The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1866-07-18

mortgage
property in the soveral States {saving 50 much OF
the tennessee Road as may be required to secure
that state for its loan es above stated). These
! would doubtless become available in tho progress
OF the work, leaving not more than s2 600, 600 to
G,toOOOO to be raised by subscriptions to the
capital sto X.
would apparently, be safo Investment; it can
hardly be doubted that 30 great thOroughfare
would have business enough to pay the interest
on 4-7ths of the cost namely on Il, ,75O 600 par
ticnlary when it is considered that this sum of
4,75O 600 does not amount to $4,000 per mile of
road, and that other work, Of a similar char.
| acter have cost $60, 600 to $4,000 per mile.
The extension OF the Lebanon Branch of the
Louisville Railroad being determined upon, and
Oh grounds entirely local, and the construction OF
the Knoxville and Kentucky Railroad being now
equally a matter of certainly, it would be un-
reason BILE to suppose that when these works are
accomplished, Louisyio and Knoxville will con-
sent to stop there, and being brought within
tbirty-seyen miles Of each other, continue to be
separated by that space. No one can doubt that
the remaining thirty-seven miles would soon be
istence.
80 Cincinnati being, as has been already said,
committed to the extension Of the Lexington Road
be regarded as equally implicated in the progress
OF the events that are leading irresstbIy to the
early connection OF both cities with Knoxville.
The connection being then regarded as certain,
let us now compare the advantages offered by the
two rival routes for reaching the South Atlantic
Ports,that BY Cumberland Gap and the French
Railroad. Let the question be first considered in
relation to Cincinnati.
III tho prosecution OF tho enterprise, tho point
of departure for her would be Paris, this being
the casternmost point on the Lexington Railroad.
The distance from Paris to Cumberland Gap, in
FROM Cumberland Gap to Asheville,
From Asheville to spartanburg, &. O. . 100 miles.
Thus it s seen that it would require tho con-
struction OF three hundred and twenty miles of
m slb kfvt NF
Gap the great object in Wow.
The cost, ut moderate estimate, would not be
less than So 600 600. The trade of Georgia, too,
would be lost to the road, for it would be nearly
or quite as short for her to carry on her traffic,
as now, by way Of Knoxville and Dalton.
by way of Rabun Gap, on the other hand, there
road to be constructed, and OF this great deal
OF the heaviest work has been dore in detached
sections 80 that the cost of completing it will not
exceed 81 500 900, and by this route the whole ;n-
terror and sesboard of Georgia are rendered as
accessible, and brought as near, as those Of South
Carolina.
tances we have given the Cumberland Gap route
the benefit of air lines as far as Asheville, N C.;
whereas, in the of the Rabun Gap or Blue
Ridge road, 1T is the actual length of the located
In the case of Louisville, deduction of seventy
miles will have to be made in the length of road
to to- Oumbefland Gap When the Lebanon exten
Gap will be only fifty miles, instead Of one hun
dred and twenty, as it is in the case OF Cincinnati
and a1 Paris Paris. But @ this would be Of value only in
tho event that Cincinnati should abandon the
Paris project, and consent to make her connec-
ton by way OF Danve and London In the op-
poslte View-that is, If she persisted in the con-
struction OF an independent road from Paris
these nifty miles would, on the contrary, have to
be added to the lengt tn Of new road, OF which the
construction would be necessary to give the two
cities the connection sought-that is three hun
dred and seventy miles by way of Cumberland
Gap, against one hundred and sixty -four miles by
way of Rabun Gap and the Blue Ridge road. Il
appears to your committee that these plain and
practical considerations forever set at rest every
effort to unsettle the conviction now they believe
almost almost universally entertained, that the Blue
hdge road possesses, in every aspect Of the case
advantages that exclude all rivalry in its claims
upon the two great sections of country that have
80 Iona been struggling for closer union.
1t must, nevertheless, be admitted that the
source from whence the c. pital II its completion
Is to be drawn, remains still unrevealed.
Ill, Inc people OF Cincinnati, influenced by the
same encouraging experience that has eyery-
where attended the first contributions for the con-
struction OF new railroads. are ayerse from max
ing ,g Individual % subscrptions; and by the Consttu
from contributing to such enterprises Impelled,
however, by an honorable ambition to keep pace
W.T., Tith the general progress, and fully to develop
are looking, with an intelligent eye, to a direct
southern connection, and are actually engaged In
ralsng by subscription fund Of 81 900 900 (now
company that may complete, and put in opera
tion, the road they shall indicate.
IL ls not yet decided to what particular work
this fund shall be devoted neither can it be deem
ed very available, encountered as it is with the
condition that the payment shall be made only
after the road shall have been completed and put
in operation.
Your committee took the liberty of recommend
ing that the philosophical subscribers to this
fund should appoint committee OF their own
number to determine where il may be bestowed
with the greatest advantage for the welfare OF
their city.
Unless reasons Of a local character should rem
der 1t essential to give it in aid Of the Coyington
and Lexington Road, your committee cannot per-
ceve how it be better applied for the interests
OF Cincinnati than in Fastening the completion of
the Blue Ridge Railroad.
An additional motive for giving il this direction
exists in the natural rivalry between the two cities
OF Louisville and Cincinnati. 1t may be consid-
cred certain, from the existing posture Of affairs
that Cincinnati will find it to her > ipterost
to conduct her traffic with Knoxville over the
Louisville and Kentucky or Lebanon Branch
Road. The reasons for this opinion have already
been given in another place.
Ii, in addition to this advantage, Louisville
| should also be the first to avail herself of the
great and predominating power to arise out of
| the possession or control Of tho Blue Ridge Rail-
road Cincinnati will be placed at great and IRE
trieyable disadvantage in the commerce of the
West, with the South Atlantic States. These are
considerations that cannot be overlooked or disre-
garded with impunity. Your committee are OF
opinion that the interest Of both cities would be
best consulted by the union of their strength and
resources for the achievement of the common
object.
The work would thus be more speedily accom-
plished, and it's early completion is essential to
secnre to them the full and just returns Of their
present investments.
| ha po,1s