Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1857-01-14

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- s COMMUNICATION. So
To the honorable tile General assembly ssgse
Of the State ef North Carolina; -
Among the various railroad schemes which have
been agitated in North Carolina for the past twenty
years. none perhaps is of greater importance and
would embrace within its scope of operations the
interest of of her citizens than the eastern
tension of the North Carolina railroad to the Allan
tic OF the vast commercial benefits it would
ultimately confer upon the State, it is hardly
cessa,y to speak. Heretofore it has been looked
upon by many as matter of some doubt Now
you have the fact before you, that ships of heavy
tonnage, capable of carrying five thousand barrels
of -four, have passed in and out of the noble and
capacious harbor of Beaufort with perfect safety.
Vessels it has been proved, ofmuch larger capacity
could trade with that port with equal facility Then,
who doubt that the day is not distant when the
rich products Of the west will cause the canvass of
every nation to whiten that beautiful bay The
business Of the North Carolina Railroad has already
surpassed the anticlpations of its most sanguine
friends and the activity and zeal displayed in the
building of the western extension, admonishes the
east to hasten their work to completion. To pro-
vide for portion of the freight business of those
two roals, in addition to a large local business
would require the construction of road, on a scale
at least equal in proportion to its length to that of
the NorthCarolina Road. For this reason the I'M
dersigncd have been appointed by the Atlantic and
North Carolina Railroad Company to present this
matter to your honorable body, and to solicit such
assistance will enable them to effect the object de-
sired. In the performance of this duty, they must
be permitted to say that after your noble berality
to their section of the State, it is with unaffected
diffdence that they again invoke your aid But the
magnitude of this work encourages them to believe
that You will assist in its completion and heartily
cooperate in building up great sea port town with
in our own borders.
The Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad was
>;t.1 III.
preliminary survey was made in 1854, under the
charge Of Col. Walter Gwynn, and the company
was organized the 2lst day of July, Of the same
year. At the session of the Legislature for 1851
IS, the charter amended, and the capital in
creased to ST. 500 900 the State agreeing to become
a stakeholder for two-thrds of the same provided
certain conditions in the charter complied with
This having been done, on the 18th day ofSeptem.
her, 1885, subscription Of $l066.60O was made
bv the board Of internal improvements in behalf of
the State The affairs of the company are now con.
Quoted by board oftwelve dirsctorS-four of whom
are elected by the private stockholders, and eight
appointed by the board Of internal improvement.
After the location, and the estimates
and plans could he prepared the board Of directors
entered into contracts, at differen. times for the
building ofthe road in divisions, with John c. Wash
ington, of Lcnoir county, Edward X. Stanly, H. G.
Cutler and Council g. Wood, Of Craven county,
Stone & Mcdowell, Wilmington, n c., William
Murdoch, of Salisbury and John NJ. Morehead, of
Greensboro. They are all, as many of you
aware able and energetic contractors and their high
standing gentlemen is sure guarantee Of the faith
full performance of the work. 1t was the intention
and wish of the directors to distribute the contracts
for the construction the road to the citizens along
the line therefore advertisements were ma le for
proposals for the work in sections of one mile, or
more But on an examination of the bids it was
found impacticable to accomplish the object How
ever in accordance with the wishes of the directors
the large contractors have chccrfully snble to them
at the chief engineers estimates such parts of their
works as they desired. The contractors are to fur
nsh the iron and other materials, and build the road
with all the bridges and turn at each station
from eighteen feet water on Beaufort harbor to the
terminus Of the North-Caro!na Railroad, at Colds
boro' with the exception of the line through New.
bern) for 81, $4,000.
The wood ard water stations, passenger and freight
Buildings, machine shops, engine houses and whar-
ves are not included in these contracts, but to
be taken by the contractors at the chief es
Inmates, subject to the approval Of the board of
directors. The road is to be first class railroad
,f sixty pounds rail to the yard, with chairs and
heavy pine oak ties feet long, and facing s
riches. The road is to be made, in all respects
subject to the acceptance of the chief engineer Of
the company and the whole to be completed in JAN
uary, 1858. In consequence of the high price of
IRON labor and material, and the unexpected difficult
ty encountered in procuring earth for the embank-
mcnts in the swamps and pocosins, through which
the line runs, We apprehend the contractors will
have but small margin for profit. But it is due to
them to saw that they have met the highest expec-
tatons Of the company, by progressing steadily with
the work. since ground first broken on the l6t,
day of March, 1855 and by using the greatest exer-
tons to complete it in the proper time
Threefourths of the entire line is graded.
Ties sufficient for one half Of the road and four
thousand tons of rails, have been delivered on the
property of the company Fonr thousand tons more
have been contracted for, and will be shipped from
England in few months. A large force is employed
at track-laying, and the track has been completed
sixteen miles west of Newborn, on which a second
class car will be run, with the construction train,
about the LIST day of January next, in connection
with the GoldSboro line of stages. Two locomotives
and eighteen freight and gravel cars have been pur-
chased and received. Several hundred thousand of
brick have been laid in abutments piers, and build
ings Many workmen are actively engaged on the
principal bridges and the entire work. from Beau.
fort harbor to Goldsboro is in state of rapid pro.
gression brief history only is here given of the
progress of the work. If desired, more detailed
account can be found in the proceedings of the
meeting ofthe stockholders ofthis company already
laid before you. The work would have been further
advanced but for the extraordinary pressure in the
country, the high price Of labor and every article
necessary for its construction.
In reference to the cost of the road If it is built
as the North-Carona railroad is, permanently, and
of the best materials, that it may be operated as
cheapy and with much safety, it would cost about
the same that work did, $4,000 per mile To adopt
a cheaper plan would, in the opinion Of the COM
pany, be against the best interests Of the stockhod
and the State. 1t is proper here to remark that
notwithstanding the cuts and fills on this road are
much lighter than those the North. Carolina road
the increased number Of bridges, in proportion to
its length, and the dense swamps and pocosins
through which it runs that have to be emptied by
expensive lateral drains, about equalze their cost.
Col Gwynn's estimate for the road was 81 $685. 49,