Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-04-06

carried, in 1857, 91S,0G tons; the Baltimote
and Ohio railroad, land which is probably the
surcst guide for us in this cStimate) carried, in
1857, S95,4l6 tons of freight and in 1859 car
ried East 659,325 tons; and the maximum
grade both East and West, is the same, viz:
ll6 feet to the mile. and from Piedmont to
| Baltimore 81 feet to the mile. Thus this road
is capable Of carrying the same quantity of
freight each way, and il the return cars should
be loaded, would carry it much more proitably.;
Inen 619,323 tons having been carried East in}
1917, the same could have been carried by the
return cars West; thus making 1918. GJ0 tons
as the capacity Of the Baltimore and Ohio rail-
road, provided it was worked up 10 its capacity,
which was not the case, rs he WAS creditably
informed il could easily have done double the
amount Of work. Now, if the capacity of the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad was equal to
l.3lS,GJU tons. with grade Of 1lG feet to the
mile, what would be that Of the Covington and
Ohio, with maximum grade Of only twenty
nine feet to the mile: 1t would be precisely
four times aS great rs that OF the Baltimore
and Ohio, because the same motive power
would carry four times rs much over grade Of
90 feet Us over grade OF ! feet, or un engine
that would carry ten loaded cars over grade
Of llG feet. would carry forty loaded cars over
grade OF % feet, and Mt the same cost But
as the large portion Of the coal carried over the
Baltimore and Ohio road is taken from Pied.
mont and Cumberland over Il grade Of s. feet
to the mile and as three times 29 are 81, then
the capacity Of the Covington and Ohio
would he three times Is great as that Of the
Baltimore ana Ohio road, or equal TO 3,955,95O
tons I;ut to be sure that he did not over cs,i.
mate it. lie would put it 1T hall the above guam.
tity, or l.G11TT.9.j, or. in rnund numbers
!, 900, $50 of tons.
Would this road when completed be worked
up to its capacity: Mr. G. said that he had
not doubt on Chat point; bu; he felt conf
dent that OH its completion il would be de-
monstrated that double track would be re-
qu!red in order to convey the one moiety Of the
products OF the rich and mighty vallies of the
Ohio and Mississippi which would seek this
avenue as an outlet 10 the Atlantic coast This
will lie the cheapest and nearest route from the
Ohio valley to an Atlantic port, and we know
that trade will always seek the cheapest and
nearest avenue to 4 market. From Cincinnati
(which is the centre Of the trade of the Ohio
valley, as wrll.aS that Of large portion Of the
Mississippi valley 10 Baltimore, the head OF
tile water in Maryland, by way Of railroad, is
about COS miles; from Cincinnati TO Richmond
the head Of tide water in Virginia, is 54S miles,
estimating by the air line road from Richmond
to Charlottesville, which will and must be built,
viz from Richmond to Covinyton. frhc Cen.
trail road) III miles; from Coving,on TO mouth
of Big Sandy, on the kentucky line, (the Covng-
ton and Ohio Railroady 2a3 miles from the
mouth of Big Sandy /, Marysve Uhe Big
Sandy and Marysyillc Eailroady SS miles; and
from Marysville to Cincinnati, along the Ohio
river, on the bank Of which a railroad will be
built from Maysvillc TO Cincinnati or to Coving-
ton, on the Ohio river, opposite Cincinnati 80
miles. making total of 5IS miles-or making
the distance from Cincinnati 10 Richmond sc
miles less than TO Raitmnre-an'l the only
rival we can have for the carrying of the vast
trade of the Ohio valley, is the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad. il was true he had heard it said,
that the extension Of the Virginia and Ken
lucky railroad to some point on the Ohio river,
might prove successful rival to the CoYing
ton and Uhio-but ! moments examination
would convince any gentleman that such re-
suit was impossible. From Richmond 10 the
Ohio river ut the mouth Of Big Sandy, by way
Of the Central railroad and the Covingtun and
Ohio, would be precisely 100 miles-ir0m
Richmond to Cumberland Gap. the terminus
of the Virginia and kcntucky railroad is
four hundred and f(ty-sevcn miles, viz: from
Richmond to Lynchburg, by the way Of the
Danville and South-Side roads, Qhc nearest
route is l2l miles; from Lyynchburg to Bristol
lthc Virginia and Tennessee railroad) 204 miles,
and from Bristol to Cumberland Gap, tthe Eir-
ginia and Kentucky railroad,) l32 miles-to-
tai 4j7, or 81 miles farther than from Rich
mond to the Ohio River at the Kentucky line
lie had not been able to learn the distance
from Cumberland Gap 10 Covington on the
Ohio or Louisville, but it could not be less
than $50 or 200 milcs-so it would at once be
apparent that there could be no rivalship be-
tween these two roads.
CONCLUSION IN To.M0KRuws PAPER.