The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1855-06-16
THE CENTRAL RAILROAD.

The controversy with regard to the Cen
trail Railroad lies within small compass: 1t
is, so far, limited to comparison of the
routes located by Mr.. Sicklcs under the or
dcrs of his board of Directors, and that sur
vcyed by Frink & Ash.
That portion Of the line lying west of the
SuSquehanna river, and some extent OF the
eastern located route have not been made the
subject Of discussion.
1t has been asserted with great vchemcnce,
not to say intempcrancc of language, that the
route of Mr.. Sckles, where it completes with
that of Frnk & Ash, is, for the purpose of
communication between city and city, better
located than the latter: this position has been
denied with decent firmncss, and the denial
sustained by a strong array of evidence.
To say merely that the country upon the
Scklcs competing portion is richer, or gives a
larger local subscrip ton, is at once an adlnls-
sion that it has not been selected for general,
but for local purposes; it confesses that the
selection of route must be made to suit those
local purposes; and thus abandons the con-
troversy; but this view is sedulously conceal
ed from those not living upon the Sicklcs
competing route, and who it is thought may
be induced to become stockholders.
1t is the manifest interest of all said per-
sons that better route should not be sacri-
feed in order that a worse may serve the
purposes of few individuals.
If then the Frink & Ash line be better than
that of Mr.. Scklcs, where it comes in COM
petition with it; the great body of stockhold-
ers, not locally interested in either, will see
that the first be adopted; if it be worse the
writer of this article will not only abandon
its advocacy. but will sustain the route
which may be found to be the best.
There is yet another question: Is the traf.
fic, locally arising, upon the Sckles Compel
ing portion, likely to be so great, that all
considerations of route, particularly with
respect to through business, must be sacri-
feed to it; by those acquainted with the
country the answer must be in the negative;
and if alIirmatvcly responded to, it is an
abandonment, by the advocates of the Sickles
competing route, of this controversy; which
regards only the best route irrespective of To-
cal interests.
Let us now briefly review the facts with
regard to these competing routes, so far as
| those facts are known.
And first which is the shorter! The d.
rect line is almost midway between them;
but the question under consideration is only
as to the competing routes above specified
There seems to be no reason to doubt the
statement of Frink & Ash which would make
their located line the nearer by about mile;
however, we will for the purposes Of this ar
gument estimate the two routes to be of the
same measured length.
But that view of the subject is very SUPER
fetal which regards lineal measure only, in
the estimation of railroad distances; it is a
combined question of time and power, and
one route may be practically and mechanical
ly shorter than another although lincally
longer.
Every farmer knows that his oxen do not
draw loads over steep hills. so great as they
can take upon the level line of equivalent
length around those hills, nor do they travel
with the same speed; the route over the hill
may thus become practically greatly the long
er. SO.
1t is easier to travel round the rim of a
bucket than over the handle, and the journey
may be more speedily pc rformed.
The true manner of comparing the two
lines is as follows: each must be reduced to
it's equivalent horizontal line, and the less
then subtracted from the greater.
| The maximum gradient upon the Sickles
competing route is cighty-four feet to the mile;
! upon the Frink & Ash route ffty-two feet in
1.-The same distance.
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