The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1852-1855, 1854-04-06
lpefhly Gazettc,
CITY OF LANCASTER:
tuesday Evening, April a, 1854
t. S. SLAUeHrER, ESQ.

toAuy huWlsSlOn.
Sanguiue as I have been, in regard 10 ia
value, Importance and high commercial pow
or of our Valley Rail Road enterpTize, | hsvl
no., in the mean time, lost sight of the ex
pcdisncy of ombodying, upon the Publ''
mind, every available mehuo of exciting IT.
attention To the work, aud of inspiring tn
highest confidence in It's merits.
With those views, and anxious TO deriv'
authority and sanction from the most com
mandlng source, | requested Mr.. LATRoBE
whose unsurpassed reputation as an EngI
neer. and high position as a gentleman
furnish the fullest guaranty for reliance up
on his opinions,- TO make an examination o
our line; and his kind and gratifying com
p~liance, and its results, ore among The mus
interesting incidents in the history of GU.
Valley.
kHow Of no psper, which l could submit
for publication, with more pleasure. than the
sUbjoiHed communication; which is MIR. LAT
RoBx's Report Of The examination:
PARKERssURe, March ID, 1854.
CHAs. BoRLAND, ESQ &, President
Columbus i II. Y. r r. Co.
DEAR SlR:-The examination of he coun.
try between Lancaster and Purkersburg
which [ have just completed IN your compa.
ny, enables me to make tho following re-
marks upon tho facilities il offers for the con.
sirucIIon OF your proposed railway.
The rainy weather, the high water, and
thslllmtted time al my dlspusul, permitted
emily u rapid survey Of The ground; vet It's
result, IN connection with my knowledge de-
rived from u reconnaissance made some years
ago, has been sufficiently decisive to warrant
q favorable repsrl.
The route down the valley Of tho Great
Hockhocking, from Lancaster to NelsonvIl!e,
10 direct, and Of the easirst grade aud cnrva-
ture, aud will be rheaply made. Either side
oil the RIVER may be taken between Lancaster
and Logan. The lIne upon the west side,
(of which an experimental survey was made
IN 1852 by Mr.. Foster, the notes & drawings
Of which he kindly lcnt for eur informstlon,)
would De free from contact with the canal,
and would, therefore, have more complete
command Of thu ground. The west side
would allow OF u deviation from the immedi
ate valley Of the river Between Gicsy's Mil
above Buck Creek and the month OF the Clear
Fork OF Scotch Creek, OF Logsn-whIle the
cast side might, perhaps, DO varied by = line
leaving 10 the noighborhnod of Rushcreek &
passing near MIR. Swar,z's farm. From In
gan TO NElsnnvllle the line W1uld be most
likely Ia follow the left hand or East bank Of
the river, aud eau be located on the inner
sido OF Tho canal, without interference with
that work. The uarrows below Logan are
mars frequent than above, bui are not pre-
cipi,ous or Of great length. From Nelson
vile, eastward, two leading routes present
themselves.--one still descending the valley
by, or near Ia. a suitable point for crossing
the ridge between the Great s Little Hook
hooking, in approaching The sci'e OF the pro-
posed bridge ovsr the Ohio, at, or in the
neIghboFhnod Of, Walkers, seven or cigfH
miles below PnrkeFsbuvg,--ihc other leaving
The valley at Nelsanyllle. and passing over
first 10 Monday Creek Gnd its Show fork:
thence, by Baily's Run to Sunday Greek, mud
ihsnce by. or near, Milf aid, aud the haad Of
JackIon's Run, To tho head Of Mr.. Dluglas'
fork Of FPdeFsl Creek. thence down helcreck
e. the Furnishing village OF Atnestowr:hcnce
further down the creek TO Sptuce Norrowt
Run and across Ia Big run, aud up lIs first
right baud fork, by q ide0n Eii's TO the ridge
between FEDERAL Creek and the Litllc Hook
booking; thence along that ridge to the head
of S4wyer's run, aud down the slnpPs OF that
run to the bluff IN the bnnk ofihe Ohio, where
tho bridge would be bull. These main routes
10 BE- m 'dlfad by snch daviations Az detailed
exsmin ilinDs would Indicate hereafter, and
which might carry the linc either north or
south, bslweon Nrls0nvills aud the Ohio. at
the bridge, by which the Hooking Valley and
North Western Virginia railroads would be
s1nnecteG on the western hank of that river.
Tho length Of tho route would nut exceed,
it is believed. seventy milss from lancaster
to the Ohio RIVER, by the longes: limo likely
10 be selecled,-of this distance seventeen
or eighteen would carry tho road tn Logan;
twelve more TO Jacksonville, mud frnm thirty
six 10 forty miles more to the bridge, The
easy section would extend to Nelsnnville
thirty miles or further, according To III"
routes that may be adopted. The more diff
cult section would be next the OHIO River.
upon any rouie;1but although there would
be some miles Of rough ground md expensive
graduation, the difficulties would not be OF
on extraordinary character, and the average
cost Of the whole line would be moderate,
considering it's dlrectness, its advantageous
grades, aud generally geuilo curvntures, aud
its prominent importance as a great thorough
fare line.
A more detailed report than this ] am I'M
bio 10 make, from our rapid reconnaissance.
and the short time permitted for the commu-
nicaiion.
In regard 10 the cluims Of your enterprise
to the favor of the Important Interests which
are concerned in it, | wonld briefly soy ,thnt
l have never yet become acquainted with
one, which cumbired more general and spe.
cial reasons for its early execution.
The peculiarly happy positions of the city
Of Lancaster, as n centre and .horoughfare
Of trade, must strike every stranger who
visits il, and has the benefit of but a brief
birds eye view from the beautiful aud com
handing eminence in It's vicinity. The
great Hockhocking river, upon the head wa
tiers Of which it stands, atIhe enlrance Of the
pass. where the ranges Of HILLS, bounding lis
valley, open 10 the champagne country of
Ohio, flows with an average fall Of less than
three feet per mile to its mouth, on The OHIO
River, seventy miles below. Westward, up this
gently inclined plane, the building stone of
the upper valley, the great quarry Of Ohio,
the coal, IRON and lumber of Nelsonville, and
tho lower valley, and the salt Of Chnuucev
and the country eastwood, Gun be transport
ed at the lowest rates of Garage. The rich
agricultural products of the eutire valley.