Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1854-07-13
LYMCHBURG VIRGINIAN.
Orange and Alexandria Road.

national work. We then promised to submit
some facts, which would establish the all impor-
tant position that the road, when finished
will be paying road to tho stockholders.
To redeem this pledge we sought information
of an authentic character and desire to present
it in detail. We have been disappointed, as to
the time. within which could procure the IN
formation, aud least readers might suppose
unmindful Of our engagement, we publish to-
day extracts from the memorial Of the Alabama
aud Tennessee Railroad Company 70 Congress,
praying for grant of public lands. In that
memorial we give the following "'cords and fig
sres."
Alabama and Tennessee Railroad
GRANTS OF LAND TO RAILROADS
The above Company have memoralzed Con
gress for a grant of land TO aid in the construo-
ton of this line of Railroad The following Is the
substance of the memorialist.
An inspection of the Map of the L. States will
indicate that the most direct aud expeditions
route for travel and the L. States Mail. between
the northeastern cities of the Union and the Gulf
Of Mexico and Texas Recommending at Portland,
Maine, through Boston, n. York, Philadelphia
and Baltmoreto Washington City thence in
southwest detection through Alexandria and the
Valleys of Virginia to Abingdon thence in the
same direction and following the same valleys
through East Tennessee and Northwest Georgia
to their termination in Middle Alabama thence
in the same course over the level plains of Mid
die and South Alabama, by Selma to Mobile aud
to New Orleans. This general route with slight
exceptions selected by Gen. Bernard, the
distinguished Chief Engineer Of the L. Statesas
early as Is29, after thorough eAplorations.as the
most direct and practicable route for the trans
portation of the L. 5. Mail.
Within the last few years, without any con-
aeprt nt action lint aft a1 hx hp Vnst
of commerce and travel tributary TO thus line and
the great natural advantages fer railway CON
struotion offered by the North Atlantic Coast and
by the valleys of Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia
and Alabama, the different States intersected by
the route have constructed and placed under con
tract system of railways which in three or four
years will present grand National Trunk Line
Of continuous Rdiiieays this route, from Maine
TO Texas.
One of the most important links in this great
National Chain of Railroads is the Alabama and
Tennessee Rivers Railroad.
This great National Trunk Line mny be said
TO commence at Portland, Maine; thence it passes
through Boston, New York, Philadelphia and
Baltimore to Washington City. Up this point
the line is in operation, from Washington to Alex
andra is a short gap of seven miles, at present
supplied by steamboats,. From Alexandria. the
line is Continued southwnrdy by the Orange and
Alexandria Railroad. and its extension To Lynch
burg Ia miles, of which 30 miles are III running
order and the remainder under way. From
Lynchbug, the Nirginin tn1 Tennessee Railroad
continues the great national line by way Of ABB
ingdon, to the Northern boundary of Tennessee,
2O5 miles, 100 miles of il being in operation and
the remainder in the course of rapid construction.
Through East Tennessee, the East Tennessee
and Virginia Railroad, one hundred and thirty
miles long, and the East Tennessee and Georgia
Railroad Ill miles long, extend the Giand Line
hui IL 90, nnlt. "a
Georgia to the Alabama State line il is continued
by railroad - miles, recently chartered and
on which subscriptions are being made; thence
the Alabama and East Tennessee Railroad, 45
miles, extends the grand line TO the Alabama and
Tennessee Rivers Railroad at Jacksonville.
thence the Alal anna and Tennessee Rivers Rail
road continues the Grand Line l45 miles To Sci
ma of this distance 56 miles are in running order
and about 10 miles are graded. From Selma to
Mobile, the Mobile and Selma 10 miles and
Mobile and Girard 100 miles long, extend the
line TO Mobile. The Mobile and Sema Railroad
has been recently chartered and the Mobile aud
Girard Railroad Company have means nearly suf-
hcent to build their section. From Mobile 10
New Orleans the grand line is still continued 10y
the Mobile and New Railroad l39 miles; this rail
road is IN the hands and under the direction of
gentlemen OF wealth and of acknowledged huan-
clal abilities, and will from its admirable location
for buaness be speedily constructed The
Grand Trunk Line does not stop at New Orleans
but Is taken up and carried westward into Texas,
by the New Orleans and Opeousas Railroad now
IN the course of construction with large neans
and also by railroad from New Orleans to the
Sabine River in the direction of Galveston and
Houston, for which grants of land ARE also asked.
The last annual reports Of the railroad companies
composing the grand route south of Washington
to Dalton, Georgia, give assurances that this
part OF the line will be in operation in years or
less time. From Dalton southwardly a part of
tire line Is now available by steamboat navigation;
considerable portion will be in running order in
two years, aud should Congress aid by grants of
land as now respectfully asked for the whole
distance can be placed in working order in three
year. or perhaps less time. and thus will be ao-
compllshed the longest continuous line of railway
IN one general direction in the United States or
eisewhere,with the exception Of the proposed Pa
cifc Railroad
by tracing on a map the lines of railroad which
have been thus described it will be seen that the
Alabama and Tennessee Rivers Railroad with it's
connections and extensions. will afford an outlet
10 the Gulf of Mexico for all that section of the
United States north Of line drawn from Rich
mond Virginia, to Selma. Alabama, and east of
a line drawn from Selma to the eastern boundary
OF Lake Ere. a territory containing about 32I,-
oVo square miles, and population of l3,000,000.
ana mat TO very large portion of this territory
IL offers the most direct route for travel and the
transportation of the United States Mail to the
Gull OF Mexico and Texas"
III one NTH part OF the travel of this thirteen
millions of people shalln joumeying North, pass
over the Orange and Alexandria road it would
make it one of the best paying roads in the Union.
and surely all will admit, that it is not unreason-
able to expect such proportion of the travel of