Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1854-02-08
WHOLE NUMBER 1885,
n From the Ionia Gazette. -iI.s,
MIR. r. HIGHAM'S REPORT.

interest by our readers. The Report Is mainly
statistical, showing that the Road when CON-
pleted will be one of the best paying roads in
the Union We are glad that facts and figures
render it SO certain that this Railroad is destin-
ed to be a link in the most important line of
travel between the Atlantic sea board and the
Mississippi, the great father of waters. But to
the Report: & 80 ha4 5sts ot laHps ao.q f,r
The Oakland and Ottawa Railroad commen.
ces at the termination Of the Detroit and Ponti-
&C Railroad in the village of Pontiac, and termin-
ates at Grand Haven, on Lake Michigan, in
length l60 miles. 1 o.f r1 a.
| The Detroit and Pontiac Railroad commences
in Detroit city and extends TO Pontiac. twenty
five miles, making the total distance from De-
troit to Grand Haven one hundred and eighty
five miles. This portion Of the road from De-
trot to Pontiac is now in operation, and is do
| ing successful business. rla a,.s3 tso
| The connections of the Oakland and Ottawa
Railroad East, will be with the Great Western
Railway to New York and Boston; and West
by Steamboats, across Lake Michigan to the Rail-
roads terminating in the cities on the West side
of the Lake. The Roads from the ports on the
west side of Lake Michigan are in rapid prog
ress west. From Milwaukee Railroad is now
in profitable operation about eghthy-five miles
west to the centre Of the State, and is under
|
nosha, and other large towns on the west side
Of the Lake, roads are being constructed, and at
least one, if not two will be opened West to
the Mississippi River, and another one from Mil
waukee North to the Mineral regions of Lake
Superior, by the time the Oakland and Ottawa
Railroad will be in operation to Grand Haven.
The route of the road commencing at Detroit,
runs through the counties of Wayne, Oakland,
Gennessee, Shiawassee, Clinton, Ionia, Kent and
Ottawa, and will form the most natural outlet
east to Detroit, the commercial capital of the
State, for the counties above mentioned and also
the counties of Oceana, Mason, Newaygo, Mi
costa, Montcalm, Gratiot, Isabella, Lapeer, Sag
inaw, and part of the counties of Macomb, Ale
gan, Barry, Eaton, Ingham, and Livingston,
comprising about thirteen thousand Q3,0OO)
square miles, or one-sixth Of the peninsula of
Michigan, embracing the fertile valleys of the
Shawassee river, the Grand river, and their trib-
utaries, territory not surpassed by any other
section of country in natural resources and ca
pabilities to sustain dense population. At Cor
unna, in Shiawassee county, the road crosses
> the coal beds of Michigan, which are now being
worked for domestic uses; at Grand Rapids the
!, line passes the gypsum beds which are also ex
tensively worked, and furnished quite an item
the past season ofthe exports from Grand Haven /,
: and will form very important article of frei.s .sht
to the road, being extensively used in the cul-
tivation Of wheat instead of manure, as fertili
zer. t
At Grand Rapids is the largest water power
in the State, which is extensively used the CITY
of Grand Rapids is the second city in the State,
and is rapidly improving; it contains popua-
6 ton Of about five thousand (5OOO) The OPEN
! ing into the harbor at Grand Haven has had no
artificial improvements TO aid in removing the
Bar that forms at the debouch of all the rivers
! entering the lakes, but the large volume of wa
/ ter that flows out Of the river has washed out
a the sand and made greater depth of water on
the bar than at the entrance of most of the 9TH
E er harbors Oh the Lake; vessels drawing nine
feet of water have no trouble in entering the har.
Dor; aftor passing the bar the water is from
n twenty to sixty feet deep, and the harbor form
y ed by the River and Bays extend some fifteen
y miles The entrance to the har Dor is $50 feet
b wide. sd ct,uas ..
The proposed system Of Railroad improve
J. ments to develop the resources of Michigan bv
s constructing two roads North from the Oakland
g and Ottawa Railroad to the Straits of Macknaw.
! thence to the Sault Ste Marie, and from thence
$ through the mineral regions to the Montreal riv-
er, making in all length of seven hundred and
fifty miles, of Railroad, the business of which, to
l. reach the city OF Detroit, must pass over por-
liOu VI VIC Odhidiiu anu OttlWu Nallr0aQ, and
L the growing Importance of the mining interests
g on Lake Superior will soon make it necessary to
y construct these roads, and bill has been intro
le duced into Congress to donate public lands for
,e that purpose. If the roads are built either a.
~ branches Of the Oakland and Ottawa Railroad
h- ora independent roads, they will furnish to the
Oakland and Ottawa Railroad an amount of bu
cr siness not easily appreciated. ga go
Mt The curves, except at the Depots, are practi
cally nearly equal to straight lines, being from
n. five to twenty thousand feet radius; the aggre
r. gate length of the curved lines is increased by
m this large radius Of curvature, and amounts t.
rk twenty-nine miles. The aggregate length o.
d. the straight lines amount to one hundred and If
IN ty-six miles. The longest straight line is TWEEN
ir- ty-six miles. The proportion ofcurve to straight
line is sixteen per cent.
The road is calculated to be of the first class
ne furnished and equipped equal to the business
ca that may be anticipated on such an importan
,rt thoroughfare
he The culverts, where possible to procure bricl
OF or stone, are to be built of those materials an
ne when such materials cannot be had, the timbe
ot structures are to be built, and are designed wit
o reference to their being reconstructed in per
=, manent manner without interrupting the bus
:. ness of the road. All the bridges that must b
u of wood are calculated to be protected from th
". -, weather and finished in the best manner to pre-
'ce ,o,ya fhon, from, decav f. r lI.a. ftDTl