The Evansville journal., 1869-06-26
Report OF w. B. johnson, Esglneer,
with Estimate of Cost to Complete
the Road from MadisOnYiIIe to
HOnkiuRYiIIP


Gen. J. z. Boyle, President Of the q. II. &
~. II R. Co.:
SIR: In compliance with your re-
quest | herewith submit statement
of the results of the surveys made by
me during the present month. Also
my estimate Of the cost to complete
the road from Madisonville to Hop
kinsville:
La compliance with your orders l
organized party for the purpose of
ascertaining whether any improve
ment could be made upon the loca
ton made under the direction of Mr..
Thomas Hassard. Chief Engineer, 10
Hopkinsville, and commenced work
on the 1st day Of this month. Start
ing at Meredith Gap, [ skirted
the base of the hill on the
east, through which the located line
cuts between Meredith Gap and Flat
Greek, connecting again with the
location south of Flat Greek. near
the residence of Mr.. Henry Morton,
a distance from Meredith Gap of
about two miles. This line exceeded
the location in distance five hundred
feet, but it saves 81 900 in cost of
construction, reduces a seventy four
foot grade to sixty nine feet, and no
additional curvature.
| next proceeded to Morton's Gap.
and ran a line from there by way of
Wallace Greek and New Salem Meet
ing House, crossing Crab Orchard
Greek where it enters brakes Greek
Fats; thence up brakes Greek. con-
Meeting with the location at a point
due east from Petersburg. The length
of this change is about nine miles.
This line Is shorter than the loca-
tion by one-t third of a mile; yes 125
feet in rise and fall in a distance of
eight miles, and upon careful estim-
ate | find can be built for $29, 900
less, and a much better line. From
observation and inquiry [ am satisfied
that there is as much coal along this
line as along the location, and as easy
of access.
My next object was to get line
that would avoid the Williams and
Davis Hills, at which points the
heaviest work and grades on the
whole line are encountered. | knew
there was no way to benefit the line
by running west of the location. |
therefore took the most available
route east of the location, crossing
the ridge that divides brakes Greek
from McFarland's Greek, over
the lowest summit. / ran up
Mcfarland to its head; thence
down on to the fats of the west fork
| of Pond River, at which point | be-
came thoroughly satisfied that that
route was not available. then went
back to point two miles down
| Mcfarland, and ran from there on to
! Davis Hill, connecting with the loca-
ton near the Woolridge Post Office.
l found this line to be three miles
longer than the location, and IN every
way more Objectionable. | have not
had time since the close of the sur
Vey to make an estimate of the cost of
these new lines south of Petersburg,
but l submit the profles, from which
you can see that they are impractica-
Bile as compared with the old
line. am fully satisfied
from these surveys and from extended
reeOnuoitering east and west of the
old line, that the location between
HopkInsville and Petersburg cannot
be benefited.
I returned with the party to Madi-
sonville, on the 18th inst, having
run nearly thirty-two miles of line
between the 1st and 18th inst
The old line Is all ready for letting
Should the new line between Mere
dith Gap and Petersburg be adopted,
1t will require about one weeks work
in the field with full party to prepare
1t for letting, the cost of which will
not exceed 5000.
am satisfied that the character of
the material between Madisonville
and Hopkinsville is such, for nearly
the whole distance, that embankmeuts
of II feet road bed and cuts of 16 feet
road bed, especially rock cuts, will be
safe and amply sufficient; certainly
until the company Is able from its