Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-03-28

VIRGINIA AND TENNESSEE RAILROAD.
The Enquirer has an article in relation to this
improvement, from which we extract some inte-
resting information
friend WHO has recently paid short visit to Lynch
burg, has given few items regard to the tunnel
Just out OF Lynchburg, which being the commencement
OF the great Railroad in Virginia, may not be without
interest. He has placed upon table piece OF
gneiss, which forms nearly the entire of the solid
rocky hill through which the tunnel passes. This
eneiss is leao-cooured, and is one of the hardest,
toughest rocks for blasting Ii is species of aggre-
gated rock, composed ofquarz, fedspar and mica of
structure more or less distinctly slaty. The layers
whether straight or curved, are frequently thick, but
often vary considerably in the same specimen. Ii pass
es on one side into granite, from which it differs its
saly structure and on the other into mica-slate 1t
often contains hornbende, is srikingly the case
with the rock which is perforated by the Lynchburg
Tunnel. In view ofihe difficulty OF working through
1t, it may properly be called non-rock. In several
portions cl the tunnel large OF milk white quartz
run vertically along the natural walls OF the tunnel
which are compact as not to require any artificial
waIlmg up. Tunhellng in Virginia is new BUSINESS,
and may therefore congratulate the contractors en-
gmeers and officers OF the Virginia and Tennessee
Railroad Company upon the success which has mark
ed their exerons in perorating the mountain of rock
for the tunnel at Lynchburg Our informant assures us
that, without personal inspection, no idea could be
formed OF the difficulty oil the work the success of
the enterprise thus far The railroad runs along the
beeting crags, which hang over the tortuous Black
Water Creek.
Heavy excavations at each end have been made into
the bowels of rock Only about 60 feet remain to be over
come and it will be completed by the middle OF May,
it is confidently hoped. The material has turned out
to be OF so much more "impenetrabe stuff" than
anticipated that the contractors will loose money, but
they will make reputation.
We are glad to hear OF the energy shown by the ex-
cellent President officers engineers and contractors
on ,hismportan Raj rad to the west Some 1000 hands
now employed along the whole line, and the work
being prosecuted with great vigor Tn the first d.
vision from Lynchburg to Salem, [6O mes the grade
is nearly all completed, and it is expected that the
will be running at the close OF this year.
The I'd division from Salem to Wytheville, is now
nearly all under contract and it will be in operation by
the close Of 1852.
The Sd division, from Wytheville to the Tennessee
llne will be put under contract in the latter part of this
1858. '''N 'p~ e'>N - ~ - 0'''''' y '' '''0 u
1t is said that the route by this Virginia and Iennes-
see Ra road to the Ohio River is some l6 or 20 miles
shorter by measured distance than by any other. The
following estimate is believed to be correct:
From Richmond to Burke's on the Danville
Ratodo'' '...'............ 90 miles.
From do to Lynchburg. ............ SO
From do to the Summit in Montgomery
county,. ...................S 5
From DO to the mouth OF Greenbrier ri-
yer, Ia part OF this distance not actually
measured, but not exceeding 70 miles +. 10
From do to the mouth OF Big Sandy. 1865
435
Moreover the grades on the Virginia and Tennessee,
Rail Road said to be no where 60 feet per mile
while other routes they often from 90 to los feet
per mile. BY equang these grades, reducing the ex
OF grades, he ghts equivalent lengths or dis
ancs, it 10 said that the line by the ynchburg and the
Virginia and Tennessee Railroad is shorter than any
other, by GO so miles-and as regards Peters
burg and Norfolk, the distance is IS miles less in its ia
vor 1t is calculated that each 20 feet of height in the
grades, equivalent to one mile of road in length ad.
ded, so Ian as cost OF construction and working and
mainaing and time OF running, are concerned.
BY the central railroad and the stage from Charloes-
vile travellers and the mails are landed in Lynchburp
the merit erening, in &c hours from Richmond. When
the Danville Railroad shall this fall be completed to
Burks, traveller may leave Richmond in the morning
and be in Lynchburg the same evening. Considering
the growing Importance OF both these places the i'm
provement in communication is a striking sign of the
times, new augnry of,he development of the States
resources and the union OF the various sections OF Vr-
ginia
CoRREcTIsN--The leading article in yesterdays
Times happened to escape revision, on one pas
sage in ii should have read 'tWhose conmandin per.
son towers above the stature of ordinary men,
Like some tall cliff that lifts lie awful form,
Swes from the vale, and midway leaves the Storm
Napoleon Junot, Duke of Abrantes, the elder
of the two sons who survived marshal Junot, has
just died in the 44th year of his age in lunatic
asylum near Paris. lie had devoted considerable |