Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1866-07-25

zfy GLEAhrlElJU, IA, JUL1 I'd, Iooo.
The Midland Counties Pennsylvania Rail-
IT, 1 way Surveys.
p We copy the following intelligent letter
on an important railway survey from the
United States Railroad and Mining Reg
tster-
CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA, July 3, 1866
sa The great railway survey made under the
auspices of the Atlantic and Great Western
Railway Company, by Col. James Worrall,
consulting engineer, and Col. Jarrett, Mr..
Minor Roberts and Major Rubridge, asso-
ciate engineers, we understand, has been
fully completed and reported upon Es
As this was British enterprise, the in
tervention of the British commercial panic
may interfere to retard construction upon
these lines; yet the developments made by
the surveys cannot but be OF greater value,
eventually, to Pennsylvania The talent
engaged in the operation is eminently Penn
sylvanian, as the well-known names above
quoted will show; and the results NAV be
depended upOn-for who should better un-
derstand the contour of Pennsylvania than
,ur own Pennsylvania engineers?
The line commencing at the west at a
point On the Atlantic and Great Western
Z,
vile Tin Mercer county, moves eastward by
way of Sandy lake, Big Sandy, East Sandy,
Beaver Creek, the Clarion river, ard Corsi-
ca to Brookyille; then up the Sandy Lick
to its headwaters. Here the choice of two
lines Ia northern and southern alternate)
is presented
The Northern line takes Bennett Brane h
eff the SinnemahOning to its mouth at Drift
wood, following the Sinnemahoning to its
mouth, and then the West Branch of the
Susquehanna river, occupying its pofGbn of
the valley through which the Philadelphia
and Erie railroad is constructed, from Drift
wood all the way to Milton, where it con
meets with the Catawissa railroad, finding at
that point Il railroad connection with New
York, about 2l2 miles long
The southern alternate, from the heads
of Sandy Lick, before mentioned, takes
down Anderson creek to the West Branch
of the Susquehanna at Curwensville, thence
down that stream to Clearfeld; then, hy
Clearield creek and branch thereof, makes
its way to Phillipsburg. and so across the
Allegheny mountain to Bellefonte, whence,
rounding the point of Nittany mountain, it
reaches Lewisburg via Penn and Buffalo
valleys, connecting there by short exten-
SION with the Catawissa railroad. The two
lines, singular to say, are almost identically
the same in length something over 27O
miles
But the northern line has much the ad-
vantage in the summation of rises and falls;
for, after leaving the head waters of Ander-
son, the northern line always descends. un-
til it reaches Milton, Whilst the southern.
line decends to Clearfield, ascends and de-
scends to Phiillpsbsrg, and ascends and de-
scends the Allegheny mountain to Belle
-fonte, and meets at least one more summit
before it reaches Lewisburg. .s
On the southern line the grade of SIS
feet per mile is transcribed, in more than
one locality, going both east and west:
whilst on the northern fne that ratio is new
er exceeded, in direction either with or
against the preponderating trade. Although
both these lines pass through coal lands for
nearly a hundred miles, yet the heaviest
veins being the further south, are better ac-
commodated by the more southern than
they are on the moIe northern line; and
taking this into consideration, it may be
doubted which would prove the most re-
muneratiye as an initiatory line.
Both lines should be, and will, eventually,
be built, and this survey, we think, will
prove that both can be built for less sum
than 1t was at first estimated single line
between the termini proposed would cost
. ~ WOulu Oc eSteeineu Il oCOplan lQed TO
build both together; yet, if they can be
built, as we understand they can, for cost
falling considerably short of $4,000 per
mile, we know of no enterprise more prom
ising than this; and this without consid-
ering the saving of distance to New York
which this line effects, as against the lines
which leave our northern borders for that
city. The mineral wealth developed by
this great line, and the consequent opening
up OF such vast area of prImeval forest to
agriculture and general business, would
prove prodigally remunerative, without con-
sidering strategic cut-offs. We have given
distances enough in this, letter, between
well-knOwn points accessible by railway, to
afford your readers an opportunity to ascer-
tain how the new line, say from Cincinnati
to New York and Philadelphia, compares
with the old.
This is a railway enterprise of the first
class, and would be of infinite importance to
vast undeveloped area of our great Com
monwealth. 1t is to be regretted, if it ever
was the intention Of the British capitalists
to carry it out, that anything should have
occurred to prevent their doing SO, for it
may be some time before party of capital
lists can be found who would freely invest
ten or twelve millions, promise the invest
nient never so fatteringly
An old lady, hearing somebody say the
mails were very irregular, said: ut was
Just so in my young days-no trusting any
OF en-" i.4ar7t 5'go a-ei-
Beauties generally die old maids. They
set such value on themselves that thew