The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1868-12-02
Rlne RIDGE Railroad.

Blue Ridge Railroad.
"JuhJ," correspondent of the Charles
ton Courier, writes as follows from Wal
halla:
Tho iron pathway which, years ago
started out from Charleston. and which at
this time encountered so many predictions
of failure, has forced it's onward and up
ward progress over swamps ana rivers,
billsidcs and valleys, until its locomotives
have reached in this direction the loot oil
the mountains, which they seem lmpa.,-
tieht TO penetrate, in quest of the wealth
that lies beyond. Only six miles beyond
this town, the road already graded and
tunneled ready for the track-layers and
the trains, is the far famed Tunnel Hill or
Stump House Mountain, which forms the
great obstruction TO be overcome, by a
tunnel five thousand eight hundred and
sixty.threo feet in length. To visit and
examine this work and return, can be
easily and pleasantly accomplished in a
mornings ride from Walhalla. The tunnel
is three-fourths completed tho work hav-
ing been carried on simultaneously from
the Eastern and Western openings, and
also at four immediate points by shafts.
descending from the mountain summit
and sides, at depths varying from one
hundred and eighty to Two hundred and
eighty-scven feet. The work has been
by blasting. and cutting the solid rock,
and the broken rock removed from it has
been used for outside embankments, which
gives the approaches to. the tunnel road
bed OF the most solid and durable charac
ter The tunnel is very much in the
same condition in which it was left eight
years ago; and to the locker on it appears
so substantial and imperishable, that like
the Pyramids of Egypt, it might remain eII:,
unchanged for eight hundred more; with
in Il quarter OF Il mile Of the Eastern
opening is a powder mill, which formerly
furnished all the blasting powder required,
and near this are the lsscquena Falls,
leaping in solid and beautiful volume. SO
that person can stand unsprnkled be-
meath the cascade. A legend of an Indian
maiden hiding beneath these tails and
thus euding her pursuers, has given the
name (hcr own.) to this romantic spot.
The view from the top of Tunnel Hill is
fine and extensive one, including the
town of Walhalla and various rural settle
mcnts.
This grand iron highway will be one
hundred and ninety.fvc miles in length.
from Anderson to Knoxville. OF this
distance, trains arc running over thirty
two miles from Anderson to Waihalla.
and over eighteen miles from Knoxville to
MaryviIle, coming this way. The sections
to be completed arc thirty one miles from
Wallalla to Clayton, Georgia; thence
TWENTY-FIVE miles to Franklin, North
Carolina; thence twenty eight miles to
Natihala, North Carolina; thence thirty
eight miles to the Tennessee line, and
thence thirty.scven To Maryvile. 1t
passes though Il country every mile Of
which will contribute to the passenger
and freight business Of the road, and when
completed will tap the great valley OF the
Mississippi, and bring Cincinnati iEto
direct communication with "the City by
the Sea-" There will then be- no longer
question rs TO the success OF your direct
steamship line with Earope. Compared
with this, the projected air lines passing
transivcly through middle and upper
Carolina sink into insgnticance The
Blue Ridge Road must be built, and how,
ever long delayed it will be built. Long
recognized as sLbe most magnificent and
important public work projected in our
country it cannot be abandoned. The
greatest difficulties have already been
overcome, and with an earnest effort the
mighty enterprise will become an ac-
complishcd fact, monument to its pro-
jectors, and u proud triumph of railway
engineering.