The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1867-06-19

Of access from this Valley Railroad, also
Meyers Cave, distant eight miles, Natural
Bridge, 2 miles and Peaks Of Otter, Is
miles, respectfully from the line. Build
ing Stone, Hydraulic Cement, Lime, Tim
Der for Cross ties and other purposes, in
fact all the materials for the construction
Of Railroad, are to be found in this Val
Hey and convenient to the line. If the re.
quisite machinery was to be. erected at
once, the iron rails, chains and spikes
could be made here, and be ready by the
time the road bed was prepared for the
track.
As this can be made the shortest route
between Baltimore and New Orleans, the
through travel, mails, and large amount
Of freight will seek it.
In connection with the Coyington and
Ohio and the Lexington & Big Sandy
Railroads, when they shall have been com
pleted, this will be the shortest route from
Baltimore to Louisville, KY, by about 20
miles measured distance, if the proper al
lowance is made for the more numerous
and stronger grades and curves on the
more Northern lines, with the two cross
ings Of the Ohio River, the equated dis
lance would show more than 100 miles in
favor Of this route, indeed with this and
other connections now made, it viii give
the shortest route from Baltimore tolalmost
any point in the angle formed by drawing
two lines from Baltimore, one passing
through the capital Of Kentucky and the
other through The capital Of Georgia. A
line bissecting the angle above mentioned,
would pass nearly thro' New York, Phil
adelphia, Baltimore, the Valley Of Vir-
ginia and Vicksburg on the Mississippi,
for all the travel and freight on and near
this line the Valley Railroad would be
part, not only Of the shortest line to Bal
timorc, but through Baltimore to New
York MSS ss- le;,,l II, +
When this route is completed, the tray
ell between the North, East and South
West, must seek it !; few persons would 60
up the river in Steamboats, from New Or
leans, who by this route could be in New
York nearly as soon as in St. Louis by
boat. This route would offer such advan-
tages as to secure the passage Of the trade
Of the South West through Baltimore if
it did not stop there, the Northern lines
parallel to the Baltimore g. Ohio Railroad
would have to surrender their claims to this
territory to the Bait & Ohio and Valley
Railroad route. These advantages secured
Baltimore would be strengthened in her
competition for the trade of the West and
North West and must grow to such an ex-
tent, that it would soon come to pass, that
no one would think Of going through or
by Baltimore to find more important
place. as ae5s
The distance from Baltimore to New
Orleans, via Winchester, Salem and
Knoxville is 1927 miles, between the same
points via Columbus, Cincinnati and Lou
isville 1547 miles. The Southwestern
connections Of this line can be shortened
and probably will be, so as to bring Bal
timore within 1900 miles of New Orleans
The connection of the Valley Railroad
with the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad would
be by the Manassas Gap Railroad to Stras-
burg, road 18 miles in length and very
cheap construction, thence to Winchester,
then by the Winchester & Potomac Rail-
road to Harper's Ferry. It las been sug-
gested that line 20 miles shorter can be
found by the Valley of the Shenandoah
River from Harper's Ferry to Front Roy
al, then by the Luray Valley, striking the
valley Of the South River OF the Shenan-
doah at or near Port Republic and falling
into the line, heretofore described, at the \
head of this river. Without instrumental
examination of this route it is impossible
to come to any satisfactory conclusion, as
to the comparative merits Of the two
routes
The line run can be much improved
when located, with the information obtain
ed last summer, particularly if relieved
from the restrictions to Staunton and Lex
ington.
z A third Route has been suggested in
connection with the Metropolitan Branch
of the Baltimore h Ohio Railroad and
cut off connecting this Branch at Gath
ersburg, with the Washington Branch at
Laurel. This route would be, from Balti-
more to Laurel, then to Gaithersburg, then
down Seneca Creek to and across the Pc
tomac River, up Goose Creek to Manassas
Gap, through the Gap to near Front Roy
al, falling into the Luray Valley route
heretofore described This route would
be about so miles shorter than by the
line first described and 80 miles shorter
than by the Harper's Ferry and Luray
route.
There would of course be competition
for the through trade between the Valley
Railroad and the Orange & Alexandra
Railroad routes the latter has the advan-
tage in distance, being miles shorter even
when the cut off lines now in contempla-
ton by the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad
arc made. if, however, the Luray Valley
route is adopted, it would have the adyan-
tage of about 10 miles over the Orange 4
Alexandria Railroad route. @ !.
The Valley Railroad route will have
the advantage as a freight road, though Z
miles longer, for having no grade over
50 $40 per mile while on the Q. & Alex
andria route the grades are 66 and 6S
feet per mile (if not more); the engines
generally in use can haul one-fourth more
load over it than over the latter.
& / give as authority for this statement
Gen..Simpson's report on the Union Pa
:eifc Railroad. in which is shown that
80 ton Engine will take 204 loaded cars
up grade Of SO feet per mile and but
Is up a grade of sc feet per mile, for the
same reason passenger trains can be NOV
ed over the light grades more economical
ly, and the delay in crossing the Potomac