Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1854-01-07
the New-york and Erie Railroad.

Tile facts about the Erie Railroad
would be startling if we had not been so often
startled by statistical estimates and reports,
that we take The most astounding statements
things OF course wonderful ior any other
nation, but no hing for US. Yet unjer the
shadow Of the Pacific Railroad scheme itself
the annual repor: Of the Erie Railroad cannot
but make certain impression.
The Erie Itoad-a respectable one Of four
hundred and fo.ty-tive miles-is only the
"parenl trunk" Of a vast ramiGcation Of loads
Scren tributary branchcs-fve hundred and
thirty four miles in all--are even now com
pleted. Five others-four hundred and fifty
miles-haye been contracted Tor and begun {;
and yet another five four hundred and seven
teen miles-are projected, and will be com
menced, most oil them before the end OF next
year. Ina year or two, therefore, The phrase
= Erie Railroad" will stand in the public
mind for system of roads, including fourteen
hundred and forty miles of rail, which
will have cost the round sun Of one hundred
millions Of dollars. This is not a project,
remember, nor calculation, bat thing done,
or all but done,
Let us see what the road and its branches
"tdp"-to use word from the vocabulary
of railroad condensatons. The main road is
one Of The three channels that let the wealth
OF the Great Lakes into New York hnrbor !;
and the Great Lakes receive into their broad
lape the wealth Of "A region large enough for
an empire, aud rich in resources, developed
and undeveloped. 1t runs through "lier"
Of counties Of almost uncqualed productive
ness, taps four canals, aud touches eighty
towns whoh are growing fast into cities. One
branrh taps the bead oi the Ohio River; an
other taps Seneca Lake; another laps (the
word is 100 expressive not TO be rcpea'ed)
Lake Ontario; another, taps the Goa. and iron
region OF Pennsy yania; another, tbs lua ber
districts watered by the Allegany, Gencsee,
and Susquehannah rivers Within three years,
Two liuca--Seyen hundred and fifty miles long
having the same gauge" as the Erie Road
will extend to the Mississippi, and the Erie
will tap the Father OF Waters himself. West
of the Mississippi thre are now not hundred
miles of railroad; but the tremendous men of
that country will, (they say,) bef1re they are
five years older, have five thousand miles in
! operation; and then the Erie Road vii. tap
! the Far West. BY that time, the successor oil
General Pierce will be magnihcently opening
| the Railroad 10 San Francisco; and then the
Erie Road will tap the Great Pacilic--tap
China--tap the Eas; Indies--;ap Japan-tap
"in short" the Eastern Hemisphere.
| We group together few facts respecting
the property, business, and construction o.
the Erie Il abroad. Weight Of the iron rails
20 900 tons--iron spikes. 1850 tons--7SO
miles of track, includny 30 miles of turnout
IS miles of bridge-l5S arches over chasms
35 stables for the engines, aud | 5 turntables
Ia passenger, 70 freight, and Sc station
hUuses--whole nlmber OF buildings owned 10y
the CO. pany, l43--2t mil,s Of wood shed
locomotives, so, and ~ m IRE ordered--tele-
graph :he entire length OF the road, with
81 Offices and C5 operators--total receipts oi
the road for the year ending Oct. l, S4,32l,
240, an increase Of million over those of las
yea.-20 trains traverse the VIII lie leng b o
the road daily--Anual un.pbcr of passengers
I6l2,000,
10 render tie Erie Railroad work which
the public can contemplate with uumixet
satisfaction, only one thing more is required
and that is second track The directors arr
fully persuaded OF the Importance of a double
track, both to the safety oI the passengers an'
the bushes OF the road. About quarter 0
he second track is completed. and the res
viii be done as rapidly as the finances of tn
company permit In ten years, probably Jou
tracks will be inadequate TO transport th'
ncalculable quantity of merchandise whic
will then seek market in NewYork.-Honl
Journal.