The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1859-11-30
Blue Ridge Railroad.

its in plain figures the present condition of
this great work and the resources of the
Company Being very lengthy,we are fore
preserving such portions we deem of
mos. interest to our readers:
The President and Directors say, that in
consequence of the failure Of the Company
to obtain aid from the Legislature at the
! !as: SSos!aa,h hecame necessary to restrict
the work of construction on the road with.
in the limited means which remained at the
disposal of the Board These were so
small in amount that Immediately after the
adjournment of the Legislature, the Board
issued orders for n general suspension Of
work on the road.
The construction Of the road was, accOr-
dinghy, wholly discontinued IN Tennessee,
and also in Georgia, with the exception of
a very heavy embankment, known rs tn e
Whtmire Fill
| In North Carolina no work has ever been
done.
In South Carolina all the grading was
suspended except the cmbarkmont over the
Seneca Bottom. and the deep cuts known
as LoMAX's and LAwRENCE's. The con.
tractors on these sections of the road, and
also on the Whi,mire Fill, wore permitted
! to continue work on their Ionsentng to re-
duce their force so that their estimates
should not exceed prescribed amount.
At the limo the work was suspended, the
heading of the Middle Tunnel was driven
! through, and in 4 few weeks it could have
been finished Twenty per cent, of the
| Saddle Tunnel was done. Mcssrs. Hum
BIRD, IIITCHCoCK g. Co. continued the ex-
cavation oc the Stump House Tunnel under
II restriction that their monthly estimates
should not exceed ten thousand dollars -
The difficulty and hardship Of dismissing
the large number of workmen, whom it
would re necessary TO discharge in order to
comply with this condition, has prevented
its exact performance. The length of the
tunnel is 1868 feet 1878 lincal feet of
heading were done at the date of the last
report. Since that time, employing n little
over one third Of full force, the contrac-
tors have done 1887 lineal feet of heading,
leaving only 1900 feet to be done.
Tables are shown which present a full
exhibit Of the work originally TO be done,
and how much of it was completed on LIST
November, 1858. From these tables it APP
pears "that the grading in South Carolina
| 10 thun Il La, in
see with lhe same length of rond and j.
nearly equal to the whole grading in North
| Carolina and Tennessee, one hundred and
twenty-siX miles. The tunnelIing in South
Carolina exceeds all the tunnels on the
| line !; and the bridge and arch masonry in
South Carolina is nearly equal TO ali the
bridge and arch masonry of the whole
Road The cost Of the road in South Car
oina and Georgia, which is 20 miles in
length, and thirty.ive per cent. of the dis
lance to Knoxville, is fifty eight per cent
of the estimated cost of the whole road"
Thirteen miles of the road have hecn
finished from Anderson to Pendleton. The
most difficult and costly part of the con.
structlon of the road occurs in the first SIN
ty miles from Anderson. Within that dis.
tance the Blue Ridge is surmountcd. Bey-
ond that an inspection of the tables Of
| "work TO be DONE" will show that the con-
structon will be easy. When the Rabun
Gap is reached, the construction Of the road
can be rapidly nd vanced TO Knoxville. The
| I,lt nf no ut h. h.n i'm
ming, in South Carolina. Until these are
overcome it would be an injudicious expcn.
dture of the Company's funds to proceed
witt track LAYING. For the Directors have
always announced TO the Stockholders that
unless the road be completed from Andcr-
son so MS 10 connect with the rail roads and
navigaJIe waters Of the Mississippi Valley
at Knoxville, it will not compensate for the
cost of construction.
The Chief Engineer re-atirms, in his last
report that which was shown by n detailed
statement to The Committees of the legis-
latnre, AT the last session, that, so far as
the work has been done, it is within the es.
tmale Of the cost which he made and sub
mitted TO the Stockholders Mt their meeting
in 1856. His estimate of the cost Of con.
structlon, exclusive Of the equipment OF the
road, amounts to $7,735,677. Within two
months past, two counties in North CARROLL
ma have resolved to subscribe each $50 900
Two other counties are expected to follow
their example, and the Board have received