Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1868-04-29
From the Cincinnati Gazette
The Direct Railroad TO the South
Which ROute?

Dtft-a"ftete
Since the mastery exposition Of the whole sub
jet Of the Southern Railroad by Sam. IL. Goodin
has shown Ineligible and practicable method OF
building this great highway Of commerce, and thus
revived hope along the line that the work may be
speedily begun, we observe in the columns Of your
paper and others, very determined effort TO con-
vince Cincinnati that the Richmond and Mt Yer
non route is the line on which the road ought TO be
extended. This writing, of course, is all done by
the friends Of the Richmond route aud by citizens
of Lexington, which naturally enough desires
rivals south Of herself on the line Of this road We
do not blame Lexington for this feeling, but de-
sire the business of Cincinnati 10 know the mo-
tive that prompts this writing.
We take i for granted that if Cincinnati under
takes to build tins great 5TS9Rmeceto enlarge her
t5sfe 70 build up the city. Again, she viii build
on that line that viii penetrate the State of Ken
lucky and the more Southern States most advanta-
geously for the present, and especially, like wise
master builder, she Will locate her trunk line on
that route which win oller iho gaifial advAHtasee
- atr Re- BREACHES ne every eireeten, 50 ss
a. cover use whole section q country DOM 'neso
points being secured, she viii, OF course, nave IN
view the relative cost of various routes other
tbinps cousl she will prefer The cheapest route one
element Of eheapness the length Of the road TO be
buiIt These are sefevident principles. Now,
that the route by Danville combines all these add
vantage, We propose TO prove by the following ar
quments to which the attention Of thinking men Is
earnestly directed
/. On the route by Dsnyille there is much
shorter distance of road 10 be built than on tho
| Richmond route. Suppose, first that the only Cd
let is 10 connect with The Louisville and Knoxville
| Road so as 10 divide that trade The length Oh
road 10 be built from Lexington, via Richmond, TO
| Mount Vernon, is sixty-four miles; may be more,
| donendnr on the point of intersection can't be
! less Remember, every foot of this road IS yet 10
be built On the Danville route, the road is now IN
| running order TO Ncholasvilie. From Nicholas
vile by Danville 10 Knob Lick, the point OF juno
lion -four miles south Of Danville) with the knox
/ villa Road is twenty-six miles This is the whole
amount Of road TO be built on the Danyllle route 10
| cain the same connection which you would gain oy
1 building sixty-four miles Of road by Richmond TO
Mount Vernon. The route by DanYlle Is still
more favorable in respect TO this point Tor the gra
ding is all done from Ncholas7llle TO the kentucky
river. distance Of eight miles, besides consdera-
bic amount Of work done on this route (omlttlng
NE bridge for the present) is fully equal TO live
miles of flashed road, leaving really but twenty
one miles Of road 20 be built on the D&nvilie route
against sixty-tour miles on the hlchmona me
| Gan any rood reason be given why Cincinnati
sbopld build forty-three additional miles Of railroad
in order 70 make less advantageous connection
/ Mount Vernon than at DanvilleF
But IL may be granted that the Danviue rout
has much less road yet TO be built but that the &C
tual distance TO be run, after the complexion OF Va
road is much greater by Danville than by Kleh
mond. Not much The distance from Lexington
-, NicboIssyiIIe and Danvine, 90 Kneb Lick,
| tbirty-eicht miles, and from Knob Lick over IA
Knoxville road, TO Mount Vernon IS ABOUT 1Diity
two milos-makng seventy miles from LeAlnsIoL
bv Danville, 20 Mount Vernon. viii Cinclnna
T construct forty-three miles OF road " gal" "a
running distance
Rut Il NAV still be said that the great suspensio
bridge on tho Danvlle route, will, alter all, mas
1 n as EXPENSIVE as Che Richmond line. BY no mean
C First suppoee there was no bridge over Inc hei
. t,cl-y river 10 be built on the Richmond route
Sixty-four miles Of road, from Lexington To Moui
f Vernon at S3S 600 per mile, low estimate, WI
c cost s2.il2O0O. Twenty-one miles OF road 10
j l,lt on the Danvine route viii COST AZ the sal
o rrioe s693. 000 Add 10 this Dir. koebhngs es'
mate for finishing the suspension bridge S'oOIUV
. N mis- Is too low, take the o. NJ r. X. engineer
a -,i,,otc If St0OO 600 and you have Sl,u95,UOo
l. - Of the Danville route--more than a million
- favor Of the latter route. (Of course TN nor Ao
e 4, ts writer that $4,000 per mile VIII olu yin
s. - b,,t tbe figures are used only for the sake
e Uluatration 10 show The relative cost oil Inc y
rrytes end every ono knows that The mountalhO
N route bv Richmond will not cost less IMAM INC ~
to parativelv level route by Danvilel Bul thele !,
e bridge to be built on tho Richmond llne ana a.
be work is 81 TO 40 that route ana rs the ueee
* will be very long and as there is nothing 10 90
"a the lanvi}e bridge but 10 put on the wires ana
Ks r,erstructure the cost Of the bridges VIII MOI Do
d widely different after all. And when me DanVl
of br8ge is once built il gives you hne level his
Il -, over the gorge Of the Kentucky river inste
d. ,s;be steep grades on The Richmond road.
ne But Il may sim be said that here IS the very
nd ey,ltv-vo are afraid Of The suspension bridge
20 y1I 6reak down, &c On this matter Ike all
al sfars OF life we are obliged 10 trust 70 the jus
ess meut Of scientific men, who have made Pareeu
ed .ubiects their study. III tho strongly expires
nd onnions of The feasibility Of tals suspension bFlG
as, -iysn bv Mr. Roebling the greatest bridge pull
Inc n Amefica, and by Mr. Gum snd many other
epeireors that agree with him DO not satisly
a. puliic. the opinion ui no other living man VIII
I'VE 10 much Cor the cost vt getting a connection
Gus The Knoxville road by Dsnville snd Richmond
Use tpe.tivelv But cheaPness is only one element
a. be considered in building a railroad
OK q The route by Danvile affords much De
i've prospeet for trade than u,e Richmond reule \
Of rppatis only object 10 hailding this road Is TO
bells trade OF two routes equal even in cost ard
tsuca she viii choose the one that VIII most enls
TAI her trade FrsL suppose the only object OF MAJ
be- tbfs connection is 10 tap Mr.. Gutbries trade
led. fbo Louisville and Knoxville road. Wher So
bells orr trade and travel have reached the Nj. Yer
.an- fstion on the Louisville road, The distance 20
gish tngton ia common point on both routes, is BY
cry Of Richmond say sixty-four niles by way Of l
the Vile say seventy miles, difference OF SIX N
lent With better grade on the Danviile route 81
iose Kentucky river As % through trade one route
a.b practically no advantage IN distance % be traY,
H. but We shall see under The neat head, thot ne
- vile route offers pauch better prospeel Tor me
,er ing and charging the volume OF tnE9usE y
in than the Richmond line. But We can hAstiy
nose shat Cincinnati merchants, with their high
next iness character, are entirely indifferent 70 ne