Smyrna times., 1856-12-31
The Delaware Rlilroad.

a. twenty years by our leading CAPITALISTS
aud receiving, at different times, charters for
various routes, has, at leugih. been completed
aud travelled upouthroughout its entire course.
20 the great satisfaction of nearly every one in
the State IL has been year since a portion
of was FIRST travelled upon. and other portions
have from time 10 time, rs completed. been add
ed Z. the line of travel, until the whole dis
tance to the Southern terminus is now regular
ly coursed oyer by the iron-horse Al THIS
time t-navigatlon is entirely closed. aud the
many who are compelled TO travel can well
appreciate the value of the railroad. 1t is .
a great source of public accommodation II
has been evident Tor sometime that the travel
upon this road was constantly increasing, nnd
we understand that since It's completion to
Seaford, double the usual number of cars have
been brought INTO requistion Indeed the
business has far exceeded the most sanguine
expectations. and is paying handsome dlVi-
dend. - -..,..
One great object in building the road to Sea- |
ford was the prospect Ot making 1t the l'ae oi
Southern travel, il being 40 miles nearer to
in the steamboat travel on the Chesapeake
II Is always annoying tOtravellers to be chang
ing from cars to steamboat, and uice versa
Tie Bay travel is particularly objectionable. on
account of storms, sea-sickness, &c; and, TO
compete with other roads now in the course OF
conslruclion-uPon which there will be no
steanboatiag-it is expedient. aye, even neces-
sary, that the water-travel part of the line be
shortened This must be done by extending
the road TO Annames in Mary land, or to
Cape Charles, in Virginia; which, besides Gre
ating and earning large local traffic, would
efecrua!ly rendsr 1t the great lhorougLiare Tor
Southern travel, as The chea pest, best aud short
est route. Upon The subject OF Peninsula
Railroad, we find some excellent remarks in the
Philadelphia Railroad Record, which We give
in this connection: -.
The peninsula which lies south of Pennsyl-
yanIa aud terminates ia a cape washed by the
ocean and Chesa peake Bay, is H extreme length
about $50 mhes, and IN extreme breadth ut its
middle, whence u narrows, in both directions,
about 40 miles. .a - .4..t .ta.. :..
The area Ut this peninsula is about six thou
sand square miles, comprising the whole of the
State OF Della ware, divided into three counties,
eight counties OF Maryland aud wOOf Virginia.
Dela ware contains 2 l2O square miles, or about
one-thlrd of this penInsular. territory, while OF
the other twO-ihIrds Maryland includes four
ffths and Virginia one-fifth The whole sur
f.ce, therefore, would make three States the
size of Delaware. q 10 ".-t.t-
The porltlon Of this peninsula is at once sin.
gular and interesting: great city near QUE
end buys the product Ut its acres and IBleis, and
1, return, supplies It's indweIers with the fabric
of all lands tor the wardrobe, aud the luxurie
of all clilnes ior the tables at the other end th,
sea-wave dashes sp0R q sandy beach; and OF
either side 10 a spacious bay whItsned with th'
sails OF cnasiwise and foreign vessels, bound 4
and from the shipping ports Ut two neighbo
States.
From Philadelphis, Seaford is reached b.
passing over thirty miles OF the PhtlsdelPhr
and Baltimore road, four miles Ut the w Ilming
tn and New Castle road. eight miles Of th
New Castle and Frenchtowu road, making I
the junction, forty.two miles, and with .h
syenty-oae miles of the DeIapare road, i
all. ..,.s .4 d. ll3 mile,
From Ssafsrd to Norfolk (steambOa9 l37
Philadelphia to Norfolk via Seaford $50
PhIlade:phia to Baltimore, by railroad o
Baltimore to Norfolk ''~. - 10
Philada. to Norfolk, via Baltimore 295
Difference in favor Of SesfOrd route As
From points south and west of Weldon, i
North CarOllna, there is a continuous iron rOut
leading north, with which both the toregoin
r,sstes will have To- withstand a competIon
and from PhlIadelphIa. -... 81 ... >.
From Philadelphis, via Washington s..
aud Rychmund, to Weldon 353 mile
From Philadelphia, via SeaiOrd and
Norfolk, to Weldon, $50
Difference in favor of Norfolk route %
In the iohmond rpute there are 50 miles
river navigation, by steamboat By ise roui
VIA Alexandria aud GJrd0nvIlle, this steamboa
ing is avoided, and the distance increased
mites A Ink Of iron road, less than fifty mill
.onv from AauIa creek to Alexandria, wi
.vnpd the stearnbOaIing on the Richmond rou
e., given From NorfpIk, railroad is in pr
c-rsas 90 Petersburg, there TO connect with Il
c,utiuuous iron route east via Richmond
phhAdelPhIa. .. ..a.. ,.....
/, will be seen, then, that a pressing nece
s:,v EXISTS 20 shorten the steamboat distance {
t5e :, aford and Norfolk route, so that quick
t,,oe may be made aud uther advantages gam
IN contest for sou hern travel, If such trav
b, depended on, apart from the considerath
hat az ia part OF a thorough route. the Del
ware railroad may acquire wider fame a
greater Importance than its friends can no
e attain for il as a local road. s.t.-le ~
Ba, alter all, railroad dividends are paid,
.maiority of cases, out Of earnings upon Toe
fraac. hence, to cultivate this local traffic u
uaTI Of the policy Of every weli-managed ra
rosd Ia the case of the Delaware Railro
the route was SO favorable, and the cost OF &C
struction so light. that even moderate io'
~ ,s., cauutrg is susceptible OF iargeiy-incre
al .r.,duction. the lessee can sustain no loss
gn.rnnty 10 pay interest on cost. And SO
:. ,hr State is interested, by any obligation
..med on her part, she could well afford,
a.it,aace for the consequence renped from
road. 10 release the company from It's iiabli