Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1853-09-22

sEirs '.II-o.l csnFrn9. ssPt. Il. 1853.
II ~ Elifs< n ~ -WasEi.fEszian r
Since the retdrn Of arr Chief Engineer from
review Of The operaiiohs dThts Surveying parties.
Ne hare reeeivEt ffpni bin s3rk cheefing aeesunis
iksl rsns6i 81 ln parti1g shem % cur ftisnds
Boa he routes from AIexspdria 10 Goose Greek,
(uhich divergc Al Fairfax Old Court Hoase, have
proved 70 Be very direct and 81 easy gfads By The
rorihern or Leesburg line. tie measured distance
70 the Creek i 81 miles, and By ihe southern Or
SniekersEilie line % miles showing tpr railroad,
bat tfiaing excess Of distance over an airline.
To PureelipiI's. compuiing By YsrdIy Tayiot's
viai0ns rendered necessary tv the face ofthe eoun-
try, the distance Is estimated not 10 exceed BY the
northern route, 50 miles from Alexandria, includ-
ing branch 70 that point aboui ) miles long run
ping south from the main sieu r right angle
u the same nanner. u IS eomp thstihe distance
from Alexandria 10 Purcelis, b m. southern route,
cannot exceed A. miles, taking I'M view branch
extending noriherly about niles al Iirht angle
Il will be seen that the norshern rouie viii carry
Us but about2i miles 10 the south of Waterford
Upon his route, We continue 10 very direct course
via Hi||noro, through the heart OF your great and
fertile c,rnty to Keys Gap q is western bounda-
~. 1Nit Gap is passed wilh grades not exceeding
the Reasonable ones which pew AIDES the whole line
frem Alexandria TO the Ridge. On the western
slope Of Ridge. the Chief Engioeer assures rs
tEat trd0e OF MOI exceeCthg - CIV leet 10 the
mile has been run AID approximately Ioc.leS, and
upon ground involving comparatively ligF work.
His language IS thar for q mountain line ne never
saw isequat Tor gra6es and ease Of G obstruction.
In the passage ofthe Ridge Al this psta, We shall
nos haYe e submit to . less q dusanee exceeding
The public Il aware lhst Er. Blythe. al The in.
stance oflhe people Of Cl-.h ke madele June last.
an experimental suyser Of Snickers Gap the result
o. weieh Tas ih'si, Is practicable with tunnel Of
mule n ieng.h. with grades ne, exceeding so feet
ana Win pctLger miles loss Of distance. This
route vrdld pass by Berryvile and Winchester,
esess:ag the Shenandoah near Castlsman's Ferry
M hg Keyss's Gap crossing Il near Shannondale
sprngs and both uniting Al point distant about
or 10 miles beyond Winchester. Afer this juno
oni the route Is as direct ashe face Of The eas5try
will admit through BioomeFy Gap, 10 passage In
South Branth mountain, north OF Romney, which
Is now under Investigation, with saneuine expecta-
tons OF obtaining grades of52 $40 feet Upon the
western slope OF this. formidable barrier From
this mountain 10 the Raobly range which lies i'm
mediately east OF Psddy,own. and whose western
base is washed BY the North Branch Of the Poto-
mae, the country presents uogfeat engineering diff.
hculties 10 the location of aroad with the easy
grades coming within the limits which we have as
sumed as suitable for the transportation Of heavy
trains There are several gaps in Knobly; one,
In particular, which is practicable without tun-
net, though in a somewhat devious line. II, how
ever, weican reach this mountain wish gradients
not exceeding $500 feet u the mile against the
heavy transportation (of which have no doubt
it can be pierced in direct line, with tunnel no.
exceeding mile in length, opening at once 20
oar road the whole Of the vast coal basin beyond
These statements may BE implicitly relied upon.
i would be foreign 10 the character of our Chief
Engineer, Mr. Manning, and directly contrary to
the wishes OF the company, that anything in the
slightest degree deusiye, or not well asesrtained,
should 80 abroad under his OF their authority.
In conclusion, trust il will not be cosidered
amiss in me to advert TO the efforts which have been
made. and are still making to- preiudce The Alex
andria, Loudoun and Hampshire Railroad in the
estimation OF the people Of your county by certain
interests hieh have chosen 10 set themselves up
in opposition to it, paricuatlysto induce in their
minds the belief that il will never be made As 70
this belief will only say thatit has no juslifica-
lion 10 The merits OF the scheme, in the hopes or
belief OF the Company or its friends who are de-
termned 10 press il on by every, fair and proper
means. For the road itself ve have this claim, Al
least upon the candid consideration Of your people
that il leads through the verycentre Of their county
or al any rate IN direction which will afford Il
far more exten1ed accommodation than any other
scheme that has been projected. With all the supe-
rioritv which main stem has over a mere branch.
more especially one which will stop al Purcelville
The conntfy above its direct urse, 10 the direc-
tion Of HarpersFerry, properly belongs to Il as il
can be better accommodated 5yii. As or II. 81.
tension Of The Manassas Rrsneh to TINT point across
chartered rights, an4desigpEd 70, and originating
only in a wish 10 injure US.
We, ofcodrse, donot blam- any one fer enter.
tanning dsi5s in matters Of thiskind but for &c nal
misrepresentation, which have tefn freely in.
dulged in towards our road Imieht he excused for
indulging in some expressions of Indignation. but
I ierbsar TO do So being content as know our
whole Board are, TO abde the results of careful and
accurate surveys, from whick alone the truth can
be arrivedsaf; and from lhe tsAih no good cause
has anything to apprehend.H is
Yours very respectfullTif
LEWIS MCKENZIE pre.td.n,