The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1856-07-31
THE DAILY DISPATCH.
Excnr,Ion to nfiIIboFe'.
TtursAay aIersius, Jaiy 81, lsoS.


-. r,...ure of accompanying party
Of gentlemen on Friday last on an ..a cue
..'-....r, terminus of the Central Raroaa' on
hundred and seventy-egbt miles fo'n ssu,noro.
sorty miles beyond S.aunion, ana IVA roxd
.on..,ed Of Messrs Armstrong, ooyu
r,m.s.r r,.,,,.,. Of the Board ct fuohc
ru ,,- n~;,..ra Secretary Of the boafd'
81. -, Oh Auditor; Col Foataipe,
p-..,ssr, And Mr. Timberiake, supe,in'snu.n'
- Go, railroad; Mr.. Ellet, the alsun'
$500. Messrs n. B. HUI, samuel SAf'
-, pobcrtson, VIM Overton. JACOB
49,. ,,u..,o,. Of the Central Road; Mr. Hughes
inner and some invited guests from
"a the adjacent country. The day was
.-....,. f,r The ride, the company in fine spirits
,,de, tie charge Of Capt Gooch, the de-
~. -. nopular and efficient conductor. we
.,.hsa along rapidly and merrily, notwithstand-
,nr ,hs dus, which has followed the long drought
. arouSh. which seemed to prevail along the whole
linz of travel. The ears rs usual at this season,
were crowded. The travel this summer much ex-
eeeds that of last year There were seven nun
dred visitors ut the White Sulphur Springs the
latter part of last week and five hundred at the
Rockbridge Alum. The last is now comparatively
easy of access. tie present terminus of the Cen
mans, Meschum's River our company found some
very agreeable and palatable refreshments pre-
oared. which put most of us in good spirits, and
enabled US TO recover in some degree Hoh' 'A0
efes. of the late drought The mountain passage
the huge locomotives which are there attacneo "
the trains. aud with slow but irresistible power
draw their burthens steadily and securely over 'he
mountain track, the magnificent prosper ifoii
Rockfish Gap. all too familiar to the reader W
require description. When we cross tne DUO
Ridge mountain we never know when mos' W
admire. the grandeur Of the scenery spreIo o"'
before us, or the greatness OF the humAh H.'no'
shown in railroads, locomotives, and especiA"y ~
this mountain track an achievement WHICH "uen'
to immortalize Mr.. Eet. In crossing Inc inoun'
tain our attention was called TO an o"Jee' WINCH
even the unprecedented cold OF last winter hao
failed TO overcome. In one oil the water '"hA''
which supply the iron horse III this ioi'y np'un'a
section the water was never frozen uu'ins TIC
most intense cold of last winter! Ii 10 req ny
bold spring, close at hand, and which, no douot, ID
very cool and refreshing in summer. we nave
already published an account OF the progress Oh
the main tunnel, from which it appears that but
small portion of the work remains to be completed
and it ia hoped that all will be ready for traVei oy
the beginning Of next year. AS soon as 'he tuh'
nels are ready the temporary track Will De taken
w. and used elsewhere, and the trains will dash
,hrou Oh in perfect safety at twenty miles an hour
At least an hour will be saved in time by the Cola
p,etion Of the tunnel to say nothing OF the 1acii
ties for the transportation of freight which cannot
be carried, in any very heavy burthen, over the
mountain track. Arrived at Stanton, we iouna
an excellent dinner awaiting us at the American
Hotel near the depot. stanton continues 10 I'M
prove more than any inland town In Virginia
Not only the public institutions, seats OF ednea
ton. churches &C.. are elegant add even impoSins,
hut the proportion of handsome private residences
is larger than in any town OF the size we nave
ever seen. The passengers arc allowed twenty
Ave minutes for dinner and then start " est
This was to us the novelty OF the eceasioh having
never been on a ralcar West OF Stanton. Inc
road has been lately constructed TO point io1ty
miles West of Staunton and near Miiooro. III
leads through q rugged but beautiful mountain
sountry with the North Mountain, q spur OF tue
Aleghanes grand mountain range IN 1ah view.
The North Mountain is crossed at bunaio Eap
poin, commanding a prospect which II Is worth
eoinr from Richmond to see, ana winch Is the
HIGHEST point of land between tidewater ana the
Ohio River, being about twenty'taree hundred
feet above tide, and about Eine hundred ieet
higher than the highest point OF the blne hidge.
Yet the traveller is borne az steadily ana securely
over this lofty elevation as over any part OF the
yreat Central Road. AT the terminus OF the road
x.hich is throughout from Richmond to its termi-
ms laid with heavy rail, we found dozen OF
fourteen stages in waiting to convey the passen
,,ers to the various watering places. They were
hacked I'D against wide platform hundred feet
Ia length, presenting quite an imposing array. AT
this point Mr. Whitcomb, the able engineer OF the
Central Railroad, Joined our party and to his
nbligipg attentions we are indebted for some view
OF the great and difficult works which have been
commenced here by the Central Railroad Company
with their own unaided resources, and the great
ness and difficulty of which, for three or four
miles are not surpassed by those of any other
similar extent Of public work in the United
States
Mr.. Whitcomb took us into the tunnel, : few
hundred feet beyond the terminus of the road, and
through which the daylight is now shining This
tunnel is thirteen hundred feet in length. The
workmen are still engaged in deepening it, but it
will be soon entirely completed. This tunnel is
but one of the difficult works which have been
undertaken on this part of the road. Another tun.
mel, mile and half beyond, of four hundred
feet. is completed and almost ready for the rail-
There are two OF three sections of cuts forty or
nifty feet deep, some more. There is a river, the
Cow Pasture river to be turned.
There are mountain gorges, one Of which is a
thousand feet long, and a hundred and fifty feet
deep, which will have to be filled or bridged. This
huge gorge, and some other expensive work, are
to be passed for the present by a temporary track
like that which now the Blue Ridge, but
with more favorable curves and grades. Here is
= field for energy and engineering skill; blu. vast
and arduous the enterprise is, the Central Com.
pauy, under the lead of their sagacious and indo-
rnitabe chief, marching up to it. and will con-
quer IT. Talk Of New England enterprise -
There has never been more remarkable combna.
ton of tact and energy exhibited in any New Eng.
land work. than in this Central Railroad, which
has manifested the elements of progress and sue
cess ever since it was begun. What Virgnian, who
left the State fifteen years ago, and should now re
turn. aud hear the hoarse scream of the steam
whistle in the mountains of West Augusta, and
see the solid and beautiful railroad, which has Ief,
IT,, of H.,