Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1853-08-10
The big sandy railroad Again.

The Big sandy Railroad Again.
The West Columbia Bulletin, in reply
to our remarks upon this railroad some
time since, says
The distance from Parkersburg to
Guyandotte, the best practical route for a
Iailroad-is 100 miles, and the distance
from Clarksburg to Charleston is 100
miles, requiring 20 miles more of road
to be made on the back route than on the
front besides, we are informed by those
who have travelled the latter route, that it
is almost, if not altogether impracticable.
The distance from Parkersburg to Clarks-
burg is 85 miles, making the route from
Guyandotte to Clarksburg 1875 miles /;
and the distance from Charleston to the
mouth of Sandy is 81 miles, making the
back route 174 miles, or 1 miles shorter
than the river route. Now, as the great
est estimate of speed that we have heard
on the back route is 90 miles an hour,
which would make the time hours and
As minutes, and as the lowest estimate Of
speed on the river route is 80 miles per
hour, the time would be six hours and 10
minutes, or two hours and 80 minutes
nearer the eastern cities than the ba ok
route, and we are satisfied that there is
still greater difference of speed in IA
yor of the river route than this"
1.-THE editor of the Bulletin will take a
single glance at the map. he will see that
the proposed Clarksburg and Big Sandy
Railroad will lie almost the whole dis
lance in the valleys of water courses
up the Elk river. and down the West
fork of the Monongahela. The assertion
that it is s'olmost inapracticaJle'' to construct
railroad alongside river, evinces a
knowledge of railroad matters only ex-
ceeded by the calculation of 90 miles an
hour as the maximum speed to be attain
ed on the Clarksburg route; the Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad cars, under dis
advantages of heavy grades, curves, &C.,
at least as great as will be experienced on
the ''back route" frequently making dou
BILE that distance an hour. The Bulletin
grants that this route would be the near
est to Baltimore, leaving out its nonsense
in regard to running time. and we claim
that the route is fully as practical.
On another question it is likely we can
agree little better with the editor of the
Bulletin. he says:
"Will the Register and the Kanawha
Republican unite with the Bulletin in adj
vocating the passage of law next win
ter authorizing the Company to construct
Railroad from Guyandotte to some point
on the North Western Railroad, not fur
Their east than the town of Clarksburg,
leaving the Company to select their own
location This will settle the question.
What say you, gentlemen-will you do
it 90
That don't exactly fill our mind in re-
gard to the matter, but if Mr.. Sanders
will allow US slightly to modify the pro-
position, we are with himto the death. Will
the Bulletin and Republican join the Re-
gister in advocating the charter of road
from the termination of the Lexington
road to the Northwestern road, and leaze
its location to be decided after both routes
have been surveyed Now, there is a
proposition for you, boys, with an outlet
and an inlet at both ends. Will you ego
in for it?"