The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-06-01

II, uv0n the reasonable pfoba oilty OF an early
tailment of the time consumed in the transporta-
ton Of the mails and Of travellers between New
Orleans and Baltimore, BY connexion sswhich
will reduce the transit between the two cities to
less than three days running time, nstsad of the
fastest time ever yet made, "scven days and two
hours; ,* and having myself given to this subject
come consideration, believe, with you, that you
scan point out mail route from Baltimore to
New Orleans which lie alike inevitable and immu-
table," This information is withheld in your ar.
ticle and as it is presumed there is no objection
to its publication it ia to be hoped it will be com.
municated by you in continuation of the subject,
as aso the line of route recommended in 1924, in
his report on the best and most feasible project for
the ..post route between Washington city and
New Orleans,'' by the distinguished engineer,
General Bernard, since Secretary Of War to Louis
Philippe. S''i
As understand "the nearest location between
the great terminal cities New Orleans and New
York, ;" the "air line," beginning at the latter,
would pass from Sandy Hook bay through New
Jersey, opposite to Philadelphia; cross the Della.
ware river at Newcastle, and the Chesapeake bay
at the north of the Patapsco, leaving Baltimore
about fifteen miles to the right; and proceed thence
direct to the city of Washing ,on, and from there,
through Alexandria and Lynchburg. in Virginia,
to the head waters of Dan river. Continuing
through the mountainous districts of North and
South Carolina. ian insuperable objection, proba-
bly,, to strictly air. line railroad from Lynchburg
towards New Orleans,); it would intersect, in
Georgia, the South Carolina and Tennessee rail-
road, north of Athens, and proceed thence through
Montgomery, in Alabama, and cross the ALBANIA
river north of Claiborne, and the Tombigbee south
of st. Stephens; and thence through the State of
! n
Orleans. Such would be the route of an air. line
railroad from Lake Ponichartrain the Rigolets,
near New Orleans, to New York.
But perhaps better route, embracing all the
objects in view, except being strictly an air line,
may be started from the Rigolets, near New Or
leans, and thence direct to Mobile. From Mobile,
the contemplated Girard railroad is to connect
with the Columbus, Macon, and Savannah rail.
road. But another railroad ia now being con-
structed direct - the Ohio river, and thence to
Chicago, Illinois, which may be used from Mobile
for the air road as far the latitude of Demo
polls; there cross the Tombigbee, and proceed
thence, through the best cotton lands of Alabama,
to Selma; whence, uniting with the Selma and Ten
nessee River railroad, it would proceed northeast.
erly by the railroads under construction in Ala
bama, and through the eastern tier OF counties in
river to Abingdon, in rsnia from Abingdon,
along productive valleys through Salem to Lynch
burg; and thence by Charlottesville, the.centre of
Virginia, to unite with the Orange and Alexandria
railroad. From Alexandria and Washington, not
far from air line to New York, would be through
Baltimore and Philadelphia; or the air line road
from Washington to New York might be made
more direct, already stated. This air line from
New York to the Tennessee the Tombigbee
river would probably be thus far an airline rail-
road route to San Francisco, which is likely to
start from the Mississippi, either at Memphis or
Vicksburg. 1t is evident, from the reference to any
map, that no road to New Orleans can be made
from Baltimore, and the cities north of it, 30 direct
as through the city of Washington. Such being
the fact, and the railroads along the Piedmont
route, eastward Of the Blue Ridge, to Lynchburg,
and thence through the fertile valleys of Western
Virginia, until the productive grain, mineral, and
cotton regions of Tennessee aud Alabama are met
along the railroad now in the course of conetruc-
ton, az also the Mobile and Ohio, and the Selma
and Tennessee roads, it is but reasonable to con-
clude that there will be a connection to supply the
link wanting between the two railroads, from Sell
ma through Demopois, in Alabama, to the Mobile
and Ohio railroad, so as 10 have continuous rail-
road from New York through Washington, Lynch
burg, Knoxville, Selma, and Demopos, to Mobile,
and thence to New Orleans-the best route proba-
bly, for the transportation of the malls and for the
fastest travel, that can be constructed 'sbetween
Baltimore and New Orleans"
Were the contemplated Metropolitan railroad
made from Washington to a junction with the Ohio
and Baltimore railroad, between Fredericktown
and Harper's Ferry, Washington will be nearer
to the fertile regions bordering upon the upper
ioly, fho ,eoTt ard
the Mississippi, than any city ofthe Atlantic States
having ship navigation. When the last link of
the railroad from the South, between Aqua Greek
and Washington, and the great southwestern
route to New Orleans shall be completed, Wash
ngton will lie In the direct line of railroad between
New York and nearly all the great cities of the
South and West includng San Francisco. This
ia as it should be; and if foreseen by the great
Father Of the Country, whose president eye, in the
selection o! the seat OF Government, foresaw what
was bid from less favored mortals-that the city
founded by him was to become the appropriate cap.
itnl and the centre of great empire. His expec-
| tations are about to be realized and Washington
is to be the focus of the great railroads of our
country, from which they will radiate in ~nearly
every direction; or rather, from the handle of a
Iady's fan, they will radae from the northeast in
some half dozen railroads westwardly to the
Soutn' AS you oo5eTVes tnlS ls only a question
of time" all the roads leading out of Washing.
ton have to be made. 1t is all important, in a ma
tional point of view, in order to weld together,
binding with iron to one common centre, and that
the capital, the remote and all the different parts
of our great and glorious Union This, too, is Of
vast Importance, not only for the transmission
of the mails, but, in case of war, of troops
and munitions, in the shortest time, any part of
the country that may be threatened. In the first
instance, the AIRLINE road should be made without
delay for the interest of the whole country, mo
particularly of the cities interested between New
York and Washington, by which the time of travel
| between them should be reduced to about six
hours and the cost to six dollars, the present
| charge (by steam far as Albany between
New York and Buffalo, about double the distance
of the route between Washington and New York,
| though traveller is transported about the same
number of hours on both routes. and difference
OF from to two dollars more between W ASKING
ton and New York, (now) 230 miles, at 81 so,
than between New York and Buffalo, about 45J
miles, at SO so. In the air line railroad from
New Yorkto New Orleans, through the city OF
| Washington, by the :" Southwestern National
| Route" and from Washington by the Metropoli
tan railroad, to connect with the Ohio and Bati.
more railroad, 80 that Washington will have a