Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-02-07
Communication.
NASHVILLE AND HENDERSON I RnIIRnIn

NASHVILLE AND HENDERSON RAILROAD.
How little seems to be known By citizens Of the
pgess Of the Tennessee portion Of this important road
Indeed how slight the interest they seem to manifest in
its mmsaats construction Think Of this fact that little
Goodlstsvs and vicinity have taken stock in this
roud than the city OF Nashville and Edgshsld combined
We seem to think that the indomabe energy and perse
vsTanes of ih able President, Col E. s. Oheatham, WIN
qnts suffice It Is true be has made gigantic efforts ala
accomplished more than any other one could nave done
under existing circumstances. Aided by sneh osecoIa
as Andmw Ewing, John Shelby, n. Robson, E. r Con-
nall Dr. ]. Msness and Col. e. A. Fort they will have
the bridge across the Cumberland complete and the en-
rs road 70 Springfield graded ready for the supestrue
turav the ls Of December next and in less than two
v,,r or about that time have the entire road to the
Kentucky State line built and equipped ready for the
transportation of passengers and freight.
The Directors and President Of the Kentucky portion
s soon IS the road is eOmp ted from Henderson to the
coal fields ~ miles purpose commencing al the Pennes
see State line and build the road to the coal fields on this
side 10 oennect these directly with Nashville This
vast coal field lies rs miles from Nashville By railroad
and extends inexhsustbly for IA miles either side Of it
We ourselves knew these facts and that the thickness Of
the various strata is from four 20 nine feet There
several banks opened upon and in few hundred yards
Of the road nine feet in thickness besides having
strata above and below from four to six feet This coal
Professor Owen State GsOogst Of Kentucky, sys in his
late Geological Report the Legislature is superior to
the Pitsburg COAL Besides large coal company is
opening vein of Canned COAL which said not to be in
fsror to the celebrated Breckenridge ven that will it il
believed supplaut the whale oil for ubrieatng machinery
aud manufacturing the finest candles.
His profoundly absurd for citizens to calculate upon
getting coal ct 10 and IL cents per bushe until this road
is built and they get unobErueed to these zelda
Indeed have we not tried the Nashville and Chattanooga
Railroad susi ent test this fac9 Thanks to the SeWa
Company, they have charged for ell the coal
they could supply than Is and 20 cents per bush
el. They have never sought, like vampires to gorge
themselves upon the necessities ST our citizens But their
coal mines lie from lis to l2O miles distant from Nash
Vile and when their road is completed to their dis
tGnt and inexhsusibs mines which are six feet thick
and the finest Of bituminous COAL they cannot bring coal
70 our city fer less than from Is to Is cents. We have
also tried the Cumberland river which when it is not
frozen up is dried up. This will be, has ever been
too prscsrious and costly Of supply to rely upon
Il will always grow in navigation above Nashville
from the increasing dimnuton of upriver trade and the
consequent few number of boats that will navigate its
waters thereby failing to widen and deepen its channels
When have relied upon this of supply hereto
FORE we have been relieved from the drsst casualties BY
the Ohio river coal and the Sewanee.
Thus, to Kentucky alone Nashville look for cheap
fue which to her now her ss blood It costs to dig
this coal at the mines from 4 to cent per bushe while
it would cost from to ~ cents in feet vsiuthe ave-
rage price upon the Chic river The that it costs
less the Henderson road is, because miner in q
seven or nine feet vein, can blow out at one blast
more than ton If therefore, he receive q cent
per bushs for mining he would get for days labor from
81 so to 50 5O-say average g 80. At present. in
several coal companies We know they employing mi
at g. and few at$l IS per day-they boarding
themselves.
But let Us suppose it will cost cent per bushel and let
suppose the distance from Nashville to the coal fields to
be So instead Of rs nileshe Henderson road charging
the price per tOn per mile, that the Baltimore and
Ohio and several other Northern coal roads do-to wit
IL cents per ton at the rate of % bushels to the ton
the sntirs of transportation and digging WSud only
be ~ cents per bushel Now add to this, 4 cent
for getting the coal from the pit to the main track
land this is exorbisnt for miles of the track viii
through or lie upon coal eds and you have the entire
prime of Transporting bushel of coal from the Ken
lucky coal fields to Nsshvle-6 cents. Thus these coal
fields can supply Nashville with coal at g. 10 and Il
cents per bushs for the dust small and Superior coal
This road in fact is of more immediate and permanent
importance to Nashville than any other road she is en-
gagged in constructing If Nashville $780,
900 bushels of coal per snuum she pays average price
Of ct least 25 esns per bushe $l50OUOper annum
sggregaey. Now this road constructed aud our citizens
would save annually SIS OOO-ths is over per cent in
tsest 100000 At the expiration of Ten years, the
city would 1000 900 Of bushels and save
annually from $3.50 900 to 100000 This would ex
tinguisb city liabilities in less than five years.
Our citizens should manifest interest and exert
themselves snergeticay in the completion Of the
Nashville and Henderson road leave every thing
unaded to its noble and in dOmitable President Col E.
| Chatham.
The road from the Tennessee line towards the coal fields
Kentucky for grading and laying down the mbeEs for
so miles cannot cost less than OOl per mile Indeed
much of the heaviest grading upon this 8Omes finished
Thus heartily coop crate with the President
and Directors of tbs road t09 gears at g. 10 and Y
cents per bushe for all time come cOHld have our
city and its snvirons supplied with che sp fuslaone now
the source Of its vitality. An OLD CTrIzES.