The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1866-08-22
" EDNEsDAY EVENING, AUGUST %, 1866
Norfolk and Cincinnati Railroad.

and they remain unworthy of enumeration
Norfolk will probably be the emporium for
all the trade of the Chesapeake Bay and its
waters, and a canal of eight or ten miles will
bring to it all that of Albemare Sound and
its waters. Secondary to this place are the
towns at the head of the tide waters, to wit
Petersburg, Richmond, Newcastle on York RI
yer, Alexandria, and Baltimore From these
the distribution will be to subordinate situa-
tons in the country. Accidental crcum-
stances, however, may control the indications
Of nature, and in no instances do they do it
more frequently than in the rise and fall of
towns" H.r-.. ..- b..
When the great Virginian wrote, Norfolk
contained about six thousand Inhabitants.
That was eighty years ago. The population
now is perhaps less than 10000 In 1860 it
was little upwards of $1,000, and the in
crease Of the decade from 1850 was about
per cent. only. Mr.. JEFFERSON accidental
circumstances" have evidently controlled &c the
Indications of nature"
Notwithstanding, however, the melancholy
facts, which appear, when we reflect upon her
relative natural advantages we give no place
to dependency, but hope on, and shall hope
forever. We are encouraged in this by recent
illusions to our position and its projected
connection with the great West by means of
contemplated Railroads, to some of which
references we have recently given pub
licity. And now we have before lis Ia COM
munication in the New York Times of the
same character and illustrative of the advan-
tages we possess over other Atlantic ports
The writer says, direct road from Cncin-
natl to Norfolk would have been probably
accomplished by this time but for the war;
The Cincinnati and Norfolk Road, if COM
pleted, must produce great results. The pro-
ducts of the West would be at once carried
directly to Virginia, North and South Caro-
lima, and Norfolk would surely become a
large mart for the goods Of Europe and the
West Indies, needed in the West The pro-
cess might be slow, but it would be nevta-
be
demonstrates that Norfolk is the shortest or
nearest point on the Atlantic to the Queen of
the West, and they the very poiats that
ought to be connected. The four great har-
bors on the Atlantic are Newport, New York,
Norfolk and Pensacola Norfolk is equal to
either, and Charleston inferior There is not
a harbor from Norfolk to Charleston, it is
said, which could be reached by vessel
drawing much more than eight feet water.
The valley of the Ohio is $50 miles in length
and Cincinnati is near the centre. To con-
meet it with Norfolk by direct highway of
commerce is al obvious need of the country
transportation. and give new vigor and impe-
tbs to the travel between the South and West
Two-thirds Of the entire line are already
made. In time direct communication from
Lynchburg to Covington will be built
The next great step is the Covington and
Ohio railroad. This work has passed into
the hands of capitalists, VITO are to proceed
Immediately to the completion of the road,
road is to terminate at Point Pleasant at the
mouth of the Kanawha. The Marietta Rail-
road is thus to complete branch from Ham
den to the mouth of the Kanawha, only about
thirty-fve miles. And when the Covington
and Ohio railroad is made. a direct line from
Cincinnati is opened. This will be truly a
central railroad-cent trail to the West Of the
United States. The whole distance, without
the cut-offs, which will hereafter be made,
will not be far from $50 miles, OF 100 miles
longer than it need be, but much nearer than
from Cincinnati to any other point on the
Atlantic, and making large market for West
ern produce, which no other railroad now
reaches. The coal depots Of the Kanawha
form another point of interest-and it is fur
Their said, by this correspondent, that there
are parties in New York who are interested
in the mines, and others in the Covington
Road.
We have thus given the points Of most in
terest to "our common harbor," which are
more elaborated by this correspondent; and
Notwithstanding the past and present find
much to encourage onr tiopes for the future
A brighter day is doubtless in store for us,
which time and enterprise will duly develop,
when the realization of the conjectures of Mr.
Jefferson, based upon the indications of ma
ture, will be experienced, and Norfolk will
become not only the emporium tor all the
trade of the Chesapeake and of Albemarle
Sound" but, as the intelligent correspondent
of tbs Times remarks. "a large mart for the
goods of Europe and the West Indies, needed
in the West"
THAsKs-Mr Alexander Duvall, DR., Of