Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1854-07-24
RICHMOND wHIG.
From the Lypchburu R.n,hl,c.n

uue"hS the great trunk line OF railway from yorfplk
through Petersburg and Lynehburg the valley Of New
River, and down the same to the Ohio river
This gres: trunk line will be taken uo a, ON, s,, u,
hen1cky and continued to Louisville through Frank
or aud Lexington and s-o down the valley Of the OHIO
oaeipnsu THIS subject has not been sufcisntiy
with reference 90 it, character as great State
work. or " you please, the great work Of tho St,te
Much local and sectionsl feeling has been manested
and u would seem from the spirit in which th, snh;sc,
has often been discussed no other obsrt vas In a.
mlnus OF dsputants, but to give certain Ioc,tic, nrs
terence over Other supposed eompetpg points, VERY sei
dor nave enlarged and vie ~, been
and to many the object would seem to be to brny hs
trade oi the mighty West some little obscure town and
uu''u Una. up rather than open great Tor
that trade to pass through the State enrchng and far
tzins every ortion ts course and Terminating uno,
the Atlantic, at such place would best Recommending
s foreign export and dsaw in foreign importaops and
mus 70 ouiid up great commercial mart. For such a
mart, good Atlantic harbot Is indispensable eou,IIv NJ.
h w, - S srea' avenue TO the producing regions of
,ne est, aud through the interior OF our own
Iaese Two conditions being met great AMI ao,ri,h;,
CITY would DC the necessary consc1nence In IN. crcur
Auees o rTSnia, these conditions would be met by
opening The line OF communication above indic.s5
Norfolk With its magnificent harbor is the Atlp,c s,
nus and think enough has said to show that Nor
'olk ana onio hne above indicated, will become that
great avenue which will best accommodate the mivbty
tide OF business already passing upon the Ohio bosr s
me state, Tor transmit TO the Atlantic Every Effort in
Western, OF Northwestern Virginia to give tbs ,,sda
any oher directon so as 20 t from Norfolk Is et
rimen'sl to the bes; interests Of the State.
% aso any attempt TO ntepose upon this grea. ave-
nj IL
ihese are the propositions to which desire to direct
public attention, and by calm aud dspassoua,e consid
Grafton OF both, to arrive at these conclusions
Let u pose for moment that RAILWAYS Of uniform
gauges we're laid down frou Norfolk via IyucLburp
RicHnoEt, Siaun;on and Coviugton to the Ohio SnS
pose also that all the railways in the State were of
one gauge, aud that the roads cm Richmond TO Yo,k and
to Ethnin we're completed Does need one single mo-
nens detection TO that Norfolk would he Ito yrs,,
commercial i0crs OF the whole trade, that would pass
over these roads in the manner thar New York 4,
the sFcat commercial of the vas, trade thar ns.,e.
over The canals aud railways of the Empire State And
u not sen evident that whls Richmond, Alexandria
aud Fredericksburg woui become centres of large and
uourishng trades they would oil more or ess sb.ey.
lent TO the trade ofNook that they would mutually
hu promote the prosperity OF each others Any
'eup 10 change this natural order of things would
counervai the best interest of the State Il this yerv
attempt to divert trade and from its
proper chanEe that has blighted the commercial n,os
pety ti the commonwealth; and that evil will continue
to blast her welfare until this supreme folly arrested
acquiring 10 tue condition of things in of the
construction OF all the roads In the State upou uniform
gauge what avenue would ask, would best accommodate
the western trade. Evidently that which, other things
being equal was the direct from the Ohio to The
OHIO 20 the mouth OF the Chesapeake This very line or
route, is the which attempted to plaee prom
aently before the public !eaing from Norfolk via Pc
'fsong aud lyrchourg to the Ohio is the shortest
tn nosi direct line that constructed of uniform
gauge The great staples Of western produce destined
or foreign e1portaon for distribution would
pass over this line to the great mars Of the
Stete hhd on the other hand, goods imported from
abroad and destined FOR the western trade would mako
no lines OF beauty for the sake of visiting intermediate
owns of cltes bat true 10 the great cardinal laws of
rade, would go direct the great points OF drhuton
III the west How impoitic then to attempt to impede
'ae natural course oi trade TO il its proper
anu yet mas been the policy of the State for
i've years past to do this very thing In endeavor;nv IN
make tie route TO the Ohio the north side of lanes
| river With view to make Richmoud the commercial
cehre The State or else TO favor the suicidal policy
81 oraGiLg the commercial life OF the commonwealth m
build up baltimore. "
were dhcnit to tell which were the greater folly
open the great avenue FROM the West 10 Norfolk and
ao open every avenue to the Interior Of the State from
all sae other cities before mentioned and thus they will ali
contribute 10 each others prosperity and to the
| wealth and glory of the common welth
repeat it, that tie great trunk line To tho IVES,
should take the direct route 10 the Ohio from Nor
fox, and that this is the line on the South side of lame.
river II is not only the shortest bu, il il the route Win
easiest grades am perfectly that the grade over
the Aieshany on the line OF the Coyingtou and Obio
route IS lower than the Vrgin. and Tennessee road.
but am equally that the grades of thu Csnt,,I
road, which be regarded as com nonsnt .-t
Covingon and Ohio road much heavier east of tho
Allegheny than on the Southern line and heavier than
the crossing OF the Allegheny th? Southern line The
saue OF Tue Aeghany no the ruling grade OF this
great trunk line than the grade of any other mounn
east or west OF it. and hence the folly Of dwelling so much
upon this pass he Aeghany 80 or 60 feet oradn
there than the same grade east or YVES. az mi.
range That higher grades than sixty feet even "a b;,b
az seventy seyenty-hve-ye up eighty feet-ocour On
the Northern line, well known The Southern u ,b.a
fore the better avenue to the Wes and should tbsrs
FORE most undoubtedly be free from sny ohrur,;on f
break OF gauge But besides this simple view of the
which should decide the question OF gauge in II, avo-
there other views which though often urged will hs
repeaung favor OF the Southern line as the main ave-
nue. 70 the West.
Look the map and for a moment i'm s;ns tho ,,o,l
ern hne constructed. sweeping through Kicbmond Co.
donsve Charlottesville and S;auuton 70 Coyppton with
grades OF seventy seventy Eve and eighty feet to the
mile aud that this were the only avenue to the Wes,
This E indeed the state OF things which tho excluaive .d
yocstcs Of the northern route would bri,r about Tbs
Moud 70 oc sure permit toe great southwestern Of
ade toe virginia aud Tennessee road to be carried ~,
Petersburg, although there many who would prirr A.
cut oil the connection Of this ge, road with our
cent hsrbor at No folk and there are not few Of n,
friends OF the northern line who do not SEQ r viii no,
acknowledge the importance OF Immediately mskiog ,b.
New River connection and thereby open this ursat unL
line to the Ohio Suppose therefore, that northern line
would be the ccnsequencef How much of the ', s.iar,
trade the tTadc Of the Ohio mean would ha nonna
going over this road TO the mouth of the Chesspeaka
What influence would the oops snd even brigs of lana
river aided by the small steamers such AZ the Ro,nols
and jamestown, have upon the trade of Ohio To divs, IL
rom The great lines eadng to the northern Atlantic cities
How much Of that bu'insss coming up The Oh;o ,;var
would leave the steamers short Of Psburg or Wbesrr
Or, IL In low water trsDshipment should take pl,cs -
the terminus OF the northern line tho Ohio river cow
much OF IL would get to Norfolk or even 10 Rich ond,
The truth h that with this northern oe alone c.,Tnc,sd
as means Of railway connection between s ,jdo v,sr.
o. virginia aud the Ohio, ;hefe would be very little
| ignore our great h.bor, Norfolk, which sbopS
DO tue commercial centre Of the uhols sv.,or.
U Virginia railways 1--WE 10 Norfolk this system
complete, ard she becomes the Atlantic esn,a
fsn the railways connected with this great syenus
Southwest as we'll West What would be the sfs.,
OF ibis policy on Riebmoudi Iistead Of being injured
by such state Of hing her trade would be ousdrrnd
s6e would in very short time become important com
merehl centre for large interior section of counyv
whose produce would be collected there not to DO sap
edo New York and other northern cities but to be sen,
70 NorolK Tor foreign shipment and coastv distrbu
,lon' her magnificent water power would be improved
ner nsnpao,ures o. Hour, cotton, WOOL ron and to-
oaceo would DO ten fold increased and sent TO her sser
Ges and from thence distributed throughout tho world
~ commercial point Of view her position would resem-
oe that OF Albany In her relations to New York Doe,
auy one or moment suppose that the commercial great
ness o. Ne" ofk has been detrimental that Of Albany
But Richmond while she would feel the reflective c, ,s
mercis advantages Of Norfolk has sn udepeod nj sIs
ment OF greatness which other city In the piop pos
IN net unrVsled water power and the coal fields
which may be said 10 aInot surround o., Tbssa a.
Inent aided oy tho commercial greatness OF Norfolk
Eoad oe called into activity hLd make the beautiful city
o. P'eahonas the site OF Le largest and richest manu-.
sctures OF Hour cotto yoeps and iron In the Totoo