Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1866-07-28
REPORT.

TO Me favorable khc M,wr und..i1lc,men
q tie CHy Of CHariestun, tic Boaym oJ
Directors c/ tie Di"c Ralye PuV,yud
Cbmpa"y, tic Chamber of Commerce or
(h"ricston um,l the Bou,H of Trade If
CharicStun.
The several committees appointed to proceed
to Cincinnati, aud to other western cities, to
represent the condition, and advance the in
tcrcsts of the Blue. Ridge Railroad, having
agreed to unite in rendering an account of
their mission, ask leave to submit the following
REPORT
The several committees, though consulting
together, had not adopted any settled views,
before their departure from Charleston. They
did not consider themselves authorized to make
a:ny.spcciic proposals, nor were they sufficient
~ informed Of the views entertained in the
west. or nf the works in. nrorrcss tharc. to de-
tcrmnc the character of such as they should
make, had they been clothed with that power.
There had been some agitation in Cincn-
natl in relation to the connection by railroad
with the South Atlantic States, and subscrip-
tions had been made in aid of the proposed
undertaking; but no specific scheme had been
announced.
From Louisville, Ky, nothing had been
heard publicly, though it was not unknown
ton Of /; brunch OF the Louisville and Nash
vile Railroad, in the direction of Danyillc.
In New York, some mcmhcrs of the com
mittce met Mr.. G. NJ. McGchcc, tile enter
priSino President of the Knoxville and Ken
tucky Railroad. From him they learned that
this work was actually under construction,
and that three fourths Of the cnpital necessary
for its completion had already been secured.
Arguing from these promises, they Inferred
that the people of Cincinnati and of Louis
vile would unite their respective roads at
Danvillc, and starting from that point (Which
is about ninety miles from the Tennessee line),
where they would be met by the Knoxville
and Kentucky Railroad
On their arrival III Cincinnati however,
they learned that considerations Of weight,
having relation to the separate commercial
views Of the two cities, and others arising out
of the agricultural and mineral resources of
the country to be penetrated by the respective
roads, had led to the adoption ola policy some
what different. The branch road from Louis
vile, KY, (called the Lebanon branch, start.
ing from, the main trunk ut point about thir-
ty miles below Louisville had already bcep
carried beyond Danville (passing six miles
south Of it, and not through it, as had beon
cxpcctcd), and had reached Crab Orciard,in
Lincoln County, distant eighty miles from the
junction. The road is actually in operation
to that point, Cincinnati, on the other hand,
had pushed forward the Covington and Lex
ington Road as far as Nichoasyille, and with
in twcnty-fou miles in straight line of Dan
vile, or within thirty miles of tho Lebanon
Branch Road, which passes, as before stated,
six miles south of DaDvllc u ga'
The Louisville Road will be carried forward
without interruption to. London, ip Carol
County, southeast of Crab Orchard, apd dis
tant from it about thirty three miles. I. i, l.
The Cincinnati people, on the contrary, con-
tcmplatcd the projection Of their road, after
rcaehing Danville, ona lino nearly duo south,
to interseot tho East Tennessee and Georgia
Railroad at Philadelphia, Tenn. This exhib.
its the divergent yiows entertained by the
two cities, u n.,,i.,,,ru Il. o....iau Eaa
Your committee are po, suaded, however,
that tho Cincinnati scheme will not be carried
out They have the bestauthority for boliev-
ing that there is no practicable pass for rail.
road through tho mountain s west of Wheel:
cr's Gap. i This gap being nearly due soutl,
Of London, the Cincinnati Road, aftcr reach