Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1862-02-20
The City of Nashville.

In a short time, if our armies progress in
the West as energetically as they have done
of late, Nashville will become q place of in
terest as connected with our movements up
the Cumberland. 1t is connected with Bow
ling Green by railroad. Nashville is situa-
ted on the left or the west bank of the Cum
berland river, some two hundred miles by
the course of the stream from its mouth
$50 miles northeast of Memphis; 266 miles
southwest of Lexington in Kentucky, and
6S4 miles from Washington City. Many
of the private residences are erected on a
scale Of %palatial magnitude and splendor,
and the public buildings exhibit a cores
ponding character. The suburbs abound
with picturesque scenery, enriched with
beautiful groves Of cedar. The city was
originally laid out in lots of one acre each,
with a reservation of four acres for public
buildings. The boundaries have since been
enlarged. The new capitol, which stands
on a commanding eminence one hundred
and seventy-fve feet above the river, is one
of the most noble, magnificent and costly
structures in America. The material is fine
limestone, which was quarried on the spot,
and nearly resembles marble. The dimen.
sions are 240 feet by 1856, and the estimated
cost 81 900 1000. 1t is built, as it is stated.
entirely of stone and iron, without any wood
about it, except the plank on which the
copper roofing is fastened the floor and in.
ncr walls are of dressed stone. A lunatic
asylum on a large scale has recently been
erected in the vicinity. The State Peni-
Tertiary at this place is 3l3 feet by so, con-
tanning 200 cells. The University of Nash
vile was founded in 1906. The Medical
| College connected with the University was
opened in 1851 it occupies a spacious build
ing, and has upward of $50 Students
There are also a number of female semina-
ries, the largest of which is attended by more
than 800 pupils.
There ,cere fifteen newspapers published
here, six ofthem daily. Nashville contains
three banks, with q total capital of S5, 1872
500, and fifteen churches, representing the
various religious denominations. The min
eral cabinet of the late DIR. Troost contains
the largest private collection in the United
States The city is lighted with gas. The
Cumberland river is crossed by a magni6'
cent wire suspension bridge, built at u cost
of $780, 600. Water is supplied by being
raised from the Cumberland river. Six
railroads now center at Nashville, affordine
communication with many desired points,
1t is the terminus of the Nashville and
Chattanooga railroad, $50 miles long, which
was finished in 1852, at an expense OF about
SO, 000, 900.
The road is built in a very substantial
manner, and completes the connection with
Charleston and Savannah. The commerce
Of Nashville is very extensive, amounting
annually to over 5000 tonnage, composed
Of steamboats navigating tho Cumberland
river, engaged in the conveyance OF passen
gers, and the traffic Of goods and produce
are in successful operation at this place
among which may be mentioned the powde
mill, the rolling mill, the Tennessee Irol
Works, just below the city, on the Cumber
land river, which are as extensive and equa
in capacity to any in the United States, ant
foundries and machine shops. The popula
lation of Nashville at the present time /
about 10000.