The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-02-10
PAST HISTORY AND PRESENT CONDITION.
WHAT'S IN NAME-THE Observation-Disclosures
coMn11rrEEs-TEN YEARS T1ME-coMMENcE-
NrENT AND CLOSE OF THE wAR-oNE
YEAR Aao--coNCLUsIoN.
R,o &r &o

YEAR AGo--coNCLUsIoN.
&C., &C., &c.
On Friday there was published history o
the South Carolina Railroad from its projec
ton to the opening of the Camden branch
and the completion of the union of the roads
from Charleston to Hamburg, and from
Branchville to Columbia. 1t is we'll, before
proceeding further, to state briefly how the
South Carolina Railroad obtained it's present
corporate name.
WHAT'S IN NAME?
In 1897 the State Legislature passed an act
| incorporating the "South Carolina Canal and
Railroad Company" with power to construct q
railroad or canal, or railroad and canal,
from the City Of Charleston, on the most prac-
ticable routes, to each OF the towns of Colum-
biz, Camden and Hamburg. This act was
modified by the act of 1928, which directed the
construction of railroad to Hamburg, with
s'branches thereof to Columbia" In 1888, an
act was passed enacting that all lands unap-
propriated within one mile Of the centre OF the
main track of The road of the South Carolina
Canal and Railroad Company and its branches,
be vested in the said company.
In 1884, q survey of the route from Branch
vile to Columbia was made by = committee of
citizens Of Columbia, and survey was also
made by the Canal and Railroad Company.
In 1885, the Louisville, Cincinnati and
Charleston Railroad Company was chartered
for the purpose Of establishing communica-
ton by railroad between The cities Of Cincin-
natl and Charleston; and this company acquir-
ed from the South Carolina Canal and Railroad
Company the right to construct line connect
ing Branchvllle AID Columbia
The project for connecting Columbia with
the Ohio River was abandoned, because con-
tinuous charter through all the intermediate
States could not be obtained; and, in 1887, the
expediency of the purchase of the road from
Charleston to Hamburg by the Louisville, Gin
cnnati and Charleston Railroad, was discuss
ed In October, 1887, the directors of the
Louisville, Cincinnati and Charleston Railroad
we're formally authorized to negothto for the
purchase of the franchises and property of the
South Carolina Canal and Railroad Company,
and in 1888 the purchase was effected. The
South Carolina Railroad and Canal Company
was merged in the Louisville, Cincinnati and
Charleston Railroad Company, and in 1S43 the
name Of this latter company was changed by
act OF the Legislature to the South Carolina
Railroad Company, the name which it has ever
since borne.
1845 TO 1847.
When the first annual report of the ''South |
Carolina Railroad" was made in 1845, the COM
rany had in its possession twenty-five loco
There we're eighteen passenger and baggage
cars, and two hundred and eighty-three freight
cars, one hundred and forty-seven OF which |
latter we're the old 'canvas sides," OF lnconsld-
cradle capacity. The locomotives could not carry
A train with more than FIVE hundred bales OF
cotton;-three years later the now engines OF
the company could carry fifteen hundred bales.
Already the hill at Aiken was beginning to
trouble the company. The grade was TOO
heavy for the locomotives then in use, and the
trains we're hauled up and let down by rope
worked by stationary engine. 1t was found
that the heaviest load that could be taken over
at any one time was train OF cars With Izo
bales Of cotton, and it was estimated that IL
took nearly three hours to pass train OF the
usual size over the inclined plane.
AT a meeting held in 1916 ii was resolved to
recommend the projected road from Columbia
to Charlotte to the favorable consideration OF
the city and State,-on account OF lts lmpor-
tance to the South Carolina Railroad, to the re-
eion through which it passed, and to tho City
of Charleston. This was the beginning OF the
Charlotte and South Carolina Road, which Is
now desired to be used as means OF lnJurlng
tb;s cty. az we'll as the road for whose advan-
tage it was built.
A nroposition was also made to remove the
terminal depot of the South Carolira railroad
at Charleston to the Cooper River. Thia gave
rise to long discussion, which ended IN the
rejection of the plan suggested. Tao prlnclpal
persons in favor of The removal were James
Gadsden. President; J. NJ. DeSaussurc, j. =.
Calhoun, and R. ". Gibbes, OF Columbia; ana
the principal opponents were Mayor schmerie'
Colonel s,emminger and Charles Edmonston.
In 1S47, nearly all the original material OF the
company had disappeared. Every one OF the
old engines were stricken from the rolls, with
the exception of tho "Edisto, which was con-
demned and ordered to be broken up The
.Best Friend" the 'Pho,nix,' the "Rarnweu,
the "West Point" had done their work. and
had passed away to make room for their more
nonaerous andpowerful descendants.
THE SITUATION IN 1S4s
Revolutions in Europe had no effect upon
the peaceful progress Of the South Carolina
Road: and, while kings were slipping across
the frontier in disguise, and princes we're wish
ing they had never seen ooronet, the main
railroad of tho South named enc OF its loco
motives .Buena Vista, i'll honor Of the Mexl-
can war, and quietly kept The even tenor OF its
way. This engine OF honor soon exploded as
did the remembrance of the war itself in later
days.
y1eILANT COMMITTEE.
Tn 1s4s a Committee Of Inspection made
report. and it was anything but fiatterine
one. The depots we're too small, and goods
had to ba refused for want of accommodation
All the workshops were dilapidated, infam
msble wooden structures, without light, anl
With no protection from the weather. Car;
vera loaded at the ends instead OF at tho sides
II. .s,l, In