Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1854-03-04

| ing coaI-hrakers and ali other machinery ne
cessessary 10 enable them 10 work their col.
'erles upon the most extensive scale Five
hundred thousand tons, it is thought, would
be moderate estimate of the amount Of
'heir shipments during the conming season.
Al Sunbury we also connect, with the
southern terminus Of the Sunbury aui Erie
railroad, portion of which is now under con.
tract and the grading nearly completed from
Snnbury TO WilIlamsport. Between Will
Transport and Miion the point of connection
with the Cattawissa railroad, it is expected
that the grading will be finished, and single
track laid early the ensuing summer. The
Susquehanua railroad company have author
zed, and placed under conlrac, an extension
at their road from Sunbury 10 Lewisburg,
from which point they can either come Il
| with the Sunbury and Erie Railroad, or con-
time their road 10 Williamspor, as may
| hereafter be deemed expedent In either
case, or should the Sunbury and Erie com.
pany prosecute their work from Williams
! port by the valley OF the Susqne hanna, to
Baltimore and Philadelphia, passing over
the eutire length Of the Susquehanna rail.
road.
At Williamsport, we connect with the
WilIamsport and Emira railroad, which
extends from Williamspor on the line of the
Susquehanna, and Snnbury and Erie rail.
roads, in Pennsylvania, 10 Emira, on the
New York and Erie roalroad, in the State of
| New York, distance OF "a miles. Twenty.
five miles Of the Sonthren end of this road.
extending from Wlliamsport 10 Ralson,
| have been completed, and trains OF cars pass
between those points every day. The bal.
ance of the road from Raiston to Elmira ia
newly graded, and, at the northern end the
track is laid for several miles. The road, il
is confidently expected, will be graded, and
a single tack laid from williamson, to El.
mira, before the Isl Of July next-ihus com.
Ipeting The last link IN the chain of railroads
connecting by north and sonin line, through
the centre of Pennsylvania, the grea, North.
eIn Lakes with the Atlantic sea- board,
The whole extent Of the road embraced
by the charter Of the Susqnehanna Railroad
Company, is abs, 81 miles, commencing at
the terminus Of the York and Cumberland
Railroad, at Bridgeport, opposite to Harris
bury, and ending at Williamsport. Thus:
from bridgeport 10 Snrbury 54a miles
From Sunbury to Wiliamspor, s9a {"
Total. o. miles
The average grade for the entire line is
under two and half feet per mile. On ,ha,
portion OF the road under contract, between
Snnhury and the terminus Of the York aud
| Cumberland Railroad, over Sc miles of The
road is dead level. On l6 miles the grade is
under three feet per mile. On miles me
! grade is over three and under six feet per
mile On miles, the grade is over six and
under eight feet per mile And on miles
the grade is above eight and nnder ten feet
feet per mile, In every instance the grade
is III the direction of the trade toward the
seaboard, The grades above eight feet were
rendered necessary 10 effect crossing at The
points of intersection with the Cumberland
Valley and Shamokin Railroads.
Is il not rema kable tha, line Of railroad
possessing so many local advantages; with
such abundant resources supplied by the
country through which il passes should so
long have been overlooked or neglected d
The coal trade alone, OF The valley Of the
Susquehanna, wonld quesionaby render a
railroad along It's borders a source OF prof! 10
It's owners. But when to this is added the
products of the richest Agricultural valleys
in Pennsy lvauia TILED by the mos, careful
husbandry-the iron which is found side by
side with The coal, in eXhanstble quantities
and the lumber Of The eralest timber country
in any of the Atlantic Slales-lhe productive
ness Of such a road is rendered certain be-
voud a peradveulure. With the iron trade
Of the Su>Quehanna and tributaries, the
public have long been familiar; The valne Of
the lumber trade may be judged Of by the
fact that a. The port Of Williamspor, alone,
there were shipped by canal during the
boating season Of the year 1858, thirty.one
millions Of feetof plank and boards The
value Of the lumber trade Of the West Branch
Of the Susquehanna during the pas, year,
may safely be estimated al 500, ,0o0, 900,
aHd that Of The North Branch, while it does
not equal the West, is nevertheless n most
important item. Tie country abounds with
towns aud villages, and thrifty, enterpri.
sing and rapidly increasing population, with
all the disadvantages under which The valley
of the Snsquehanna has labored, in conse.
Quence of being cut OF from the rest of the
business world during one third of the year.
while the river and canals are ice bound, il
has in The face of those obstacles, gone on
developing It's resources and increasing it:
wealth and prosperity, until ii new embra.
ces within lis limits as many of the element,
aud malaIas Of trade and commerce, as any
other portion of territory Of equal extent il
the United States.
II has been usual in the building of rail
roads in other portions of the country, 10 frs
construct The main stem Of the road, and af
ter that the lateral branches for the accomo
dation Of the local trade but in the case o.
The Susquehanna railroad, lateral roads en-
} tending in all 10 near 100 miles, have beer
completed in advance, aud in anticipation o
| the construction of The main line. A sum Of
not less than SO 900, 900 has already been ex
pended In opening railroads leading from The