The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1851-06-04
VOLUME XXI.
NorlhCarolina Rail Road.
Chief Engineers Report.

RALEIGH. May s. 1851.
10 me President and Directors ofihe No,fh
Caroiina Railroad Company
GENTLEMRN: | have the honor to submi,
uhe following report Of tho progress and 70.
suits oi The surveys for The North Csrol,us
Rsilrosd.
Asisrg under your instructions 10 mo Of
Jsiy lS.h, proceeded to organiz- four psr.
Ties Of Ensiaesrs. To give efficiency 10
these parties, devolve due responsibility. and
iaci.s issdabls emuls,ioo, eass 10 each psr.
y ses'cg under my instructions q separate
and independent charge, and to This end the
line was divided into -four Divisions.
The hfsi division commences al the vii.
mlng,on and Raleigh Railroad and terminates
six and half miles ives, Of Raleigh. The Sc.
cond Division commencing at the las. m med
point extends 10 the Gullfu,d county line.
The ihird Division thence 10 Lexington. the
fourth Division from lie xingion to Charlotte.
The duty Of surveying and locating these d.
Visions. was assigned respectively to Mr..
Lewis NJ. P'evos,, Jr., Mr.. John C.. MeRse.
Mr. }. l.. G,rgg, and Mr.. John McRae, wuh
,hs rank Of Principe A sslsiants. Each pat.
" were furnished wah the necessary Assist.
ants, Dfat,smen, Rodmen, Chainu eo, and
Axemcn.
Mr.. Provost was zen, to the field on the
2la Of August, Mr.. John C. McRae on the
2e'h Of the same month, NJ. Gregg on the
18Th OF September, aud Mr.. John McRae
on the 9Th Of August.
The aggregate number Of miles run by
these parties, including the experimental sur.
seys, The approximate and final location, q.
mounts to l494 miles. When il il r.mem.
bend that the period Of their employment
embraced The incem,nt seasons OF The late
tai months, and the winter and early spi,ng
months the amounl of labor they have per.
formed csnno, but prove satisfactory, aud i,
fully s'iesis the energy, industry and fidelity
90 the part Of the heads of the respective
parties.
Tho condition imposed by the charter,
make Raleigh and Salisbury intermediate
points 10 the line Of the Road. By resolu.
,ion oi the Sioe kholders st their mretin, held
in Salisbury on the l2ih Of July. instructions
were given to ascertain by actual survey,
whether . route passing near the towns Of
H,l!sboro. Craham, Gtecnsboto' Lexington
and Concord, all things I. c.nsidefed, would not
be,he mos, Practicable. Keeping these in.
sttsc'lons before me, regarding them howcv
erss imperative onsy go far as respects the
requirements Of the Charter, 10 construct
Rilfosd from the Wilmington and Raleigh
Railroad ria Rsleigh and Salisbury to Char
latte, snd only as absolute under the dfec.
tions of tho ockholders to ascertain the
Pfaciicas,iiy 10 comparison with ether
routes, Of location through The towns of
Hiilsboro', G,shsm. Greensboro, Lexington
aud Concord. and not by any means as re.
sttici,ng the location 10 those towns. The
the would occupy precisely the ground
which i, does, had no aIluslun TO those towns
been made IN the proceedings OF the stock.
holders | explored or caused to be exam.
lnad evesy route be: the Wilmington
and Raleigh Rail X cd, and Charlotte ria
Raleigh and Salisbury, which | though, a,
all feasible, sod surveyed every line, that Ia
my judgmen, was deemed necessary 10 the /
attainment Of the most practicable route. and
the results Of those examinations il is now
my pu' pose as briefly as may be 10 lay before
you. But i, may be pertinent before enier.
lug upon . description Of The lines which
were surve, ed, to submit few fems ks up.
on the general features of The intermediate
country between Raleigh and Salisbury, and
their influence upon the location. An .nspec.
ton Of the map Of the State will shew that a
straight line between Raleigh and Salisbury
,s crossed BY the waters Of the Haw and
fsdkia rivers, and by their almost inoumer.
able irIbutsries, embracing among The mos,
with their branches, New Hone,
Rocky, Deep and Uharie rivers. Any one
who has travelled the direct foad from Raj.
eieh 10 Salisbury. by Pitlsboro' and Ashboro,'
mus, have indelibly impressed on his m.nd The
many ups and downs which he encoun.
sefs, aud Il must have occurred 10 him when
slowly climbing up tho hills which ever and
anon fiss before him, how much tho road
might bc improved by winding around them
through some Of The numerous fevines which
constantly present themselves on the one
hand or tho other. These hills which so
much obstruct the common road and the
graduation Of which TO easy grades, would i
render !, 90 serpcn,ine and devious, and carry ,
u 30 much out Of the direct course, would al. /
Zee, IN = much gteater degree the route ofa
fa'' road; no liae Of any extent either level ,
OF Of given inclination 10 the horizon
could be msintained, without resorting to
cont san''sued secession Of heavy cuttings and ,
""'ngs, end an infinite series Of abrupt i
curves. ln many placerth ridges and hills
'as' would be crossed are composed Of gray
~ ''n'ermixed with stones and not unfrrquent.
y hey are formed entirely Of rock, which
.0s'd -: add greatly 10 the expense Of gradus.
ihs exten. Of these difficulties may bc
.ss'.ded ~ unlimited on tho South towards {
."ca 'hs water courses that are crossed flow;
"asch Of route. on the North, there 10 {