Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-05-22
NATIONAL INTELhlGENCER.
ALEXANDRIA RAILROADS.

Our readers have heard within q twelve-month
past-not more we think of the projection OF GER
tain Railroads at the neighboring city. Of Alex
andria to penetrate away off to the west across the
Blue Ridge, and to the southwest indefinitely then
that thew were commenced that one was called the
Manassas Gan, and through that pass in the Blue
Mountains to penetrate to the great fertile "Valey"
Of Virginia; the other, the Orange railroad, de-
signed to run through the counties Of Fairfax Prince
William, Fauquier, Culpeper, and Orange, to Cor
louisville, there to unite with the Richmond and
Staunton railroad, and SO on to Tennessee and the
Mississippi, and even beyond, for aught we know.
We next heard that both roads were in progress,
that miles were finished, that locomotives and cars
were running, and loads Of -four and grain and fuel
and passengers daily arriving. u
To ascertain the facts in matter in which, as
neighbors, we feel lively interest, number Of our
citizens including several members of Corpora
ton, determined to pay visit to Alexandra, and
ascertain what had really been accomplished towards
works SO honorable to the enterprise Of that ancient
town They accordingly went down on Friday last,
and on arriving at the depot in the suburbs Of the
town, found an extensive establishment, with ample
engine houses, Offices, passengers rooms, with all
conveniences for comfort, attentive officers, and
abundant indications Of an active business A train
Of really superb in readiness, attached to
powerful locomotive Of peculiar construction and
high finish, and the Washington company, with
many other passengers, were soon under way over
road we'll laid with very heavy rail Of fifty five
pounds to the yard, which rendered the motion
smooth and pleasant, The first twenty-five miles
were over main stem common for both roads that
distance, and from which they diverge-the Ma
masses to the west, the Orange to the southwest.
Our vsiters kept the former road and at the end of
some twenty five miles more arrived at the station
called I" The Plains" beyond which the road is not
completed, though in vigorous progress, and will in
FIVE miles further, and only twenty from the Blue
Ridge, where it will pass into the land of promise,
the great Valley of fruitful fields, but, we are sorry
to say, Of political darkness.
The road passes through fine agricultural coun-
try, especially after it enters Fauquier, and its
present terminus at the Plains, in the midst of
very fertile district, affords one of the most
lovely and picturesque scenes which nature and rural
industry have combined any where to create. At
the Plains were numerous wagons from the neigh
boring country, delivering loads Of agricultural
products for the freight trains although very long
and heavilyladen one had just been met on its way
to Alexandra. AT the Plains also the visters had
the good fortune to meet the President Of the Com
pany, EDWARD MARSHALL, Esq. and Mr.. COLDS
BOROUGH, Engineerin-chief, and some of the gen.
tlemen OF the neighborhood, whose poiteness added
much to the pleasure of the excursion After an
hour or two spent at this agreeable station, the
company re-entered the cars and returned to town,
with every attention from the polite conductor,
Mr.. FossETT, and the agent, Mr.. MIDDLETON,
highly gratifed with their trip The rate of travel
is about twenty-five miles an hour, and, from the
solidity of the road and the ease and commodous-
ness of the carriages no railroad travel can be more
comfortable. The result of the visit was to realize
to the full all which public report had claimed for the
enterprise that conceived and the perseverance which
has carried forward unobtrusve yet so important
work-mportant indeed to the whole country,
as the branch to Gordonsyile viii supply the only
link necessary to perfect great unbroken direct
line of railroad communication from Maine to the
Mississippi; for we cannot imagine that the small
chasm between Alexandra and this city will be
long left untitled The lands contiguous to the
Alexandria road, both improved and unimproved,
have already risen in price an average of one hun
dred per cent, and there is hardly estimating the
value which such work adds to the rcmoter dis
trcts its line in productive agricultural region
where the only kind of transportation before was
the slow and expensive wagon. And when we find
such work undertaken by the public spirit, and
seventy or eighty miles Of it SO promptly completed
by the quiet energy Of SO small city, aided it is
true in part by the State, shall we not find enough
Of like spirit in our own community to begin some
similar work for our local advantage and the
common veal