The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-09-02
THE sP4RTANBURG AND ASHTTLLE
RAILROAD.
ITS IMPORTANCE TO CHARLESTON AND SOUTH
CAROLINA.

ITS IMPORTANCE TO CHARLESTON AND SOUTH
CAROLINA.
An Able Speech by General Cannon.
At the annual meeting OF the stockholders OF
the spartanbure and Union Railroad, the Hon.
Gabriel Cannon was invited to deliver an
address ON the subject of the Ashvile con-
nection. General Cannon accordingly de-
scribed. with his usual olearness and force,
the important advantages that the State and
this CITY must derive from the building Of a
railroad from Spartanburg to Ashville, by
which we should reach TO the very head of the
trade of the West. He said:
GenQemen of the Conuentton-Another year
has rolled around. and brought you again to
hear the report OF the officers as to the opera
tlons and prospects Of the road. The report Of
| the president, under all circuns ances j, quite
| satisfactory. Notwithstanding the heavy re-
pairs that ha 70 been madc during the year,
the report shows an income over all expenses
of near 500 600; and no doubt with good crop
and fair business next year, it will far exceed
that sum. But there is a subject which pres
sas heavily upon the friends OF this road. l
| mean tho extension of tho same to Ashville,
NC. know that the whole country has been
impoverished, and we are poor, and probably
some OF you may say, 100 poor 70 taik Oh Duiiu-
| ing railroads; but the great Importance, yea,
| 7 may say necessity, for exterdlng this enter
nr1se. makes il necessary that We bestlr our
selves. 1--we cannot do much. let each do
what he Is abba, and have confidence that we
| shall succeed
We made application to the Legislature, at
its last session for aid, and, af.er mature con.
| l. knokh hn1 n
by more than two-thIrds vote, and it remains
! in tbe Senate as part of the unfinished busi
ness. and it is hoped that that body will pass
it through at sn early day. am also much
gratified to think that the people OF Charles
ton and the South Carolina Railroad Company
have at last begun to appreciate the lmpor-
| tapce of this connection. They see that
large portion of the most valuable trade that
| Oharleston formerly had has been transferred
| tn other ma1kets. twenty-five or thirty years
ago all Western North Carolina and large
portion of East Tennessee came regularly to
| Charleston for their goods. Now, ask any
| Charles. on merchant when he has sold bill OF
goods to merchant from either of these Sec
fIons? They are gone. We must give them
facilities and Charleston must hold out the
Inducements, and they will return. 1t Is their
natural market. Tbs trade will bnila Up yonr
road, running directly through the centre OF
the S.nte by The capital. themes on the south
| Carolina Railroad 10 CnarieSton.
This roule has the advantage over any
other. both as to distance. grades and crrva-
ture. Starting from Cincinnati, tho distance
Is zoo miles to Cumberland Gap, from Cnm-
balaud Gap to Paint Rock, North Caro.ini
| line) 95 miles, from Paint Rock to Spartan
burg lit miles, Spartanburg to Columbia 93
miles, Columbia to Charleston l3O miles. Total
distance from Cincinnati to Charleston 68o
miles. and from Louisville TO Charleston by
| the French Broad, it 10 only 629 miles. Charles
ton has tho advantage in distance ofG7 miles
| over Norfolk 12S miles over Baltimore, via
Wheeling. 119 miles over Beaufort, North
| Carolina, md 33 miles over Wilmington, North
| Carolina. You will then see that Charl -ston
| has 30 decided ali advantage over al the mar
kets ca st of tho route, that she will draw the
| trade on oil opposing lines, and make them
feeders in stead of drawing business away.
Let us now see how it stands on the west
side Taking Louisville, Kentucky, as the OBJ
| jcctive point, Charleston has the advantage IN
| distance over Savannah, via. CHATTANOOGA OIL
Ridge OF "a miIes. Tho French Broad IS oO
miles shorter than the Blue Ridge via Knox.
vile and rhe Greenv.l.e Railroad. You will pei
cove that this route has no compe itor, and
cannot have. 10 point NJ distance. Let us now
see tie ADVANTAGES in cost OF construction.
grade and curvature. Coming south from rant
| Rock via Ashville, there Is no grade over forty
| feet per mile, and goibg fom this place to
Paint Rock, two aud O. half miles around Tryon
| Mountain have grade Of slxty-thIec feet per
mile. No other grade over forty feet. Tie
curvature is said by the engineers to be very
| light indeed The cosi OF the road as estimat-
| ed by Major Mcneil in 1886, and again by Major
McCalJa IN 1860. will be less than $4,000 0O0
and when flushed to Ashylle, N. c.. the
| whole road to Louisville and Cincinnati will be
secured beyond doubt.
The Legislature of North Carolina has re-
moved all restriction rs TO gauge; o,r5 may,
therefore, pass through with unbroken bulk.
| Tho western ex ension OF the Nortu Carolina
| Central Road is now let TO contract, between
Ashville and Paint Rock, and operations COM
men ,ed from Paint Rock to horrlstown, .on
| tha East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad; dis
tance OF A miles, tho road is complete and
in running order, this is in the heart OF East
| Tennessee, one OF the finest provision coun-
tries IN the United States.) From MQrristown
manning link OF the Cincinnati, Cumberland
| Gap and Charleston Railroad they have State
and of $40 900 per milc and S100 600 for each
bridge, in addition to county and private stock.
The road, direct from Louisville to Cumber-
land Gap, is oil provided for.
| The above statements have been collected
from the reports and surveys OF the various
enoinecrs who have been on the line from 1886
to 1860, and there is no doubt OF their correct
| ness. Now. take the map OF the United States,
stretch thread from Charleston to Cumber-
Irnd GAP, at y mark the various points, and no
doubt will remain as to tho directness OF the
| line. Then compare costs, grades, &c; add to
this the fact that the road runs through the
centre of the ate, and cannot be tapped at
any psAt so rs TO divert business from tho
| road and 1t is really surprising that any sane
nan can tail to appreciate the great adeanta
gcs offered in building this extension. 1t IL OF
vital importance to Charleston and the South
Carolina Railroad, as well as to Columbia. Ii
VIC fail, VIC lose the advantages We now have.
| Other roads are beng constructed which ill
take off large portion OF the business We now
| have.
such thing as standing still-the whole world
is in motion. You either will move forward
| or backward: The State is reconstructed; we
must reconstruct all business, develope the re-
sources of our country by proper application
of muscle and brains, and VIC shall hear no
more of hard times. This link will certainly
be built some day-the wants OF the country
demand it; but let us not wait until other
channels have boon opened which will divert
| much of tho business that We now have to
other markets; it is much ca sier to retain
business than to bring 1t back. L must close
as timo will not permit further explanation
now but al some future day will endCavor to
add few remarks OH some points OF interest
connected with the enterprise.
|
THE INTERNAT BOAT RACE.
/ m ND INfs