Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-12-20
I'm ION ID EP o T.
Rcport Of Colonel w. ID. Pick ett's
survey for tho Proposed Hallway
ConnectiOns.


the we'll known and skillful engineer,
made survey, by direction Of Mr.. Fink,
Of Louisville, Of line to connect the
Louisville Line and the Mississippi
Depot. % the 10th inst. he submitted
o detailed report of the survey to Messrs.
McDavitt, Gresnlaw and Harrington, a
committee sppoiBted by the various rail-
way companies interested to confer with
the city authorities in regard to the right
of way. Itis not likely that the present
Board of Mayor and Aldermen can be
induced to act on the matter, but gym
opsis of Col. Piclett's report will be
found interesting. neyertheless. l
Ia selecting the line Col. Pickett had
in view net only the through connection
mentioned above, but also the policy Of
using it as Q connecting point for all the
roads terminating at Memphis, or likely
to unite with each other and with the
Mississippi river. The route selected as
the mcst desirable is as follows:
1t dfverges from the Memphis and
Ohio railroad near it's intersection with
Third street, follows near the present
track of said road, and enters the Navy
Yard property at the head Of Fulton
street; thence down Fulton street to its
intersection with Market; thence by G.
curve to the left for FIVE hundred and fifty
feet, and q reverse and Go curve to the
RICH: for six hundred feet to the crossing
of Poplar street, ab,ut sixty feet above
Knspp's old foundry building; thence 10
direct line through Centre Landing"
and the Public Promenade to the inter-
section of Beale and Clinton streets,
passing eighty feet above the Bradley
Block" and about equal distance $3.50
feet) from Front street and the low water
line Of the Mississippi river thence by
10 curve TO the right into Clinton street
thence down Sc id street to its intersection
with Trezevant street; thence by a.
curve to the left for twelve hundred feet
to point near its intersection with Cal
houn street; thence by tangent of about
nine hundred feet and % curve to the
right to an intersection with the main
line of the Mississippi and Tennessee
railroad at the southern boundary of the
depot grounds.
The length of this line is two and
half miles.
One great merit Of this line is that it
interferes 80 little with private properly,
and where it occupies public streets very
few improvements have been made. The
line OF this track will be most advan-
tageous location fer foundries and other
manufacturing establishments on &C.
count of accessibility to the river and d.
rect rail connection with ell points
South; hence the value of property will
be increased on both sides Of the track.
This line passes through private prop
erty only three thousand feet of it's
length.
A line nearer the river would interfere
too much with the business of the public
landing, and there is reasonable grounds
for apprehension that the ground between
the Bradley Block and the river will be
carried eff in few years by the river.
The Memphis and Charleston railroad
has the choice of two routes: by the old
Fort Pickering route, or by continue
ton of its track from it's depot down the
bayou Gayoso to its intersection with the
Memphis and Ohio railroad. The latter
route is considered preferable on account
of its saving in the distance and other
advantages connected with its operation.
The project of connecting the Mem
phis and Charleston railroad with the
river down Beale, or any other street, by
the use of horse power, is considered as
temporary in its character aud too ex-
pensive to be long kept up.
The preferable plan for the line sur
veyed is to cross at their present grades
all streets between the Memphis and
Ohio depot and Beale street, and thence
pass under the present grades. either by
an open bridge or by an arched-covered
way, OF Gil btreeth OelWteu Detie buu
Calhoun streets. The estimated cost of
this plan is $ll9.4OO Other plans, in
volving bridging or archways on all
crossings south of Poplar, would cost
more than twice as much.
The above estimate is only for the grA-
dation, bridging, masonry, iron and
crossties for single track roadway, and
does not embrace depot buildings, side
tracks or cost of the right Of way.
The location of passenger and freight
depots is matter of secondary impor-
lance, when compared to the construc.
ton OF this connecting link between the
North and South lines CT roads, by which |
the stream of passengers and freight now
passing around Memphis, almost within
sound Of locomotive whistle-through |
jackson and Grand Junction-can be
made to pass through Memphis.
Several thousand dollars each day are
lost to Memphis for #snt of this connec-
ton.
Egeetfop of the Democratic COUnfy