Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1852-04-19
The canal, / believe. for The la,, four

The canal. I believe. for the last four
years has progressed at the rate of ten
miles per annum-thcn TO construct 24O
miles at the same ratio, will take "a years.
Buttake another calculations. The Blue
Hidge tunnel Of about 1900 feet will take
about years. and this tunnel is prcssed
night and day. and hands changed three
times in the twenty flour hours-thcn how
long Wilt take TO make the tunnel through
the flIeghany Of % miles or 1920 feet'
Why. not less than Is years. But Col.
Gwynn tells us that shafts would be sunk.
This. if it expedited the work. would
greatly increase the cost; forI suppose tho
first shsft-sunk would be about 900 feet
deep. and the next 500 or GOO ieef.-
These shafts have to lie sunk at great ex-
pensc. then the material cxcavated u be
transported to the shaft, then to be raiseH
pcrpcndicularly from goo to 600 feet as
the case may be. and then carried in carts
to such n distance as not to impede the
progress Of the work; which. ifthey saved
a year or two Of time. would double the
expense Of the tunnel:-whereas, a rail-
road could be completed in FIVE or six
Years. Are we then TO wait some 20 or
80 years for the connection to lie compile
tedlor shall we adopt the more expeditions
mode. and some Of us live TO see the rich
productions Of the West flowing into our
towns and cities. like the waters Of the
Nile onriching as they .howll
am well aware that canal. even of
the dimensions Of the James River and
kanawhn, can transport tonnage cheaper
than railroad, but this difference appears
to me to be greatly overra,ed by our'chisf
engineer. Ii the cost toftran.portation bo
as low as is represented by Mr.. Allen to
the New York Legislature, this difference
is inconsiderable. even if our canal werc
completed to the Ohio. But Col. Gwynn
thinks Mr.. A lien is mistaken, and reasons
at large to show his mistake, yet he has to
admit that the chief engineer Of New York
intended that railroads may be enabled to
compete with canals in chcapness Of trans
portation, with improved machinery
Page 90 fCol. Gwyun's report)
But sir. is not the opinion Of Mr. Allen
sustained by other faets2 The Reading
Railroad carries coal ut cost Of six mills
per ton per mile; and Col. Garnett tells
US in a letter addressed to the Chairman to
revise the tariff of tolls. in answer to let
ter reccivad by him, that in England cod
is transported on railroads at % mills per
ton per mile; and again he tells US thm
"the experience Of our country has pretty
well established the fact that the cost OF
railroad transportation does not exceed
one cent per ton per mile on well con
structcd roads"
This opinion Of Col. Garnett, Co.
Gwynn objects to as the opinion Of tho
committee. though the committee gavcthcir
authority in their report; and | will say
that Col. Garnett's opinions onths subject
are entitled TO weight. Heis one OF the
first railroad engineers of this nge, with
science and experience, and hat he states
is difficult to reiute.
Col Gwynn tells US that the average m
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad "m
length, half length. and length and half, 10
2S5, 3.43 and 339." Now sir, he forpets
that from Cumberland to Baltimore is only
half length of the road, and should be 50
considerably reduced. But. sir. am nm
der the impression that he is mistaken in
his figures. | have put myself to some
trouble to estimate the average charge Of
transportation on that Improvement, and hy
my figures ! make the average charge
eastwardly. both winter and summer, at
1876 cents. The average. both winter
and summer, westwardly, 3.1l4 cents; and
the average charge both east and west,
winter and summer, at 1885 cents. 1t
ges are specific for instance, coal. which
is about half the tonnngc, is SO per ton
through both winter and summer, -four 40
cents per barrel, &c.-nnd the same may
be said with regard TO the South Carolina
and Georgia railroads. for -four is curried
on South Carolina railroads for 25 cents
per barrel 140 miles, and wlrcat a cents
per bushe. On the G eorgia Central Rail-
road -four is transported 900 miles for 10
cents per barrel. and wheat at IA cents per
bushel: and ON the Savannah and Chattan-
ooga Railroad -four is transported 44O
miles for S | .05 per barrel. and whent at rs
cents per busbel and had we the entire
tonnage. | think it probable the average
cost Of transportation would not exceed
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
But, sir, does not the average chnrge for
tonnag ge on the Baltimore and Ohio Rnil-
road OF 1885 cents, both winter md sum
mer, eastw ardly aud westwardly. prove
that the cost Of transportation 10 this
company does not exceed one cent per ton
per mile, when we reflect that from the
transportation Of tonnage alone. after pay
ing the expense Of Transporting passengers,
mails, and every expense whatever on the
road, it made $2iG,60S.
Col Gwynn next tells rs that il will
take six double track railroads 10 trans
port as much tonnage as the canal. Col
Garnett tells us land here is bis lctter) that
an engine of24 tons viii draw on u grado
Of 10 feet li2 tons, (and there is no grade. Y
as we are informed by Mr.. Shaw, as high
as this on the contemplated railroad from
Coving'onto the Ohio) Atrain, therefore,
10 start every is minutes, will give 96
trains per diem, equal to 1862 tons and
in 800 days double track road will trau5-
port 4,0s9,600 tons-morc than Col,
Gwynn estimates the canal could transport
if completed to the Ohio, and moro ihan
double that transported on the Erie Canal
last year.
But, sir, these extreme estimates are
useless. for ! merely referred 70 them to
prove that the chief engineer in bis zesl
for the water line made estimates which he
must see need correction. For il the rail-
road be completed, and 100000 tons Of
produce he transported, which single
track, with necessary turn-outs can &C.
commodate-with travel only equal to
that now on the Baltimore road, at an av-