Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1858-09-11
correspondence of the Spartanburg Spartan.
The Blue Ridge Railroad.
Tunnel HILL Auo ID 1ShS

FUNNEL HILL, Aug. II, 1858.
Mcssrs. Editors: A visit to this place
and an examination of what is called tho
Stump House Tunnel, on the once unpopu.
lar Blue Ridge Railroad, will satisfy any
man, as it has me, not only of the practica-
bility of this work but of the speedy com
pletion of the entire road This Tunnel
has hitherto been the great obstacle the
friends of this noble enterprise have had to
overcome. Those who at first opposed the
policy of giving State aid to this road were
no doubt conscientious in the belief that
this and similar difficulties would so in
crease the cost and time or completing the
road that the profits, when finished, would
not be commensurate with the expenses in
Cured. All doubts rs to the completion
of this tunnel arc at an end. Three wears
ago thcrc was scarcely beginning; indeed
it might he said the work was not properly
begun until the fall of 1856, not quite two
years ago. Since which time about 1000
feet have been completed, leaving $500
yet to do. Showing that in less than two
years, more than onc-thrd ofthis mammoth
tunnel has been cXcavatcd, and that, too,
with only two of the shafts down to grade.
be down to grade, and then the work can
be carried on with just double the speed
they are now making, which is about 100
feet a month.
My curiosity prompted nc to go into the
tunnel and down a shaft both because
wanted to see what never had seem and
because [ would then know for myself that
the work was progressing Conducted by
one of the gcntlomanly contractors, Mr.,
Hitchcock, went some $50 feet in the
west end, and down one of the shafts about
230 feet 1t is 50 dark in these artificial
cavcrns that you can't see lamp 40 feet.
The entrance from the cast is not as dark
MS from the west, owing to the fact that they
have passed one shaft, which gives little
light, and then, IN addition to this. they
have two blacksmith shops, or rather furna-
ccs, in the cast end. / was conducted in
the cast end by the accomplished and polite
| resident engineer, Mr. ST John, who IN
formed me that there was about | 200 feet
finished at this end, The work so far has
been through solid rock, not exactly gran
lite, but a compact gnciss formation, in ma
ny places resembling granite, and of such
a texture as to render the tunnel, when fin
ished, being 10 feet high by II wide, as
permanent as the everlasting mountain
above it, and never can give way Yet
notwithstanding it is hard rock, the faith
full and cntcrprising contractors, Mcssrs.
Humbird and Hitchcock, have proven that
the work can and will be completetlin less
than three years more, by which time,
was informed by the able and distinguished
chief engineer, Col Gwinn, all the other
tunnels, heavy bridge masonry and grading
between that and Anderson will be finished
which is in point of time and expense con
sidcrably more than half the entire road.
The completion of this road will be the
dawn of new era in South Carolina.-
Not only her fertile valleys and rich mines
in the mountain districts will pour their
treasures into our Golfers, but channel of
commerce will be opened with the wide
world west of the Blue Ridge, whose val
lcys can furnish provisions for the world
Whatever may be the cost of building this
road, it ought by all means to be met with
that same patriotism and libcrality which
have characterized our sister States. And
when we consider the distance by railroad
to the city of Charleston and the othor
towns and villages in onr State are from
Cincinnati, Louisville and Knoxville, which
are the great provision depots of the west,
and then see the advantage Charleston will
have oyer any other Southern Atlantic sea-
port, venture to say there is not a man
who loves his State and delights to honor
her, and advance herprosperity, that would
not rejoice to see theroad completed BY
| theBlue 1lidge geltailroadC Charleston will be80
miles nearer than Baltimore is to Cincinnati,
~ miles nearer to Louisville, and 346
nearer to Knoxville, and 113 miles nearer
than Savannah to Cincinnati, ~ miles near
er to Louisville, and 103 miles nearer to
Knoxville. With all these facts staring
us in the face, and our raighbors opening
communications with the west all around
MS, it is matter of astonishment that wc
have not long ago been aroused to sense
of our position and duty in the matter,
more especially if we expect or desire to
keep pace with the growth and prosperity
of our sister States. 1t has been said that
tho Blue Ridge road will be of no service
to Spartanburg and the other districts on
tho east and north sidcof the State, If
placing Spartanburgh village 600 miles
nearer by railroad to Cincinnati and over
800 nearer to Knoxville than she is at
present, Is no advantage to us, then the
Blue Ridge road viii do us no good, Now,
during years ofscarcity of provisions, we
get our bacon from Cincinnati, distance
of over 500 miles; whereas by the Blue
Ridge road We will get i in less than 900