Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1852-02-05
FEBRUARY 5. 1854
Report OF the Board Of Public
Works.

of Public Wo: ks. reputed to be from the
pen OF Elk Governor Floyd. 1t is well
arranged, lucid and comprehensive expo
sition Of the condition of Internal In
provements in Virginia--and the proper
policy to be pursued by the State in the
further prosecution of the system. We
regre, that the length of The Report forbiJs
its publication in the Virginian. aud that
we are driven to the necessity Of condcns-
ing what is already more than ordinarily
compact IN its style and substance.
After an apologize reference 10 the
necessity. arising from recent legislation
aud the importance to the credit Of the
State, Of detailed account Of the public
works at this time, the Report advcrts 10
the great revolution that has taken place,
within few years past.in the policy Of our
State and the sentiments Of our people.
Ancient and deep rooted prejudices have
been eradicated; a liberal and enlightened
spirit has pervaded our legislative assem-
blies; the people have cheerfully sub
mltted to the imposition OF increased taxes
and works of improvement have multiplied
and progressed. with rapidly almost
unexampled. Virginia contains now near
ly seven hundred miles of completed rail-
way, and has nearly seven hundred add.
tional miles under contract and in pro
gress. together with about three hundred
more projected and subscribed for Be-
sides these railroads, she has aLou three
hundred and seventy TWO miles in length
Of the most capacious and substantially
constructed canals in the Union. and turn.
pike roads, large potion Of them Of the
first order of grade and construction, mea
suring abou; three thousand miles in length
all Of which last, if not financially remu
ncrative to the state, are inestimably valua
bic to its agricultural and industrial inter
ests. In addition to these works, large
subscriptions have been recently made
towards plank roads-a species of i'm.
provement second in value and usefulness
to none other-somc of which are partial
y completed and considerable distances
Of which are in rapid progress. The
completion of this entire system of works
as far as subscribed for, would create ar
Indebtedness of only about twenty million:
Of dollars-wIile large portion of III,
Investments will have become profitable
before the aggregate liability will have
arisen. With this amount of indebtedness:
in prospect The credit of the State has moi
suffered, but its bonds command premium
at home and abroad.
A table is furnished by the report giving
a condensed view of the railroads, com
pleted and in progress. and the interest o.
the State in each. When completed the,
will form system possessing capabilitie:
for greater commerce than any other O
similar length in the Union. The rcpor,
refers separately to each Of the leading
works-commcncing with base line tina,
will extend from the Potomac TO North
Carolina, crossing all the great water
courses Of the State, near the head of tide
water. The tonnage coming down on the
streams, and upon the varioss railroads
divcrging from it, will be received by TIL,
line and borne to the most eligible CONNER
cial points. The country " hich it passes
over is susceptible of being made rich and
productive by the use Of guano and mari,
for the easy transportation of which the
road itself will furnish facility.
Upon this base line viii rest four of the
most important public works projected
upon the continent. the first enumerated of
which is the Dan,ille Railroad, which ira
verses the great Southern region. of the
State, crossing the tile valleys ofthe
Appomattox, the Staunton, the Banisier
and the Dun rivers, constituting probably
the finest tobacco region in the world,
and penetrating the most productive por-
ton of North Carolina. This work will
form a connection with the Georgia and
South Carolina Railways and conduct to
our State an immense Southern, as vel
as local commerce.
The second line mentioned is the Vir-
GINA and Tennessee Railroad, in connec-
tion with the Southside and It's projected
extension to Norfolk. OF this work the Re
port says: threading the most productive
portions Of the James river valley; thence
penetrating the whole extent of that pro-
life bed of mineral and agricultural wealth
which lies between the Alleshanies and
Blue Ridge, south Of the James river;
thence connecting in Tennessee, by works
already in progress, with the Georgia and
SoutliC Carolina railway systems, with the
Mobile and Ohio road, and with the Mis-
sissippi river at Memphis, where it will
III titC 3dN tIl1t
to result from the projected railway con-
nections Of that city with New Orleans.
with the Western Mississippi country,
and ultimately with the Pacific Ocean
it is impossible to appreciate adequately
the importance OF this work to the State, or
10 ovcr-eslimate the sIupendous results of
its future operations. twill tap the Mis-
sissippi river at point below the mouths
of its largest tributaries, where the whole
trade Of that river and those tributaries can
be reached. 1t will pierce the valleys of
the Tennessee and Cumberland river, and
be accessible to the trade Of the whole
State of Tennessee. BY intersectlng the