Loudon free press. (Loudon, Tenn.) 1852-1855, 1853-03-05
NO. Is.

OF all railroads penetrating the interior to place
the rate upon down freights as low as possible
and pay expenses, for it is well established i.
fact that the amount of up freights is in exact
! proportion to the down freights; and the more
of the products of country sent to market, the
more goods will be bought in return The pro-
ductions of East Tennessee will not bear hea-
Wy charge for transportation, but place the rates
OF freight so that they can be sent to ALL and
you will be amply compensated in the greatly
increased amount of paying up freight. ~.
An engine house and repair shop, l24 feet.
long, by "a feet wide, has been erected at Lou
don. In this shop is a stationary engine of 10
horse power and several lathes and other mach
inery. Not considering Loudon the best point
for the erection of permanent shops, have con-
structed the present one in as cheap style as
proper regard for the purposes for which it is
intended would warrant. The machinery now
on hand will enable us to do all the necessary
repairs to engines and cars, at very great saw
ing of expense over the present plan of sending
them 200 miles away
| The character of the road from Loudon to
Knoxville is fully equal, and in some respects,
superior to the portion already finished. The
crossings of the various creeks, on the line, are
effected by means of arch culverts of large size
and of best stone masonry. There will be no
bridge or perishable structure north of the Ten
nessee river. The grade viii in no instance ex-
ceed the maximum of the lower portion of the
road, to-wit: 36 feet per mile, and the longest
continuous grade will not exceed two miles in
length. When the road is completed to Knox
vile there will be, starting from Savannah, Ga,
a continuous ine'of railroad of 5O2 miles with
no grade exceeding Sc feet per mile on its en-
tire length. So favorable showing of grades
it is believed, cannot be made upon any line of
roads of equal length in the United States
The per centage of traight line is also unusual
ly large, and the curves are generally of radii
exceeding 3O0O5feet. The shortest radius upon
the entire road is l43O,feet and this in but three
instances.
At an early period of last year party of my
assistants were engaged in making experimental
surveys of the country between Cleveland, a
point u miles from the southern terminus of
this road, and Chattanooga, with view of as
certaining the best route to connect this Road
more directly than by way of Dalton, with the
roads centering at Chattanooga. The Western
and Atlantic road from Chattanooga, say miles,
runs upon nearly direct line toward Rlne
Spring, miles below Cleveland. A point in
the vicinity Of Blue Spring was accordingly Sc
lected as the point of departure from this road,
and line passing through the Mcdaniel Gap
of Whiteoak mountain, and connecting with
the Western and Atlantic road 81 miles from
Chattanooga, was surveyed and levelled-the
distance between the roads was ascertained to
be Is miles, and the entire distance to Chatta-
nooga 264 miles. The cost of construction
and equipment of the l8 miles upon plan
similar to that of this road was estimated at
$259,OO0; the remaining 81 miles, running
parallel with the Western and Atlantic road,
may be estimated at 100000, making the en-
tire cost from Blue Spring to Chattanooga
S359,O00. To effect the same great object other
lines had been previously examined by parties
Of Engineers from the Nashville and Chatsanoo-
ga railroad. Their surveys looked to Junction
with this road at Charleston, 16 miles above
Blue Spring. The result of their surveys, as
reported, shows not only double the length of
new road to be constructed, at more than double
the cost, but also slight increase in the entire
distance between Charleston and Chattanooga,
and an increase of 10 feet in the maximum
grade. These facts are important as they must
ensure the connection at the lower point and
thus retain upon l6 miles more of this road the
heavy freight and passenger business that must
ultimately pass over this route between the East
and West.
| do not look upon the construction of the
Blue Spring and Chattanooga road as of imme-
diate Importance, but when the Virginia con-
nections, the road from Knoxville to Danyille
and the Ohio river, the Memphis and Charles
ton, and Nashville and Chattanooga roads and
trrrIr vvirrcCtUns, OonIyrVVOu, "s--ss' Oi
the business and travelling public will infinitely
demand the saving in distance of 81 miles, over
the present route to Chattanooga by way of
Dalton, which the construction of this short
Ink OF 10 miles WOulQ eHect. IL Is eVluenL tnhb
our road has great interest, not only in the
construction but in the management OF this hnk.
Being short road its stock even, if stock sufh-
cient to build it could be obtained, would not be
likely to be of great value ON account of the
large per centage its expenditures would bear
to its receipts, but as component part OF this
road it would be of immense advantage. 1t
could be run by our road with but slight COM
parative expense. 1t is in the great valley
which we occupy-its ownership by our Com
pany will prevent all rivalry between 1t and the
lower portion of our road, it will enable us to
form direct connection with the roads of Mid
die and West Tennessee, and OF Alabama, so
that cars can be loaded at Memphis and Nash
vile. or at any intermediate points, and without
anv vexatious restriction can be run through to
Knoxville to Richmond, and to Norfolk. 1t is
utterly out of our power to build this road at
the present time, but there is every reason to
believe that as soon as the road is completed to
Knoxville its stock viii be at par Our char.
tered capital is $2,OOO,OOO, but $1,OOO,O00 Of