The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-05-17
THE BLUE RIDGE RAILROAD.
The Advantages OF the Route by Knox
vile and. Rabun Gap.

The Advantages OF the Route by Knox
vile and. Rabun Gap.
The following report made by special COM
mittee of the Board OF Directors ofthe Georgia
Railroad and unanimously adopted, shows the
superior advantages OF the Blue Ridge route to
connect Cincinnati and the West with the sea-
board:
The committee to whom was referred the
Consideration of the projected railroad from
Athens to the Rabun Gap, submit the follow
ing report: a., ,
Blue Ridge Railroad projected from Anderson,
South Carolina, to Knoxville. Tennessee, pass
ing through the Rabun Gap, have at the out
set of their Investigations claimed the atten-
tion of your committee. From recent report
of ]. q. Harrison, .Esq., President OF the road,
the following facts have been collected:
The entire length OF the proposed road,
known as the Blue Ridge Railroad, from An
derson to Knoxville. is 195 miles; the estimated
cost Of construction, T,575 600. OF which
amount there has been expended Us 1ol oOU
which has been absorbed in the construction
OF eighteen miles east from Knoxville to Marye-
vile, the completion OF the road from Ander-
son TO- Walhalla, q distance OF thlrty-three
miles, and the heavy grading, tunnellIng and
masonry between Walhalla and Clayton, dls-
tauce Of thirty. one miles. The expenditure OF
80 large an amount upon comparatively 80 snort
between Walhala and Clayton the passage. OF
the Blue Ridge 10 achieved and all enginee ring
difficulties overcome, though the summit Is
a tanned at the Gap, two and three-quarter
miles west OF Clayton. Some conception OF the
magnitude of the work upon tins section may
BE- formed from the statement that the esti-
mated cost OF the road in Georgia and South
Carolina, which is seventy miles, and thirty
per cent Of the distance to Knoxville, will, 1t
is estimated, cost So per cent. OF the whole
road.
UDon that portion ofthe line west OF Clayton
to Knoxville, in which We are more directly IN
terested, nothing as yet has been accomplish
ed-same as before stated1the completion OF
the eighteen miles from Knoxville TO Marye-
vile. leaving q distance Of 115 miles, upon
which nothing has been accomplished; thirty
seven miles Of this distance, however, TO the
North Carolina line, it ls believed, will be pro-
vided for by the State OF Tennessee, as she has,
within the past two years, Appropriated S1oo,-
0O0 to that purpose, leaving distance OF sew
enty-eieht miles In North Carolina and Geor-
gia to be provided for.
From Knoxville west, the Kentucky and Ten
nessCe Railroad is now In partial operation,
and will, it is believed, be completed q! an
early day to Dauvil in Kentucky, from which
point railroads are now Ia operation to Covlng-
ton. on the Ohio River, opposite to Cincinnati.
Iu the present deranged condition OF the
country, it is impossible to anticipate anything
with certainty, much less the completion OF
work of such magnitude as this, involving as
il does the expenlit ire Of millions OF dollars;
but the efforts now beirg made by the officers
of the road an the authorities OF the State ~
South Carolina, the vital importance ofits COM
A. ~ hat
the entire sacrifice or the millions already e1'
pended if the road is not completed, the lu-
sipniHcance of the debt OF the COMPANY (less
than s250,OOO but above all the important
fact that II Is the nearest and cheapest ira 1s-
mountain connection between the great cIties
OF the Northwest and the Atlantic seaboard
that has yet been projected. forbids the appre-
hension OF its failure. Your committee, then,
assuming that the worG will go forward, ana
that at no distant day it will bo completed, next
directed their inquiries to the project more oi-
rectly in view, VIZ: Tho proposed toau uou
Athens to the Rabun Gap, aud have to report,
considering the topography OF the country,
from the best lnformatlon to be obtained, that
It ls 10 the main remarkably favorable for the
construction OF road.
From within few miles OF hens an eeVa-
ted plateau or ridge dividing the waters OF tne
Ocouee q Broad. r vers stretches nortn'
upon which it is believed q road may be con-
structed without crossing stream. and at no
great cost for grazing, passing by OF near
of about thirty-seveu miles. At this point tho
spurs OF the mountains are encountered, ana
detour to the east from the almost direct llne
hitherto pursued becomes necessary, passlng
near the base ofa range Of hills known as Chat-
tahoochee or Currahee Ridge and q few miles
east OF the village Of Gainesville. The islln-
lah River is reached distance OF about forty
ml,es from Pop,ar Springs, where the first and
only stream involving any material cost lor
bridging and masonry is encountered Tor the
remainder Of the distance to Clayton about
twelve miles, the route would pass through
stretches Of valleys and along the slopes oi the
hills to the gap at the head of Shcoah Greek,
thence to Clayton, or TO the Ra6un Gap, as
NAV be found most desirable, distance from
Athens estimated 10 be about ninety miles.
The region of country which would be pene-
trated by the road is proverbial for it's salubri-
GUS climate and romantic scenery, and pos,
sesses unrivalled water power, ls well adapted
to the production Of the cereals, nbounds IN
mineral wealth and needs only accessibility to
invoke skill, industry and capital to awaken 1t
to new life and development.
The importance OF this connection as o
feeder to your road, your committee respec ectiul-
" suggest, can scarcely be over estimated; to
form some estimate Of the increase OF traffic
likely to be thrown over it, and the danger OF
losing a large portion OF that whic it now
possesses if it ls not built 1t is only necessary
to compare the distances between CINCINNATI
and Augusta via Knoxville, Rabun Gap and
Athens as compared with the route VIA Dalton
and Atlanta or Nashville and Chatanooga.
From Knoxville to Augusta via Athens, it is
about $50 miles; via Dalton aud Atlanta, it ID
about $50 miles "a difference OF near 60 miles
IN favor Of the former. -,
From Cincinnati to Augusta, via Knoxville
and Atlanta, Is $40 miles; via Nashville and
Chattanooga it is 8S6 miles; via Athens, it ls
Gas miles, making difference In favor OF the
route via Athens, as compared with the former
route ss before stated Of near 80 miles, and OF
By a calculation Of distances Of the routes
men ioned, it will appear that large portion
OF the State will be as much interested as your
road of the City of Augusta in the proposed
road. Especially is this true Of the interior as
you progress upon the line Of your road. or the
route to Rabun Gap, where the difference in
the distance for the transportation OF Western
products would be lessened by the proposed
connection hundreds Of miles.