The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-05-31

|
terests OF such city. This resolution mus
| then be submitted to the voters at special
election, to be held after twenty days notict
| shall have been given. II ratified by majori
| ty of the voters the Superior Court shall ap
| point five commissioners, to whom the bonds
| Of the city are to be issued, and who are to bt
charged with the duty Of constructing the rail
road.
Upon my arrival at Cincinnati, found thai
the Joint Committee Of the Common Council
and Board Of Trade, to whom the matter ha6
been referred tor the purpose OF taking evil
dence as to the best route to be adopted, hao
already held several sessions, and that the
claims Of the Chattanooga route had beer
pressed with great energy and zeal, BY dele:
gates from that place and by others interested
| in the adophon Of that route. 10 consequence
| of these ex parte statements, found that 9
very general prs ference for that line was enter.
tanned.
o. Saturday, the 18th instant, the Joini
| Committee held session for the p1r'
pose ot hearing the statements OF ths
rom this State. The advantages OF the
Knoxville route were very clearly stated
| by the President and Chief Engineer Of the
| Blue Ridge Railroad. by Directors and Chiel
Engineers OF the East Tennessee Roads, By
Governor Scott. Of this State, and by other
delegates from East Tennessee. I also had the
my remarks t. an exposition OF very few ol
| the many commercial advantages to be derived
| BY CINCINNATI from o short and direct connec.
| ton With this port.
Colonel Mansfield, a venerable and esteemed
citizen OF Ohio, and delegate to the first con-
| veption, hold in 1885, to consider this same
ques.icn, addressed the committee. IN some
this route, which had been adopted thirty
| three wears ago and which, until very recently,
was deemed without rival
This meeting was attended by very large
number Of the leading merchants OF Cincin.
natl, who evinoed great interest in the sub
ject, and feel fully warranted IN saying, that
the facts and arguments adduced produced q
marked effect upon those present. This i'm
precision was strengthened and axse.dsaby
further statements nndNexplanation6 made De-
fore q subsequent session OF the committee.
also by articles published IN the Cincinnati
journals, and BY private interviews with many
OF the leading men OF the place who visited our
rooms, where with the aid OF military, topo-
graphical, and other authentic maps, the fao!s
and ordinations given could be more clearly
exhibited and confirmed.
Oar CITY and State has and can have no in
terest in the Chattanooga route, as the In.
creased distance would be such as to prevent
ourselves. With the knowledge OF this fact
before me, I stated to the committee that it
was, INV Arm conviction that II the Knoxville
route we're not adopted, the people OF this
State would abandon the completion OF the
Blue Ridge Road. preferring to sacrifice the
vast sums already expended to making fur
ther sacrifices in our vain effort to form con.
nection with them, which We had persevered
in for over thirty years. AS yet no practical
advances had been made by Cincinnati to meet
ms at the Tennessee line, as originally agreed
upon.
I was perfectly sincere in making this state
ment, but fuller Investigation OF the whole
matter in all its bearings has induced me TO
change my opinion, for reasons that shall
presently set forth. and which convince me
that Cincinnati has infinitely more at stake IN
the selection Of Knoxville as the Southern ter
minus OF her PROPOSED railway than we nave.
WhiIst I still avow decided preference I, r
that route, I shall endeavor to show thai 1t is
matter of vital Importance not only TO our CITY
but to our State, to complete the Blue Ridge
Road as speedily as possible, regardless OF the
route or terminus that may be determined
upon BY Cincinnati.
I shail not enter into lengthy discussion OF
the comparative advantages offered to Cinoin-
natl by the two ro1tes proposed, but they may
be briefly stated as follows:
The distance from Cincinnati to Knoxville
yia Paris, London, Elk Gap, and other minor
| points is 274 miles, Of which Ill are complete ed
and in actual operation, and Is more are graded
| and ready for the iron, leaving only l4S miles
| OF road to bs built. The roads already bullt
| can be purchased at q moderate price, certain
| ly not exceeding what it would cost to con-
struct them, and Cincinnati would thus own
| and control the entire line to Knoxville. The
roads from this city to Knoxville, though
owned By three distinct corporations, would
be virtually controlled by one and the same
interest, and the entire line from Charleston
| to Cincinnati would Of necessity be operated
with that harmony which is 80 necessary to
promote the interests of all concerned.
The distance from Cincinnati 10 Chatta-
nooga by the proposed route via Chitwood 10
85S miles, of which 112 miles are completed,
and 10 miles more have been graded, leaving
2s6 miles of road yet to be built. or the 112
miles already completed, considerable por-
tion, leading directly south from Cincinnati, is
common to both routes.
The advantages OF the Knoxville route in the
shortness OF the line to be built are too mani
! fest to require further comment. The greater
advantages OF the connections to be made at
| the respective termini are at least equally so.
The distance from Cincinnati to Chat anoo-
20 yia Knoxville by the proposed route to9
Knoxville, and by the East Tennessee and
| Georgia Railroad, now in actual operation,
| thence to Chattanooga, Is 306 miles or only ~
miles more than by the CbltIood route. Al
| Chattanooga the proposed line to that place
would have two connexions, 10 WIZ tuo VILE
Valley Railroad now in process OF construction
and the Western and Atlantic Railroad now IL
operation to Atlanta, Georgia, via Dalton.
Dalton is situated 38 miles to the southeast ..
Chattanooga, and is the terminus OF the East
Tennessee aud Georgia Railroad dlstaot llC
miles from Knoxville by that railroad the con.
pection besween Knoxville and Chattanooga
being made by branch road diverging west
| warily from the main line at Gle leland. Dai
ton Being common po.nt to both routes, If
| therefore tho true point to be considered II
estimating the advantages to be derived IRON
connection with the Western and Atlantic kalt
road to Atlanta, the great railroad centre OF the
State Of Georgia. Dal:on, it will be seen pJ
iding together the distances already stated.
is S96 miles from Cincinnati y tho proposed
line to Chattanooga. and only 3S4 miles by THE
proposed Knoxville route. Tho one so ltary
advantage gained by Cincinnati in building
the line to Chattanooga is the gam of % miles
| in making o connection With tho Wills Val
ley Road.
From what has been said, persons not full,
| informed upon tho subject would, upon bong
| told that the Chattanooga route is being se
rlously considered at once conclude that tht
connection with the Wills Valley Road ls ONT
Of vital importance. A brief statement OF tacti
] will at pnce dispel this illusion. ThM road