Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-11-12

pRI, AND w A>IiINGruN BY the first of Jan
uarv next, the extension Of the Orange and
Alexandria Railroad will be finished, as
we'll as any small ga? that may still exist on
the other end of the routc-towards New
Orleans. Already the time between this
city and New Orleans has been shortened 10
four and half days: which accounts tor the
great increase Of passengers through Wash
ington. When these gaps shall he DIVA
ted, the time will be reduced to three and u
half DAYS; giving the traveller an advau-
t,ge Of two and half days less travel
ling time between New York and New Or
leans than by any other route-and over
a series Of railroads unsurpassed in Amcri-
ca in the sum Of comforts of all descriptions
they afford TO the travelling public.
There will then remain but a single draw
back TO deter the Southwestern travel from
patrunzing the route almost exclusively.
That drawback is the present means OF con-
nection between the depots III Washington
and Alexandria. As to obvlate this DIM
Guilty will amount to an insurance that IN
the course of the next season : travel 1t Will
be no uncommon thing to find perhaps two
thousand through travellers passing over the
route in a day, -four trips it Is very Ger
tain that the two railroad companies imme-
dately interested will promptly obviate the
only remaining difficulty III the way OF Sc
curing the great rush OF travel above refer,
red to-takimg it from the Pennsylvania and
Ohio route. and the New York Central and
I Illinois Central route, from which the IN
crese Of from fifty u. on some occasions, I'VE
hundred IL day, has already come
Three or four plans for removing the DIM
Guilty existing here, are now doubtless beng
earnestly considered by the two companies;
one of which BODIES no good to the future OF
this city. That is, the plan Of branching on
from the Baltimore aud Washington Railroad
at or near Bladensburg, and striking the 70
| tomac opposite Alexandria. which the Batl'
\ more aud Ohio Railroad Company can law
\ fully do.
! The extreme length and certain heavy
cost of constructing a cnntlnu3uS railroad
\ over the Potomac nj the Three Sisters, ana
thence To connect with the Alexandra pas
senger road. or run direct to the Orange ana
/ Alexandria railroads Alexandria depot. Is
evidently viewed by the parties Interested as
being well nigh an insuperable objection to
that route: while the great expense OF getting
a foundation for railroad bridge over the
site Of the present Long Bridge. the certain
ty that is use as railroad bridge, Will al
mos, entirely destroy its availability as a
bridge to be used by ordinary vehicles, ana
the fact that the chances are ut least even
that lust when one or the other Long Bridge
draw might be required to be shut 10 admit
the passage of trains, the requirements oil
the rivers commerce would demand them
opened, are very serious drawbacks 10 the
plan of using the Long Bridse-covenantci
hy deed, by the by. 10 be kept up ~ Tue
Government rs a bridge tor ordinary ravei.
Considerations such rs these, give rise to the
plan of avoiding this city altogether III max
ing the permanent connection that VIII sure
IL be consummated III some way, III less, per-
haps, than ak months.
The fourth plan, which strikes US as en-
bracinp most advantages Is that OF extend
in, the track Of the Washington Branch
Railroad 10 Buzzard's Point, either acros,
Pennsylvania avenue and down the canal
until reaching a convenient place from which
to strike direct - the Point, or via the ra-
vine back Of the Capitol or again, by tur-
ncliny the base Of Capitol Hill: the extern
son 10 be travelled only by horse cars, II
Congress thinks proper to impose that a re;t'
Nv antiquated obstruction 70 the complete
ness OF the connection.
To the constructing company, the cost wa
Buzzard's Point, may be brouSh t within
one-tenth the cost BY any other plan. FROM
Buzzard's Point it is proposed to COM
plete the connection 10y running ferry
boats like those in use III llavrc lie Grace,
Md, to the Orange and Alexandria Rall,
road Company's wharf in Alexandria; the
distance being less than four miles, tue
depth of water at lowest tides never less
than fifteen feet. and the courses ot nayiga
ton such a. that No fog On the Potomac can
ever hereafter cause a failure OF mail connec
ton in due time. The time saved between
the dcputS via Buzzard' :. Point, Will be quite
as much AS could possibly be saved by con
tinuous railway connected either around
Washington via the Three Sisters, or by
crossing the Long Bridge, subject to the uSu
al delays at the draws.
The ferry boat should be prepared TO face
the ice in winter, which, below the Arsenal, II
will be remembered, is never SO serious IN
obstacle to steamers rs above that point
Another advantage Of this route Is the tact
that II suits the grades of all the streets, AZ
established: vet another advantage OF the Sc
lection of that route, Is the fact that ny TN
first Of April the work on 1t can be finished
"a great desideratum 10 the companies t.
make the improvements Wash. Star.