The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-01-22
WASHINGTON CITY AND SOUTHERN RAILROAD
CONNECTION

WASHINGTON CITY AND SOUTHERN RAILROAD
CONNECTION
There arc before Congress few subjects gilmore prac
teal Importance to the public Of more direct inter
est to the city Of Washington and all persons who as
semble here than direct railway connection with the
South. Individual enterprise has already supplied
the railway link as far as it can be done, without
legislation on the part of Congress, between Alex
andria, where the great line Of southern travel ter
inmates, and the heart of Washington city. All that
is wanting to perfect this link to enable passengers
to take the cars in Washington city and pass by rail-
road to almost any part of the South Southwest is to
authorize the Alexandria and Washington Railroad
Company, (Frenchs road, it is calod at their
cost, without one dollar from the government, to
strengthen and improve the present bridge over the
Potomac and remodel its draws.
There can be no reasonable objection to this
The cars on this road are fine specimens of city
railroad cars made for the express purpose of being
drawn by horses over this bridge and into this city
They are light as the omnbuses crossing the
bridge, and, with track side of the bridge,
would occupy less space and create less inconve-
nience than the omnibuses now do. This connec-
ton is necessity. There were transported over
this road yesterday than 700 passengers,
and the daily average is 500, 1t was
put in operation December 81, 1857, and up
to the 2lst of last December Zone year, had
carried over $4,000 passengers, with constant
Embarrassing patronage-and this with all the in
convenience attending the break at the bridge
and the necessity for transferring the passengers to
omnibuses. This enterprise is the result of individ
nal energy and has, so far, been contaminated under
difficulties which would have appalled, any other
persons than those who have charge oft It's
is great public necessity, and Congress might, we
think safely grant the necessary legislation to enable
them 20 connect directly with the Baltimore depot,
and rus, up to he canal in the heart of the city As
the connecting link between the North and South,
distributing its advantages equally to all the roads
terminating at Alexandria, while at the same time,
by frequent trips, it would accommodate the local
travel. il would confer public accommodation
than any road of its length in the Union.
We have given theamore importance to this sub
iect from the fact that this hiatus between Wash
ngton and Alexandria is the only one which in few
months win exist to interrupt a continuous railway
connection between New Orleans and New York.
Indeed, IL forms serious break in great line of
through travel which ere long viii extend from Port
land, Maine, through New York and New Orleans,
via the Tehuantepec route, to San Francisco aud
Oregon. Apropos of this line of travel, we have re-
oeived the annual report of Mr. Mcdaniel president
Of the Virginia and Tennessee railroad, showing the
prosperous condition and destinies Of the work u-
der his direction.
1t is particularly interesting TO the citizens of
Washington, as proving that city TO be upon the