The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-08-27


rsti.e prospects sith Tie Virginia Central
Bluff GLEN, near Weston,
August l9, 1852.
Dear Citoyen Dispatch--Seated at the front
of the pretty little place with the above
appeilative, staring at the mountain scenery
which towers before il, and then taking an oc.
casional squirt at the beautiful little Yves,
Fork River, which comes running under its
bluff, and then Immediately runs off again, &c
If kissing it's hand TO my domicil, tyou have
heard of "river hands;'') and whereas l am
tired of shooting, this morning, big ball rifle
from my porch at the woodpeckers in the trees
because have been knocking down more oil
my apples than woodpeckers; therefore, and
for these things, have thought that would
trouble you with line and for the further
consideration that you, like myself, have high
admiration Of every thing in art, as we'll as ma
ture, that is grand.
Well, you must know. that in coming here, l
came as far "Fetternan, ia Taylor county. III
Virginia, by that most extraordinary achieve
ment Of the age, the Baltimore and ONO haii-
road. | had read in the papers OF the trip OF Inc
municipal authorities of Baltimore IN June,
on this road as far as Fairm0nt, but surely l
had formed no idea of the character OF the
rou,e. after + e Iassonger leaves Cumberlanfs
westward, When you go out TO Eilicott
Mills. YOU have touch OF the picturesque and
noe,;col. but if YOU continue beyond Harper's
Ferry. and u ltil you reach the rugged cliffs
of Cheat River, you would be, know, as
was, both surprised and amazed. Certainly
there can be nothing elsewhere showing such
bold, daring, not to say reckless, engineering.
After such an example by the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad. it should be said running rail
roads orer mountains, no longer through them.
The grades, in some places, are such as almost
TO throw Mr.. French's invention into the shade.
1t is but few seconds after passing the dark
water of Cheat River by the ordinary railroad
bridge. that YOU find yourself running up AMI
round bold mountain, like stage coach on
a turDpike | looked out Of the car window,
and saw the locomotive ahead, and away up
above me; nor did | hear her make any extra
snorts on account oft. Down to the bed Of the
river which we had, only little while ago,
crossed. was now some 800 feet, and we were
running along on the topmost verge of beet
ling cliff. The next instant the great ravine
was reached. and looking out, you find the train
running on the top of trestle work composed
of bare poles. which creak and resist pressure,
and are. themselves, resting on stone wall
of solid masonry, one hundred and fifty feet
high. So we were IN mid air, as it were, with
out plank under u.s. the body OF the COACH
of course, shelving over the track. anG 300
feet from terra frma. The sight is appalling.
l have heard of drawing all " air line" but this
is running one. You have scarcely time to re-
fleet on this sight. when the train runs right into
the long tunnel A 100 feet under the mountain.
The opening seems scarcely more than enough
to admit the smoke stack OF the engine. In an
instant-quicker than at Kirk Alloway-"ail
is dark Us midnight; the speed of the train is
carefully, and think provokingly slackened !;
you can touch the wet and dripping sides of
the slate rock with your hand; the atmosphere
is damp and chilly; you eau see the live spark
from the locomotive; and It's smoke, with the
current of air. is blown back, and Expresses
vOu the noise OF the wheels are sometimes
hoarse "clug, clug." and then again sound like
pulling a heavy chain over sheet iron. If you
hold lantern out in the darkness you see
nothing but dripping sides, and the occasional
trestles which support the immense depth and
weight of earth which you know is impending
over you. The only consolation, if consolation
there be in any OF your reflection, then is, that
if you are caught by the earth caving in,
(which it has done frequently of late,) that you
have been vouchsated a burial; whilst if you
had run off the trestle work over the ravine
there could not be found enough Of your body
TO get sculpture.
But-"clug, clug'-when are you going to
see daylight again; gracious knows; you don't
know who the passenger is who sits on the
same seat with you; nor who the balance of the
people in the car with you are; nor, from their
silence, whether there are any with you in
there at ALL But this is certain: you have
been under the earth some ten minutes, and
that is long time in a railroad car, " hch, but
short time previous, had been saorting off 80
miles in an hour. You don't see that it is not
just as dark as when you entered the aperture
inferno: Finally, you spy streak Of gray
Eokf iloin tbae 81 81 4
den jerk forward tells you that the engineer
has put on more steam, and that you are out
of the cavernous place. You have no objec-
ton to the Acknowledgement. The fact is, this
is dangerous business both 10 man and en-
CINE, and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
should not be running passengers until the
place is arched over; but, even as il is, it's
worth a trip of a hundred miles TO see, and
the other engineering of the road. Harper's
Ferry shows the grandeur OF nature; this road
that of scientific skill. "Love laughs at lock-
smths;' so has this company at mountain bar
rers. Ii Virginia had little OF the energy
and enterprise of this company, the snort of
the iron horse of the Central Railroad would
have long ago been heard on the banks of the
Ohio.
! But with all honor and praise to the great
| enterprise OF the foreign corporation, | still
have the temerty to venture the opinion that il
Virginia Central Railroad, when the Methusa
| leh wisdom of the State shall have brains
enough to complete it to the mouth of the Ka-
| nawha. The defeat which il has failed to
meet with from mountains will be received
from ice and snow; whilst the temperature of
the route of the Virginia Central Railroad will
be more hospitable at all seasons; and we will
have the advantage in the Ohio river of low
water in the summer and ice in the winter,
against Baltimore.
But must cut this currente cdlamo short,
my paper being out Wishing you continu-
ance OF the success which you have SO entire
| ly merited, and desiring all manner of kind
| things TO be said 10 mon chere Bachelor, re-
main, 1ouyours, Vraiment Votre.
MAN SHoT.-A gentleman in this CITY in.
forms US that he received letter from CASTOR.
N. e., MONDAY evening, stating that few
hours previous, man named Garrett, had shot
another residing at that place named Cumby.
he ortiz bod nj, / II