Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1851-12-04
Peoria and OauaWka Railroad.

The Board Of Directors of the Peoria and
Ornawka Railroad me. at Knoxville on Thurs
day and Friday Of last week. We learn from the
Knoxville Journal, that the subject under con-
sideration was the location of the east and west
ends of the road. The Peoria end of the route is
to be built Oh the old grade. Fun surveys not
having been made west of Monmouth, no loca-
ton of the route was fixed upon. Suitable
grounds for the aepot OF the road at Peoria,
were offered to the company at very reasonable
rates.
4 Report was made TO the Directors BY the
Engineer Col. Morgan, which is Published in
the Journal and from which we make the follow
ins extracts M...-.
Extracts from Col Norgan's Report.
| The general result of all the surveys which
! have been made under my saperintcndence, cs-
| tabhshes the practieahllsy OF constructing u
! Railroad from Peoria TO Burlington, not exceed
lng " miles IN extent, whilst the distance by
several proposed variations wo,ld make ii nearly
100. The best route, as regards grades, cheap
ness of construction, aud which is the least sub
jet to exposure, is also the mos, direct, It has
full 10 mlles OF straight line, with easy curves
the remaining distance, varying from TO : -
! degrees, or with radi, from $3.50 feet, down to
! sS9a feet, which is the least, The whole ascent
! from The Illinois river TO the dividing ridge west
OF ROCKVILLE is 40 feet, and the descent to the
I Mississippi $50, Tue line is for the most part
approximating TO a level, the grades varying from
| i feet to the maximum inclination OF - feet 10
the nile, The route referred to would commence
in Peoria, near the bridge, bearing little west
! of south west and paSSlng through the hmF al
! the narroweSt polnt,s follows the valley cE the
| kIckapno 10 Elmwopd. where the stream bends
| spaaCaly to the south, Al this polnt, thereIpre,
| the routes leaves ii AMI continues on u course u
little north of West to Spoon river, which it
crosses about nile from Maquaa, thenco bear,
! ing horthWard IL avold The ravlneS OF naw
creek, il passes through Knoxville and follows
the dividing ridge tor nearly ~ miles, a little
/ south Of west I'LL il reaches Monmouth. where il
/ bears southwest on one continued level surface
! for Is mileS~-wdh the exception os valley
! formed BY Saath Henderson creek, and tin inter
! Secting branch OF Ellison creek, which il fol-
! lows by gradual descent to an opeuing in the
/ Mississippi hMtts-~hy which that stream finds lis
outlet, From the foot of the bluffs the line con,
! hnUeS on a straight course ) miles, IA degrees
/ north of west to The bank Of She Mississippi op,
| poSi,e 10 Burlington,
, With respect to The whole cost Of the road,
! the character aud ability of the parties who have
! contracted 10 build frcm Spoon river t. Rnrling-
I ton, is q sufficient guaranty to the Company that
| that portion of 1t viii he made ready for the cars
| for twelve Thousand dollars per m,le. My eSN-
! mates as Gar Us have had tine aud opportMHttv
10 ma<e taeln, corroaorate the opinion previously
! entertained, that these gentlemen will realize
! handsome remuneration ter the spirited course
! they have pursued in order 10 Sustala the eater
/ PRISE.
| ICol, Morgan next proceeds TO explain 10 the
Board the reasons of his preference for the route
he describes, and TO call their auea,ion 10 the
! circumstances connected with the ultimate sue
! cess of their enterprise, Ga the advantage of
| positoa occupied by the Ba!Gnson and Peoria
! Road he says j
At this moment, several Railroads are in course
OF construction, parallel 10 the one in question.
! The period is not far distant when competition
! will arise for the commerce % the great Vest
| The Chicago and Rock Island lailroal IN acS-
! tined to DC extcndcd through Iowa, to the same
region of country, that mag find more cnnve-
! nlcnt a, cnuc through Burlington and Peoria but
! the Inducements mus, he given. the utmoS, inc.
chau'cal SticIeaey ataiuahlc must be provided,
! or the object sought for can never be gained
/ The grades on the Re>k island road are only 10
feet per nile ascending eastward and II feet a..
I cendmg westward, II is now in course of cou-
/ struction By able and efficient contractors, and
! when completed 10 the point of intersection with
the Southern Michigan Railroad, a continuous
I line of Railroads will be open from Rock island
TO the Eastern Cities. With these facts before
them It wauld be suicidal policy on the part OF
/ The company to aaafc one iot Of advantage, eli
Their natural or artificial. that il within their
teach. There are some circumstances, however.
that compensate in great degree foe the advan-
tage claimed by the friends of the Rock Island
Railroad, aud which Ia conjunction with that
/ perfection of construction of which this Railroad
| is susceptible, viii command for it, by far the
greatest share of business, The illinois Central
Railroad will approach within thirty miles of
Peoria. BY constructing a Railroad TO connect
with it., at the best poi the hue will be con-
,inuons, from Burlington, north through IL S,lle
to Chicago, and south and east hv the Springfield
and Terrc Haate Balroad From Burlington
westward good Railroad would drain the Dss
! Moines Valley and the country tributary to il,
which constitutes the richest and most pnpuloaS
part ol Iowa. II is the natural route fo Rail
rcal through Iowa, because the uniform and
gradual descent of the valley, favorS the trans
portation Of heavy products, an 'mmensc traffic
would eventually spring up, not only from the
head Of the Dcs Moines, but from the Missouri
and Platte rivers. What proportion OF this bus
mess, would seek and end lis way over a Railroad
from Burlington to Peoria, must depend upon the
comparative facilities given.
Future Extension Eastward.
In reference to the future extension eastward,
it would be $50 miles from Peoria to Chicago,
and 2ts from Burlington through the Illinois
Central and Aurora Branch Railroads, whilst il
is only 1Sa from Rock Island. Bat Burlington
is 80 miles west of Rock Island. Chicago will
not, however, become the market for the pro-
duets of Iowa; they will either descend the
Mississippi in gooi period Of navigation, or
when that is osstructea and during the winter
season, they will cross the Peoria R,ilroad and
thence pass by the Central Railroad TO Caro- or
Mobile. A direct railroad communication east.
ward from Peoria, VIII eventually be established
to Lafayette, or son.e other convenient point to
meet the Eastern and Western lines, extending
through Indiana and Ohio From Burlington TO
Philadelphia by tbs route, woull hc tNll niles
on the same route, as far as crestliNc, Ohio, !
and thence through Cleveland and the Erie Rail-
road to New York he distance would be no,
miles. From Rock Island, BY the Southern
Michigan TO New York, the distance would be
l1Sl miles, or eleven miles less, and to Philade-
ph'a Is losS miles, or II miles more, than from
Burlington. BIT Burlington being 30 niles far
thcr west than Rock lslaNa aud 20 Mules nearer
to Fort Dcs Moines ~ Council Bluffs the traffic
OF the great West is 81 miles nearer to one of the
principal Atlantic seapor,s by Burlington than
hv Rock lslana, and freight from the centre of
Knox county, would be 6s miles nearer to Phila-
depaia by the Burlington and Peoria Railroad !
than by she Rock Island snd Soulhrrn Michigan. |
When the Military Tract Railroad il hmlt con