The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-09-12
re,;u,teu nrd uAto nnllroad,


Sandy Railroad, 60 briefly presents the facts
relative to the present condition and pros
poets Of the Covington and Ohio Railroad, that
we publish Il entire The reader will observe
that 1t ia written to correct impressions ana
remove apprehensions in Kentucky relative
10 the G. and O. Railroad. This II ought GER
taiuly to do; for the facts are SUFFICIENT 10 sat-
,.fv any reasonable mind that the great unoef-
taking will be completed. Incidentally 100
WE have the data to shew that TINS virginia
line of Railroad. from the Atlantic TO the
Ohio. has the advantage Of any other la the
superiority of lite grades. 1t is a remarkable
fact. that although the distance from Coving
ton 10 the White Sulphur Springs is only one
tenth of the entire road yet such is the magni-
tude OF the difficulties encountered in that
distance that they involve an expenditure of
oae- fourth of the cost of the whole road -
So when that is done, in June, 60. the balance
will be certainly pushed forward with much
greater rapidity.
The section of railroad from Covington to
the White Sulphur traverses the mountain di-
vision OF the James RiN and kanawha Ga
nal-from Jacksons River TO Towards Greek.
Should the French Company determine, as
they likely will, to complete the water line
east and west before finishing that heaviest
and most costly part of their work, the Gov
ington and Ohio will answer for the time, as
convenient portage of all the heavy freights
which follow the water line.
With both these great lines finished and in
operation, what grand res uits we shall have
for Virginia. May we live to see that day
and having beheid this glory of our good oid
mother, we would, indeed, be almost, ike old
SIM EoN, ready to depart:
August %, 1860. )
Richard Apperson ENg, President Lexington
and Big Sandy Railroad Company-Dear Sir ;
| know the deep interest you feel in the sue
cess of yirginia's great central line OF ruil-
| road not only because ii is the best medium
Of transit for the trade and travel of entucky,
| but as a national highway between the ONO
and Mississippi valleys and the Atlantic sea-
| ports; and having heard that in Kentucky
| there is a great misapprehension OF the pres
| ent condition and future prospects OF this
work I take pleasure IN communicating 70
you infer nation on the subject, Whlcn Will
| correct any unfounded impression that may
exist.
| have been told that in Kentucky there is
now less interest felt than formerly IN the
| prosecution of the Lexington ana Big Sanay
| Railroad, because The CovlEgton and ONO
| Railroads.&c. Western portion OF our central
| line-with which ii connects at the big SANDY,
| is supposed 10 be languishing Ia the hands oi
| the State of Virginia, and because It's lriends
| have been induced to believe that the Virginia
| and Kentucky Railroad, whose Eastern ter
minus has recently been fixed at Bristol, on
| the Tennessee line is likely TO be pressed
| with more vigor, and is a bstter outlet for the
| products of kentucky. How these impress
| sions have been produced do not know. nut
| that they are grossly erroneous, am siad 10
| have the means To satisfy those whose deep
I interest in the subject will induce them to ln-
quire for correct information.
| The Virginia and Kentucky Road leads from
| the southern terminus of the Virginia and
Road at
| Lynchburg 10 the Cumberland Gap. 1t is
| corporation on the joint stock principle, with
capital OF s., SEQ QUO. In such cases, the State
| subscribes in the proportion of 10 =, when
Lona fds solvent private subscription is
| made, aid then pays her subscription, only
| pari pdSsu with previous actual cash pay menls
| OF private su bscrlbers
| r'he road is l04 miles long, and as a good
| road through such a country can not be made
| for less than $50, 600 per mile, 1t must cost al
| least So, 00O0 900, probably more. The ruling
| grades, should suppose, must be at least oU
| feet to the mile.
| ltis doubtless an important road to the sec
| ton of country through which 1t passes, and
| whether the capital can be raised Will be care
| fully considered before Kentucky renounces
her hopes in the Lexington ana Big SANDY,
and the Covingtou aud OHIO Roads. L learn
| from the proper authority that the State OF
| Virginia has subscribed Se5, 500 and has paid
| S63 900 to the present date.
The Covington and OHIO Railroad being the
| western portion OF the "csntrnl tine, is a Work
| under taken by the State of Virginia on State
| account. 1t is 224 miles long, commencing at
| Covington, the Western terminus OF the IT.
| ciuia Central Railroad. The canal traversing
| the valley of the James river, from Richmond,
| Will also soon reach that point. The State OF
| Virginia has at different times made tour sew
| erai appropriations TO this railroad, first. 81,
| oUUOO0 then $500 900, then $500, 900, and at the
| last session of the General Assembly, with
| the purpose OF removing all doubt as 10 her
| intention of prosecuting the work TO compile
mil xin - =, u adj
| being more than the aggregate OF the three
| first appropriations, and making In all the
| amount of 81 ,S00,UUU.
send you "a copy of a very full statement OF
| facts in reference TO this work, recently fur
nished me by the State Engineer, On b. FIske,
| from which you will derive an amount OF
| very interesting detailed Information. / de.
sire particularly To call your attention to a
| few prominent facts:
| LIST. The whole railroad line from Richmond,
| (where the improvements in the james river,
| now going on, will in a short time give sui
| fieient depth of water for vessels of foreign
trade, is 43O miles, of which distance, the VIr-
| gInia Central Railroad, from Richmond TO
| Covington is 206 miles and the Covington and
Ohio PA miles.
| ID The whole of the Virginia Central Rail-
road is now in successful operation, except
| ten miles, which rs in rapid progress 10 COM
| pletion by the LIST of April, 1862 and twenty
| two miles Of the State work-that is, from
| Covington to the old White Sulphur Springs,
| in Green brier county, will be completed by
| the lst of June lS62.x
Sd. Thirty-nine miles of the State work
have been worked on, at the east end and on
| the west end, EN- braclng d distance OF forty
| four miles between the terminus at Big Sandy
| and the mouth OF Scary Greek. On The IA
| uawha more than half million dollars have
| been expended.
| 4th. You will see from Mr.. Fishes notes
| that the late appropriation Will not only COM
| plete the work 10 the White Sulphur Springs
| by the LIST OF June 1862, but will carry it far
| ther west, EN- bracins the most expensive part
| OF the line.
| 5th. That though the distance from Coving-
| ton TO the White Sulphur is only one ten 4
| of the whole line, when he reaches tina. point
| he will have met one-fourth of The cost -
| Taking The Central Railroad as a whole,
| from Richmond to the Kentucky line at Big
| Sandy, (22o miles, embracing all the diferenL
PORTIONS being in operation on the lst OF J une,
| 1862 81 miles more having been worked at an
| expense of nearly S600,O0O, and 81, S00,0O0 ex-
| pended on the States portion west of Coving-
| ton, can any reasonable doubt be entertained
| of its future vigorous prosecution ! Add 10
this the encouraging fact that the part OF the
| line now in operation belonging 10 the Vir-
ginia Central Company, Q95 mlles,) though
| terminating in wild, unsettled mountain
| region, thirty miles east of the White Sulphur
| Springs, is paying per cent. cash dividends
| TO its stockholders, after setting apart an
| ample annual sinking fund TO discharge It's
| whole debt, you may rest assured that the
early completion OF OR great Central Road TO
| the line of Kentucky, at the mouth OF Sandy,
| is q fixed fact
What are yon doing with the Lexington and
Sandy read Be good enough to let me hear.
| Look at tue map; with that link added to cur
| Central line, you will have from Louisville,
| with slight variations to avoid local Difficult
| ties, direct road of more than 6O0 miles in
| length terminating at an Atlantic city, with
| the most favorable grades of any in the world
| of that extent.
| But let me call your attention TO the advan-
| tages of grade in our line in more parte u la
| manner; commencing at a point $50 miles from
| Coyinptop viz: at the mouth of Scary-nayi-