The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1855-04-07
applied the half mile curves and eighty -four

feet grades of the .frsti
Both these routes have to get into the vale,
of the Susquehanna: upon what principle
can deviation from the more direct line, hi
defended, when its effect is to go two hun.
drcd and eleven feet higher upon the ridge
from which the descent into that valley is tc
be made
A question of this kind should be argued
with the utmost candor and therefore re.
great that "B'' has rcsorted to some disin.
gcnuousncss in its treatment.
1t is not question whether 81 feet grades
can be overcome; but whether they should be
nccdlcssly rcsorted to; or. if adopted for
cheapncss, whether they should be used upon
route where they manfestly cause more
expense than they would upon another loca-
ton between the same points.
Neither is this question between the
Central Road and the Phil, Vii. & Bait. r
r., as "B" assumes: it is between the two
routes for the Central road: and it does not
follow, even if the one he names could COM
pete with the Phila. Railroad and its '.draw
bridges, pile bridges, swamps and a ferry
that the one he does not favor, could not still
more successfully compete with it.
"B' is still moro disinGenuous where he
assumes to his favored route, with any pre-.
prietv, tho name Of the Central Road" this
is altogether begging the question: the "Ccn-
trail Read he will find, will be that which
seeks with given grades and curves the short
est and cheapest location: or with given
expense, the easiest grades and curves and
nearest distance; whether either Sicklcs o.,
Frink and Ash have found these dcsiderata,
may be considered doubtful: that the former
has not is perhaps certain: but, found they
must be, or thcwhcle project will Ic a failure,
and ifsuch routes be not honestly searched for,
the executed project will be fraud.
"B" may, in addition. be assured, that
contrary to his rather hardy hypothesis, the
Phil, vii. & Bait. r. r. have no sympathy
with the Frink and Ash line; all the sympa-
thy that they have to cxpcnd, which is but
little. is with "Bs' cighty-four feet grades.
As to that part Of the Frink and Ash
line which is to cost, as ''B' says, SEQ 900,
if he refer to that portion Of the Report of
those gentlemen where they say the embank-
mcnt can be reduced to forty feet in height,
he is scarcely candid in calling it sirty, nor
will his proiIered computations with regard
to the matter, be of much public use, unless
he first applies to it his favoritc grade of
eiehty-four feet in M effort thus fairly to COM
pare it with his own route
Tie cost ofan increase of gradients in addi-
tlonal expense for very heavy engines. and
very heavy rail, which rails must be of an
extra weight from one end of the road to the
other; together with the greatly inferior per-
lornance possible, either in speed, or weight
of trains, on steep grades, when compared
with light ones or levels, may be subject of
remark when "B" has fairly and logically
answered this article.
Fairness in argument, indeed, does not ad-
NIT any duplex meaning of words, and"B'
in speaking Of the 'classes" Of roads has I'M
questionaly rcsortcd to double sense: a road
may be of the first class in respect of Its
length: or the importance of the points it
connects, if without competitors, and Of a
low class in other regards: road from st.
Louis to the Pacific would be a first class, on
account Of its length, with grades exceeding
one hundred feet TO mile: but 1t would de-
sccnd some classes lower, if it had shorter
rival with grades of fifty-two feet. Most of
the roads mentioned by "D, " are first class
for their length, but those portions of them
with grades of from eighty to hundred feet
PER mile, are of a low class compared with
the parts of the same roads of but iifty-two
feet to the milo; and if the Directors had Sc
'ected eighty feet, when they might have had
fifty, at no more, or but little more expense;
or had assembled at eighty feet a mile to cross
ridge, when the same ridge might have
been crossed two hundred feet lower with
less than an eighty feet grade, at the same
expense; or thinking eighty feet mile a
grade sufficiently small, had applied it, when
a lower country could be had, giving less cut
ting and filling for The same gradc--then,
say, these Directors, themselves, would be of
the 4th class.
In conclusion, your present correspondent,
who argues only for the best route whcrerer
1t MAY be, is of the opinion that all the results
Of surveys now made should be Immediately
published: and that additional surveys should
bc entered upon; it is bad cause that cannot
bear the light; and 3D." instead of complain
ing that there has been publication of the
Ash and Frink survey, would consult the
interest of the Central Road by publishing
the Sickle's survey in all its minutia; if it
shall thus appear to be upon the best line no
one will be better contented, or more cheer
fully admit the fact than AIR LINE.
THE PHIL, Will. Il BAIT. Il. ROAD