The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1866-08-02

River, "was decidedly superior to every
other to be found within the limits of their
charter, or indeed in the whole extent of
the mountain ranges dividing the Atlantic
from the Western States"
Mcneil and Williams, distinguished to.
biographical engineers, who "were almost
continually occupied during an entire pc.
riod of four years IN surveying this noun
tain region, decided in favor of its superi
ority over all others.
Governor Hayne, in his address before
the Knoxville Convention, says: Now we
would ask whether the me,c ,~istcnce of
such passage through the mountains. in
the general direction of line drawn from
Charleston through the centre of South
Carolina, and leading nearly in q straight
course across an interesting and valuable
portion OF North Carolina, and through the
very centre of East Tennessee to Lcxinp
ton, and from thence to the Ohio River,
does not mark out, as with the unerrinr
hand OF nature, this as the great channel
OF communication between the South and
the West" There is differ ence in dis
tance of 81 miles in favor of the "Spartan-
burg extension via French Broad and
Cumberland Gap to Cincinnati over the
! Blue Ridge route via Knoxville.
The difference in cost is proportionately
greater, and according to the report of DR..
Nj. Carriger it is shown that the cost of
the Blue Ridge and Knoxville and Ken
lucky Roads to bc 81, $50, ,02GSl more, or
over double the cost of the Cincinnati.
Cumberland Gap and Charleston, and the
Grecnville and the French Broad Railroads,
extending from Cumberland Gap to Spar.
tanburg z. Ii.
The total amount Of unfinished road is
greater on the former than the latter by
forty six miles.
With such superior advantages in favor
OF the French Broad route, the inquiry
very naturally occurs to every one, how
the Blue Ridge road obtained such promi-
nencc. Gin 1852 there was a vexatious
controversy between the South Carolina
kailroad Company and the City Council
OF Augusta, Georgia, about the right of
the former to establish depot within the
corporate limits of the latter 1t was
suggested to build railroad 'rom Ander
so,.- a.. t-..----.:li - ~ a
supposed unjust discriminatiyns IN en-.
gineer was appointed, who Il ade a recon.
no.sance OF the route. In his report he
says: The distance of the new roal pro
jected will be about one hundred and tiiiy
miIes-forty eight miles lying in South
Carolina, twenty-five miles in Georgia, fifty
miles in North Carolina, and twenty seven
miles in Tennessee. These distances NAV
not be exactly apportioned, the total, how
no I
ton in estimating that Sl,750,000 will
build this road in permanent form, with
a rail weighing not less than fifty Ave
pounds Per yard but it will be entirely
safe to assume $4,000, 600"
With this estimate, the city of Charles
ton entered heartily into the enterprise.
and subscribed million of dollars. Tx
traorCinary influences were brought 10 bear
upon rhe Legislature, and the State was
committed to the enterprise in the amount
Of several millions
When We consider the great excrtions
which have been made to induce corpora
tioms and States to subscribe, and the mag
nitudc of the cnterp: isc, we are surprised at
the comparatively small amount Of indiyid
ual subscriptions.
According to the report of the President
Of the Blue Ridge Railroad, made to the
Legislature of South Carolina in 1868, the
amount subscribed by individuals
is. S27S, 10000
Contracts for work done III, 10000
Total length OF road construct
cd 33 miles, and total cost
of road S2,9241l900
According to the report of Major Il. G..
McCalla, Chief Engineer oi Cincinnati,
Cumberland Gap and Charleston Railroad,
made August, 1860, the entire cost OF the
road, exclusive of equipment, from Spar
tanburg G. H., 5. c., to Morristown, on
the East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad
distance of l6l miles, is S2,735 ,O9O.Ol,
and from Spartanburg q. III. to Paint
Rock, a distance of III miles, S2,2l3 ,I02.
GA. The State having already spent two
millions and half Of dollars on the Blue
Ridge Road, decided not to assist the
French Broad Road, but to "husband her
resources" The Committee on Railroads
(not corps of enginecrs) reported that
"the estimates OF the French Broad Rail
road, through the mountains, arc so much
under the cost Of all other railroads over
the same range of mountains, that your
Committee cannot regard them as altogeth-
CIR accurate, and believe that, should the
work ever be completed, they will fall far