The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-08-28
Hue Ridge Acknowledgement
I.- e. Message.

Hue Ridge Acknowledgement
..- F. Message.
Gentlemen Of The Senate and House of
Representatives:
In my inaugural message, I ex-
pressed the intention of submitting
to your honorable body q plan for the
early completion of the Blue Ridge
Railroad. In accordance Herewith,
Inow invite your earnest considera-
ton of the subject, and invoke such
action by. you as shall speedily
achieve this great result.
For more than forty years, the i'm
portance of uniting the West with
the South Atlantic coast has been
urged by the leading intellects of the
country; and many of the railroads
constructed during that period, on
both sides of the mountains, have
been built with view to their direct
or tributary connection with this
great national highway. Roads from
Branchville to Columbia, from Co.
lumbia to Greenville, Abbeville and
Anderson, from Columbia to Spar
tanburg. from Columbia to Char
lotte, and from Charlotte to States
vile, Morganton and Asheville, and
the several roads extending from
q Cincinnati and Louisville towards
Knoxville, and from Knoxville to-
wards the Blue Ridge, are all but the
off-shoets of this great enterprise.
Even as early as 1886, when dele
gates from nine States assembled in
railroad convention at Knoxville,
it was declared to be the most magni-
ficent and important public work
projected in our country.
After mature deliberation, and a
critical survey by the most distin-
guished engineers, it was decided to
locate the route between Anderson,
s. C.s and Knoxville, Tenn. the dis
tance being only 1875 miles. The
total cost of the undertaking, it was
estimated by Colonel Gwin, the
Chief Engineer in 1860, would not
exceed $685. .677. The work was
commenced under the most favora-
BILE auspices, and energetically
pressed forward until 1860, when
operations were suspended by the
war. At this time, thirty-four miles
!, Of the road had been completed and
were in running order. Much of the
grading and masonry in the remain
ing territory of South Carolina,
Georgia and North Carolina was also
finished, 80 that the work may now
be said to be more than half com
pleted. In this connection, it is
proper to state that the grading in
South Carolina alone is nearly equal
to the whole grading in North Caro-
lima and Tennessee; the bridge and
arch masonry in South Carolina is
nearly equal to all the bridge and
arch masonry of the remainder of
the road; while the tunnels in South
Carolina exceed nearly all the tnn-
nellng on the rest of the line.
The sum expended upon this
gigantic work is So, ,297, 258-about
half the estimated cost of the whole
road, and there has been incurred q
debt Of only $3.50, 900, besides inte-
rest, which is secured by an issue of
first mortgage bonds. The State has
subscribed and paid in State bonds
$1,31O,0O0. The city of Charleston
has subscribed and paid in city scrip
81, O49, 600; SO that the State and
city are interested in the fortunes of
the road to the amount of about
$1,000, 900. This estimate includes
unpaid interest which has accrued
upon the bonds. The railroad com.
pany likewise own 10000 acres of
land, and have the promise, f,om
citizens living along the route, of
3OO, QUO acres more as soon as the
work is resumed. This land will, on
its completion, become very valua-
BILE. LIS it wise financial policy for
the State, by withholding the further
aid required, to hazard q sale of the
assets OF the road by the trustees
nnder the first mortgage bonds, and
permit some rival enterprise to en-