Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1859-08-19
The Grent Northern aud Southern Nails.

In May 1858, the Department entered into an ar
rapgempnt with the prOprietors of the route through
the States of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennes-
coo and Virginia for the transportation of the local
and through mails between New Orleans and Washing
ton once daily, at 5000 per mile per annum for the rail
road portion of the ne the service to be performed by
cedue proposed by the parties according which the
trip each way, between New Orleans and Washington
was to be performed within % days. or days between
New Orleans and New York The service under this ar
raDgent went into operation the LIST of July 1858
But OF 22O mails sent by this route from n York to
Orleans during the nine months from LIST july 1853 to
3ls March, 1869 as appears from minute and reliable in
formation file in the Department. only l6 carried
through in schedule time leaving 204 OF which the trans
nortatiOn occupied from IL to days Of 246 mails
sent from New Orleans to Washington, only 90 were
carried through in schedule time, leaving las of which
the transportation occupied from to Is IL days.
Between New York and New Orleans there were 80
delays of half day each "a of day. q of day and
a hail. 20 of two days, of two days and half, of
three DAYS ard each of SEVEN eight nine and ten DAYS
in ALL 204. Between New Orleans and Washington
there delays of half day. II of day. of day
and half 45 of two days, Of two days and half of
three days, of four days. of five days. and one of
nine days-in all, l48. The average time from New
York New Orleans for each Of the months composing
the period under consideration, was as follows July
1858, days 3 hours August, days Is hours Sep
TENDER, days q hours October, 5 days % hours
December, days 20 hours January, 1859, 6 days 2
hours February, days Is hours March, 6 days 5
hours. Average for the whole PERIOD days hours
for the six winter months from October to March, incu-
ye during which the great of the commercial op-
oations Of the year transpire), days hours. The
average time for each month from New Orleans to
Washington was as follows July, 1858, days Au-
gust 4 days l6 hours September, days l6 hours
October days II hours; November, days; Deem
Der, days % hours January, 1852 days 10 hours
February days II hours; March, days hour. Ave
rage for the whole period, days hours for the six
winter months, days Is hours. The number Of days
which no mail from New York reached New Orleans
by this route, during the whole period, 81 during
the six winter months, 49, The number of days on
which mail from n. Orleans reached Washington by
this route during the whole period, So during the
six winter MONTHS Ct. That these delays and failures
chargeabIe almost wholly to that part of the nter
route beyond the point of divergence wiz at Rich
mOnd, Virgnia) from the trunk line common both to
this and the old route for the great northern and south
ern mall is apparent from the comparative despatch
and regularity" of the service, during the period
between New York and Charleston, performed to that
point the route Of 500 mails sent from New
York to Charleston from LIST July 1858, to 3lst March
1859 the service being double daily except Sunday or
which day single mail is sent), 484 were carried
through in schedule time two days., leaving only "a
OF which 81 carried through in two days and {
half and in three days And during the whole peroC
there were but four days which no mail reached Char
lesion from New York
WASHINGTON Constitution.