The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-07-08
ICorrespondence of the DispatchI
THE CELEBRATION AT CHRIS
TIANSRTJRG

1
| Departure from LyacabarS-The Journey and the
| eo4tary betaoeen Lynchbarg and Chrssftaasonrg-
| TIE CcIebration-The cay in nhich Railroads an
| prore TIC Race Of Maa.
CHnrsTIAssBuHG, july 4, 1854.
| According to arrangement, two trains ieit Lynch
| burg this morning-an extra train at halt past
O'Clock, and the regular Rain at ociock-ooth
| crowded with passengers-neariy all OF them e1
cursonists TO join in the celebration oithe day IN
commemoration Of the crossing OF the Alleehanies
for the first time by Virginia Rsilroad. TOOK
passage in the earliest train, which, hoWsver being
| the heaviest loaded, was overtakcn In tns noun
| tsins by the second.
The Depot of the Lypchburg and Tennessee
Railroad is very capacious and admirably arrang-
ed building ng-sfordng the best facilities OF tran
| shipment to and from the canal. The road passes
from the city, along the margin OF the Black Water
| Creek, and Immediately under the towering rocky
bluff on the South side of that Near the ci
ty is very considerable tunnel piercing one OF the
| great hills of the Black Water. Soon after passing
| this Tunnel, the road enters upon the fine red
lands of Campbell, on the same stream-a kind Of
soil which is continued generally through Bedford
one Of the most solid and substantially prs<iuctive
counties In the State. These lands have been most
4
| Tobacco-a crop that exhausta land very rapidly
until they became seriously impaired in strength
The farmers of the present day, however, are using
their lands better, and along the route In Campbell
and Bedford, the most gratifying evidences
| of improvement. The green clover fields maket the
| earth look happy, and were refreshing to the be-
holder Lands have from this cause, and from the
advantages ofihe Railroad, advanced fully one hun
dred per cent in Ave years.
In Bedford is the highest bridge the entire linz
of road-tha across Little Otter River-which is 90
feet high, but very short The High Bridge on the
South Side Road is 130 feet high at the greatest ee
| vation. The scenery in this county Is very fine,
and upon largescale. We have various Off shoots
from the Blue Ridge many of which are cultivated
to the tops and are said produce the very best
Tobacco-especally that known as Porters Noun
tain, to the south of the Road. Tothe Eorthward,
we have fine view of the grand Peaks OF Oter:-
the highest land in Virginia, and the highest OF the
Appalachian chain of mountains, the White
top OF the Iron Mountain, and some points in New
Hampshire. The peaks are 2G0 feet above the At
| lantlc They were gazed upon with much interest
by large portion of the multitude crowded into
the train. This large congregation was attended to
by one conductor, Mr.T. ". MosELEY-a very young
man. ith remarkable degree of vigilance and
selfposeeseion. The entire journey was performed
with the utmost good order, and without single
accident Of any kind to occasion delay or Injury.
Passing from Bedford into the county of Roa-
poke, the lovely daughter OF old Botetourt, we
were greeted W th sights for increased admiration
| large number, OF which | was one, had never
seen this rich county before, and as much lad
been heard of 1t, am sure no one had formed an
idea at all commensurate with the beauty and fer
tiity Of the land. The valley of the Roanoke
be appreciated only by being seen. The Mohawk
valley Is greatly praised land, but doubt whe-
theI has any section that l. equaio this Roanoke
valley. For the Information of my reader, | must
tell him that what is called the Roanoke river, In
Roanoke county is the maia source of the Staun-
ton river. 1t IL called Roanoke believe, until 1t
reaches the line OF Roanoke county, about where
it receives some tributaries and where it becomes
the boundary line between the counties oi Franklin
and Bedford 1t Is unfortunate that the name
Roanoke should have been given to this river at
all since it produces some confusion. The Staun.
ton and Dan form another Roanoke and another
Roanoke Valley, to which the Roanoke Valley OF
which we have been speaking is almost as nothing
in size though not interior in fertility To increase
the confusion yet more, there Is L,tuc Ro0n0kc
river in Charlotte county, which also enpties into
the Staunton. This is decidedly TOO much Roanoke.
The legislature ought to curtai the number. That
| up in tine mountains might be called Staunton all
| the way, or AtieghGay would be good name since
IL finds us sources In part In the Allegheny Noun
tains, aud believe there is no other river of that
| name in the State.
was sorry to learn that this extremely rich and
lourGhing county has been the least liberal towards
the road of any, and indeed is the only county upon
1t which made money out oft before 1t 5aih! !.
e., its land damages amounted to more than is SUBJ
| scrption scandaous report, and one that makes
us almost think that such fat territory, such rich
| dirt, hOuld be owned by more liberal men.
The Roanoke River passes right through the Blue
Ridge. 1t has been the steady and industrious sap
| per and miner wAp has worn down the Blue Noun
tains to their very base who for long ages toiled
at its great work, and at last accomplished it tho
roughly and completely. opening to the gigantic
Lynchburg and Tennessee Railroad an easy pas
sage, with no tunneing, and little excavation, to
| the very base OF the AlIeghanes What grand
lnh1 hoci trtt t.1 xar
| centuries, wearing away the earth and working
through the ndurated stone and then bearing od to
remote vaiies the vast bodies which it has thus dug
! out ofbe great mountains. Now it aows gently and
| sweetly at the feet OF the proud giants which
have been torn assunder by it's persevering abors!
The ascent ol the Aleehary Mountains is accom-
plished in distance of twelve or thirteen miles
average grade of sixty eight feet to the mile;
or over eight hundred feet rise in the whole dis.
| tance. The road admirably structsd along
this section and reflects credit upon the Chief En-
gineer. There Is much heavy cutting through some
hard limestone, and some very heavy embank-
ments, which were exceedingly troublesome and
costly-the loose earth forming a mere OVERLAPPING
! scalp OF the mountains OF slate and limestone, it
became necessary 10 scrape this OFT and cart it
| occasionally from considerable distance The
| curves are more numerous than could be desired
but not more co. suppose than the necessity of the
case required 1t was An Interesting thing 10 gaze
at the ianiascal varieties and shapes of the strata
| exposed in the deep cuts OF the mountain section
The eeoogist might fnd days OF occupation in ex
plcrne them The train ascended the mountain
with toerable speed considering its heavy freight of
passengers. AT the top we began very gradual
descent, and had travelled but brief distance when
we reached the point selected for the celebration
which is on the very tops of the Alleghany Mount
aims, about one hundred miles from Lynchburg and
one and a halt miles from Christianburg. have
devoted so much space to the country (Which by
the way is the most important consideration in esti
mating the value OF railroad) that am afraid |
shall have but little room for account of the
celebration
| THE CELEBRATION
AT little after II o'clock, the cars arrived at the
Depot near the grove where the celebration was to
take place, from tall pole which a national dag
was flying. An immense concourse of people h ad
assembled to see US arrive. handsome military
| company the ELACKsBUBG BLUES, commanded by
| Captain RsnERT NEwLEE was drawn up TO receive
US. Wesoon marched over to the ground where
the ceremonies had already begun, Mr.. WALLER r.
STAPLES. the orator of the day. was making his ad.
dress, which was listened to with much attention,
and which was an effort worthy of him. After re-
counting the chief points in the history of American
Independence, and eulogising the institutions be-
queathed us by our ancestors, he dwelt for some
time upon the difficulties and dang ers with which