Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1854-07-20
No
TIDE Water and Ohio ltiver Railroad, by way
OF Riehmond and the virginia Springs.

S'S'e"s country OF tue Two ines OF Improvement uu
der consideration, as the completing mediums Of eounec,
ing the James River and tho kanawha. Aud whil.t
ADM, the possible proprey Of adopting Lynchburp As
point OF divergence for tho originally arsxsd policy
carrying great southwestern trunk TO the Tennessee
line, and thence to the lower Mississippi; and mos, vii
iney approve, in the highest degree the wisdom IN,
conceived, the beray that has sustained and the .n
tied energy aud ZEAL that has efficiently IN
same, aud cs'ecmi"g its object originally profss,ed ID
serving the "armest public sympathy encouragement an
support securing in its nal completion travel and ton
naSe to Virginia. which, in the language or its Chief En-
Ginser Twill be limited only by the capacity Of It's track
shall not mean in what may say, in reference to h grade.
TO ds?araee the same southwestern road but onl
IN the relation sought to be attached to H. as par, of ,h
connecting improvement, Of the UPPER Ohio with Tide
Water.
"An eastern Virginian." in hi, third No.. saws. a.
glance at the map Of the State will show that tho lin
will occupy tho rich aud fertile valleys of the two gro.
rivers which nieock each other in the very heart Of IN,
State the great kinawha in tho West and tho Jamo, Riy
or in the East"
The immense mineral wealth of tho State consist.
nG of iron, salt, coal lime, lead and gypsum, a, well o.
the vast forests oil pine nber will all DO developed and
create vast tonnage for the line"
Strange that gifted enumerating should ou,i,
the travel to tho Virginia Springs aud tho transportation
ortheir waters tho Coving,ou aud Ohio Road and
James River Canal. as an item Of vast importance.
II, az the Chief Engineer very correctly predicts In
ist' ("hcn tins Aggressive policy IL entertained was not
hiSPered Of out oi Seerr. eouRes) THAT every candid
mni must be convinced that the capacity Of the track
II, what disposition does "An Eastern yirgniau propose
Ia make OF the immensely superadded from the Great
onio Nalcy over track. crowded to s utmost capa
city" by its own legitimate busine.ss"
bg reference 10 Tue the State of
il will be found that from James River, Lynchburg to
New River where this proposed branch reaches the same
tcrrsng An Eastern Virgnian will not surely insist
thit this is An interocking the line that scientific
T'cDgni=hHcc would ever select.
Gillespie on Railroads. Sustained in his topographca,
theory by every other Engineer aud Geologist sara 81
two streams TO How in opposite directions from
The same poiut may be inferred that this spot at the
head at the respective valleys OF these streams aud sup
Pile, thcin with water, aud that IL be fed with higher
ground beside t-and that there is depression or inden
hion in this ridge At the point of their divergence which
therefore the natural and proper location for road
the two valleys"
Thus, the Notch OF the White Mountain" IL tho cul-
ninating point from which dverge the Saco and the Am
nonoOslc
80 too, om the various cuminsti ting points in the
AlcGhany CHAIN streams the side TOT the
Atlantic aud on the other TO the Mississippi"
The most remarkable and lowest Of which eliminating
Joints OF the Allegheny aud may be denomnated the
Notch, il found directly between where the Jackson
liver the East makes It's greatest Northwestern
Ion, and ;he Greenbrcr the West makes its greatest
'onhcastcEn detection, approaching within less than
hurry miles OF each Other aud by their respective trbu
H'cs-liowards Creek the Wes, aud Dunlaps on tl,c
.ts, completely and emphlcally interock with each
,thrr.
y The authority of Col Garnet, Virginia should avail
ttstIi o every advantage that nature has given her in
uch close contest Ia his report Of October % 1889
e further saws mo work in the Southern States and not
nAny Ia the Union have presented greater natural DIM
MUS Than THIS road fon have scaled the Allegheny
n lfF - aNI Np 4 lint IMn ntha n
Lie 10 exempt the immense tonuags and travel of the
ph.o alley, from the increased expenses and DELAYS
nci-cnt TO passing over those greater natural cItiss
t have undertaken the advocacy and defenc of ths
icutai aud Covingon and Ohio Railroad presenting as
"ot, the easiest grades under all the lists Of science
~ which this appalachian chain is crossed from Canada
% Georgia.
Tne specific grades therefore on these two nes so re-
ported by their respective engineers are on the Norfolk
ma ONO trunk iine rs feet facing East and 10 feet facing
" - aud these existing, TO considerable extent 10 the
n'Is section OF the line, ard most materially wasting
Av cIr'ciy oiitS two extremes OF easier grade
Whlc ou the Covington and Ohio line by vay of the
gnit Springs snail distance Of exceptional grade of
~ 'st faces West while ,he remainder is under 20 feet
"Uch under 10 aud considerable level and no reverse
grade. Facing East and within less than 90 ilca or
"'ngto u the Oly grade in that direction and that 90
re Hence the facilities and distractions TO TONNAGE Inv
hesc two lines may be stated:
IA Covington and Ohio line, una ximum grade
(oUcr 0cclFingl towards the West 40 fas,
IA 'oYingion and Ohio line, ruling grade,
erca'es' under and to on
% G1vingion and Ohio line ma,imum
towards Fast, 30 "
bn Norfolk and Ohio line, ma ,imum (of fire.
qrant occurTcncel towards West, 60
IA Norfolk aud Ohio line, maximum (of fire.
Igcnt occGTrencc) East, Gs
The grades rom mouth of Grcenbrier 10 Sandy fco,
on TO Doth lincs is limited TO under 80 feet per mile
S'tn section Of exceptional Of 80 feet presenting an IN.
broken harmony OF grade on the line throughout;
.. st..Ns slf-
almost The capacity OF Ia. easier TO the stand
ard al working ineiiicicucy of the higher.
or TIE cnSincs then must have only such loads as
they can draw over the maximum grade, and hence il
Is q! tnn utmost importance 10 make il low rs may
consist with proper limits OF Expenditure in the gradua
- ton" Ldirobc.
Toe cost Of draugh, on a railroad i, nearly as tho
POKER employed tina. It will cost nearly twice as
81 much to carry LOAD on n railroad with an ASCENDING
" grad" o ~ feet TO the mile carry the sano on a
=" level GWrPe
This consideration will therefore justify large eIpcn-
h;ur's upon excavations, embankments, &c. of rail.
To'i with the view Of reducing its grades" GiHjspie
High grAdes being always Objectionable are more par.
nruiy 90, when their is mainly confined to
the middle sectUn of long road the other portions of
Which arc comparatively Of low grades.
" IS in that especially important Ia avoid or les,
sea tbs slope 'nce the load over the whole road
" even the lew" portion If il no reduced to what
' cln be carried mp the ascent CiVispi.
The employment Of heavy engines adapted TO the high
or grade would not only rapidly crush" those portions
OF thc track, hut the easier portions also.
a. Col Girne has had occasion to discuss the subject
81 railroad gadcs anI ia the doctrines laid down by him
lac - sustained by Other distinguished engineers be will
pardon me FOR uaing his arrangement to Illustrate the In
alcu'br superiority o the Covngton and Ohio lin, over
ihc Great Norfolk and Ohio trunk line Of an eastern
YGaiuian" =" 'A'''''
To hie scport Of 1851 he anrs
j" gVc clear idea of the rapid lecrease of The s
iecivc power oi locomotive az the grade increas,s
tue following table is given showing the nett weight fin
" tons nj 1000 lhs which be drawn by a "a ton en-
CINE with eight drawing wheels on different grades from
" level to I20 !ert per nc
WLr
siiDf issii 10 - 80 - % CO 20 % 100 40 ,qo
WIGHT GU" io5 S0i 81 202 les ~ l2c ll2 I,O 80 81 "a
Some idea he formed G the relative cos, of trans.
Eoiton o'cr different grades by glance ut the table
or tue comparative quantity that may at same cost be
transported over each.
The effective power Of locomotive on grade of ca
per mile s nearly 10 per cent greater than on one of lie
per mile.
Such being true, what a contrasting superior capacv
attaches 10 the COyihgon aud Ohio line over the Norfolk
a Ohio trunk line, with 90 feet per mile grade agsinpt
IN feet
"Ihr loads drawn 10y the freight engines and the speed
Of he passenger engines may bc in the in
verse proportion Of these grades and mes The lower
grade also accompanied by lower summit heights and
therefore lc4 total expenditure Of power 10 pa ssiny
them Tho business of the road will be done by fe ver