The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1868-01-16

The Columbus and Hooking
Valley RaNrOad01

~f- N''N ~NNN NNs W. J NNAo CAHNN:
and he (Latrobc) states "that the
northeast sido of the Valley was
much the cheapest, the most solid
foundation for the Road, and last
and most important, its protection
from high water. (See rcport.)"
Now, the writer would have done
much better to have seen the re-
port ofyMF Latrobo ] hiIhsclG be.
tore making tho above statement,
as Mr.. Latrobe makes no such
statement as quoted,
The facts arc, Mr.. Latrobe passed
over too route from Lancaster to
Athens, in company with Charles
Boriand, Esq Of Lancaster in
March 1854, and during the fol.
lowing summer caused u survey to
be made under the direction Of
Samuel Linton, Esq, and with the
data OF that survey made his report
September 13th, 1854" = =
Now, as to the COZ rectncss OF that
survey. Mr.. Latrobe says, in ref.
erenceto tbo line saboye Logan,
that to avoid Objectionable curva,
ture and contact with the canal,
theinvermay'Kavet to be crossed
four (4) times between two points
named offour and half (44) miles
and in the next four and Il half
(4l) miles a preferable line may
be found by crossing tho river
twice; making six (6) crossings
in nine (9) miles; uhd ainrefcfcnos
70 the line from Logan to, Nelson
vile and ,Chaunccy, Mr., Latrobe
says, nunerating the small
streams to DO bridged, and the fire.
qucnt and immediate contact with
theeanal and the side excavations
along its innor margin; oitremains
to be aSccrtained whether a. line
outside of the canal and on ono or
the other, or occasionally on eth
or side of the river, would not be
preferable. SO much for the
"statcments " of what Mr.. Latrobe
said Any ono desiring can see the
report of Mr.. IIatrobc by calling
on the undersigned. ,.
Al J4{ us
Second Stdtemcat'. He says the
residents OF the'valley corroborate
his assertions ;that tho Hooking
River is an extremely difficult
stream to bridge. No such slate
nent exists in his report, and the
suggestions made in the report for
improving tho line by c.ossing the
river six times in nino miles, above
Logan and an indefinite number
Of times between Logan and Chaun
cey, woald not Indicate that he
considered ID difficult, or dangerous
and any person knowing tho fact
that tho river fans but four and
one-haIf feet to the mile from Lan.
caster 70 Athens would not consid.,
er itditfedt of dangerous! Oh
Third Statement. He says that
the State Canals located on the
north least side of tho river, and
that there is sufficient room be-
tween the canal and the foot of the
hill tor the railroad track and III
can DO placed near the level OF the
ground without bridging OF
Irestlingand when eroadis ones
laid il Will bca' permanent one for
! a hundred years TO come; no danger
Of the hills slipping or sliding
down. '-t '"fI .7'', ~ '..'lt. y
|. Now, in this statement the writer
was greatly in error, The travel.
er in riding along the countyroad
(which is almost the exact route
a railroad would have 10 adopt, and
at the samo time provide for said
county road, which could only be
done at heavy cost between Logan
and Nclsonvile-fis compelled tC
pass over several Z slips and
slides and any person acquainted
with south eastern Ohio, knows o
thoexisteneo Of layersofs"ap stone
from Wheeling to Cincinnati. and
wherever that oxists in hills it viii
slip and slide sWOiY 7lliys9Fl
/ See, for example, the Marietta
and CINCINNATI j. Railroad from
Chillicothe to Parkcrsburgh, apC
the Central Ohio from Gainesville
TO Wheeling.
The strata of soap stone referred
to exists in Hooking valley fron
Athens to near Logan and any
enginccr or practical man acquain
ted withftho material that creates
these slips and slides, would avoid
if possible, the location of a roaC
on such material.
There is not room between Tic
canal and tho foot Of the hills fol
a railroad ; and one could not b.
placed near the Icvc! of the ground
| without excavations in rock and
earth, together with bridging apG
trestling, and as for tho pcrman.
cncy of tho road with the above
facts before them tho public mus
Judge. The costof Building a'road
on the north side of the canal, from
Logan to Chauncey, would be largo
ly in excess of the route as now
located. qsjse,ua.g .T88ITr N
Now, tho writer OF the article
referred to in your paper, has stated
with truth that largo amount ol
coal exists, on the north side, D1l
at the same time he has conveyed
the idea (whether intentional or
not) that the road is located en-.
tiroly on tho south side OF the riv'
er.' sltH E'-'ae uss.a..
The facts arc that, tho, location