The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1860-03-14

sound judgment in questions Of location is
well known and acknow lodged, sustained this
judgment My reconnaissance Of the ridge
did not develope 50 favorable an alignment as
its delineation CT the map had led me to be-
lleve, partit u,arly where the heads Of Little
River and those Of Little Black, interloek-
the back BONG Of the ridge being quite tor
tuous Then again there are long stretches
for miles, seemingly straight and OF re,narka-
bly, uniform surface. In fact throughout its
general length, the surface is sirikingly uni
form. This route woa!i without doubt
whilst pursuing the iidge, involve good deal
of curvature, and perhaps curves Of less than
l deg. would be required to adhere to the
crest, but the gradients on the other hand
would be comparatively light, and grades be
ing greater desideratum on q road designed
for heavy freight, it would III that particular
possess great superiority over the route al
ready traced and infinitely described, which
passing across the drainage Of the country, in
wolves great undulation f grades, (Which you
doubtless noticed) and frequent resort to
the maximum. The greatest merit claimed
for this route is the avoidance Of all bridging
up to Strong river, a distance imagine, of some
120 miles; also numerous SUBMITS, which
facts, together with its gentle grades are mer-
its not to he despsed. Whilst it is my i'm
precision it would be lineally longer, han the
other route, when estimated upon the princi
pile Of equating distances, the result might be
the reverse.
This principle is plainly set forth and DE-
fined by 2. Robinson, Esq, Civil Engineer,
"that the effect Of gradient of 20 feet per mile
is practically to doajIe its distance, when com
pared to that Of a level line-of 40 per mile
to triple its distance, &c; that is 10 say, the
cost of working one mile Of road with a reg
ular ascent Of 20 feet, is equivalent to that OF
working miles on level; and, therefore, TIE
| first cost being the same there is no choice be-
| tween them. Thus it would appear hat the
most direct line may not be practically the
shortest, for in comparing distances they
must be eguate}, as it is termed, according to
| the principle laid down by comparison of the
| level in order to arrive at their true practical
differences" Mr.. Robinson in reporting upon
| his survey Of Wolf river, (heading in the
ridge under discussion) says hit ''the valley
of Wolf river is so admirably adapted to our
| purpose, that it almost seems to have been de-
| signed by nature as route for railroad TO the
| Gulf coast"
! After leaving the ridge TO descend to the
basin Of Strong river FurrePs creek, y long
stream heading in the same ridge with Camp
BELLS creek, and near the same point. would
lead us into the line already traced at that
point, and here the two routes become com
mon some so miles south OF our Northern ter
minus, Canton. Nothing short of an actual
instrumental survey Of this route, however,
could demonstrate satisfactorily the IeSpec-
tive merits Of the two, and the result might
prove an error Of judgme..t on my part -
Should the scheme, however, which learn is
growing into favor assume a tangible form,
to wit: Of branching East TO meet the n L
q S. w. Alabama Road at Meridian, or even
within any reas enable lime bd fair to be
built, these questions Of routes now under
discussion would speedily be settled For the
main trunk is plainly marked on due North
line to Leaf river, thence westward up Lea
ard Bowie to Okat0ma, there falling into and
pursuing our line already traced to Canton
On the other hand slight DETECTION to the
east would take you INTO the long valley o
Bogue Homo, from the head Of which to En-.
terpriSe, distance Of some u mics, the On
~ heavy work will be encountered From
Enterprise, the Oktibbeha leada you to -Icri
dian.
believe, gentlemen, have now touched OF
every point, in connection with tn: location 0
our road excepttAe Southern terminus, and tht
committee appointed specially to decide tia
question, with the time they have had ant
care and thought bestowed upon the subject
will doubtless fall upon the right spot Th,
nearest point Of the main, to the safest anchor
age within the haIb)r occurs to me to be tn,
controlling points. The elaborate and re!iabl;
charts Of Coast Survey which have been fur
niShed Us, readily put Us il possession Of th:,
| information.