Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-03-13

during the period of four years By the year 1860
we expect that the territory of the United States will
be tr versed by at least 80 600 miles of railroad
It is very difficult to form estimate Of the average
exp per mile building railroads in the United States
In facno average be assumed applicable to the
VII oe country The cost of the roads in New England is
al ,out $45 600 per me in New York. Pennsylvania and
Maryland about $4,000 But in the interior of these
States the surface of the country broken rendering the
cost of grading very heavy and the sea- wide and
deep streams interrupt the lines of travel and make the
Aexpense of bridging serious item.
In New England, and the densey inhabited parts
of all the old States upon the Atlantic in all European
countries the exnguishment of private titles to the real
estate required for railroads frequently large part
of the expenses included in the item In the
Southern States and the valley the Mississippi 500 600
per meis considered safe estimate There in cases.
all the lands necessary for the purposes of the companies
given to them in consideration Of the advantages
which private propreors expect the location of the
roads in the vicinity of their estates.
In many of the Western States the cost of grading
long line of road does not exceed ST 900 per miethe
cost OF timber amounting to nothing than the
pense of clearing from the track For these reasons the
expense of building railroads the Southern and Western
States is much less than it will be when the country
becomes as densey settled the older States of the Union
The Central Railroad of Illinois enterprise which
furnishes remarkable example of the energy and spirit
Of improvement in the States Illinois was admitted
into the Confederation State in 1818 with 80 900 in
habtants. 1t has 55, 405 square miles Of territory
population, according to the of 1850 of 470
The central railroad is to extend from its southwestern
extremity at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio
rivers, to the north line of the State with dyergng
branches The total length of this road including the
main stem and branches is to be six hundred and eighty
miles The cost is estimated at $4,000 per mile,
900 for the entire work. without equipments for
operating it, This is the longest continuous Of road
in contemplation in the United States of which there
is any probability of speedy completion 1t has been
commenced with such facilities for executing the plans of
its projectors that there is reasonable doubt that
will be finished within a few years
Mr. Asa Whitney proposes to construct railroad from
St Louis or some other place the Mississippi river
the Pacific ocean, terminating either San Francisco
California at the mouth of the Columbia river in Ore
gon He solcits the patronage of the National Govern
ment for this prodgous work. petitions for the grant
Of tract of land equal in extent to sixty miles in width
by two thousand miles in length His plans were first
laid before Congress in 1842 and he has since been con-
tnuay occupied in recommending them the favorable
attention of the Government and the people with great
ability and zea but with what remains yet to be
Without expressing any view with reference thereto
it may be said that his project is generally considered
mpracticabe, from the fact that Of the two thousand
miles of territory which his route the country
traverse, large portion consists Of desert Of sterile
and very elevated mountain districts in which can be
found materials of construction and which would afford
business for the support Of the road the difficulties
Of building it overcome Many intelligent men, however,
are convinced of its practicability and expediency
The railroad system Of the United States may be con-
sidered to have commenced in $780, The first putin
operation was short road built for the transportation Of
fwar. .wu.I 1ol.-
chusetts The length of this work was four miles II
was finished in 1880. In the year the State of
South Carolina caused to be commenced railroad from
Charleston, its principal port to Augusta in Georgia
The distance is 1876 miles The work was finished in 1888
at the very remarkably small cost Of ST. 1885, 615 which
sum included also the expense Of furnishing the road with
engines and passenger and freight cars and all other
cessary equipments This the first railroad of any
considerable length constructed in the United States and
it believed to have been the cheapest and one of the
most successful
The longest continuous line Of railroad in the world
and that in the construction Of which the greatest natural
obstacles have been overcome is that which extends
the Hudson river through the southern counties Of New
York. to Lake Erie Its length is four hundred and sixty
nine miles, and 1t has branches aggregate additional
length Of sixtyeight miles Nearly its whole course is
through region of mountains. The bridges by which it
40 over the Delaware and Susquehanna rivers and
oner streams and the viaducs upon which the
Faeys mat intercept its route, among the nobest
monuments OF power and skin to be found in our country
Inc most OF these works of heavy masonry but one
OF 'nem wooden bridge, hundred and eighty
feet in height and having but one arch the span Of which
is two hundred and sevcnyve feet One Of the yaducts
is 100 feet long and ITO feet high The aggregate cost
of this important work 1923 $50 OoO and the expense
Of construction was 1898 per mile The road was ORR
ginally suggested in 1929 company was organized IN
1882 surveys made in the same year and onera
tons begun by grading part Of the route in 1888
It was finished in May 1851 and opened with great ccre
mony for travel and transportation in that month The
State advanced six millions of dollars towards the work
and afterwards released the company from the obligation
to pay the loan. It will thus be that the execution
Of this great Improvement pursued through nineteen
years, and 1t not accomplished without calling into
requston both the Of the State and the
Of her citizens.