Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-01-20

ms supreme S0sftis uOW stttuS nj lna Cltyl /
delivered its opinion on yesterday in the case Of
+" Tn sTATH AT TIKI RELATION OF RIsH. G. lLoyE
". RIozAKD WErTE reversing the opinion Of
Judge BAxTER and sustaining the Governor and
the present keeper, Mr.. WH1TE IN their refusal to
nsospt the bond and surrender 'ths keys OfSthe
State Prison to the individual elected by the Com
misaioners.
CHEAP ooAL-AN IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION.
Nothing is better or more generally understood
than that oHEAP TUEL is one Of the absolute essen
tials to q prosperous community, and especially 70
its mechanical sud manufacturing interests These
car never prosper when coal ranges from 20 to 80
cents per bushsl as is the case in ouT. own city
Iaudabs enterprise is ct work in various directions
to secure to our city an abundant supply of this
article. We are forced to believe, however, that
be many years before theEsupply will, Tmats'
increase more rapidly than the demand.
tnnot hope, therefore, to have any considers
iuction in the price of fuel in Nashville with
reasonable time, unless the Ecombinsd ener-
our people are brought, into sctive5 opera
ash7ille and Louisville are very similarly SiJua.
49,, and labor under the same Disadvantages with
regard to this important interest. Louisville seems
determined to surmount the obstacles, as will be
seen from the annexed extracts from 3 recent re-
port submitted to the General Council Of that city
BY Committee appointed to report on the most
practicable route By which branch from the Louis
vile and Nashville rail road will connect Louisville
with permanent supply of coal and iron" Their
proposition is to reach the great middle coAl-hsd
Of the Mississippi valley lying in the southern por'
ton of Kentucky, approaching to Tennessee This
aRrsat middle coal-feld of the Mississippi valley"
as it Is termed BY Mr.. 0WEN, the State Geologist
for Kentucky, is thus described by that gentleman
in his Geological survey:
Beginning on the Ohio river ct the mouth of
Underwater, between the counties Of Union and
Crittendeu, the line Of coal follows the course of
this stream to its sources in the northern part of
Christian county; thence eAsterly by the headws-
tsrs OF Pond rlver and nearly along the line that
divides the counties of n hlenburg, Todd, Logan,
and Butler, crossing Muddy creek at its fork;
thence through the southern portion Of Butler,
crossing Barren river between the mouth of Gas
per and the junction of Barren and Green rivers;
thence eastery along the divide between these
rivers, through Barren and EdmondsOn counties,
TO the mouth Of Noln creek; thence in north
westerly course south Of GTsyson Springs, near
The sources OF Cldy LICK ana OaQ6y creeks TOWARD
the falls OF Rough creek; thence northerly by the
sources Of Panther creek, along the line that d.
vidss Hancock and Breckenridge counties, to the
Ohio river at the great south bend. Within this
boundary is comprised the counties Of Union, Hop
kias, Muhlenburg, Butler, Ohio Davess Han
cock and Henderson, together with portions o.
Christian, EdmOndson, GrEyson, and BreCknridge
The above may be considered the middle coal field
Of Kentucky"
The Committee report that, on the main line o
the Louisville and Nashville railroad, a branch, q
any point between EliEabethtOwn and Bowling
Green, twill reach the main coal field at maxi
mum distance of thirty miles and minimum O
seven and one halt miles, ranging according to tn
Windings of the main road and the irregulsrte
of the edge Of the Oosl-fsId lying west of the lin
of the road" The distance from Louisville to th
most practicable point in this great field of univsr
sal wealth cannot be less according to our recoI
lection Of the country, than l2O or 100 mile:
The Committee recommend the City Council t
take immediate steps for the construction of
branch road to the Louisville and Nashville rOa
tomeet the purposes in view. Their report con
Cludes as follows:
Cost of coal brought over this branch and mai
road will not exceed l24 cents per bushel sold a
rate in quantities, such are required by our man
ufscturerE, and If the connection alluded 70 can b.
completed by the ensuing winter, our city will hav
q constant and inexhRustibe supply Of coal snt
iron, that will not subject It to the cOnbngencie
and high prices caused by the Ice and sand bars O
the Ohio river. The completion OF branch roat
thus contemplated will connect Us with the Goa
fields Of the Mississippi Valley, and st the sam
time secure to US the trade Of important section
Of country, Astounding in iron building stone, for
ests OF timber, and rich 10 the growth of sgriCul
lure; for IS as this branch road is finished t
the coal fields private enterprise will push it on
until il opens up 20 the commerce Of Louisville th
products of q vast portion Of the State heretofore
shut out from her trade The completion of
branch road such as your committee suggests
will cause our city to grow in wealth and pOpuls
ton, from the tact thst she has local advantages o
great manufacturing emporium, and only needs
constant and certain supply Of coal and iron K
insure the triumph Of this branch OF industry
and the retention at home Of the immense sun
now yearly drawn from our citizens, and paid tc
the State Of Pennsylvania, for these elements o.
prosperity. We shall also draw to our midst CAPT.
tai energy, and skill from other cities of the W est
Our citizens both rich and poor, would then be
placed beyond the suffering incident TO river w
naVlgable by the cod OF winter and the heat OIL
summer and our city would soon take rank among
the great cities Of the West. The permanent pros
psrity Of the mechanical, manufacturing, and 9th
or interests OF cur city depends in great measure
upon It's connection with the coal and iron fields OF
our State Il OebOoVes as, therefore, to unite cur
energies in this important enterprise.
Your committee, therefore, recommend that a
competent engineer bs appointed by the General
Council to survey different routes between the
points recommended, and report to the General
Council At an early day the route by which a
branch from the Louisville and Nashville railroad
would reach the coal and iron fields herein desg-
mated At the least cost, regarding at the same time
the most advantageous route; that said engineer
present map Of the country over which the said
road ought to pass, with estimate of the cost of
the road completed and that his report be &C
compsuisd by the best data be can obtain as to
The quality and quantity and cost of said coal
where the branch road shall terminate.
The recommendation Of the Committee was i'm.
mediately adopted by the General Council
Every argument that can be addressed to Lon
isvills on this subject applies with equal, if not
greater, force to Nashville. The same great coal
Geld is more accessible 10 U.s. It's richest beds lie
within less than ninety miles of Nashville The
Edge6sld and Henderson Ralrosd-now in co1rss
Of construction, but with what speed or prospect