South towards witch the water
courses that crossed flow in search of a route
the North, there is medium short of the sour
nearly of the principal tributaries above
mentioned of the Haw and the Yadkn. Being sat-
ished, therefore, that line could be obtained on the
direct route without such frequent dehecriOns wouId
make II quite as long, that it would be more costly
and objectionable both in grades and curvatu; than
the route around the heads of the water courses bore
mentioned, that intermediate could be found
and that survey of the direct route would be aten-
ded with better results than loss of time and nm
necessary expenditure determined to abandon it at
once, and make the detour of the RIDGE SO plainly in
dIcated by the topography of the country as the
route Tor the rail road, which shall now proceed to
describe under fou! separate heads corresponding to
the four divisions of the line heretofore defined.
FIRST DIVISION.
This Division unites the North Carolina Rail Road
with The Wilmington and Raleigh hail Road thus
forming continuous line from the Seaboard tlrouub
the heart OF the State, and reducing to realization the
long deferred hopes of Central Rail Road.
The Charter requires that the Rail Road shall CON-
meet with the Wilmington and Raleigh Rail Road,
where the same passes over the Neuse I'' The
bridge Of the Wilmington and Raleiph R,;l Rod
over the Neuse, is united to the main land on each
side by trestle work across extensive low grounds
subject TO frequent Inundaons, which affords no Sc
cure site for landing suitable place for buHding
AS this provision of the charter evidently intend
ed 10 unite the hail Road with Steamboat Nayiqa-
uon on the Ne use, and thus extend its benefits and
participation of its advantages to the lower Neose
have on account of the objections above ASSIGNED
to strict comp lance with the letter of the charter
directed the approach TO the WiImnuton and Ra
leigh kal Road, by the way of Waynesboro' which
affords the nearest eligible site 10 the point where
the " llmlngton and Raleigh Rail Road passes the
Neuse Tor landing. Here the channel washes the
Oase OF hlgh bank which is rarely if ever overflow
cd a1ordlng every necessary facility for transbin
lnent. Making Waynesboro' therefore. a noiot r.
the location, three lines were run from station o2s
1our and halt miles West of Goldsboro' to The
WiIningiongand Raleigh Rail Road one bv the wav
Of Godsboro' and thence to Waynesboro'. maxim
Wayneshoro the termnOus of the road One bT
i"aynesooro TO Gotdsboro Girecf,and one by Waynes
oolo IhteSeciing the Wilmington and Raleigh Rail
hoad, l,Oo miles South of Goldsboro'
These lines all laid down on the acoonr.
ing map In the order here referred to- Iettered A.
anu - ana comparison of their cost Ienu,h and