Washington telegraph., 1854-06-14
ENdNfEa's OrrleE al. R.R. Co. /
NJ L.. 1854 |


Ny l.. 1854
Ro'ir'i boo Eq, P-aaaaa' q "a, Cu,a s E.liaa
Rairaa8 G5agaH4
Dian SIa-The approaching meeting of
tue slnekhallcr, Of tbs company appear
fit oeeasion Of submitting TO YOU Tor ihsir
information, a statement Of the progress
aul present. condition ii the syKeys. as
well Il Of the character and prospects oi
the work 80 far as they have been develop.
Cd hy auf examinations
am without very feeeu, alyiees fHam
the northern part af tie line. Tie mil
communication. generally sluw and unaer.
laiui has been recently interrupted hy fTs=li.
ct, | Judge thai uaw tie survey mnst
lave been carried 10 he Missouri balall.
". and tie party be en is return To en-.
plete one Of the lines which wa, suspended
Oh age1uu' Of high waief in White riscf
The southern party. alter making thHir
survey imm Little IT, Ia the Saline fiEtf
were moved In Rcd River in order To eam.
plete tie survey aefuzs tie bottom Lands b..
fore tic amul, ifesael Two lines Rare
surveyed from the northern limit ui tie
los hHls 70 the Tesas boundary This
party has resumed The work ai tho Saline.
aud is now near ihe uualhh river. We
have hai the benefit 0l very excellent sur.
,ry made hy Cap Joshua Barney; tlp
progress Of our work, which /. au approx.
mate location ui ihr usl. would not have
been 80 rapid wi.bog' OBJ, valuable assist.
ancc expect that Without scriou. inter.
rupiIon by high water. lhc field work will
be finished before lhc end OF June.
The amount expended mp to the close Of
the a,, quarter lAlafch 3lIl on accouut
of the engineer service Of tie road. iucIud.
ing cost of ns,rumeuis-icuts. wagons. hnr.
scs, oxen, and camp cquipagc, I, SlOlOl
So TIE amount that will probably lc ro.
quired to complete ihe surveys. ahl make
the maps. profile and computations IN the
Office j, about s. 500.
II would be- quito premature ai tli, time
to a,ilempt an approximate estimate Of the
cost Of constructing 'bp road Il is part
and a great part Of the object Of q survey to
obtain the information requisite 10 make an
approximation to the truth. and hi, cannot
be reached until the Geld work Of the sur.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, aud com.
puiatons made 10 the office am not vii.
ling to make estimates upon iu-ulicion, da.
Ia the practice is viciou, aud dangerous.
Estimates thus made rarely if crcr come
up to the actual cost The wickciucs, and
the danger Of tho practice are in ihi, it is
diTcpuIabo to the profession Of engineer.
ing, and it bring, disappointment frequent.
ly serious embarrassment upon the ,tockhol.
ders as the consequence Of their delnsion.
When the surveys shall have furnished
the data for an estimate, will cndcayor to
make II in such way as To avoid al tAg,e
difficulties and 10 give You as nearly as |
can, the cost of first class road, the kind
which suppose You desire and which the
importance Of your position aud future con.
ncctious will demand | am quite FREQ
however to give you the results Of my recon.
noisances and my judgment or the suitable.
ness Of the country for good railroad route.
and It's yciaiirc character to districts tray.
trscd by roads the cost of which is known.
The Arkansas river divides the country
along the probable route of the road. into
two districts Of very marked difference of
,uraclcr Southwest Of Littlo Rock the
rflcc Is boldly unlulatiug norlh.cagtward
4 is comparatively level; indeed it rarely
curs that line lij miles in lcngth, is
md with such easy grades and good align.
inent as We shall obtain between Little Rock
aud the northern boundary Of Arkansas.
Between Little Rock and the Texas bonn.
Diary, tie character Of the country forces rs
to defect considerably from the direct line
in order to keep within the limit. Of mode.
rate grades. These dcllcr.lons 80 far as
this part Of the line has been surveyed, arc
not serious, the curves arc gentle. the ora.
ding not 50 heavy as was anticipated.
We cross mauSlarge streams. some qroot
riycrs,--thero is no difficulty in cro..ipc
them, but the bridges will be costly. for in.
stance, the bridge across the Arkansas must
be 1000 feet long and 60 feet above fhc
bed Of the river, furnished with draw So
as not to obstruct navigation
Much has been said about the difficulty
(by some supposed to amount to an impossi.
bility,) Of extending your road from iho
Missouri boundary, to the point opposite
Cairo.
| consider this question fully set at rest