The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1869-09-11
Baltimore and the Eastern Shore.


The following account of 4 reconnaissance
of the Eastern Shore with the view of es-
tablishing more desirable connection be-
tween this rapidly improving portion of tie
State of Maryland and it's metropolis, is
given by the Kent Neus. 1t might he
styled a scheme to connect Baltimore and
the Eastern Shore by railroad, if it were
not that 20 miles of the proposed new route
is over the water. We give below what the
Neus says on the subject:
We understand that NJ. J. B. Wingatc,
at the instance of a committee of the city
council of Baltimore, has been examining
the routes over which additional railroads
would have to be built to connect the Queen
Anne's with the Maryland and Delaware
road, and the latter with the roads below
on the peninsula, in order to afford more di-
rect communication with Baltimore by way
of the proposed railroad from Massey's to
Elkton; and that after examining these
several routes, he has recommended another
and shorter way of reaching Baltimore, and
one which, in his judgement, would secure
to that city larger share of the Eastern
Shore trade than any othor that could be
bury, and thence by way of Sharptown and
fredericksburg to Denton, thence to Green's
boro', Beaver Dams, Church Hill and
Chestertown, to Rock Hall.
This route has the advantage of COM
mencing at Salisbury with 80 miles of rail
road now built and in operation, viZ:-32
miles of the Eastern Shore and % of the
Wicomico and Pocomoke road, both of
which are having additions made to them.
1t crosses the Dorchester and Delaware
Road at Fedralsburg, and the Maryland
and Delaware Road at Greensboro; also
crosses the Kent and Queen Anne's Road
near the Hcwett farm. The distance by
this route is G6J miles to Chestertown. there
connecting with the Kent County Railroad,
123 milestO Rock Hall, making a distance of
70 miles by rail, and 20 miles by steamer to
Baltimore. or a total distance of 90 miles
against 173 miles by way of the Delaware
Railroad to Wilmington and Philadelphia.
Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad to Bal
timore-thWs sh0,cinq u mciMg Of II miles
from Salisbury to Baltimore. The route
passes for the most part through a fertile
section of country, which is at present des-
titute of railroad or water communication,
except where it crosses rivers or railroads
at right angles.
The route is said to be very favorable in
all respects for building road, the most
costly part being between Church Hill and
Chestertown, and that is not extravagant
Mr.. Wingate has made an approximate es-
innate of the cost of the G64 miles of road.
and makes it S950,0O0, or about $4,000
per mile. This covers everything complete.
ready for the rolling stock, including depot
buildings, &c. An accurate estimate de-
ponds upon a survey, which ought to be
authoritatively made.
There are three grave objections to this
new route, which we doubt not will forcia-
bly, strike the reader, and which are insu-
perable objects to it's success. No route
which meditates both rail and water car
riage will ever rise to the dignity of a sue
cessful freighting line. The immense labor
and expense, to say nothing of loss of time
in shifting the freight from cars to boat and
boat to cars, must forever defeat such a
project. This point needs no elaboration
to make it apparent. 1t must strike every
reader at once. In the second place winter
effectually blocks all water routes on the
Chesapeake for several weeks at least in
the year. And this third objection is that